A common question that I get asked is which Film Simulation Recipes are best for street photography. It’s a popular genre that a lot of people enjoy. I wouldn’t call myself a street photographer per se, but I’ve definitely done it. I dabble in it from time-to-time, but it’s not my primary photographic interest; however, I do believe I have enough experience to give some good suggestions.
With over 400 Fujifilm Recipes on this website and in the Fuji X Weekly App, there are tons of choices. Situationally specific, each one of those 400+ Recipes could be good options for street photography. I want to narrow it down a bit for you, though, by suggesting ten to consider trying. Probably all ten won’t be good options for your style, but perhaps one or maybe a few will be. I’m also skipping over some of the most obvious: Kodachrome 64, Reggie’s Portra, Kodak Portra 400, Kodak Portra 400 v2, and Kodak Gold 200. My assumption is that you have already tried those, or are already aware that those are good options for street photography. Actually, I didn’t choose any Recipes that use Classic Chrome, even though that particular film simulation is by far the most popular by those who use Recipes. This article highlights some Recipes that you might not otherwise consider.
The ten Recipes below are not a comprehensive list, and just because I didn’t include one doesn’t mean it’s not good for street photography. In fact, some that I didn’t list might be better than the ones that I did. Each person has different tastes and styles, so what I suggest might not be the best options for you personally. Feel free to comment below which Film Simulation Recipe—whether in this list or not—is your favorite for street photography. I do think, if you are unsure which to try, at least one of the ten Recipes below will be a good choice for you, and worth trying the next time you are out with your camera in an urban environment.
The Appalachian Negative Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with fifth-generation X-Trans cameras and the newer GFX models. Built on top of the Nostalgic Neg. film simulation, it’s produces a warm, amber-washed aesthetic with a distinct retro quality. It has an ability to transform the ordinary into something emotive. It’s good for retaining shadow detail, holding back blown highlights, and infusing everyday moments with a sense of timelessness. This Recipe works best in sunny daylight situations.
The 1976 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, and the newer GFX models. It was inspired by the work of Joel Meyerowitz, particularly his mid-1970s street, coastal, small town, and landscape photography. This Recipe uses the Nostalgic Neg. film simulation, and combines richly warm colors with strong contrast, producing a vintage analog aesthetic. It’s great for street photography because it brings warmth and depth to mundane moments. Since this Recipe uses Auto White Balance, it works well across a variety of lighting conditions.
The Kodak Vision3 250D Film Simulation Recipe is made for X-Trans IV cameras (except the X-T3 and X-T30, which has its own version; there’s also a v2 version for fifth-generation models). It aims to evoke the look of the Kodak Vision3 250D motion picture film as used for still photography. The Eterna film simulation, which has a soft cinematic tonality, is the base; however, this Recipe adds significant contrast, producing a more dramatic aesthetic that still feels film-like. It works best in sunny daylight situations, but can sometimes be good in various light scenarios.
The Nostalgic Americana Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with fifth-generation X-Trans cameras and newer GFX models. It draws its inspiration from vintage issues of Arizona Highways magazine from the ’60’s and ’70’s during the American New Color era. This Recipe uses Nostalgic Neg. as its base, and produces a warm yet slightly muted color rendering combined with softened tonality. The result is a distinctly retro rendering that feels sun-warmed and aged. It works especially well for sunny daylight scenes, but can also be good in overcast conditions.
The Eterna Summer Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with “newer” X-Trans IV and all X-Trans V models, plus newer GFX cameras. Specifically, this Recipe, which uses the Eterna film sim., is intended to fit well in a photo series that also contains Classic Chrome-based Recipes. It produces a cinematic aesthetic with warm summertime vibes, and works best in sunny daylight situations.
The Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe is intended for fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, and can also be used on newer GFX models. It mimics Fujicolor Reala Ace film, but uses Auto White Balance for maximum versatility. Despite the name, it uses Classic Negative and not the new Reala Ace film simulation. It has a 4th-layer Fujicolor negative film aesthetic, and offers a lot of versatility for various light conditions.
The Pacific Blues Film Simulation Recipe is for fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, plus newer GFX models; there’s also a version for X-Trans IV cameras. It uses the Classic Negative film simulation, and was inspired by Lucy Laucht’s Spirit of Summer series, and especially the Positano Blues images.
It’s specifically intended for a sunny day at the beach, but it can work well in many other scenarios, including dreary overcast and fog. It’s great for street photography because it can turn everyday scenes into something dramatic without being over-the-top.
The Superia Negative Film Simulation Recipe is for fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, plus newer GFX models. It uses the Classic Negative film simulation, and has a similar aesthetic to Fujicolor Superia film. It belongs to the Film Dial Recipe set, which means that the underlying settings work well with all of the different film simulations. This Recipe uses the Auto White Priority White Balance, and is especially versatile.
The Fujifilm Negative Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with Fujifilm’s fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, plus newer GFX models. It uses the new Reala Ace film sim., and draws inspiration from Fujicolor PRO 160NS film. It feels restrained and natural, but with a distinct analog aesthetic. Because it does so well with skin tone rendering, this Recipe might be the best of these ten options for street portraits. It’s best for sunny daylight situations, but can also do well in a variety of light situations.
The Kodak Tri-X 400 Film Simulation Recipe has compatibility with X-Trans III, IV, and V cameras, plus all GFX models. It uses the Acros film simulation, and is the most popular B&W Recipe on Fuji X Weekly. For some reason, B&W Recipes are not nearly as popular as color. If you have not tried this one, whether for street photography or other situations, now is the time. It’s my personal favorite monochromatic Recipe, and one of my favorites out of all the Recipes.
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Greets,
So glad we got Tri-X. Just seems right. The gritty press mainstay from last Century, generally pushed.
Don’t forget, the only real modern B&W warriors, Ilford.
HP5+, Delta 400 and the new King, Delta 3200.
Can’t get my head round all this colour as street.
I think of homeless people or protests.
November. Drizzle or a touch of fog as a treat!
Wealdstone train crash. I heard it as I was walking to school.
Malcolm.
I used Delta 400 a lot back in the day (over 25 years ago). Delta P3200 I only shot with once. The results were sandpaper grain, but it’s my understanding if it were shot/developed as ISO 800, it was actually quite nice. Interestingly enough, I did a comparison between some Delta P3200 frames and Acros with Grain Strong/Large on the Fujifilm X half, and it was quite similar.
At 3200, should be like rams bollocks.
25 years ago, FP and HP.
Didn’t trust the Deltas.
Prefer to look at HP but Tri-X always had the Fleet St. hit.
Rgds
All for late sensors, nothing for those using X-Trans 1 or 2 but you wouldn’t get that from the title. They look great, though.
I did a survey awhile back (four years ago), and the percentage of people who visit this website that use X-Trans I or X-Trans II cameras was pretty small. Recipes for those cameras don’t get a lot of views, which corroborates the survey. Far and away, most people who use Recipes are doing so on an X-Trans IV or V models. That’s why the older cameras were excluded from this article. I try not to ignore them altogether, but I also need to be somewhat realistic on what people come here for. Same thing with the infrared stuff. That’s a pretty small group, so I want to be careful not to spend so much effort on IR to the point of ignoring the majority who have no interest in it, even though I personally love IR photography and could spend most of my effort on it. I appreciate your message!
Hi! I’m a big fan of your content and I recently got an X-T3 and I’m loving it. Messing around with recipes is so fun and I have never felt more motivated to explore the nearby cities lmao.
One thing that is slightly sad tho is the fact that Fuji seems to have ignored the X-T3 as the awkward middle child and denied it some the film sims, but also Chrome FX blue, and the clarity setting which (I know shouldn’t matter but) feels limiting cause I’ll see cool recipes especially night time ones and they almost always use those settings.
Do you have any tips on how to adjust X-Trans 4 (and 5) recipes that use those settings to still have the same essence in the X-T3? Thanks for the help and all the recipes!
Fujifilm left the X-T3 and X-T30 on an island of sorts, as in-between the third and fourth generations. That was highly disappointing. They really should have given them a kaizen update.
For the most part, there’s not backwards compatibility for your camera. If an X-Trans IV Recipe for newer models calls for Color Chrome FX Blue set to Off, that’s a big help. You can ignore Grain size, and use a diffusion filter in lieu of a negative Clarity value (5% Cinebloom or 1/8 mist for -1 or -2 Clarity, 10% Cinebloom or 1/4 mist for -3 or -4 Clarity, and 20% Cinebloom or 1/2 mist for -5 Clarity). Beyond that there’s not a lot you can do.
As for Recipes that are directly compatible with the X-T3, I count 93 in the Fuji X Weekly app (which can also be found on this website). That’s a lot! There are certainly some models with much fewer Recipes available.
You might find these articles helpful:
https://fujixweekly.com/2024/10/25/which-film-simulation-recipes-when-part-3-x-t3-x-t30-2024-edition/
https://fujixweekly.com/2022/11/03/which-film-simulation-recipes-when-part-2-x-t3-x-t30/
https://fujixweekly.com/2023/12/30/the-essential-7-film-simulation-recipes-to-program-into-your-fujifilm-camera-first-part-3-x-t3-x-t30/