Fujifilm takes a little different approach to their JPEG settings than other camera makers. They use what they call Film Simulations, which are designed to mimic (to an extent) the look of actual film. Fujifilm, after all, knows a thing or two about film.

My favorite color Film Simulation on the X100F is called Classic Chrome. Fuji has not said what exact film this Film Simulation is supposed to be simulating, but a lot of people have speculated Kodachrome. Fujifilm would never call it Kodachrome since that brand is owned by their longtime rival, so they chose the Classic Chrome name instead.

Classic Chrome does look Kodak-ish, but having shot a lot of Kodachrome, I’m not convinced that it’s supposed to look just like Kodachrome. I’m actually reminded more of Kodak’s Ektachrome 100SW, but that’s not an exact match either. I believe that Fuji was going for a look similar to what was found in the pages of National Geographic before digital (think Steve McCurry), and that means not copying a specific film but leaning heavily on a late-1970’s through 1990’s generic Kodak slide film look.

And that’s exactly what Classic Chrome looks like. It can be manipulated (by adjusting the settings) to look more like Kodachrome or one of several different variants of Ektachrome, but whatever the settings are, it always comes out looking distinctly Kodak.

I really appreciate the look and it takes me back to the days when I shot a lot of Kodak 35mm color transparency film. It’s a look that for years I’ve tried to manipulate my digital images to resemble. But now I can do it in-camera, and not rely on post-processing software.

While I have one specific custom Classic Chrome recipe programmed, I’m not afraid to deviate from it when necessary. I might adjust the highlights and shadows to increase or decrease contrast. I might change the dynamic range setting. I might adjust the white balance to something warmer or cooler. I try to look at each picture as unique and dynamically adjust whatever I need for each situation.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +1
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpening: +2
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -1 Blue
ISO: Auto up to 12800
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 (typically)

Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Classic Chrome Film Simulation recipe:

See also: My Fujifilm X100F Acros Film Simulation Recipe