My Fujifilm X100V Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe

49939037433_7fbe4d17c1_c

Evening at a Pond – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X100V “Kodachrome 64”

The Fujifilm X100V has some new features, including Clarity and Color Chrome Effect Blue, that my X-T30 doesn’t have, despite sharing the same sensor. The more JPEG options that I have, the more accurately I can create in-camera looks. My hope is to revisit some of my film simulation recipes, and create what I hope are more accurate versions using the new features. The first one that I revamped is my Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe.

Many people love my Kodachrome 64 recipe, but not everyone. The biggest complaint that I’ve heard about it is that the reds aren’t vibrant enough. I don’t disagree with that, but there are always compromises when recreating looks in-camera because the tools available to me are limited. Of course, what Kodachrome 64 looks like depends on how you’re viewing it, whether projector, light table, scan, print, and how so. You can find some vastly different looking pictures that were captured on Kodachrome 64. For this revamped recipe, I spent some time studying the Kodachrome slides that I captured many years ago.

49939817307_c5b9b63cc2_c

Red Lights & Rain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V “Kodachrome 64”

While I feel that this is an improved Kodachrome 64 recipe, it’s still not perfect. Those who disliked how reds were rendered on the old recipe will certainly like this one better, but is it 100% exactly like the film? No. I think +2 Color might be too much, but +1 Color doesn’t render reds and yellows vibrant enough. If you prefer +1 Color, feel free to do that instead. There’s a little less contrast with this new version. Both of the Color Chrome Effects, the lower Dynamic Range setting, and Clarity add contrast, so I changed Highlight and Shadow to compensate. The X-T4 has .5 Highlight and Shadow adjustments, and I would set Shadow to +0.5 if I were using these settings on that camera (I hope that Fujifilm updates the X100V and X-Pro3 to allow this, too). I think it would be acceptable to use +1 Shadow, but I felt that was a tad too much, so I set it to 0. Despite not being perfect, I do feel that this version is a little more accurate to actual Kodachrome 64 film.

If you have an X100V, X-Pro3 or X-T4, I invite you to try this new-and-improved Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe. Be sure to let me know what you think! Here are a couple pictures comparing the two versions of this recipes:

49936571053_c5ba106926_c

Original Kodachrome 64 recipe.

49938987208_feaebe3829_c

New Kodachrome 64 Recipe.

49939837893_7c537ba440_c

Original Kodachrome 64 recipe.

49940147352_16236b3570_c-2

New Kodachrome 64 recipe.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: 0
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Clarity: +3
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

49939817117_e08a172086_c

White Horse by a Stream – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939517261_cb0ea1b0f7_c-1

Horses in the Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49938986813_504fb3080a_c-2

Curious Horse – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939517121_fcbb813ca3_c

Country Tires – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939349423_6b1d9f484c_c-1

Yellow Flowers, Blue Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939802567_71860f6e80_c

Wishful Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939001668_1f95eaa225_c-1

Beer & Board – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49938986473_91e665d38e_c

Road Bicycling – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939802452_6e719edcaa_c

All the World’s a Sunny Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49942445158_392418419d_c

Orders & Pickup – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49938980823_314e762d44_c

Red, White & Blue Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49938980998_b9f1d8240d_c

Flag Up Close – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939862072_c90b7611dd_c

Reeds by the Water – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939552161_e1003f281e_c

Evening Reeds – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49941686228_4c19dd7f4c_c

Landscape Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49943253647_d5b0952da3_c

Handlebar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939862447_ef0d62fea3_c

Kodak Colors – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939800532_009ba6e7a3_c

Half of an Orange – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49943253502_45feb571c1_c

Ground Beans – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939852777_bc154bf599_c

Pallets – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939540591_a32c6d6661_c

IHOP – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49938980753_67bf46cb4f_c

Cupcake – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939796392_05426daa65_c

Sitting on Concrete – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49939496801_01c163c13c_c

Spring Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X100V Black    Amazon   B&H
Fujifilm X100V Silver   Amazon   B&H

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There's a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

$5.00

Film Simulation Review: Changing Light, Part 2: Ilford HP5 Plus

49931529508_6d4c5e6ce8_c

Clouds On Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

Changing Light, Part 1: Velvia

I get asked sometimes how do I decide between color and black-and-white. I don’t remember where I heard this, but a long time ago somebody told me that if color is important to the scene then it should be a color picture, and if it’s not it should be black-and-white. Back then you had to make this decision before loading your camera with 24 or 36 exposures. Nowadays you can wait until after capturing the picture before deciding, although I find it best to choose before making the exposure.

Color pictures are (primarily) about three things: light, shadow and color. Black-and-white pictures are (primarily) about two things: light and shadow. It’s easy to see that if color isn’t an essential element to the picture, then it only serves as a distraction to light and shadow; however, that’s an oversimplified way of looking at it. There are many different color theories, and whether color is important or unimportant is highly subjective. One thing is for certain: black-and-white pictures are about light and shadow and those in-between grays.

Whenever I photograph in monochrome my mentality changes. They way that I look at the scene is different. When I photograph in color, I look for color. When I photograph in black-and-white, I look for tones. That’s why it’s important for me to decide before capturing the picture whether it will be color or not. For the pictures in this article, I decided that they needed to be monochrome. I chose my Ilford HP5 Plus film simulation recipe because I thought it would offer me the right amount of contrast. It’s not my most contrasty black-and-white recipe, but it has a good amount of contrast—not too much or too little. I think it was a great choice for these scenes.

I captured these pictures over the last several days from my house. I didn’t go anywhere. There were a lot of clouds and the light on the mountain was constantly changing. Oftentimes it was rather dull, but sometimes it was amazing! The camera I used was a Fujifilm X-T30. Most often I used a Fujinon 100-400mm lens, but occasionally I used a Fujinon 90mm. These longer focal lengths allowed me to “bring close” the mountain, making it appear as though I was in them, and not at a distance. Sometimes you don’t have to go anywhere to capture interesting pictures. That’s especially true if you have a great view where you are.

49932348702_e941c53d82_c

Wasatch with Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49932040276_98e8c6f44e_c

Dramatic Sky Ridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

49932351647_831695a19b_c

Silver Sky Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

49931532568_b28152c704_c

Clouds Over the Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

49932351657_5c1d426161_c

Clouds Around the Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49932348867_722ef69114_c

Monochrome Mountain Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920110343_352a6aed2e_c

White Cloud – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49931526123_bf4782b3cc_c

Cloud Reaching – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920626321_cba8b41675_c

Clouds & Dark Ridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920612671_eac55a958d_c

Lightly Snowing On Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920641036_35d4fe2724_c

Gray Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920136233_14c57b5e32_c

Obscurity – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920125038_5217a0e45e_c

Mountain Rain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920096273_f8413edd9e_c

Rain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920889672_bf7ff2f085_c

Monochrome Mountain Rain Shower – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920075838_d941c0b149_c

Mountain Downpour – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920073823_3690534fee_c

Monochrome Mountain Mist – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920611396_f297235051_c

Francis Peak Rain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920925737_10916742d5_c

Monochrome Radar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920590181_0264c4b287_c

Dark Hills – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920871597_722b823dae_c

Storm Over Dark Mountains – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920871442_fb58e5d1b9_c

Mountain Storm – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920572631_1244c96373_c

Clouds on the Ridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49931529503_af126e782e_c

Covered by Clouds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

See also: Film Simulation Reviews

Film Simulation Review: Changing Light, Part 1: Velvia

49920136948_ddb426aa8a_c

Wasatch Spring – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

Over the last few days I’ve captured a number of pictures from my house of the nearby Wasatch Mountains. I’m very fortunate that I live so close to such a majestic and beautiful landscape. I can see it from my living room. I can sit on my patio and watch the light change and the seasons change on the mountains. It’s right there! I feel very lucky to witness this and be able to capture it with my camera.

It’s been between overcast and partly-cloudy lately, with conditions changing rapidly and dramatically. It’s gone from fairly uninteresting to amazing and back to mostly uninteresting in a matter of moments. This has repeated over and over. I’ve tried to keep an eye out for it, and tried to be quick enough to photograph it before it disappeared. That’s not always possible, and many times I wasn’t successful, but sometimes I was.

The film simulation recipe that I chose for these pictures is my Velvia recipe (I also used my Ilford HP5 Plus recipe, and those pictures are in Part 2). These settings are bold and vibrant, much like actual Velvia film. I really appreciate this film simulation recipe for landscape photography where I want colors to pop. The mountain is covered in the fresh green of spring, and these settings are the best for highlighting that. If I want vivid colors, my Velvia recipe is what I choose.

The gear that I used for these pictures is a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 100-400mm lens attached to it. I like to use a tripod or monopod with the 100-400mm lens, but these pictures are all hand-held. If I had waited to attach a tripod to the lens, I would have missed many of these shots. The long telephoto lens allows me to bring the mountains up-close, like I travelled into the mountains to capture these pictures, yet I didn’t even leave home. It really is amazing that I was able to make these photographs without going anywhere.

49931526453_e5e45abbe0_c

Clearing Clouds Above the Ridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49932348587_23f29b2021_c

Cold Spring – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920094843_762b116e96_c-1

Francis Peak Veiled – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920135123_615d3d083d_c-1

Mountain Mist – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920124298_a456f309d5_c

Spring Green Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920640411_29135a49b5_c

Mountain in May – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920109503_77691e305f_c

Mountain Radar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920588631_3bfde606fa_c

Sliver of Illumination – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920095473_5fa1f26916_c

Spring Green Hill – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49932347942_9e804f46a0_c-1

Wasatch Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

49920573511_2df2ee3d9e_c

Mountain Spring – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 100-400mm

Changing Light, Part 2: Ilford HP5 Plus
See also: Film Simulation Reviews

Fujifilm X100V New Feature: Clarity

49895522693_4c7fb8a8da_c

49896039986_4e25d72713_c

The Fujifilm X100V has a new feature called Clarity. It actually first appeared on the X-Pro3, and it’s also on the new X-T4, but the X100V is the first camera that I’ve used with it. I’m always very happy whenever Fujifilm gives us new JPEG options, as it allows me to  more accurately achieve the look that I’m after in-camera. I can create better film simulation recipes when I’m given more tools, and the X100V indeed has some new tools.

If you’ve ever done RAW processing, you’ve probably seen a Clarity tool within your software of choice. Maybe you use it all of the time, maybe you’ve never touched it. What exactly Clarity does with each software is slightly different, but the gist of it is that it increases mid-tone contrast, while (mostly) leaving the highlights and shadows untouched. This makes the image appear more contrasty while not blocking up shadows or blowing out highlights. Because Clarity often adds micro-contrast (contrast to fine lines), it can make an image appear to be sharper and more finely detailed than it actually is. Some software programs include sharpening within Clarity. Too much Clarity can often make a picture look unnatural and “over baked”.

I like the idea of having a Clarity option on my Fujifilm camera, but I was really unsure of how it would look. Is it actually a good tool? Does it produce pleasing results? Where should I set it on my camera?

In the manual Fujifilm states that Clarity increases or decreases “definition” while minimally altering highlights and shadows. The camera has the options of -5 to +5, with 0 being the default setting. Let’s take a look at some examples to see what exactly this new feature does to photographs.

49892763202_6c01d8de25_c

Clarity -5

49892408381_167bedaf4d_c

Clarity 0

49891886188_79bb8f010c_c

Clarity +5

You can see from the photographs above that there’s a noticeable difference between Clarity set at -5, 0 and +5. There’s a significant contrast difference between the three pictures. Even highlights and shadows are affected. The first picture looks “soft” while the third picture boarders being “over-baked” with too much definition. Let’s take a closer look at some crops, and add -2 and +2 while we’re at it.

49892765167_221356e1c8_c

Clarity -5

49892735342_c9449969ba_c

Clarity -2

49892412141_2b30dc4606_c

Clarity 0

49891880468_8976f6df39_c

Clarity +2

49892402096_8e39e0e314_c-1

Clarity +5

When you look closely, you can appreciate using minus Clarity for softening skin. At -2 there’s a small difference, but by -5 there’s a big difference. The X100V has a new lens, and it’s sharper, especially when wide open. Some people (myself included) appreciated the softness of f/2 on the old X100 series lens for artistic effect, but the X100V is tack sharp across the board at all apertures. However, -5 Clarity will give a similar softness at any aperture as the old X100 lens does at f/2. Portrait photographers might especially appreciate selecting a minus Clarity option, and somewhere in the range of -2 to -5 seems to be nice.

On the other side, +5 Clarity is definitely too much for some circumstances, particularly portraits. Even +2 might be pushing it in this case, although the results are acceptable in my book. I find that minus Clarity is better when skin is involved, but you can use plus Clarity for more dramatic portraits, although I’d limit it to no higher than +3, unless you’re trying to accentuate something like wrinkled skin and a greying beard, in which case up to +5 might be acceptable. Outside of portraits, I like adding Clarity, and I find that +2 or +3 is a good range for me.

Here are some more examples:

49905695932_c38abc3285_c

Clarity -5

49905677622_daf7e88b1a_c

Clarity -3

49904880833_cacc546574_c

Clarity 0

49905678827_a7121c1d59_c

Clarity +3

49905396406_3966d09b54_c

Clarity +5

49905394201_37cd835a6d_c

Clarity -5

49904867803_8b1b5e5abd_c

Clarity -3

49905396826_b3d68b04a9_c

Clarity 0

49905686017_54a5c2e734_c

Clarity +3

49904880638_a3b91d4297_c

Clarity +5

The difference between -5 and +5 Clarity is pretty significant, but the in-between differences aren’t huge. It’s difficult to notice a plus or minus one difference. Going up or down two spots is a bit more obvious, although if you’re not closely comparing side-by-side examples you might not pick up on it. I think you’re perfectly fine selecting any of the Clarity options, but for portraits I’d consider using minus Clarity, unless you’re want a dramatic portrait look. For everything else adding a little Clarity helps the picture to pop more. I personally like Clarity set at +2.

Because Clarity adds contrast and does affect highlights and shadows, if you go higher than +3 Clarity, consider decreasing Highlight and Shadow by one to compensate. Also, if you go lower than -3 Clarity, consider increasing Highlight and Shadow by one to compensate. The X-T4 can do .5 Highlight and Shadow adjustments (please, Fujifilm, update the X100V to allow this, too), and that’s probably closer to what you need to compensate for the increased or decreased contrast due to selecting the far ends of Clarity. Just be aware that when you change the Clarity setting, you are changing the picture’s contrast.

49891543332_6c16170d08_c

+3 Clarity

Something that I need to point out is that when Clarity is set to anything other than 0, it takes the camera longer to save the file. Fujifilm actually recommends setting Clarity to 0 and adding it later by reprocessing the RAW files in-camera. If you need to shoot quickly, this might be a good option, but if you’re not in a hurry, I’d just set it to what you want it to be so that you don’t have to change it later. Yes, it does slow you down, but if you’re not in a hurry, it’s not a big deal.

In my opinion Fujifilm did a good job of implementing Clarity on the X100V. It’s a useful tool. Those who appreciated the softness of f/2 on the older models will appreciate using minus Clarity on the new model. Those who want to add just a little more punch to their pictures will like using plus Clarity. Each situation might benefit from a Clarity adjustment, and you’ll have to decide which setting is the best for the scene. Whether it’s adding or subtracting Clarity, this is a feature you’ll find me using often. Fujifilm’s inclusion of Clarity on the X100V is something that I’m extremely happy with.

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X100V Black    Amazon   B&H
Fujifilm X100V Silver   Amazon   B&H

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There's a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

$5.00

Fuji Film Simulation: Fujicolor 100 Industrial (Video)

I posted a new video to the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel! This is a new series called Fuji Film Simulation, which is sort of the video version of my Film Simulation Reviews. It’s my way of demonstrating how you can use my different recipes in various situations. In this episode I walk around the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City using my Fujicolor 100 Industrial film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens.

The first part of the video, which is right after the super cool intro sequence, is just me talking about this blog, how I got started in photography, my gear, film simulations and so forth. I hope that you find it interesting. Where I walk around the college campus begins at the 3:12 mark. This might be my favorite section of the episode! Be sure to watch to the end.

My wife, Amanda, made this video. The photographs are mine, but all of the footage was captured by her using a Fujifilm X-T20 and a GoPro Hero 8 Black. She did all of the editing. She did such a great job! Really, it turned out better than I hoped it would. She far exceeded my expectations when she showed me the finished video.

I invite you to watch this episode, which you’ll find at the top of this article. If you liked it, I invite you to give it a thumbs up, share and subscribe. I appreciate any feedback that you might have. Let me know what you think!

World’s Smallest SLR: Pentax Auto 110 + Adapting Tiny Lenses to Fujifilm X Cameras

49850349788_478e6052bb_c

49859634707_0cea6d364c_c

The Pentax Auto 110 is the smallest interchangeable-lens single-lens-reflex camera ever produced. Never heard of it? That’s OK, I hadn’t either until a few weeks ago. This little camera was introduced in 1978, and the Pentax Auto 110 system was manufactured until the mid-1980’s. In all, there were two SLRs and six lenses made by Pentax, plus several accessories, so this was indeed a complete camera system.

The Pentax Auto 110 camera is extraordinarily tiny! It fits into the palm of my hand, and looks more like a toy than a real camera. You might think that it was intended for kids, but it wasn’t. What allows this camera to be so small is that it uses 110 film, which is quite a bit smaller than 35mm film. In fact, the frame is similar in size to a Micro 4/3 sensor. If you aren’t familiar, 110 film comes in a cartridge that’s easy to load and unload, designed for the novice. The tiny film allowed Pentax to design an extraordinarily small camera system.

49861397866_376b2ae962_c

49850873886_7bb7d6fdd6_c

Kodak introduced 110 film in the early 1970’s. They didn’t intend for it to be for serious photographers, and only made cheap entry-level point-and-shoot cameras for it. Kodak never figured that anyone who had more than a basic understanding of photography would ever be interested in using 110 film. It was great for those who knew very little about photography, those who valued simplicity over quality. Pentax, on the other hand, saw an opportunity to create a miniature interchangeable-lens camera aimed at a more advanced user. Perhaps the compact size of the gear would be enough for photographers to overlook the inferior film format.

The Pentax Auto 110 was only moderately successful. It sold enough copies for Pentax to continue to market the system for seven or eight years. The first camera, the Auto 110, was replaced by the slightly improved Auto 110 Super in 1982. Initially Pentax made three lenses for the camera, all very tiny, and in the early 1980’s they introduced three additional small lenses. As the name implies, the camera was fully automatic, except for focus, which was manual. Around 1985 the system was discontinued, and not long afterwards forgotten.

49859323131_2b99883502_c

49861731012_2a9b3b803c_c

Two things gave the Pentax Auto 110 camera new life in recent years: the lomography movement and the ability to use old lenses on new cameras via adapters. As 110 film became less and less popular, it was discontinued altogether by major manufacturers. Around 10 years ago Lomography stepped in and began selling it, making 110 film somewhat trendy, which increased the popularity of cameras like the Pentax Auto 110. Because 110 film is similar in size to Micro 4/3 sensors, the Asahi lenses made for the Pentax 110 Auto became in-demand for use with Olympus and Panasonic MFT cameras.

When I saw the little lenses, I wondered if they could be adapted to Fujifilm X cameras. Could I even mount these tiny lenses to my X-T30 and X-T1? A quick search revealed that Fotasy makes an inexpensive Pentax 110 to Fujifilm X adapter. But would it work? Would the lenses cover the frame? After all, APS-C sensors are larger than a 110 film frame. Are the lenses any good? I wasn’t sure the answer to these questions, but I gave it a shot and purchased an adapter and a Pentax Auto 110 camera with three lenses.

49851186087_775da2ddf7_c

49852202281_515ff79920_c

These three lenses, which are 18mm, 24mm and 50mm, all have an aperture fixed at f/2.8. You cannot stop down. It’s f/2.8 and be there! They are manual focus only. They’re pretty darn small, much smaller than any APS-C or full-frame lens that I’ve ever used! If you want something small and lightweight, these are the lenses for you! They’re absurdly and almost comically small when mounted to a Fujifilm X camera. The smallest of the three is the 24mm, which is likely the littlest lens in the world that you can attach to a Fujifilm camera.

I gave these lenses a chance. I attached them to my Fujifilm camera and went out to shoot. I wanted to put them to the test. One thing that stood out to me is that these lenses make the camera feel lighter and smaller, because it is! Even the largest, the 50mm, is smaller than other lenses I’ve used before. You can have one lens on the camera, plus two in a snack-size ziplock bag in your pocket, and you’ve got a three-lens kit. This setup is good for travel because it is out of the way, with the two spare lenses taking up almost no space in your pocket.

18mm

49852494012_93d0ff808f_c

The Asahi Pentax 110 18mm f/2.8 was the lens that I was most excited about. I thought, of them all, this one has the most potential to be useful. Because of the fixed aperture, I knew that depth-of-field would be narrow on all of the lenses, but it would be largest on this lens because of its wide focal-length, which is full-frame equivalent to 27mm on Fujifilm X cameras. The further towards infinity that you focus, the larger the depth-of-field becomes. When focused at the close end, depth-of-field is indeed small, and I was shocked by just how good bokeh (the quality of the out-of-focus portion of the image) is on this lens.

Surprisingly, this 18mm has good coverage on the APS-C sensor. There’s some pronounced vignetting and corner softness, which you can easily crop out or leave for artistic effect. Sharpness is good at the center, but the lens becomes less sharp as you move away from the center. There’s some obvious chromatic aberrations and highlights tend to have an Orton-ish glow. This lens might be good for “dreamy” pictures. Overall, I didn’t like the 18mm nearly as much as I thought I might, and I didn’t use it as often as the other two lenses.

49860859718_56570d69ef_c

Trees by a Lake – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

49861703577_fde14b958f_c

Seed Pods – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

49853696647_13709b63e9_c

Blooms on a Branch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

49853697507_bf5fbb1b2e_c

Tree Branch Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

49852840583_86d0e88030_c

Countryside – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

49853695872_8cd6c2c281_c

Mountain, Trees & Meadow – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

49852861373_d36e51c983_c

Trail & Tall Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

49853697522_365e944072_c

Boys on Scooters – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

49853701607_1ebe7b1bd4_c

Big Leaf – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 18mm f/2.8

24mm

49851657248_a41c15e8c8_c

The Asahi Pentax 110 24mm f/2.8 is the smallest of the three lenses, and the smallest interchangeable lens that I’ve ever used. It’s unbelievably tiny! I doubt that you’ll find a smaller lens that can be attached to your Fujifilm camera. Because of the focal length, which is full-frame equivalent to 36mm, this lens has a narrow depth-of-field, especially when focused at the near end. Bokeh is great!

Like the 18mm, this lens covers the frame, but there’s some obvious vignetting and corner softness. Center sharpness is good, but the lens becomes less sharp as you move away from the center of the frame. There are some chromatic aberrations and highlights tend to glow, but neither are as pronounced as the 18mm. Overall I liked the 24mm lens more than the 18mm, but it didn’t impress me enough to want to use it all of the time.

49865146657_2a1aa61ca3_c

Rural Roofline – Sunset, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 24mm f/2.8

49860857163_9d8e680f9c_c

Coca-Cola Machine – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 24mm f/2.8

49870475398_ea459ab14a_c

Mini Mart – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 24mm f/2.8

49871004546_94365db3f9_c

Corner Building – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 24mm f/2.8

49859677852_d84787717d_c

Trail Parking – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 24mm f/2.8

49859369071_1ebec6734e_c

Barbed Wire Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 24mm f/2.8

49859680042_7bc8e323b1_c

Country Thistle – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 24mm f/2.8

49864299043_b1101f8208_c

Ball Flower in a Garden – Sunset, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 24mm f/2.8

49864298703_5c44409ac6_c

Lit Leaf – Sunset, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 24mm f.2.8

50mm

49851657268_33ac64d0e1_c

The Asahi Pentax 110 50mm f/2.8 is the lens that I thought I’d like the least. Why? Because I already have several great 50mm (or near 50mm) lenses that I really like. Because of the focal length, which is full-frame equivalent to 75mm on Fujifilm X cameras, this lens has the most narrow depth-of-field of the three, especially when focused towards the near end, where it’s very thin. Once again, bokeh is great. Lens flare, if you like lens flare, can be downright amazing!

While there is some light falloff near the corners, this lens definitely has 100% coverage on APS-C sensors. It’s sharp in the center, and becomes less sharp towards the corners, although not quite as bad as the other two lenses. I did find some chromatic aberrations, but it’s pretty minor, especially when compared to the others. The 50mm lens was the most difficult of the three to use, but the results were the most rewarding. This was my favorite, and the one that I used most often. Of the three, this lens is the one that I can see using again and again. There’s something special about it.

49871006046_1c8f9d76a1_c

Ray – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 50mm f/2.8

49861398461_51024031af_c

Girl in Yellow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 50mm f/2.8

49861714632_ff1b432c42_c

Boy & Lens Flare – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 100 50mm f/2.8

49860865093_26e90d61fe_c

Rainbow Flare & Kids – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 50mm f/2.8

49861404806_d63b34deff_c

Rainbow in the Woods – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 50mm f/2.8

49861397576_969a9b4ce8_c

Tree Flowers in a Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 50mm f/2.8

49853706767_fdc9fe9061_c

Reeds by the Woods – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi 110 50mm f/2.8

49861722487_424f34b846_c

Large Rocks & Yellow Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 50mm f/2.8

49861721932_4f166f60bb_c

Rushing Waterfall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 & Asahi 110 50mm f/2.8

Conclusion

The lens that I thought I’d like the most is the one that I liked the least, and the one that I thought I’d like the least is the one that I liked the most. The 18mm and 24mm lenses are certainly usable, but they have some serious flaws, and you’ll have to consider how to artistically use those flaws to your advantage. Because of the narrow depth-of-field, the 50mm lens was the most difficult to use, but it produced my favorite pictures.

While using these tiny lenses on my Fujifilm cameras was a bit strange, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and I’ll definitely do this again sometime. I also plan to use the Pentax Auto 110, as I purchased three 110 film cartridges to use in it, and I’ll share the results when I do. I’m not afraid to do unusual things sometimes, like sandpapering a camera or taping cardboard to the front of a lens, and using little lenses intended for another camera is certainly unusual. If you’re looking to try something different, attaching Asahi Pentax 110 lenses to your Fujifilm camera is just that. For me it was a great experience, and these little lenses provided me with big fun!

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There's a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

$5.00

Fuji X Weekly’s Kodachrome Recipes on YouTube

Popular Fujifilm YouTubers Andrew & Denae just posted a video that features Fuji X Weekly, specifically my three Kodachrome film simulation recipes! It’s an interesting video that’s worth 11 minutes of your time. I embedded it above, so take a look!

Kodachrome is one of the films that I liked to shoot with many years ago. Back then, everyone used Kodachrome it seemed. It was a very popular film, but because of the complex and toxic process required to develop it, and lower sales due to digital photography, Kodak discontinued it in 2009. Kodachrome is gone, but people still want the Kodachrome look. My recipes allow people to get a Kodachrome aesthetic straight out of their Fujifilm camera.

Of course, Kodachrome can look different depending on various variables. There were different eras of Kodachrome, and different film options, each with its own look. How you view the picture greatly effects the look: light table, projector, print, or scan, and how so. You can’t make a recipe that mimics all of these variables, but I do think my three options are good at recreating a Kodachrome look in-camera.

I want to give a special Thank You to Andrew & Denae for trying my Kodachrome recipes and for featuring this website on their video. They said a lot of kind things, and I really appreciate their encouragement. Check out their YouTube channel and subscribe if you don’t already! Also, as a reminder, Fuji X Weekly has a YouTube channel, and I invite you to take a look at it and subscribe.

See also:
Vintage Kodachrome Film Simulation Recipe
Kodachrome II Film Simulation Recipe
Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe

Film Simulation Review: Kodak Portra 400 – New vs. Original

49834886928_58e28caeba_c

New Kodak Portra 400

49835725502_74e6c90e3c_c

Original Kodak Portra 400

I have two different Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipes. I created the original Portra 400 recipe two years ago on my old Fujifilm X100F. I created the new Portra 400 recipe just recently on my Fujifilm X-T30. Which one is better? Which should you use? How do they compare?

The original recipe requires a hard-to-achieve custom white balance measurement, and for that reason I never really liked it. Yes, it looks good, but to get the recipe right requires a vague setting. Some people, in lieu of the custom white balance measurement, use auto-white-balance, which is a fair way to deal with the issue. On my X-T30 I don’t think I have the custom white balance quite right, but it was as close as I could get at the time that I took the measurement. The original Portra 400 recipe is one of the most frustrating recipes I’ve created, but it also produces great results sometimes.

The new Portra 400 recipe is a little more accurate to the film, in my opinion. Of course, with film, depending on how it’s shot, developed, printed or scanned, results can vary greatly. While I think the new version is more accurate, that’s not to say that the original version isn’t accurate. It’s just a little different look. In this post are examples of pictures captured with both recipes side-by-side.

Which one is the better Kodak Portra 400 recipe? The new version is easier to program, overall a little more accurate to the film, and in many situations I like it better; however, sometimes I prefer the original Portra 400 recipe. I can’t tell you which one is better for you, but I can tell you for me, I like the new recipe better, yet I see that the original version has its place and shouldn’t be discarded. That’s just my tastes, and yours might be different. Hopefully seeing the two recipes next to each other provides you with some clarity on which to choose.

49835408621_4c5bc4874b_c

New Kodak Portra 400

49835729787_dbbef1bb70_c

Original Kodak Portra 400

49835714892_599f706a6f_c

New Kodak Portra 400

49835729722_db842947d5_c

Original Kodak Portra 400

49835408636_e8f5f24765_c

New Kodak Portra 400

49835423656_dba3466f5a_c

Original Kodak Portra 400

49834917543_0252597677_c

New Kodak Portra 400

49835427701_849d0701f7_c

Original Kodak Portra 400

49835452751_003d5cdaef_c

New Kodak Portra 400

49834913058_1062c109a9_c

Original Kodak Portra 400

See also: Film Simulation Reviews

Film Simulation Review: Dreary Day with Fujicolor Superia 800

49846611366_d51c1ae0e4_c

Gone Fishin’ – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

I get asked frequently what film simulation recipes are good for which situations. It can be hard to know when to use each one. When faced with a scene, which recipe should you choose? I hope that this Film Simulation Review series helps to bring clarity to this.

On grey-sky days there’s one film simulation recipe that I love to use: Fujicolor Superia 800. When I invented this recipe, I had no idea how good it was for dreary days. Fuji X Weekly reader Luis Costa shared his use of this recipe on a grey day, and it blew me away! Ever since, when there’s overcast sky and a little rain, for color pictures, my Fujicolor Superia 800 film simulation recipe is what I use.

This series of pictures were captured on a recent dreary day using the Superia 800 recipe. I used a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens attached to it. This 90mm lens can be difficult to use just because of its focal length, which is full-frame equivalent to 135mm, but it delivers excellent results. It’s super sharp and nearly flawless. It’s such a great lens!

My Superia 800 recipe is based on Fujicolor Superia X-tra 800 film. Fujifilm introduced this consumer grade high ISO color negative film in 1998 and discontinued it in 2016. It was a common film to find at the local store. It was an excellent choice for low-light situations, and it was commonly used by photojournalists. All of the pictures in this article are camera-made JPEGs using my Superia 800 film simulation recipe.

49846965507_7e0f2cf06d_c

Raining in the Alley – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846107818_dcee94bfe7_c

Goodyear – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846642471_7589f177f2_c

Drop in the Bucket – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846107698_df6c20bed4_c

Wet Slide – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846254626_79196b1af4_c

Wish Maker – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846107493_8e6f6e8778_c

Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846106483_bdeb7612a6_c

Drop of Water on a Blackberry Leaf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846664706_e5e4c88dd1_c

Green Tree Tops – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846076248_fed5f6ebcf_c

Trees – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49845994713_2cbfd28e47_c

King – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846076378_0ec22cc09f_c

Catching a Lost Float – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846605601_663a3e38f9_c-1

Geese – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

49846610506_00fee96be4_c

Swimming Duck – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Vision3 250D Film Simulation Recipe

49835393486_db1762e469_c

Ice Cream Trailer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Vision3 250D”

A Fuji X Weekly reader asked me to create a film simulation recipe that mimics Kodak Vision3 250D motion picture film. Kodak introduced Vision3 250D in 2009. While it’s a color negative motion picture film, it can also be used for still photography. I’ve never used this film, but as I researched it, I came to realize that this one film can produce many different looks, depending on how it’s shot and developed. In fact, you can develop it using either the C-41 or ECN-2 process, and you can even develop it as black-and-white. You can push-process several stops. There’s a lot of latitude for over and under exposure.

As you can imagine, it would be impossible to create a film simulation recipe that mimics every possible look from this film, or even most. I focused in on one specific aesthetic, although I can’t say for sure how that aesthetic was achieved, and made a recipe that mimics it. I think I came pretty darn close. Perhaps more importantly, these settings look good. There’s a certain quality to the pictures made using this recipe that’s especially lovely. Some of you are really going to love these settings!

49835392273_7e04afabda_c

Flowers on a Tree Branch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Vision3 250D”

Since Kodak Vision3 250D is a motion picture film, I had fun using this film simulation recipe in the 16:9 aspect ratio from time-to-time because it is a more cinematic shape. If you used the film for still photography, most likely the frame would be a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is what I chose for most of these pictures. You can choose any aspect ratio that you’d like. If you have an X-H1, which doesn’t have Color Chrome Effect but does have Eterna, you can still use this recipe, but the results will be slightly different.

Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Fluorescent 1 (Daylight Fluorescent), -3 Red & -1 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Below are all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodak Vision3 250D Film Simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30 camera:

49842130446_6fef7105ab_c

Blue Bokeh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49836312577_f534021f11_c

Nighttime Fire Hydrant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49842422107_23c9c24c55_c-1

Yellow Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49842405972_72b51b6256_c

Lights Strung Across The Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49842103341_2fc3ba038a_c-1

Forever the Perfect Accessory – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49842106591_f2db3c46a1_c-1

Artificial Light Rays – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839771811_d061080d4f_c

Reserved Parking – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49840074162_3c64de5113_c

Grass by a Waterfall – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839779066_fd7cfb11cb_c-1

Three Ducks – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839205263_12fd5ac81a_c

Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49846515001_a57e8c8f03_c

Tree & Purple Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49835965601_6388ccafee_c-1

Green Leaves & White Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49835383998_e39224d040_c

Webs in the Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49837307988_448ea8eff0_c

Sky Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839745901_1d74d3f91e_c

Clouds & Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49836222267_fd49cfd015_c

Chopped Logs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49835433243_24b9c698e4_c-1

Fake Flower Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49835967716_9e17e6586f_c

Shy & Uninterested – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49836270597_1883f25061_c

Sunglasses Indoors – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839745576_b4e6f3aa2a_c

Boy in Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49838154567_26d1ccc7d8_c

Beans in the Grinder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There's a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

$5.00

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipe

49836241267_a13aee27e1_c

Around The Bend – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 400”

Portra 400, which is a color negative film, was introduced by Kodak in 1998. It was redesign in 2006 and again in 2010. As the name implies, it’s intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other types of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made. Like all films, results can vary greatly depending on how it’s shot, developed and printed or scanned, and even which version of the film you’re talking about. Interestingly, Kodak briefly made a black-and-white version of Portra 400!

I’ve been meaning to revisit Kodak Portra 400 for some time now. As you may know, I already have a Kodak Portra 400 recipe, which I created two years ago, but it requires a difficult-to-achieve custom white balance measurement. I was never really satisfied with that recipe, even though it can produce interesting results. I have been eager to create a new Portra 400 recipe, and, In fact, I’ve tried a couple of times, but without success.

49839225103_03baccba57_c

Blue Sky Day – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 400”

A Fuji X Weekly reader suggested to me that if I use my Kodak Portra 160 recipe, except increase Shadow, Highlight and Color by one, that should be pretty close to Portra 400. Indeed it is! I liked what I saw, but I played around with the settings more to see if I could improve on it. Turns out not much needed to be tweaked. I liked the results better with Color Chrome Effect set to Strong, but if you have an X-Trans III camera, which doesn’t have that feature, you can still use this recipe, but it will look slightly different. The only other change that I made was I set Grain to Strong.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -1
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

49845738078_566374f3e2_c

Mountain in the Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49837851111_ccb502874d_c

Reeds To The Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839733486_9d9a57c25a_c

Jensen Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49835936441_ccc227b5d1_c

Water Beyond The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49835936671_349cc65f80_c

Paved Trail – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49836240517_1a20cff8af_c

Spring Green & White – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839193168_9c462e5c93_c

Fries in the Sky – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49834802131_285ccf7cac_c

Royal Lunch – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839194168_b9bb07190f_c

Evening Suburban Home – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839735121_11b30dbc87_c

Boy in the Striped Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49839192068_47b176bf08_c

Boy Sitting – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49835450181_e1d3540955_c

Sunlight Through The Pink Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

49835450321_5090722863_c

Pink Tree Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There's a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

$5.00

My New Camera: Fujifilm X100V!

49875480478_d29bd785e4_c

Today is my 40th birthday! I wasn’t going to say anything about it, but something happened that changed my mind. I had a different article that I had planned to publish today, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.

My wonderful wife, Amanda, gave me an amazing surprise. Her gift to me this morning for turning the big 4-0 was a Fujifilm X100V. I couldn’t believe it! A Fujifilm X100V! Wow! This is the camera that I wanted even before it had been announced back in early February.

The Fuji X Weekly blog began as my Fujifilm X100F journal. Almost all of the early articles are about the fourth model of the X100 camera. I happily sold that X100F, not because I didn’t like it (I loved it), but because I used the proceeds to buy my wife a Fujifilm X-T20. A couple years ago she wanted a camera for her birthday, so I sold my X100F to buy her one. I’d do it again without thinking twice about it. Now, things have come full circle, and she bought me an X100V for my birthday.

49876016241_cb734680ee_c

49876323632_3fea922151_c

I had a battery already charged, so I was able to quickly set up the camera, but just barely. There are a number of new features that I’ll have to spend some time playing with. I like what I see so far. The X100F is a great camera; it’s clear that the X100V is even better. You can expect many articles about this camera and the new features in the coming weeks and months.

I made a handful of exposures with the X100V this afternoon, which are the pictures below. They are all camera-made JPEGs using the new Classic Negative film simulation. I’ll likely create many new recipes from Classic Negative. The little that I’ve seen from this film simulation has left me very impressed. I can tell already that it’s a great film simulation, and I look forward to seeing what I’ll do with it. I hope you’ll come along for the ride. It’ll be a fun journey, and it’s all because my wife gave me a wonderful gift for my 40th birthday. Thank you, Amanda, for such an amazing surprise!

49876303467_645f3f7b74_c

Sunlight Tree – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49875460553_82300f57d2_c

Singular Flower Blossom – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49875461043_04a48a05ff_c

Deep Blue Sky & Blooms – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49876307607_fb2c9229fa_c

Fisher Beer – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49875460683_0992c093cc_c

Two Yellow Hooks – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49876303192_02e80c4df5_c

Electric Yellow – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

49876302697_4ce31fcfd6_c

Hanging In There – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Film Simulation Review: Walk in the Park, Part 2: Kodak Portra 160

49831735058_b7e8449425_c

Pathway Through the Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Part 1: Kodak Ektar 100

In Part 1, I hiked a path in a local park using my Ektar recipe. Part 2, which is what you are reading now, are the pictures from my stroll back down the trail using my Kodak Portra 160 film simulation recipe. As before, the gear I used was a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to it. The only thing that I did differently was select my Portra 160 recipe instead of Ektar. I mentioned in the previous article that my Ektar film simulation has high contrast and perhaps is not ideal because of that. Since my Portra 160 recipe has very low contrast, would it be a better option?

Actual Portra 160 is a low contrast, low saturation film intended for portrait photography. It wasn’t made for landscape photography, but sometimes a low contrast, low saturation film is what’s needed. The same is true for this film simulation recipe. It might be too dull for landscape photography, but sometimes it might fit the scene well. In this case, it balances the high contrast landscapes quite well. If what you are photographing has bright highlights and deep shadows, Portra 160 might be a good option to combat that. However, if it’s low contrast, a film simulation recipe like Ektar could be a better choice.

The day of the hike was a beautiful blue-sky spring day with lots of sunshine. There are an abundance of those type of days in Utah during this time of year. It’s perfect for a walk in the park with a camera in hand. Choosing a film simulation for such an outing can be a difficult choice because you have so many options. It’s important to judge the light and subject to determine what might serve it best. The photographs in this article are all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs using my Kodak Portra 160 film simulation recipe.

49831718743_87423ed3f9_c

Finally Spring – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49832259056_25d034d801_c

Mountain Behind The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831732788_9782cf0af2_c

Sunlight Through The Branches – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831718963_8c6cbfffa5_c

Lake Peek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49832577752_30bfbbd71d_c

Can’t See the Lake for the Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49832567457_2f6d8b2e3c_c

White Trees & Fingernail Moon – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49832568372_aeeae0e8e8_c

Oh, Deer – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831734593_04a2e24700_c

Rock & Log – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49832586432_104a59a96c_c

Trees & Creek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831733818_176a93ef5f_c

Forest Creek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

See also: Film Simulation Reviews

Film Simulation Review: Walk in the Park, Part 1: Kodak Ektar 100

49832643172_7561eef254_c

April Forest – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Last week I went for a walk in a local park here in Utah. This park has trails that pass through forests. There’s a stream and a small lake. The snow-capped peaks are visible to the east. It’s a beautiful place, especially in the spring when the green is fresh and the flowers are blossomed. On this hike I brought along my Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to it, which is one of my absolute favorite lenses. It’s sharp, small, and plenty fast, plus it’s a versatile focal length. On the way up the trail I used my Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe, which are the pictures that you see here in Part 1, and on the way back down I used my Portra 160 recipe, which you’ll find in Part 2.

Ektar is a color negative film made by Kodak. It’s known for vibrant colors, high contrast and fine grain. It’s the closest negative film to reversal film. In fact, when Kodak discontinued Ektachrome 100VS, they recommended Ektar 100 as the best alternative. It’s a great film for landscape photography, which is why I chose it for this walk in the park.

Ektar film, and especially this Ektar film simulation, can be difficult to use because of the contrast. With the film, there are things that can be done in development and/or printing to reduce the contrast if it’s too much. With these settings, one could use +2 Shadow instead of +3, which is what the recipe calls for, if they wanted less contrast. These pictures are straight-out-of-camera (with the exception of some minor cropping) with the  settings exactly as the recipe states.

My opinion is that my Ektar recipe is best suited for low-contrast landscapes, where a boost in contrast and vibrancy is needed. But it can do well in other situations, as well. I thought it served this photographic outing well, although it was borderline too contrasty for the scene. Ektar was a good choice for a walk in the park, but was it the best choice? How does it compare to Portra 160? We’ll take a look at that in Part 2.

49831797643_a86d3bc427_c

Sunlight Through The Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831759703_66a11037ba_c

Old Log – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831759693_576288ea0e_c

Forest Stream – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831755158_caa7133446_c

Stream & Yellow Flower – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831771188_dc961c9e23_c

Single Tree Blossom – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49832617177_58700270bf_c

Green Tree, White Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

49831800563_04247ea9e8_c

Blossoming Branches – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Walk in the Park, Part 2: Portra 160
See also: Film Simulation Reviews