Classic Chrome | Fuji X Weekly

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade Film Simulation Recipe

JTPX 1204 – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade”

I recently ran across some old slides that I had forgotten about, and one of those color transparencies was a frame of Kodak Elite Chrome 200 that was beginning to fade and change color. The picture wasn’t especially good, but it looked interesting because of how the image was transforming. Elite Chrome was a version of Ektachrome, which has been dubbed Fade-a-chrome, as it’s very prone to fading and discoloration, especially if not stored correctly, which this particular picture wasn’t. You can see the fading Elite Chrome 200 photograph below.

I wondered if I could create a film simulation recipe that mimics the look of fading Elite Chrome 200. I experimented with the settings a bunch, but couldn’t get it to look right. After showing my wife, Amanda, she suggested that the digital picture looked too crisp, too detailed. I made some more modifications, and found myself much closer. Not perfect, but very close. I made more changes and adjustments, but unfortunately I couldn’t get it to look better, so I went back to those settings that were very close to being right, which is the recipe here.

DGNO Locomotive – Dallas, TX – Canon AE-1 & Kodak Elite Chrome 200 35mm film

One addition to this film simulation recipe that you’ve never seen in any of my other recipes is Image Quality. I have always used Fine, because it’s the highest quality setting, but in this case Fine was, well, too fine. I set it to Normal instead so as to better mimic the transparency. While I’m sure this particular recipe is not for everyone, those looking for something that resembles film from decades ago might appreciate it, as it has an analog aesthetic, and a look that’s a bit unusual, perhaps a bit lomographic (did I just make up a word?).

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +2
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: +2
Sharpening: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Image Quality: Normal
White Balance: 8300K, +4 Red & +8 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to -2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Green Locomotive – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tank Rider – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tracks By The Refinery – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

American Joe – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Neighborhood Patriotism – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sidewalk Tricycle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Flag – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Peek – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

One Eye Open – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Bike – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fence & Path – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Out Flowing – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Mountain Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wet Red Rose – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rose Blossom Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

[Not] My Fujifilm X Urban Vintage Chrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on August 24 by Ritchie Roesch

Refine – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2 – “Urban Vintage Chrome”

Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab recently shared with me a film simulation recipe that he created. He calls it “Urban Vintage Chrome” because it has a classic analog aesthetic, it’s based on the Classic Chrome film simulation, and it pairs especially well with urban scenes. I tried it out and was highly impressed with the results. Thomas agreed to let me share it on this blog, and even allowed me to use some of his pictures in the article.

What the Urban Vintage Chrome recipe reminds me of is Bleach Bypass, which is a technique where, during development, you fully or partially skip the bleach. It increases contrast and grain and decreases saturation. The results can vary depending on the film used and how exactly it’s developed, but generally speaking this recipe produces a look that is similar to it, or at least the closest straight-out-of-camera that I’ve seen. It’s compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans III and IV cameras.

Hazy Rural Sunset – Woods Cross, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – “Urban Vintage Chrome”

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +2
Color: -4
Sharpening: 0
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 4300K, -1 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

I want to give big “thank you” to Thomas for sharing this recipe and allowing me to use some of his photographs in this article. I really appreciate it! Be sure to show your appreciation in the comments!

Example photographs using this film simulation recipe:

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X100F – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X-T2 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X100F – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Creek Ducks – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Green Locomotive – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Oil Toil – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Tracks By The Refinery – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Gate Arm Nut – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

CF Trailer – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Hidden Wall Street – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on August 2 by Ritchie Roesch

Kodachrome Slides – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodachrome 64”

Kodachrome 64 is probably the most requested film that people have asked me to create a recipe for. Kodachrome has a long history, with the first successful version debuting in 1935 (film simulation recipe here). In the early 1960’s Kodak replaced that version of the film with Kodachrome II and Kodachrome X (film simulation recipe here). In 1974 Kodak made the final version of Kodachrome, available in ISO 25 and ISO 64 (and later ISO 200) versions. This Kodachrome was discontinued 10 years ago. Kodak also discontinued the chemicals to process Kodachrome, and nine years ago the last roll was developed. This film simulation recipe is meant to mimic the aesthetics of Kodachrome 64.

In the early 1970’s there was a movement to end Kodachrome. The process to develop the film was toxic and complex. Kodachrome is actually a black-and-white film with color added during development, which you can imagine isn’t a simple procedure. Instead of discontinuing their most popular color film, Kodak made a new version that required a less-toxic (but still toxic) and less complicated (but still complicated) development process. This appeased those who wanted the film gone, but the new version of Kodachrome was not initially well received by photographers, many of whom liked the old version better. William Eggleston, for example, who used Kodachrome extensively in his early career, wasn’t a fan of the new version, and began to use other films instead.

The photography community did come around to Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome 64. Due to Kodachrome’s sharpness, grain, color, contrast and archival characteristics, this film was a great all-around option that worked well in almost any circumstance. The film became incredibly popular, and was found on the pages of many magazines, including National Geographic, which practically made its use a requirement. Steve McCurry was perhaps the best known photographer to extensively use this era of Kodachrome. He said of the film, “It has almost a poetic look with beautiful colors that were vibrant and true to what you were shooting.”

Onaqui Wild Horses – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodachrome 64”

I shot many rolls of Kodachrome 64, and a few rolls of Kodachrome 25. My favorite was Kodachrome 64 because it had a little more contrast and was slightly more saturated. It was a sad day for me when Kodak discontinued it. I was just getting into digital photography at that time, and in retrospect I wish that I had paused on digital and shot a few more rolls of Kodachrome. Kodak has hinted that they might resurrect it, but I would be surprised if they actually did because of the complex development process.

When I decided to attempt a Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe for my Fujifilm X-T30, I did some experiments, and after a few tries I thought that I had it figured out. Excitingly, I snapped many frames with these settings, but then I figured that I should consult some actual Kodachrome 64 slides to make sure that it matched. It didn’t. Kodachrome 64 looked different than how I remembered it. I was close, but not close enough, so I went back to the drawing board. A handful of experiments later I got it right, which is the recipe that you see here.

Of course, the issue with all of these film simulation recipes that mimic actual film is that one film can have many different looks, depending on how it was shot, under what conditions, how it was developed, and how it’s viewed, whether through a projector or light table, a print (and how it was printed), or a scan (and how it was scanned and perhaps digitally altered, and the monitor). There are a ton of variables! Kodachrome looks best when viewed by projector, no doubt about it, but that’s not how Kodachrome is seen today, unless you own a projector and have some slides. While I don’t think that this recipe will ever match the magic of projected Kodachrome, I do think it’s a close approximation of the film and it deserves to share the famed name.

Mayhem – Tooele, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodachrome 64”

I have Grain set to Weak, but I feel that when using this recipe at higher ISOs Grain should be set to Off. While I chose DR400, in low-contrast situations DR200 is a good Dynamic Range option. For X-Trans III cameras, which obviously don’t have Color Chrome Effect, this recipe will still work and will appear nearly identical, but it will produce a slightly different look. To modify this recipe for Kodachrome 25, I suggest setting Shadow to +1, Color to -1, Grain to Off, and Sharpness to +3.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +2
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +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 Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Shopping Cart Car – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Traffic Lamp – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Tricycle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hay Stack – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pony Express Trail – Faust, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wild Horse Country – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wild Horse Grazing – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lonely Horse – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wild & Free – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Onaqui Horses – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Spotted Green – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grassland – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

In The Dust – Faust, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Roar Forever – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Jon In The Backyard – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Big Wheel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Look Up To The Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lavender Bee – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lavender Sunset – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunset Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sun Kissed Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Tree Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Jar of Coffee Beans – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Beans To Grind – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sugar Dish – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Morning Coffee – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Processed by Kodak – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Comparing Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on July 20 by Ritchie Roesch

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I shoot JPEGs, but it’s not uncommon for me to shoot RAW+JPEG, since it gives me the opportunity to reprocess the picture in-camera, which is helpful when developing different film simulation recipes. Because of this, I was able to process a single picture I captured recently on my Fujifilm X-T30 using many of my different recipes to compare the differences. I thought that this might be helpful to some of you. Perhaps there’s one recipe that stands out to you in the pictures below that you’ve never used. Obviously different settings look better in different situations, and in this article there’s just one picture to compare, so even though you might not like how one recipe looks in this article doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t like it with different subject and in a different light. The scope of this article is quite limited, but I hope that seeing the various film simulation recipes applied to a single exposure is helpful to someone.

Not every recipe was used for this post. Some of them require a specific parameter that was not available. For example, the picture at the top was made using my HP5 Plus Push-Process recipe, which requires an ultra-high ISO, so it wasn’t possible to apply it to the exposure below. Other recipes, such as my faded color and faded monochrome, require double exposures. There are other film simulation recipes that you could try not represented below, and I invite you to investigate the different options to see if there’s one or more that work well for your photography. Let me know in the comments which film simulation recipe is your favorite and which in your opinion fits the exposure below best.

Color

Classic Chrome

Dramatic Classic Chrome

Vintage Agfachrome

Vintage Kodachrome

Kodachrome II

Kodacolor

Astia

PRO Neg. Hi

Fujicolor Industrial

Fujicolor Superia 800

Fujicolor Pro 400H

Ektar 100

Velvia (X-T30)

Velvia (X100F)

Aged Color

Agfa Optima

Eterna (X-T30)

Expired Eterna

CineStill 800T

Cross Process

Redscale

B&W

Acros (X100F)

Acros (X-T30)

Agfa Scala

HP5 Plus

Acros Push-Process

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on July 19 by Ritchie Roesch

Summit Merc – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

This is the film simulation recipe that you’ve been waiting for! Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but if you like my Kodachrome II or Portra 400 recipes, which are both very popular, you’ll likely also appreciate this one. It’s in the same neighborhood as those, producing a classic Kodak analog aesthetic. I think many of you will like this film simulation recipe.

Last week I was contacted by a Fuji X Weekly reader who wanted help creating an in-camera look that was similar to the pictures from this other photographer. It didn’t take me long to realize that the photographer in question was using a digital camera (Nikon D750) and applying a plugin preset (most likely VSCO) to achieve the desired look. If I had to take a guess, I would say that the preset is supposed to resemble Kodak Portra 400, although probably one of the alternative versions and not the straight Portra 400 preset. Anytime that I get one of these requests I always make an attempt to create it, although oftentimes my efforts are not successful and no recipe is made. This time, my first stab at it was pretty close, and a little refining made it even closer. I was able to quickly create a film simulation recipe that produces similar results in-camera to what that other photographer is getting with software.

The reason that I named this recipe Kodacolor and not Portra is that, to me, it looks more like Kodacolor VR than Portra, although the aesthetics of these two films are quite similar. Portra is the better film with improved grain, more tolerance to under and over exposure, and slightly more accurate skin tones, but overall the films produce very similar looks. Kodak originally developed Kodacolor VR film in the early 1980’s for their Disc cameras, which used a film cartridge resembling a computer floppy disc (or the “save icon”), allowing the camera to be small and easy to use. It made tiny exposures on the disc of film, and the film prior to Kodacolor VR, which was called Kodacolor II, was too grainy and not sharp enough for the small exposure to produce good results. Kodak’s solution was to create a sharper film with finer grain, which they originally named Kodacolor HR, and quickly renamed Kodacolor VR after making a small improvement. Kodacolor VR was available in ISO 100, 200, 400 and 1000 film speeds. This film simulation recipe most closely resembles Kodacolor VR 200, in my opinion. Kodacolor VR was replaced by Kodacolor VR-G in the mid 1980’s, which was later renamed Kodak Gold. Kodacolor VR was technically discontinued in 1986, but the ISO 200 version was renamed Kodacolor 200 and later ColorPlus 200, which is surprisingly still available today.

Kodak Flying Disc – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

One characteristic of Kodacolor VR is that it’s not particularly tolerant to underexposure (for color negative film), so a common technique was to overexpose the film (to prevent accidental underexposure). The side-effect of this, which is a common side-effect of most Kodak color negative films, but it’s especially pronounced on this particular film, is cyan sky. Blues tend to become an unnatural lighter color. That’s what this film simulation recipe looks like: Kodacolor VR 200 that’s been overexposed. It’s also a close proximity to Portra 400 that’s been overexposed, although it’s not quite as strong of a match for that as Kodacolor VR.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +2
Color: -2
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)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Kodacolor film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Echo Canyon Morning – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Morning Light In Echo Canyon – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Tree On The Rocky Ledge – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Western Cliff – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Rock Bowl – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Echo Mesa – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Summer Witches – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Trees Dotting The Rock – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Blue Sky Rocks – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Weber River Thistle Blooms – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Yucca Blossoms – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Sky Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Sycamore Seeds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Green Cottonwood Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Cottonwood Sun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Vintage Sunset – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Blue Hole – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Summer Clouds Behind The Green Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Summer Blue & Green – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Big Cloud Behind The Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Grey Sky Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Car Wash – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Burger Umbrellas – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Renew or Replace – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Red Curve – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Red Corner – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Moore Motor – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Better Days Behind – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Building For Sale – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Brick Angles – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Suburban Garage – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Gas – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Gas Cafe – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Neighborhood Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

The Joy of Driving Rain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Man of Steel – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Bicycle Back Tire – South Weber, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Chaos Wheel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Hat On A Bed – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Couch Pillows – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Wall Curtain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Intelligence Game – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

The Trouble With Age – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Ketchup – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Orange – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Playing With Fire – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Mastrena – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Be The Light – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Adidas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Balloon Maker – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Standing In The Water Balloon Pool – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Water Balloon Fight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Recording Summer Fun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Wearing Grandpa’s Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Johanna – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Echo Canyon Morning Freight – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Freight Train At Echo – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Eastbound Freight Through Echo Canyon – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Top 10 Most Popular Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on July 6 by Ritchie Roesch

Film simulation recipes are the number one most popular type of article on Fuji X Weekly. These posts are what most people come to this blog to read. In fact, so far this year, the top twenty most read articles are all film simulation recipes. I thought it would be fun to share which are the most popular recipes, based on how many times they’ve been viewed so far this year. The newest ones haven’t been around long enough to make this list, so maybe I’ll periodically revisit this topic.

Top 10 Most Popular Film Simulation Recipes:

#10. X100F Acros

Walking Man – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

I was surprised to learn that this recipe, which is my original Acros recipe and the second film simulation recipe that I created, is the only black-and-white settings to make this list. I guess B&W isn’t as popular as color.

#9. X100F Astia

Zions Bank Building – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

This was one of the early film simulation recipes that I created. Honestly, it’s not my favorite, even though I liked it when I created it. I think it requires the right light to be effective, and it certainly can be effective, but it’s a little flat (lacking contrast) for many situations. Still, as I stated in the article, it’s a better option than keeping the camera on Provia with everything set to 0.

#8. X100F Ektar

Summer Boy – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100F

This recipe uses Astia, as well, yet produces much different results. While the regular Astia recipe is rather flat and bland, this one is vibrant and bold–sometimes too vibrant and bold. It’s not for everyday photography, but it’s an especially good recipe for the right subject.

#7. X100F Velvia

Trees, Rocks & Cliffs – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X100F

This is another early film simulation recipe. It was one that I always had programmed into the Q menu, until I made a new Velvia recipe that I liked more. Still, these are good settings that I used regularly for many months.

#6. X100F Eterna

Expedition Lodge – Moab, UT – Fujifilm X100F

This was my attempt to create something that resembles the Eterna film simulation for those who have a Fujifilm camera without Eterna. More recently I created an alternative Eterna recipe that I much prefer.

#5. X100F Fujicolor Superia 800

Caramel Macchiato – Sandy, UT – Fujifilm X100F

What I appreciate about this recipe is that it produces a nice negative film aesthetic with a slightly green-ish color cast. Many of my recipes tend to lean warm, so this one is a reprieve from that. I think it delivers lovely results, and I can definitely understand why it’s a popular recipe.

#4. X100F Portra 400

Jump – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

What I don’t appreciate about this recipe is that it requires a tricky white balance setting that’s difficult to get right. If you can get the custom measurement correct, the results are great. I should revisit this recipe and attempt to create this look without requiring a vague custom white balance measurement.

#3. X100F Classic Chrome

Closed Drive Thru Window – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X100F

This was the very first film simulation recipe that I created. It produces a look in the Ektachrome neighborhood. It looks nice and I’m not surprised that it’s so popular, but I have created other recipes that use Classic Chrome that I prefer more.

#2. X100F Vintage Kodachrome

Old Log In Kolob Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Vintage Kodachrome is intended to mimic the look of the first generation of Kodachrome, which was used by photographers like Ansel Adams, Chuck Abbott, Barry Goldwater, and others. It’s a fun recipe, producing a vintage slide aesthetic.

#1. X-Pro2 Kodachrome II

Pueblo de Taos – Taos, NM – Fujifilm X-Pro2

Classic Chrome is a popular film simulation, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that the top four recipes are all based on it. Kodachrome II is the only recipe in this list not developed on the X100F, although it can (like all of these recipes) be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. This recipe is intended to mimic the look of the second generation of Kodachrome, which was used by photographers like Ernst Haas, Luigi Ghirri, William Eggleston and others. It’s one of my absolute favorite recipes that I’ve created.

Now it’s your turn. Which of these 10 recipes do you like most? Which recipe not on this list is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

My Fujifilm X-T30 Faded Color Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on June 15 by Ritchie Roesch

Fading Memories – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Faded Color”

This recipe is a failure. More accurately, it’s a failed attempt at a certain aesthetic. It doesn’t look like what I was hoping it would look like. It’s close, but no cigar. What it does look like are faded color photographs from perhaps the 1950’s through 1970’s. I have some old issues of Arizona Highways magazine from the 1950’s, and these pictures have a similar look to what’s found in those magazines. You might have some old family photos that have faded over time and perhaps look like the pictures that this recipe creates. You can also achieve this washed-out “milky” look through darkroom techniques. Even though this recipe doesn’t look like what I was trying to create, it looks really amazing, and I am astonished that this look can be achieved in-camera.

What I was trying to create was a certain cinematic characteristic. I was asked by a Fuji X Weekly reader to create a film simulation recipe that produces a look similar to the aesthetic of the Wong Kar Wai movie Chungking Express. I had never seen this movie, so I had to do much research, and thankfully a lot of great information was easily found online. I discovered that the motion picture film used in the movie was Agfa XT320, and that it was often (but not always) push-processed, sometimes one stop and sometimes two. A technique called flashing was used a number of times in the movie, which involves flashing the film with light to give it a smoky, atmospheric, or faded feel, lowering contrast. It’s a type of double exposure, except that the second exposure is nothing more than a little light. Another technique that was used in the movie was to give different scenes a certain color cast using gels. Wong Kar Wai likes to create scenes with one predominant color, and so you will find elements in the scene that are the same color as the color cast. He used a slow shutter speed in the movie to blur motion. There were a ton of different techniques used, and so you can probably understand the difficulty of the task. You cannot incorporate everything into one recipe, so I had to make some choices and create a plan to try to achieve something that looks similar to the movie.

My idea was to attempt a recipe that resembled push-processed Agfa XT320 that has been flashed and has a color cast. I decided to use the double-exposure feature on my Fujifilm X-T30 and white balance shift to achieve this. For the second exposure, which needed to be white, I tried a number of things, including a miniature portable studio, but after some trial-and-error, I settled on a plain white 4″ x 6″ index card. I would hold it a few inches in front of the lens and make the second exposure. Auto-focus would never lock onto it, and I figured that a blurry exposure might actually be preferable. For the color cast, I found that one exposure should not have a shifted white balance and the other should. Initially I was adding the color cast to the main exposure and not the white exposure, but then I switched that and liked the results better for some reason. I used the 16:9 aspect ratio to make it a more cinematic shape. Unfortunately, I could never get the results to look quite right for Chungking Express. I think I was in the general ballpark, but not as close as I was hoping. Fortunately, what I did create was pretty interesting, so I kept shooting with it, except I used the 3:2 aspect ratio.

Main Motion – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Faded Color”

To use this recipe, you must set the camera to double-exposure, which on the X-T30 is found on a knob on the top. You capture the main exposure, then you must make some adjustments for the second exposure. The white balance must be shifted and the exposure compensation must be adjusted. For the white balance shift, I found going almost to the extremes works well. For a yellow cast, choose 0 Red & -8 Blue. For an orange cast, choose +8 Red & -8 Blue. For a red cast, choose +8 Red and 0 Blue. For a purple cast, choose +8 Red & +8 Blue. For a blue cast, choose 0 Red and +8 Blue. For a cyan cast, choose -8 Red and +8 Blue. For a green cast, choose -8 Red & 0 Blue. For green-yellow cast, choose -8 Red & -8 Blue. The exposure compensation for the white exposure is a little tricky. A lot depends on how bright the white is (whether it has direct light on it or if it is in shade) and how faded you want the image to look. It takes a little practice, but the good news is that the camera shows you exactly what the results are going to be, and even allows you do-overs if you don’t like it. I found that sometimes 0 was good, I found that sometimes -2 was good, and often -2/3 or -1 was a good choice. Each picture should get individual consideration. The second exposure is a picture of something white, such as the blank index card that I already described, although you could certainly try other things if you find something that might work better for you. This creates a faded look that almost seems unbelievable that it came out of the camera unedited.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: +4
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto (use a shift on the second exposure)
ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (main exposure), 0 to -2 (second exposure)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using my Faded Color recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30:

Good Life – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Or Another – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Santa – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Makeup – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Walking Without Wondering – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bike Repair – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Transit Train Transportation – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kid Bowling – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Instax Girl – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Guitar Cat – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cracked Eggs – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Good Vibes – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Steps & Vines – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lake Grass – Willard Bay SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Faded Daisies – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Soft Rose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Roses – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Rose Faded – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dark Rose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Big Red Ball Catching – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tona – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hanging Bulbs – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wet Bloom – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Caboose Steps – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Breakboy – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lake Boy – East Canyon SP, UP – Fujifilm X-T30

Springtime Lake – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

East Canyon Reservoir – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm Classic Chrome Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on January 6 by Ritchie Roesch

Classic Chrome is one of the most popular film simulations available on Fujifilm X-Trans cameras. It produces a look similar to quintessential Kodak color transparency films like Kodachrome and Ektachrome, which graced the pages of publications like National Geographic and Arizona Highways for many years. With all things vintage being in style, there is a huge draw to the analog-esque results produced by the Classic Chrome film simulation.

I love Classic Chrome and I have used it as the base for a bunch of different film simulation recipes. It’s possible to achieve a number of different interesting looks straight out of camera by adjusting the settings. Honestly, I think that I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. I plan to create even more film simulation recipes using Classic Chrome in the coming months. As I do, I will add them to this article.

Below you will find all of my different film simulation recipes that I have created that use Classic Chrome. If you haven’t tried them all, I personally invite you to do so and see which are your favorites! My personal favorite is Kodachrome II, but they each have their own usefulness and charm. Let me know in the comments which recipe you like most!

Even though the different recipes say X100F, X-Pro2, and X-T20, they are completely compatible with any Fujifilm X-Trans III or IV camera. For example, you don’t have to use the X100F recipes exclusively on the X100F. You can use any of my recipes on any X-Trans III camera.

My original Classic Chrome recipe.

My dramatic Classic Chrome recipe.

My Vintage Kodachrome recipe.

My Kodachrome II recipe.

My Vintage Agfacolor recipe.

My Kodak Portra recipe.

My Fujifilm XF10 Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on September 30, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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I have created many wonderful film simulation recipes for X-Trans III cameras, but none of those can be used on my Fujifilm XF10. I had to create brand-new film simulation recipes for this camera. I used my experience with other Fujifilm cameras to create different straight-out-of-camera looks that I would appreciate.

You can only have one custom setting saved on the XF10. The default settings that I have programmed for the camera are my Classic Chrome recipe. If I want a look with more saturation I’ll adjust the settings to my Velvia recipe. If I want black-and-white I’ll adjust the settings to my Monochrome recipe. It’s a little bit of a pain to be constantly switching, so I try to not go back-and-forth any more than I need to.

While I use these recipes on my XF10, they’re compatible with the X-T100, X-A5, X-A3 and any X-Trans I or X-Trans II camera. The rendition might vary slightly from model-to-model, but the overall look should be fairly consistent. These settings won’t translate to X-Trans III or X-Trans IV.

Aside from some minor cropping, the photographs in this article are all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs. I like to keep my workflow as simple as possible, and Fujifilm’s different film simulation options allow me to rely on camera-made JPEGs. Using JPEGs instead of RAW saves me a ton of time. I appreciate being in front of a computer less and behind a camera more.

Below are my Fujifilm XF10 film simulation recipes!

Classic Chrome

Ghosts of the Past – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

This is my go-to film simulation option. I use it significantly more often than the other recipes. It has a classic Kodak film look, although not exactly like any one in particular. I think it most closely resembles 1960’s era Ektachrome, but it’s not an exact match. Even so, it looks great and is quite versatile. It has a lot of contrast, just vibrant enough colors and a warm tone.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: +1 (0 sometimes in high-contrast situations)
Shadow: +2
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpening: -1
White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -4 Blue

Kids At The Lake – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Bolsey 100 – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Terminal Windows – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Flag On A Pole – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

FED 5c Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Velvia

Vibrant Bloom – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Velvia was one of my favorite films. It produced incredibly vibrant colors. Apparently Fujifilm didn’t intend to make such a wild film, it was more of an accident than anything else, but it quickly become the standard film for color landscape photography. Something interesting that I recently learned is one of the people who helped develop Velvia for Fujifilm also helped develop the Velvia Film Simulation. The film simulation isn’t a 100% match to Velvia 50, but perhaps closer to Velvia 100F. My recipe is intended to produce a look that is closer to Velvia 50.

Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: 0 (+1 in low-contrast situations, -1 in high-contrast situations)
Shadow: +1
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpening: -1
White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -3 Blue

Historic Dragon – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Scattering of Red – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Sunlight Through The Forest – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Green Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Yellow Amid Red – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Monochrome

Shy Horse – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

The XF10 lacks Fujifilm’s greatest film simulation: Acros. Instead it has the old Monochrome option, which is alright but not nearly as good as Acros. Despite this, it is possible to get nice black-and-white camera-made JPEGs from the XF10. There are four different options, and to understand what each does one must understand what different colored filters do to black-and-white film, as +Y simulates using a yellow filter, +R simulates a red filter and +G simulates a green filter. If you know how to use color filters on black-and-white film then you know when to pick which option on the XF10.

Monochrome (Monochrome+Y, Monochrome+R, Monochrome+G)
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: +1 (+2 in low-contrast situations)
Shadow: +2 (+1 in high-contrast situations)
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpening: -1

Wishes Waiting – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Plastic Fingers – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Hat Abstract – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Dream – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Tilted Pier – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

My Fujifilm X-Pro2 Dramatic Classic Chrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

This film simulation recipe, which I’m calling Dramatic Classic Chrome, is the first that I’ve created for the Fujifilm X-Pro2. Up until this point all of them have been for the X100F; however, what I’ve discovered is that these settings are 100% compatible with all X-Trans III cameras. I figured that this was the case, but it wasn’t until my X-Pro2 arrived in the mail a few weeks ago that I was able to verify it. Any of my recipes will work on the X100F, X-Pro2, X-T2, X-T20, X-E3 and X-H1, even though the title says, “My X100F Film Simulation Recipe” or “My X-Pro2 Film Simulation Recipe.” Use this on any and all X-Trans III cameras, including the X100F.

I was experimenting with the JPEG settings on my X-Pro2, and specifically I was attempting something that looked vintage-film-like, perhaps similar to cross-processed slide film. I didn’t have a specific film in mind, just a certain look. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to achieve exactly what I had in mind, but what I did create I like, and I think it’s actually a good Classic Chrome recipe. It’s a little bit grittier and dramatic than my standard recipe.

Interestingly enough, the look changes a bit depending on the light and lens. In high contrast situations, you’ll get a high contrast image, with dark shadows and bright highlights. In low contrast situations, you’ll get a good amount of contrast with shadows and highlights that retain their details. This film simulation definitely has a film-like quality, but not any specific film or process. Perhaps it’s in the neighborhood of Agfa transparency film that’s been cross-processed, but that’s not really accurate. Maybe Ektar that’s been push-processed a couple stops? I’m not sure about that, either.

Securely In Father’s Arms – Mount Rushmore, SD – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

One thing that I did different with this film simulation recipe is set Dynamic Range to auto. In auto the camera almost always chose DR100, so you could just set it to DR100 instead of auto and get the same results. I did not use DR200 because I wanted more contrast, although on a couple occasions, in really high contrast scenes, the camera chose DR200. I’ve yet to find a situation where the camera chose DR400.

Something else to point out is, while I have the saturation set to 0 in this recipe, on some photographs I changed it to +1 and some other photographs I changed it to -1, situation specific. I think 0 is good for most pictures, but some seem to look better with just a little more or a little less color saturation.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +3
Color: 0
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: +1
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & +1 Blue
ISO: Auto up to 12800
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 or +2/3 (typically)

Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs, using my Fujifilm X-Pro2 Dramatic Classic Chrome Film Simulation recipe: