Dehancer gave me more ways to add a film-inspired look to my digital photographs, especially through grain, halation and bloom. It does not replace the experience of shooting film, but I enjoyed the creative control it added to my editing workflow.
Disclosure: Dehancer provided a trial licence for this honest review. This article also contains an affiliate link; I may earn a commission if you buy through it. The opinions and editing examples are my own.
Why I wanted a film-inspired look
I’d been trying different ways to add warmth and texture to my digital photographs. When Dehancer offered me a trial licence for an honest review, I wanted to see how its film profiles, grain and light effects would fit into my editing.
What is Dehancer?
Dehancer offers film emulation tools for photo and video editing. The photo plugin supports these desktop applications:
Lightroom Classic
Photoshop
Capture One
Affinity Photo
Dehancer also offers video plugins and an iOS app. Check the current plan and supported applications before buying, because access depends on the product or plan.
It lets you emulate 60+ authentic film stocks, complete with tools like:
Print film simulation
Film grain
Halation
Bloom
Vignetting
Dust & scratches
Other effects
Setting up Dehancer
Installation was quick in my test. Once I opened it from Lightroom Classic, I found the presets on the left and the detailed adjustments on the right. That layout made it easy to try a look, then change individual settings.
Real-Time Editing Walkthrough
Image 1: Cinematic Everyday
After adjusting white balance, exposure and crop in Lightroom Classic, I exported to Dehancer via a simple right-click. Once inside Dehancer, I explored different film stocks with a click, then tweaked things like:
Print profile (simulates a chosen film or photographic paper)
Color head (YMC-BGR tone controls)
Film grain (algorithmically adds realistic texture)
Halation (those glowing red halos around highlights)
Bloom (adds soft glow to bright areas)
Dehancer’s masking tools even let you preview where halation or bloom will affect your image.
I found the separate film, grain, halation and bloom controls more flexible than applying a single colour look. The result still depends on the photograph and the settings you choose.
Image 2: Adding Grit to a Spooky Scene
For the second image, I skipped the film stock and went straight to adding texture using:
Bloom
Halation
Dust & Scratches
I liked the rougher texture those effects added. Trying them separately let me change the image without choosing a film preset.
The mobile app
Dehancer also has an iOS app for editing photos and videos on an iPhone or iPad. This review focuses on my desktop workflow; check the mobile features and licence separately rather than assuming they match the desktop plugin.
Dehancer vs LUTs: What Makes It Different?
A LUT maps colours, but it does not by itself add grain, halation or bloom. Dehancer gives me separate controls for those effects as well as film and print profiles, which is why I found it useful beyond a simple colour preset.
What About the Downsides?
These were the limitations I found in my test:
Price: The $199 USD lifetime price mentioned in my original review was the price at the time of testing. Plans and pricing have since changed; check Dehancer’s current pricing before buying.
Batch workflow: During my original Lightroom test, working on images individually felt time-consuming. Check the current version’s workflow if you need to process large batches.
Controls: In the version I tested, I found zooming less fluid than Lightroom’s controls. This was a usability limitation in my test, rather than a judgement on every later version.
Can Dehancer replace film?
For me, it doesn’t replace the experience of shooting film. What I enjoyed was having separate controls for film profiles, grain, halation and bloom when editing digital photographs.
Those controls gave me more ways to work on the look of an image. I’d choose whether to use it based on the photograph and the finish I wanted, rather than expecting a preset to do everything.
Try Dehancer
Use my Dehancer affiliate link to check the current offer. I may earn a commission if you buy through it. Check the discount, eligible products and terms before purchasing.
For another approach to finishing digital photographs, read about my Luminar Neo workflow for Lightroom Classic.