I bet you’ve figured out which is which, but if you haven’t, in the train picture at top the left is Nostalgic Neg. and the right is Eterna. For the set above, the Eterna picture is left and the Nostalgic Neg. is right.
What’s different between the two? There’s quite a bit different between out-of-the-box default Nostalgic Neg. and Eterna, but Eterna can be made to look quite similar to Nostalgic Neg.—this was just a quick experiment, and with some more time and work, I could probably get it even closer. Nostalgic Neg. has a little more contrast, a lot more vibrant colors, and is slightly warmer than Eterna. With some modifications to make the two appear similar, though, it seems that the biggest difference is that Nostalgic Neg. is slightly warmer and more vibrant in the shadows, and yellow is rendered a little more deeply; otherwise, you can almost match them identically.
So what does it take to create faux Nostalgic Neg. with Eterna? I’m still fine-tuning it, but I believe that, using Eterna, reducing Highlight by -1, increasing Shadow by +1.5, reducing Dynamic Range by one or maybe two spots, adjusting White Balance Shift by +2 Red and -1 (or maybe -2) Blue, increasing Color by +6… this obviously means that Color has to be a negative value (at least -2) on Nostalgic Neg. in order to match it. This is all still a work-in-progress, but it does mean that a fairly close faux Nostalgic Neg. recipe for X-Trans IV is possible, and in the process of being created. If you feel as though you’re missing out on Nostalgic Neg.—don’t fret!—if your camera has Eterna, it can, to an extent, mimic it—stay tuned for a Film Simulation Recipe!
I went down a pretty deep rabbit hole. I started researching cinematographer Greig Fraser, which led to investigating other great cinematographers, such as Roger Deakins, Rodrigo Prieto, Hoyte van Hoytema, Caleb Deschanel, and several more. I spent quite a bit of time learning about various motion picture techniques. I came to the conclusion that cinematographers often better understand light than many photographers. By “understand light” I mean 1) light qualities, 2) how light is rendered on what it is being captured on, 3) how to use or manipulate light so that it is rendered precisely as intended, and 4) how light affects moods and emotions. Granted, a movie has a whole team of people who’s job it is to control and manipulate the light, but the cinematographer (working with the director) is the one in charge of it.
You might notice when watching a movie that the colors and color cast change from scene-to-scene. The way you respond when viewing a predominately blueish scene is much different than a reddish scene. The colors, among other things, trigger certain responses from the viewers, and cinematographers use this extensively, and often brilliantly. Sometimes it’s quite obvious, and sometimes it’s much more subtle, and you might not even notice unless you’re paying careful attention. If you understand light similarly to a cinematographer, you could do the same thing in your photography.
Another thing that I stumbled across is gear. Obviously film and digital have different aesthetics—digital is much easier to work with, especially when it comes to incorporating special effects and CGI, but it can come across as clean, clinical, and soulless. Film has more character and a different feel, but is much more difficult to work with. There are also digital-film hybrid techniques. Whatever method is used will affect the final aesthetic. Some cinematographers like working with modern lenses, and some—like Greig Fraser—prefer vintage lenses because they have more character. Filters are a big part of the process. Color correction filters (to control the light) and diffusion filters (to give atmosphere) are pretty common. I was surprised to learn that some cinematographers like putting water, silicone, dirt, etc., on the filter to dirty them, and some even like shooting through glass (in-between the camera and the subject).
This is probably more than you ever wanted to know, but I think it’s important to understand for this recipe. First, the light you shoot in will affect how pictures are rendered (definitely not unique to this recipe, but worth noting). Cool light will give a cool color cast, warm light will give a warm color cast. You’ll want to think about the light—how it will render—and the mood or emotions you want to convey in your photographs. Second, inspired by Greig Fraser, I used vintage lenses for these photographs, mostly a Helios 44-2. You don’t have to use vintage glass, but I do think it helps to achieve the desired aesthetic. Third, for most of these images (especially if there was a bright light source) I used a 5% CineBloom diffusion filter. What I appreciate about this filter is that it’s quite subtle. The 5% CineBloom filter is not a requirement for this recipe, but it helps give it a filmic look, especially when there are bright highlights, so I do recommend it if you have one.
This “Cinematic Negative” Film Simulation Recipe isn’t modeled after any specific motion picture film, but is more inspired by a generic daylight-balanced cinema film aesthetic after researching a number of different cinematographers. It is compatible with the Fujifilm X-T30 and X-T3 cameras. To use it on newer X-Trans IV cameras (X-Pro3 and newer) plus X-Trans V, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0 (or -2 in lieu of the 5% CineBloom filter), and decide on either Grain size Small or Large. For the X-H1, you can use this recipe if you ignore Color Chrome Effect; however, it will render slightly differently. I used the 16:9 aspect ratio for some of these photographs, but use whichever aspect ratio you prefer.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +1 Shadow: +2 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -1 Grain Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect: Strong White Balance: Incandescent, +8 Red & -9 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3
Below are all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Cinematic Negative” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:
Horseplay – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30
Scrabble – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30
Palms Trees – Glendale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30
Bougainvillea Blue – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30
Crisscross Contrails – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30
Last Light on Rooftop – Glendale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30
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Hold onto your hats, because, for this Film Simulation Recipe, we’re going to dive deep into the obscure and practically forgotten history of a unique film called GAF 500. We’re going to explore the intriguing history of GAF, discover what made this film unique, and discuss how this new GAF 500 Film Simulation Recipe came to be. You are in for a treat today!
GAF actually began in 1886 as the Standard Paint Company of New Jersey. After acquiring a holding company in 1928 that had (among other things) majority ownership of AGFA, the company changed its name to General Aniline & Film—GAF for short. Also in 1928, AGFA merged with Ansco, so in addition to acquiring AGFA, GAF also got ownership of Ansco, which was founded in 1842. Originally named E. Anthony & Co., after merging with Scovill Manufacturing in 1901 it was renamed Ansco (“An” from Anthony and “sco” from Scovill). Ansco was headquartered in New York, and was Kodak’s biggest competitor for many decades. The merger with AGFA was intended to bring Ansco’s photography products to a global market, which would allow them to better compete against Kodak.
Then World War II happened, and in 1941 the U.S. government seized and took ownership of GAF and Ansco (separating it from AGFA, which was a German-owned business), and officially merged Ansco into GAF. The U.S. government retained ownership of GAF until 1965, when it sold all of its shares.
Morning Sunlight on a Curtain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – “GAF 500”
In 1967 GAF introduced a revolutionary new film: GAF 500. It was a high-ISO 35mm color transparency (slide) film—the highest ISO color film during its time; the second-highest color ISO film (another GAF emulsion) was rated at ISO 200, so it was more than twice as “fast” (as they called it back then) as the second fastest. 30 years prior to the introduction of GAF 500, the highest ISO color film was rated at ISO 8, so having an ISO 500 option was unthinkable back then, and a lot of people wondered why anyone would need such a high-ISO film. While it was mostly sold under the brand name GAF, it was sometimes sold as Anscochrome 500. Was GAF/Anscochrome 500 any good?
From all accounts, you either loved GAF 500 or hated it. The grain was extremely pronounced. Colors were “good” yet muted (a.k.a. “neutral” or “natural”) and generally considered to be not as “nice” as Kodak’s. It didn’t push-process nearly as well as, it wasn’t quite as sharp as, and it didn’t pair with color correction filters as well as Kodachrome or Ektachrome. It was inferior to all other color emulsions except for one fact: it was fast! You could use it when other films wouldn’t work due to low light. If it was dark and you wanted to shoot color, GAF 500 was your best bet.
GAF 500 had a warm color cast—some described it as orange, some said red-orange, and others stated that it was red—not as warm as some Kodak emulsions, but warm nonetheless. The shadows tended to lean blue. If you pushed the film, it had a purple cast across the frame. Some people liked how it looked when shooting under fluorescent lights or stage lights, and was a popular choice for concert photography.
What people seemed to like most about GAF 500 is that it was gritty yet soft. It was grainy, like a high-ISO black-and-white film, and it was contrasty with a very narrow exposure latitude—it was easy to blow out the whites or block up the blacks; however, it also had low color saturation (or was “more neutral” as some put it) , and the gradations were gentle. It was like a biker ballerina, if you will. Some people loved the aesthetic of GAF 500, and would use it even in bright-light situations just for the look that it produced. Many photographers steered clear of it just because there were “better” options, such as push-processing lower ISO films.
There was a time in the 1970’s that GAF was everywhere. It was the official film of Disneyland, and, for a time, was the only brand of film that you could purchase inside the park. Sears sold GAF cameras and film. Henry Fonda was the spokesman. Despite that, GAF struggled to be profitable competing against Kodak, Fujifilm, and other brands.
GAF made a few minor “improvements” to their ISO 500 film over the years, and (from what I read) it seemed to get “better” towards the mid-1970’s. In 1977, due to sluggish sales, GAF decided to get out of the photography business altogether. GAF/Anscochrome 500 was discontinued, along with all of the other GAF films. The Ansco brand name was licensed out to other companies for years to come, although it was largely used for rebranded films and not original emulsions. GAF 500 was gone forever.
Perhaps thanks to Alien Skin Exposure software, there’s been a renewed interest in GAF 500. Alien Skin has a GAF 500 preset that is supposed to allow you to mimic the aesthetic of the film with your digital images. I’ve used it before, and that’s the closest I’ve come to shooting GAF 500. It’s been awhile since I’ve used Exposure software, so I don’t recall too much about the preset (other than it was grainy). So, for this Film Simulation Recipe, I spent significant time studying whatever I could find on the film. There’s a lot of written information out there, but photographs were hard to come by. Still, I found some, and did my best to emulate the look with my Fujifilm X-E4.
Recreating GAF 500 on my Fujifilm camera was tricky for several reasons. First, I wouldn’t have considered Eterna as the best base (just because it lacks the necessary contrast to emulate a contrasty slide film), but after trying Classic Chrome, PRO Neg. Low, and Eterna Bleach Bypass, I decided to give Eterna a go. Bingo! This one had the right tonality (those “gentle gradations”); however, I do wish that Shadow could be set to +5 to get deeper blacks, but that’s not an option. Another tricky aspect was achieving the warm, reddish/orangish color cast that could still produce a hint of blue in the shadows. Fujifilm cameras aren’t capable of split-toning, so I did my best to approximate this with the white balance; I do wish the shadows were just a little more blue, but it’s not possible without sacrificing the overall warmth. Another challenge was replicating the grain. Fujifilm’s option of Grain Strong Large wasn’t nearly as pronounced as it needed to be, so I set out to supplement it with digital noise using high-ISO. But how high? ISO 1600 wasn’t nearly enough. ISO 3200 wasn’t enough, either. ISO 6400… much closer, but not quite there, either. Should I dare try ISO 12800? Yes, that’s it! More importantly, it looks good, which I had my doubts about.
With slide film, depending on the emulsion, you had to nail the exposure exactly, as the dynamic range was extraordinarily narrow. You didn’t know what you had until you got the film back from the lab (or developed it yourself at home); some frames would be underexposed, some frames would be overexposed, and some frames (hopefully) would be correctly exposed—I found examples of all three when searching for GAF 500 photographs. You can achieve similar aesthetics with this recipe if you want, by either dropping the exposure a little or increasing it a little—the exact look of this recipe will vary some depending on the exposure. While I couldn’t replicate every potential GAF 500 aesthetic with this one recipe, and no recipe will ever be 100% spot-on accurate (because of the limited tools available on the camera, and because the results of one film can vary significantly depending an a whole host of factors), I do believe that this recipe is pretty close to replicating the look and feel of GAF 500 film—at least from the perspective of someone who was born after the film was discontinued, so I never had a chance to use it myself.
Because this “GAF 500” recipe uses Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue, it is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, and is not compatible with the X-T3 or X-T30. Those with X-Trans V cameras can also use it, and it should render identically, although I have no first-hand experience to verify that. Those with newer GFX cameras can use it, too, although it will render differently. Because of the ultra high-ISO that’s required, I recommend using your electronic shutter and a small aperture (like f/8, f/11, or even f/16) when shooting in bright light outdoors.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR100 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +4 Color: 0 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 2900K, +9 Red & -9 Blue ISO: 12800 Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “GAF 500” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Eat – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bird Scooters – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Orange Lighter & Abandoned Home – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
FAO JUG – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Why Love? – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Twin Dumpsters – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Garfield – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Overhead Crane – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Oversized Load – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
And So It Begins – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Air Garage & Graffiti – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Can in the Sage – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Suburban Barrel Cacti – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Double Peace – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Table Roses – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlit Curtain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Yellow Trumpets & Sunstar – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bougainvillea Branch in the Blue – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Orange Trumpet Flower Blossoms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
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This particular Film Simulation Recipe is one that I’m especially proud of. I was tasked to create some settings that mimic the aesthetic of Lisa Sorgini’s Behind Glass project, and I believe I got pretty close. I have no idea if Lisa shoots digital or film, and, if film, what film and process, but my suspicion is that it’s digital post-processed to have a vintage analog look. This recipe captures that aesthetic quite well. I call it Vintage Color.
What I like most about this “Vintage Color” recipe, and it was a great surprise when I discovered it, is that it’s pretty close to the aesthetic of famed Hudson River School painter Albert Bierstadt, particularly his Yosemite paintings. It may not mimic any specific film, but, no doubt about it, this is an artist’s recipe! I know that many of you will absolutely love it, and it will quickly become a fan favorite. It’s a personal favorite of mine.
Fuji X Weekly App Patrons have been able to use this recipe since May, because this was a Patron Early-Access Recipe on the App. The best App experience is reserved for Patrons, and one of the benefits is early access to some new recipes. This recipe was replaced by a different Early-Access Recipe, so now it’s available to everyone. If you are an App Patron, be sure to look for the new Early-Access Recipe!
This “Vintage Color” recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4 and X-T30 II cameras. As a reminder, Clarity causes the camera to pause for a moment after each shot; alternatively, try using a mild diffusion filter, like 1/8 Black Pro Mist or 5% CineBloom, for a similar effect.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +3 Color: +1 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 7350K, -1 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs captured using this “Vintage Color” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Urban Reflection – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Storm over Structure – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Windshield Rain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Joy Behind Glass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Caution – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Tracks & Trees – Capitola, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Warm Blossoms – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Golden Forest – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Sun – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Half Dome Through The Trees – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
The Captain – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Merced River – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
El Cap & Merced – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
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Last Warm Light on Wasatch Front – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Negative Print”
This film simulation recipe was inspired by various pictures I found while browsing old issues of Arizona Highways magazine. I have a small collection of old issues of this publication, which I enjoy flipping through from time-to-time for inspiration. Arizona Highways has a long history of publishing great photographs—even Ansel Adams was a regular contributor back in the day. As I was browsing old issues published over several decades, there was a certain aesthetic that seemed to reappear over and over. It caught my attention because of how lovely it looks. I don’t know the specifics of the film used—most likely Kodak of some sort, and probably multiple emulsion. My suspicion is that the printing process played a significant part in the aesthetic, and that’s why I call this recipe Negative Print.
After some experimenting, I decided that the Eterna film simulation was the best base. Because of that, this recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X-H1, X-T3, and X-T30 cameras (as well as older GFX models, although the results will be slightly different). For newer X-Trans IV cameras (plus newer GFX), you’ll have to decide on Grain size (either Small or Large—I recommend Large), Color Chrome FX Blue (I recommend Off), and Clarity (I suggest either 0 or -2). I really like how this recipe renders pictures, and at times it really is reminiscent of those pictures printed in the magazine!
White & Red Rose – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Negative Print”
If you are looking for a classic analog aesthetic, this recipe is a great one to try. The way it renders shadows and colors definitely gives it a film-like look, and I know that this recipe will quickly become a favorite for some of you. I think it might just have a permanent place in my X-H1.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +4 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -1 Grain Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect: Off/NA White Balance: Fluorescent 3, -2 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3
Below are example pictures, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Negative Print” Film Simulation Recipe:
Fire & Pine – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Trail in the Trees – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Tree by a Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Old Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Snow on the Creek Bank – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Small Waterfall – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Rural Pipe – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Suburban Snowman – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Love Yourself – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Stairs to Foot Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
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Red Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Eterna v3”
This film simulation recipe began as an attempt to recreate a certain look. It wasn’t successful, and I didn’t like the look of it, but it sat as a C3 preset on my Fujifilm X-T30 for many months. Recently I decided to revisit this preset, and, after a couple of quick adjustments, I had something that I liked. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mimic the aesthetic that I was asked to recreate. Fortunately, it looks pretty good nonetheless, so I’m making it an official recipe.
What does this film simulation recipe resemble? There are some similarities to Eterna 250D developed using the ECN-2 process, but it’s not an exact match. Maybe push-processed Eterna 250D? I’m still not sure, as I didn’t find very many examples to compare it to. Since I wasn’t sure what to call this recipe, I named it Eterna v3. The original Eterna recipe can be found here and the Eterna v2 recipe can be found here.
Yellow Path – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Eterna v3”
While I think this recipe does well enough in many circumstances, it seems to be best suited for sunny days, including “golden hour” photography. This recipe isn’t directly compatible with the Fujifilm X-H1 because it uses Color Chrome Effect; however, if you want to use it on the X-H1, simply ignore CCE and try it anyway—it will look slightly different, but you might like it anyway. For “newer” X-Trans IV cameras, like the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II, you’ll have to decide what Grain Size to select—either Small or Large—but otherwise this recipe is compatible with your camera.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +3 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Grain Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect: Strong White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -1 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3
Below are all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Eterna v3 Film Simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30 camera:
Girl on Playground Swing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Red Playground Structure – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Caution for Falling Bicycles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Yellow Leaves at a Park – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Yellow Leaves on the Ground – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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One of my favorite film simulations is Eterna. There’s a special quality to it that’s different than the other film simulations, with its low contrast and muted colors. Yes, you can get pretty close to Eterna using PRO Neg. Std, but you cannot completely match the lovely subtle tonality of it. I think the Eterna film simulation is a little underrated, as it’s a great base for crafting recipes, and I was eager to create a new look with it—so I did!
Real Eterna is a motion picture film. Actually, there have been a number of different film stocks that Fujifilm has given the name Eterna to. The film simulation of the same name doesn’t exactly match any specific Eterna film, yet it has a great general Eterna cinematic feel. In my opinion, the Eterna film simulation is good for achieving an analog color negative film aesthetic.
The first recipe that I created that uses the Eterna film simulation is simply called Eterna, and I really like how that one turned out. I wanted to make something similar, but not identical, using the additional JPEG options that Fujifilm has added to their newer X-Trans IV cameras. I wanted a warm vintage film look—something that could possibly be confused as being actual analog—without being based on any specific film. I think it looks pretty good, and I hope that you do, too.
El Capitan – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Eterna v2”
Because this film simulation recipe requires the new Auto White Priority white balance, it is only compatible with the X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4; however, for outdoor natural light photography, using Auto white balance will produce identical results, which means that you can use this Eterna v2 recipe with the X100V and X-Pro3! For indoor artificial light photography, using Auto white balance will produce overly warm images, so Auto White Priority works better, but right now only the three newest Fujifilm X cameras have that option. For the X-T3 and X-T30, in addition to using Auto white balance, you’ll have to disregard Color Chrome Effect Blue and Clarity, and consider setting Highlight to +2 and Shadow to +1 plus Sharpness to -2 to compensate, as well as disregard Grain size (simply use Strong). It won’t be identical, but it will be very similar—I tested it out on my X-T30 and it works.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +2 Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: 0 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto White Priority (X100V + X-Pro3: Auto), +4 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Eterna v2” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Faux Plant on a Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
J.C. Higgins – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Empty Grapefruit Box – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Duerden’s Will Call – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Reaching Tree Branches – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Flower Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Click – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sevenhundred Sixty – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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I created my original CineStill 800T film simulation recipe about two-and-a-half years ago. That recipe has remained quite popular. It’s received a lot of positive feedback and I remain quite proud of it. That recipe was created for X-Trans III cameras, but newer models have more JPEG options. I’ve been asked a few times if that recipe can be improved using the new features that weren’t around when I created it.
This new version is something that I’ve been working on for months and months. My CineTeal recipe is actually one of the failed attempts. I’ve been trying to achieve either an accurate CineStill 800T or Kodak Vision3 500T look straight-out-of-camera. These two films are actually the same film, but the CineStill version has the RemJet layer removed, which means that it is more prone to halation and can be processed in C-41 chemistry. Vision3 500T is meant to be developed using the ECN-2 process. With either CineStill 800T or Vision3 500T, how the film is shot, developed, and scanned and/or printed can significantly effect the aesthetic.
I’m not 100% satisfied with this recipe. I think in some situations and in certain lighting, it looks pretty darn accurate to the film. In other situations and in other lighting, it’s a little off. There’s a lot of variation in how the film can look, and it’s just not possible to encapsulate it all in one recipe. In any event, if you are looking for a recipe that produces results similar to Tungsten film, this is one to consider. It is only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: +2 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -3 Clarity: -5 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Fluorescent 3 (Cool White Fluorescent), -6 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new CineStill 800T film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Garage Door Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Inside Looking Out – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fuel Stop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Quick Quack– Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Old Navy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Brick at Night – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Empty Bench – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
40% Off – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Hi – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Navy Surplus Baskets – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Ghost Shoppers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Remodel – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Red Cotton – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Lit Corner – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Chillin’ in the Drive Thru – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Tree Leaves at Night – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Night Rose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Hot Beans – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Kitchen Ornament – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Book Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
End Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Girl in Window Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Home Umbrella– Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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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Lavender – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Eterna”
I haven’t forgotten about my Fujifilm X-T1! My last five film simulation recipes have been for my new X100V, but I will continue making recipes for other sensors. Not everyone, probably not most Fujifilm X shooters, have the latest models, so the recipes for those cameras are irrelevant to many Fuji X Weekly readers. There will still be many articles related to the X100V, but I will continue to publish articles about other Fujifilm cameras, too. I’ll try to keep things balanced.
This “Eterna” film simulation recipe is my best facsimile of my X-T30 Eterna recipe. Obviously X-Trans II cameras don’t have the Eterna film simulation, as well as other options that the X-T30 has. It’s impossible to make an exact match, but this one is surprisingly pretty close. It looks nothing like straight-out-of-the-box Eterna, but it resembles pretty closely my Eterna recipe, which requires some big adjustments to various settings.
Red Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Eterna”
My X-T1 “Eterna” recipe has a strong warm color cast, and it has a fair amount of contrast. It reminds me of Kodak Gold printed on Kodak paper, but I’m sure it’s not an exact match for that, just a general impression. This recipe is not for every situation, but it can look great for certain pictures.
PRO Neg. Std Dynamic Range: DR100 Highlight: +2 (High) Shadow: +1 (Medium-High) Color: +2 (High) Sharpness: +1 (Medium-High) Noise Reduction: -2 (Low) White Balance: Auto, +6 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Eterna” recipe on my Fujifilm X-T1:
Yellow Truck with Red Graffiti – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Empty Trailers – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Evening Thistle – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Someone’s Watching – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Authorized Persons and Vehicles Only – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Bike Lane Ends – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Stump by the Water – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Pole Reflection – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Sunstar Tree – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Empty Bench – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Ford 250 – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
SkyWest – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Statue Girl on Bench – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Shadow Stripes – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Toes & Couch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Josh in the Window Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Kitchen Succulent – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Tree Branch Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Cloud Above The Mountain Ridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
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Red Lights & Raindrops – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Cine Teal”
Baseball legend Lefty Gomez said, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” This particular film simulation recipe was a failure, but it was a lucky failure. I’ve been trying to create a Kodak Vision3 500T recipe, but I can’t get it right. I’ve tried a number of different combinations of settings, but I haven’t cracked the code (yet). This was one attempt. Under the right light, it does resemble Vision3 500T, but under most conditions it does not. Even though it was a failure, I like the look of this recipe, so I thought I’d share it with you.
I call this new film simulation recipe “Cine Teal” because it looks a bit cinematic thanks to the Eterna film simulation, and has a teal, green or yellow cast, depending on the light. This recipe looks best when used in the “blue hour” of dusk or dawn, and does well in shade and on overcast days. It can be used in other situations, but the results tend to be so-so, although you can still get interesting pictures sometimes. This recipe is a little limited in where it works best, but in the right situations it can look very nice. It’s not for everyone, but some of you will really appreciate it.
Sunlit Tree Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Cine Teal”
Because this film simulation recipe requires the use of Clarity, it will slow your camera down considerably. Fujifilm suggests, if you shoot RAW+JPEG, to add Clarity later by reprocessing the RAW file in-camera or with X RAW Studio. I just use the pause to slow myself down. This recipe is only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4.
Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -2
Shadow: +4
Color: -1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Clarity: -5
Grain Effect: Weak, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong
White Balance: 4550K, +1 Red & -9 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Cine Teal” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Small Garden Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Roses Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Roses are Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Waiting Wishes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Subtle Rays – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Cloud & Half Moon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Cloud – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Evening House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Shadow of Self – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Apple & Bike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Masked Man – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Urban Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Evergreen – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Small Table & Chairs – Orem, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Grand Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Mischievous Smile – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Learning to Play – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Lights Off – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Coffee Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Asian Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Dining – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Hood Ornament – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Open for Business – Orem, UT – Fujifilm X100V
FedEx – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Movie Theater – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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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A Fuji X Weekly reader asked me to create a film simulation recipe that mimics Kodak Vision3 250D motion picture film. Kodak introduced Vision3 250D in 2009. While it’s a color negative motion picture film, it can also be used for still photography. I’ve never used this film, but as I researched it, I came to realize that this one film can produce many different looks, depending on how it’s shot and developed. In fact, you can develop it using either the C-41 or ECN-2 process, and you can even develop it as black-and-white. You can push-process several stops. There’s a lot of latitude for over and under exposure.
As you can imagine, it would be impossible to create a film simulation recipe that mimics every possible look from this film, or even most. I focused in on one specific aesthetic, although I can’t say for sure how that aesthetic was achieved, and made a recipe that mimics it. I think I came pretty darn close. Perhaps more importantly, these settings look good. There’s a certain quality to the pictures made using this recipe that’s especially lovely. Some of you are really going to love these settings!
Flowers on a Tree Branch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Vision3 250D”
Since Kodak Vision3 250D is a motion picture film, I had fun using this film simulation recipe in the 16:9 aspect ratio from time-to-time because it is a more cinematic shape. If you used the film for still photography, most likely the frame would be a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is what I chose for most of these pictures. You can choose any aspect ratio that you’d like. If you have an X-H1, which doesn’t have Color Chrome Effect but does have Eterna, you can still use this recipe, but the results will be slightly different.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR100 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +4 Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Fluorescent 1 (Daylight Fluorescent), -3 Red & -1 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Below are all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodak Vision3 250D Film Simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30 camera:
Blue Bokeh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Nighttime Fire Hydrant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Yellow Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Lights Strung Across The Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Forever the Perfect Accessory – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Artificial Light Rays – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Reserved Parking – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Grass by a Waterfall – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Three Ducks – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tree & Purple Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Green Leaves & White Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Webs in the Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Sky Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Clouds & Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Chopped Logs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fake Flower Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Shy & Uninterested – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Sunglasses Indoors – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Boy in Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Beans in the Grinder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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Pear Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid II”
I was recently viewing vintage Polaroid pictures online while conducting research for my “original” Polaroid film simulation recipe, and I stumbled across one picture in particular that caught my attention. It was dark, contrasty, with low saturation and a blue-purple color cast. I really liked the way that this picture looked. After digging a little deeper I discovered that this wasn’t a real Polaroid, but a digital image given a Polaroid aesthetic using a VSCO preset (I’m not sure which one). I set out to recreate that look in-camera, and that’s how this “Polaroid II” recipe came to be.
This isn’t a recipe that I would use all of the time, but it’s interesting sometimes. It’s actually somewhat similar to my Expired Eterna recipe. It’s not terribly far off from my Bleach Bypass recipe, either. If you like those two, you might also appreciate this one. In the right situations, this recipe will give you a vintage analogue look with just the right range of expression. This recipe is compatible with all X-Trans IV cameras.
Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Shade, +4 Red & +6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to -1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Polaroid II” recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:
Buildings in Park City – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Directv – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Roofs in a Row – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Slope – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Pine Tree & Cloud – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
White Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Pear Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Veiled Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
You – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
You II – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Kitchen Succulent – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Map & Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Young Barista – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
The Joy of Writing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Girl with Blue Bow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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Red Benches & Post Office – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid”
I get asked frequently to create film simulation recipes for all sorts of different looks. Sometimes I’m successful, oftentimes I’m not. I received one such request recently that was a little unusual: the stills from the television series True Detective. The set photographer for this show is Michele K. Short. The show itself was shot using Kodak Vision3 50D and 500T film. Michele likely photographed the stills with her Leica M10-P, and edited them to look like analog pictures. Honestly, I have no idea what specific film they’re supposed to resemble, but I was able to pretty quickly create something that is in the ballpark of those stills.
I looked and looked at different films to figure out what this aesthetic might be close to. I didn’t find anything that I was satisfied with. There were a couple of films that I thought, “Well, you can make an argument, but it’s a stretch.” I decided that it most reminds me of Polaroid peal-apart film, perhaps 669. It’s not intended to resemble Polaroid, and perhaps it doesn’t do so very well, but I needed a name, and I wasn’t going to call this recipe “True Detective” so I went with “Polaroid” instead. Whether this does or doesn’t resemble Polaroid, I think you’ll find it produces interesting results. Some of you are going to really appreciate this film simulation recipe!
Abstract Architecture – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid”
You can get good results with this recipe when you over, under or correctly expose, but some of my favorite pictures were overexposed. There’s a lot of latitude with this recipe. It’s fun to play around with. It seems especially well suited for high contrast scenes, although it can still be used in mid and low contrast scenes. It’s compatible with all X-Trans IV cameras and the Fujifilm X-H1.
Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -2
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -1
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Polaroid” recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:
Red, White & View – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Storm Behind Rural Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Thistle Evening – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Girl Unsure on Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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Unlike the last video, which had Amanda behind the video camera, I captured all of the footage for this one. While I was doing it, I did my best to think, “How would Amanda record this shot?” I didn’t do a particularly good job, though, but I did record a lot of content in hopes that there would be something usable. I employed my Fujifilm X-T30 with a Rokinon 12mm lens for both the video and stills. Amanda took all of it into editing software and somehow made this great video. Honestly, I don’t know how she did it. She really did an incredible job!
If you haven’t done so already, please visit the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel. I invite you to subscribe. Feel free to like, comment and share. Over the coming weeks and months you can expect more video content to be added, thanks to the talents of my wonderful wife, Amanda.
If you are interested in purchasing the gear used for this video, you’ll find my affiliate links below. If you make a purchase using my links I will be compensated a small amount for it.
Gap of Light – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Eterna Low-Contrast”
After choosing my Eterna film simulation recipe for the Film Simulation Challenge, I thought it might be interesting to attempt a low-contrast Eterna recipe. I wanted to replicating the look of low-cost color negative film, but I didn’t have any specific film in mind, and didn’t do any of my typical film research. What I did do was play with the settings until I found something that I thought might look good. Even though Eterna is supposed to look cinematic, I’ve found it to be a great starting point for color negative aesthetics, and in the case of this recipe, it sometimes roughly resembles Fujifilm C200 and it sometimes (oftentimes?) doesn’t.
I almost didn’t share this recipe. I do sometimes create film simulation recipes that I don’t share, usually because I’m not happy with the results. There’s something not right about it, so I keep it to myself, and either shelve it or attempt to improve it. I was really on the fence with this one. On one hand it can sometimes produce really lovely results, and on the other hand it can be too flat and boring. It seems to require strong light and bright colors, and it makes something beautiful and soft out of it. Even outside of those parameters it can occasionally render a picture quite nice, but often it just delivers a boring rendition. It’s for those times where it might be the just-right recipe that I decided to share it, and hopefully it will be useful to some of you.
Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -1
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: 5900K, -3 Red & +3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using my Eterna Low-Contrast film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30:
Red – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Sunset In The City – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Vintage & Antique – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Been Better – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
No Trespassing – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Everyone Has A Cross To Bear – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Joe Shortino – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
The Good Stuff – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Shopping Cart Line – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Cart – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fishing For A Laugh – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Sitting In The Evening Light – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Jo Cool – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Kitchen Towel Roll – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
R Is For Roesch – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Too Many Coffee Beans – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Third Wheel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Backyard Shed – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Green Tree Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Cottonwood Tree Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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For this third installment of the Film Simulation Challenge, where I use the same settings for 24 or 36 exposures, similar to shooting a roll of film, I chose my Eterna film simulation recipe. This particular recipe isn’t meant to mimic the look of any real film, but nonetheless it has a color negative aesthetic. I “loaded” this “film” into my Fujifilm X-T30, and exposed 36 frames. Sometimes I had a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to the front of the camera, and sometimes I had a Fujinon 90mm f/2. Both of these lenses are fantastic. I like the way this Eterna recipe looks, and I think Eterna in general is under appreciated. Only a few cameras have this film simulation, so perhaps that’s why it’s not discussed as much as it deserves, but I think it’s great, and I was glad to use it here.
Frame 2: Can’t See The Forest #1 – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Frame 4: Can’t See The Forest #2 – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Frame 8: Trying To Understand – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
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.
Red Tricycle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
I used to shoot film. I don’t much anymore, but I was one of those crazy holdouts that refused to go digital when it seemed as though everyone else had. Eventually I succumbed, and I’ve been shooting digitally for awhile now. One thing that I appreciate about Fujifilm cameras is that they produce images that are a little more film-like and a little less digital-esque than other camera brands. This shouldn’t surprise anyone as Fujifilm started out as a film company. On Fujifilm cameras one will find many great film simulation options. The most recent addition is Eterna, which is modeled after their motion picture films, but it can be made to resemble color negative film. What I appreciate about film is it has character that’s often lacking in digital cameras.
While Eterna was a motion picture film, it was also made and sold in limited quantities for still photography. A Fuji X Weekly reader recently purchased and used an expired roll of Eterna and shared one of the pictures. Using expired film is always an interesting endeavor because you don’t know exactly what you’ll get. Depending on the film, how long it has been expired and how it was stored, the results can vary significantly. The picture that the Fuji X Weekly reader shared had a purple color cast, which is a common trait of expired film.
There are many reasons why an analog picture might have a purple color cast, not just because the film expired. If the film was exposed to too much heat (such as left in a hot car) the pictures might have a purple cast. If a print or slide isn’t stored correctly it could turn purple over time. I’ve seen cross-processed film produce a purple color cast. You can even buy purple film. While I’ve called this recipe “Expired Eterna,” it’s not necessarily meant to exactly mimic expired Eterna film, but to produce an analog film look that could have turned purple for any number of reasons, including but not limited to being expired.
American Debt – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
You might notice that I didn’t include an ISO setting in this recipe, and that’s because you can use any ISO you’d like. I got interesting results all the way up to ISO 25600. In fact, you might use an ultra-high ISO on purpose to get a certain look that you can’t get at a lower ISO. Trying this recipe at different ISOs is a fun experiment. It’s also interesting to see the results you get from different exposures, whether slightly overexposed or underexposed. Expired Eterna is a fun recipe to play around with, and I enjoyed pairing it with vintage lenses.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR100 Highlight: +4 Shadow: +4 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Grain Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect: Weak White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & +5 Blue Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:
Bloom Purple – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Pink Paper Flower – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Sunlight Through The Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Backlit Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Rural Evening – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Country Trees – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Cottonwood Trunk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Little Flowers & Stone – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Rosebud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Country Foot Bridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Boy Behind Chain-Link – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Orange Cones – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Reaching Rosebud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Sycamore Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Dusk Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Mountain View Evening – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Spring Sky Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Sunset Whisper – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Dramatic Sky Behind Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Bright Storm Clouds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Grey Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Disk Girl – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Jo In A Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Wearing Grandpa’s Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Lady’s Sun Hat – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
American Suburb – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Light Flag – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Green Spray Bottle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Curious Kitchen Curios – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
High ISO:
Cirrus Clouds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800
Sycamore Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800
Cottonwood – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800
Cottonwood Cotton – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 25600
Old Wheelbarrow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 25600
“Expired Eterna” for X-Trans III:
Bottle Vases – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Alternate recipe using PRO Neg. Std instead of Eterna.
I know that not every Fujifilm camera has the Eterna film simulation. Right now Eterna can only be found on the X-T3, X-T30, X-H1 and the GFX line. For those who don’t have it, I’ve made an alternative recipe that produces similar results using PRO Neg. Std. I found that Shadow set to 0 isn’t quite strong enough, but +1 is too strong, so pick whichever you like better. While the results aren’t 100% identical, it’s still a pretty close match. You do have to drop the exposure by about 1/3 stop compared to using Eterna. I hope that this is useful for some of you.
PRO Neg. Std Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +1 Shadow: 0 Color: 0 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Grain Effect: Strong White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & +5 Blue Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to 0
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Eterna is beautiful. Fujifilm’s most recent film simulation, Eterna, has a lot of potential for creating lovely color negative film aesthetics. Even though it has the lowest contrast and lowest color saturation of all the different film simulation options, I suspect that it has significant potential for mimicking many analog looks. It has a film-like feel to it.
Real Eterna was a motion picture film. You’ve likely seen movies and television shows captured on Eterna and didn’t even know it. While Fujifilm invented and intended the Eterna film simulation for video use, which it is quite good for, they made it available for still photographs on X-Trans IV cameras, such as the Fujifilm X-T30, as well as GFX cameras and the X-H1. Unfortunately, if you don’t have one of those cameras you can’t use this recipe. [Update: if your camera doesn’t have Eterna, you can use this alternative (click here)]
I wasn’t trying to mimic the look of any particular film when I invented this recipe. I was just playing around with the settings and really liked what I found. It has an analog feel to it. Initially the look reminded me of something from Nik Anolog Efex. As I used these settings, I found myself getting interesting results. Depending on the lighting and exposure, I was achieving different looks, despite using the exact same settings. Sometimes the results remind me of overexposed Fujifilm 400H, sometimes pushed-process Fujifilm Superia 400, sometimes underexposed expired Superia 800, and sometimes Superia 1600. Occasionally it doesn’t resemble any of those films. It’s not supposed to look like any specific film, yet it often does, but results vary.
Gathering Raindrops – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
I have always included a typical exposure compensation in my different film simulation recipes, but I didn’t do that this time because you get different results with different exposures. You can select -1 exposure compensation and you can select +1 exposure compensation, or anything in-between, and achieve various looks. You have to play around with it and decide what you like. Also, while I have Auto-ISO set to ISO 6400, I really feel that the best results are found at ISO 3200 or lower. You’ll have to decide how high you want to go with the ISO. For those using this on the X-H1, which doesn’t have Color Chrome Effect, you’ll get very similar results but it will be slightly different.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR100 Highlight: +4 Shadow: +4 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: +2 Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Below are all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Eterna Film Simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30 camera:
Fake Plants For Sale – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
Light Lens – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
Trapped Inside – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
Franklin – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
Taste On Sale – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
Jarred Pig – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
Neon Dragon – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
Neon Reflection – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
25th Street & Lincoln Avenue – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
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The X-T30 has Fujifilm’s latest film simulation: Eterna. The only other cameras that have Eterna are the X-H1 and the X-T3. This film simulation mimics the look of actual Eterna film, which was a motion picture film that also had a very limited run for still photography. You’ve likely seen movies and television shows that were captured on Eterna and just didn’t know it. I’ve never shot this film myself, so I have no personal experience with it.
I was quite excited to try the Eterna film simulation. It is the lowest contrast and lowest saturated color film simulation that Fujifilm offers, kind of the antithesis of Velvia. It definitely has a cinematic quality to it. It makes lovely pictures that have a softer feel, but I think it requires the right lighting and the right subject to really work. Below you’ll find a few images that I created using the Eterna film simulation. At some point, once I’ve played around with it more, I’ll make a film simulation recipe that uses Eterna.
Johanna Eating A Cracker – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
What Do You Want? – Layton, UT – Fujifim X-T30 – Eterna
Empty Church Pews – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
Last year I made an Eterna film simulation recipe, but one that doesn’t use Eterna. Instead, it uses PRO Neg. Std, and it’s designed for X-Trans III cameras that don’t have Eterna. It’s “Eterna” for those who don’t have Eterna. It was a guess, since I had not used the actual film or the film simulation, but had only seen some samples online. Now that I’ve had a chance to use the Eterna Film Simulation, I can say that it was close but not quite right. Below you’ll find my updated faux “Eterna” film simulation recipe:
PRO Neg. STD
Dynamic Range: DR400
Hightlight: +2
Shadow: -2
Color: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: Auto, 0 Red and 0 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3
Here’s a comparison of real Eterna and fake Eterna:
Eterna Film Simulation
Faux “Eterna” using PRO Neg. Std
I debated about the Highlight setting. I feel that +2 is too much but +1 is not enough (if only there was a +1.5 option). I went with the brighter option, but +1 is a legitimate choice, so you’ll have to decide which you like better. I also debated on the Color setting, as -3 is almost not saturated enough, but I felt that -2 was too saturated, so there’s another choice that you’ll have to make. Another thing I went back and forth on was the White Balance Shift, as I think -1 Blue or even +1 Red and -1 Blue could be justified, so there’s another thing to consider. There are different settings that can be fine-tuned to taste, but I think overall this is pretty close to actual Eterna for those who don’t have Eterna.
