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Looking for film grain filter

Discussion in 'Image Processing' started by dixeyk, Feb 13, 2011.

Top Rated
  1. dixeyk

    dixeyk Mu-43 Hall of Famer

    3,475
    Aug 9, 2010
    Anyone have a recommendation for a film grain filter for Photoshop and/or Lightroom? I am looking to simulate Tri-X (and yes I know the only way to REALLY get that look is to shoot Tri-X).

    I am finding a number online but I was wondering what folks here might have to say about whether or not they look good.

    Kevin
     
    dixeyk, Feb 13, 2011
    #1
  2. Streetshooter

    Streetshooter Administrator Emeritus

    5,138
    Dec 15, 2009
    Phila, Pa USA
    Kevin,
    LR has a very good grain simulator. Nik Silver Effex also has a film and grain simulator that is second to none...
    don
     
    Streetshooter, Feb 13, 2011
    #2
    • Like Like x 1
  3. BrianK

    BrianK Mu-43 Veteran

    309
    Jan 20, 2011
    Lansing MI
    BrianK, Feb 13, 2011
    #3
  4. macjansson

    macjansson Mu-43 Regular

    35
    Jan 7, 2011
    Sweden
    Alien Skin Software: Exposure

    Maybe a bit overkill if you only want the Tri-X setting. The program mimics a lot of films as well as processing and cross processing.
     
    macjansson, Feb 13, 2011
    #4
  5. tomrock

    tomrock Mu-43 Regular

    132
    Jun 21, 2010
    Indianapolis, IN
    I'm casting a second vote for Nik Silver Efex Pro. Great way to make digital pictures look like Tri-X or many other emulsions.
     
    tomrock, Feb 13, 2011
    #5
  6. dixeyk

    dixeyk Mu-43 Hall of Famer

    3,475
    Aug 9, 2010
    Yeah, $250 is a bit steep for what I am looking for. That said, I have always been a fano f Alien Skin Software.
     
    dixeyk, Feb 13, 2011
    #6
  7. dixeyk

    dixeyk Mu-43 Hall of Famer

    3,475
    Aug 9, 2010
    I was looking at the grain preset in LR3. I think I may need to dig into that and see what I can make of it.
     
    dixeyk, Feb 13, 2011
    #7
  8. Streetshooter

    Streetshooter Administrator Emeritus

    5,138
    Dec 15, 2009
    Phila, Pa USA
    Open your image and process first.
    Apply the grain at the end. Sometimes I sharpen either before or after the grain filter.
    It works well if ya don't have Silver Effex.
     
    Streetshooter, Feb 13, 2011
    #8
  9. dixeyk

    dixeyk Mu-43 Hall of Famer

    3,475
    Aug 9, 2010
    Thanks for the tip. :thumbup:
     
    dixeyk, Feb 13, 2011
    #9
  10. Cerebus2

    Cerebus2 Mu-43 Rookie

    21
    Oct 12, 2010
    DxO FilmPack.

    -- C
     
    Cerebus2, Feb 13, 2011
    #10
  11. Luckypenguin

    Luckypenguin .

    7,397
    Oct 9, 2010
    Brisbane, Australia
    Nic
    In Photoshop I like to sharpen after adding grain texture - otherwise I find the effect tends to detract from rather than enhance the image.
     
    Luckypenguin, Feb 13, 2011
    #11
  12. Streetshooter

    Streetshooter Administrator Emeritus

    5,138
    Dec 15, 2009
    Phila, Pa USA
    Nic, it depends how I'm reading the image.
    I treat everyone like a separate story.
    It all depends on the info I get and want to show.
     
    Streetshooter, Feb 13, 2011
    #12
    • Like Like x 1
  13. stanleyk

    stanleyk Guest

    99
    May 26, 2010
    I would vote for Silver EFX also. Color EFX from the same company also has a large selection of film grain simulators for color.

    I think their website offers a free trial.

    Nik Software, Inc. | Welcome
     
    stanleyk, Feb 14, 2011
    #13
  14. Ray Sachs

    Ray Sachs Super Moderator Subscribing Member

    2,704
    Apr 17, 2010
    Near Philadephila
    Yeah, Silver Efex, I was a reluctant adopter, now its pretty much all I use for B&W. They call the grain controls an "engine" rather than filter and it sounds about right because its being added it, rather than something being filtered out. But the control is very fine in terms of both amount and texture.

    I used the B&W art filter on my epl1 when I first got it last spring, but I found it worked better in the software with a RAW file than the in-camera processing, because even in the relatively lame Olympus software, you could combine the B&W grain fliter with different color filters and get very different effects. And then I started using Aperture and eventually Silver Efex and its sooooo much easier to get it just how you want it...

    -Ray
     
    Ray Sachs, Feb 14, 2011
    #14
  15. Luckypenguin

    Luckypenguin .

    7,397
    Oct 9, 2010
    Brisbane, Australia
    Nic
    I found that the Olympus "grainy film" art filter gave a nice effect in some circumstances but in most cases is far too heavy-handed and usually removes more detail than I would ideally like.
     
    Luckypenguin, Feb 14, 2011
    #15
  16. Krang

    Krang Mu-43 Veteran

    202
    Feb 19, 2010
    By far the best (most authentic) film grain software is TrueGrain. It's method is significantly different from other programs. It does not emulate, but it uses the grain from actual film scans.

    For each type of film, it has several film(thus grain) sizes. And all the scans are from the actual films. So your TRI-X grain would really be authentic.

    Works like a charm. I even fooled some B&W film fanatics with this software and a picture taken with my android phone :) 

    edit: The only "negative" is that it lacks color films…
     
    Krang, Feb 14, 2011
    #16
  17. Grant

    Grant Mu-43 Veteran

    388
    May 16, 2010
    Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
    I am not sure if anyone has mentioned True Grain. It gives very convincing grain structure and is not very expensive.
     
    Grant, Feb 14, 2011
    #17
  18. dixeyk

    dixeyk Mu-43 Hall of Famer

    3,475
    Aug 9, 2010
    True Grain looks very interesting. I'll download the demo and see how I like it. I'd have preferred a Lightroom plug-in but you can't have everything.
     
    dixeyk, Feb 14, 2011
    #18
  19. iliakoltsov

    iliakoltsov Mu-43 Regular

    195
    Aug 7, 2010
    Paris
    Gimp offers that through plugins FX foundry :) 
     
    iliakoltsov, Feb 14, 2011
    #19
  20. MichaelShea

    MichaelShea Mu-43 Regular

    108
    Jan 27, 2011
    Algarve, Portugal
    I've got a selection of Lightroom presets that have been imported into successive versions of Lightroom. To be honest I never use them, but that's not to say they aren't any good. I have very little idea what all these varieties of genuine film grain are supposed to look like. In any case, SEP is usually my preferred option and I'm clearly not the only one. But the point is that I'm more than willing to 'export' to you the two presets that are meant to mimic Kodak Tri-X 400 and let you decide. One contains an auto exposure setting and the other doesn't. Provide me with an email address by personal message if you want them but don't already possess them.
     
    MichaelShea, Feb 14, 2011
    #20
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