Setting Sun Trees – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nature Neon”
This film simulation recipe isn’t mine. It was created by Fuji X Weekly reader Immanuel Sander, who has actually posted several different recipes on his Instagram account (@captn.look). Thomas Schwab was the one who tipped me off to this. There are several really nice recipes that Immanuel has shared, but this one is my personal favorite. I asked him if I could share it with you on this website, and he graciously agreed. Immanuel calls this recipe Captn Look Nature Neon.
I’m not sure what film this might most closely resemble. It’s kind of similar to my Golden Negative recipe (although not exactly), which is kind of similar to FPP Retrochrome (expired high-speed Ektachrome). It’s also almost redscale-ish, a little more subtly than my Redscale recipe. Cross processed film can sometimes have a red/orange color cast, particularly (non-Velvia) Fujifilm transparencies, but I don’t think these settings are especially close to that. Even if this recipe doesn’t look exactly like any particular film, it nonetheless produce very interesting results.
The Road Less Traveled – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nature Neon”
It’s called “Nature Neon” in part because it uses the Fluorescent 1 white balance, which is also called Daylight Fluorescent or Neon Light. It gives a look as if a red neon light is illuminating the scene. The change that I made to Immanuel’s recipe is that I set Sharpness to -2; he had it set to -4. Thomas prefers it set to 0. Really, whatever Sharpness you prefer to use from -4 to 0 is acceptable.
This film simulation recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4. This article is a bit unusual in that it features example photographs from three photographers: Immanuel Sanders, Thomas Schwab, and myself. You can see how three different photographers used these settings. I want to give a big thank-you to Immanuel for creating and sharing this recipe, and to Thomas for showing it to me. Thank you, guys! I encourage you to check out their Instagram pages to see more of their pictures.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: +2 Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -2 Clarity: -4 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: Fluorescent 1, +2 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Nature Neon film simulation recipe:
Immanuel Sanders
Photo by Immanuel Sander
Photo by Immanuel Sander
Photo by Immanuel Sander
Photo by Immanuel Sander
Photo by Immanuel Sander
Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Ritchie Roesch
Salt Lake from Ladyfinger Point – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Peeking Peak – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rocks & Shrubs – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bison in a Meadow – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Lava Sunset – Antelope Island SP, 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.
Daisies at the Dock – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “Agfa Vista 100”
In the film era, Agfa was not as big as Fujifilm or especially Kodak, but they were popular nonetheless, particularly in Europe. Vista 100 was a general purpose color negative film made by Agfa between 2001 and 2005. It was preceded by Agfacolor HDC+ 100, which produced similar (but not identical) results. There were two films, AgfaPhoto Vista 100 and AgfaPhoto Vista Plus 100, that were manufactured for a time, neither of which are the same emulsion as Agfa Vista 100. Similar names, different films.
This Agfa Vista 100 film simulation recipe came about after someone asked for settings similar to an Agfa Vista 100 Lightroom preset. It was sample pictures from that preset that I most consulted for this recipe, but I did look at examples of the film that I found online. This recipe produces results similar to the film, but is closer to the preset than the film. This might be more similar to Agfa Vista 200, which had a bit more saturation, contrast and grain; really, it’s in the ballpark of both the ISO 100 and 200 versions of the film, as they’re both pretty close to each other.
Because this requires the Classic Negative film simulation, as well as Clarity (which will slow your camera down, unfortunately) and Color Chrome Effect Blue, this film simulation recipe is only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X100V, X-T4 and X-Pro3. I think many of you are going to really appreciate this recipe and it will be an instant favorite for some of you.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +1 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -0 Clarity: +3 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 5600K, -4 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Agfa Vista 100 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Lake McDonald Driftwood – Glacier NP, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Vuja de – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Boy, Fishing – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Shore of Wild Horse Island – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Evening at the Lake – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Three Sailboats – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow Kayak – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Green Canoe – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Lunch Date – Polson, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Man in the Hat – Polson, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Brick & Metal – Polson, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Bank Building – Butte, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Cafe Open – Butte, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Drinking Fountain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Circle Slide – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Yard Sale – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
If a Tree Falls in the Forest – Glacier NP, MT – Fujifilm X100V
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Duskflower – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V – captured during daylight.
I love photographing during the “blue hour” of dusk and dawn. The time right before sunrise and just after sunset, called twilight, is great for photography. While it’s called the blue hour, twilight is technically closer to an hour-and-a-half, but for practical photographic purposes, you have around 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening where the light is great for capturing pictures, so an hour total each day. That’s a small window of opportunity that’s easy to miss.
There are challenges to blue hour photography because the available light is limited and constantly changing. You’re using slow shutter speeds, large apertures and high ISOs. Or you are lugging around a tripod. These aren’t necessarily “bad things” they’re simply a part of blue hour photography, but there is an alternative that eliminates these challenges.
You can do faux blue hour photography anytime of the day with your Fujifilm X100V. It’s a simple trick, really. It requires three things: underexposure, warm high-shutter-speed flash, and a white balance adjustment. With a little slight-of-hand—I mean, technical knowhow—you can create pictures that appear to have been captured during the blue hour but are in fact daytime images.
The first thing you’ll need to do is underexposure your pictures by at least 3 stops from what the meter says that it should be. Most of the pictures that I captured required the exposure to be adjusted to -3 2/3 to -4 1/3, which means you’ll have to go manual, since the exposure compensation dial only goes to -3. You are basically setting the luminance of the background in your pictures, and you want it to be dark. It can be tough to judge in the moment what the exact exposure should be, and it takes a little trial-and-error to get it right, so be patient, as it might take a few tries to get an image that you’re happy with.
Next is the flash, which you’ll use to illuminate the foreground of your pictures. Because you are photographing during daylight, you’ll be using a fast shutter. I typically used a shutter speed between 1/500 and 1/4000, just depending on the picture, which would be a problem for most cameras when combined with flash photography, but on the X100V it’s no problem whatsoever. You see, the X100V’s mechanical shutter is a leaf shutter, which means that you can use the flash at high shutter speeds (something that you cannot do with a focal plane shutter). The X100V’s built-in fill-flash does marginally work for this, but I got much better results when using the EF-X500 shoe-mount flash. I taped a DIY yellow “gel” (plastic that I cut off of a pear bag that was semi-transparent and yellow) to the flash to make the foreground warmer.
White balance is the third key to this trick. While it varies depending on the exact light, I found that 2500K with a shift of +5 Red and +9 Blue produced good results. Basically, you’ll want the white balance to be very cool, and you’ll need it to be 3200K at the warmest, which will likely will be a tad too warm.
Here are some examples comparing pictures shot normal and pictures shot with this faux blue hour trick:
The difference is huge! The normal daylight and the faux blue hour versions of the pictures above look dramatically dissimilar from each other, even though they were captured only seconds apart. This little trick produces convincing results!
The settings that I used for most of my faux blue hour pictures are:
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range:DR400 Highlight: -1 to +1 Shadow: -2 to 0 Color: -2 to +2 Sharpness: -3 Noise Reduction: -4 Color Chrome Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong Grain: Weak, Large Clarity: -2 White Balance: 2500K, +5 Red & +9 Blue ISO: 640 Flash: On, with yellow “gel” Exposure: -3 2/3 to -4 1/3 (typically)
This isn’t a film simulation recipe, so I didn’t strictly stick with one set of settings, but instead looked at each exposure individually. Still, all of my faux blue hour pictures had similar settings, and I didn’t stray very far from it.
Even though this technique is a great way to achieve a blue hour look, there are some limitations. First, you might have shadows that don’t make sense for an after-sunset image. Second, there won’t be any lights on, such as streetlamps, car lights and indoor lights, which you’d expect to find after dark. If you want to use a slow shutter speed, you’ll need to activate the built-in ND filter, but you won’t likely get it to be as slow as you would if it were actually twilight. While the shoe-mounted flash does a decent job of lighting the foreground, you’d likely get even better results if you used strobes or off-camera flashes, but that further complicates the situation.
Despite the limitations, the technique of underexposure, warm flash, and cool white balance makes for convincing blue hour images in daylight conditions. While these settings are intended for the Fujifilm X100V, they can be applied to any camera with a leaf shutter—because of the fast shutter speeds you’ll be using, the leaf shutter is the real key to this trick. Below are out-of-camera JPEGs made using this faux blue hour technique on my X100V camera during daylight.
Night Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Shark Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Red Tree Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Changing Oak – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
September Autumn – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Night Trunk – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Night Trees – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunflowers at Night – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bridge Under Moonlight – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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This new film simulation recipe, which is for Fujifilm cameras with a Bayer sensor, isn’t meant to mimic any specific film. I wanted to create something with a cool color cast, perhaps similar to Tungsten film. Kind of the opposite of my Golden Negative recipe. I call it Analog Cool.
I can’t tell you how many requests I’ve had for recipes compatible with Fujifilm Bayer cameras, such as the X-T200, X-T100, X-A7, X-A5 and XF10, but it’s been a lot! I don’t have very many recipes for these cameras, partly because you cannot save custom presets like you can on X-Trans models. You more-or-less have to use one recipe for a period of time, and only switch occasionally. This recipe will work on X-Trans I & II cameras, but it won’t look exactly the same.
Leaves & Thistle – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-T200 – “Analog Cool”
This “Analog Cool” film simulation recipe works well in warm light, because it balances with that lighting condition. I didn’t test it under artificial light or for night photography, but I imagine it would be good for those situations. In cool light conditions, it will produce a pronounced blue cast that is similar to using Tungsten film in daylight, which is something you can try for creative effect or avoid if you don’t like it. Overall this is a pretty good recipe that produces interesting results under the right conditions, and I think some of you are going to really appreciate it.
Provia Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +1 Shadow: -1 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -2 Sharpening: 0 White Balance: 4200K, -2 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Analog Cool” film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T200:
Thistle Alone – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Green Forest Leaves – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Better Days Behind – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Suburban Sunflowers – Sunset, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Red Fruit in a Green Tree – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Pear Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Wasatch Ridge & Contrail – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Summer Garage – Sunset, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Signs – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Pillow on a Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
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!
Hidden Church – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
I didn’t always shoot JPEGs. I used to shoot RAW. Now with Fujifilm cameras I am a JPEG guy, and I’m inspiring many others to shoot JPEGs, too.
This is my journey.
I learned photography in the film era just before digital photography became a big thing. I didn’t like digital photography in those early days—I could spot a digital picture pretty easily. I resisted buying a digital camera for about 10 years. Technology changes quickly, and digital camera technology advanced to a point that it made sense for me to jump in. I’ve been primarily shooting digital for a little over 10 years now; I still shoot film, although since using Fujifilm cameras I’ve shot a lot less of it.
When I started in digital photography, I took the advice that is often given to newcomers: shoot RAW. JPEGs are terrible, so if you’re serious, shoot RAW. I didn’t initially heed this advice as the learning curve for RAW editing software is steep, but I quickly learned a tough lesson. I was in Sedona, Arizona, at Red Rock Crossing at sunset with a clearing storm, photographing the iconic Cathedral Rock with the Oak Creek in the foreground. It was incredible! I shot it with the camera set to JPEG. Later, when I reviewed the pictures on my computer, I discovered that the JPEGs were simply awful! I tried to “fix” them in software, but it was simply a missed opportunity. That’s why you shoot RAW.
One of the problems with RAW is that it can take a lot of time to edit, or really develop, the images. Some pictures can be quick, but some can take hours. I once had a particular brand of camera with a unique three-layer sensor, and it would often take 30 minutes to an hour or more to get a finished picture from a RAW file. It was painfully slow! I spent a lot of time sitting at the computer editing pictures. I tried to find shortcuts to speed up the process, but editing still took up a significant chunk of my time.
Blue Mountain Lake – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X-T30
My first Fujifilm camera was an X-E1 that I purchased used. I immediately loved it, but I did not understand how great the JPEGs were. I was still a RAW shooter. I did some RAW+JPEG with that camera, and I was impressed that the JPEGs actually looked pretty good. Several months later I purchased a Fujifilm X100F. While shooting RAW+JPEG on the X100F, I began to notice that the straight-out-of-camera JPEGs looked an awful lot like the RAW images that I had spent time post-processing. It was a lightbulb moment.
I began to experiment with the different JPEG settings and I realized that I could achieve in-camera different looks that I liked. I’m not 100% sure where the term “recipe” came from—if it was something that I invented or if someone else came up with it first—but I began to create film simulation recipes (sets of JPEG settings) for my X100F. The very first recipe was simply called “Acros” and I published it on August 27, 2017. It was the fifth post on this blog. My “Classic Chrome” film simulation recipe was published later that same day. I stopped shooting RAW and relied entirely on camera-made JPEGs.
I thought it truly amazing that high-quality pictures that looked like post-processed RAW images could come straight-out-of-camera. It felt good to not spend hours and hours sitting in front of a computer editing pictures. What was most meaningful to me is the time that shooting JPEGs saved me. Suddenly I had a lot more free time, which I spent on two things: my family and photography. My family life improved while my photography simultaneously became significantly more productive. It may seem like hyperbole to state that it changed my life, but it really did!
Time went on and my film simulation recipes were noticed by others. They spread by word of mouth, and more and more photographers began to use them. The more that I experimented, the more creative I got with the settings. I began to get requests to create different film looks. I collaborated with others on some settings. People began to create their own recipes, sharing them on social media. Film simulation recipes are now more than just JPEG presets, they bring people together, the foundation of community.
The way that the world is being captured today is in part through the filter of the film simulation recipes on this website. People across the globe, from new-to-photography to experienced-pro, are using these settings. I’m honored and humbled to influence photography in this way. I cannot tell you how many times people have told me that these recipes have had an impact on their photography, either rejuvenating their passion or saving them time (or both).
Forsaken – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V
When I was in Photography 101 in college, my pictures weren’t as good as some of my classmates, and I wondered if I’d ever amount to anything as a photographer. Through various photographic failures that I’ve endured over the years, I wondered if I should keep pressing forward. When I began this blog three years ago, I wondered if anyone would even read it. There’s no need to wonder anymore, except perhaps to where all this might lead.
I don’t consider myself an influential photographer, but there’s no doubt that I’m influencing photography. The stigma attached to the camera-made JPEG is changing (in part) because of me. The aesthetic of today’s pictures is (in part) the recipes from this website. My reach on this website is worldwide and the audience much larger than I could have ever dreamed.
I still primarily shoot JPEGs, but I discovered along the way that film simulation recipes are much easier to create when you can reprocess RAW files, either in-camera or with X RAW Studio. Instead of strictly being a JPEG-only photographer, I use RAW+JPEG, but I still only use camera-made JPEGs. That’s what works for me.
Really, it’s about finding what works for you and your photography. RAW might work best for one person, RAW+JPEG for another, and JPEG-only for another. There’s no right or wrong way to do things. There’s advantages and disadvantages to each. Nobody should say that everyone should do things one way, or put people down for doing it different than them.
For myself and a growing group of photographers, using film simulation recipes on Fujifilm cameras is the preferred method. I’m a JPEG guy, or, really, RAW+JPEG. I get the pictures that I want straight-out-of-camera without the need for editing, except for minor cropping and occasional small adjustments, which I do on my phone. You won’t find me sitting at a computer fiddling with files. There’s no need to. That’s why I love Fujifilm JPEGs.
Kodachrome They give us those nice bright colors They give us the greens of summer Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day
Kodachrome is probably the most iconic photographic film ever made. It was legendary, and many people saw the world through its colors. Kodak produced Kodachrome film from 1935 through 2009, when it was suddenly discontinued.
The Kodachrome name has been used for many different films over the years. The first Kodachrome product was a two-glass-plate color negative that was introduced in 1915. Like all other color photography methods of its time, the results weren’t particularly good and the product not especially successful.
Forest Brooks – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome 1”
In 1935 Kodak released its next Kodachrome, which was a color transparency film with an ISO of 10. This Kodachrome was the first color film that produced reasonably accurate colors and was the first commercially successful color film. It became the standard film for color photography for a couple decades, and was even Ansel Adams’ preferred choice for color work. The December 1946 issue of Arizona Highways, which was the first all-color magazine in the world, featured Barry Goldwater’s Kodachrome images.
Kodak made significant improvements to Kodachrome, and in 1961 released Kodachrome II. This film boasted more accurate colors, sharper images, finer grain, and a faster ISO of 25. While it was still similar to the previous Kodachrome, it was better in pretty much every way. A year later Kodachrome-X was introduced, which had an ISO of 64.
Another generation of Kodachrome, which came out in 1974, saw Kodachrome II replaced by Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome-X replaced by Kodachrome 64. The differences between this version and the previous weren’t huge with nearly identical image quality. The biggest change was going from the K-12 to the K-14 development process (which was a little less complex, but still complex). This generation of Kodachrome is what most people think of when they picture (pun intended) the film, gracing the pages of magazines like National Geographic.
CPI – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome 1”
I personally have shot plenty of Kodachrome, mostly Kodachrome 64. It was a good general use film that produced sharp images and pleasing colors. I haven’t used it in more than a decade. Its days are gone. Even if you can find an old roll of the film, there are no labs in the world that will develop it.
This Kodachrome 1 film simulation recipe is meant to mimic that first era of Kodachrome. This isn’t your parent’s or grandparent’s Kodachrome, it’s your great-grandparent’s. This Kodachrome 1 recipe is actually an updated version of my Vintage Kodachrome recipe. Since the new Fujifilm cameras have more JPEG options, such as Clarity, Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome Effect Blue, it’s possible to get more accurate or at least different looks out-of-camera. This recipe is very similar to the original version, but I hope this one is just a tad better. It’s only compatible with the X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras; if you don’t have one of those cameras, give the Vintage Kodachrome recipe a try. Both the old and this new version have a great vintage analog look that I’m sure many of you will appreciate. I want to give a big “thank you” to Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab for his help with updating this recipe.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +4 Shadow: -2 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: +1 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to -1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodachrome 1 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Reel 2 Reel – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Behind the Grocery Store – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
American Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Open Window Blinds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Playing Cards – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
SummerBloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Edge – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Dead Tree Trunk – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Trees of Life & Death – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunlight & Leaves – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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!
I had a great time shooting with Ryan! It was a good opportunity to talk cameras, recipes, photography, and more. I want to give a special “thank you” to Ryan for participating in this adventure, for allowing himself to be filmed, and for sharing his pictures in the video. Please check out his Instagram account, as his pictures are great!
Let me know in the comments what you think of the video. I appreciate the feedback!
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
I get asked frequently to create film simulation recipes for many different film aesthetics, but sometimes I get asked to recreate the look of a photographer and not a film. This recipe falls into the latter category, as it is intended to resemble the aesthetic of Preet (Instagram), a photographer from Dubai. Preet uses a Fujifilm X-Pro3, but he shoots RAW and edits in Lightroom. In fact, he told me that he will soon be releasing his own Lightroom presets so that you can get his aesthetic in-software. I wanted to get close tp his look in-camera without the need for RAW editing, so I created this film simulation recipe, which is modeled after Preet’s pictures. It’s not an exact match, but probably as close as you can get straight-out-of-camera.
I can recognize Preet’s images without even seeing his name. They are bright, low-contrast (but typically of high-contrast scenes), and vibrant with a warm yellow-ish cast. They are almost kodak-esque, but not exactly like any specific film, and clean without grain. This film simulation recipe is pretty close to that aesthetic. Preet photographs a lot of beach scenes, buildings, and cars. I’m reminded of a bright summer day, which is why I call this recipe “Bright Summer.”
Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Bright Summer”
I found with this recipe that sometimes Color should be set to +3 instead of +4 to better match Preet’s look, but oftentimes +4 is better, and occasionally +5 would be most correct if such a setting existed. If you prefer Color set to +3 don’t be afraid to do it. White Balance Shift occasionally looks more correct with Red set to -5, but I found -4 to be better for most pictures. It’s a similar situation for Blue: -3 is sometimes a better match, but most often -2 is most correct. You’ll have to decide if you prefer the recipe as stated below, or if -5 Red & -2 Blue, or -5 Red & -3 Blue, or -4 Red and -3 Blue works better for you. It might vary from picture-to-picture. Although I have Grain set to Off, I would consider setting it to Weak and Small, but that’s just my taste. To get even closer to Preet’s look, bring down the highlights and lift the shadows very slightly with a curves adjustment in-software (which, of course, is completely optional). This film simulation recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: -2 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -5 Grain Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: 7100K, -4 Red & -2 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1 to +2 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Bright Summer” film simulation recipe (without any modifications) on my Fujifilm X100V:
Free Flu Shot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
No, No, No! – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Chopstix – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Twin Garage Doors – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Roof Slant 1– Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Roof Slant 2 – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Roof Ladder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Lemon Ice Cream Truck – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Flowerbed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Construction Truck – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Burger King Parking Lot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Crown Burgers – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Notice: Stop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Lamp & Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow Tree Summer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
American Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Outdoor Succulent – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Parking Lot Reflections – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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!
Photographer Omar Gonzales made a video about turning your Fujifilm X camera into the Fujifilm Noir, a dedicated black-and-white camera. This post will make much more sense if you watch the video first, so take a moment to do that right now if you haven’t already done so.
Did you watch it? Don’t read anything below until the video is finished!
Done? Okay, let’s move on.
I made my own Fujifilm Noir camera using my X-T30. I have the silver version, so gaffer tape didn’t make a whole lot of sense for the new label that I wanted to attach to the front. I asked my daughter to create something using paper and pencils that might better match the camera. For those wondering, these labels are available for $25 each (only kidding, of course). And, yes, gluing a paper label to a camera is much less heart-stopping than sandpapering a camera.
The Fujifilm Noir camera.
My Fujifilm Noir is an X-T30 with an Asahi Super-Takumar 55mm f/2 attached to the front. I screwed an 1/2 Black Pro Mist filter to the lens (not pictured, sorry) to further enhance the film-like aesthetic. I shot the camera in manual mode using a black-and-white film simulation recipe that I created just for this project. What’s the film simulation recipe? Well, you’ll find it below!
Acros+G Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +4 Shadow: +1 Grain: Strong Color Chrome Effect: Off Toning: 0 Sharpening: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 White Balance: 2500K, +9 Red & +9 Blue Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +2/3 (typically) ISO 3200
This film simulation recipe was actually an experiment (from when I was creating my B&W IR recipe) that I didn’t love, but I thought it was good enough to use here. I won’t make it an official recipe, this is simply a bonus for you. Feel free to use it in your own photography, as it’s compatible with all X-Trans III and IV cameras. It reminds me of Kodak BW400CN, a black-and-white film that used the C-41 (color) development process. These settings weren’t intended to look like that film, but that’s what it reminds me of.
Kodak BW400CN was not likely ever a popular choice for Noir photography. Noir is French for Black, and Noir photographs are often dark and moody, inspired by 1940’s through 1960’s monochrome crime movies. This recipe isn’t especially Noir, but I used it anyway. There are probably ten different film simulation recipes that are more appropriate for Noir than this one.
I didn’t follow all of Omar’s rules. I shot RAW+JPEG, but only because I used a 2GB memory card, which has enough space for 27 exposures. On a 24-exposure roll of film, you could typically get 25 or 26 frames on it if you were careful. 27 exposures was possible but not commonly achieved (outside of disposable cameras). To make this more of a film-like experience, I used the 2GB SD Card to limit myself to a maximum of 27 exposures, and I refused to change the “film” (recipe) until I had exposed the card. I deleted the RAW files and just used the out-of-camera JPEGs. I got the memory card idea from Fuji X Weekly reader Josh Gagnon.
All of the pictures below were from the first 27-exposure “roll” of “Kodak BW400CN” that I captured using my “Fujifilm Noir” camera. Yes, they’re all camera-made JPEGs, unedited except for some minor cropping here and there.
Smile – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Lamp Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Girl, Drawing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Tortilla Flour – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Drink – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Top Ten – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Building Stack – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Building Tree – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
TheNature of Structure – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Campus Skateboarder – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
One of You – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
$5 Pizza Bus – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Fallen Tree at the Capital – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Fallen Tree – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Tree & Stormy Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir
Not bad for one “roll” of “film” on my “Noir” camera, right?
Now the ball is in your court! Turn your Fujifilm X camera into a Fujifilm Noir camera and shoot some black-and-white pictures with it! I don’t have any specific rules, but try to give yourself some limitations because limitations improve art. I enjoyed the 2GB card thing. Share with me your Noir pictures using #fujixweekly on Instagram. Let me know in the comments if you like this project and what you think of this “Kodak BW400CN” film simulation recipe!
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I haven’t posted anything in several days, but that doesn’t mean I’m not working hard. I have in the works right now five new film simulation recipes that will be ready to publish soon (plus another five that I’m working on, but aren’t ready to publish, plus about 20 on a to-do list). I’ve included a sample picture of each new recipe down below, just as a teaser. I also have two product reviews (one camera and one lens) that are in the early stages of writing; reviews always take a lot of time to complete. Besides that, I’ve been working on some other changes to the blog, which you’ll begin seeing soon (and maybe you’ve already noticed a few). Some of these changes will be bigger than others, and hopefully they will make the Fuji X Weekly experience better in some way.
Even though it might seem quiet, there’s so much going on behind the scenes right now. It’s what keeps the blog moving forward. Good things are coming! I appreciate all of you and I’m honored to have you as a part of this thing. Your support is invaluable to me. The Fujifilm community really is the best!
Now, the teaser pictures! Below are a quick sampling of five new film simulation recipes that will be coming soon.
Hidden Church – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200 – “Golden Negative”
I got my hands on a Fujifilm X-T200! It’s not my camera, I’m just borrowing it for a few weeks. So far I’ve been more impressed with it than I thought I’d be. I’ll write more about all this later. What I want to share today is the very first film simulation recipe that I’ve created for the X-T200, called Golden Negative.
I can’t tell you how many requests I’ve had for recipes compatible with Fujifilm Bayer cameras, such as the X-T200, X-T100, X-A7, X-A5 and XF10, but it’s been a lot! Prior to this, I’d only made three film simulation recipes for these cameras, partly because you cannot save custom presets on these cameras like you can on X-Trans models. You more-or-less have to use one recipe for a period of time, and only switch occasionally. With this film simulation recipe, there are now four to choose from! X-Trans II recipes are compatible with these Bayer cameras, but they produce slightly different results. This recipe will work on X-Trans II, but it won’t look exactly the same. I tried this recipe on an X-Trans IV camera, and it looked noticeably different, but it didn’t look bad, so feel free to try this recipe any camera with the Classic Chrome film simulation; for best results, use it on a Fujifilm Bayer camera.
Early Autumn Evening – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200 – “Golden Negative”
What does this Golden Negative recipe look like? I’m reminded of prints from the 1980’s and 1990’s, maybe captured on Kodak Gold and printed on Kodak paper. It’s not really intended to resemble that, it’s just what this recipe reminds me of. It has a beautiful low-contrast, low-saturation, warm-cast that’s closer to Kodak color negative film, such as Gold or ColorPlus, than reversal film. I don’t think this recipe is exactly like any specific film, but it looks great nonetheless.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR-Auto Highlight: +1 Shadow: -2 Color: -2 Noise Reduction: -2 Sharpening: 0 White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -2 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Golden Negative film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T200:
XB – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Ogden or Bust – Woods Cross, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Rose Garden – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Shadows on a Leaf – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Ground Leaves – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Brown Leaf – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Autumn Trees Trunks – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Forest Sunstar – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Nature Above City – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Haze Over North Salt Lake – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Moonrise Over Mansions – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Yellow Balsomroot – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Blossomed Flower – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Faux Succulent on a Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Girl Playing Cards – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Happy Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
Joshua on the Playground – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
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!
Here’s a unique idea that was suggested to me: apply different film simulations to different recipes, just to see what you get. Actually, that’s how My Ektachrome 100SW recipe came to be: a Fuji X Weekly reader took my Kodachrome II recipe and replaced Classic Chrome with Velvia. I’m going to make a series out of this, which I’m calling With Other Film Simulations, and maybe something interesting will come out of it.
I’ll start with the Fujifilm X100VKodachrome 64 film simulation recipe. The original picture (at the top of this post), which you might recognize from my Rover Mini YouTube video, was made using Classic Chrome, the film simulation that the Kodachrome 64 recipe requires. The idea here is to keep every setting the same except for the film simulation. In case you don’t remember, the settings are:
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
Let’s look at the pictures:
Provia
Velvia
Astia
PRO Neg. Hi
PRO Neg. Std
Classic Negative
Acros
Monochrome
Sepia
The color images are surprisingly similar. Velvia stands out for being the most vibrant. PRO Neg. Std stands out for having the lowest contrast. Classic Negative stands out for its color shift. The original version, which uses Classic Chrome, is still my favorite, but it is interesting to see how the other film simulations affect the picture. The Monochrome film simulation with these settings might prove to be a good low-contrast black-and-white recipe, something I’ll have to take a closer look at.
I hope that you enjoyed this quick article! We’ll do some more of these in the coming weeks and months. Which film simulation did you find most interesting with the Kodachrome 64 settings? Let me know in the comments!
