Classic Chrome film simulation | FUJI X WEEKLY

Fujifilm X-E4 Film Simulation Recipe: Kodachrome 25

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Autumn on Kodachrome* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodachrome 25”

The Kodachrome name has been used for many different films over the years. The first Kodachrome product was a two-glass-plate color negative that was introduced in 1915. Like all other color photography methods of its time, the results weren’t particularly good and the product not especially successful.

In 1935, Kodak released its next Kodachrome product: a positive color transparency film. This Kodachrome was the first film that produced reasonably accurate colors, and, because of that, was the first commercially successful color film. It became the standard film for color photography for a couple decades, and was even Ansel Adams’ preferred choice for color work. The December 1946 issue of Arizona Highways, which was the first all-color magazine in the world, featured Barry Goldwater’s Kodachrome images. While the most popular Kodachrome during this time was ISO 10, Kodak also produced an ISO 8 version, as well as a Tungsten option in the 1940s.

Kodak made significant improvements to Kodachrome, and in 1961 released Kodachrome II. This film boasted more accurate colors, sharper images, finer grain, and a faster ISO of 25. While it was still somewhat similar to the previous Kodachrome, it was better in pretty much every way. A year later Kodachrome-X was introduced, which had an ISO of 64, and produced more saturation and increased contrast, but was grainier.

*Golden Red Berries* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodachrome 25”

In 1974, because Kodak created a less-toxic development process, Kodachrome II was replaced by Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome-X was replaced by Kodachrome 64. This generation of Kodachrome is what most people think of when they picture (pun intended) the film, gracing the pages of magazines like National Geographic. Due to Kodachrome’s sharpness, grain, color, contrast, and archival characteristics, it was a great all-around option that worked well in most circumstance. Steve McCurry, who is perhaps the best-known photographer to extensively use this era of Kodachrome, said of the film, “It has almost a poetic look with beautiful colors that were vibrant and true to what you were shooting.”

This film simulation recipe is intended to mimic Kodachrome 25 color transparency film. I was fortunate to shoot a few rolls of Kodachrome 25. It was a beautiful film, and probably the sharpest color film ever made, but its low ISO made it difficult to use. Kodachrome 64, which was still a low-ISO film, was about 1 2/3 stops faster. The major differences between the two Kodachrome emulsions is that the ISO 25 version was sharper and less grainy, while the ISO 64 version was more contrasty, vibrant and a hair warmer. Both were very similar, though, and it would be hard to spot the differences without a close inspection. Some people preferred the slightly more subtle tones and finer detail of Kodachrome 25, and some preferred the faintly punchier pictures rendered on Kodachrome 64. I liked Kodachrome 64 a little more, and so that’s what I most often used.

Below are a couple examples of this Kodachrome 25 recipe compared to my Kodachrome 64 recipe:

In the example below, I made massive crops so that you could more easily see the subtle differences in sharpness and grain between the two Kodachrome recipes. The differences in warmth are also more obvious. If the Kodachrome 25 recipe could have a .25 adjustment warmer, and if the Kodachrome 64 recipe could have a .25 adjustment cooler, it would likely be more accurate, but alas we’re limited by what Fujifilm gives us. In the case of this recipe, a Color Chrome FX Blue Medium would be a nice option, but it doesn’t exist.

When Kodak discontinued Kodachrome in 2009, it shocked the photographic community; however, the deeper blow was that Kodak discontinued the chemicals required to develop it. Even if you had an old roll of the film (which I did), you couldn’t develop it, except as a black-and-white film from a specialty lab. By the end of 2010, the Kodachrome era was officially over for good. Fortunately, if you have a Fujifilm camera, the spirit of Kodachrome still lives.

This Kodachrome 25 recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. You can modify this for the X-Pro3 and X100V by setting Highlight to 0 and Shadow to -1 instead of what it calls for—I don’t like it quite as much, but it’s pretty similar.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +0.5
Shadow: -0.5
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +3
Clarity: +3
Grain Effect: Off
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 1600
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodachrome 25 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:

*Pedestrian Bridge* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Empty Stairs* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Red Box* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Locked Fire Box* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Three Bike Boxes* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Trains Can’t Stop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Ceiling Conduit* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Delivering Boxes* – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Josh in Shadow* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Orange Leaves* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Path Through A Fall Forest* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Golden Light on Mountain* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Last Light on Francis Peak* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

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Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipe: Retro Gold Low Contrast

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Purple Mountain* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Retro Gold Low Contrast”

Two days ago I published my new Retro Gold film simulation recipe, which is great for “golden hour” photography. That recipe has a lot of contrast in it—I stated in the article that it was similar to slide film or maybe push-processed negative film. A high-contrast recipe works great in situations that are low-contrast. Sometimes when the sun is low, the scenes you encounter aren’t low-contrast, but high contrast. In those cases, the Retro Gold recipe may not be the best choice. Thomas Schwab suggested that I should create a low-contrast version that’s better suited for high-contrast situations—that’s how this recipe, which I call Retro Gold Low Contrast, came to be.

This recipe has more of a color negative film look (Kodak Gold, maybe?). The color cast is perhaps similar to using an enhancing filter (and maybe a polarizer, too). Like the other recipe, this one isn’t intended to mimic any specific film, but it definitely has an analog aesthetic to it.

*Yellow Leaf of Autumn* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Retro Gold Low Contrast”

Because this “Retro Gold Low Contrast” film simulation recipe uses Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue, it’s compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. It might also be compatible with the newer GFX cameras, too, although I’m not certain of that. Unfortunately, it’s not compatible with the X-T3 and X-T30.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: -2
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 0
Clarity: -3
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong
White Balance: Fluorescent 3 (“Cool White Fluorescent”), +4 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to -2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Retro Gold Low Contrast” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:

*Cloudy Ridge* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Cloudy Mountain* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Dressed Warm* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Vines up the Bark* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Long Yellow Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Country Red* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*November Red* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Orange Haze* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Orange Mountain* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

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Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipe: Retro Gold

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Golden Red Berries* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Retro Gold”

This film simulation recipe began as an attempt to mimc the aesthetic of the Retro Effect on Ricoh GR cameras. There are several reasons why this recipe isn’t a good facsimile to that, but, even so, I really like what I came up with. It has a retro look to it that is somewhat reminiscent of slide film that’s been left in a hot car a little too long (or, perhaps, simply wasn’t stored correctly), and somewhat reminiscent of push-processed negative film, maybe something like Kodak Gold. It’s not intended to mimic any specific film, so any similarities to an analog aesthetic is a happy accident.

Because of its retro-golden look, I’ve named this recipe “Retro Gold.” It’s outstanding in evening light, and pretty good at other times, too. In some ways it reminds me of my Golden Negative recipe, and in some ways it reminds me of my Expired Slide recipe, but it’s not really like either. While you can use it anytime, this is a film simulation recipe that I recommend you try during your next “golden hour” photographic outing.

*One Way To The Mountains* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Retro Gold”

Because this “Retro Gold” film simulation recipe uses Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue, it’s compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. It might also be compatible with the newer GFX cameras, too, although I’m not certain of that. Unfortunately, it’s not compatible with the X-T3 and X-T30. If you don’t want to use Clarity because it slows down the camera, an alternative might be to use a diffusion filter, like the 1/8 Black Pro Mist or 5% CineBloom. Another option for this recipe that you are welcome to try is a stronger grain effect. I went with Weak and Small because I wasn’t attempting a particular film look, but it would likely look nice with as much as Strong and Large.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +2
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 0
Clarity: -2
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong
White Balance: Fluorescent 3 (“Cool White Fluorescent”), +4 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to -2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Retro Gold” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujifilm X100V:

*Hazy Evening Berries* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Sunset Red* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Purple Thistle* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Golden November Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Golden Evening Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Autumn Yellow Leaf* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Thorns & Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Boy In The Shadow* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Bokeh Abstract* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Partly Cloudy Sky Reflected* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Evening Housetop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Neighborhood Autumn Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Hidden Neighborhood Evening* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Marshland* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunset Mountains*– Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

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Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Film Simulation Recipe: Kodacolor 200

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Pumpkin* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodacolor 200”

For this recipe, I was attempting to recreate a Kodak Portra 400 NC aesthetic. A couple of decades ago, Portra (both the ISO 160 and ISO 400 emulsions) came in two versions: NC (“Neutral Color”) and VC (“Vivid Color”). Kodak later revised the film to be something in-between the two, which they simply called Portra 160 and Portra 400. This recipe is, I believe, in the general ballpark of Portra 400 NC, but not exactly right; however, I like the results anyway. So if this recipe is close to Kodak Portra 400 NC, why did I call it Kodacolor 200? Because I think it is actually a little closer to Kodacolor 200, which is a variety of Kodacolor VR, and related to ColorPlus 200. I wouldn’t call it an exact match to Kodacolor 200, but that’s the film this is most likely closest to. If you want a Portra 400 NC or Kodacolor 200 aesthetic, this recipe is relatively similar to both.

There’s a fair amount of contrast produced by this recipe, which looks really good in conditions without harsh light. In bright daylight, the contrast might be a little too much, perhaps more closely resembling push-processed film, or (to a lessor extent) even bleach-bypassed Portra. On bright days, you might consider dropping both Shadow and Highlight to +1 if you find it to be too contrasty. I believe this film simulation recipe produces its best results when the sun is a little obscured, but not heavy overcast; however, it’s possible to get good results in many different circumstances. If your X-Trans II camera has Classic Chrome, I invite you to give this recipe a try—it’s a great high-contrast, low saturation option.

*Power Pole Cup* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodacolor 200”

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +2 (Hard)
Shadow: +2 (Hard)
Color: -2 (Low)
Sharpness: -1 (Medium-Soft)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: 3200K, +8 Red & -8 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this Kodacolor 200 film simulation recipe:

*Phragmites* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Touch of Red* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Pumpkin Stem* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Autumn Shrub* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Ground Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Neighborhood Autumn Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Creek Path in Autumn* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Narrow Path* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Old Mile Post* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

*Delicate Fibers* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipe: Elite Chrome 200

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Master Master* – Clearfield, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Elite Chrome 200”

Elite Chrome 200 was a “high-ISO” color transparency film made by Kodak during the 1990’s and into the mid-2000’s. It was one of those films you could find at most corner drug stores, and you typically would chose it if you ran out of film while out-and-about and needed something. Elite Chrome was a low-budget Ektachrome film. A rumor that I remember about Elite Chrome 200 is that it was actually Ektachrome E200 that didn’t pass the quality control inspection, but I have no idea if that was true or not. Interestingly, Kodak claimed that Elite Chrome 200 was the lowest-contrast ISO 200 reversal film on the market. Because of how it responded to C-41 chemistry, it was a popular option for cross-processing.

I shot several rolls of Elite Chrome 200 film back in the day. Unfortunately, Ektachrome had a tendency to fade over time—it’s not an especially great archival film. I actually made a recipe mimicking faded Elite Chrome 200. This recipe is more like if the film wasn’t faded. I wasn’t intentionally intending to recreate Elite Chrome—in fact, I stumbled into this recipe when I used Classic Chrome instead of Classic Negative with my Fujicolor Superia 800 recipe. I was pretty shocked by just how good it looked! Sometimes changing the film simulation can produce good results, and sometimes (like when Omar Gonzalez used Classic Chrome instead of Classic Negative with my Agfa Vista recipe) it doesn’t produce good results. Fortunately for you, this is an example of when it works, and it just so happens by chance to resemble Elite Chrome 200 film.

*The Fallen* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Elite Chrome 200”

This film simulation recipe is compatible with all X-Trans IV cameras, except for the X-T3 and X-T30. If you have an X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, or X-T30 II, this recipe is completely compatible with your camera. If you do have an X-T3 or X-T30 and want to use this recipe, you’ll have to ignore Grain Size (set it to Strong), ignore Color Chrome FX Blue, and ignore Clarity. In lieu of Clarity, use a diffusion filter, such as a 10% CineBloom or 1/4 Black Pro Mist.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +1
Color: -1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -1
Clarity: -4
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, -1 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Elite Chrome 200 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujifilm X100V:

*Pumpkin Head* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Colorful Fall Trees* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Little Yellow Leaf* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*October Tree Trunks* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Sunlight In The Golden Forest* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Autumn Forest Light* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Autumn Woods* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Autumn Creek* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Late October Leaves* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Raindrops on a Branch* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Leaves on Old Fallen Tree* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Jo in the Forest* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Happy Johanna* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Evening Interstate* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

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Fujifilm X-E4 (X-Trans IV) Film Simulation Recipe: Portra-Style

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Peach Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Portra-Style”

After Anders Lindborg shared with me his interesting discovery that D-Range Priority (DR-P) is essentially the same thing as Hypertone on Fujifilm Frontier scanners, I immediately went to work creating a couple film simulation recipes that use D-Range Priority, since I didn’t have any. Like many of you, I thought that DR-P was a feature reserved only for extreme situations, and not for everyday use, but (as it turns out) it doesn’t have to be—DR-P can be utilized all of the time if you want.

What is DR-P? It’s basically a tone curve intended to maximize dynamic range. There are four options: Off, Auto, Weak, and Strong. When DR-P is Off, the camera uses DR (DR100, DR200, DR400) instead, and when DR-P is On (Auto, Weak, or Strong), DR is disabled. When DR-P is On, Highlight and Shadow are “greyed out” so those can’t be adjusted—the curve is built into DR-P. You get what you get. DR-P Weak is similar to using DR400 with both Highlight and Shadow -2, but with a very subtle mid-tone boost. This recipe calls for DR-P Auto, and the camera will usually select DR-P Weak unless there is a bright light source (such as the sun) in the frame, such as the picture Sunlight Through a Tree further down below.

*Tall Grass* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Portra-Style”

This “Portra-Style” recipe isn’t intended to faithfully mimic Portra film, but was inspired more by Kyle McDougall’s “Portra-Style” presets, which are, of course, modeled after Kodak Portra film. The Kodak Portra 400 Warm recipe was also inspired by these presets, and there are some similarities between this recipe and that one. I don’t know which is better, as they’re both good options for achieving a warm Portra-like aesthetic. For a more-accurate recipe, try Kodak Portra 400 v2. This recipe, which is closer to Portra 400 than 160, works best in natural light, especially daylight, although you can still get interesting results sometimes in other lighting situations. My “Portra-Style” recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: D-Range Priority Auto
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Clarity: +3
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: 5000K, +2 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Portra-Style” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:

*Jonathan* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Arrow & Cones* – Sandy, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Summer Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Sunlight Through a Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Fence & Tree* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Cautious Nature* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Bridge in the Forest* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Yellow Leaves in Green Forest* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Log in the Forest* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Last Light on Dead Tree* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

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Fujifilm X-T3 & X-T30 Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Portra 400 v2

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Walking on a Bridge* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

This film simulation recipe is a slight variation of my Kodak Portra 400 recipe. It came about after I made a Portra 400 v2 recipe for the newer X-Trans IV cameras, which was created after studying actual examples of the film provided to me by a reader. I wanted to create a similar modification for the X-T3 and X-T30, which became this recipe. One film can have many different looks, depending on how it’s shot, developed, and scanned and/or printed, so this isn’t necessarily a “better” recipe, just a slightly different take on recreating the film’s aesthetic. I really like this one, and I think you will, too!

Portra 400, which is a color negative film, was introduced by Kodak in 1998. It was redesign in 2006 and again in 2010. As the name implies, it’s intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other types of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made. Interestingly, Kodak briefly made a black-and-white version of Portra 400!

*Downtownscape* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

This isn’t exactly a brand-new recipe. It was published as a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App back on December 1st, so Patrons have had access to it for quite some time. Now another early-access recipe has replaced it, so this one is available to everyone! If you are a Fuji X Weekly Patron, be sure to check out the new early-access recipe in the app.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -1
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodak Portra 400 v2” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

*Blackberry Forest Evening* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Three Backlit Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Tiny Red Berries* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Broken and Boarded* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Window to the City* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Lululemon* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Two Tall Buildings* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Hotel* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Two Cranes* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*A Downtown Cityscape* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Moffatt Ct.* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Portra 400 Warm

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Old Trolley Building* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 Warm”

This Kodak Portra 400 Warm recipe came about after the Kyle McDougall Portra-Style comparison article. These settings are an attempt to get closer to Kyle’s preset aesthetic. Some film simulation recipes are good for everyday use, while some are good only in the right situations. This is one falls into the latter category, I think. This recipe isn’t for everyone or every situation, but for some people in the right situations, this recipe will be greatly loved! I think it looks best in sunny daylight, but can produce interesting results occasionally in other lighting situations, too. Thank you to Ryan for helping out with this!

One film can have many different looks depending on how it’s shot, developed, and scanned or printed. This Kodak Portra 400 Warm film simulation recipe is an alternative aesthetic. Portra 400 was introduced by Kodak in 1998, and was redesigned in 2006 and again in 2010. As the name implies, it’s intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other types of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made.

*Evening Chair* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 Warm”

If you like my other Portra recipes, you might like this one, too. It uses Clarity, which slows down the camera considerably—I hope that Fujifilm speeds this up with a firmware update at some point. This recipe is only compatible with the latest Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras: the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, and X-E4. This was a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App, so if you are a Patron you’ve had access to this Kodak Portra 400 Warm recipe for awhile—there’s now a new early-access recipe in its place, so be sure to check that out!

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -2
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Clarity: -2
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: 5500K, 0 Red & -7 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodak Portra 400 Warm” film simulation recipe:

*Dumpster, Truck* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Beer & Wings* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Bright Yellow House* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Western Structure* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Turn of the Century* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Train Bridge* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*New Holland* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Food Field* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Sunlight in the Forest* – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Leaves Below Tree* – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Wispy Grass* – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Pond Creek* – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

Find these film simulation recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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Fujifilm X-Trans II Film Simulation Recipe: Portra v2

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Joshua & Joy at a Creek* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Portra v2” – Photo by Jon Roesch

I’ve been wanting to create a Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe for Fujifilm X-Trans II cameras for a long time now. I’ve had a Portra 160 recipe on this website for awhile, but I’ve never created a Portra 400 recipe for this sensor. I’ve actually created five different Portra 400 recipes for X-Trans III and IV cameras, but those don’t work on X-Trans II. I made a guess on my Fujifilm X-T1 on what might be a good Portra 400 recipe, handed the camera to my son, Jon, and let him capture some pictures with it. You might remember that Jon created his own Classic Chrome recipe; this time I made the recipe, but I let him capture the pictures.

You might be wondering why I didn’t call this recipe “Portra 400” but named it “Portra v2” instead. While I believe that this recipe is similar to Portra 400, I do plan to create a more accurate recipe. Actually, that was my intentions with these pictures: reprocess the RAW files in-camera to refine the Portra look; however, as I reviewed the pictures, I liked the aesthetic created by these settings, so I decided to keep this as its own recipe. I will still work on a different Portra 400 recipe for X-Trans II.

*Trees* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Portra v2” – Photo by Jon Roesch

One film can have many different aesthetics, depending on how it’s shot, developed, scanned or printed, and this is especially true with Kodak Portra 400. Portra can have many different looks. This recipe does resemble one of those aesthetics, but it definitely doesn’t resemble all of the aesthetics, or even the most common. If you do like Portra, I’m confident that you’ll appreciate these settings, which is compatible with all X-Trans II cameras that have the Classic Chrome film simulation.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1 (Medium-Low)
Shadow: -1 (Medium-Low)
Color: +2 (High)
Sharpness: -1 (Medium-Low)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Daylight/Fine, +4 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured by Jon on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this Portra v2 film simulation recipe:

*Water* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

*Fence Tree* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

*Trees & Lake* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

*Creek in the Woods* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

*Trees & Leaves* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

*Moss on a Log* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

*Grass* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

*Bridge* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

*My Friend* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch

Find this film simulation recipe on the Fuji X Weekly app!

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Two Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipes: Kodachrome II

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Mountain Suburbs* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome II”

One of the more popular film simulation recipes that I’ve created is Kodachrome II, which was made for X-Trans III sensor cameras. While you can use that recipe on X-Trans IV cameras, the newer models have some JPEG options that the older ones don’t, so it can be fun to utilize those options to produce a different and hopefully better version of an old recipe. In this case, I have two new versions of Kodachrome II for X-Trans IV cameras.

Kodak introduced Kodachrome in 1935, and in 1961 they replaced the original film with a new and improved version called Kodachrome II and a higher-ISO sibling called Kodachrome-X. These films had more accurate color, finer grain and faster ISOs (ISO 25 and 64, respectively, compared to ISO 10) than the previous version. It was a big leap forward for color photography, and so it is no surprise that the innovators of color photography in the 1960’s and 1970’s relied heavily on it. It’s also the version that Paul Simon sang, “They give us the greens of summer, makes you think all the world’s a sunny day.”

Kodachrome II and Kodachrome-X produced a very similar look to each other. The main differences were in grain, contrast and saturation, but overall the variations were quite minor. Kodachrome-X was slightly more bold while Kodachrome II was slightly more clean. Even so, comparing slides, it’s tough to distinguish one from the other (conveniently, I have my grandparents old slides at my home). Even though I have named these two film simulation recipes “Kodachrome II” I think they more closely resembles Kodachrome-X film, but I find them to be a reasonable facsimile for both.

*Yellow Arrow* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodachrome II v2”

Because of the toxic chemicals used in the development of this era of Kodachrome, plus the complexity of the process, Kodak changed from K-12 development to K-14 development, which ushered in new Kodachrome in 1974, called Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome 64. This version of the film is the one that I have personally used. Interestingly enough, even though this version wasn’t all that much aesthetically different than the previous, there was a big outcry among photographers, and a large group who used Kodachrome II and Kodachrome-X did not appreciate the change.

While I created the X-Trans III Kodachrome II recipe, it was Thomas Schwab who modified it for X-Trans IV. His version, entitled Kodachrome II, is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4. In some of my example pictures below I used a Tiffen 1/4 Black Pro-Mist diffusion filter with my X100V. Why? Because I haven’t used this filter in awhile and wanted to. I don’t think it adds anything essential to the recipe. In fact, you might prefer the results without the filter. Thank you, Thomas, for creating and sharing this update to the original recipe!

I made a slightly modified version, entitled Kodachrome II v2, which is compatible with the X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4. I used this recipe on my X-E4 (without any diffusion filter). This isn’t intended to be a “better” recipe, just a slightly different version using the new JPEG options found in my X-E4. Both of these film simulation recipes can be found in the Fuji X Weekly app!

Kodachrome II

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Clarity: -2
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodachrome II film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Rooflines* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Backyard Play Kitchen* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Playing Backyard Kitchen* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Hover Scooter* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Chair by a Fence* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Jo in Evening Light* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Brothers* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Easter Egg Basket* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Jon with Walkie Talkie* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Fake Plants on a Shelf* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Kodachrome II v2

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +1.5
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Clarity: -2
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Auto White Priority, +3 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodachrome II v2 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:

*Table Between Chairs* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Brothers Playing Together* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Fenced Horse* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Bicycle Sky* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Stop the Storm* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Grabber* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Handle* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Hand Spade* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Jo Holding a Toy* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Jo & Josh Playing* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

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Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Film Simulation Recipe: Jon’s Classic Chrome

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-T1 – Farmington, UT – Photo by Jonathan Roesch – “Jon’s Classic Chrome”

I handed my Fujifilm X-T1 to my 11-year-old son, Jonathan—gave him a brief tutorial on how to use the camera, and let him have at it. My XF10 Classic Chrome film simulation recipe was programmed into the X-T1; to my surprise, Jon made a few small adjustments to it. He increased Dynamic Range to DR400, moved the White Balance Shift to +4 Red, and set Sharpness at 0. I’m not sure why he made those specific changes, but the results are pretty good, and I’m very proud and impressed by the pictures that he captured with the X-T1 using his settings!

My opinion is that this recipe has a ColorPlus feel to it. It could be close to Kodacolor, Portra 400, or Ultramax—it definitely has a Kodak color negative vibe; however, I think Fujicolor C200 might also be in the neighborhood. Whatever film it might be close to, it’s got a great analog-like aesthetic that’s easy to love. Great job, Jon!

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1 (Medium-High)
Shadow: +2 (High)
Color: +1 (Medium-High)
Sharpness: 0 (Medium)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Auto, +4 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured by Jon on my Fujifilm X-T1 using his Classic Chrome film simulation recipe:

Fujifilm X-T1 – Farmington, UT – Photo by Jonathan Roesch

Find Jon’s Classic Chrome film simulation recipe on the Fuji X Weekly app!

New Nostalgic Negative Film Simulation + X-Trans IV Nostalgic Negative Recipe!

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Winter Berries* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nostalgic Negative”

The upcoming Fujifilm GFX100S has a brand new film simulation called Nostalgic Negative. Even though this camera hasn’t even been released yet, I’ve had many requests to create a film simulation recipe for it. That’s a tough challenge because there’s so little about Nostalgic Negative that’s known and very few sample pictures floating around the internet.

Back when Eterna was new—before I had a chance to try it myself—I made a faux “Eterna” recipe, and it turned out to be not particularly close. Even though it didn’t faithfully mimic Eterna, it’s one of the more popular recipes on this website. When Classic Negative first came out, I made a faux “Classic Negative” recipe, and even though it also turned out to be not particularly close, I’ve had several people tell me that it’s their favorite recipe. There’s two important points to this: 1) this “Nostalgic Negative” recipe will likely turn out to be an inaccurate facsimile to the real Nostalgic Negative film simulation and 2) there are people who love it anyway. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get into what Nostalgic Negative is and how you can achieve a similar aesthetic on your Fujifilm X camera.

*Watch and Jewelry* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nostalgic Negative”

Fujifilm stated that the Nostalgic Negative film simulation is based on “American New Color” photography of the 1970’s. They studied photographs by William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Joel Sternfeld and Richard Misrach in order to create it. Eggleston and Sternfeld largely shot on Kodachrome—II and X in the early 1970’s, 25 and 64 in the late ’70’s—while Shore shot mostly Kodacolor, and Misrach shot a lot of Vericolor. All of those are Kodak films, but with different aesthetics. These four photographers had different styles and different darkroom processes, and they each had a unique look; the commonality that Fujifilm found was an “overall atmosphere based on amber.” That’s a basic explanation of what Nostalgic Negative is.

I didn’t count, but I’d estimate that I found about 20 examples of the Nostalgic Negative film simulation on the internet. I noticed that there were some large discrepancies between the pictures, as some looked much different than others. I wondered if the default settings were used on some images and not others, and if some of them weren’t straight-out-of-camera but had received some level of post-processing. I also wondered if Nostalgic Negative behaves similarly to Classic Negative in that the aesthetic changes a little depending on the exposure. There’s a lot of uncertainty to what exactly the new film simulation looks like. Overall, I think you can expect something along the lines of Eterna gradation, the Classic Chrome color palette (however, with a warm shift), and vibrancy a little beyond Astia. Low-contrast, high-saturation and warm is a quick synopsis of Nostalgic Negative.

*Reflected Red* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nostalgic Negative”

Interestingly, there are some already existing film simulation recipes that come close to Nostalgic Negative. My Eterna recipe (and there are versions for X-Trans II, X-Trans III and X-Trans IV cameras) is almost identical to one of the aesthetics that I found in the sample pictures. The contrast is likely slightly too high in those recipes, but it’s very close. For some other sample pictures, I thought that the Kodachrome 64 recipes (the X-T1 recipe, the X-T30 recipe and the X100V recipe, but especially the X100V version) are pretty darn close. For some other pictures, the Kodak Vision3 250D recipe looks quite similar, while this Kodacolor recipe looks close to some others. I think that my Kodak Gold, Kodachrome II, Kodak Ultramax (both for X-Trans III and X-Trans IV), Kodak Ektar, Kodak Portra 800, Kodak Portra 400 (both X-T30 and X100V), Kodak Portra 400 v2 (both the X-T30 recipe that’s only available right now to Patrons on Fuji X Weekly App and X100V), and Polaroid (although perhaps increase Color) have some similarities to Nostalgic Negative. If you have an X-Trans II, III or IV camera, you already have some options that are in the neighborhood of this new film simulation, so don’t fret that your camera doesn’t have it. You’ll just have to decide which option you like best.

Speaking of your camera not having Nostalgic Negative: it’s not coming to X-Trans IV, in my opinion. Fujifilm said, “For Nostalgic Negative, Fujifilm needs a large sensor. It can’t be implemented simply to APS-C. Fujifilm needs time to develop Nostalgic Negative for the APS-C system.” To me, that’s code-speak for, “Expect it on X-Trans V cameras.” Of course, Fujifilm hasn’t announced that sensor yet, so they can’t talk about it, but that’s where I would expect to see it.

*Stop 11* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nostalgic Negative”

I don’t know if this new recipe that I created will turn out to be accurate to Nostalgic Negative. Most likely not, but I hope that you like it anyway. I chose Clarity -5 because that’s the best I could do for imitating the gradation of Eterna, but feel free to use -4 or -3 if you feel that -5 is too much for your tastes. On cameras that can adjust by .5, I would consider setting Shadow to -0.5 instead of 0. This recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4, X-S10 and (the upcoming) X-E4.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: 0
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 0
Clarity: -5
Grain Effect: Weak, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new “Nostalgic Negative” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Red Soccer Ball* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Suburban Sky* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Sky & Garages* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*JP Elect* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Bear in the Snow* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Boy & Bear* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Red* *Brick Building* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Waiting Girl* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*City Fountain* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Last Light Through Reeds* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Mirror Image* – Orem, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Window Light on Chair* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Joshua’s Space* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*X-T1 on a Shelf* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Film Drawer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Colorful Pens* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Garage Globe* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Jon’s Hands* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Evening Park Joy* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Rainbow Rays* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Autumn Sun* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

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Fujifilm GFX-50S Film Simulation Recipe: Ektachrome

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Lookout Tower* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

Ektachrome is a brand of Kodak color transparency film that’s been around (off and on) since the 1940’s. There have been several eras of the film, and even more variations; the name Ektachrome has been given to many different emulsions. While Kodachrome was more iconic, Ektachrome was more widely used, thanks in part to its easier development process and (typically) faster ISOs. While Ektachrome was more popular, it was much more prone to color fading. Kodachrome was a tad warmer, while Ektachrome was a tad more vibrant, depending on the version, of course. I shot plenty of rolls, and several different versions, of Ektachrome back in the day.

The Classic Chrome film simulation is, I believe, largely based on Ektachrome; set to defaults, Classic Chrome has a similar aesthetic to the film. I tweaked the settings so that Classic Chrome would more closely resemble Ektachrome, but I used my memory of the film and didn’t study actual examples of it. Fujifilm has a term for this: memory color. It basically means that it’s more important to have the right feel than to be perfectly accurate. I’m not exactly sure how accurate this recipe is to the film, or which exact emulsion it would be closest to (maybe 100G? 100GX?), but it feels right to me.

*Winter Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S – “Ektachrome”

This Ektachrome film simulation is intended for GFX cameras. I know that it’s compatible the GFX-50S and GFX-50R, and I believe that it’s compatible with the GFX100, but I’m not 100% certain. You can also use it on the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30, and it will produce nearly identical results; on the X100V, X-T4, X-Pro3 and X-S10, set Clarity to 0 (or -2 if you prefer), Color Chrome FX Blue Off, and Grain to Weak Small.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +1
Color: +3
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: 7100K, -6 Red & +5 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Sample photographs, all camera-made JPEGs, captured with a Fujifilm GFX-50S using this Ektachrome recipe:

*Forest Creek* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Log Chair Boy* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Three Poles* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Pole Twists* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*End Post* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Boardwalk in the Marsh* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S – “Ektachrome”

*The Roundabout* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Signs Along the Boardwalk* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Ice Tracks in the Reeds* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Marsh Ice Tracks* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Hairpin Curve* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Birdseye View* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Rural Boardwalk* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Fence in the Grass* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Tiny Islands in a Frozen Pond* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Winter Grass* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Frozen March Water* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Cold Marsh* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Reed & Snow* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Snow Day Girl* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Sled Hill Photography* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Needle Snow* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

*Winter Pine* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Portra 400 v2

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Sage Sunset* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

One film can have many different looks depending on how it’s shot, developed, scanned or printed. This new Portra 400 film simulation recipe, called Kodak Portra 400 v2, is an alternative aesthetic, created by studying examples of actual Portra 400 film (thanks to Julien Jarry). The “other” Fujifilm X100V Kodak Portra 400 recipe was also created by studying examples of actual film (thanks to Thomas Schwab). They’re both good options for achieving a Portra look, and neither is more “right” than the other.

This isn’t exactly a brand-new recipe. It was published as a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App back on December 1st, and now another early-access recipe has replaced it, so this one is now available to everyone! You might remember that this Kodak Porta 400 v2 recipe was mentioned in the Kyle McDougall preset comparison article.

*Ford Truck* – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

If you like my other Portra recipes, you’re sure to like this one, too. Because it uses Clarity, it slows down the camera considerably. I hope that Fujifilm speeds this up with a firmware update at some point, but in the meantime, if you can, my recommendation is to embrace the slowdown. This recipe is only compatible with the latest Fujifilm X cameras: the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4 and X-S10.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: -2
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Clarity: -2
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: 5200K, +1 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Portra 400 v2 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Stacked Pallets* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Now Hiring* – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Double-Double* – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Burger Roof* – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Julien Jarry with RED Camera* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Julien Filming* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Yellow Rabbitbrush* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Frary Peak Peeking* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Desert Brush* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Light Log* – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunlight Through the Forest Trees* – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V

*One Lane Bridge* – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V

*String of Lightbulbs* – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V

*Dock at Night* – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V

*Moon Over RV* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunset RED* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Buffalo Point Sunset* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Nature Neon

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Setting Sun Trees* – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nature Neon”

This film simulation recipe isn’t mine. It was created by Fuji X Weekly reader Immanuel Sander, who has actually posted several different recipes on his Instagram account (@captn.look). Thomas Schwab was the one who tipped me off to this. There are several really nice recipes that Immanuel has shared, but this one is my personal favorite. I asked him if I could share it with you on this website, and he graciously agreed. Immanuel calls this recipe Captn Look Nature Neon.

I’m not sure what film this might most closely resemble. It’s kind of similar to my Golden Negative recipe (although not exactly), which is kind of similar to FPP Retrochrome (expired high-speed Ektachrome). It’s also almost redscale-ish, a little more subtly than my Redscale recipe. Cross processed film can sometimes have a red/orange color cast, particularly (non-Velvia) Fujifilm transparencies, but I don’t think these settings are especially close to that. Even if this recipe doesn’t look exactly like any particular film, it nonetheless produce very interesting results.

*The Road Less Traveled* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nature Neon”

It’s called “Nature Neon” in part because it uses the Fluorescent 1 white balance, which is also called Daylight Fluorescent or Neon Light. It gives a look as if a red neon light is illuminating the scene. The change that I made to Immanuel’s recipe is that I set Sharpness to -2; he had it set to -4. Thomas prefers it set to 0. Really, whatever Sharpness you prefer to use from -4 to 0 is acceptable.

This film simulation recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4. This article is a bit unusual in that it features example photographs from three photographers: Immanuel Sanders, Thomas Schwab, and myself. You can see how three different photographers used these settings. I want to give a big thank-you to Immanuel for creating and sharing this recipe, and to Thomas for showing it to me. Thank you, guys! I encourage you to check out their Instagram pages to see more of their pictures.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +2
Color: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -2
Clarity: -4
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Fluorescent 1, +2 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Nature Neon film simulation recipe:

Immanuel Sanders

Thomas Schwab

Ritchie Roesch

*Salt Lake from Ladyfinger Point* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Peeking Peak* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Rocks & Shrubs* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Bison in a Meadow* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Lava Sunset* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodachrome 1

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Kodak Blossoms* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome 1”

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summer
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day

Kodachrome is probably the most iconic photographic film ever made. It was legendary, and many people saw the world through its colors. Kodak produced Kodachrome film from 1935 through 2009, when it was suddenly discontinued.

*Forest Brooks* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome 1”

In 1935 Kodak released its next Kodachrome, which was a color transparency film with an ISO of 10. This Kodachrome was the first color film that produced reasonably accurate colors and was the first commercially successful color film. It became the standard film for color photography for a couple decades, and was even Ansel Adams’ preferred choice for color work. The December 1946 issue of Arizona Highways, which was the first all-color magazine in the world, featured Barry Goldwater’s Kodachrome images.

Kodak made significant improvements to Kodachrome, and in 1961 released Kodachrome II. This film boasted more accurate colors, sharper images, finer grain, and a faster ISO of 25. While it was still similar to the previous Kodachrome, it was better in pretty much every way. A year later Kodachrome-X was introduced, which had an ISO of 64.

Another generation of Kodachrome, which came out in 1974, saw Kodachrome II replaced by Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome-X replaced by Kodachrome 64. The differences between this version and the previous weren’t huge with nearly identical image quality. The biggest change was going from the K-12 to the K-14 development process (which was a little less complex, but still complex). This generation of Kodachrome is what most people think of when they picture (pun intended) the film, gracing the pages of magazines like National Geographic.

*CPI* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome 1”

I personally have shot plenty of Kodachrome, mostly Kodachrome 64. It was a good general use film that produced sharp images and pleasing colors. I haven’t used it in more than a decade. Its days are gone. Even if you can find an old roll of the film, there are no labs in the world that will develop it.

This Kodachrome 1 film simulation recipe is meant to mimic that first era of Kodachrome. This isn’t your parent’s or grandparent’s Kodachrome, it’s your great-grandparent’s. This Kodachrome 1 recipe is actually an updated version of my Vintage Kodachrome recipe. Since the new Fujifilm cameras have more JPEG options, such as Clarity, Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome Effect Blue, it’s possible to get more accurate or at least different looks out-of-camera. This recipe is very similar to the original version, but I hope this one is just a tad better. It’s only compatible with the X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras; if you don’t have one of those cameras, give the Vintage Kodachrome recipe a try. Both the old and this new version have a great vintage analog look that I’m sure many of you will appreciate. I want to give a big “thank you” to Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab for his help with updating this recipe.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -2
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Clarity: +1
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to -1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodachrome 1 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Reel 2 Reel* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Behind the Grocery Store* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*American Neighborhood* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Open Window Blinds* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Playing Cards* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Summer* *Bloom* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Forest Edge* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Dead Tree Trunk* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Trees of Life & Death* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunlight & Leaves* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Bright Summer

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Yellow Shack* – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Bright Summer”

I get asked frequently to create film simulation recipes for many different film aesthetics, but sometimes I get asked to recreate the look of a photographer and not a film. This recipe falls into the latter category, as it is intended to resemble the aesthetic of Preet (Instagram), a photographer from Dubai. Preet uses a Fujifilm X-Pro3, but he shoots RAW and edits in Lightroom. In fact, he told me that he will soon be releasing his own Lightroom presets so that you can get his aesthetic in-software. I wanted to get close tp his look in-camera without the need for RAW editing, so I created this film simulation recipe, which is modeled after Preet’s pictures. It’s not an exact match, but probably as close as you can get straight-out-of-camera.

I can recognize Preet’s images without even seeing his name. They are bright, low-contrast (but typically of high-contrast scenes), and vibrant with a warm yellow-ish cast. They are almost kodak-esque, but not exactly like any specific film, and clean without grain. This film simulation recipe is pretty close to that aesthetic. Preet photographs a lot of beach scenes, buildings, and cars. I’m reminded of a bright summer day, which is why I call this recipe “Bright Summer.”

*Roof* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Bright Summer”

I found with this recipe that sometimes Color should be set to +3 instead of +4 to better match Preet’s look, but oftentimes +4 is better, and occasionally +5 would be most correct if such a setting existed. If you prefer Color set to +3 don’t be afraid to do it. White Balance Shift occasionally looks more correct with Red set to -5, but I found -4 to be better for most pictures. It’s a similar situation for Blue: -3 is sometimes a better match, but most often -2 is most correct. You’ll have to decide if you prefer the recipe as stated below, or if -5 Red & -2 Blue, or -5 Red & -3 Blue, or -4 Red and -3 Blue works better for you. It might vary from picture-to-picture. Although I have Grain set to Off, I would consider setting it to Weak and Small, but that’s just my taste. To get even closer to Preet’s look, bring down the highlights and lift the shadows very slightly with a curves adjustment in-software (which, of course, is completely optional). This film simulation recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -2
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 0
Clarity: -5
Grain Effect: Off
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: 7100K, -4 Red & -2 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1 to +2 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Bright Summer” film simulation recipe (without any modifications) on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Free Flu Shot* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*No, No, No!* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Chopstix* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Twin Garage Doors* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Roof Slant 1*– Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Roof Slant 2* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Roof Ladder* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Lemon Ice Cream Truck* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Suburban Flowerbed* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Construction Truck* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Burger King Parking Lot* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Crown Burgers* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Notice: Stop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Lamp & Sky* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Yellow House* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Yellow Tree Summer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*American Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Outdoor Succulent* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Parking Lot Reflections* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Light Sphere* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X-T200 (Bayer) Film Simulation Recipe: Golden Negative

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Hidden Church* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200 – “Golden Negative”

I got my hands on a Fujifilm X-T200! It’s not my camera, I’m just borrowing it for a few weeks. So far I’ve been more impressed with it than I thought I’d be. I’ll write more about all this later. What I want to share today is the very first film simulation recipe that I’ve created for the X-T200, called Golden Negative.

I can’t tell you how many requests I’ve had for recipes compatible with Fujifilm Bayer cameras, such as the X-T200, X-T100, X-A7, X-A5 and XF10, but it’s been a lot! Prior to this, I’d only made three film simulation recipes for these cameras, partly because you cannot save custom presets on these cameras like you can on X-Trans models. You more-or-less have to use one recipe for a period of time, and only switch occasionally. With this film simulation recipe, there are now four to choose from! X-Trans II recipes are compatible with these Bayer cameras, but they produce slightly different results. This recipe will work on X-Trans II, but it won’t look exactly the same. I tried this recipe on an X-Trans IV camera, and it looked noticeably different, but it didn’t look bad, so feel free to try this recipe any camera with the Classic Chrome film simulation; for best results, use it on a Fujifilm Bayer camera.

*Early Autumn Evening* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200 – “Golden Negative”

What does this Golden Negative recipe look like? I’m reminded of prints from the 1980’s and 1990’s, maybe captured on Kodak Gold and printed on Kodak paper. It’s not really intended to resemble that, it’s just what this recipe reminds me of. It has a beautiful low-contrast, low-saturation, warm-cast that’s closer to Kodak color negative film, such as Gold or ColorPlus, than reversal film. I don’t think this recipe is exactly like any specific film, but it looks great nonetheless.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: +1
Shadow: -2
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpening: 0
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -2 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Golden Negative film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T200:

*Ogden or Bust* – Woods Cross, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Rose Garden* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Shadows on a Leaf* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Ground Leaves* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Brown Leaf* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Autumn Trees Trunks* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

Forest Sunstar – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Nature Above City* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Haze Over North Salt Lake* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Moonrise Over Mansions* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Yellow Balsomroot* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Blossomed Flower* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Faux Succulent on a Shelf* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Girl Playing Cards* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

Happy Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Joshua on the Playground* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

*Lit Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T200

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Verano Tostado

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Sunshine Pines* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Verano Tostado”

There are some film simulation recipes that are more series and some that are more fun. This one is falls into the latter category. Even the name, Verano Tostado (“Toasted Summer”), and the story behind it, is fun. Fuji X Weekly reader Ricardo Guzman sent me this recipe to try. He called it “Tostado” and when I asked him why, Ricardo answered, “Toasted like summer—when you sleep after lunch at the beach, you wake up looking at funny colors.” Yes, that’s exactly what it looks like—verano tostado!

What’s great about this recipe is, even though the title says Fujifilm X100V, this actually will work on any X-Trans III and X-Trans IV camera. Simply disregard Grain set to Large if your camera doesn’t have that option. Clarity, Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome Effect Blue are all set to 0 or Off, which makes this recipe usable on cameras that don’t have those options. I tried it on both a Fujifilm X-T20 and X-T30 and it worked great!

*Roof and Ceiling* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Verano Tostado”

I did not include a “typical” exposure compensation because you can get some really interesting looks with this recipe from both overexposure and underexposure. Try -2/3 all the way up to +1 1/3 and see what happens. I want to thank Ricardo Guzman for creating this recipe and allowing me to share it here with you. Thanks, Ricardo!

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +2
Color: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +2
Clarity: 0
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: Auto, -2 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Verano Tostado film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Summer Flowers* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Lake Fishing* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Mountain Lake* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Water Log* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Blue Lake Water* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Baiting a Fishing Lure* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Small Stream* *& Tiny Waterfall* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Green Leaf* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Forest Light Peek* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*If a Tree Falls in the Forest* – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Summer Feelings* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Hello* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Stripes* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Table Plant* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

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Fujifilm X-T20 (X-Trans III) + X-T30 Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Ultramax

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Street Lamp Sunset* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Ultramax”

I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from my Fujifilm X100V Kodak Ultramax 400 film simulation recipe, which I published two weeks ago. I’ve had a ton of requests to make a version of this recipe that’s compatible with X-Trans III sensor cameras, plus the X-T30 and X-T3. Well, I’ve done it, and here it is!

This version of the Ultramax recipe is pretty close to the original, but not precisely the same. Because the new cameras—the X100V, X-T4 and X-Pro3—have different tools, that recipe isn’t compatible with “older” Fujifilm cameras, but I made some adjustments and changes, and created this new version, which produces similar results. It’s fully compatible with the X-Pro2, X100F, X-E3, X-T2, X-T20, X-H1, X-T3 and X-T30 cameras. While not 100% exactly the same as the original recipe, it definitely has the same overall Ultramax aesthetic.

*Sunstar Through Peach Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – “Kodak Ultramax”

Ultramax 400 is Kodak’s consumer grade ISO 400 color negative film. Kodak has sold Ultramax 400 under many different names, beginning in 1987 with Kodacolor VR-G 400, rebranded Gold 400 one year later, called simply GC at one point, and finally, in 1997, Kodak settled on Ultramax 400. Kodak still sells Ultramax 400, although it’s not the same film as Kodacolor VR-G 400. This film has been tweaked and updated at least nine times over the years; however, the overall aesthetic is still substantially similar between all variations.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +2
Shadow: +2
Color: +4
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off or N/A
White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodak Ultramax film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T20 and X-T30: