ChobialFilm emulation, presets and filters: what's the difference?
Filters, presets, LUTs and film emulations all change how a photo looks, and apps use the words loosely. They aren't the same thing. The difference decides whether a look holds up on the next photo, and whether you can change your mind later.
Filters
A filter is a fixed effect applied to a finished photo. Tap it and the photo changes in the same way every time. Most camera-app filters work on a JPEG or HEIF, which has already been through the phone's processing, so the highlights and shadows are what they are. Filters are quick and fun. They're also the least flexible: usually you can't change the look afterwards beyond an intensity slider.
Presets
A preset is a saved set of slider values, such as exposure +0.3, contrast −10, a split tone and a grain amount. Applying it moves the sliders in an editor by those amounts. Lightroom made them the standard way to share a look.
The catch is that a preset moves sliders relative to the photo it meets. If a photo is a stop brighter or warmer than the one the preset was made on, the same moves land somewhere else. That's why a preset can look perfect on one photo and wrong on the next, and why preset packs come with tips about white balance and exposure.
LUTs
A LUT (lookup table) is a table that says "this colour becomes that colour". It's compact and works in many apps and video editors, which is why it's the standard way to move a colour grade between programs. But a LUT only remaps colours. It can't add grain, glow around lights, or respond to how a photo was exposed. We cover the practical side in LUT camera apps for iPhone and making a LUT from an iPhone look.
Film emulation
A film emulation (also called a film simulation, as Fujifilm calls it) models the stock itself: how it maps light to tone, how each colour shifts, how highlights fade, how grain grows with exposure, and, on some stocks, halation. It's applied to the photo's data, ideally RAW, so it has the full range of the scene to work with. That's why it can respond to each photo rather than moving the same sliders by the same amount.
"Emulation" is also a marketing word, and a preset sold as one is still a preset. A fair test: does it add real grain, does it handle bright lights sensibly, and does it look right on a dark photo and a bright one?
| Filter | Preset | LUT | Film emulation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A fixed effect | Saved slider values | A colour lookup table | A model of a film stock |
| Works on | Usually a finished JPEG or HEIF | A photo in an editor, ideally RAW | Colour, in photo and video apps | RAW, ideally |
| Responds to the photo | No | Only by moving sliders | No | Yes |
| Grain and halation | Sometimes, fixed | Only as sliders | No | Yes, part of the model |
| Can change later | Rarely | Yes, in an editor | Yes, in an editor | Yes, if the RAW is kept |
Which one to use
- A quick effect for a post: a filter.
- A consistent look across photos you edit later: a preset, or a LUT if you work in video too.
- A film look you can see while shooting and change afterwards: film emulation on RAW.
That last one is what Chobial does. It always shoots RAW, shows the film live in the viewfinder, and lets you develop any photo again with a different film. You can also import a .cube LUT as the starting point for a film of your own, then add the parts a LUT can't, such as grain and halation. See film simulation on iPhone for the full picture.
Questions
What is film emulation?
Film emulation is software that models how a film stock responds to light: its colour, contrast, highlight rolloff and grain. A good one reacts to the exposure and white balance of each photo instead of applying one fixed effect.
Is film emulation the same as a preset?
No. A preset is a saved set of slider values, and it moves the sliders by the same amount whatever the photo is. Film emulation models the stock, so it responds to the photo. A preset can be built to imitate film, but it's still a preset.
Is a LUT a film emulation?
A LUT is a lookup table that maps colours to other colours. A film emulation can be exported as a LUT, but a LUT on its own can't add grain or halation, and it can't know how the photo was exposed. Chobial can import a .cube LUT as the starting point for a film.
Why does the same preset look different on every photo?
Because it moves sliders relative to where the photo already is. A photo that's a stop brighter, or warmer, ends up in a different place. Presets are usually made on one photo and tuned to it.
Do filters and presets work on RAW?
Presets work well on RAW in editors that support it. Most camera-app filters are applied to a finished JPEG or HEIF, which has already lost highlight and shadow detail.
Which is best for a film look on iPhone?
For the most film-like result, shoot RAW and apply a film made for it, live in the viewfinder. For a fast one-off effect, a filter is fine. See film simulation on iPhone.