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How to Program Film Simulation Recipes to your Fujifilm Camera

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

My Film Simulation Recipes are popular, but programming them into your Fujifilm camera can be confusing for those trying to use them for the first time. A little over three years ago I published an article explaining how, but I think, with the new X100VI coming out, it would be worthwhile to try again, and perhaps offer a little more clarity. If you are new to Film Simulation Recipes, then this article is for you!

To start with, there are some variances between models. It’s important to read your camera’s manual, which thankfully Fujifilm makes easy: click here to find your owner’s manual online. For most cameras, within the manual, navigate to the Shooting Menus set, select Image Quality Setting (Still Photography), and finally Edit/Save Custom Setting. For example, click here to view this for the X-T5. Also, I’ve included a screenshot of this section from the X100V manual below. Everything you need to know for your specific camera is found in your manual, so that’s why it’s important to review it first.

There’s an easy shortcut for navigating to the Edit/Save Custom Settings Menu. Simply press the Q-Button, which brings up the Quick Menu, then press-and-hold the Q-Button, which activates the Edit/Save Custom Settings Menu. This shortcut works on most Fujifilm cameras. A shortcut to edit the Quick Menu is to press-and-hold the Q-Button from outside of the Quick Menu.

A Film Simulation Recipe is simply a set of JPEG parameters that produce a certain look straight-out-of-camera, mostly inspired by film stocks. Each Recipe contains a specific set of settings that must be programmed into your camera, either in the Edit/Save Custom Settings Menu or the IQ Menu. The newer the camera, the more options and parameters there are to program.

*Duck Pond* – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – 1970’s Summer Recipe

On the latest cameras, a Film Simulation Recipe contains: Film Simulation, Dynamic Range, Grain Effect, Color Chrome Effect, Color Chrome FX Blue, White Balance and WB Shift, Highlight, Shadow, Color, Sharpness, Noise Reduction, Clarity, ISO, and Exposure Compensation. All of those settings together make up a Recipe. The older the camera, the fewer parameters there are, and might only include: Film Simulation, Dynamic Range, White Balance and WB Shift, Highlight, Shadow, Color, Sharpness, Noise Reduction, ISO, and Exposure Compensation. On the newer models, Noise Reduction was renamed High ISO NR (it is the same thing) and Highlight and Shadow were combined into Tone Curve.

One parameter that cannot be saved is “Typical Exposure Compensation.” On most Fujifilm cameras, there is an Exposure Compensation knob on the top of the camera, which is where this is adjusted (unless you are in Manual Mode, in which case you’ll have to do it manually). An important note is that the suggested Exposure Compensation in each Recipe is only meant to be a starting point, and not a rule; each exposure should be judged individually. Also, most often I use Auto-ISO, but it is certainly alright to manually set the ISO. You might prefer different ISO parameters than what I like, and that is perfectly fine. It’s always ok to “season to taste” any Recipe to make it work better for you.

*Pacific Poppies* – Montaña de Oro SP, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues Recipe

Most Fujifilm cameras have seven Custom Settings (sometimes called Custom Presets), that are often referred to as C1-C7. The X-S10 and X-S20 have only four (C1-C4), and I believe there are some GFX cameras with six (C1-C6). Edit/Save Custom Settings is where you’ll program Film Simulation Recipes into your camera; however, some older Fujifilm models don’t have Custom Settings. In that case, you’ll program the desired Recipe parameters into the IQ Menu subset. Also, the newest Fujifilm models will allow you to program a Recipe into the IQ Menu subset in addition to the Custom Settings presets (basically, a bonus Recipe).

An important side note is that the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30 (however, not the X-T30 II), along with all of the cameras that came before it—X-Trans I, X-Trans II, X-Trans III, and older GFX—cannot save a White Balance Shift within the Custom Settings. Only the newer cameras can: X-Trans IV (except for the X-T3/X-T30), X-Trans V, and newer GFX. For those models that cannot save a WB Shift within the Custom Settings, you’ll have to program it from within the White Balance Menu found within the IQ Menu set. Also, those cameras will only remember one WB Shift per WB type, so choosing Recipes that either share the same WB Shift or use different WB types will make the user experience more enjoyable.

*Autumn in a Mountain Meadow* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor Superia 100 Recipe

I don’t have any step-by-step instructions to program a Film Simulation Recipe into your specific camera, because there are variances between some models, and each step can be slightly different. It’s not difficult to program a Film Simulation Recipe, and once you’ve done it a couple of times it becomes quite easy. It’s just getting through the first time or two that can be confusing. Should you find yourself stuck, there are a few videos on YouTube that walk you through the process. If you are a visual learner, you might find these especially helpful to you: How to Save Fujifilm Simulation Recipes by Scott Dawson, Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipes — How to Find & Save Them by Craig Pitts, and What are Fuji Film Simulation Recipes — Getting Started by TB-Photography. Even if you have a different model than what’s in those videos, the process for most cameras is similar enough that you should be able find your way through.

For those with the newest cameras, Custom Settings saves more than just your Recipes, but literally most camera settings, including focus preferences and even sound settings. My best recommendation is to program C1 with everything just as you want it to be, then copy that preset to the other C2-C7 (or C2-C4), so that they’re all exactly the same. Then, you just have to update them with the Film Simulation Recipe parameters for the specific Recipes that you wish to program. I also recommend disabling Auto Update Custom Setting. If your camera doesn’t have those options, then disregard this paragraph.

*Arizona Barn* – Sedona, Arizona – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vibrant Arizona Recipe

A common question is what about the settings that aren’t in the Film Simulation Recipe? What should those be set to? There are some options that are user-preference, so I don’t provide those as Recipe parameters. Choose whatever works for you. Let me touch on a few of them real quick, though.

I most often choose Image Size Large 3:2. I used to shoot with Image Quality Fine, but now choose Fine+RAW, as the RAW files can be reprocessed in-camera, which makes creating new Film Simulation Recipes much easier. My RAW files are Uncompressed. I choose JPEG over HEIF because Clarity isn’t available with HEIF (by the way, Clarity causes a short storing pause when set to anything other than 0). I don’t like Smooth Skin Effect personally, so I set it to Off. Lens Modulation Optimizer is often set to On, but it can be interesting when set to Off. Color Space is sRGB, as I had a bad experience once many years ago with AdobeRGB and have avoided it ever since. I usually use Multi Mode for metering (Photometry), but sometimes I use Spot.

*Sentinel & Merced* – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Vintage Color Recipe

There are over 300 Film Simulation Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App, which is free (consider becoming an App Patron to unlock the best experience and to support this website), and available for both Android and Apple. Otherwise, find them here:

EXR Recipes
Bayer Recipes
GFX Recipes
X-Trans I Recipes
X-Trans II Recipes
X-Trans III Recipes
X-Trans IV Recipes
X-Trans V Recipes

If you are not sure which Film Simulation Recipes to try first, no problem! I have several articles that might help with this, including:
Which Film Simulation Recipe, When?
The Essential 7 Film Simulation Recipes to Program Into Your Fujifilm Camera First
Try These 3 Film Simulation Recipes, No Matter Your Fujifilm Camera
Helping You Decide Which Film Simulation Recipes to Choose

Answers to the 10 Most Common Fujifilm How-To Questions

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

Because I’m one of the more knowledgable people in the Fujifilm community when it comes to the ins and outs of camera settings, I’m constantly asked how-to type questions. I’m always happy to help, but I have to say, most of the time the answers are easily found in the owner’s manual. You mean that boring technical book packaged with my camera? Yes, exactly. Thankfully, Fujifilm has made them available online, and most of the manuals are easily navigated and even searchable. Digging into the owner’s manual for your camera has never been easier. Can’t find the answer with a Google search? I bet you can find it in the manual pretty quickly and painlessly. That really should be everyone’s starting point.

Not everyone will look through the manual, or maybe you did and still can’t find the answer. I decided to take this opportunity to answer the 10 most common how-to questions that I receive. Maybe you are searching for the answer and Google brought you here. My hope is that this article will be helpful to some of you as you’re trying to figure things out on your Fujifilm camera.

1. How to program a Film Simulation Recipe

I’m most known for Film Simulation Recipes—I have published pretty darn close to 300, which you can find on this website and the Fuji X Weekly App—so it shouldn’t be surprising that I’m asked about it the most. Programming Film Simulation Recipes into your Fujifilm camera is easy, once you’ve done it once or twice. While the process is similar across the range, not every camera is exactly the same, so you’ll want to review the Image Quality (IQ) Menu section of your manual, and also Edit/Save Custom Settings (not all Fujifilm cameras have this, but most do).

More than two years ago I published an article explaining how to program Film Simulation Recipes into your Fujifilm camera (updated here). That might be a good place to start, but not everyone learns well by reading. You might be just as confused afterwards as you were before. Thankfully, Scott Dawson made a video walking you through the process of programming a Recipe. Between my article, Scott’s video, and your camera’s manual, you shouldn’t have too much trouble with this one.

Sometimes that’s not enough, so here’s the quick answer: if your camera has C1-C7 (or C1-C4) Custom Presets (most models do, but the Bayer models and a couple of the really old cameras don’t), press the Q-button, then press-and-hold the Q-button, and the Edit/Save Custom Settings Menu will appear (except on a couple of the really old models). That’s where you can enter the parameters (or most of the parameters) of a Recipe. Alternatively, and for those cameras without C1-C7, you can enter the parameters by pressing Menu/OK, then adjusting the appropriate settings, which are found in the IQ subset.

You should now be good to go. Once you’ve done it a few times, it will be a piece of cake.

2. How to resolve Clarity greyed out

*The 1981 Kodak Recipe uses minus Clarity*

This is simple: the drive mode must be set to Single frame (S) in order to use Clarity. Your camera will disable Clarity for any continuous shooting (burst) mode, HDR, or bracket. If you find Clarity greyed out, set your camera’s drive mode to Single frame (S).

3. How to fix DR200 or DR400 not available

*The Fujicolor 100 Gold Recipe uses DR400*

This is another simple answer: the Dynamic Range options are ISO dependent. If DR200 and/or DR400 are not available, simply increase the ISO. For X-Trans III and older, a minimum ISO of 400 is required for DR200 and a minimum ISO of 800 is required for DR400. For X-Trans IV, ISO 320 is required for DR200 and ISO 640 is required for DR400. For X-Trans V, ISO 250 is required for DR200 and ISO 500 is required for DR400. Make sure the minimum ISO threshold has been met for the Dynamic Range setting you are attempting to use.

4. How to set Highlight & Shadow with D-Range Priority

*The Vibrant Arizona Recipe uses D-Range Priority*

This one can be a little confusing. In my Recipes, D-Range Priority should always be set to Off unless otherwise stated. Most Recipes do not use D-Range Priority, but a few do. Sometimes D-Range Priority is confused with the Dynamic Range settings (DR100, DR200, DR400), but they are two separate things. When you enable D-Range Priority, it is in lieu of Dynamic Range, Highlight, and Shadow, so those three options will not be available to select. In other words, you can either use Dynamic Range (such as DR200) and the Tone Curve (Highlight and Shadow) or you can use D-Range Priority, but you can’t do both options simultaneously. Also, like Dynamic Range, D-Range Priority is ISO dependent.

5. How to set a White Balance Shift

*The Cross Process Recipe uses a WB Shift of -3 Red & -8 Blue*

This used to be the most asked question, but not so much lately. I wrote an article about it almost three years ago, so if you are stuck, be sure to check it out (click here). The simple answer: find the White Balance submenu in the IQ menu subset, highlight the desired White Balance option, then arrow-to-the-right to open the White Balance Shift menu for that particular WB type. Cameras older than the X-Pro3—X-Trans I, II, III, and the X-T3 & X-T30—cannot save a WB Shift within the C1-C7 Custom Presets, but the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and X-Trans V can. If you have a model that cannot save a WB Shift within the Edit/Save Custom Settings Menu, I did publish a solution that you might find helpful (click here). Models that can save the WB Shift offer a much improved experience.

6. How to get less yellow pictures

*The Fujicolor Superia 100 Recipe is Daylight-balanced*

Like film, many Film Simulation Recipes are intended for use in a particular light, mostly sunny daylight. When used in the “wrong” light, you might not get desirable results, and your pictures could come out yellow. My best advice is to use the right Recipe for the lighting situation that you find yourself in, or pick an Auto White Balance Recipe, which are usually more versatile.

7. How to shoot with a manual lens

I like manual lenses, whether it’s classic film gear or inexpensive third-party glass. They often have great character, which is missing in most precision-engineered modern lenses. Fujifilm has a weird quirk where you have to find Shoot Without Lens in the Menu (and it’s not always in an easy-to-spot location), or else the camera won’t let you capture a picture with one of these lenses attached. Once enabled, you can use manual lenses, but if disabled, your camera won’t capture a picture. If you cannot find it, look for Shoot Without Lens in your camera’s owner’s manual, and it will instruct you where to find it.

8. How to set Exposure Compensation

I’m surprised by how often this question comes up, and I think it’s because each Recipe lists a typical exposure compensation, usually with a range, such as +1/3 to +1. First, the suggested exposure compensation is simply meant as a starting point and is not a rule; each exposure should be judged individually, and you might need to use an exposure comp that’s outside of my recommendation. Second, if you are shooting full manual, think about how much you might need to increase or decrease the exposure over what the light meter is telling you in order to achieve the desired results—you aren’t using the exposure comp dial, so you’ll be manually doing it yourself with the aperture/shutter/ISO triangle. Third, you cannot set an exposure comp range or save exposure compensation to the C1-C7 Custom Presets. Fourth, Exposure Compensation, with rare exceptions, is found on a dial on top of the camera: +1 equals one f-stop, and the dots in-between equal 1/3 stops.

9. How to use older Recipes on newer models

*The Kodak Vision3 250D Recipe is intended for the X-T3/X-T30, but used here on an X-E4*

X-Trans III Film Simulation Recipes can indeed be used on X-Trans IV models. For the X-T3 and X-T30, simply set Color Chrome Effect to Off; for the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II, additionally set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose a Grain size (either Small or Large)—do this also for adapting X-T3/X-T30 Recipes to the newer models. X-Trans IV Recipes can technically be used on X-Trans V, but, because blue renders more deeply on some film simulations, you should make an adjustment to Color Chrome FX Blue: if the X-Trans IV Recipe calls for CCEB set to Strong use Weak on X-Trans V, and if it calls for Weak use Off. This is for Recipes that use Classic Chrome, Classic Negative, Eterna, and Eterna Bleach Bypass; for the other films sims, no adjustment is needed.

10. How to resolve the Clarity pause

*The Kodak Tri-X 400 Recipe uses plus Clarity*

Most of the Film Simulation Recipes made for the newer models use Clarity; however, if Clarity is set to anything other than 0 it will cause a storing pause. I use this pause, which is about the same amount of time as advancing to the next frame on a film camera, to slow myself down, which I think is beneficial. If you are in a hurry, this pause can be annoying, and you might want to avoid it. So what are your options? You could forget Clarity and just accept the results for what they are. Switching to a burst mode, such as Continuous Low (CL), will disable Clarity; if you shoot RAW+JPEG, you could reprocess in-camera (or X RAW Studio) and add Clarity after the fact (this is Fujifilm’s recommendation). If a Recipe calls for minus Clarity, you could use a diffusion filter, such as CineBloom or Black Pro Mist, to produce a similar effect (5% CineBloom and 1/8 BPM are roughly equivalent to -1 & -2 Clarity, 10% CineBloom and 1/4 BPM are roughly equivalent to -3 & -4 Clarity, and 20% CineBloom and 1/2 BPM are roughly equivalent to -5 Clarity); however, there is no substitution for plus Clarity.

Those are the 10 most common how-to type questions I get asked. Hopefully this article will be helpful to a few of you who are searching for answers. Don’t be afraid to ask if you are still stuck with whatever issue you’re facing with your Fujifilm cameras. I don’t work for Fujifilm so I can’t guarantee an answer, but I’ll try to help if I can. I just ask that you attempt to find the answer in your camera’s owner’s manual first, because you probably don’t actually need my help; however, if you do, I’m happy to try.