f8 Develop: HDR Film Negative Inversion App for Apple Silicon

Indie developer Chris Stoll has launched f8 Develop, a Mac-native film negative inversion app that leverages Apple's Adaptive Gain Map for HDR HEIC output. The app, available for $49.99 on the Mac App Store, targets photographers who scan film at home with mirrorless or DSLR cameras. Stoll claims it is the first film digitization app to support Apple's Adaptive Gain Map, enhancing highlights on XDR displays. The app measures film base using the visible rebate, similar to the Pakon scanner, and writes camera, lens, film stock, and copyright data into metadata. It supports organizing rolls by session with film stock, date, and location, and allows non-destructive batch processing. Exports are available in HEIC, TIFF, or JPEG. Stoll emphasizes a one-time purchase model, avoiding subscription fees. The app requires no host software like Lightroom.