This Classic Retro Recipe began as an accident. The Fujifilm X-E5 has a Film Dial, but Classic Negative was excluded as a default option; however, you can set it (or any other Film Sim that was left off) to FS1-FS3, which is what I did. The X-E5 also has the option to program Recipes into FS1-FS3, and you can toggle the Recipes on and off. I was shooting with the Film Dial Recipe set, so I turned off the three Recipes set to FS1-FS3 (only the Film Simulation would change and not the other settings). Later, I was using the Agfa Scala Recipe, which was set to my C1-C7, but decided that I wanted to use the Classic Negative Recipe that I had programmed into FS1; however, I forgot to turn the Recipe that was programmed into FS1 back on, so the camera simply changed Acros to Classic Negative without adjusting the other parameters of the Agfa Scala Recipe. I captured a couple of images, then realized my mistake.

When I was reviewing the photos, I saw those couple of images where I made the mistake, and I kind of liked them. It wasn’t quite right, but I saw the potential. I fiddled with the settings, then made some more adjustments, and later refined it a little more. You’ll noticed where the Agfa Scala influence is, but a lot of the settings ended up with a change, and the final Recipe is notably divergent from where I started. It’s not modeled after any film, but it reminds me a little of Kodak Ektachrome 400 from the 1980’s (perhaps slides that have faded a bit), or maybe FPP RetroChrome 400, which was expired surplus Ektachrome made for government use, later sold to the general public. I don’t think this is spot on accurate for either, but it seems to be in the very general ballpark for both.

The trick with the Classic Retro Recipe is underexposure. It’s very easy to clip the highlights (which you want to avoid doing), but aside from that, the underexposure is an important part of the aesthetic. For most pictures, you should be in the negative territory on the Exposure Compensation Dial. Classic Retro is compatible with all fifth-generation Fujifilm models, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III cameras. You can also use it on the latest GFX models, like the GFX100 II, GFX100S II, GFX100RF. For fourth-generation cameras with Classic Negative, you can use this Recipe, too; however, it will render slightly differently (but try it anyway!).

Film Simulation: Classic Negative
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & -3 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -2
Color: -1
Sharpness: -2
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: +2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to -1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Classic Retro Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E5:

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Fujifilm X-E5 in black:
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Fujifilm X-E5 in silver:
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