Three Unsung Film Simulation Recipes to Try Today!
There are popular Film Simulation Recipes that it seems everyone is using, and there are ones that don’t get nearly as much attention. The majority of the most popular Recipes use the Classic Chrome film simulation, so those that aren’t based on Classic Chrome tend to get less use. There are some excellent options that can get overlooked, and in this article I will highlight three specific ones that perhaps you’ve never tried.
This was actually the topic of yesterday’s SOOC Live broadcast, which I included below in case you missed it. Nathalie Boucry and I spent the first part of the show catching up on all that transpired since our last episode, and then spent the second half discussing three unsung Recipes: Astia Summer, Expired Velvia, and Monochrome Negative. Be sure to watch it now if you weren’t able to catch it when it was live.
With over 350 Film Simulation Recipes on Fuji X Weekly and in the Fuji X Weekly App (available for Apple and Android), it can be difficult to know which ones to program into your camera. Which ones should you choose and when should you use them? Some people enjoy trying them all, others have found their favorites, and some are not sure where to even begin. This article is simply highlighting three to try if you’re not sure which Recipes to use.
Below are three unsung Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras. I hope that you give at least one of them a try today!
Astia Summer is one of the 14 Fujifilm X-T50 Film Dial Recipes. My Film Dial Recipe is a universal Recipe that works well with all of the various film simulations. While the universal Recipe approach is easier on the X-T50 thanks to the Film Dial, it can be done with any Fujifilm camera simply by setting one of the FN buttons to open the film simulation submenu. By programming the Astia Summer Recipe into your camera, you potentially unlock as many as 14 Recipes in total—amazing!
What I like about the Astia Summer Recipe is that it is colorful and warm. While it’s not intended to mimic any film emulsion, it does have some vague similarities to Kodak Ektar 100, but it isn’t necessarily a great match for that. This Recipe is excellent for landscape photography, especially in situations where Velvia is too vibrant. While Astia in general can be quite good for portrait photography, Astia Summer is probably just a tad too vibrant for portraits. This Recipe is quite versatile, and can be used anytime of the day or night. It is compatible with all of the fifth-generation models, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50; also, it is compatible with the “newer” X-Trans IV cameras: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II.
The Expired Velvia Recipe uses Classic Negative and not Velvia. Why? Someone shot a roll of Fujichrome Velvia 50 film that was well-expired, and shared with me their scans of the film; interestingly, it looked very similar to Classic Negative, and not Velvia. This Recipe mimics those film scans very well, producing a convincing analog-like rendering. Aside from resembling expired Velvia film, this Recipe might also be reminiscent of some cross-processed emulsions or even old photographic prints from 1980’s. It’s definitely more of a lomo look, and is not true-to-life.
For best results, use this Film Simulation Recipe in sunny daylight. It might be ok in other situations, too, but definitely try it when the sun is out. You will likely have to underexpose a little, paying careful attention not to clip the highlight. The Expired Velvia Recipe is compatible with X-Trans IV cameras (except the X-T3 and X-T30) and all X-Trans V models, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50.
Monochrome Negative is a lovely black-and-white Recipe with similarities to Agfa Scala, but a little softer. It has good contrast and nice tonality. Be very careful with the exposure, as highlights can clip easily—there’s a good chance your Exposure Compensation Dial will be set at -2/3 or even -1.
There are a number of excellent B&W Recipes, and it can be difficult to know which one to choose. They can seem quite similar, too, which might make it even more difficult. My personal favorite is Kodak Tri-X 400, but Monochrome Negative is also an excellent choice. Because it uses Grain size Small, Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue Off, and Clarity 0 (no Clarity pause!), it is highly compatible across sensor generations—simply ignore the settings that your camera doesn’t have. Monochrome Negative can be used on all X-Trans III, IV and V models, which (as of this writing) are the X-Pro2, X-T2, X-T20, X100F, X-E3, X-H1, X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50.
