Overall, both score well in regard to customization. Again, I found the DxO workspace to be a bit more compact, although scrolling down through the options in the right-side panel in Exposure 5 requires no great effort. I then reduced the Opacity on the APX 25 Layer to get this low-saturation look (Above).īoth programs allow for many, many modifications of presets using the right-side panel, and both allow your modifications to be saved as your own custom preset, something that comes in handy when doing batch processing. (The program has a very nice selection of border effects in both presets and modifiers.) When I clicked on Save it loaded both as Layers in Photoshop. I applied the Agfa APX 25 film preset along with a border frame. Here’s the original image (Top) and the final in Exposure 5. Again, choosing the three-column preview option helps alleviate that somewhat. The default Exposure 5 effects menu took a lot more time to work through, as opening each grouping (B&W, Color, with numerous subsets) in essence pushed down the other effects so it made for more scrolling when “fishing” for the right look.

The DxO preset bar, with groups shown at the base of the workspace and selected by tabs, and then the various effects chosen via a slider, was, for me, an easier way to work. Once selected, the image pops right up in the main workspace.Īs to the effects menu, both showed all the variations quickly on the effects panel, although I found the DxO interface less cluttered, something I partially solved by choosing the three-column view of the effects in Exposure 5. Both programs worked quickly and had an almost instantaneous readout of the various preset effects. I started with Adobe Bridge first and then dragged-and-dropped an image into both programs’ “stand-alone” mode. There is no browser in either program, and although that would be ideal I’m sure it would also jack up the price. The stand-alone versions allow images to be opened via your directory or dragged-and-dropped from a browser. PSD in from the directory or browser) and offer a large number of preset customization options that you can apply individually to images or save as a customized preset for other work. PSD, and formats other than JPEG and TIFF (you have to convert them first and cannot move Raw or.

Both programs have similar workspaces, although the left-side preset panel of Exposure 5 differs from the baseline groupings and image option crawl/slider at the bottom of the space in FilmPack 4 before and after split views very quick previews of selected effects failure to handle Raw. I worked with a MacBook Pro and base my observations on using that OS.

This is a great aid in expanding creative image options even further. When you apply an effect or even two in Exposure 5 each becomes a Layer that you can do more work on, such as Opacity, Layer Masks, etc. Check pricing at the end of this article and each company’s website for system compatibility. I will not revisit that discussion here, although the near concomitant release of two such programs, Alien Skin’s Exposure 5 and DxO’s FilmPack 4, makes it tempting to do so.īoth companies justify version upgrades with claimed improved workability and “interface ease of use” additional presets (DxO sells an “Essential” and “Expert” edition, with the latter having more options and extras, while Exposure 5 has more preset options overall) stand-alone versions and plug-in functionality with the usual suspects and a preset “search” that allows you to describe what you might be after so that the program can recommend some options. On the other side, I admire their offering programs that open up a raft of image expressions in easy to attain fashion. It strikes me that an increasingly small proportion of folks relate to them. On one side, I am unsure why the designers use visual references to types of film for their preset IDs. I have always had mixed feelings about so-called “film simulation” software, programs that offer one-click presets that add effects and options for manipulating digital images.

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