favorite film simulation

Which Film Simulation Recipe, When? Part 5 — Fujifilm X-Trans V (X-T5, X-H2, X-H2s)

Posted on by Ritchie Roesch

Way Over That Way – Tucson, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Thommy’s Ektachrome Recipe

Part 1 — Part 2 — Part 3 — Part 4

I get asked all of the time when to use which Film Simulation Recipe. With nearly 300 on the Fuji X Weekly App to choose from, it can be difficult to know when each Recipe should be chosen. Besides, you only have C1-C7 Custom Presets on your Fujifilm camera (most of you, anyway). Which seven Recipes should you have programed? When should you select them?

To understand the idea behind this post, it’s important to go back to Part 1, which explains it all. Definitely review the earlier articles in this series if you never saw them or if it’s been awhile. When I started, the Fujifilm X-T5 wasn’t even announced yet, and I had zero X-Trans V Film Simulation Recipes. By the time I published Part 4, I had a couple of Recipes for the X-T5, but only a couple. This followup had to wait awhile.

I still don’t have a ton of X-Trans V Recipes, but I do have just enough that I could complete this Part 5. I do want this to be an ongoing series, but new posts will likely be few and far between, so don’t expect a Part 6 anytime soon.

Below I will suggest to you seven Film Simulation Recipes (one for each C1-C7 Custom Preset) for you to program into your Fujifilm X-Trans V camera, and state when to use each. If you have a Fujifilm X-T5, X-H2, or X-H2S (or any other X-Trans V camera that is released after this is published), I invite you to try these Recipes for the situations that I recommend.

C1 — Kodak Portra 400 v2 — Golden Hour

Flock of Cranes – Gilbert, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe

Kodak Portra 400 v2 is a Recipe that does well at anytime during daylight hours, and as the name suggests it is a good option for portrait photography, but I’m going to recommend it specifically for “golden hour” near sunrise and sunset. This really could be your primary use-all-of-the-time Recipe, and that’s why I suggest placing it in C1, but when the sun is low to the horizon, make sure that this is the one you’re shooting with. I personally use this Recipe frequently.

Alternatives for “golden hour” photography:

Nostalgia Negative
Kodak Negative

C2 — 1970’s Summer — Midday

More Than Double Wide – Arlington, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – 1970’s Summer Recipe

You might be surprised that Kodachrome 64 didn’t make it to the top-spot on this category. I love that Recipe and think it’s a wonderful choice—don’t be afraid to choose it over this… or even over Kodak Portra 400 v2 for “golden hour” photography. Yet, for midday—which I’m defining as daylight that’s in-between the “golden hour” light of sunrise and sunset—I think 1970’s Summer is tough to beat. It’s not the most versatile Recipe, but if the sun is out, it’s an excellent option.

Alternatives for “midday” photography:

Kodachrome 64
Kodachrome 25

C3 — Kodak Ultramax 400 — Overcast

Rainy Day Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Ultramax 400 Recipe

For dreary overcast, Kodak Ultramax 400 is my favorite option. It is a versatile Recipe, so it’s not just good for rainy days, but many other situations, too, including golden hour, midday, shade, indoor, nighttime and more. This could be your go-to Film Simulation Recipe. Emulsion ’86 and Thommy’s Ektachrome are very good runners up, and could also be alternatives for C2.

Alternatives for “overcast” photography:

Emulsion ’86
Thommy’s Ektachrome

C4 — Timeless Negative — Indoor

Dark Coffee – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Timeless Negative Recipe

For natural light indoor photography, my top choice is the Timeless Negative Recipe (although any of the Recipes listed above this could work well, too). Timeless Negative is an all-rounder that could be used in most situations and produce excellent results, but specifically I’m recommending it for natural light indoor pictures. For artificial-light indoor images, use the recipes for nighttime photography below.

Alternative for “indoor” photography:

Standard Provia
Nostalgic Print

C5 — Superia Xtra 400 — Nighttime

Night Blossoms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Superia Xtra 400 Recipe

I don’t yet have a “Tungsten” Film Simulation Recipe for X-Trans V, but that doesn’t mean you are out of luck. I’ve gotten good results at night with both Kodak Ultramax 400 and Timeless Negative, but Superia Xtra 400 is my favorite for after-dark photography. Superia Xtra 400 is also good for any of the C1-C4 situations mentioned above, as it’s a versatile Recipe—it’s another that could be your go-to for any situation. The two alternatives mentioned below are great options for golden hour or midday photography—I prefer both for that, and Pacific Blues is one of my absolute favorites—but I have also had decent results with those two Recipes at night, so they are worth your consideration (either in C5, or in C1 or C2).

Alternatives for “nighttime” photography:

Pacific Blues
CineStill 400D v2

C6 — Vintage Bronze — Wildcard

Paperflowers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vintage Bronze Recipe

In Parts 1-3, this category was called Alternative Process; however, for Part 4 and Part 5, since there is no Film Simulation Recipe that fits that category, it was renamed Wildcard. My top-option for it is Vintage Bronze, which produces vintage analog-like results in a variety of situations, including daylight and indoors. Alternatively, you could fill C6 with a favorite color Recipe that didn’t make it to C1-C5 above (such as Kodachrome 64 or Pacific Blues). Otherwise, the two options below are also great choices to program here.

Alternative “wildcard” Recipes:

Summer of 1960
CineStill 400D v1

C7 — Ilford FP4 Plus 125 — B&W

Window Shade Pull – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Ilford FP4 Plus 125 Recipe

Technically speaking, Ilford FP4 Plus 125 is the only black-and-white Film Simulation Recipe made specifically for X-Trans V cameras—and it’s a very good Recipe! But, X-Trans IV B&W Recipes are also compatible with X-Trans V cameras, and of those Kodak Tri-X 400 is my all-time favorite. I definitely recommend that one, but Ilford FP4 Plus 125 is excellent, too.

Alternatives for “B&W” photography:

Kodak Tri-X 400
Ilford HP5 Plus 400

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

Fujifilm X-T5 in black:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver:  Amazon  B&H  Moment

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and nearly 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

Take the Blind Film Simulation Recipe Test to See Which Might Be Your Favorite!

Posted on by Ritchie Roesch

Coastal Blooms – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues Recipe

Andrew Goodcamera (formally known as Andrew & Danae) just published a YouTube video in which he conducts a blind film simulation and Film Simulation Recipe test. In the video Andrew shows six sets of 15 pictures. The images are a mix of stock film simulations (no recipe) and various Film Simulation Recipes. As you watch, you are supposed to take note of which pictures stand out to you—perhaps even take a guess at which Recipe you think was used for your favorite—and maybe discover a new Recipe to try that you didn’t realize you’d like. It’s a fun little experiment!

Back in January Andrew reached out to me because he had a video idea, and he needed a list of popular Film Simulation Recipes for it. He didn’t tell me what his video idea was, only that he was going to mention Fuji X Weekly and needed a list of Recipes. I happily provided him with what he requested, and that was the end of the story until today when I noticed he posted a new video. I’m very appreciative for his kind words and honored for the shoutout—thank you, Andrew!

I’m not going to say anything more until you’ve watched the video. I have some commentary that I want to add, but don’t want to spoil it for you, so take a moment right now to watch the video. Don’t scroll past the video below until you’ve watched it! Oh, and make sure you have a notepad handy to keep track of your picks.

Did you watch it? If so, keep scrolling down and let’s compare notes. If not, this is your last chance before you encounter some spoilers, so don’t go any further until you’ve seen the above video!

I had provided Andrew with 10 Film Simulation Recipes, which were the top ten most popular (by page views) from 2022. I wasn’t sure if he had used all of them or not, and I didn’t find out until the reveal that he had used six. I didn’t try to guess which pictures were which Recipes, but just wrote down which three images I liked most (best, second best, and third best) in each set.

What I picked most was picture J. In almost every set (four out of six) I chose that one as my favorite, and if it wasn’t number one it was second or third favorite (six selections total). I had a strong suspicion that it was Pacific Blues, and it turns out that it was indeed that Recipe. Pacific Blues is one of my absolute favorite Recipes, and this blind test just affirms that.

My next most-picked picture was O, although it was not my top favorite in any of the sets, only second or third (picked four times total). I wasn’t really sure which one that was, and was surprised when it was Vintage Kodachrome. I haven’t shot much with that particular Recipe in awhile, so I guess I need to!

The third-most picked picture was G (picked three times total: once number one and twice number two). I had a hunch that it was Kodachrome 64, but I wasn’t certain; turns out my hunch was right.

Picture I, which turned out to be Kodak Portra 400, was picked once for number one and once for number two. Picture H, which turned out to be Kodak Ektar 100, and picture D, which was my Classic Chrome Recipe, were each selected once for third favorite. The only stock film simulation (non-Recipe) picture that I selected was E, which is default Classic Negative, chosen once for third favorite.

Now it’s your turn! What were your top picks? Were you surprised by your findings? Comment below to let me know!

One last note: if you missed today’s SOOC Live broadcast about Street Photography, you can watch it now (click here). We had a great show, which was the first with the new format, so you’ll want to make sure to give it a view. Also, I want to give a big “thank you” to everyone who tuned in and participated!

My Favorite Fujifilm Film Simulations (The 1,000th Post!!!)

Posted on by Ritchie Roesch

I captured this yesterday with my Fujifilm X-E4 using an upcoming recipe.

This is the 1,000th post!

I started the Fuji X Weekly blog on August 21, 2017, with the intention of writing one article per week. Initial this was a long-term review (or journal, as I called it) of the Fujifilm X100F, but (obviously) it morphed into something much different than that. Life has a way of taking you down roads you wouldn’t have considered or even thought possible. Here we are, four years and ten months later, and this website doesn’t much resemble its origins.

Firstly, Fuji X Weekly is no longer about one camera, but about all Fujifilm cameras. Secondly, its focus is no longer mere journalling; instead, the primary purpose of this page is JPEG camera settings, called Film Simulation Recipes, that allow you to achieve straight-out-of-camera results that look good—you don’t have to edit if you don’t want to. And, of course, there’s the Fuji X Weekly App, so you can take these recipes with you on the go—almost 250 of them!

Also captured yesterday with my X-E4 using an upcoming recipe.

I wanted to do something special for this important 1,000th article. I knew that it needed to be related to film simulations and recipes somehow, but I wasn’t sure how exactly. Like the time I didn’t know why the ball kept getting bigger, then it hit me (sorry for the bad joke…)—I figured it out: for this article, I would rate my favorite film simulations—from most liked to least liked—and also share my favorite Film Simulation Recipes for each. The new Nostalgic Negative film simulation isn’t in this list because I’ve never used it, so I have no idea how I would rank it, but I do believe it’s one that I would particularly appreciate.

Without further ado, here are my favorite Fujifilm film simulations, plus my favorite Film Simulation Recipes for each!

#1 Acros

Motel – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

Love at first sight!

When I tried the Acros film simulation on my Fujifilm X100F for the first time, I was blown away by it, as it produced the most film-like results I’d ever seen straight-out-of-camera. It was a big reason why I decided to stop shooting RAW and rely on camera-made JPEGs instead. I’m a sucker for black-and-white (probably because I shot a lot of it in my early film days), and the Acros film simulation produces incredibly lovely monochrome pictures. Acros is found on all X-Trans III, IV & V cameras, as well as GFX.

Favorite recipes:

Kodak Tri-X 400
Agfa Scala
Acros Push-Process

#2 Classic Negative

Classic Mirror – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”

Modeled carefully after Superia film, Classic Negative is the closest film simulation to replicating the aesthetic of actual color negative film (albeit, Fujicolor film, not Kodak). It is programmed uniquely and beautifully—there’s so much to love about it! For color photography, I could shoot exclusively with Classic Negative and be happy. Unfortunately, this film simulation is only found on the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, as well as X-Trans V and GFX.

Favorite recipes:

Fujicolor Natura 1600
Fujicolor Superia 800
Xpro ’62

#3 Classic Chrome

Two Caballeros – Culleoka, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodachrome 64”

Prior to the introduction of Classic Negative, Classic Chrome was my favorite color film simulation, with its distinctive Kodak color palette. While it’s third on this list for me, I bet that it’s number one for many of you, since the most popular Film Simulation Recipes are those that use it. Fujifilm introduced it in 2014 with the X30, and retroactively gave it to some of their prior X-Trans II cameras (although not all) via firmware updates. Most Fujifilm models have Classic Chrome, and all since 2014 do.

Favorite recipes:

Kodachrome 64
Kodak Portra 400 v2
Vintage Kodachrome

#4 Eterna

Sentinel & Merced – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Vintage Color”

The Eterna film simulation has a uniquely soft tonality; while it can be somewhat mimicked with PRO Neg. Std, there’s nothing that can completely faithfully replicate it. Because its beauty is in its subtleness, it can be easily overlooked. Some might think it’s only for video (which it is good for, too), but it is great for still photography. It was introduced on the X-H1, but that’s the only X-Trans III camera with it; otherwise, Eterna can be found on X-Trans IV, V, and GFX.

Favorite recipes:

Vintage Color
Kodak Vision3 250D
Negative Print

#5 Monochrome

Haystack Driftwood – Cannon Beach, OR – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford HP5 Plus 400”

While the Acros film simulation grabs the headlines, the Monochrome film simulation is itself a solid black-and-white option; however, because I liked Acros so much I basically ignored it for years, which is unfortunate. Monochrome has a different tonality than Acros and doesn’t have the built-in Grain, but it is still an excellent film simulation—one of the best, in fact. All Fujifilm cameras have the Monochrome film simulation.

Favorite recipes:

Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Ilford Pan F 50 Plus
Dramatic Monochrome

#6 Eterna Bleach Bypass

Low Sun over Tetons – Grand Teton NP, WY – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Ferrania Solaris FG 400“

This is Fujifilm’s latest film simulation (aside from Nostalgic Negative, which is currently only found on one GFX camera, but soon on X-Trans V), and it’s basically the Eterna film simulation but with lots more contrast and even more muted colors. Eterna Bleach Bypass can deliver stunning results that are definitely different than what’s possible with the other options. This film simulation is only found on the X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-Trans V, and the newest GFX models.

Favorite recipes:

Ferrania Solaris FG 400
Lomochrome Metropolis
Ektachrome 320T

#7 PRO Neg. Std

Lakeside House & Road – Culleoka, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Fujicolor Superia 800”

PRO Neg. Std used to be my third favorite film simulation, behind Acros and Classic Chrome. It has a subtle beauty with muted tones and contrast—similar to Eterna (although not quite as pronounced) but with more of a color negative feel than cinematic. Even though Fujifilm has introduced new film simulations that I like better, I still very much appreciate this one. Most Fujifilm models (with the exception of a few really old ones) have PRO Neg. Std.

Favorite recipes:

Fujicolor Superia 800
Fujicolor 100 Industrial
CineStill 800T

#8 Velvia

Hoodoos – Bryce Canyon NP, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Vibrant Velvia”

Velvia 50 was my favorite color transparency film for landscape photography. While the Velvia film simulation isn’t a close approximation of that film straight out of the box, it can be made to look pretty similar with some adjustments. For vibrant landscapes, this is the film simulation to choose. Velvia can be found on all Fujifilm cameras.

Favorite recipes:

Vibrant Velvia
The Rockwell
Velvia v2

#9 PRO Neg. Hi

Wet Glass Bokeh – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Jeff Davenport Night”

At this point we’ve moved into the film simulations that use far less frequently. PRO Neg. Hi is basically PRO Neg. Std but with more contrast and saturation. It’s not bad at all, and it used to be my go-to film simulation for portraits (which I think it’s particularly good for). Most Fujifilm models (with the exception of a few really old ones) have PRO Neg. Hi.

Favorite recipes:

Jeff Davenport Night
Fujicolor Pro 400H
PRO Neg. Hi

#10 Provia

Abandoned Ice Chest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro3 – “Standard Provia”

Fujifilm calls the Provia film simulation their “standard” profile, but I’ve never really liked it. Because of that, I usually only shoot with it when I force myself to do so, and sometimes some interesting things come from that. All Fujifilm cameras have the Provia film simulation.

Favorite recipes:

Standard Provia
Provia 400
Cross Process

#11 Astia

Wind from the West – Hammond, OR – Fujifilm X-E4 – “CineStill 50D”

The Astia film simulation is pretty close to PRO Neg. Hi in terms of contrast and saturation (although Astia is a bit more vibrant), but with a different tint that I think you either like or don’t like. I used to shoot with it a lot more more than I do now. It’s a good alternative for landscapes when Velvia is just too strong. Every Fujifilm camera has the Astia film simulation.

Favorite recipes:

CineStill 50D
Super HG Astia
Redscale

#12 Sepia

No Credit Tires – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Sepia”

Last and least is Sepia, the often forgotten film simulation. For some reason every camera has it and almost nobody uses it.

Favorite recipes:

Sepia

It’s your turn! Which film simulation is your favorite? Which Film Simulation Recipe do you use most? What on this list was most surprising to you? Let me know in the comments!