When it comes to travel photography, nothing quite matches Fujifilm’s Classic Chrome film simulation. Inspired by Kodak’s color slide films—such as Kodachrome and Ektachrome—that were commonly used for documentary photography, Classic Chrome delivers muted tones, rich contrast, and a subtle warmth that evoke the look of classic photojournalism. Whether you’re exploring bustling cities, vast landscapes, or quiet villages, this film simulation brings a distinct analog feel reminiscent of past eras to your images.
The magic of Classic Chrome for travel photography is that it adapts well to various lighting environments, from golden-hour sunsets to harsh midday light to dreary overcast scenes to neon nightscapes. The balance of true-to-life yet expressive colors and rich contrast make it perfect for unpredictable travel conditions, enhancing the mood of a scene, and producing images with a timeless and immersive feel. Classic Chrome doesn’t exaggerate colors—it enhances them in a way that lets the subject take center stage.
Whether you’re capturing a quaint coastal town, the details of a historic city, the vastness of a dusty desert, the vibrancy of a street market, or the bustle of an urban sidewalk, Classic Chrome adapts beautifully. It provides a vintage, editorial look that is just as effective for street photography as it is for landscapes. This film simulation enhances the story within the image, where emotion and authenticity matter more than exaggerated aesthetics.
Classic Chrome is the most popular film simulation among those who use Film Simulation Recipes, and it’s easy to understand why. With 90 Classic Chrome Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App, there’s bound to be a few that match your style. If you’re unsure which ones to try, below are 10 Recipes that are quite excellent for travel photography.
‘Amen’ to that! One could say 😉
Can’t agree more to your title / post 👌(*)
(*) While I still prefer my loved Velvia, and despite the newer and awsome film simulations given by Fujifilm recently, Classic Chrome, along Acros for B&W, is still my second most used film simulation (in recipe or not).
I think I could be happy if my camera only had Classic Chrome and Acros. Of course, the others come in handy, too.
I concur 👍 And in fact I’ve this feeling when using back my small XQ2, compared to the latest models I have.
Of course there is Velvia on it, but on the XQ2, I do not know why, but I revert to my film simulation behaviour when using my former X-T2 :
* In single mode my default film simulation is Classic Chrome instead of Velvia.
* Usually I put the shooting mode / drive in film simulation mode, programming Classic Chrome + Velvia + B&W (like I used to do with my X-T2 as a default shooting mode). And on upon image review, I usually end up with the Classic Chrome one.
I know Fujifilm tuned over time / sensor + processor generations its film simulation settings / algorithms, but the Classic Chrome rendering on this X-Trans II generation has something special.
I just wish that grain, Classic Negative, etc., were available on the older models. I would pay as much as $100 for a firmware update with those features.
A variant of the Ektar 100 is always on my X-Pro3. I found it a tad warm and tweaked the white balance from from 6050K, +3 Red, 0 Blue to 5990K, +2 Red, 0 Blue. Still a nice warm look, but a little bit milder.
I think it’s a good reminder that it’s worth being willing to tweak a recipe based on location. Things that work great in Arizona in the summer might not always work right in New England in the fall, and vice versa. While you couldn’t easily make adjustments like that if shooting film, that’s the beauty of digital.
Yeah, that’s a great reminder: it is always ok to “season to taste” any Recipe to make it work for you. Better to adjust it a little and get the look you want than to stubbornly stick with something that isn’t quite right for you and your situation.
I’ll go along @theBitterFig 👍
‘Amen’ to that too 😉
That’s indeed the beauty of digital and why I stopped using analogue film altogether. The tweaks you can make in a film recipes is enormous and you can tailor it as YOU wish / taste.
Not the case if your are not developing your film yourself and let the lab do the choices (with the skills and hardware they have).