Recap: The FilmLab 3 Announcement

FilmLab 3 is all about better image processing. New, more accurate Color Negative Process. New BW Process with better contrast control. More editing tools. And 4x speed for batch operations.
This afternoon we hosted a live stream on YouTube to announce FilmLab 3, the next generation of our app for digitizing negative film. You can download the betas here and watch the stream here.
Video preview
FilmLab 3 is all about upgrades to our image processing. It includes new versions of the FilmLab Color Negative Process and FilmLab BW Negative Process, our algorithms for converting scans of negative film into positive images. These new Processes take advantage of the power of modern GPUs to convert film scans 4x faster than before, and include breakthrough color science that allows any mirrorless or DSLR camera to digitize film photos that look like they were made with a professional grade film scanner.
Negative converted with FilmLab 2.5. It has a cyan cast, a common issue with FilmLab 2 and certain film stocks.
Negative converted with FilmLab 2.5. It has a cyan cast, a common issue with FilmLab 2 and certain film stocks.
The same negative converted with FilmLab 2.5 is much warmer, loses the cyan cast, and has more accurate colors.
The same negative converted with FilmLab 2.5 is much warmer, loses the cyan cast, and has more accurate colors.
Negative converted with FilmLab 2.5.
Negative converted with FilmLab 2.5.
Negative converted with FilmLab 3 has more accurate colors and preserves more detail in bright areas.
Negative converted with FilmLab 3 has more accurate colors and preserves more detail in bright areas.
In addition to speed and color accuracy, FilmLab 3 includes new features to help film photographers and archivists produce better images from their scanned negatives. The new Highlight Recovery tool makes it possible to fill in detail in overexposed areas.
Film negatives can contain more dynamic range than will be included in a typical photo. So the bright areas of the sky end up clipped in this film scan, even though the information is recorded on the film.
Film negatives can contain more dynamic range than will be included in a typical photo. So the bright areas of the sky end up clipped in this film scan, even though the information is recorded on the film.
The Highlight Recovery tool in FilmLab 3 makes it possible recover the blown out highlights. This tool is modeled after the technique of “burning” light areas in a darkroom print.
The Highlight Recovery tool in FilmLab 3 makes it possible recover the blown out highlights. This tool is modeled after the technique of “burning” light areas in a darkroom print.
Improved noise removal and sharpening features help to get rid of digital noise and bring out all the information on the original film.
Detail of a negative captured as a raw file (DNG format) with an iPhone 13 Pro and converted with FilmLab 3. The negative to positive process makes digital noise more visible, since the dark and noisy areas of the negative end up as bright areas in the final image.
Detail of a negative captured as a raw file (DNG format) with an iPhone 13 Pro and converted with FilmLab 3. The negative to positive process makes digital noise more visible, since the dark and noisy areas of the negative end up as bright areas in the final image.
FilmLab 3’s Noise Removal tool is able to eliminate most of the digital noise, resulting in a much cleaner image.
FilmLab 3’s Noise Removal tool is able to eliminate most of the digital noise, resulting in a much cleaner image.
Finally, the new Scanning Flare Correction tool fixes the dimness and lack of contrast caused by ambient light reflecting off a negative during scanning.
This scan was made in a room with ambient light reflecting off the film negative. This adds a layer of gray neutral density to the converted image, especially in bright areas.
This scan was made in a room with ambient light reflecting off the film negative. This adds a layer of gray neutral density to the converted image, especially in bright areas.
FilmLab 3’s Scanning Flare Correction tool can correct for scanning flare, resulting in a more contrasty and colorful image.
FilmLab 3’s Scanning Flare Correction tool can correct for scanning flare, resulting in a more contrasty and colorful image.
The image processing upgrades in FilmLab 3 are the result of some deep R&D we’ve been doing into the color science of film scanning. This work is ongoing, and there are further improvements yet to come. But what we already have is a such a big step forward that we wanted to get it out there and let people start using it, which is why we’re releasing beta builds of FilmLab 3 today. Please give the beta builds a try and let us know what you think!
In addition to the new Color Negative process, FilmLab 3 includes a redesigned BW Negative process. When converting a black and white image, you can use the new noise reduction, sharpening, scanning flare correction, and (coming in the next beta build) highlight recovery tools. The new BW Process also includes a wider range of usable contrast curves, modeled after the characteristics of variable contrast black and white printer paper.
This black and white image was made from a high contrast negative. In FilmLab 2.5, even with contrast at the lowest setting, there’s a loss of detail in the highlights and shadows.
This black and white image was made from a high contrast negative. In FilmLab 2.5, even with contrast at the lowest setting, there’s a loss of detail in the highlights and shadows.
FilmLab 3’s better contrast control helps create a more balanced image with more preserved detail.
FilmLab 3’s better contrast control helps create a more balanced image with more preserved detail.
FilmLab 3 is available now as a beta release for Windows and macOS, and can be downloaded from https://filmlabapp.com/desktop. FilmLab 3 for iOS will be available in beta in early September, and FilmLab 3 for Android will be available in beta later this fall. We expect a final version of FilmLab 3 for all platforms to ship before the end of the year.