So you just got a Fujifilm camera. Which Film Simulation Recipes should you program first? With over 400 to choose from on Fuji X Weekly and in the Fuji X Weekly App, it can be difficult to know which ones to begin with. This article is a quick-start guide for those wanting to dive into the Fujifilm Recipe world.

Most Fujifilm cameras have seven Custom Settings presets, also known as C1-C7. You can program a Recipe into each of those positions, which means you’ll find seven Recipes below as your suggested starting point. Some cameras (like the X-H2) only have six presets, and some (like the X-S20) only have four. This article assumes that you’ve purchased a fifth-generation model, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III. This list also applies to the latest GFX models: GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. In other words, these are fifth-generation Recipes, and not for older models (although I might turn this into a series if there’s enough interest in the topic).

If you are unsure how to program a Recipe into your Fujifilm camera, simply press MENU/OK, navigate to EDIT/SAVE CUSTOM SETTING in the IQ Menu set, choose the C1-C7 slot that you want to save a Recipe in, select EDIT/CHECK, enter the Recipe parameters, and hit DISP/BACK to save. If you’re stuck, check out this article (click here) or this video (click here). I also have a short set of slides below that quickly demonstrate the steps. Hopefully, between all of that, you won’t have any issues. It can be a little intimidating and confusing the first time through, but after you’ve programmed a couple of Recipes it becomes quite easy.

What makes a good set of seven Recipes? If each one in the group serves a purpose, that’s a solid group. Just throwing some random ones in might produce a good set, but most likely not. It’s better to be intentional; however, since most newcomers don’t know where to begin, that’s a near impossible task. This article is intended to help with that. If you are unsure which Recipes to try, the set of seven below is what you should use first. Once you’ve tested these out, if there were any that you didn’t love, simply replace those with something else—repeat that enough times, and you’ll end up with a set of seven that are a perfect match for you. Let’s dive right in!

C1 — Kodachrome 64

Kodachrome was the most iconic film, and it stands to reason that you should start with the Kodachrome 64 Recipe. It’s intended for sunny daylight photography, but can sometimes be good in other scenarios, too, just depending on the subject and lighting. It’s a good allrounder for a variety of genres. Kodachrome 64 is essential to try, in my opinion, so you might as well place it in C1.

C2 — Pacific Blues

The Pacific Blues Recipe is intended for a sunny summer day at the beach; however, I have found it works wonderfully well on foggy or dreary days, too. It’s more dramatic and significantly different than Kodachrome 64, so it offers a good alternative aesthetic that’s still film-like. This is one of my personal favorite Recipes.

C3 – Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm

With a softer tonality than the previous two, Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm is a highly versatile Recipe that can be used anytime of the day or night. Most of the Recipes in this list will do quite well in certain situations but not for everything, but this one is good almost no matter what you encounter with your camera. It’s a part of the Film Dial set, so if you have an X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, or X-T30 III, it is especially great for those cameras; however, even if your specific model doesn’t have a Film Dial, you can still use it similarly. A quick tip for those with a Film Dial model is to use a Film Simulation that’s not on the Dial (such as Eterna) instead of Reala Ace, since Reala Ace is easily accessible to you. Having a Film Dial Recipe available in your C1-C7 adds a ton of aesthetic versatility.

C4 – 1970’s Summer

The 1970’s Summer Recipe is warm with a retro aesthetic. It’s not going to work well for every subject or situation, but when it works, which is typically sunny midday light and Americana type scenes, it does especially great—some of my favorite photos have been made using this Recipe. It’s the warmest option in this list. If you want a nostalgic look, this is a must-try Recipe.

C5 — Vivid Velvia

Boldly colorful, Vivid Velvia is intended for landscape photography where you want the scene to pop. It’s fairly versatile, but probably not the best option for portraits. If you are primarily a landscape photographer, you might find yourself using this one the most.

C6 — CineStill 800T

While C3 will do quite well for nighttime photography due to its versatility, CineStill 800T is specifically intended for photographing after dark. You can use it during the day if you should desire a cool cast, but for the most part you’ll want to save it for after sunset.

C7 — Kodak Tri-X 400

No C1-C7 would be complete without at least one B&W Recipe, and Kodak Tri-X 400 is my go-to option. I love monochromatic photography, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better Recipe than this one for it. This might be my all-time personal favorite.

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See also:
7 Fujifilm Recipes for Dramatic Street Photos
7 Fujifilm Recipes for Midday Retro Americana Photography
15 Fujifilm Recipes for Travel Photography
12 Fujifilm Recipes for Rainy Days
26 Fujifilm Recipes to try in 2026