Sun Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodachrome 64”
One of my favorite film simulation recipes is Kodachrome 64. It’s also one of the most popular recipes on Fuji X Weekly. Those with X-Trans III and IV cameras, such as the Fujifilm X-T30 that I created it on, have been enjoying it since August, but those with X-Trans II cameras—X-T1, X-T10, X-E2, X-E2s, X100T, and X70—have been left out of the fun. Those with Bayer sensor cameras, such as the X-T100, XF10, X-A7, etc., have been out of luck, too. That all changes, starting now. I have cracked the code, and created a Kodachrome 64 recipe for my X-Trans II camera! Unfortunately, it won’t work on the X100, X100S, X-E1 or X-Pro1 because it requires the Classic Chrome film simulation, which those cameras don’t have. But those who own a Fujifilm X-Trans II or Bayer camera, which do have Classic Chrome, I’m sure will appreciate this Kodachrome 64 recipe.
Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +2 (High)
Shadow: +1 (Medium-High)
Color: 0 (Medium)
Sharpness: 0 (Medium)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodachrome 64 recipe on my Fujifilm X-T1:
Watered Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Reflection in the Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Reed Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Reeds In Water – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Sisters on a Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Red Mustang – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Wrangler – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Parking Lot Sunset – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
January Evening Hill – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Rooftop Birds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Suburban Silver Lining – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Coffee Cup – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Prerequisite – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Yellow Pillows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Smiling Jon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
See also: First three Fujifilm X-T1 Film Simulation Recipes
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Ritchie you are the best ! Thanks !!! Can’t wait to try this one ! 🙂
You are welcome!
You might want to take a look this : http://www.anonymous-project.com/the-project/
The Anonymous Project’s goals are to collect, scan, and catalogue colour photographic negatives and slides from the last 50 years.
It would be more helpful if they gave some of the details. It was still interesting to see. Thank you for sharing!
Hi, Ritchie,
Is it possible to replicate classic chrome on an x-trans I sensor? I’ve looked through your site but haven’t found anything. Thanks for the help! I’m using an x-e1.
I would start with Astia. Color -2, Shadow & Highlight +1, and white balance shift +2R & -1B. That should get you close.
Thanks so much!
Hi Ritchie, I only came across these X-Trans II recipes recently. Actually, I had always been hoping that you would come up one day also with some Kodachrome recipes for the older Fujifilm cameras. So thank you very much for this!
Maybe you can just help me out with one technical doubt I have. In another thread you once told me that the DR200 or even DR400 setting serves to lower the contrast which I guess you need to achieve this specific film look but then I see that you increase the Highlight and Shadow values which have the opposite effect, i.e. increase the contrast. Could maybe briefly explain how these settings work together? Do they neutralize each other or does one override the other? I never really understood this.
Thank you so much and please keep on creating!
The DR settings reduce the highlights. Essentially it underexposes the picture, and lifts shadows and midtones while keeping highlights in check. It prevents clipped highlights, but in doing so reduces contrast. The Highlight and Shadow adjustments determine the curve. They work hand-in-hand, in my experience, and one doesn’t necessarily replace the other, although you might get similar results in some situations; for example -1 Highlight and DR100 instead of of +1 Highlight and DR200. I hope this helps!
Thank you, Ritchie! I think I understand from a technical but not yet from a film look point of view. Are you saying that for example in your Kodachrome 64 recipe it would be more or less equivalent to set DR to 100% and leave highlights and shafows at zero or negative values instead? I guess my confusion comes from that one setting (DR400%) decreases contrast whilst the tone curve (highlights, shadows) is set to increase contrast.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain! Stay safe!
I think the way to think about it is this: Dynamic Range settings are to prevent clipped highlights by maximizing the dynamic range of the sensor, while Highlight and Shadow sets the curve, which determines the contrast. But there is some overlap between the two settings, and to a degree you can adjust one instead of the other and get similar results.
Ok, that makes sense. Thank you once again!
My XE2 doesn’t have a Daylight setting for white balance. Should I apply the minus 3 blue to Auto?
It does have it, but Fujifilm names it something different (I forget what off the top of my head). Look for the sun symbol. That’s daylight.
it is quite gorgeous
Thanks so much!
Could we use Kodachrome 64 as a starting point for Kodachrome 25? If so, what adjustments would be required?
I and my XF-10 thank you very much.
I think Highlight +1, Shadow 0, Color -1, Sharpness +1, ISO 800, should get you in the ballpark. I haven’t tried it myself, though.
Thanks. To be clear on this. You’re saying to modify the K64 recipe as above but otherwise leave adjustments like white balance as in K64 recipe.
Yes. I haven’t tried it myself, but it should get you in the ballpark, I think.
Hi Ritschie, thanks a lot for the recipe!! Those phito look great. I am new to Fuji, just got a 2nd hand x100t, love it. Small, compact, great images and carry everywhere. Wonderful.
I have a (maybe silly) question, the „White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & -3 Blue“ is it in the WB menue the ‚sun‘ sign? Sorry guys don‘t laugh 🙂 I feel embaraced….otherwise I need to get my Nikon FE a roll of film and hit the streets 🙂
Cheers from Switzerland
Mitch
Fujifilm calls “Daylight” WB “Fine” WB for some reason (translation issues?) on the older models. It is indeed the Sun sign.
Actually I just read the sane question from another comment. Sorry about that. Thanks nonetheless. Great webpage man!
Mitch
Thanks!
Ritchie, thanks for coming back. Very much appreciated!
One more thing, do I understand it correctly that those recipe‘s with auto WB in it are more for an everyday use than the others.
I.e. the kodakchrome 64 with its ‚daylight‘ wb setting, how does it react to cloudy overcast weather. Would you only use it in bright daylight ir does it work in other light situation too. Could it be a go to recipe? What is your fav go to recipe of yours? Maybe talking x trans II as I own a x100t.
Sorry if my question is silly, new to the game.
Thabks a lot an cheers from Switzerland
Mitch
It’s a great question. With film, the “WB” is set (usually daylight, sometimes Tungsten). I would carry warming and cooling filters to change the WB (didn’t call it “white balance” though). AWB takes care of that, but using Daylight makes it more accurate to the film. Feel free to use AWB if you’d prefer.
Thanks a lot Ritchie for your feedback. I‘ll certainly stick to your recipe 👍🏻.
When the whole pandemic thing is over, (unfortunately we get hit pretty hard with a 2nd wave, another lockdown is certain) you should take a trip to Switzerland! 😎
I would love to! What an amazing trip that would be!
Just shot some pictures with your recipes on my son b‘day yesrerday, even though inside but still with some natural light hutting the room, they looked great man! Love that ‚old‘ look on them. I fid some im CC with all settings to zero an awb, some with your koda64 and kodacolor. Woow the kodacolor really looked great. There were red walls in that place we celebrated, that really kooked great with that recipe!
Something I cannot figure out on my x100t, there is that sinulation bracketing….is it not possible to add the custom settings into the bracketing? Can you only chose the fixed set simulations? If so, too bad really. 🙁
Cheers again and sorry to keep you busy 🙂
Take care
Mitch
I’m glad that you like the recipes!
Unfortunately, you cannot film simulation bracket the recipes. Fujifilm should absolutely allow it. Doesn’t seem like it would be too hard for them to program.
Thank you for the comment!
Ritchie,
I really appreciate your work with these Fujifilm recipes. As an X100T user I am especially grateful for your effort to create recipes for the previous generation cameras.
I’ve noticed that the x-trans II Kodachrome recipies have noticeably more contrast than the ones that you created with the X-T30. Tones and contrast are rendered somewhat differently in the X-T30 versions. Is it the apparent difference between the newer and older sensors, the upgraded firmware in the newer cameras that enable more subtle adjustments or just the fact that these recipes were created with daylight and clear skies in mind? I’ve recently got not so pleasing results on an overcast winter day, while the photos I took in August using both Kodachrome 64 and II are among my favourites of last year.
I know all these settings in conjunction create these unique film simulations, if you offset either highlight or shadow tone, it will change the overall look dramatically. Still, I’m curious if there is a way to make these x-trans II Kodachrome recipes less contrasty while retaining the overall tonal characteristics. Or maybe I just have to accept the fact the X100T sensor and the firmware have their limitations and I should probably settle for another recipe on overcast days with ugly winter lights. If so, which one would you recommend?
X-Trans II is significantly different than X-Trans III & IV in how pictures are rendered. If you capture a picture at defaults with the X-T1 (for example) and use the same defaults on the X-T30, everything being equal, the two pictures will look different. I much prefer the new features and controls that Fujifilm has given, but there’s something special and unique in how X-Trans II captures pictures. It’s really impossible to make it look exactly the same, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the X-Trans II version is inferior; in some cases, I actually prefer the X-Trans II version over those from newer sensor cameras. I hope this answers your question. Thanks for the comment!
May I ask what exposure compensation typically you use on this film sim?
Typically +1/3 to +2/3, but each image should be judged individually.
Hola buenas, tengo una fujifilm x20 y no cuento con la película Classic Chrome, es normal????
La Fujifilm X20 no tiene Classic Chrome, pero la X30 sí.
Hi Ritchie!
I have the XE-2 and from the time Classic Chrome was available it has been my main stay. I personally just dial down the Highlights to +1 and Shadows to -1 (all other parameters the same) and get very close to the Kodachrome look.
I don’t shoot RAW anymore and rarely edit my JPEGs except maybe a boost in shadows once in a while. I also own the Sigma SD14 and the foveon images have an inherently filmic look due to the unique sensor.
Those Sigma Foveon cameras are special, but also quite limiting and the files hard to work with. I had a love-hate relationship to my DP2 Merrill for a few years. I miss it sometimes. I appreciate the comment!