# Alchemy Color > Alchemy Color provides the most accurate and versatile calibrations for digital cameras. Alchemy Color provides the most accurate and versatile film emulations for digital cameras. Alchemy Color is the choice of professionals who want a well-documented workflow with reliable measurements. --- ## Pages - [Alchemy Shop](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-shop/) - [Film Emulation](https://alchemycolor.com/film-emulation/): Professional Color Solutions - [Custom Pro vs Universal Pro](https://alchemycolor.com/custom-pro-vs-universal-pro/): Product TiersCustom Pro vs Universal Pro Alchemy Color products come in two tiers, each answering to specific needs. 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That is unusual for an engineering student. After a long... --- ## Products - [🜃 Alchemy Color Calibration Pro - Fujifilm X-T5](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/%f0%9f%9c%83-alchemy-color-calibration-pro-fujifilm-x-t5/): This calibration pack contains 12 profiles and presets D50 🜃 Fujifilm X-T5 - 1. 1. Linear D50 🜃 Fujifilm X-T5... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Calibration Pro - LEICA M10-R](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/%f0%9f%9c%83-alchemy-color-calibration-pro-leica-m10-r/): This calibration pack contains 12 profiles and presets D50 🜃 LEICA M10-R - 1. 1. Linear D50 🜃 LEICA M10-R... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Emulation - Universal Pro - Portra 400](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-emulation-standard-kodak-portra-400/): This emulation pack contains 1. Film emulation profile 2. Baseline presets Negative Positive Add-ons 5. Print emulations 4. Contrast curves... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Calibration Pro - Canon EOS R5 C](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-calibration-pro-canon-eos-r5-c/): This calibration pack contains 12 profiles and presets D50 🜃 Canon EOS R5 C - 1. 1. Linear D50 🜃... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Calibration Pro - Canon EOS R5](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-calibration-pro-canon-eos-r5/): This calibration pack contains 12 profiles and presets D50 🜃 Canon EOS R5 - 1. 1. Linear D50 🜃 Canon... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Calibration Pro - Fujifilm X100VI](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-calibration-pro-fujifilm-x100vi/): This calibration pack contains 12 profiles and presets D50 🜃 Fujifilm X100VI - 1. 1. Linear D50 🜃 Fujifilm X100VI... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Emulation - Universal Pro - Ultramax 400](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-emulation-standard-kodak-ultramax-400/): This emulation pack contains 1. Film emulation profile 2. Baseline presets Negative Positive Add-ons 5. Print emulations 4. Contrast curves... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Emulation - Universal Pro - Gold 200](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-emulation-standard-kodak-gold-200/): This emulation pack contains 1. Film emulation profile 2. Baseline presets Negative Positive Add-ons 5. Print emulations 4. Contrast curves... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Emulation Pro - Sony ILCE-A7IV to Konica-Minolta 5D](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-emulation-pro-sony-ilce-a7iv-to-konica-minolta-5d/): This emulation pack contains 9 profiles 🜃 Sony ILCE-A7IV to Konica-Minolta 5D - 1. Natural 🜃 Sony ILCE-A7IV to Konica-Minolta... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Emulation Pro - Sony ILCE-A7IV to Olympus E-400](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-emulatio-pro-sony-ilce-a7iv-to-olympus-e-400/): This emulation pack contains 5 profiles 🜃 Sony ILCE-A7IV to Olympus E-400 - 1. Vivid 🜃 Sony ILCE-A7IV to Olympus... - [🜃 Alchemy Color Calibration Pro - Sony ILCE-A7IV](https://alchemycolor.com/alchemy-store/alchemy-color-calibration-pro-sony-ilce-a7iv/): This calibration pack contains 12 profiles and presets D50 🜃 Sony ILCE-A7IV - 1. 1. Linear D50 🜃 Sony ILCE-A7IV... --- # # Detailed Content ## Pages Professional Color SolutionsSee all products ACCURATE COLOR FROM FILM NEGATIVES Alchemy Color presents a custom method of film scan, inversion, and digital emulation. We approach the negative under our commitment to accurate color, and the result is a precise scanning and inversion method, leading to a set of profiles and presets that emulate film with digital images. Our film emulation works as a primer that transforms the behaviour of Adobe Camera Raw into a more analog looking imaging pipeline. Go to storeRESEARCHWatch our extensive research videoContextNEGATIVES AS HERITAGE MEDIA IN A DIGITAL AGEAnalog to AnalogColor negatives originated during a time when the majority of photographs were printed on chemical paper. Consequently, the inherent nature of color negatives is intrinsically linked to an optical and chemical imaging method. Early DigitizationNikon introduced the COOLSCAN in 1993, a compact and affordable film scanner that democratized digital photography. It bridged the gap between digital and analog, making digital photography accessible to everyone. Since then, film scanning hardware and software have improved in scanning speed, resolution, dynamic range, color depth, and inversion algorithms. DIY ScanningDigital camera scanning gained prominence in the early 2010s. While photographers could achieve satisfactory results at home, the use of various setups, cameras, processing techniques, and inversion methods added arbitrary steps to the digitization and inversion processes. PremiseOne major question remains: Is there a non-arbitrary, technically well informed method of inverting color negatives in the digital domain? COLOR NEGATIVE SCAN AND INVERSION SPECIALIZED METHOD We tested multiple combinations of light sources,... --- Product TiersCustom Pro vs Universal ProAlchemy Color products come in two tiers, each answering to specific needs. Check the availability of each in our store by sorting the filter to the left. Go to storeAlchemy Color Custom ProAlchemy Color Pro products are designed around specific sensors, which require measuring specific cameras. This achieves better accuracy at the cost of a slower development pace. Alchemy Color Universal ProAlchemy Color Standard transformations are designed to work with Adobe Standard. Despite the questionable consistency of this profile as a baseline across multiple cameras, the compatibility it brings outweighs the deficit, allowing for compatibility with any camera supported by Adobe Camera Raw. --- HeadlineShop CollectionHeadlineShop Collection --- Professional Color SolutionsSee all productsA Konica-Minolta 5D photographed by an Olympus E-400You can own several cameras in post. Alchemy Color Emulations is an emulation pack designed to replicate the unique JPEG color output of one camera and apply it to the RAW files of another camera. This allows photographers to achieve the distinct color characteristics and aesthetic of different camera models while working with their preferred equipment. Revive Vintage CamerasEmulate Every Color Mode What's with that whole CCD thing? Much has been said about the distinctive look of old digital cameras, particularly those using CCD sensors, and how they compare to CMOS sensors in achieving a film-like quality. This belief holds some truth, as early digital cameras were designed to compete with film. However, our tests with various cameras indicate that this perceived difference is primarily due to the design choices in color science. For a detailed analysis, check out our video. The color science of CCD sensor-based cameras is often praised for its unique, film-like quality. These early digital cameras were engineered to replicate the look of film, resulting in rich, vibrant colors and pleasing tonal gradations. Take advantage of the sensitivity and high resolution of newer cameras whilst revisiting forgotten looks. Shoot in lowlight like never before. The Olympus E-400 source camera, photographed by a Konica-Minolta 5D. Straight out of the camera JPEG, Natural+ color profile. Olympus E-400 Vivid emulation with recovered highlights in Lightroom. Dynamic RangeTake advantage of higher dynamic range sensors with a vintage lookAll the... --- Legal All rights reserved. Any copying, re-publication or re-distribution of Alchemy Color content or of any content used on this site, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without prior written consent of Alchemy Color. Information and other data are provided for your personal information only, and are not intended for trading purposes. Alchemy Color shall not be liable for any errors or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. It endeavours to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information provided but does not guarantee its accuracy or reliability and accepts no liability (whether in tort or contract or otherwise) for any loss or damage arising from inaccuracies or omissions. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITY NEITHER ALCHEMY COLOR NOR ANY THIRD-PARTY SUPPLIERS OF SOFTWARE OR EQUIPMENT TO Alchemy Color MAKE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY ANY USER OR OTHERS FROM THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE ADVERTISED HEREUNDER. Alchemy Color MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS OF THEIR SOFTWARE OR SERVICE FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. NEITHER ALCHEMY COLOR OR ANY OF ITS THIRD-PARTY SUPPLIERS SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO A USER OR TO OTHERS FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED IN ADVANCE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Alchemy Color may change or discontinue the Service or Software offer, or its availability to you, at any time without notice. Copyrights and Trademarks: “Alchemy Color”, “Alchemy... --- Blog --- WHAT DO WE DO? Alchemy Color is the answer to some of the missing pieces in digital color editing. We offer a comprehensive set of products and services that supercharge existing editing software with accurate and flexible color transformations. Digital Camera Calibrations Digital Camera Emulations Color Negative Film Inversion and Emulations Custom Color Services Go to storeReliable Measurements X-Rite and SuperChroma color charts YujiLED D50 Standard LEDs X-Rite i1Pro 3 Radiospectrophotometer BabelColor PatchTool and CT&A software High Quality Color Transformations 3DLUT Creator Lumariver Profile Designer Lattice Photoshop Lightroom Custom Services Custom digital camera profiling Custom color emulation Color correction Illuminant color correction Color chart measurement Video Essays We occasionally publish long-form essays on color science on our YouTube channel. These videos address pertinent issues behind our products. GO TO CAMERA CALIBRATIONS In this first episode of Alchemy Color, we go through the basis of digital development for raw stills and how calibration matters for discerning photographers. What's the difference between Adobe's default and custom-made profiles? Why does color science influence the decision-making process of buying a new camera? At the end, we introduce our first product and show some comparisons. Go to camera emulations In this second episode of Alchemy Color, we explore some misconceptions about old digital sensors and how we came to think that some camera models, under specific circumstances, look like film. Furthermore, we explore the possibility of emulating old digital cameras with contemporary sensors. GO TO FILM EMULATIONS In this episode of Alchemy Color, we'll explore... --- - Categories: Product page Professional Color SolutionsGo to storeEasier EditingExtra HeadroomExpanded ToolsetWhat are Alchemy Color Calibrations? Alchemy Color Calibrations are a comprehensive set of digital camera profiles and presets for Adobe Camera Raw compatible software. It offers major upgrades to the built-in profiles and presets with its calibrated color response and versatile embedded curves. Adobe Lightroom * Adobe Photoshop * DxO Photolab ** Rawtherapee ** Luminar ** Any software compatible with . dcp profiles ** * Full compatibility under Adobe Camera Raw: DNG and XMP profiles + XMP presets ** Partial compatibility with other hosts that only accept DNG profile. Why Alchemy Color? We offer better raw developer profiles that unlock the full potential of digital cameras. Any discerning professional photographer needs reliable image workflows with predictable results. Alchemy Color supercharges Adobe’s camera raw engine with a realistic general purpose starting point for edits. Any look can be added later. ADVANTAGES OF USING ALCHEMY COLOR CALIBRATIONS Realistic looking imagesHaving the assurance of realistic looking images from the onset without the guesswork should be the starting point for the photo editing process. Stop overcompensating for a baked-in look from the default profiles. Better dynamic rangeA comprehensive set of tone curves addresses the most common usage scenarios where dynamic range recovery is important. Instead of reflexively dialling down the highlights, you simply apply a profile and recover information without artefacts. Better high saturation retentionAlchemy Color profiles retain more information in high saturation colours, preventing the usage of local masks and other recovering techniques. Small sensor cameras... --- There's nothing in hereBack to shop --- Looks like your cart is empty! Back to Shop --- Your cart is emptyCheck our bestsellers or back to the main shopBack to shop --- You may be interested in... --- Shop AjaxClean design with efficient Ajax Filters --- Stay tunedNew website coming soon --- --- ## Posts - Categories: Emulation, Photography, Essay Automatic Heading Text What do we like in film photography? Digital photography and cinema have a recurring problem. Digital quantization of light was heralded as a blessing at the beginning of the millennium, but 25 years later, we see an ever-growing push to have digital cameras shoot analog-like images. Perhaps it's the curse of accuracy and predictability that makes us want to go back to the womb when things were simpler. But if we start addressing the specific case of color negative film photography, nothing was ever simple. The photographic analog signal path is acrobatic in nature. It relies on chemistry and optics to replicate the phenomenon of human vision in the best way possible. This is a noble attempt at best and a beautiful failure at worst. It's these failures: the non-linearities introduced during the reproduction process, the headroom, grain, film expiration, rigorous exposure of chemical print paper with an enlarger head, temperature of the chemical baths for developing both film and paper, etc. , that make analog photography, not only hard but riddled with the possibility of mistakes. It's the compounding effect of these happy mistakes that often contributes to what we call the analog film look. Digital photography makes capturing reality easy and predictable which robbed us from the character and unpredictability of the media itself. We like film because we like the way things look on film. McCluhan's famous quote rings true... again. My deep dive: an essay, a tutorial and a promotional video This video... --- - Categories: Emulation, Photography, Gear Automatic Heading Text "This cheap digicam shoots infinite film photos" - Every YouTuber for the past 2 years On the occasion of the launch of our new product line called Alchemy Emulations, I decided to explore some ideas that have been circulating on the internet. I wanted to know whether the debate about CCD versus CMOS cameras holds any water, or if it’s all a matter of deliberate choices made by manufacturers to one-up each other with more saturated, more contrasty images. https://alchemycolor. com/digital-camera-calibration/ Digicam Fever Dreams As of 2024, we are likely in the midst of a resurgence in Digicam usage. The nostalgic aesthetic and affordability of these cameras have captured a significant portion of younger photographers and even influenced some brand campaigns. Nostalgia can be wonderful as long as it doesn't turn into a revisionist myth. There is a fine line of clickbait rhetoric that often gets crossed, specially when people say that old digicams make photos that look like film. Digital imaging allows manufacturers to tweak color arbitrarily and consistently across every sensor produced. Buying a camera often meant buying into a particular look, especially if it only recorded JPEG files. Many people claim that some digicams produced JPEGs resembling film when dialed in with specific settings. While this may sound simplistic, it holds some truth. It's reasonable to assume that the color science behind some models from the early 2000s drew inspiration from analog imaging as the market transitioned from analog to digital Given that cameras... --- - Categories: Photography, Essay Automatic Heading Text “For a long time, many people have thought, ‘Well, film has this S-curve kind of thing, it must be some sort of limitation of the photochemical process’. It isn’t. It was designed into the photochemical process. Eastman Kodak for years actually hired more psychologists than chemists for a period of time. They would go around and research this, about what people like; and all of these S-curves with rolling off of the highlights and shadows was purposefully built into the product. ” – Joshua Pines, colour scientist The Pursuit Of A Certain Type Of Warmth We often appreciate how an image looks on film or how an analog recording of a song sounds, describing this sensation as "warmth. " This brief yet powerful term conveys much about the nature of memory, analog and digital media, and the experience of reproduction. While digital signal processing allows for infinite, non-destructive transformation of data, many viewers find it lifeless and unmoving. I believe most people prefer a veiled reality over an accurate representation of the original phenomenon. Analog media—whether audio, film, or stills—charm us by providing a protective layer between us and the original event. Characteristics such as tape hiss, visual grain, vinyl crackle, dust on film, tape headroom compression, highlight roll-off, audio frequency non-linearities, and color skews reveal the similarities across analog mediums. These features are inherent shortcomings of the analog medium. However, they play a significant role in creating that elusive sense of "warmth," a quality that eludes... --- - Categories: Blog Automatic Heading TextWe are looking for more cameras to add to the database Do you live in Berlin, Germany? If so, we can work together. We can calibrate your camera and add it to the database. In return we offer calibrations and every future emulations for the cameras you bring in. Leave a comment or email us as info@alchemycolor. com. JTVCeW9wX3BvbGwlMjBpZCUzRCUyMjIlMjIlNUQ= --- - Categories: Photography, Gear Automatic Heading TextSony A7IV and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max The Alchemy Color database will start with the cameras I have at arm's length. One camera goes around your neck, the other one fits in your pocket. The Sony A7IV is my photo and video workhorse and I believe it's one of the most balanced options in the market. This camera's great dynamic range makes it really easy to calibrate with the SuperChroma HR-1. The most saturated and bright patches are far from being clipped when exposed for middle grey. Smaller sensor cameras struggle with this. The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts 4 raw capable cameras. These can be used either with the pseudo raw format Apple Pro Raw or real raw captured with Lightroom or any other compatible camera. Both formats look identical after calibration. Until Adobe Camera raw takes advantage of the computational side of Apple ProRaw, ProRaw will just be a fancy HEIC with white balance in post and a lot of denoising applied. Apple ProRaw - Left: ProRaw profile - Right: Calibrated Real Raw - Left: Adobe Color default - Right: Calibrated My camera collectionLeft to right, top to bottom: Sony A7IV, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Olympus E-400, Olympus E-420, Canon EOS 5DMKII, Canon Powershot G12, Canon Powershot S110, Fujifilm X20, Fujifilm X-E2, Sony DSC F-828, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, Canon EOS 50E (analog). Some of these cameras will be used for emulation too, namely the CCD ones: Olympus E-400 and Canon G12. For... --- - Categories: Photography, Essay Just the other day I happened to wake up early. That is unusual for an engineering student. After a long time I could witness the sunrise. I could feel the sun rays falling on my body. Usual morning is followed by hustle to make it to college on time. Automatic Heading TextAlchemy Color stems from an intense desire to achieve correct reproducibility with digital images. Faithfulness in reproducing reality is a moving target that eludes aesthetic trends as it stands on its own as a measurable, empirical process. My passion for systems of reproduction (audio/video/photo) became a profession 15 years ago. Since then, having a dependable set of tools for color transformations has been hard. Most of the options out there are arbitrary, trendy or plainly wrong. With this in mind I decided to make my own. “Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed. ” Garry Winogrand I want to see what my eyes see, not necessarily what the camera internal signal processing or the raw developer decides it's supposed to look like. If I want to see that thing photographed, I want to minimise the color decisions along the way, hence the importance of calibration. I want to have control over the color look of my images. If I want to see the camera, then camera body emulations come to mind. Maybe I want a Sony camera producing images that look like a Fujifilm JPEG. This is also possible and will come out as a product later this year. The cameras we're eying right now are: Fujifilm film emulations and Olympus E-400 CCD emulations. Alchemy Color is the toolset that I wish I had found earlier in my photography career. Now, it's here! --- --- ## Products ---