Leigh & Raymond Photography (formally known as The Snap Chick) dropped a video with a wonderful shoutout to my RitchieCam iPhone camera App! You’ll find the video above—RitchieCam is mentioned at about the 11-minute mark. Wow! Really, wow! I’m speechless. Thank you, Leigh and Raymond, for your kindness and support!
For those who don’t know, RitchieCam is an easy-to-use streamlined camera app intended to bring one-step photography to the iPhone. There are 18 analog-inspired filters so that you don’t have to edit your mobile pictures if you don’t want to. It is intended to be simple enough to be useful for anyone and everyone with an iPhone, although it is robust enough that even seasoned photographers should find it satisfying. Visit RitchieCam.com to learn more. Also, be sure to follow RitchieCam on Instagram!
Out of Gas – Claude, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
While traveling through the Texas panhandle back in May, I stumble upon an abandoned gas station in Claude, Texas—a small community outside of Amarillo. While you’d miss the town if you blinked, this old service station caught my eye with its aged pumps and metal roof. U.S. Highway 287 cuts right through town, and thousands of travelers pass by each day, yet most probably don’t notice this place, and I doubt very many stop to take a closer look. I’m drawn to abandoned buildings, so I immediately noticed, and of course stopped to capture it with my camera.
I used my Fujifilm X-E4 camera with the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens to photograph the forgotten gas station. This combination is perfect for travel photography, and I used it a lot on this particular road trip—not just at this one stop, but at many, many others. I had the Fujicolor Natura 1600 Film Simulation Recipe programmed into the camera, which has quickly become one of my favorite color recipes. Because I shoot with recipes, I no longer edit my pictures (aside from some minor cropping and straightening), which saves me tons of time. I captured so many pictures on this road trip that I filled up a 128GB SD card (and then some!)—I couldn’t imagine having to post-process all of the RAW files; instead, my photographs are already finished as soon as they’re captured.
I didn’t stay long in Claude. Like many west Texas small towns, there’s a lot of photographic potential, as there is a lot of character and forgotten history. I could have captured even more while I was there, but I had somewhere to be, so I left satisfied that I documented this interesting old gas station while it still remains standing. Even in rural towns, progress eventually catches up, and relics are demolished, so opportunities are fleeting. Besides, I might never pass through Claude again, but if I do, I will definitely have a camera ready.
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I recently visited Pismo Beach, California, and used my Fujifilm X100V to capture some pictures. As I was photographing, I remembered a previous trip to this same location eight years ago—at that time I was shooting with a Sigma DP2 Merrill camera. I was curious how my X100V pictures would compare to those captured with the Sigma camera
For those who don’t know, the DP2 Merrill was introduced in 2012. It has Sigma’s unique three-layer APS-C Foveon sensor with a whopping 46 megapixels (15.3 megapixels on each layer); while a lot of megapixels were advertised, the resolution is more equivalent to 30 megapixels (compared to 26 megapixels on the Fujifilm camera). It has a 30mm (45mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens permanently attached to the front—the X100V has a 23mm (34.5mm equivalent) f/2 lens. There are plenty of similarities between these two models, but there are many differences, too.
The Sigma DP2 Merrill produces wonderful images within a very narrow window: ISO 100 or ISO 200. You can get a decent black-and-white up to ISO 800, but at all costs going higher should be avoided, especially for color photography, where ISO 400 is pushing the envelope. The battery only last about as long as a 36-exposure roll of film. The camera is not particularly stylish or user-friendly.
The Fujifilm X100V can be used at much higher ISOs—for example, the Kodak Tri-X 400 Film Simulation Recipe requires a minimum of ISO 1600, and maxes out at ISO 12800. For color photography, I’m comfortable going as high as ISO 6400 (that purple flower picture above was ISO 1600). I will typically carry a spare battery, but oftentimes one fully-charged battery will last the whole day. The X100V is one of the most beautiful and best-designed cameras, in my humble opinion.
Sigma DP2 Merrill(yeah, that’s the same kid… my son, Jon)
The biggest difference between the Sigma DP2 Merrill and Fujifilm X100V is workflow. With the Sigma, I’d have to load the massive files onto my computer, which would take forever (I’m sure it would be quicker now with modern computers), then I’d have to do an initial edit with their mediocre software (which, again, has likely improved), save as a TIFF, and then finish editing in another program (sometimes a thirty-minute process per picture). With the Fujifilm, I use Film Simulation Recipes to get the look I want straight-out-of-camera, download the pictures from the camera to my phone, crop and straighten if needed, and then upload to storage. My post-processing workflow is so much quicker and easier with the X100V!
Obviously I’m not doing any sort of serious comparison between a still-new model and one that’s a decade old. That’s not fair, and that’s not the point. I’m just looking back, and seeing what has changed in eight years. Obviously my kids have grown a whole bunch. The other big change is that my workflow has simplified and become much less intrusive to my life. The Sigma camera was good for a season, but now I’m very happy to be shooting with Fujifilm.
On the day when the Nikon Zfc was announced, I placed my preorder for it. I’m a sucker for retro-styled cameras, and I used to shoot with Nikon DSLRs many years ago, so I was very curious about the Zfc. When it arrived I eagerly removed the packaging, and was very soon disappointed. The camera looked beautiful, but was bigger, heavier, and cheaper (as in quality, not price) than I had anticipated, and with questionable design decisions (such as PASM). Still, I put it through its paces, and published an article comparing the Nikon Zfc to Fujifilm cameras, which was more-or-less my review of it. Then I put the Zfc back in the box, which is where it remains today. I might dust it off and give it another chance, or maybe I’ll just sell it—I haven’t yet decided. For certain, I was unimpressed by Nikon’s efforts, and my advice to them would be to try again, but this time don’t be afraid to take the extra steps to give their customers a unique experience. I feel like they had the right idea, but didn’t have the guts to really see it through, and instead produced a mediocre camera dressed in lovely styling—kind of the lipstick-on-a-pig thing, but that’s a little harsher than I mean.
There was one bright spot with the Nikon camera: Picture Control (and the Creative Picture Control subset). While Fujifilm’s Film Simulations are inspired by film, Nikon’s Picture Controls are inspired by feelings and mood. It’s a much different take, and not necessarily better or worse—simply a divergent approach that’s worth noting. Fujifilm infuses an analog soul into their digital images, while Nikon infuses emotions that may or may not be analog-esque into their images. I found this to be intriguing, and I excitedly created some Film Simulation Recipes, which are JPEG camera settings, for it (like I do for Fujifilm cameras)—I crafted 11 Film Simulation Recipes for the Zfc before I boxed it back up.
I never did anything with those recipes, other than store them on my computer. Nobody knew that I had even made them, yet, because of my Zfc article, a number of people have requested that I publish Nikon Z Film Simulation Recipes. I briefly considered making a website and app, like I did for Fujifilm and Ricoh, but decided that I really don’t have the time, energy, or desire to do that, at least for now. Instead, I decided to simply publish those 11 Film Simulation Recipes for Nikon Z in this article—you’ll find them below! These recipes are fully compatible with the Nikon Zfc, Z50, and Z30 (the APS-C models). They are likely also compatible with the full-frame Z cameras—Z5, Z6, Z6 II, Z7, Z7 II, and Z9—but I’m really not 100% sure, and most likely they’ll render just a little differently—if you have one of those cameras, give it a try and see what happens.
For those who don’t own a Nikon Z camera, you might find the similarities and differences between these and Fujifilm recipes to be fascinating. I hope that those who come to this website for Fujifilm-related articles aren’t too disappointed by this post, but instead find something about it worthwhile. Likely a few of you have both a Fujifilm and Nikon Z camera, so this article should be beneficial to at least a handful of people. If it is, let me know in the comments! Also, if there’s a certain recipe in this list that you are drawn to, let me know!
Nostalgic Print
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Resembles the aesthetic of classic Kodak prints that have been stored in a box for many years.
Picture Control: Dream Effect Level: 90 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: -0.50 Mid-Range Sharpening: -2.00 Clarity: -4.00 Contrast: +3.00 Saturation: -2.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Natural Light Auto WB Adjust: B2.0 G0.5 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Silver Slide
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Some similarities to color transparency film with the bleach step reduced (but not skipped).
Picture Control: Dramatic Effect Level: 70 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: +1.00 Contrast: -1.00 Saturation: +3.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Direct Sunlight WB Adjust: A3.0 M1.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Weekend Negative
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Inspired by inexpensive consumer-grade color negative film, printed at the one-hour lab.
Picture Control: Sunday Effect Level: 60 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: -2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: 0.00 Clarity: +3.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: -3.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: 6500K WB Adjust: A/B0.0 G2.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Tungsten Dawn
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Great for mixed light situations, with some similarities to Tungsten film—also, great for toning down the intensity of warm “golden hour” light.
Picture Control: Morning Effect Level: 70 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: -2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +2.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: +2.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Day White Fluorescent WB Adjust: A2.0 M1.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Fujichrome
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Color palette reminiscent of Fujichrome Astia but with vibrancy more similar to Fujichrome Provia.
Picture Control: Somber Effect Level: 90 Quick Sharp: -2.00 Sharpening: 0.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: 0.00 Clarity: -3.00 Contrast: -3.00 Saturation: +1.00 Active D-Lighting: Extra High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Direct Sunlight WB Adjust: A2.0 M1.25 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Classic Slide
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
Some similarities to Kodak Elite Chrome emulsions.
Picture Control: Pop Effect Level: 30 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: 0.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: +2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: -2.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: 5200K WB Adjust: A/B0.0 M0.75 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
CineFilm
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Resembles the aesthetic of low-saturation cinema film.
Picture Control: Silence Effect Level: 70 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +1.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +2.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: +3.00 Active D-Lighting: Auto High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Auto (0) Keep White WB Adjust: A5.0 M0.50 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Cinema Color
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Produces a cinematic filmic look.
Picture Control: Bleached Effect Level: 60 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: -3.00 Contrast: -1.00 Saturation: +3.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Direct Sunlight WB Adjust: A5.0 M1.00 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Vintage Color
Nikon Zfc – “Vintage Color”
Reminiscent of color pictures from the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Picture Control: Melancholic Effect Level: 90 Quick Sharp: -1.00 Sharpening: +1.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: 0.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: -1.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Daylight Fluorescent WB Adjust: A3.0 G2.25 ISO: up to 3200
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What’s in the July issue? The cover story is A Whale of a Tale, which is a photoessay of a recent whale-watching boat excursion, as captured with a Fujifilm X100V using the Kodak Tri-X 400 Film Simulation Recipe. There are a total of 28 photographs this month, including the cover image (above). I hope that you find it enlightening, entertaining, and inspiring!
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