At the very moment that I was finishing up my Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe for X-Trans IV cameras, Thomas Schwab, who has created or co-created a number of Recipes on this website, sent me a modification that he made of the “old” Kodak Portra 160 Recipe (for X-Trans III plus the X-T3 & X-T30 cameras) to make it compatible with X-Trans V models. Clear as mud? Let me retry. This new Kodak Portra 160 v2 Recipe was modified by Thomas from the Kodak Portra 160 Recipe published in 2020 so as to be compatible with X-Trans V cameras. Plus he gave it a tune-up. Excitedly, I programmed this new version into my Fujifilm X-T5; however, I had several other projects going on, so it took a little time to get this one out. Thomas Schwab did a great job of updating the old version, and the results speak for themselves. I want to give Thomas a special “thank you” for his work and willingness to share!
Kodak introduced the Portra line in 1998, with two ISO 160 versions, two ISO 400 versions, and an ISO 800 emulsion (plus a short-lived ISO 100 Tungsten film, for those keeping score). Portra saw a couple of updates by Kodak, and in late-2010 the two ISO 160 versions were merged into one, as well as the two ISO 400 versions. Originally, Kodak Portra 160 came in “NC” (neutral color) and “VC” (vivid color) versions; Portra 160 NC was more popular for portraits and Portra 160 VC was more popular for landscapes. When Kodak merged the two, it fell kind of in-between the two emulsions—more vibrant than NC but less than VC. This Film Simulation Recipe is more similar to the merged Portra 160 that Kodak introduced in 2010. The film has become iconic, with its warm yet natural colors. As the name implies, it was meant for portrait photography, but is popular for many genres.
This Kodak Portra 160 v2 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2, X-H2s, X-T5, and X-S20 (yes, the X-S20). With one modification—setting Color Chrome FX Blue to Strong instead of Weak—this Recipe is also compatible with most fourth-generation X-Trans cameras: X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4 & X-T30 II. This can also be used on newer GFX models, but it will render slightly different (try it anyway).
Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 Blue
Dynamic Range: D-Range Priority (DR-P) Auto
Color: 0
Sharpness: -1
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Portra 160 v2 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:
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Fujifilm X-T5 in black: Amazon B&H Moment
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver: Amazon B&H Moment
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$5.00
Thanks for the new sim! I didn’t see a tone curve. Zeroed out? Thanks
Yeah, D-Range Priority is used in lieu of Highlight and Shadow. So you cannot even select them.
That’s #4 in this:
https://fujixweekly.com/2023/07/13/answers-to-the-10-most-common-fujifilm-how-to-questions/
Nice looking sim ! Curious of what image resolution you choose whenever you go out shooting? Do you always go for the max resolution ?
I always shoot in Large + Fine. So, yeah, max resolution.
Nice looking sim! Curious though of what image resolution you are shooting with, is it always on the max 40mp resolution ?
Oh and also can this recipe be used during nighttime ?
It can be used at night, but it would be far from my top choice. I think it would take the right light situation (cool lights, not warm) to produce good results at night.
Instead, I’d look at these:
https://fujixweekly.com/2023/07/22/8-fujifilm-film-simulation-recipes-for-those-hot-summer-nights/
https://fujixweekly.com/2023/04/06/10-must-try-film-simulation-recipes-for-night-photography/
Renders gorgeously in sunset light. But also nice against blue sky. I think I’m going to like this recipe a lot.
Thank you, both Thomas and Ritchie, for your generosity and creativity!
You are quite welcome! Definitely best for sunny light, including sunrise/sunset and midday.
What is the tone curve of this Fuji parameter simulation?
D-Range Priority is used in lieu of Highlight and Shadow. So you cannot even select them, meaning that there is no Tone Curve.
That’s #4 in this:
https://fujixweekly.com/2023/07/13/answers-to-the-10-most-common-fujifilm-how-to-questions/
Ritchie, can I ask you is there any chance to see “Leica look” recipe from you? I think it’s very close to Ektachrome SW, but it’s not exactly the same.. Thanks for your job!
I’ve been asked this a number of times, but I find it to be particularly challenging for a few reasons:
1): I don’t have a Leica;
2): most who shoot Leica are RAW editing; so…
3): the RAW software (likely Lightroom, but I’m not sure what most Leica users use) plays a major role in the outcome; and
4): my suspicion is that the lens has the most significant impact on creating the “Leica look”.
I’ve had a few people point me to photographs that illustrate the Leica look, but (interestingly, but not surprisingly) each one was a little different aesthetically. So what exactly is a “Leica look” seems to depend on the person. It’s kind of like asking someone to define a universal Fujifilm look.
My first suggestion would be to start with the lens. Of course, that can be an expensive proposition 🤣; however, Voigtlander might be a close-enough alternative that isn’t terribly expensive (compared to Leica).
After that, Leica photographers seem to prefer to edit their warm colors to be vibrant, and cool colors to be less vibrant. That’s definitely a generalization, as there are examples of the opposite or something else entirely. It’s really difficult to pinpoint, exactly, because it depends on how the photographer edited their pictures.
I wish I had a better answer. If you have some examples to illustrate a Leica look, I’d love to take a look.