Fujifilm offers a free RAW photo editing software that’s unique called X RAW Studio. What’s unusual about X RAW Studio is that it relies on the camera that captured the image to do the editing. It’s like in-camera RAW editing, but on your computer, and the camera must be tethered. I wrote about it back in 2017. I don’t use X RAW Studio very much myself, but some of you use it regularly and it’s an important part of your workflow process. It’s an interesting tool that Fujifilm provides at no cost, so it’s definitely worth trying if you’ve never done so before.
Below are some articles and videos that I found on the internet that discuss X RAW Studio. Hopefully something here will be helpful or interesting to you. If you know of an article or video that I missed, feel free to post it in the comments. Enjoy!
Nikon is about to announce a new retro-SLR-styled APS-C mirrorless camera: the Zfc. It has some similarities to the Fujifilm X-T30, X-T4, and X-T200 (and also the Olympus OM-D), while not being exactly like any of them. According to NikonRumors, this camera is the Nikon Z50, just in a retro body inspired by the Nikon FM and Df cameras. The Z50 has a 20-megapixel sensor, and, as far as I know, is well regarded yet unexciting. This new body design will certainly create some excitement!
You might notice the Zfc has a shutter knob, exposure compensation knob, and ISO knob on the top of the body (much like the X-T4). There’s also a PASM switch. I can’t help but wonder, if Nikon had included an aperture ring around the lens, would the PASM switch even be necessary? I feel like Nikon went 90% there, but just didn’t push themselves all the way. Of course, they know their audience far better than I do, and they have far more experience in camera design than I.
With this camera, I believe that Nikon is specifically targeting the Fujifilm market. I’m not sure if they’re trying to lure Fujifilm photographers to Nikon, or simply attempting to stop Nikon shooter from leaving for Fujifilm, or maybe both, or perhaps those moving on from Micro 4/3. I have no idea how successful they’ll be at this, but I do think the Zfc will get some attention, something Nikon desperately needs. It seems like they’ve produced a lot of rather ho-hum products as their customers have jumped ship for other brands.
What Nikon doesn’t have that Fujifilm does are Film Simulations and Film Simulation Recipes. That’s not to say that Nikon’s JPEGs are junk (because I’m sure they’re not), but there’s nothing in the photographic world that rivals what Fujifilm and Fujifilm shooters (that’s you and me!) have created. While Nikon’s new exterior camera design is great, if they really want to compete against Fujifilm they need to recommit to the camera-made JPEG and do something just as radical inside as they did with the body. After all, photography is both about the picture and the experience, and I think the Zfc is an attempt to improve the latter (for certain people) while not addressing the former. I like this step that Nikon is taking, and I think it would be great if they continued down that path, but I’d be surprised if they did. We’ll see. Nevertheless, the Nikon Zfc is indeed a lovely looking camera.
I love road trips! Given the choice to drive or fly, I’ll pick drive every time. Unfortunately, when I’m trying to get somewhere by car, I’m often trying to get there, wherever “there” is, and I don’t spend enough time enjoying the in-between. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously stated, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Dan Eldon shortened it to, “The journey is the destination.” What makes a road trip special is not where you’re going, but the experiences along the way.
This photoessay series is entitled The Journey is the Destination, and includes pictures of those in-between places. Each article in this series will have a different theme. This one is called Lodging Locations, and it features photographs captured at sleep stops while on some adventure somewhere. I’m usually pretty eager to photograph when on road trips, so even moments of rest get the attention of my camera lens.
One challenge with this particular article is that it includes hotels, campgrounds, family houses, and AirBnBs. With such diverse sleeping arrangements, it’s difficult to create a consistent set (not to mention that I used many different film simulation recipes to capture these over several years). Each of the images in the post were captured while at a lodging location of some sort. I don’t like this set as much as the first two, but nonetheless I hope that you find some enjoyment or inspiration from it.
Color:
Daisies at the Dock – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “Agfa Vista 100” – 7/8/2020
Boy, Fishing – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “Agfa Vista 100” – 7/8/2020
What Fujirumors has so far reported on the new version is that it will be in the same body as the GFX100S, which means that it will also have IBIS, it will have the same sensor as the GFX-50S and GFX-50R, and it will cost only $4,000 (and $4,500 when bundled with the upcoming GF35-70mm lens). That’s stunning!
Even though it’s an older sensor, I really appreciate how the GFX-50S renders pictures, particularly in shadows. I don’t mind that the camera won’t include a brand-new sensor. What I hope is that it includes a new processor, preferably the one inside the GFX100S. If the GFX-50S is a GFX100S, except with an “old” 50-megapixel sensor instead of a new 100-megapixel sensor, for only four thousand dollars, that’s unbelievable! It will be a hit, I have no doubts about it. I might have to get one myself.
It should be mentioned that, for most people, there’s not a big advantage of GFX over Fujifilm X. Yes, GFX produces lovely pictures that are a pixel-peeper’s dream, but unless you print very large, crop really deeply, and/or need that extra dynamic range in the shadows, Fujifilm X cameras will serve you very well for a whole lot less money.
I love my Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens! It’s nothing short of incredible. From an image quality point-of-view, it’s my favorite Fujinon lens (granted, I haven’t tried them all), although the focal length can be a bit challenging. It’s also somewhat big and heavy. I love the lens nevertheless, and really appreciate the images captured with it.
I noticed that the majority of the Fujinon 90mm f/2 reviews are older. Most were published four, five or six years ago. My review is almost two years old. For this Fuji Features article I thought that I’d share some more recent reviews and videos for the lens, which I found with a simple Google search. If you are considering it, maybe this will be helpful. Also, if you know of an article or video that I should have included, feel free to share it in the comments.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
According to Fujirumors, the next Fujifilm APS-C camera will be the X-H2, which won’t be released until early 2022, and it will have a new sensor that’s capable of 8K video. Not a whole lot else is known about it at this point. What will the new sensor be? What specs will it have? Absolutely nobody outside of Fujifilm has any idea, so it’s a fun opportunity to wildly speculate. To be clear, I have no inside information. This isn’t a rumor. What I’ll discuss below is a bad guess at best. I just thought it would be fun to talk about the possibilities.
The assumption is that the next sensor will be X-Trans (X-Trans V), which is logical—most likely it will be. I don’t know what would differentiate X-Trans V from X-Trans IV. The theory is that because Fujifilm has been developing sharper lenses with more resolving power, they’re preparing for a higher-resolution sensor (in fact, they’ve said as much). But how much more? 28-megapixel? 30? 32? 36? 50? Nobody knows, but don’t be surprised if it’s 36-megapixels. Unless you crop steeply or print largely, that extra resolution won’t do much for you. I personally wish that Fujifilm would focus less on megapixels and focus more on other advancements, but that’s just my opinion.
It’s possible that the new sensor inside the X-H2 won’t be X-Trans, or at least not a Sony X-Trans. Fujifilm has partnered with Samsung to create the ISOCELL technology that Samsung uses in their cellphone cameras. In an oversimplified explanation, ISOCELL allows pixels to more accurately capture light, which means that smaller pixels act more like larger pixels. Samsung uses ISOCELL in conjunction with Pixel Binning (“Tetracell”), a technology that uses a group of pixels to act as a singular larger pixel for improved dynamic range and high-ISO performance. This technology allows tiny cellphone sensors to perform better than they should. Why can’t this be applied to larger sensors? Remember when Samsung used to have a highly-acclaimed 28-megapixel APS-C sensor before their NX camera line went suddenly defunct? Maybe Fujifilm and Samsung will partner to bring some of Samsung’s innovative sensor technology to Fujifilm cameras.
I’d be surprised if Fujifilm included a Sony Bayer sensor in the X-H2, but it’s possible. Anything is possible. More likely, if Fujifilm were to move on from X-Trans, the sensor would have to have some unique marketing aspect to it. Fujifilm X cameras are the only cameras with X-Trans sensors, and all other current cameras use Bayer (except for some Sigma models). X-Trans has some advantages and disadvantages, but more importantly it’s unique, which Fujifilm takes advantage of, both in terms of technology and marketing. There’d have to be something especially special about a non-X-Trans sensor for Fujifilm to suddenly abandon what has brought them this far.
Now imagine this: a Fujifilm X-H2 with a 144-megapixel ISOCELL and Pixel Binning sensor, that “normally” captures 36-megapixel images, with the option to capture 144-megapixel images in good light and 9-megapixel images in very low light. That would stir a lot more attention than an ordinary 36-megapixel Bayer sensor, and would also have some advantages over it. It would certainly make headlines!
The way it would work is that under most conditions the camera would capture a 36-megapixel image that would perform, in dynamic range and high-ISO, similar to the 26-megapixel X-Trans IV sensor. When the ISO is set to 320 or lower, the camera would have the option to capture a full 144-megapixel image (with the limitation of DR400 not available). Of course, Fujifilm lenses, while exceptionally sharp, cannot resolve that much detail, so you’d likely get details more in line with 50-megapixel cameras (maybe more, maybe less, depending on the lens). The camera would also have the option at higher ISOs—perhaps ISO 3200 and above—to capture extraordinarily clean 9-megapixel images (and perhaps 1080p video). I know that 9-megapixels are hardly anything to get excited over, but think of this as being sort of like the Sony A7S, which has only 12-megapixels, but is highly regarded for its low-light capabilities. So, yeah, the picture might only have 9-megapixels of resolution, but it was captured at ISO 25,600 and looks as clean as ISO 800. Maybe pixel-shift could even be incorporated into this somehow.
There would be a whole host of issues if Fujifilm incorporated Samsung’s technology into the X-H2, most notably the RAW files. I don’t think my suggestion is likely, but since anything is possible, I thought that I’d wildly speculate, and this is as wild of a speculation as you’ll likely find on this topic. It will definitely be interesting to see what Fujifilm comes up with, and as soon as I know something, I’ll be sure to share it and my ideas about it with you.
United Carrier – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Expired Slide”
United Carrier – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Expired Slide v2”
I set out to recreate the look of expired slide film. Perhaps expired is the wrong term, because the aesthetic that I was after is more like mishandled slide film—not stored correctly or developed promptly. Maybe it passed its expiration date because it sat in a drawer for so long, or maybe it was in a hot car for a couple of hours, but, whatever the reason, it definitely doesn’t look right.
Why would I want to create this look? Because it’s an interesting vintage aesthetic that was somewhat common in the film era. While most people would not want this outcome, interestingly enough, there are some film photographers (a.k.a. Lomographers) who do this kind of thing on purpose specifically because they want this look. The two film simulation recipes below are for those people seeking something different. Neither of these will likely be anyone’s “go-to” recipe, but if you want something that’s a bit unusual, these are ones to try.
The film simulation recipe called Expired Slide was actually the second one, as I created (what I now call) Expired Slide v2 first. I liked the original settings, but thought that it might be a bit too much, so I toned it back slightly. I posted examples of both recipes to Instagram and let you guys decide which one was best. The Expired Slide recipe won hands-down, but there were some who passionately preferred Expired Slide v2, so I’m posting both. The only difference is the white balance (and shift), otherwise they’re identical. Expired Slide has more of a red-orange cast while Expired Slide v2 has more of a red-purple cast. Both recipes (as of this writing) are only compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4 cameras.
Expired Slide:
Forest Flowers – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Velvia Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: -1 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 5500K, +7 Red & -2 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Limited 4404 – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Free – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Free Signs – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Construction Crane – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
10:45 – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Fence – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Tulip Blooms – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Dark Payette Lake – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Mossy Trunk – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Expired Slide v2:
Caterpillar – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Velvia Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: -1 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 5000K, +8 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Red Barn – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Jump Pad – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Stack of Buckets – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
The Oaks – Ogden Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Lake Marina – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Two Dogs Swimming – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Jon Fishin’ – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Log in the Water – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Payette Lakeshore – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
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 love road trips! Given the choice to drive or fly, I’ll pick drive every time. Unfortunately, when I’m trying to get somewhere by car, I’m often trying to get there, wherever “there” is, and I don’t spend enough time enjoying the in-between. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously stated, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Dan Eldon shortened it to, “The journey is the destination.” What makes a road trip special is not where you’re going, but the experiences along the way.
This photoessay series is entitled The Journey is the Destination, and includes pictures of those in-between places. Each article in this series will have a different theme. This one is called Time to Eat, and it features photographs captured at food stops while on some adventure somewhere. I’m usually pretty eager to photograph when on road trips, so even breakfast, lunch or dinner gets the attention of my camera lens.
You won’t see any pictures of my food—that’s not the point of this article—these are simply photographs that I captured at these restaurant stops. If I had started out with this series in mind, I probably would have approached it a little differently. Still, when placed together, these otherwise unrelated images tell a story. I hope that you enjoy!
DPReview listed their Top 5 Best Fujifilm Film Simulations in the video above. I think it’s great that they’re highlighting Fujifilm’s great JPEG options and give light to some of the film simulations. While I’m sure that they made adjustments to the stock settings, I feel like they haven’t discovered the joy of film simulation recipes, and are mostly using the stock settings. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, because out-of-the-box the different film simulations are great, but with some tweaking you can achieve all sorts of different looks. I think it’s something that they’d really appreciate, if they only knew.
I went on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App (available for iOS and Android) and filtered by Camera and Film Simulation. If you are a Patron on the App, you can filter the recipes by camera model or sensor, and by film simulation or color/b&w—the best app experience is reserved for Patrons. For this experiment, I chose the Fujifilm X100F and Classic Chrome. There are 15 different options, each with a different aesthetic (Vintage Kodachrome didn’t fit on the screenshot list). Those are just the X-Trans III recipes that use Color Chrome. If you don’t filter by camera or sensor, there are 45 recipes that use Classic Chrome (and over 150 total recipes)!
I know in the video they say that Classic Chrome is “gross” but perhaps it’s only because they haven’t used the right film simulation recipe. It could be that one of those 45 mentioned above produces a look that they’d love.
I don’t want to rehash DPReview’s video, so instead I will list some of my personal favorite recipes, organized by Film Simulation (they’re not ranked), which you’ll find below. There are so many to choose from, and narrowing it down is a tough task, so obviously not all of my favorites made the list. There are so many Classic Chrome and Classic Negative options that I love, so those two were especially difficult to decide what to include below. Hopefully you’ll find this this exercise helpful, or at least fun, and maybe discover a new recipe to try.
No Credit Tires – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Sepia”
Now it’s your turn! Which of these film simulation recipes do you like best? Which recipes that I didn’t include are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!
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 love road trips! Given the choice to drive or fly, I’ll pick drive every time. Unfortunately, when I’m trying to get somewhere by car, I’m often trying to get there, wherever “there” is, and I don’t spend enough time enjoying the in-between. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously stated, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Dan Eldon shortened it to, “The journey is the destination.” What makes a road trip special is not where you’re going, but the experiences along the way.
With that in mind, I’ve started a new photoessay series entitled The Journey is the Destination, which will include pictures of those in-between places. Each article in this series will have a different theme. This first one is called Getting Gas, and it features photographs captured at gas station stops while on some adventure somewhere. I’m usually pretty eager to photograph when on road trips, so even quick pitstops get the attention of my camera lens.
Most of these pictures were captured in small towns. You’ll see a lot of trucks. If I had started out with this series in mind, I probably would have approached it a little differently. Still, when placed together, these otherwise unrelated images tell a story. I hope that you enjoy!
I’ve never sponsored a video before. I never thought that I would. Companies sponsor videos, and I’m just a guy posting his camera settings on a blog, so why would I do this? For a couple of years I’ve wanted someone to sponsor me, but here I am, sponsoring someone else’s content.
My hope is that this sponsorship simply gets the word out. Hopefully it will reach some new people. Why is this important? Why might it be “worth it” to do this?
First, I appreciate Andrew and Denae’s YouTube channel. They’ve been publishing solid content for years. Their channel has been helpful to many photographers, and especially Fujifilm photographers. I’m very happy to support them, because I want Andrew and Denae to continue to create great content. It’s good for the Fujifilm community.
Second, the film simulation recipes that I’ve published on the Fuji X Weekly blog and the Fuji X Weekly App are having a real impact on photography. I was speaking recently to an official Fujifilm X-Photographer, and she explained to me how the film simulation recipes are opening up photography to people who are intimidated by photo editing software, or don’t have the time (or maybe the desire) to learn it, or perhaps don’t have the resources to obtain it. There are people who are photographing with Fujifilm cameras using recipes who otherwise would not be photographing. That’s amazing! Besides that, people are having a lot of fun with them—I often get messages or comments stating how the recipes have made photography a more enjoyable experience. People also tell me how they’re more productive since using these camera settings, as it saves them time. These are great things! Recipes are having a positive effect on real people across the world. It’s a real honor to impact photography in these ways.
While many people in the Fujifilm community are familiar with Fuji X Weekly and film simulation recipes, there are also many who aren’t. I want to reach those people, and maybe have a positive effect on their photography. I hope they’ll find something helpful on this website and the app. By sponsoring Andrew and Denae’s video, I’m supporting their work, which is helping people, and I’m bringing awareness to what’s going on over here, which is helping people, so it’s a win-win.
If you’re a company who’s interested in sponsoring me, I’d love to hear from you. If it’s a win-win situation for the Fujifilm community, I’m sure we can work something out. For everyone else, I hope that you enjoy Andrew and Denae’s video about the Fujifilm X-E4, which you’ll find at the top of this article—if you’re thinking about buying that camera, you’ll find some good advice that might help you decide.
Payette Lake Between Trees – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
I recently visited Ponderosa State Park just outside of McCall, Idaho. It was a dreary day—off-and-on it drizzled rain from the grey overcast sky—with cool temperatures. This might be my favorite weather conditions, and was perfect for a hike through the forest with my Fujifilm X100V, which has some weather sealing, so it’s fine that it got a little wet. I loaded the camera with my Fujicolor Pro 400H film simulation recipe and headed down the trail through the tall trees.
Ponderosa State Park sits on a peninsula on Payette Lake in the middle of Idaho. It’s heavily forested and green. The lake is very clear. As I was exploring, it felt like Ponderosa could be a National Park and not a State Park. It’s missing a headliner feature that would propel it into National Park status, and that’s fine because it wasn’t crowded, so I enjoyed the feeling of being in a National Park without all of the people. At some points it seemed like I had the place all to myself.
The Fujicolor Pro 400H recipe delivered a great analog-like aesthetic on this outing. It captured the scenes how I wanted it to. This recipe does great in sunny conditions, but it also does well on overcast days, like this one. It was a wonderful time for photography, and it was also great to just be in nature, enjoying the sights, sounds and scents of the forest. Enjoy the pictures!
Evergreen Trunks – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Mossy Trunk – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Deer In The Forest –Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Broken Down – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Fallen – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Trail #1 – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Trail #2 – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Trees & Pond – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Curved Trees Over Pond – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Lily Marsh #1 – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Lily Marsh #2 – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
V Tree – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Trees & Lake – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Rain Clouds Over Payette Lake – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Lakeshore – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Above Payette – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
The last Fuji Features article was about Monochrome, so this one is about color—more specifically, Kodachrome. For those who don’t know, Fuji Features is a weekly series where I Google some topic related to Fujifilm and post what I find. Each week has a different theme, and this week it’s Kodachrome.
Below you’ll find a bunch of articles and videos that are about using one (or more) of these recipes. I’m sure that I missed a few, so if you know of something that I failed to include, please post a link in the comments.
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1 -“Yosemite Velvia”
On a recent trip to Yosemite National Park, my daughter, Joy, created a new film simulation recipe for X-Trans II cameras, which I’m calling Yosemite Velvia. Joy has made two X-Trans I recipes, Superia Xtra 400 and Winter Blue, but this is her first for X-Trans II. On this trip I let her use my Fujifilm X-T1 camera, and I told her that she could use whichever settings she wanted—this recipe is what she came up with.
I asked her why she chose these settings. She told me that she wanted the pictures to be colorful but without too much contrast. She decided on the Shade white balance because the forecast was for overcast sky, although it ended up being mostly sunny; however, she liked how it looked, so she stuck with it. Besides photographing in Yosemite, she also used these settings in Reno, Nevada.
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1 -“Yosemite Velvia”
This film simulation recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans II cameras. You can use it on X-Trans I and Bayer sensor cameras, too, but the results will be a little different (feel free to try, though).
Velvia Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: -1 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Sharpness: -1 Noise Reduction: -2 White Balance: Shade, -2 Red & -2 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured by Joy on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this “Yosemite Velvia” film simulation recipe:
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
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!
Bicycle 88 – West Valley City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodak Platinum 200”
Fuji X Weekly reader Corey Steib (Instagram here and here) shared with me an X-Trans II recipe that he created called Kodak Platinum 200. Corey named it this because it reminds him of vibrant Kodak film captured with a Panaflex Platinum motion picture camera, and because the best results are found at or near ISO 200. This recipe is nothing like the Eterna film simulation, but it does have a slight cinematic feel to it nonetheless thanks to the Shadow setting. It looks really nice, with vibrant colors and soft shadows, and is a great all-purpose recipe. Thank you, Corey, for creating this and allowing me to share it!
I have the ISO in my camera set to Auto, with the upper limit set to ISO 3200. I’m happy with the results from my X-T1 all the way to ISO 3200, but the intention of this recipe is to keep the ISO lower when you can. In bright light, depending on the contrast in the scene, because of the DR-Auto setting, the camera might select ISO 200 or ISO 400, and the idea is to use this recipe at those ISOs when practical. As the available light decreases, it’s perfectly fine to increase the ISO, and I feel good going as high as ISO 3200 when necessary.
Touch of Red – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodak Platinum 200”
This film simulation recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans II cameras. You can use it on X-Trans I and Bayer sensor cameras, too, but the results will be a little different (feel free to try, though).
Provia Dynamic Range: DR-Auto Highlight: +1 (Medium-High) Shadow: -2 (Low) Color: +2 (High) Sharpness: +1 (Medium-High) Noise Reduction: -2 (Low) White Balance: Daylight/Fine, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200 (but… the lower the better) Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured with my Fujifilm X-T1 using this “Kodak Platinum 200” film simulation recipe:
Snack – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Yellow Rope – West Valley City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Unicorn Jo – West Valley City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Curved Trunk – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Log Bridge & 3 Trees – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Bridge & Stump – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
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’ve been saying for awhile now that Fujifilm should make a dedicated black-and-white camera, kind of like the Leica M10 Monochrom. I would absolutely love that, and would shell out gobs of money for it, assuming that I actually have the funds available to do so. Of course, Fujifilm X cameras are already great at capturing black-and-white photographs straight-out-of-camera, but a true monochrome camera would be on a whole other level.
For this week’s Fuji Features post, I found some articles and videos on the web related to this topic is some way. I hope you enjoy!
Approaching Storm at Last Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Positive Film”
I was attempting to create a film simulation recipe that mimicked the aesthetic of Saul Leiter. The problem with this task is that Saul used many different films over the years; while he had a unique and recognizable style, his exact aesthetic varied significantly. These settings can sometimes mimic his look, but sometimes not, so I wouldn’t call it a success, but I just love how this recipe looks—that’s why I’m sharing it. If you’re attempting to recreate Saul’s aesthetic, this recipe is a good starting point. Another one to try is “Old Kodak“—available (as of this writing) as a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly app.
I think this recipe is in the ballpark of the “Positive Film Effect” on Ricoh GR cameras—perhaps not an exact match, but definitely a similar feel, which is why I named this recipe “Positive Film.” There’s a likeness to Kodak Elite Chrome or maybe Ektachrome 100G, although (again) it’s more of a similar feel than an exact match. Whether this recipe is close to Saul Leiter’s look, Ricoh Positive Film, or a Kodak transparency is debatable; what’s not debatable is that this recipe looks really, really good!
Blacktop Lines – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Positive Film”
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!
