Velvia is Fujifilm’s most vibrant Film Simulation. It was named after the legendary Fujichrome Velvia line of color reversal (slide) films, which were especially popular among landscape photographers because of its bold, sometimes over-the-top colors. I used a lot of Velvia 50 back in the day. Fujifilm wanted to bring that same aesthetic to their digital cameras, so they enlisted some of the people who developed the original Velvia emulsions to help design the Film Simulation. Velvia produces highly saturated colors with deep blacks; it has a little more contrast than Provia, but significantly more vibrancy. It’s an excellent choice for colorful landscapes, but probably one of the last Film Simulations that you’d want to use for portraits, as it can give someone a sunburn who doesn’t have one. Velvia isn’t particularly subtle, and it certainly isn’t suited for every situation. However, when you want your pictures to really pop, Velvia might be exactly what you’re looking for.

If you are not sure which Velvia-based Film Simulation Recipes to try, I’ve got a few suggestions, which you’ll find below. I use these five, and can happily recommend them to you. You can also find many other Velvia Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App. Let’s get right to it!

1 – Vivid Velvia

Vivid Velvia is a bold Recipe for vibrant pictures, and my current favorite Velvia Recipe. It’s best for landscape photography, or anytime you want to emphasize vivid colors, both day and night. This Recipe is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, as well as some fourth-generation models: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S.

2 – Velvia Film

Velvia Film is a part of the Film Dial Recipe set. It’s unintentionally similar to Velvia 50 with a warming filter. It’s versatile, and is great for night photography. Like the previous Recipe, it’s compatible with fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, as well as some fourth-generation models: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S.

3 – The Rockwell

The Rockwell is the most punchy Velvia Recipe; however, be careful, as it can be too bold sometimes. It’s another Recipe that can be used both day and night, and is compatible with fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, as well as most fourth-generation models: X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S (just not the X-T3 & X-T30). And, yes, Ken Rockwell actually used it.

4 – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS (v1 & v2)

This is a two-for-one selection, so you get a bonus. Both the v1 and v2 versions of Kodak Ektachrome E100VS mimic the look of Kodak’s most vibrant slide film. More contrasty but less vibrant than the three Recipes above, they are for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF; however, for fourth-generation models, v1 is compatible with most—X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S (just not the X-T3 & X-T30)—and v2 is compatible with just some: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S.

5 – Vivid Chrome

Vivid Chrome is the newest Velvia Recipe. It was intended specifically for colorful travel photography, and is by chance in the general ballpark of Velvia 100. Vivid Chrome is just slightly more subdued than some of the others, producing bold images without being over-the-top. In a lot of ways, this is a Goldilocks option. This Recipe is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, as well as some fourth-generation models: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S.

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