GuidesConvert negatives into photos

Negative conversion software compared, free and paid (2026)

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The best negative conversion software depends on the software you already use. If you edit in Lightroom Classic, the Negative Lab Pro plugin works inside it. Capture One, ON1 Photo RAW and DxO FilmPack now have negative conversion built in. FilmLab, SmartConvert and Monobath run on their own, and darktable, RawTherapee and NegPy are free.

Disclosure: this site makes Monobath, which is in this list.

If you work on a Mac and do not use Lightroom, also read how to convert negatives on a Mac without Lightroom.

Comparison table

Every tool below was checked on its maker’s site in October 2026. Prices change often, so the table gives the pricing model, not the price.

Tool How it runs Platforms Pricing model Best for
Negative Lab Pro Plugin for Lightroom Classic Mac, Windows One-time, per major version Lightroom Classic users
Capture One Built in Mac, Windows Subscription or one-time licence Capture One users, tethered camera scans
ON1 Photo RAW Built in Mac, Windows One-time purchase or subscription An all-in-one editor
DxO FilmPack 8 Standalone or plugin Mac, Windows One-time (perpetual licence) DxO PhotoLab and Photoshop users
SilverFast HDR Studio Standalone Mac, Windows See the maker’s site Film scanner users with SilverFast
FilmLab Standalone Mac, Windows, iOS, Android Subscription or one-time lifetime licence Converting on several devices
SmartConvert Standalone Mac, Windows One-time purchase A simple standalone converter
Monobath Standalone Mac One-time purchase (in beta now) Mac users who want a native app
Grain2Pixel Photoshop plugin Mac, Windows Free (donations) Photoshop users
CineStill CS Negative+ Presets for Camera Raw and Lightroom Where Adobe apps run Free Adobe users who want a free start
darktable (negadoctor) Built in Mac (Apple silicon), Windows, Linux Free, open source A free raw editor with print-like controls
RawTherapee (Film Negative) Built in Mac, Windows, Linux Free, open source A free raw editor
NegPy Standalone Mac, Windows, Linux Free, open source Darkroom paper modelling for free

A plugin for Lightroom Classic

Negative Lab Pro runs inside Lightroom Classic (or the old Lightroom 6.14), on Mac and Windows. It converts colour and black and white negatives, and version 3.1 added slide film. It is non-destructive: its guide says it always works from the original negative and saves its analysis in the metadata of each image. You pick a colour model (Basic, Frontier, Noritsu or B+W) and a tone profile, then copy settings across the roll. A licence includes all updates within its major version, according to its pricing page.

It needs Lightroom Classic, which comes with an Adobe subscription. If you edit somewhere else, one of the options below fits better.

Built into an editor

If you already edit in one of these apps, try its negative tool before you buy anything else.

  • Capture One added negative film conversion in March 2026. You get a dedicated film negative mode and a Convert Negative button. Capture One explains that it white balances the film base in a linear space, inverts, and then sets the black and white points with Levels. It is strong for tethered camera scanning, where each frame goes straight into the app. Check on the pricing page which plan includes the feature.
  • ON1 Photo RAW has had a Negative Mode since its 2026 version, with Color Negative and Monochrome Negative settings. It inverts the picture and removes the orange mask, and then the normal raw tools work. Photo RAW runs as a standalone app.
  • DxO FilmPack 8 has a Scanned Film Optimization panel that inverts colour or black and white negatives in one click, with more than 10 tone curve presets. It runs standalone or as a plugin for DxO PhotoLab, Photoshop and Lightroom Classic.

Standalone converters

These apps need no host. You open your scans in them and export finished files.

  • FilmLab loads RAW files from hundreds of cameras and converts to colour or black and white. One licence covers Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, which helps if you also scan with a phone. Pricing is a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime licence.
  • SmartConvert from filmomat handles colour, black and white, negatives and slides. It reads RAW and TIFF files, but not JPEG. It is a one-time purchase.
  • SilverFast HDR Studio edits SilverFast’s HDR raw scans and includes NegaFix for negative conversion. It does not open proprietary camera RAW formats, so it suits film scanner users more than camera scanners.
  • Monobath is a native Mac app for colour negative, black and white and slide scans. It reads the camera RAW files that macOS supports, TIFFs and JPEGs. It is in beta and will be a one-time purchase.

Free options

  • darktable has the negadoctor module. It thinks like a darkroom: you set the film’s density range, then a virtual paper grade and gloss. It has a learning curve. On a Mac, official builds are for Apple silicon only.
  • RawTherapee has a Film Negative tool. You pick a light and a dark neutral spot once per roll and copy the result to the other frames.
  • NegPy converts colour negative, black and white and slide film, and it models real darkroom papers. The Mac builds are not signed, so the first launch needs a Terminal command.
  • Grain2Pixel runs inside Photoshop CC 2019 or later. It is free, with an optional donation.
  • CineStill’s CS Negative+ Convert Tools are free presets for Adobe Camera Raw and the Lightroom apps, including a SILVER model for black and white.

If you want to understand what all of these tools do, the manual method in how to invert colour negatives in Photoshop shows each step.

How to test before you choose

Most paid tools have a free trial. Use it on your own film, not on the samples on the maker’s site.

  1. Pick three frames from one roll: a daylight frame with skin or a grey surface, a frame under artificial light, and an underexposed frame.
  2. Convert each one with the default settings first. This shows you the starting point you will see most often.
  3. Check that grey objects stay grey in the shadows and in the highlights. A cast that changes with brightness is hard to fix later.
  4. Look at the shadows of the thin frame at 100%. Some tools lift them cleanly, some show noise.
  5. Copy the settings across the roll and see if the frames match.
  6. Export a 16-bit TIFF and open it in the editor you use for the rest of your work.
  7. Time a whole roll, from import to export.

To learn what each step of a conversion does, read how to convert film negatives into photos.

What I have used. I have tried a few of these tools. The results I loved most came from Negative Lab Pro; what I missed was a way to use it outside Lightroom.

Sources

MONOBATH FOR MAC

From negative to photo, on your Mac.

Monobath converts camera scans of colour negatives, black and white film and slides. Join the beta to try it on your own negatives.

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