Classic Chrome | FUJI X WEEKLY

Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Portra 400 v2

*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

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Portra 800

Posted on November 3 by Ritchie Roesch

*November Cherries* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 800”

Kodak introduced Portra 800 in 1998. The Portra line has seen a number of revisions and updates over the years, but I couldn’t find any information if the current Portra 800 film is the exact same emulsion from 1998, or if it’s gone through some changes over the years like the ISO 400 and 160 versions. Portra 800 is one of the best options for high-ISO color photography, but I’ve never shot it myself.

There are some good online resources that are helpful when creating film simulation recipes for films that I’ve never used, which I did consult, but that’s not how these settings came about. You see, there’s a new version of my Portra 400 recipe (which I know you’ll love) that’s coming soon, and this recipe is a variant of that. Thomas Schwab, who I’ve collaborated with on a number of different recipes (including Portra 400), and who has actually shot Portra 800, helped me out with this one. Thanks, Thomas!

*Cabela’s Boy* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 800”

I know that many of will love this Kodak Portra 800 film simulation recipe! It’s really nice, and has a good film-like aesthetic. Does it faithfully resemble real Portra 800? I think it does, but film can look different depending on how it’s shot, developed, scanned or printed, and this recipe won’t mimic every aspect of the film. Even so, I think this one will be quite popular, and many of you will use it regularly. It’s only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4 and X-S10 cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: 0
Color: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Clarity: -4
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: 5200K, +1 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 Kodak Portra 800 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Brown Tree Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Small Shrub – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Backyard Tree Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Yellow House* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Suburban Mailboxes* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Red Fire Hydrant* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Suburban Peek* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Evening Commute* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Smith’s* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Drug* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Suburban Dusk* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Parked Car in the Dark* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Tunnel Bench* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Night Mall Architecture* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Empty Sidewalk at Night* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Christmas Decor Display* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Succulent & Globe* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Jon Wearing Cabela’s Hat* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Potted Plant on End Table* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Accidental Exposure* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunlight Through a Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Nature Neon

Posted on September 30 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: Bright Summer

Posted on September 12 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 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

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

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

Posted on September 2 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 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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Film Simulation Review: Abandoned RV Dealer with Kodak Portra 400

Posted on August 25 by Ritchie Roesch

*Journal* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

I recently stumbled upon an abandoned RV dealership in North Salt Lake, Utah. It’s been vandalized. Broken glass and graffiti abound. Nature is doing its thing, too. It’s significantly dilapidated.

Hugh’s R.V. apparently hasn’t been closed for very long, I believe less than two years, but the building looks like it has been abandoned for a decade or more. One of the reviews I found for this place stated that it looked dilapidated—this was when it was still open!—so it was already in a state of disrepair prior to abandonment, and that partially explains why it looks so bad now. Perhaps more than anything, people have just trashed it since it closed.

I captured Hugh’s R.V. with my Fujifilm X100V using my Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe. I love how this recipe looks for many things, including structures. Really, it was an easy choice! This particular film simulation recipe could be many people’s “only” recipe. It’s good for such varied situations, and an abandoned building in afternoon light is no exception. This Portra 400 recipe on the X100V is an especially great combination, and a one camera, one lens, one recipe philosophy could be embraced. I appreciate the film-like aesthetic of my Portra 400 settings.

My challenge to you is for one week (or at least one day if that’s too much) use one camera with one lens and one film simulation recipe. If you don’t have an X100V, that’s no problem, just use what you do have. I think the restriction will empower your creativity. Limitations improve art. If you accept this challenge, let me know in the comments which camera, lens and recipe you plan to use, and also report how it goes. I look forward to your feedback!

*Hugh’s R.V.* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

*Hugh’s Graffiti* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

*Closed Circuit –* North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

*ERNL* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

*Open Door, Broken Window* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

*Trash in the Shadow* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

*Tubes & Tablets* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

*Out of Office* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”

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

Posted on August 24 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:

*Creek* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

*Shadow Catcher* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Boy by a Window* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Jonathan in Window Light* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Pencils on the Table* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Balcony* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

*Panda Express* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

*Window Flag* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*American Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Green Mountain Summer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Summer Pear Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Greens of Summer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Backyard Tree Evening* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

*Backyard Aspen Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Ektar 100

Posted on August 10 by Ritchie Roesch

Dock Light – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Ektar 100”

I already have a Kodak Ektar film simulation recipe that I published a little over two years ago, but I’ve been wanting to revisit it for awhile. In the article that I published for that recipe, I wrote, “I’m actually a little hesitant to call this film simulation recipe Kodak Ektar 100 because it’s not quite right. It’s close, but a little off. The color palette is slightly askew.” That’s a true statement. My original Ektar recipe is close but no cigar. Since that time Fujifilm has added more JPEG options to their cameras, so would it be possible to get closer to real Ektar on my X100V?

Kodak introduced Ektar in 1989. It has been made in ISO 25, 100, 125, 400 and 1000 versions at one time or another. Kodak discontinued Ektar in 1997, but they brought it back in 2008 with an updated emulsion. I’ve shot the old Ektar but never the new Ektar. It’s my understanding that they’re similar but not exactly the same.

This new film simulation recipe will be controversial. To achieve a more correct color palette, this recipe is based off of Classic Chrome instead of Astia. The reason that I used Astia in the original recipe is because “Classic Chrome isn’t vibrant enough, even with Color set to +4.” That’s still true, although Color Chrome Effect does help a little. Honestly, if +6 was an option, that’s what I’d set Color to. Unfortunately that’s not an option, so we have a slightly undersaturated recipe. Another issue is that Ektar can have several different looks, depending on how it’s shot, developed, and printed or scanned, just like any film; however, with Ektar, even a 1/3 stop over or under exposure can noticeably effect the aesthetics of the picture.

Peach Sun – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Ektar 100”

Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab helped me immensely with this recipe. He’s had a hand in several recipes, and even created one from scratch that’s quite popular: Urban Vintage Chrome. Thomas captured a bunch of pictures with actual Ektar film, and made several similar exposures with his X-Trans IV cameras. He showed me examples of both, applying my original Ektar recipe to the pictures captured with his Fujifilm cameras. Then we began to create a new Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe based on his Ektar pictures, hoping to achieve something closer to the film than the original recipe.

We discovered very quickly that Ektar is impossible to faithfully recreate on Fujifilm cameras, because only Classic Chrome has the correct color palette, and it’s not vibrant enough. We tried Astia, Provia, Velvia, and PRO Neg. Hi, and of those Astia was the closest, but none of them were right. We settled on Classic Chrome despite it not being vibrant enough. We went back-and-forth on different settings, but especially the white balance. There were several times that we said, “This is it,” only to modify something the next day.

A problem we encountered is that Ektar can have several different looks, even from the same roll of film. There was a discussion about creating as many as three different recipes, depending on the exact aesthetic we wanted to recreate, but decided to go with just one recipe, modeled after our favorite pictures from Thomas’ Ektar film. After even more back-and-forth we finished with this recipe here. We feel confident that it is as close as we could get to actual Ektar film, acknowledging that it’s very close but not exactly right.

Boat in the Bay – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Ektar 100”

The original Ektar recipe isn’t an exact match to the film, and I believe that this new recipe is closer. The two recipes each produce a different look, and perhaps they both have a place, depending on what exact aesthetic you are after. This new recipe was a collaborative effort, and I want to give a special “thank you” to Thomas Schwab for all of the time and effort he put into making this a reality. It’s much appreciated!

This Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe is intended for and only compatible with (as of this writing) the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4. It uses Clarity, which slows down the camera considerably. I just allow the pause to slow myself down. Another option, which is what Fujifilm recommends, is to add Clarity later by reprocessing the RAW file in-camera or with X RAW Studio.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: +1
Shadow: -2
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 0
Clarity: +3
Grain Effect: Off
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: 6050K, +3 Red & 0 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

Daisies by the Dock – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V

Henry’s Fork – Island Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V

Johnny Sack Cabin – Island Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V

North Shore of Island – Wild Horse Island State Park, MT – Fujifilm X100V

Butters – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Mustang Evening – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Roofline Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Finding Clues – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Golden Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Rocket Launching – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Yellow Lady – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Light Too Bright – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Lawnmower Handle & Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Air Pump – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Blossom Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Flower Garden Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Bug Hiding on a Flower – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Rose Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Marsh Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Ultramax 400

Posted on August 9 by Ritchie Roesch

Empty Outdoor Seating – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Ultramax 400”

This recipe is a happy accident. I was actually working on a different Kodak film simulation recipe, and this was a failed attempt. But I liked how this one looked, so I made a minor adjustment, and created this recipe, which I determined looked a heck-of-a-lot like Ultramax 400. I didn’t intentionally create an Ultramax 400 recipe, but nonetheless here it is! Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

Colorful Store Decor – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Ultramax 400”

For some of you this new recipe will be an instant favorite. I really love how it looks and plan to use it frequently. This one might be right up there with Kodachrome 64 and Portra 400 for favorite Kodak presets. A word of caution: it does require Clarity, which slows down the camera considerably. This film simulation recipe (as of this writing) is only compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +1
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 0
Clarity: +3
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +1 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 Kodak Ultramax 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

Road Construction – Clearfield, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Store Closing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Urban Roses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Summer Fruit Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Ripening Peaches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Wood Barrel – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Table & Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Library Lights – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Contemplation – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Blackberry Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

End Table Succulent – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Math Books on a Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Kitchen Tools – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Quality Goods – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

75 – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Table Bloom – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Fake Tulips – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Fake Flowers in Window Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation: Kodak Portra 400

Posted on June 10 by Ritchie Roesch

Bridge Over Stream – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400”

This is a brand-new version of my X-T30 Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe, designed specifically for the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4. My “old” recipe isn’t, in fact, old, as I published it only one month ago, but already I have improved on it, thanks to Fujifilm’s new tools, and also thanks to Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab, who helped tremendously refine the recipe to be more accurate to actual Portra 400 film. You see, he captured some pictures with Portra 400 film and made some identical pictures with his X-Pro3. After a few small changes, this new recipe emerged. It’s very similar to the X-T30 Portra 400 recipe, the differences aren’t huge, but it is subtly better in my opinion.

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. Like all films, results can vary greatly depending on how it’s shot, developed and printed or scanned, and even which version of the film you’re talking about.

Backlit Forest Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400”

This new Portra 400 film simulation recipe requires the use of Clarity, which slows down the camera considerably. Fujifilm suggests shooting RAW and adding Clarity later, but I just use the pause to slow myself down. The use of Clarity also means that this recipe can’t be used on “older” cameras, only the X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 (as of this writing), but feel free to apply the white balance shift of this recipe to the X-T30 version and see if you like it better.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
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: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +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 Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

Light Green Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Sunlight In The Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Forest – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Creek Through The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Light on the Water – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Creek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Big Green Leaf – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Sunshine & Tree Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Sunlit – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Stone & Blooms – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Jo Swinging – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Brother & Sister Driving – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Protect & Serve – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Seagull on a Lamp – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Stormy Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X100V Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on May 27 by Ritchie Roesch

Evening at a Pond – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X100V “Kodachrome 64”

The Fujifilm X100V has some new features, including Clarity and Color Chrome Effect Blue, that my X-T30 doesn’t have, despite sharing the same sensor. The more JPEG options that I have, the more accurately I can create in-camera looks. My hope is to revisit some of my film simulation recipes, and create what I hope are more accurate versions using the new features. The first one that I revamped is my Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe.

Many people love my Kodachrome 64 recipe, but not everyone. The biggest complaint that I’ve heard about it is that the reds aren’t vibrant enough. I don’t disagree with that, but there are always compromises when recreating looks in-camera because the tools available to me are limited. Of course, what Kodachrome 64 looks like depends on how you’re viewing it, whether projector, light table, scan, print, and how so. You can find some vastly different looking pictures that were captured on Kodachrome 64. For this revamped recipe, I spent some time studying the Kodachrome slides that I captured many years ago.

Red Lights & Rain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V “Kodachrome 64”

While I feel that this is an improved Kodachrome 64 recipe, it’s still not perfect. Those who disliked how reds were rendered on the old recipe will certainly like this one better, but is it 100% exactly like the film? No. I think +2 Color might be too much, but +1 Color doesn’t render reds and yellows vibrant enough. If you prefer +1 Color, feel free to do that instead. There’s a little less contrast with this new version. Both of the Color Chrome Effects, the lower Dynamic Range setting, and Clarity add contrast, so I changed Highlight and Shadow to compensate. The X-T4 has .5 Highlight and Shadow adjustments, and I would set Shadow to +0.5 if I were using these settings on that camera (I hope that Fujifilm updates the X100V and X-Pro3 to allow this, too). I think it would be acceptable to use +1 Shadow, but I felt that was a tad too much, so I set it to 0. Despite not being perfect, I do feel that this version is a little more accurate to actual Kodachrome 64 film.

If you have an X100V, X-Pro3 or X-T4, I invite you to try this new-and-improved Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe. Be sure to let me know what you think! Here are a couple pictures comparing the two versions of this recipes:

Original Kodachrome 64 recipe.

New Kodachrome 64 Recipe.

Original Kodachrome 64 recipe.

New Kodachrome 64 recipe.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: 0
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Clarity: +3
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

White Horse by a Stream – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Horses in the Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Curious Horse – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Country Tires – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Yellow Flowers, Blue Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Wishful Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Beer & Board – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Road Bicycling – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

All the World’s a Sunny Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Orders & Pickup – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Red, White & Blue Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Flag Up Close – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Reeds by the Water – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Evening Reeds – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Landscape Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Handlebar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Kodak Colors – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Half of an Orange – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Ground Beans – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Pallets – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V

IHOP – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Cupcake – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Sitting on Concrete – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Spring Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on May 10 by Ritchie Roesch

Around The Bend – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 400”

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. Like all films, results can vary greatly depending on how it’s shot, developed and printed or scanned, and even which version of the film you’re talking about. Interestingly, Kodak briefly made a black-and-white version of Portra 400!

I’ve been meaning to revisit Kodak Portra 400 for some time now. As you may know, I already have a Kodak Portra 400 recipe, which I created two years ago, but it requires a difficult-to-achieve custom white balance measurement. I was never really satisfied with that recipe, even though it can produce interesting results. I have been eager to create a new Portra 400 recipe, and, In fact, I’ve tried a couple of times, but without success.

Blue Sky Day – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 400”

A Fuji X Weekly reader suggested to me that if I use my Kodak Portra 160 recipe, except increase Shadow, Highlight and Color by one, that should be pretty close to Portra 400. Indeed it is! I liked what I saw, but I played around with the settings more to see if I could improve on it. Turns out not much needed to be tweaked. I liked the results better with Color Chrome Effect set to Strong, but if you have an X-Trans III camera, which doesn’t have that feature, you can still use this recipe, but it will look slightly different. The only other change that I made was I set Grain to Strong.

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, +4 Red & -5 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 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Mountain in the Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reeds To The Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Jensen Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Water Beyond The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Paved Trail – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Spring Green & White – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fries in the Sky – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Royal Lunch – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Suburban Home – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in the Striped Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy Sitting – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunlight Through The Pink Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pink Tree Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodacolor II 126 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 28 by Ritchie Roesch

Blooming Pink – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodacolor II 126”

A Fuji X Weekly reader asked me to recreate the look of some old family prints from the 1970’s that he found. After some investigating, it was determined that the pictures were captured on an Instamatic camera using 126 film (also called Kodapak). 126 film was basically 35mm film, except with a paper back and no sprockets (like 120 film), and in a cartridge that didn’t need to be rewound (similar to 110 film). It was intended for low-budget point-and-shoot cameras, and the cartridge made loading and unloading film easier. Basically, Instamatic was Kodak’s attempt to open up photography to the masses, as it required little to no skill or photographic background. It was very popular in the 1960’s and ’70’s, and became less popular in the 1980’s. A quirk of Instamatic cameras and 126 film is that it captured square pictures.

It’s unknown what film was used on the pictures in question, but most likely it was Kodacolor II, which was by far the most popular color 126 film during the time that these pictures were captured. Kodacolor is a name that Kodak gave to a number of different color negative films going back to the 1940’s. Kodacolor II was the very first C-41 process film. It was introduced in 1972 and discontinued in 1981, replaced by Kodacolor VR, which is the film that my Kodacolor film simulation recipe resembles. The prints likely have some fading and color shifts due to age, but they appeared to be in good condition overall.

Instamatic – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodacolor II 126”

This film simulation recipe, which I’ve called Kodacolor II 126, is a bit unusual in that it is supposed to mimic a look that came from cheap cameras. It calls for Image Quality to be set to Normal instead of Fine (I normally use Fine). The only other recipe that I’ve done this with is my Kodak Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade. I keep the ISO high on this recipe to make it look more grainy. While I’ve done that with several black-and-white recipes, this is the first time I’ve done it with color. This is also the only recipe that calls for the 1:1 aspect ratio, although feel free to use 3:2 or 16:9 if you’d like. These settings pair well with vintage lenses, and if you “miss” focus a little sometimes, well, that just makes it resemble Instamatic even more.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +3
Color: -4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Image Quality: Normal
Aspect Ratio: 1:1
White Balance: 6300K, +6 Red & +3 Blue
ISO: 3200 – 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodacolor II 126” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Polaroid Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lizard, Boy & Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in the Alley – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Two Cans – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban House & Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban Trees & Distant Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Top & Mountain Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban April – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Robot in the Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Heart & Soul – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wreath & Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Paper – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bowl on a Trike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hose & Elephant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Concrete Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Colorful Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Day Dreaming – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Gold 200 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 16 by Ritchie Roesch

Crown Burger – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Gold 200”

I’ve been asked countless times to create a Kodak Gold film simulation recipe. I’ve tried several times to make one, but I couldn’t get it quite right. Last week I was scrolling through Instagram and I saw a picture that I thought at first glance was captured using my Portra 160 recipe. It’s not unusual to see pictures that were captured using my different recipes, as some of them have become quite popular. It was an interesting picture, so I took my time looking at it, and as I did I thought that there was just too much saturation, contrast and grain for it to be my Portra recipe, yet it was still very similar. When I read the description I realized that the picture was captured with actual Kodak Gold 200 film! At that moment I knew that I could create a Gold recipe simply by modifying the Portra recipe.

Kodak Gold, which was introduced in the late-1980’s and is still around today, is a general purpose color negative film. It was originally called Kodacolor VR-G, then Kodacolor Gold, and finally Gold. It replaced Kodacolor VR. While the film has been improved a few times over the years, it still looks pretty much the same today as it did in the 1980’s. The film is prone to color shifts, and results can vary significantly depending on how the picture was shot, developed and printed or scanned.

Flowing Farmington Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Gold 200”

Even though this Kodak Gold film simulation recipe is very similar to my Portra recipe, it took many experiments to get it right. I tried different combinations of Highlight, Shadow and Color before settling on these settings. I adjusted the white balance shift several times before returning to the same shift as Portra 160. I feel that this recipe is a good facsimile to actual Gold film, although, like all recipes, it will never be exact, as it cannot account for all the variables. It’s pretty close, though, in my opinion. I want to give a special thank-you to Fuji X Weekly reader Piotr Skrzypek for creating the original Portra 160 recipe for X-Trans II, which allowed me to make one for X-Trans III & IV cameras, which in turn made this Kodak Gold 200 recipe possible. This recipe is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -2
Shadow: +1
Color: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 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 Gold 200 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Space Communication – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Traffic – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Grass Runner – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pear Tree Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Spring Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backlit Pear Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pear Blossom Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in Spring – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Branch & Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pear Blossom Reflection – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Phragmites – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Easy Feelin’ – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl in the Backyard – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stages of Tulip Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Crescent Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Floral Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cheese – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grill & Chill – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

No Door Dash in the Drive Thru – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Corner – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

KFC – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Everette Brown – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Outside 7-Eleven – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunlight Through The Trees – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Trunk Above the Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boulder Above the Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Father & Son Fishing in Farmington Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fishing in Farmington Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Staircase Down to the Water – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Flowing Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Creek in the Woods – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rocky Farmington Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Winter is Nearly Over – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Car in Green Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bug in the Dirt – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunset on Burger Customer Parking – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Classic Chrome for Those Who Don’t Have It (X-Trans I)

Posted on April 10 by Ritchie Roesch

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One of these two pictures is Classic Chrome and one is PRO Neg. Std. Can you guess which is which?

Classic Chrome is probably the most popular film simulation created by Fujifilm. It is the most common starting point for my film simulation recipes. It was introduced by Fujifilm beginning with the X-Trans II sensor, so those who have X-Trans I cameras or older Bayer sensor cameras don’t have it as an option. The X100, X100S, X-E1 and X-Pro1 all lack Classic Chrome.

I’ve been asked many times how to replicate Classic Chrome for cameras that don’t have it. I figured it out! And it’s not what you might expect. It’s not the advice that I have been giving out over the years, which was based on Astia. I figured that Astia with the contrast turned up and color turned down would be close, but I was wrong. It’s difficult to get the contrast correct when using Astia, and with Color set to -2 it’s still much too vibrant. Turns out PRO Neg. Std is the film simulation required to mimic Classic Chrome. Shocked? I was. It was literally the last color film simulation that I tried.

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One of these two pictures is Classic Chrome and one is PRO Neg. Std. Can you guess which is which?

My experiments were conducted on my Fujifilm X-T1. Using Classic Chrome, I set Color, Highlight, Shadow and Sharpness at 0, Dynamic Range to DR100, Noise Reduction to -2, and White Balance to Auto with Red and Blue both set to 0. Then I tried to replicate that look using one of the other film simulations. I figured out how to get pretty darn close using the PRO Neg. Std film simulation.

There are some differences between actual Classic Chrome and these settings. This faux Classic Chrome is actually slightly more yellow. If there was a way to shift the white balance by fractions this could be made more accurate, as the actual shift should be closer to +0.3 Red and -0.6 Blue, but that’s not possible. You could set the white balance shift to 0 Red and 0 Blue if you prefer less yellow, and I think that’s a legitimate option, as I debated between that and this, but ultimately I went with the warmer white balance shift. There’s also slightly deeper shadows and more saturation with these settings than real Classic Chrome. I think +0.7 Shadow and Color would be more accurate, but +1 is as close as I could get. I found that setting Shadow and Color to 0 produced results that were further away from Classic Chrome, but that’s something you could consider. These settings are not perfect, but for those who don’t have Classic Chrome as an option, in my opinion this is as close as you’re going to get, which is actually pretty close.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +1
Color: +1
Sharpness: 0
Noise Reduction: -2
White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & -1 Blue

What about the pictures above? The top one is the faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std and the bottom one is actual Classic Chrome. Did you guess correctly?

Below are example photographs, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs from my Fujifilm X-T1, that compare faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std with Classic Chrome.

Faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std

Classic Chrome

Faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std

Classic Chrome

Faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std

Classic Chrome

Faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std

Classic Chrome

Faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std

Classic Chrome

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 3 by Ritchie Roesch

Summer Waves Hello – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 160”

This is the film simulation recipe that you’ve been waiting for! One of the top films that I’ve been asked to create a film simulation recipe for is Portra 160. I’ve tried many times, and I felt that I got close a couple of times, but I was never able to get it quite right. Fuji X Weekly reader Piotr Skrzypek recently created a Portra 160 film simulation recipe for his Fujifilm X-E2, which he gave me permission to share. I modified his settings very slightly, and published that Portra 160 recipe for X-Trans II cameras last week. Using those settings as a starting point, and understanding how X-Trans II is different than the newer sensors, I was able to make a Portra 160 film simulation recipe that is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Portra is a line of films that Kodak introduced in 1998. As the name implies, it was designed for portrait photography, although it has been used for many different genres, as it’s good for more than just portraits. Kodak made Portra in three different ISOs: 160, 400 and 800. The ISO 160 and 400 versions originally had two options: Neutral Color (NC) and Vivid Color (VC). In 2011 Kodak redesigned Portra, and they did away with the Neutral and Vivid versions, making instead only one option in each ISO. Portra has been a popular film since its introduction.

Horizontal Ladder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 160”

This recipe looks great when you turn the exposure compensation dial up. You don’t want to clip highlights, but if you keep the highlights just below clipping you can get excellent results. This recipe is especially good for high-contrast scenes. Really, this is a good all-around recipe that you’ll want to keep programmed in your camera’s Q Menu. I imagine that for some of you, this will be the top film simulation recipe that you use most of the time. Don’t be afraid to use Auto-White-Balance instead of Daylight, or to adjust Color up to +2 or down to 0, depending on your tastes.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -2
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 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 160 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Last Light Roofline – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rooflines – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Garages – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Dumpster – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stop – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Elevator Trucks – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bird Over Grain Elevator – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Autumn Leftovers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Reed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in Thought – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Wall Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl by the Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bike Seat – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

First Pear Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Goosenecks – Goosenecks SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Satellite Dish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grey Sky Over Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Barn Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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[Not] My Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 29 by Ritchie Roesch

Mitchell Mesa – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1 “Kodak Portra 160”

Kodak introduced Portra film in 1998. As the name implies, this film was designed for portrait photography, as it produces pleasing skin tones. It came in three ISO options: 160, 400 and 800. The ISO 160 and 400 versions came in two varieties: Neutral Color (NC), which was less saturated, and Vivid Color (VC), which was more saturated. In 2011 Kodak did away with the Neutral Color and Vivid Color options, making a new version that was more-or-less in-between the two.

One of the top films that I’ve been asked to create a film simulation recipe for is Portra 160. I’ve tried many times, and I felt that I got close a couple of times, but I was never able to get it quite right. Fuji X Weekly reader Piotr Skrzypek recently created a Portra 160 film simulation recipe for his Fujifilm X-E2, and he gave me permission to share his settings with you! When I first looked at his pictures, I immediately thought that they resembled Portra, and I continued to think so as I used his recipe on my X-T1. Piotr has a lot of experience shooting film, and the main film that he uses is Portra 160. I’ve shot Portra before, but it’s been many years. How the film is shot, developed, and printed or scanned effects the way that it looks, so results can vary, but this recipe is overall an excellent facsimile of actual Portra 160 film. Great job, Piotr Skrzypek!

Portra – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 “Kodak Portra 160”

I did alter Piotr’s recipe a little. I have Color set to +1, but he has Color set to +2, which I think more mimics Portra 160VC. Whether you set Color to +1 or +2, you are still getting a Portra look, and you can try it both ways and decide which you like better for your photographs. You can even try setting color to 0 to get a Portra 160NC look. The other change I made is to white balance, which I set to Daylight, while Piotr uses auto-white-balance. In many outdoor circumstances Daylight and AWB will produce identical results, so for the most part it doesn’t matter which you choose. I like Daylight a little more than AWB, but you can decide which you prefer for yourself. This recipe is intended for X-Trans II cameras, but there will be a Portra 160 recipe for X-Trans III and IV cameras coming soon!

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

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Portra 160 recipe on my Fujifilm X-T1:

Snow on the Roofs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Roof Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Faux Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Beside the Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Silver & Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Green Stems – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Bright Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Future Fujifilm Photographer – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1

Girl, Horse & Books – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

The Peg Game – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Girl & Game – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Wood Ladder – Edge of the Cedars SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Monumental Crosswalk – Monument Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Four Desert Horses – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1

Mittens Evening – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1

Rural Grass – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Reeds & Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Classic Slide Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 21 by Ritchie Roesch

Winter Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Slide”

A lot of my film simulation recipes lean towards a warm cast. In the film days, many different films, especially those by Kodak, tended to lean warm. I often used a warming filter for my landscape photography, which made an even more pronounced color cast. This was all very common and normal. But not all films were balanced that way, not even all of Kodak’s. Since films have a specific Kelvin temperature (often “daylight balanced”), the light conditions could create a cool cast even on a warm-toned film. I decided that I needed another film simulation option with a cool color cast, because film isn’t always warm, and sometimes the scene demands something that’s cool.

I call this film simulation recipe “Classic Slide” because it has a slide-film aesthetic, in my opinion. I didn’t go about trying to mimic the look of any specific film. I think it’s in the neighborhood of Ektachrome 100G, or Elite Chrome 100, or Provia 100F and 400X, although it’s not an exact match to any of those films. It’s probably a bit closer to Provia than Ektachrome. It has a general color reversal film look, without matching any one in particular.

Indoor Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Slide”

To create this film simulation recipe I began with my Kodachrome 64 recipe. You might notice many similarities. In fact, the white balance shift is the biggest change. I adjusted Sharpness down one notch just because Kodachrome was known as a “sharp” film, and this isn’t Kodachrome, but, in reality, the difference between +1 and +2 is tiny. I also set Color Chrome Effect to Off, which makes it completely compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Daylight, -2 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 Classic Slide film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Yellow Couch – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Chair & Blue Pillow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Green Leaves Indoors – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dresser Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Laying in the Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blinded by the Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Duck out of Water – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Crossing Flags – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Remaining Relic in Disrepair II – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Francis Peak in Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe, Part 2

Posted on March 16 by Ritchie Roesch

Remaining Relic in Disrepair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

One of the most popular film simulation recipes that I’ve created is Kodacolor, which mimics the look of Kodacolor VR film, and ColorPlus 200 (the same film re-branded). A Fuji X Weekly reader recently asked me to create a recipe that resembles the aesthetic of photographer Stephen Shore. Stephen has been around for many, many years, and he’s still photographing today. Over the decades he’s used many different films, and perhaps even digital in recent years, but most notably he shot Kodacolor in 35mm, 4″ x 5″ medium-format, and especially 8″ x 10″ large format.

When I was looking at Stephen Shore’s pictures, there was something about it that seemed “off” when compared to my Kodacolor recipe. Close, but off. Some of that could be attributed to the use of different films, or how the film was shot, developed and/or printed. Then I read that the medium-format and especially the large-format versions of Kodacolor film were more vibrant, more saturated, then the 35mm version, and I realized why my recipe seemed off. It needed Color to be turned up in order to mimic Stephen Shore’s pictures.

This is not a new recipe. It is my Kodacolor recipe with one change: Color is to 0 instead of -2. That’s it! The results are only subtly different, but closer to Stephen Shore’s aesthetic. I think, alternatively, setting Grain to Weak could also be appropriate, but I left it at Strong. All of the pictures in this article were captured using this modified Kodacolor recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30. This recipe (as well as the original Kodacolor recipe) is compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 6300K, -1 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to + 1-1/3 (typically)