Ten films, each for a reason.
Eight start from a film's published datasheet and are finished by eye. One is a digital look with no film behind it, and one is no look at all. Each one below is the same photo, developed live in your browser by Sol's own engine.
5 are free. The rest come with Sol Pro.
Zero
No look
Sometimes you want Sol's camera without Sol's look: the honest viewfinder, merges, Night and RAW. Zero is also a clean start for a recipe.
Character
- The camera's own rendering, with nothing added
- No curve, no colour shift
- No grain, no extra sharpening
- Auto white balance
Good for
- A clean start for your own recipe
- Night and RAW with nothing added
- When you want the camera, not a look
Not for
- A finished look straight out of the camera
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope
- 1.00
- Toe
- 0.40
- Shoulder
- 0.08
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.00
- Cells, short side
- 1,800
- Colour in grain
- 0.00
- Sharpness, clarity
- 0, 0
Colour
- White balance
- 5,500 K
- Chroma
- ×1.00
- Skin protection
- 0.00
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.00
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Soft Chrome
Digital look, tuned by eye
An everyday default with restraint. It makes ordinary scenes look considered without shouting "filter".
Character
- Muted colour
- Blues kept rich, pulled slightly toward cyan
- Quieter greens and magentas
- Crisp contrast with a short toe, so shadows go properly dark
- Almost no grain
Good for
- Everyday scenes
- Documentary and street
- A quiet default
Not for
- Loud, saturated colour
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope
- 1.08
- Toe
- 0.30
- Shoulder
- 0.12
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.06
- Cells, short side
- 2,400
- Colour in grain
- 0.00
- Sharpness, clarity
- +1, +2
Colour
- White balance
- 5,500 K
- Chroma
- ×0.78
- Skin protection
- 0.50
- Hue bands
- 5
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.50
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Portrait 400
From a professional ISO 400 portrait colour negative's datasheet
People. The most forgiving film in the set.
Character
- The lowest contrast in the set, with a long, soft toe
- The gentlest highlight roll-off
- Rated a touch over, the way negative shooters rate it
- Warm white balance, reds held back
- The strongest skin protection of any film
Good for
- People and skin
- Soft light
- Scenes that are hard to expose
Not for
- Punchy, high-contrast colour
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope R · G · B
- 0.91 · 0.90 · 0.88
- Toe
- 0.80
- Shoulder
- 0.20
- Exposure
- +0.10 stop
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.16
- Cells, short side
- 2,000
- Colour in grain
- 0.15
- Sharpness, clarity
- 0, 0
Colour
- White balance
- 5,700 K
- Chroma
- ×0.97
- Skin protection
- 0.80
- Hue bands
- 4
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.60
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Vivid 50
From an ISO 50 colour slide film's datasheet
Colour that hits: landscapes, flowers, saturated light. Slide film has little latitude, and neither does this.
Character
- The hardest curve in the set, with a short toe and shoulder
- Rated a touch under, the way slide shooters expose
- Richer greens, deeper blues, stronger magentas
- Very fine grain and the crispest detail
Good for
- Landscapes
- Flowers
- Saturated light
Not for
- Portraits: it holds little back on skin
- Harsh, high-contrast light
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope
- 1.30
- Toe
- 0.30
- Shoulder
- 0.15
- Exposure
- −0.15 stop
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.06
- Cells, short side
- 2,600
- Colour in grain
- 0.08
- Sharpness, clarity
- +3, +3
Colour
- White balance
- 5,600 K
- Chroma
- ×1.00
- Skin protection
- 0.20
- Hue bands
- 6
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.30
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Press Mono
From a classic ISO 400 black-and-white negative's datasheet
Street, reportage, grit.
Character
- Panchromatic: it sees every colour as its own grey
- Punchy contrast
- The strongest, coarsest grain in the set, peaking in the midtones
- Extra clarity
Good for
- Street
- Reportage
- Texture and grit
Not for
- Smooth, clean tones
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope
- 1.10
- Toe
- 0.60
- Shoulder
- 0.30
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.45
- Cells, short side
- 1,100
- Colour in grain
- Mono
- Sharpness, clarity
- +2, +2
Colour
- White balance
- 5,500 K
- Mono weights R · G · B
- 0.19 · 0.53 · 0.28
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.00
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Daily 400
From a consumer ISO 400 colour negative's datasheet
The everyday snapshot film: holidays, friends, the camera in your bag.
Character
- The softest toe in the set
- Shadows sit slightly lifted, with a hint of green
- Greens nudged toward cyan, stronger blues and reds
- Noticeable grain with colour in it
Good for
- Holidays
- Friends
- Everyday snapshots
Not for
- Clean, neutral colour
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope
- 0.98
- Toe
- 0.90
- Shoulder
- 0.22 · 0.18 · 0.18
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.20
- Cells, short side
- 2,000
- Colour in grain
- 0.20
- Sharpness, clarity
- 0, +1
Colour
- White balance
- 5,200 K
- Chroma
- ×1.08
- Skin protection
- 0.60
- Hue bands
- 4
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.50
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Tungsten 800
From a tungsten-balanced motion-picture colour negative's datasheet
Night, neon, practical lights. A film made for artificial light.
Character
- Balanced cool by default, for warm artificial light
- Each channel has its own slope, so shadows cross over to cyan
- Stronger reds and cyans
- Soft highlights and visible grain
Good for
- Night
- Neon and practical lights
- Indoor artificial light
Not for
- Daylight, unless you want it cool
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope R · G · B
- 0.97 · 0.95 · 0.93
- Toe
- 0.70
- Shoulder
- 0.20
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.25
- Cells, short side
- 1,700
- Colour in grain
- 0.20
- Sharpness, clarity
- 0, 0
Colour
- White balance
- 4,000 K, tint −1
- Chroma
- ×1.00
- Skin protection
- 0.60
- Hue bands
- 3
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.40
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Fine Mono
From a fine-grain ISO 100 black-and-white negative's datasheet
Long, smooth tones: architecture, still life, portraits in soft light.
Character
- Less blue sensitivity, so skies print darker
- A gentle curve with slightly deeper midtones
- Near-invisible grain
- Extra sharpness
Good for
- Architecture
- Still life
- Portraits in soft light
Not for
- Gritty, grainy black and white
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope
- 1.00
- Toe
- 0.50
- Shoulder
- 0.20
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.12
- Cells, short side
- 2,700
- Colour in grain
- Mono
- Sharpness, clarity
- +3, +1
Colour
- White balance
- 5,500 K
- Mono weights R · G · B
- 0.22 · 0.60 · 0.18
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.00
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Landscape
From an ISO 100 fine-grain colour negative's datasheet
Travel and landscape. Vivid like Vivid 50, but with negative-film latitude, so it's more natural and harder to blow out.
Character
- More saturation, stronger reds and greens
- Blues printed slightly deeper, for heavier skies
- The finest colour grain in the set
- Extra sharpness
Good for
- Travel
- Landscape
- Big skies
Not for
- Portraits: faces can run ruddy
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope
- 1.02
- Toe
- 0.60
- Shoulder
- 0.25
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.05
- Cells, short side
- 2,800
- Colour in grain
- 0.12
- Sharpness, clarity
- +3, +2
Colour
- White balance
- 5,500 K
- Chroma
- ×1.12
- Skin protection
- 0.30
- Hue bands
- 5
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.45
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Amber 200
From a consumer ISO 200 colour negative's datasheet
Summer, nostalgia, golden afternoons.
Character
- Warm white balance, and a lower blue curve that keeps highlights golden
- Yellows and yellow-greens lifted, greens pulled toward yellow
- Stronger magentas
- Fine-to-medium grain with colour in it
Good for
- Summer
- Golden afternoons
- Nostalgia
Not for
- Cool, neutral colour
The numbersFor the enthusiasts
Curve
- Slope R · G · B
- 0.95 · 0.95 · 0.92
- Toe
- 0.70
- Shoulder
- 0.20
Grain and detail
- Grain amount
- 0.26
- Cells, short side
- 1,500
- Colour in grain
- 0.18
- Sharpness, clarity
- 0, 0
Colour
- White balance
- 5,900 K
- Chroma
- ×1.05
- Skin protection
- 0.50
- Hue bands
- 5
- Highlight roll-off
- 0.50
Straight from the film's file in Sol's engine. Slope is contrast; the toe is how shadows fade in; the shoulder is how highlights roll off. Grain cells count across the frame's short side, so more cells means finer grain.
Make your own recipe on any of them.
A film is where a recipe starts. Change its white balance, colour, tone and grain, and keep it as your own.
Try it on the home page