VSCO Film 05 (latest Feb-2014 version)

[lynnb]

Has anyone tried the latest version of VSCO Film 05? The samples look promising. Currently I use Filmbot (freeware), DxO FilmPack and PhotoLooks.

Would be interested to hear of any user reports.

And yes, I do shoot film 🙂

 

[PatrickT]

I'm curious as well...the Neopan 400 preset is almost enough for me to get it alone!

 

[Photomek]

I own VSCO 01, 02 and 04 for Lightroom and have bought 05 yesterday. I was curious about the Kodak Ektar 100 Simulation and I have to say that I like it very much. I think this and the Fuji Neopan 400 presets will get many uses. Perhaps the fifth pack is the best effort by VSCO to date.

Some shots from my M8 (colors are Kodak Ektar 100, black/white is Fuji Neopan 400 preset) attached.

 

[Photomek]

Two more with M8 and Fuji Neopan 400 (VSCO 05)...

 

[lynnb]

thanks Tomek, I appreciate seeing the samples.

 

[Frank Petronio]

So if you scan Portra 400 and use a Portra 400 preset... ?

 

[PatrickT]

Thanks for the samples! That helps.

 

[PatrickT]

So if you scan Portra 400 and use a Portra 400 preset... ?

It depends on how you scan your film. I tend to scan very "flat". When I apply one of the VSCO presets to it, it adds a bit of contrast, changes the colors a tad, etc. It seemed to work for the few frames I did it on, but YMMV.

 

[redisburning]

does anyone know if vsco edits information directly from the raw or it just modifies what the raw converter is already doing?

the neopan 400 looks useful, the rest just looks like a way to churn out the photos but not actually do anything that you can't already in ps.

 

[keithp]

Lynn, have you ever given Exposure a try. It what I use. I've used it from version 1. I have v3 and they are up to v5. v5 has is wonderful and I may upgrade in the near future. It does color and black and white looks. I like it better than anything I've tried so far. I haven't tried VSCO yet because I see so many post underexposed looking images from it that it put me off. It looks like it might be faster since it's just LR persists and that alone may get me to rethink it.

 

[brbo]

does anyone know if vsco edits information directly from the raw or it just modifies what the raw converter is already doing?

This is from VSCO: VSCO Film™ 05 for Adobe Lightroom 4 & 5 works with cameras that produce RAW digital files and are supported by Adobe Lightroom 4 and Lightroom 5, respectively. Certain cameras also include custom camera profiles for increased film emulation accuracy.

 

[v_roma]

To the best of my knowledge, and at least for lightroom, they are just presets that take advantage of the same tools that are available to everyone. For some cameras, they do have custom profiles for supposedly more accurate color emulation.

does anyone know if vsco edits information directly from the raw or it just modifies what the raw converter is already doing?

the neopan 400 looks useful, the rest just looks like a way to churn out the photos but not actually do anything that you can't already in ps.

 

[PatrickT]

To the best of my knowledge, and at least for lightroom, they are just presets that take advantage of the same tools that are available to everyone. For some cameras, they do have custom profiles for supposedly more accurate color emulation.

I believe this is true for a lot of cameras. What those profiles add is not something you can get in lightroom without significant tweaking (I don't think).

 

[PatrickT]

does anyone know if vsco edits information directly from the raw or it just modifies what the raw converter is already doing?

the neopan 400 looks useful, the rest just looks like a way to churn out the photos but not actually do anything that you can't already in ps.

Really, this is true of any piece of editing software. ANYTHING can be done in PS with enough time and knowledge. The benefit to VSCO is that they give you very specific looks that a lot of people want and they make it easy.

 

[Lauffray]

If I was using digital I'd definitely give them a try, they look like simple PS plugins. My previous favourite, Nik Color and Silver Efex is now feature bloated with filters and hyped effects à la instagram

 

[mfogiel]

I was just wondering, how a real B&W film emulsion, that would emulate the look of digital B&W would sell ? Probably as well as soy beef steaks 😀

 

[Ted Witcher]

Really, this is true of any piece of editing software. ANYTHING can be done in PS with enough time and knowledge. The benefit to VSCO is that they give you very specific looks that a lot of people want and they make it easy.

No, the benefit to VSCO is that it works non-destructively on the raw file as a set of instructions... so there is no massive file size increase from rendering out a TIFF to PS. (Additional benefit if you use Aperture: the grain is actual film grain and looks great, for LR they use the built-in "grain engine" which looks less great.) You guys should also look at Replichrome, which appears to be even better (more accurate) than VSCO.