The Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 have a new feature called Color Chrome Effect Blue. This is very similar to a different feature, which has a nearly identical name, that’s also found on X-Trans IV cameras, such as my X-T30, called Color Chrome Effect. What does Color Chrome Effect Blue do to photographs? How is it different than Color Chrome Effect? Those are questions that I hope to answer in this article.
The original Color Chrome Effect takes vibrant colors (mostly reds, but also yellows and greens to a lessor extent) and deepens their tones to retain color gradation. Fujifilm says that a short-lived color slide film called Fortia inspired this setting. Color Chrome Effect Blue is essentially the same, but for blue. It makes blues in the picture a deeper shade. It’s a lot like using a polarizing filter. You have three options: Off, Weak and Strong.
Let’s take a look at the pictures below:
Color Chrome Effect Blue Off
Color Chrome Effect Blue Weak
Color Chrome Effect Blue Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue Strong & Color Chrome Effect Weak
Color Chrome Effect Blue Strong & Color Chrome Effect Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue noticeably darkens the blue sky. There’s a difference between Off and Weak and Strong that’s not too hard to spot. I added Color Chrome Effect to the bottom two images, and it doesn’t affect the sky—it barely affects the warm building; it’s so subtle that it’s hard to tell the difference even upon close inspection. I believe that Color Chrome Effect Blue makes more of a difference in an image than Color Chrome Effect, but they manipulate different colors, so they have different purposes. Disappointingly, Color Chrome Effect Blue doesn’t seem to change black-and-white images much at all.
For color images where you want blues to be rendered deeper, such as blue sky, Color Chrome Effect Blue is great! It’s like using a polarizing filter. If you want reds to be rendered deeper, use the original Color Chrome Effect. I hope this helps explain what the new Color Chrome Effect Blue feature is, how it’s different than Color Chrome Effect, and when to use it.
See also:
Clarity
B&W Toning
HDR
Thanks for this info. I wondered what the true effect of this setting was just never got around to experimenting with it!
You are welcome!
Very much like and appreciate your blog-posts, videos and recipes.
I have sold all my Nikon gear years ago and have been using FujiFilm-X trans cameras since because of both their color renderings and because of the style and handling of their cameras. They work and operate as cameras used too.
Years before I used black-and-white film and processed my films in the darkroom. At that time with black-and-white film I made extensive use of color-filters (yellow, orange and red). That is why I think it is no surprise that the color chrome blue effect has no effect on B&W digital imaging. Instead a yellow, orange or red effect would darken the blue sky, as the filters did in the film-days.
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Van: Fuji X Weekly Verzonden: dinsdag 30 juni 2020 04:51 Aan: wj.van.duin@planet.nl Onderwerp: [New post] Fujifilm X100V New Feature: Color Chrome Effect Blue
Ritchie Roesch posted: ” The Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 have a new feature called Color Chrome Effect Blue. This is very similar to a different feature, which has a nearly identical name, that’s also found on X-Trans IV cameras, such as my X-T30, called Color Chrome Effect”
Yes, that’s a good point. I was hoping that CCEB in conjunction with Acros+R would make the sky even darker, but it doesn’t. It is, like you point out, more in line with how film might react, and not how I wished it did. Thank you for the comment!
Thanks for your recipes, they’ve been so fun to use.
Do you think color chrome and clarity will be useable on the xt20 anytime soon? or is it impossible to use them on these older cameras?
Yeah, those won’t come to the X-T20, I’m pretty sure. Clarity might maybe come to the X-T30 at some point, but also maybe not. It would be nice if Fuji added CCE to the X-T20 via a firmware update, but I just don’t think they will.
Like you, I’m also disappointed that the Color Chrome Effects don’t do anything for B&W. And frankly I’m disappointed that Acros + R doesn’t so much to a rich blue sky.
Acros+R is more like an orange filter than a red filter, unfortunately.
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Thank you! I appreciate your kind words.
Hello! I take this option isn’t available on the x100f?
No, unfortunately, it isn’t. Sorry!