Think of it as Instagram Pro: DxO FilmPack 4 is out
An upgrade to the film-styling software brings 65 new recipes to give specific looks to digital photographs.
- Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
DxO Labs released FilmPack 4 Wednesday, a new version of its software for photographers fond of the retro film look made possible by Instagram and similar filter-effect apps.
The software goes well beyond the usual sepia-tone and cyanotype effects. It's based on precise measurements of 60 specific types of film -- everything from Fuji Velvia to Kodak Tri-X -- to quickly endow digital photos with an old-school analog look.
Some might call it a throwback or gimmick, but plenty of shooters such as wedding photographers like such tools for quickly adding a little character or flavor.
New to the FilmPack 4 Essential version, which costs $79 after a $49 promotion ends, is a redesigned interface and 65 new recipes that combine effects such as blurring, vignetting, film grain, and a pinhole-camera look.
FilmPack 4 Expert, $129 after a $99 promotion ends, adds recipes involving "a new range of texture, light leak, blur vignetting, and unusual frame effects [to give photos] an aged look, to draw attention to a subject, or even to use original photo borders to highlight their images."
FilmPack works as standalone software but also can be integrated with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and Apple Aperture.