Content-Aware Grain

Sal Baker wrote:

Truman Prevatt wrote:

For me the Nik collection provides the optimal tool for film simulations in among other things its ability to simulate realistic grain based on the film selected. I find Silver Efex to be by far the best S/W for emulating classic and the newer B&W emulsions with a very realistic grain structure with the flexibility to tweak the grain structure to taste. Granted I am partial to B&W but the few times I have used Analog Efex - it provides a comparable capability for color as Silver Efex does for B&W.

I agree. Silver Efex Pro is one of my favorite image editors. The grain sliders (Grain per pixel slider, Grain soft to hard slider and the many film type/tonality adjustments are wonderful for grain that looks like it's part of the image, not grain sitting on top. And the control point technology allows for quick subtle localized edits that would be harder to do otherwise.

I've had no reason to try other B&W software so I can't give a comparison. I'm sure there's other nice solutions out there.

Sal

The only competition I see for Silver Efex is DXO filmpack.  However, since the acquisition of and the upgrading of the Nik collection including the introduction of the "control point" technology - I suspect film packs has been discontinued.  The good news is the Nik collection can be used in the "edit with" in Capture One, be used as plug ins in Affinity and the Adobe products.