Who has the best film grain emulation?

[Alfonso B]

Whenever I use a film simulation for a digital image, I dial the grain to almost 0 because I'm doing digital and don't want that stuff in my image.

It's because modern film is so good you can't get the film look on film and your film mates laugh at you when you post IG photos of film canisters not shot on film because of film.

Sure, I like looking at grainy old images or some new ones that also replicate the subject matter. But grainy B/W photos of somebody's -04 corolla with scrape marks and sprocket holes running 90 degrees wrong way?

My 2004-2008 cell phone camera noise generator is about to hit kickstarter soon. Be sure to back up 🙂

 

[user237428934]

Sure, I like looking at grainy old images or some new ones that also replicate the subject matter. But grainy B/W photos of somebody's -04 corolla with scrape marks and sprocket holes running 90 degrees wrong way?

Ok, i see. You have never really used a film emulation software.

 

[LukeBanks]

I once used DxO's software to emulate Acros 100 on a set of images shot with a 5Dii. The results were great but unfortunately I can't offer you any comparison against the alternatives as I have no experience with them. DxO always had a 30 day free trial offer, which allowed access to a surprising number of features including export, so that could be a useful option to give it a try before purchasing.

Apologies I don't have a link to embed an image here for you but the work I mentioned is viewable at this link if it is of any use as reference. www.lukebanks.com/DUNE

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Alien Skin Exposure. I like it better than Nik and Siver Fx.

Another tip, for 'realism,' i often add a layer of a scan of real film grain, to get those random variations in grains, grain clumps, etc. Just scan a blank frame of a gray field, and adjust the levels so that it looks like it's very close to 50% black. Layer it with Overlay transparency setting, and then adjust to taste.

 

[Ted Witcher]

Silver Fx hasn't been updated in a hundred years. It was fine for its time, but that has passed.

I will second two ideas already mentioned: in my experience, the most realistic grain emulation comes from the built-in grain engine of Capture One Pro (from 9) and also Exposure X2. Both programs offer a lot of customization/flexibility, and both re-interpolate the image to fit the "grain" desired. In other words, you get less visible grain in highlights, and more grain in the shadow area, as you would with film, and further mid-tone customization as well. If you use either one carefully and then make a print, the final output would be just about indistinguishable from an enlargement made from a negative.