My 5 Favorite Film Simulation Recipes that use Astia

Peach City Drive-In â€“ Brigham City, UT – Fujifilm X100F – Kodak Ektar 100

Provia — Velvia — Classic Chrome — PRO Neg. Hi — PRO Neg. Std — Classic Negative — Nostalgic Neg. — Eterna — Eterna Bleach Bypass — Acros

There are 20 different film simulations on the new Fujifilm X100VI. Since there are likely many newcomers to Fujifilm who aren’t all that familiar with the various film sims and Film Simulation Recipes, I thought it would be worthwhile to discuss each one in more detail, and offer my personal favorite Recipes for each. I don’t (yet) have access to the new Reala Ace film simulation, so that one will be excluded from this (for now, anyway). Also, I’ll combine the four Acros film sims into one article, and the four Monochrome film sims (and probably Sepia, too) into another.

The Astia film simulation (a.k.a. Astia/Soft) is named after the Astia line of slide films by Fujifilm; however, this film simulation does not faithfully replicate the emulsion. Astia 100F had low color saturation (for a slide film), and was specifically intended for portrait photography. While the film sim is notably divergent from the film of the same name, Fujifilm states that the Astia film simulation is the “ideal Astia” and is what the film would have looked like had it been possible to do so.

City of Grace Tower â€“ Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – CineStill 400D v2

While intended for vibrant portraits, the Astia film sim can be good for many situations, with a rendering in-between Provia and Velvia, yet not exactly like either. Personally, for vibrant landscapes, I prefer Velvia, and for pictures of people I prefer some of the less-saturated options, like Classic Chrome, PRO Neg. Std, or even Eterna. Since Astia is a bit bolder than Provia and not quite as bold as Velvia, some might find it to be a happy medium. I don’t often choose it for my photography—it’s one of my least-used film simulations.

The five Film Simulation Recipes below are my favorites that use Astia as the base. Everyone has different tastes, so you might like other ones more. I count 10 Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App that use Astia, so there are only a handful of others to choose from. But, if you are unsure which Astia Recipe to try, let me suggest picking one from my list below.

#1:

Great for sunny daylight, and decent enough for dreary conditions, CineStill 400D v1 replicates one possible aesthetic of a cinematic film. Compatible with X-Trans IV (except for the X-T3/X-T30) and X-Trans V cameras.

#2:

This Recipe replicates a different possible aesthetic of the same cinematic film. While this one is also great for sunny daylight, it’s a good option for shade and blue-hour photography. Compatible with X-Trans IV (except for the X-T3/X-T30) and X-Trans V cameras.

#3:

A versatile Recipe that can be used for most any situation and subject. Compatible with X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30.

#4:

A lovely Recipe for sunny daylight photography. Compatible with X-Trans II cameras.

#5:

This was my very first attempt at replicating Kodak Ektar film. Colorful, and surprisingly versatile. Compatible with X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30.

See also:
How To Add Film Simulation Recipes To Your Fujifilm Camera
Why Film Simulation Recipes are BETTER than default Film Simulations
Why Shooting JPEGs Is So Popular

Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App!

8 comments

  1. Miroslav Stoev · March 8, 2024

    I like Astia! It was and still is my base simulation when want realistic look. With some small tweak here and there it is still my default option.
    Sometimes I replace it with Pro NegHi, but rarely. And my wife is always mad when I shoot the kids with another simulation 😀 … the only exception was when I used Timeless Negative last Christmas 🙂

    • Ritchie Roesch · March 8, 2024

      Timeless Negative is one of my absolute favorite Recipes for the holiday season. Thanks for the feedback!

  2. Andrea · March 8, 2024

    Hi Ritchie, I have the X100VI, a question, when in the Kodak Tri 400 you set “ISO 1600-12800” in which parameter must to be entered to be saved ? Thank you

  3. b93ubntsf · March 8, 2024

    Love these themed posts. I’ll try the Everyday Astia.

  4. Vasile Guţă-Ciucur · March 9, 2024

    The best “Five favorites based on…” series until now 😛 Astia is indeed a great simulation base.

    • Ritchie Roesch · March 9, 2024

      Thanks! I’m actually working on a new Astia based Recipe right now that I’m particularly excited for.

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