If you’re tired of struggling to get the “right” look for your stills, Dehancer comes to the rescue with a solid plugin for Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Affinity Photo, and Capture One. It is available for Mac and Windows.
The company also has many solutions for the video industry and is commonly used for commercial and motion picture films. In fact, my colleague Christopher Malcom has reviewed recent video version and a few years ago, we look The same goes for the still image version, but it’s evolved quite a bit since then.
So what does Dehancer do?
According to the company, “Dehancer’s target customer is any photographer or videographer who values the aesthetic qualities of film and seeks to integrate these characteristics into their digital workflow. Dehancer appeals to those who appreciate the nostalgia and mood of film but require the flexibility and convenience of digital tools.”
So what we get is a plug-in that offers 63 film profiles along with tools to get color-accurate prints.
Basically, you load the image into one of the supported editors and launch Dehancer. On the left side of the screen, you’ll get a collection of film simulations and a preview of what the final product will look like. But the simulation, no matter which one you choose, can be a starting point for editing, as on the right side of the screen is a set of controls that allow you to tweak and adjust your image to any Which simulation did you choose as a starting step? Points for your own editing.
So here is an image taken with Sony a7 IV on the left and converted to a Kodachrome emulation:
Or go to Fujifilm Velvia:
Dehancer can be the final edit, or like I said, the preliminary edit can be adjusted further in Dehancer or back to your regular editor. This creates a very open workflow and each photographer can adapt Dehancer to their own editing style.
Use Dehancer
I tried the software on many different images. The software is easy to use. Just look at the GUI and you’ll get started.
As noted, the simulations are on the left. You can scroll through them and apply them to your image preview. While Dehancer works with TIF and JPEG files, you’ll do better with RAW files, giving Dehancer more time to work, and your final adjustments to the simulation will work better with complete data that RAW files provide.
You could stop at simulated film rendering, but in my testing, and I think most photographers will use Dehancer as a starting place to edit, tweak, and tweak the look accordingly. . Dehancer also lets you save any simulations you’ve enhanced as presets so you can reuse them.
Once you have what you want, you go back to the original editor and you’re done.
Is dehancer useful?
In a word, yes. This is not the only plug-in that delivers similar results. Newly released Nik 7 collection offers a ton of adjustable presets and some great black and white simulations with Silver Efex. It’s a collection of tools I use regularly and give it high marks.
Dehancer has a slightly different perspective. It is not a sharpening tool or an HDR tool but starts from a very accurate film simulation. You can get the full list This. You will find some imitations of Kodak, Fujifilm, Konica and Rollei to name a few. They look realistic (at least they seem to be a good imitation of the films I’ve used before) and aren’t bright or overdone.
After using the Fujifilm Fuji builds simulations of them and you can see them in the camera viewfinder or LCD screen.
Now, Dehancer brings Fujifilm-accurate emulations to non-Fuji cameras, along with all the other films the software emulates.
I enjoy using it, but I’m not a point-and-click editor who tends toward presets. I used Dehancer as a starting place and then tweaked it further, often returning to my main editor. I think one of the main benefits is the ability to view any image in a new way, often in a way you couldn’t imagine, and that’s always a good creative boost.
What I like
- For something so powerful, it’s very easy to use.
- Installation is very easy and simple.
- I like the ability to create or import presets.
- I appreciate the undo commands and history features.
- With thoughtful use, most images can be improved.
What could be better?
- Thumbnail previews are small. I would like to see a larger presentation on the screen.
- There is no built-in help. Even though Dehancer is easy to use, questions always arise. Yes, I can access the document on the website but give it to me in the app.
Buy pain relievers
You can buy Dehancer from the company website. There’s a free trial and various commitment levels. 3 months for $69.00, 6 months for $89.00, one year for $129.00 or lifetime subscription for $199.00. If you plan to use the software, the lifetime option is clearly the best choice, because even a 1-year renewal will be more expensive than a lifetime subscription. Purchase includes 2 seats.
Synthetic
Dehancer works and works well. It’s easy to learn and most photographers, whether advanced or beginner, will get started right away. I was a bit skeptical whether this was the software I needed, but after several days of using it, I wanted to keep it in my workflow.
Some people say they don’t want any software presets to get in the way of their editing process, and that’s a valid point of view. However, I like being able to see, with just one click, some other approaches to my personal vision. And, I love the look of film and Dehancer can get my digital images as close to the look of film as you might want in some or many of your images. At the same time, you’re not stuck with any of the simulations offered; you can enhance and transform the look into something unique to you.
I consider Dehancer as another arrow in my digital vibrator, and it’s a useful and welcome tool.
