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!
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:
Blue Bokeh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Nighttime Fire Hydrant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Yellow Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Lights Strung Across The Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Forever the Perfect Accessory – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Artificial Light Rays – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Reserved Parking – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Grass by a Waterfall – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Three Ducks – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tree & Purple Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Green Leaves & White Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Webs in the Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Sky Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Clouds & Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Chopped Logs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fake Flower Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Shy & Uninterested – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Sunglasses Indoors – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Boy in Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Beans in the Grinder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
See also: Film Simulation Recipes
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Are you from farmington???
Farmington, Utah
Ohhhh…. Good….
I am in michigan…. Farmington….
That’s funny. I’ve never been to Michigan, but I hear it’s beautiful, especially the U.P.
Yup…. It is….
You made it! You made my favorite film look into a film simulation recipe. Awesome! I tried these settings in X Raw Studio against a Lightroom preset and… it’s a perfect match! I also saved it to my X-H1. I especially love how the shadows look faded out of camera, because of Eterna. Well done!
Thanks so much for the feedback! I’m glad that you like it!
uau, beautiful, for me this is your best film simulation (copy?) so far
Thanks!
Looks nice! Is it possible to get close to it with ProNeg.Std for Xtrans III that hasn’t Eterna?
I’ll take a look at that. It might be possible.
I would love a cinematic film like this or cinestill 50d for trans iii. I compared superia 800 recipe photos with photos I took on cinestill 50d film and they were similar but cinestill was less green and a bit more yellow. I haven’t figured out the white balance shift yet though
I’ve tried CineStill 50D, but didn’t give it a good try, so it’s on my to-do list (which has grown surprisingly lengthy). Thanks for the suggestion!
My favorite one , thanks Ritchie
You are welcome!
Probably my favourite yet, nice work!
Thanks!
Ritchie, thanks a lot for your recipes, I really like them. Greetings from Moscow, Russia.
Thanks so much!
Ritchie, will you update in the future the recipe for Kodak Vision3 250D also for your X100V, or this one should be universal? Thx.
This one will work on the X100V, but you’ll have to decide whether Grain should be Small or Large (I’d probably pick small).
Thx Ritchie. I picked up a roll of Kodak Vision3 film yesterday. Planning to do shooting on the weekend, film camera with 35 Summilux and parallel with X100V and your recipe. If interesting, I can report what came out after film developing and scanning.
Yeah, I would love to see that. That sounds fascinating!
Ok, I will do.
Ritchie, my Vision3 250D film is developed. I can send you some comparison shots with X100V (your Vision3 250D) film simulation via WeTransfer if you want, just need your mail. The simulation is damn close to film. J.
I would love to see it! My email address is roeschphotography@yahoo.com
Ok, i’ll prepare and send now.
Hey there Janez! I would very much love to see the results of your comparison. If I sent you an email would you be willing to share it?
Don, of course. Send me mail to janez@skorjanc.ru.
Hey Janez! I regret that I didn’t read your comment until the end of 2022. Could you please share it with me?
Oh, I almost forgot, my email：lilin.santa@gmail.com
Thanks a lot ^_^ — From Beijing, China
Sent.
Still understanding white balance. Why did you decide to go with fluorescent 1?
What’s the difference between it and say Kelvin?
You can use Kelvin, although (on cameras prior to the X-Pro3) Fujifilm “blocks out” the specific Kelvin options that are used by other White Balance settings, so you cannot select Fluorescent 1 in Kelvin, but you can go plus or minus 100K from it (I hope this makes sense). By using Fluorescent 1 instead of Kelvin, cameras like my X-T30 will remember the shift as long as it’s the only recipe using this White Balance. So I can have a recipe with Fluorescent 1, one with Kelvin, one with Auto, one with Daylight, etc., and I don’t have to remember to reprogram the WB Shift when changing between Custom Presets.
Hi Ritchie,
Last year, while I was experimenting with various, 35 film stocks (Ektachrome, Portra, etc.) in my Minolta X-700, I discovered the work of other film photographers using Kodak Vision3 250D. I fell in love with the look of the images. From what I saw, Kodak Vision3 250D seemed to have a more “vintage film look” than the other films stock that I was shooting with. My desire to shoot this film was fuelled by the work of Alex Kunz, Carlos Garcia.
I purchased a few rolls of Kodak Vision3 250D from the Film Photography Project. As soon as I finish the roll of FPP Svema Foro 200 in my Minolta XD-11, I plan on shooting those rolls of Kodak Vision3 250D.
I look forward to seeing what you do with the film!
My experience with Kodak Vision 3 250D is all the way at the bottom.
https://islandinthenet.com/ironbound-farm/
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! Nice pictures! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the film now that you’ve used it.
Just discovered this sim. It’s my favorite so far, and I’ve tried 100s. Nice job, thanks very much for it.
I appreciate it! This one is a favorite of mine!
Hi Ritchie, is there anything you would change when using this simulation on the X100V or X-S10 (I have both)? Thanks!
Maybe consider Clarity set to -2? That’s not really necessary, but might look nice. I would choose Grain size Small.
I like this one
Currently working on a few recipes myself
Kodak Eastman EXR 100T and a daylight balanced version stimulating the use of a Kodak Gel filter WRATTEN Gelatin No. 85.
I
Wow, sounds awesome!
Thanks. I’ll share once tested. It should be able to be used as a base then adjusted to mimic certain films that were shot with this motion film stock, as you know these film stocks were processed and colour corrected so finding a pure base is difficult but there are in processed images of it out there.
Just a thought, be interesting if you did a few recipes on different movies, trying to mimic their colour processing. 😊
Just on this as an example. Jaws was shot using a tungsten balanced film Kodak Eastman 100T 5254.
Going by the technical sheet provided by Kodak. ‘It states It features microfine grain, very high sharpness’ and ‘This film is balanced for use with tungsten light, but you can expose it with daylight with filters’.
The technical sheet also tells us that the filter is a ‘WRATTEN Gelatin No. 85’.
Doing a quick Google image search shows what this filter looks like, colour of it I mean. You can then adjust your WB shift to match this filter as best you can.
It’s a matter then of choosing a simulation and base the highlights and shows on a few examples of films that used this stock. Not a perfect science but fun nevertheless.
The 85 filter is for using tungsten film in daylight… is kind of orange-peach, if memory serves. I used to have a whole bunch of these filters (back when I shot film), but now I only have a few (I don’t think the 85 is one of them). I appreciate the tip!
I appreciate the suggestion, it’s a great idea!
Just a quick note to send you my thanks and compliments on this fascinating – and superb – recipe. Words fail to do it justice.
I appreciate your kindness and encouragement! It means a lot.
This is the kind of thing I pay to support. I would love an adjustment to look like the Eastman 100T 5254 film. I’m thinking of the dark indoors and Italian Summer of The Godfather.
Thanks for the rabbit hole 🤣 😀
It’s been a fascinating bit of research you sent me on this morning. I’ll see what can be done. Obviously, the tricky part is that the light was carefully controlled with artificial lights and/or color correction filters, to balance it correctly to the film’s temperature. Thanks for the suggestion!