This is the very first Film Simulation Recipe that I created using my brand-new Fujifilm X100VI camera, and also the very first using the new Reala Ace film simulation. I’m very excited to share it with you, because I think many of you who have received their X100VI cameras will love it, and those still waiting for their order to be shipped can look forward to it—as well as those with the other X-Trans V cameras whenever it is that Fujifilm gives the Reala Ace film simulation to those models via a firmware update, which Fujifilm has said that they will do.
I mentioned a few days ago that Reala Ace isn’t much like Reala film, but is actually similar to PRO Neg. Std, mostly with just a small increase in Highlight and a moderate increase in Color. It is essentially a third PRO Neg. option, with a tonality in-between Hi and Std, and saturation more similar to Hi (just a little more, actually); for whatever reason, it’s easier to replicate the Reala Ace film sim with PRO Neg. Std than PRO Neg. Hi, but you can get pretty close with either. The most similar emulsion to the new Reala Ace film sim is, in my opinion, Fujicolor PRO 160C, which was made by Fujifilm between 2004 and 2010. “PRO Neg. C” is probably a more appropriate name for the new film sim than Reala Ace, but that’s not what Fujifilm chose.
I didn’t necessarily set out to recreate Fujicolor PRO 160C with this PRO Negative 160C Film Simulation Recipe, although I had it in my mind because I had just looked at a bunch of pictures captured with the film. More simply, I was intending a PRO Neg. Std tonality, but with vibrancy more like (or possibly slightly beyond) PRO Neg. Hi with Color set to +4. You can get about 90% similar to this Recipe using PRO Neg. Hi, but you can’t quite match it. You could probably get a 95% match if PRO Neg. Std had a +6 Color option, but alas +4 is the most that Fujifilm provides. Even though this wasn’t exactly meant to replicate Fujicolor PRO 160C film, it is definitely in the ballpark of that emulsion, and you could probably convince some people that used the film, and not a digital camera.
For those unfamiliar with Fujicolor PRO 160C, it was a natural-yet-vibrant low-ISO color negative professional-grade daylight film. Fujifilm made three different emulsions in the PRO 160 line: 160S, 160NS, and 160C. The PRO 160 series was intended to compete against Kodak’s Portra 160 films; specifically, PRO 160S was Fujifilm’s answer to Portra 160NC, PRO 160C was Fujifilm’s answer to Portra 160VC, and PRO 160NS was Fujifilm’s answer to (the later updated) Portra 160. With that said, Fujifilm’s emulsions were significantly divergent from Kodak’s offerings; while Portra is now legendary, PRO 160 has nearly been forgotten. I never shot with PRO 160C personally, but I did use PRO 160S a couple of times; in retrospect, I think I would have liked 160C more.
As of this writing, the only Fujifilm cameras this PRO Negative 160C Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with are the X100VI and GFX100 II. I’ve not tested this on the GFX model, but I’m certain that it will render slightly differently, although that shouldn’t stop you from trying it. Eventually all X-Trans V cameras will be able to use it once Fujifilm releases it to those models, but I’m not certain exactly when that will happen (hopefully soon). This is a versatile Recipe—use it anytime of the day or night! I believe that it could be your go-to option for everyday photography.
Film Simulation: Reala Ace
Dynamic Range: DR200
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -2 Blue
Highlight:-1
Shadow: -1
Color: +4
Sharpness: -1
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this PRO Negative 160C Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100VI:
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Fujifilm X100VI in black: Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X100VI in silver: Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
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Extra cool Ritchie 👌
So the very first recipe bade on the new Reala film sim.
Ho yeah 👍
I remember shooting with PRO Negative 160 films. Loved them.
But there where kinda expensive.
There end coincide ironically to the time where I fully migrated to Digital when convinced by a pro-photographer friend of mine who convinced me to let go my loved Nikon F6 and film by let me try his used Nikon D3…
I migrated fully to digital with Nikon D3S…
Hence I never made attention to the demise of the PRO Negative 160 films (and others).
Awesome Ritchie, I was keeping a free slot on my X100VI so to play around with the Reala.
I will use it immediately to program this recipe (and already bookmarked it in your app along many others 😉).
Thanks for all your kindness, encouragement and enthusiasm! Glad that you like it 😀
Nice one! I’m trying the recipe on my XT30 ii and I’ve decided to use Pro Neg. Hi for it as it does have more saturation than Std. And also have made a few adjustments to make a bit closer to the Reala Ace recipe.
Film Simulation: Pro Neg. Hi
Dynamic Range: DR200
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -2 Blue
Highlight: -0.5
Shadow: -0.5
Color: +4
Sharpness: -1
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Really wish that Fuji would give a Kaizen update to the XTrans Vi sensors that whole number adjustments to settings can go from -10 to +10. That would really dialed in the settings that we want.
Indeed and thx for sharing your recipe manbulu98. Interesting.
That is pretty close to what I came up with as the closest, but I’d consider these changes:
Dynamic Range: DR400
White Balance: Auto, +1R & -3B
Highlight: +0.5
Shadow: -1
It’s fairly close, so give that a try.
Alright thanks 🙏🏻
I use both, plus eterna by setting it up with bracketing for the sim. At least until I make my mind up which I prefer.
Nice! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for providing a recipe for the new film simulations! There are pretty much none on the internet at this time and I am dying to get some recipes with Reala Ace & Nostalgic Negative. It is fun to create them yourself, but I am lazy and appreciate the work of the master! Reala Ace has not fully clicked for me yet, but Nostalgic Negative is really beautiful.
You are very welcome! 😀
Need that Reala Ace update for x-H2S, apparently it’s coming to x-trans5. Btw, I’ve loaded up Andrei Dima’s Leica-like SL recipe, will try it when it stops raining, any week now :-). I’d love it if you did some Leica like recipes, anything close?
I’ve had a lot of requests for a “Leica-like” Recipe, but I have no idea what that means. Most Leica pictures are not camera-made JPEGs, but are RAW edited using (mostly) Lightroom. The software used will have a larger influence than the camera itself, but “Lightroom-Like Recipe” doesn’t sound as cool, I suppose. However, the photographer who goes about making Lightroom adjustments also has a significant influence over the final aesthetic, so there is very little consistency from one image to the next (even sometimes from the same photographer) when viewing Leica pictures. I think one large aspect of a “Leica look” is the lens itself. Voigtlander lenses might be an easy and relatively affordable way to get the look of Leica lenses on Fujifilm. I’d start with the lens, and then decide what picture aesthetic that you want from there. That’s probably not as helpful as what you were hoping for, but I hope it’s helpful nonetheless.
I agree, the lenses are the major factor there! But I would also suggest a 58mm f1.4 PF Rokkor lens… In my opinion, even better than a Voigtlander… If I remember right, Leica was impressed with Minolta Rokkor lenses…
Colors of the posted photos are very beautiful!
Ritchie, can you create a post with different brand competitor films?
I am sure this will be very interesting for people like me, who are not familiar with the battle between the brands.
Regards!
I appreciate your kindness!
Are you asking for a post with, for example, the Kodak-inspired Recipes, another with Fujicolor, another with Agfa, etc.? Or are you asking for an explanation of what are the differences between Kodak, Fujifilm, Agfa, etc., films?
I think he doesn’t know the films and their specifics regarding color palette, and anything else… I think a representative photo from every brand will suffice? Well, I don’t think so… We can’t comprehend a film brand by a single photo… but who knows?
Vasile Guţă-Ciucur is right. Because I am not photographer and almost never use films (like kid I owned film camera, and probably use it with Kodak Gold 200).
I do not want specifications of the films, but for example – we have Kodak Portra 400 recipe, who is it Fuji alternative, Agfa alternative, etc. Then same for Kodachrome 64 and others. Of course only the films you have recipes for them. When compare the films you can add photos and links to your recipes so we can fast compare them at the moment, and then to go on specific recipe.
I know my English is not very good, and may be my idea is lost in the translation 🙂 but may be this will be helpful and interesting for people like me who never used films.
I’ll have to think about how to address this, but I’ll come up with something that will hopefully help. Might take some time, though.
I think a classification by Portrait is possible, with a picture of a model, then a representative recipe from every stock simulation (Classic Chrome, Classic Negative, Nostalgic Negative, Astia, Pro Neg Hi) can be made and you decide (or your client) which one you like. But there are more recipes per base simulation than one. Too much work.
I would recommend you to do a search on Internet to learn which films were used for portraits from each brand, choose which ones you like then search for a Fujifilm digital recipe.
For any other subject (street photography, landscape, etc) it is simply too much, if you have the camera, start at the beginning of the list of recipes designed for your X-Trans sensor version, and make your own classification. Ritchie has some recommendations for beginners in this regard. Even more, he has an Android App which, if unlocked, can offer you a bunch of useful filters that helps you sort the recipes. If you are a software programmer, you can make your own database… for your personal use.
Again, the work is yours, because the films (digital recipes, in our case) are not tools that you can recommend based on specifications, but sets of colors or paints to express your art – what I like the most, might look silly to you.
I agree: film choice and Film Simulation Recipe choice are both highly personal and subjective. What I might love another might hate for the same exact situation. Still, there’s more that I can do to help, so that’s something for me to address in the coming weeks and months.
You can start your work by studying these two Wiki pages, about Kodak and Fujicolor line of films for Wedding and Portrait
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_Portra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujicolor_Pro
Well coming from film, I never look at this issue to be honest. And discussing with Ritchie and looking at his progress over time after he started it on building his catalogue of film recipes was a “natural” and happy journey for both us It think.
Now the comment Miroslav makes a LOT of sense for those who never had the chance to use film (or not even born during film era !).
And even without that, with more than 300 recipes (!! Congrats again Ritchie for this outstanding work), well I must say that without being a Patron for app and using favorites, I begin to be a bit lost, especially with v2 recipes caused by X-Trans V.
Not counting the fact that our dear Fuji is not using even for their buid-in sims the actual film stock. More so like Reala or Chrome a modern digital “vision” of it. Richtie recipes are much more precise in that respect.
But guys this is not an easy task! May I suggest Ritchie as a trial you start the compilation between Fuji built-in, V1 and V2 of your recipes ???
Your posts format on your 5 favorites recipes on built-in Fuji sims could be a good start to go I thing.
Just my cent. But I would definitely be greatly interested too by such side by side compilations.
That’s a great suggestion! I’ll work on that soon. Much appreciated!
Welcome Ritchie
I know this will be probably lot of work for Ritchie, and for all like me – just a fun ;), but I just wanted to share this idea.
If it happen it will be great! As I wrote before – my idea was to compare only those recipes based on real films like the current one.
Best regards to all!
Thanks for sharing your idea!
A very beautiful recipe, with the greens I like, and nice skin tones!
Thanks so much!
How different is this from the Reala Ace sim you created with Classic Neg? I had that stored but maybe this one is promising as well.
It’s quite a bit different. Greens are probably the most divergent.
https://fujixweekly.com/2024/03/23/the-new-reala-ace-film-simulation-is-actually/
Thanks, really like this Reala Ace based recipe, colors are popping. I wonder why DR200 here while most JPEG recipes use DR400?
DR400 was just too flat for the look I was attempting to make. If you find yourself clipping highlights, it’s certainly ok to try DR400 and see if you appreciate that better.