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Test Drive: DxO FilmPack 7
27 September 2023
DxO has released FilmPack 7, adding luminosity masking and five new modern analog film simulations along with 20 new digital effects, among other improvements. At the same time, the company announced it will give away 100 copies of Gary Zuercher's The Glow of Paris.
"At DxO, we love photography, FilmPack is our tribute to almost 200 years of analog history. Version 7 gives photographers who miss the magic of film the chance to immerse themselves -- but with all of the convenience of digital," said Jean-Marc Alexia, vice president of product strategy.
FILMPACK 7
Highlights of the three new features in Filmpack 7 include:
Luminosity Masks
Luminosity Masks offer redfined local adjustments of exposure, color and contrast by creating masks based on brightness. Complete brightness ranges as well as on- and off-ramps to the range are editable, providing control over the extent of a mask.
Upgraded Time Machine mode
Spanning almost two centuries of history's greatest photographers and their favorite film stocks, DxO FilmPack 7's unique Time Machine features a large collection of well-known photographs.
You can experience historical styles in context before applying them to your own photos. There are 22 new historical images and events, in addition to 26 new presets, bringing the total to 94.
25 new film renderings and digital styles
Five new modern analog film renderings have been added: Cinestill Redrum 200, LomoChrome Metropolis 200, Lomography Redscale XR 200, Berlin Kino B&W 400 and Earl gray B&W 100.
Also added are 20 new digital effects and a series of digital rendering see new styles of color and black-and-white modes on modern cameras from Nikon and Fujifilm.
FilmPack 7 brings the total number of adjustable high-fidelity color and monochrome film renderings to 89 and 82 digital styles.
TEST DRIVE
We were anxious to try the new luminosity masking so we gave FilmPack 7 a test drive.
We started with a DNG Raw file, rendered by FilmPack 7 as Kodak Kodachrome 64, as seen in the Before image above.
What we wanted to do was lighten the tree trunks to recover some detail in those dark shadows.
There are many ways to accomplish this, including Curves and a Shadows slider, but to make more complex edits than changing the tonality, we wanted a mask.
We clicked on the Plus button and instantly FilmPack 7 created a luminosity mask set to a middle range but there's also a Picker tool so you can just click on the part of the image you want to affect.
In addition to the Picker, there are 11 ranges you can click on above the mask display to select different tonalities in the image. And that's not a bad way to get comfortable with masking this way.
But there's more to it. By sliding the controls at the top of the mask display you can expand or contract the tones in the mask. And by sliding the controls at the bottom of the mask, you can feather the mask into neighboring tones.
So there's more to it but nothing to be afraid of.
Next we made our adjustments, which are strictly limited to the masked areas of the image with sliders separate from the global corrections above on the panel.
We turned off the mask display so we could see the effect of our changes, then we fiddled with the sliders to optimize the detail in the tree trunks. Finally, we warmed up the color temperature a bit to get rid of a cold blue tone.
There is a Automated Corrections option but we didn't try it until we'd edited the image. When we turned it on, it made no change to the image.
We found FilmPack's luminosity masking very easy to use and powerful enough to want to use it.
There's no way to edit the mask to exclude some objects that fall in the same tonal range. And there's no contiguous toggle to exclude tones that are not attached to the tone you have clicked with the Picker.
Those would be nice enhancements.
THE GLOW OF PARIS
To celebrate the release of FilmPack 7, DxO will give away 100 copies of Gary Zuercher's The Glow of Paris to purchasers of FilmPack 7. For 20 years, the lasrge format photographer has documented in black and white the beauty of Paris and its bridge at night. See the Web Site for details.
PRICE, AVAILABILITY
A new license for FilmPack 7 [MW] is $139 with a 30-day free trial also available. Upgrades from FilmPack 6 are $79. FilmPack 7 can be downloaded from the DxO Web site.
For more information see the news release below.
FilmPack 7, DxO Labs' tribute to analog photography, includes new editing tools, lm rendering an enriched Time Machine mode and more a personalized work ow
PARIS -- DxO Labs, creator of pioneering photo-editing software for over 20 years, is proud to present FilmPack 7, designed for digital photographers who love the timeless magic of film. It follows almost two decades of researching and digitizing the unique characteristics of classic film stocks in order to keep them alive in the digital era.
"At DxO, we love photography, FilmPack is our tribute to almost 200 years of analog history. Version 7 gives photographers who miss the magic of film the chance to immerse themselves -- but with all of the convenience of digital," said Jean-Marc Alexia, vice president of product strategy.
New for FilmPack 7
Luminosity Masks for unequaled editing
FilmPack 7, Luminosity Masks enable the fine adjustment of exposure, color and contrast. Users can now target specific parts of the image for precise changes such as adding warmth to highlights, offering new levels of control.
Upgraded Time Machine mode
Spanning almost two centuries of history's greatest photographers and their favorite film stocks, DxO FilmPack 7's Time Machine features a large collection of iconic photographs. Users can experience historical styles in context and then apply them to their own photos. Photographers can enjoy 22 new historical images and events, in addition to 26 new presets, bringing the total to 94.
25 new film renderings and digital styles
In addition to FilmPack already wide array of authentic film renderings, Version 7 features 5 new modern analog film renderings: Cinestill Redrum 200, LomoChrome Metropolis 200, Lomography Redscale XR 200, Berlin Kino B&W 400 and Earl gray B&W 100. 20 new digital effects and a series of digital rendering see new styles of color and black-and-white modes on modern cameras from Nikon and Fujifilm.
FilmPack 7 brings the total number of adjustable high-fidelity color and monochrome film renderings to 89 and 82 digital styles.
Price and Availability
New customers can download Windows and macOS versions exclusively from the DxO Web site at the prices listed below, a 30-day free trial is also available.
- DxO FilmPack 7: $139
Owners of FilmPack 6 can take advantage of a special upgrade price:
- DxO FilmPack 7 upgrade price: $79
To upgrade, customers should log into your customer account. PhotoLab 7 does not require a subscription and can be installed on up to three computers.
Win a copy of The Glow of Paris
To celebrate the release of FilmPack 7, DxO has partnered with large format film photographer Gary Zuercher, who, for 20 years, has documented the beauty of Paris and its bridges at night in black & white. Customers who purchase FilmPack 7 will be eligible to win one of a 100 copies of his beautiful photo book. For more details visit https://www.dxo.com/dxo-filmpack/contestglowofparis.
