Acting Like a Wes Anderson film in Sedona — Fujifilm X-T5 + Vibrant Arizona Recipe

Arizona Barn – Sedona, Arizona – Fujifilm X-T5 & TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 – Vibrant Arizona

Ever since the first trailer for Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City debuted back in March, the movie’s generated a lot of buzz. There’s also been a ton of interest in recreating Wes Anderson’s aesthetic and style. Now that Asteroid City is about to hit theaters across America (and presumably the world), there’s been a renewed interest in the Wes Anderson look.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to faithfully mimic an Asteroid City aesthetic straight-out-of-camera on Fujifilm models; however, you can get somewhat close, if you ok with compromises. My Vibrant Arizona Film Simulation Recipe is the closest you’re likely to get to an Asteroid City look without editing (in the article, I give some tips for getting even closer with a couple of quick edits). While it’s just not possible to achieve an orange/teal/pastel palette in-camera on Fujifilm models, the Vibrant Arizona Recipe does produce an unmistakable Wes Anderson vibe, which is definitely in-style right now.

Last month I visited Sedona, Arizona—the perfect location to use Vibrant Arizona! If there’s any place that just cries for this Film Simulation Recipe, it’s Red Rock Country. I loaded the Recipe into my Fujifilm X-T5, attached a TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 lens, and walked around the iconic tourist town. My wife, Amanda, came along with her Fujifilm X-T4 (with a Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens), and recorded some clips.

You can use Film Simulation Recipes for video in Fujifilm cameras to an extent, and avoid color grading. Some settings aren’t available, such as Grain, Color Chrome Effects, D-Range Priority, and Clarity, which means that Vibrant Arizona can’t really be used for video. Instead, in order to get the video clips to be similar to the photographs, we used these settings in Amanda’s X-T4:

Classic Chrome
White Balance: 4350K, +6 Red & -8 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Color +4
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -2
Sharpness: -2
High ISO NR: -4

Of course, being influenced by Wes Anderson, Amanda shot and edited the video in a style inspired by his movies. I hope that you find it entertaining, and that it will inspire you to give the Vibrant Arizona Film Simulation Recipe a try on your Fujifilm camera. Also, be sure to follow my YouTube channel if you don’t already, and give the video a thumbs-up if you liked it.

You can find the Vibrant Arizona Recipe (and nearly 300 more!) in the Fuji X Weekly App. Download for free today (Android here, Apple here); consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support this website.

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:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95:  Amazon   B&H

Travel: Central Coast of California “En Plein Air” — w/Ken Rockwell & Dave Wyman — Day 3

House on the Seaside Cliffs – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams

Day 1Day 2

Day 3 — June 7, 2023 — Pismo Beach & Avila Beach

En plein air is a French expression that means outside or outdoors. Specific to art, it was made popular by Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes in 1800, who encouraged artists to immerse themselves into the landscapes that they were creating by painting the scene while at the scene, and not in a studio (the most common practice at the time). The en plein air philosophy was embraced by impressionist painters, such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and others.

Dave Wyman calls the Central Coast of California tour “En Plein Air” because there’s no classroom or lecture portion—everything happens while out in the landscape actively capturing photographs. It’s about learning to see and interpret the scene around you by being immersed in it. Additionally, this part of California has some similarities to some French and Italian regions, so applying the en plein air expression seems appropriate.

While this was Day 3 for me, for everyone else on the tour it was Day 1. This was their travel day. Once settled into their hotel, they spent the evening photographing San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach; however, I did not join them yet. The prior day was busy, and I knew the next several days would be, too, so I kept this one low-key with my family. We did make it to the ocean a few different times at various locations around Pismo Beach and Avila Beach, but I purposefully did less with my cameras and tried to just be in the moment more often.

Shell – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Superia Premium 400

The camera gear that I used on Day 3 (you can read the entirety of the gear that I brought with me in my Ultimate Travel Compact Camera Kit article) was a Fujifilm X100V with a 5% CineBloom filter, a Fujifilm X-E4 with a Meike 35mm f/1.7 lens, a Ricoh GR III, and the RitchieCam App on my iPhone 11. I did not use a tripod at any point on this trip, including the night shots below.

For Day 3, the Film Simulation Recipes that I used on my Fujifilm cameras (which can be found in the Fuji X Weekly App) were Kodak Tri-X 400Kodachrome 64Kodak Portra 400 v2Superia Premium 400, The Rockwell, Urban DreamsXpro ’62, and Serr’s 500T. On the GR III, I used the Monochrome Film Recipe (which can be found in the Ricoh Recipes App) for the entirety of the trip, treating the camera as a monochrome-only model. For the iPhone, I used my Night Negative filter on RitchieCam. As always, these pictures are camera-made JPEG’s that are unedited, aside from cropping and straightening sometimes—my workflow is so quick and easy!

Regarding the order, the top picture, House on the Seaside Cliffs, was the very first photo of the day, while Shell fits in-between Hanging Ice Plant and Camera Fight with Jon. Although I used my cameras less on this day, and despite the drab overcast weather, I still was able to capture a few good shots. I hope that you enjoy these pictures!

Seaweed on the Seashore – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Grey Coast – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Hanging Ice Plant – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Superia Premium 400
Camera Fight with Jon – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – Kodachrome 64
Green Dodge Van – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – Kodachrome 64
Dodge – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – Kodachrome 64
Old Man & the Sea – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – Kodak Portra 400 v2
Waiting to Rescue – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – Xpro ’62
Sibling at the Seashore – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – Xpro ’62
Incoming Surf – Avila Beach, CA – Ricoh GR III – Monochrome Film
Prelaunch – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – Kodak Portra 400 v2
Preparing to Launch – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – The Rockwell
Dry Dock – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Meike 35mm – The Rockwell
Little Giant – Avila Beach, CA – Ricoh GR III – Monochrome Film
Violet Night – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T
Dee’s Pizzeria – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T
Lonely Lamp – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T
Empty Pier – Pismo Beach, CA – iPhone 11 – RitchieCam App – Night Negative
Ocean Airstream – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T
Pier View – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T
Town, Reflected – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T
Spirit of the Sea – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T
Pismo Beach at Night – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T

Day 4, Part 1Day 4, Part 2Day 5, Part 1Day 5, Part 2Day 6

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

Fujifilm X100V — Amazon   B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-E4 — Amazon   B&H  Moment
Ricoh GR III — Amazon  B&H  Moment
Meike 35mm f/1.7 — Amazon   B&H

Travel: Central Coast of California “En Plein Air” — w/Ken Rockwell & Dave Wyman — Day 2

Splash – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor 100 Gold

Day 1

Day 2 — June 6, 2023 — Morro Bay, San Simeon & Cambria

This was our first full day at the ocean. My wife and I decided to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to explore Morro Bay, followed by the elephant seals north of San Simeon, and finally Moonstone Beach in Cambria on the way back down. This area is just incredible, and is one of my favorite sections of coastline in California!

Did you know that there are wild zebras near San Simeon? There are! Actually, they were once part of William Hearst’s private zoo, but they escaped (were released?), and now live wild in the coastal hills below Hearst Castle. Sometimes you can spot them from the highway. We were fortunate to find a few; while they weren’t very close, I was able to photograph a couple of them with my 90mm lens. I would have loved to visit the castle on this trip, but it just didn’t work out this time.

The weather was cool and overcast. It was fairly poor light for photography. A couple of times the sun did briefly try to peek through, but it mostly remained drab all day. Still, this area is stunning, so there were many photographic opportunities—in fact, the potential for great photography always exists no matter the time and location, and it is up to the photographer to find it.

Playing with Waves – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400 Recipe

The camera gear that I used on Day 2 (you can read the entirety of the gear that I brought with me in my Ultimate Travel Compact Camera Kit article) was a Fujifilm X100V with a 5% CineBloom filter, a Fujifilm X-E4 with a Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens, a Ricoh GR III, and a Samsung ST76 digicam. The X100V was utilized the most and the X-E4 + 90mm was second most. The GR III and Samsung digicam were barely used, while everything else remained in the camera bag on this day.

For Day 2, the Film Simulation Recipes that I used on my Fujifilm cameras (which can be found in the Fuji X Weekly App) were Kodak Tri-X 400Kodachrome 64, Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2The Rockwell, Urban Dreams, Fujicolor 100 GoldSuperia Premium 400Pacific Blues, Expired Velvia, and Xpro ’62. On the GR III, I used the Monochrome Film Recipe (which can be found in the Ricoh Recipes App) for the entirety of the trip, treating the camera as a monochrome-only model. On the Samsung ST76 I used the Retro filter.

The photographs below are in order of when they were captured. The picture at the top of this article, Splash, fits in-between Wave Crash on Rock and Picture-in-Picture. The second image, Playing with Waves, fits in-between Beach Play and Self Portrait. Despite the drab weather, I was able to get a few good shots (interspersed between some so-so images)—with four more days still to go (including with Ken and Dave), there would be many, many more photographic opportunities to come.

X Leaves – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams
Two Stacks – Morro Bay, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams
Bay Boats – Morro Bay, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams
Sea Weed – Morro Bay, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Dena’s Boat – Morro Bay, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Expired Velvia
Fender – Morro Bay, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Rock Veiled by Poles – Morro Bay, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Sub Sea – Morro Bay, CA – Ricoh GR III – Monochrome Film
Happy Boat – Morro Bay, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams
Notice – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Kodachrome 64
Penal Code – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Kodachrome 64
Better View – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Kodachrome 64
How Thou Cow? – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Kodachrome 64
Cows & Zebra – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Kodachrome 64
Zebra Below Castle – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2
Yellow Coast – San Simeon, CA – Samsung ST76 – Retro filter
Blossom Cliff – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Yellow, Green & Sea – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Blooms Above Waves – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
Yellow Cliff – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
Protect our Wildlife – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams
Resting – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Kodachrome 64
Yawning – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Fighting – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Watching – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Biting – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Elephant Seal Beach – San Simeon, CA – Samsung ST76 – Retro filter
Seals – San Simeon, CA – Ricoh GR III – Monochrome Film
Coastal Flowers Reaching – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Two Rocks – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Patch of Yellow – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
Seaside Cliffs – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Superia Premium 400
Colorful Cliffs – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Green Shrub – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Wave Crash on Rock – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Picture-in-Picture – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Rocky Coast – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Xpro ’62
Rocks in the Water – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Xpro ’62
Cloudy Coast – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Xpro ’62
Purple Beach Blooms – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Superia Premium 400
Hillside Blossoms – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Superia Premium 400
Shark & Stick – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Beach Play – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Self Portrait – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Alligator Log – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400

Day 3Day 4, Part 1Day 4, Part 2Day 5, Part 1Day 5, Part 2Day 6

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

Fujifilm X100V — Amazon   B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-E4 — Amazon   B&H  Moment
Ricoh GR III — Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujinon 90mm f/2 — Amazon   B&H   Moment

Shooting with ChatGPT AI Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipes

Light in the Woods – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100VKodak Ektachrome E100VS v1

Open AI’s ChatGPT can make Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras. But are they any good? Should you use them? Should you ask ChatGPT to make you a custom Recipe for your camera? What can you expect from these Recipes?

Back on June 2nd, Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself chatted about using ChatGPT to make Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras. We even asked the AI to create one for us live during our SOOC Live broadcast. If you’ve ever been even remotely curious about this topic, it’s worth watching—I’ve included it below.

There’s so much that could and should be said, and we covered much of that in the broadcast. If you haven’t yet watched the video, be sure to do so!

One issue about using AI to create Film Simulation Recipes is that ChatGPT only examines descriptions. For example, how does it “know” what Kodachrome film looks like? It has been trained on people’s descriptions of the emulsion. Whether or not those descriptions are accurate (or if Open AI received permission to use those descriptions) is anyone’s guess. How does it “know” what the Astia film simulation looks like? It has been trained on someone’s description of the setting. When you ask it to make a Film Simulation Recipe, it simply searches its database for descriptions that seem to match, and then spits out some settings that may or may not make sense.

Abandoned Ford – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams

How does ChatGPT even know what a Film Simulation Recipe is? It’s been trained on Fuji X Weekly and other websites (without permission or citation). There are some significant ethical considerations, and probably some legal ones, too, that will hopefully get hashed out in time.

Another issue is that it rarely ever gives a complete Recipe. You have to know which parameters are required, spot the missing ones, and ask ChatGPT to provide them to you. Occasionally it will give you some setting that doesn’t actually exist. You have to be well versed in Fujifilm camera settings to know if you’ve actually got a complete Recipe; otherwise, you’re likely to have a few that are missing.

Glass Maker – Harmony, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Vivid Summer Glow”

Aside from that, if you ask ChatGPT to make a particular Film Simulation Recipe more than once, each time you’ll get a different answer. Even with identical prompts, the answer will be different, sometimes wildly so. It all seems very random. If a particular ChatGPT Recipe is any good is more by chance than anything else. You’re just as likely to get a good Recipe from rolling dice.

This is the case because Open AI’s ChatGPT is a bit of a card trick. It’s very impressive until you spot the slight-of-hand. It will always give you a response; if you are a novice on the topic, the answer will likely be better than you could have come up with on your own, but if you are an expert, it will always be worse, perhaps much worse. Despite “learning” from human input, there’s no humanity in the answer—if you want authenticity and creativity, you need a person’s experience to be at the core. The software can do its best to take from others and spit out a Recipe, but it will always be untested, based on descriptions, without any personal experience behind it.

Lower Sea Cliff – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Soft Blue Classic”

That doesn’t mean it’s not fun to try. I’ve used ChatGPT a bunch of times just to see what it comes up with and to understand what exactly it’s doing. The Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 and Urban Dreams Recipes are from ChatGPT. For every AI Recipe that’s good there’s probably five or more that aren’t any good. Actually, the majority are mediocre—neither terrible nor great—because ChatGPT doesn’t stray very far from the default settings, rarely ever going beyond +/- 2 on anything.

I made a video about the Kodak Ektachrome E100VS Recipe, which you’ll find below. I asked AI to make a Film Simulation Recipe that mimics Kodachrome X. What it came up with by chance looked pretty good, but didn’t much resemble the second era of Kodachrome. Take a look, if you haven’t yet seen it.

What about the Vivid Summer Glow and Soft Blue Classic Film Simulation Recipes I referenced in two of the pictures above? Those were also made by ChatGPT. Vivid Summer Glow was created live during the last SOOC Live broadcast. Soft Blue Classic was created for Nathalie during preparations for the show. In the broadcast we challenged you to shoot with Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1, Urban Dreams, Soft Blue Classic, and/or Vivid Summer Glow, and upload your results (click here) by June 27th to be potentially featured in the next episode, and to be included in the Viewer’s Images slideshow.

Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 and Urban Dreams can both be found in the Fuji X Weekly App. Soft Blue Classic and Vivid Summer Glow are not “official” Recipes, so I’ve included them at the bottom of this article should you want to try them yourself.

Also on June 2nd, Nathalie and I finally finished the much-delayed conclusion to our Storytelling theme. If you missed it when it was live, I’ve included it below. Also, right below that, is the most recent Viewer’s Images slideshow video. If you don’t yet subscribe to the new SOOC Live YouTube channel, be sure to do so now!

Now, to the two new AI-made Film Simulation Recipes: Soft Blue Classic and Vivid Summer Glow!

Soft Blue Classic

Boat Ashore – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Soft Blue Classic”

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -1
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpness: +1
Clarity: 0
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -1 Blue

This AI Recipe is compatible with “newer” Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras: X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. For X-Trans V, just know that blue will render more deeply. For the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30, ignore Grain size, Color Chrome FX Blue, and Clarity (the results should be the same); for X-Trans III models, additionally ignore Color Chrome Effect.

Vivid Summer Glow

Wave Crashing on Rock – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Vivid Summer Glow”

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -1
Sharpness: +1
Clarity: +1
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -1 Blue

This AI Recipe is compatible with “newer” Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras: X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. For X-Trans V models, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak (instead of Strong).

As you can see, I used all four of these ChatGPT Film Simulation Recipes while on a roadtrip to California’s Central Coast. I liked Urban Dreams—which has some similarities to Kodachrome 200 film—the most, but Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 did pretty well for a few shots, too. Vivid Summer Glow (which isn’t a good name for the Recipe in my opinion) is not bad at all, and isn’t all that much divergent from my Kodachrome II Recipe (did AI copy it, just making a few changes?). Soft Blue Classic was my least favorite, but it can produce good results in harsh overly-warm light.

I Disappeared for a Week, but Now I’m Back!

Pacific Poppies – Montaña de Oro SP, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mmPacific Blues Recipe

I packed my bags and disappeared for a week. It might have seemed as though I dropped off the face of the planet, but I assure you I was on Earth the entire time. I returned home late last night. I’m sure it will take some time to catch up on everything, such as comments, emails, etc., but I promise that I will. Thanks for being patient!

Where did I go? I took a roadtrip to the central California coast, which is one of my absolute favorite places. I had a great time and captured tons of pictures—expect a lot of articles about the journey in the coming weeks! I had planned to do a little work while out of town, but each day was so busy that it just didn’t happen.

The pictures in this article are a little teaser of what I did and what you can expect to see more of soon. I have some great content ideas that I plan to publish in the coming days and weeks. You won’t want to miss any of it, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy these photographs that I captured last week while at the California coast!

Playing with Waves – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400 Recipe
Five – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 27mmKodachrome 64 Recipe
Shell – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Superia Premium 400 Recipe
Rural – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Superia Premium 400 Recipe
Hearst Ranch Schoolhouse – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams Recipe
Abandoned Classics – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor 100 Gold Recipe
Light in the Dark Forest – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor 100 Gold Recipe
Spooner Cove – Montaña de Oro SP, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor 100 Gold Recipe
Dave Wyman – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues Recipe
Ken Rockwell – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400 Recipe

Which Film Simulation Recipes, When? — Summer Edition — Part 1: Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II

Rural Warehouse – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Fujicolor 100 Gold Recipe

Original Series

Summer is here! Traveling, camping, visits to the beach, boating on the lake, and stuff like that are common during these months. Perhaps you are looking for some Film Simulation Recipe recommendations for your Fujifilm camera for the summer season. I thought I’d take this opportunity to revisit my Which Film Simulation Recipe, When? series of articles. This post will make a lot more sense if you’ve read the original series—especially the first article—so be sure to take a look at it if you haven’t yet (or if it’s been awhile and you don’t remember).

This Part 1 is for Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras, except for the X-T3 and X-T30, which will be covered in a different section. If you have an X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, or X-T30 II model, I invite you to give these Recipes a try! There are seven suggestions below—one for each C1-C7 Custom Preset—and three alternative ideas for each in case you don’t like the first recommendation. Each Custom Preset slot serves a specific purpose, so you should have a good Recipe option programmed into your camera no matter the subject or lighting. This group of seven isn’t necessarily better or worse than my original recommendations, just a different set chosen specifically for the summer months.

C1 — Fujicolor Natura 1600 — Golden Hour

Golden Lake – Culleoka, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe

Fujicolor Natura 1600 is a Film Simulation Recipe that does well at anytime during daylight hours—and it’s one of my all-time favorites—but I’m going to recommend it specifically for “golden hour” near sunrise and sunset. If you like the aesthetic, 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, this is one I definitely recommend shooting with. I personally use this recipe frequently.

Alternatives for “golden hour” photography:

Fujicolor 100 Gold
Kodak Portra 400 v2
Kodak Portra 400

C2 — Pacific Blues — Midday

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

Pacific Blues is another one that could be your go-to everyday-use Recipe, but specifically I want to suggest it for daytime (non-“golden hour”) photography. Obviously it can also be used for when the sun is low to the horizon, too, which it excels at, but I think it is an excellent option for when the sun is not low—from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. It’s especially well suited for a day at the beach.

Alternatives for “midday” photography:

Kodachrome 64
Vintage Color
Superia Summer

C3 — Urban Dreams — Overcast

Cienega Bridge on Old Highway 80 – Vail, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams Recipe

If it’s thick overcast and rainy, the Urban Dreams Recipe is surprisingly an excellent option. Yes, it’s pretty good in daylight, too (even “golden hour” and at night), but give it a try on drab overcast days—I think you’ll really appreciate just how well it does in that situation.

Alternatives for “overcast” photography:

Elite Chrome 200
Reggie’s Portra
Kodachrome II

C4 — Nostalgic Negative — Natural-Light Indoor

Watch and Jewelry – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – Nostalgic Negative Recipe

For natural-light indoor photography, a good option is the Nostalgic Negative Recipe. This is another great all-rounder that could be used in pretty much any daytime situation and produce excellent results, but specifically I’m recommending it for natural-light indoor pictures. For artificial-light indoor images, use the Recipe for nighttime photography below.

Alternative for “natural-light indoor” photography:

Kodak Ultramax 400
Color Negative 400
Classic Negative

C5 — Pure Negative — Nighttime

Brad’s – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pure Negative Recipe

If it’s after dark, an excellent option for nighttime or artificial light photography is Pure Negative. This is a low-contrast Recipe with a natural rendering, which makes it especially ideal for high contrast scenes, particularly during midday light; however, it also does quite well in the darkness between sunset and sunrise and in indoor artificial light situations.

Alternatives for “nighttime” photography:

Serr’s 500T
Ektachrome 320T
CineStill 800T

C6 — Vibrant Arizona — Bonus

Summer Cliffs – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Vibrant Arizona Recipe

The C6 slot is a bonus, and the Vibrant Arizona Recipe is a solid option to fill it with—and it’s one of the most popular Recipes right now. If you didn’t want to use Vibrant Arizona, you could instead select your favorite “alternative” Recipe from C1-C5 above, or use one below.

Alternatives bonus Recipes:

Bright Kodak
Bright Summer
Silver Summer

C7 — Kodak T-Max P3200 — B&W

Closed Umbrella – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

The newest black-and-white Film Simulation Recipe is Kodak T-Max P3200, and it has quickly become one of my favorites! If you don’t want to use this one, definitely give Kodak Tri-X 400 a try.

Alternatives for “B&W” photography:

Kodak Tri-X 400
Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Moody Monochrome

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When you just have to Grab your Camera and Shoot

Fujifilm X100V — Vintage Vibes Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I had this realization that I hadn’t been using my Fujifilm X100V as much as I would have liked to or normally would have. I was grabbing some of my other cameras, like the Fujifilm X-E4 and Fujifilm X-T5, instead. But I really like shooting with my X100V—it’s my “desert island” camera; if I could only ever shoot with one for the rest of my life, it would be the X100V.

While having the realization that the camera was collecting more dust than usual, I also noticed that the light was changing and becoming favorable for photography. I snatched the X100V, set it to my Vintage Vibes Film Simulation Recipe, and headed out the door, in search of an interesting picture opportunity nearby.

Just as the sun was nearing the horizon, I found a spot in the desert with some pops of late-spring color. I decided this was my opportunity, so I began capturing images. The light didn’t last long, and the bugs were becoming a nuisance; nevertheless, I was able to snap a few interesting pictures before heading home.

Perhaps more important than the images, I used the camera that I love most. I dusted it off, put it in my hand, took some steps outside, and pressed the shutter release button. Whether or not the pictures turned out was less critical than the act of actively using it. Yes, pictures are important, but so is the experience—actually, the experience is probably the most important. If you haven’t used your beloved gear much lately, be sure to get it in your hands ASAP and take some pictures!

Fujifilm X100V — Vintage Vibes Recipe
Fujifilm X100V — Vintage Vibes Recipe
Fujifilm X100V — Vintage Vibes Recipe
Fujifilm X100V — Vintage Vibes Recipe
Fujifilm X100V — Vintage Vibes Recipe

Kodak T-Max P3200 — A Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipe for X-Trans IV & V

A grainy high-contrast B&W Film Simulation Recipe for the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2, X-H2s, X-T5, and X-S20.

Courthouse Butte – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

“Stop the presses!”

That was the subject of an email I recently received from Anders Lindborg. Longtime Fuji X Weekly readers will immediately recognize Anders, since he invented the Kodak Tri-X 400Ilford HP5 Plus 400Ilford Pan F Plus 50, and Ilford FP4 Plus 125 (plus co-created Kodak T-Max 400) black-and-white Film Simulation Recipes—he is, in my opinion, the guru on Fujifilm B&W Recipes. Kodak Tri-X 400 is my all-time favorite Recipe, period. Anders also created the Kodak Gold v2 Recipe, seven Fujicolor Pro 160NS Recipesseven Fujicolor Pro 400H Recipes, and made an important D-Range Priority discovery. When Anders Lindborg says to stop the presses, I knew to stop the presses!

The story that I found in that email was absolutely incredible! Whether or not you ever use the Film Simulation Recipe that Anders sent to me, the story itself makes this article a worthwhile read. I was (and still am) just blown away by it! It’s funny how life comes full circle in surprising ways sometimes.

Closed Umbrella – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

“Some years back,” Anders Lindborg wrote me, “I found myself being totally photographically stuck. People liked my photos, but I could feel there was something missing from them and I thought they were still too amateurish. By chance, a photography magazine published an article called Learning How to See in which they mentioned a photographer named John Sevigny, an art teacher at a university in Mexico City. The magazine referenced Mr. Sevigny because he often talked with his students—and had also written some papers—about the subject of the article. Anyway, I started searching the internet and found many articles about him and his work. I also found some of his papers on the subject. Afterwards, I noticed that something gradually happened to my photos, and I realized that I could often see a deeper meaning in random ordinary things, people’s expressions and behavior. It really helped me, and I swore to never forget about this guy.”

“Life is funny,” Anders continued, “and I think I’m slowly starting to believe in this karma stuff. As it happens, awhile back I was contacted out of the blue by no other than John Sevigny himself! He had apparently found my stuff published on Fuji X Weekly very interesting and asked very kindly if I could help him out with the final touches on his upcoming book. The project that he had been working on was really heavy stuff, so he was temporarily burned out and needed some technical assistance, which I gladly provided. After the material for the book was finished, we continued chatting and I’m now proud to call him my friend.”

“After weeks of talking about photography, John mentioned that he really missed shooting with Kodak T-Max P3200 that he used to use all of the time while working as a news photographer. So, he said, how about making a recipe for it? I couldn’t resist, so we started developing it immediately. John provided me with all the information about the emulsion that I could possibly need, including a bunch of his own 25-year-old scans, but most important was his experience of shooting it daily for years. According to John, anytime there was a request for something that was going to be an article inside the newspaper, that’s the film they used since the available light would almost always be ranging from bad to worse. It didn’t matter if it was a sports event or a murder, they used Kodak T-Max P3200. After reading up about it (since I never shot it myself, sadly), I understood why: it was optimized to create sharp and (reasonably) detailed photos in generally bad light.”

Now Serving Bacon – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

“Much care and testing has been put into this recipe by both John and myself,” Anders concluded, “and since John had all this experienced with the film, he had to be the one to officially approve it, which he did. I couldn’t be happier with the results we got from the tests! I actually put his scans in a photo album together with my test shots and the only thing revealing was the lens quality. When using the recipe with a vintage lens, I promise that you’ll have a really hard time telling your photos apart from the real film! Even some of the film’s tell-tale quirks have been replicated.”

Wow! Thank you, Anders Lindborg and John Sevigny, for creating this Kodak T-Max P3200 Film Simulation Recipe and allowing me to share it with the Fujifilm community on Fuji X Weekly—your work is much appreciated! I really love how Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes are bringing people together across the world—it’s truly amazing! As great as this Recipe is—and it is great—the story behind it is even better.

Like Anders, I have also (sadly) never shot with Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white negative film (I went with Ilford Delta 3200 instead). Originally released in 1988 (the ISO 100 and ISO 400 versions were released two years prior), Kodak discontinued T-Max P3200 in 2012, but reintroduced it (with an “improved” emulsion) in 2018. It’s actually an ISO 800 (some say ISO 1000) film that labs automatically develop with two stops of push-processing, unless you tell them otherwise. But you can shoot it at ISO 800 and not push or ISO 400 and pull one stop (for less contrast) or ISO 1600 and push one stop. Some (brave? crazy? desperate?) photographers even shot it at ISO 6400 and pushed it three stops! Kodak T-Max P3200 can basically be anywhere from an ISO 400 to an ISO 6400 film, and it can go from a fairly flat and fine-grained emulsion to a punchy and gritty film, just depending on how you shot and developed it.

Yucca Flowers – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

With this Kodak T-Max P3200 Film Simulation Recipe, the higher the ISO you shoot with, the more it will resemble shooting the film at a higher ISO and push-processing, and the lower the ISO it will more resemble shooting at ISO 800 and not pushing in development. In other words, you are going to get somewhat different results at ISO 640 than ISO 6400; I especially appreciate how this Recipe looks from ISO 3200 to ISO 12800. You will need to consider if you want a cleaner or more grainy aesthetic, and choose an ISO that will produce those results.

If you have a Fujifilm X-Trans IV camera (X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-S10, X-T30 II) or X-Trans V (X-H2, X-H2s, X-T5, X-S20, and any other released after publication), I invite you to give this Kodak T-Max P3200 Film Simulation Recipe a try! It’s not compatible with the X-T3 or X-T30 or X-Trans III, unfortunately; however, if you ignore Toning, Grain size, and Clarity, it should still produce good results, so don’t be afraid to give it a try. This Recipe should also work with GFX cameras, although I haven’t tested it and have no firsthand experience if it will look similar or not.

Film Simulation: Acros (or Acros+Y, Acros+R, Acros+G)
Monochromatic Color (Toning): WC -1 & MG -1
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: 5500K, +4 Red & +7 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +3
Sharpness: +2

High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: +1
ISO: up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak T-Max P3200 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5, X-E4 and X100V cameras:

Tall Flower Vine – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Tiny White Blooms – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Garden Bulb – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Forest Stream – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
38th Way – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Palm in the Contrail Sky – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Tall Cactus – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Highlight & Shadow Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Backyard Barrel – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Water Wheel – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Castle Rock – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Jet Above the Rocks – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Cloud Above the Desert – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Arizona’s High Desert – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Oak Creek & Cathedral Rock – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Rocks & Big Sky – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Busy Parking Lot – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Delilah – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Sunlit Suburban Tree Branch – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Peaceful Pool – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Josh by the Pool – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Closed Umbrella 2 – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Towel on Chair – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Empty Bench – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Please Don’t Litter – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilom X100V
Basket – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Hoop & Pine – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Bus Rider – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Camera Fight 1 – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Camera Fight 2 – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Sisters in the Back of the Bus – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Lady with Paw-Print Earring – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Joy’s Smile – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Girl Along a Wall – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Preparing Hands – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Sink Full of Dirty Dishes – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Fake Plant – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Floor – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Table Lamp – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Outdoor Patio Lights – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Betty Elyse – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

ISO 640 vs ISO 12800:

ISO 640 Crop
ISO 12800 Crop

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Nikon Zfc vs Fujifilm X-E4 vs Fujifilm X-T5 — A Retro-Styled Showdown in Sedona

Three retro-styled digital cameras go head-to-head-to-head in Sedona, Arizona, each with a different manual 35mm lens: Meike 35mm f/1.7, TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4, and TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95. Who will win? Let’s find out!

Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm – Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm – Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm

I love shooting with retro-styled digital cameras! For the most part that means Fujifilm models, but I also own a Nikon Zfc. Fujifilm, of course, is renown for this type of camera; for Nikon, this is a (mostly) divergent concept. Some other camera brands also offer rangefinder or classic-SLR styling, but lack the traditional controls (such as a manual shutter knob) that are an essential aspect to the photographic experience. Leica is well above my budget. The three cameras that I chose to shoot with are the Nikon Zfc, Fujifilm X-E4, and Fujifilm X-T5.

Why these three specific cameras? I picked the Nikon Zfc first because I don’t use it very often, and was eager to dust it off. The Fujifilm X-E4 was next because it was released just a few months before the Zfc, was just a little cheaper, and on-paper the two models are fairly comparable. I chose the Fujifilm X-T5 because it is surprisingly similar to the Zfc in size and design.

Each camera was paired with a different manual 35mm lens. I attached a TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 to the Nikon Zfc, a Meike 35mm f/1.7 to the Fujifilm X-E4, and a TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 to the Fujifilm X-T5. Since I was using manual lenses, I shot all three cameras completely manually—no auto anything. Back when I shot a lot of film, I used a Canon AE-1 (and later a couple of Pentax models), and shot full manual for years. It’s a slower and more challenging process—especially if you don’t have much experience with it—but I find it to be more enjoyable and rewarding.

My birthday gift this year was a trip to Sedona, which is about two hours north of my home in the Phoenix area. Sedona is stunning—almost like being inside the Grand Canyon—so it was the perfect place to conduct this photographic project. Three different cameras, each with a different 35mm lens, going head-to-head-to-head, to see which is best for full manual travel photography in an incredibly beautiful location. Which one will crowned winner?

Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4

Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4

The Nikon Zfc is a beautiful looking camera, no doubt about it! Some curious design choices make it not nearly as good as it could have been. My experience is that this camera makes the most sense when used in manual mode with a third-party manual lens, such as the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4. It’s bigger and heavier than it should be for its class and features, and the lack of a handgrip make it less than ideal for extended use (considering the size and weight).

I programmed my Vintage Color Film Simulation Recipe into the Zfc and shot 36 exposures (like a roll of film) with the camera while in Sedona. I chose that particular Recipe because I like the retro analog-like rendering that it produces. In general, I feel as though Nikon’s JPEG output is well behind Fujifilm’s, but the quality is still good, and I don’t think it’s necessary to shoot RAW with the Zfc to get nice results—the unedited straight-out-of-camera JPEGs are plenty good enough for most people and purposes.

Of the three cameras, the Nikon Zfc was my least favorite. Honestly, I’d prefer a nine-year-old Fujifilm X-T1, which you can probably find for half the price or less. Still, the Zfc is a good option, and if (for some unknown reason) I could no longer shoot Fujifilm, I’d be happy with the Zfc. Did I mention that it’s a beautiful looking camera? If outward appearances mattered most, the Zfc might very well be the winner. Since the insides are just as important—if not more so—than the outsides, the Nikon is not my favorite camera. With that said, the Zfc is significantly easier to find than the Fujifilm X-E4 (which was recently discontinued, inflating the price) and significantly cheaper than the Fujifilm X-T5 (a higher-end model), making it a good choice for someone buying their first retro-styled digital camera.

The TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 lens is wonderful! I love the design, particularly the clicking f-stops and smooth focus ring. The optical quality is excellent—very sharp! It has good character. The maximum aperture is quite large. The nifty-fifty-like focal length is extremely useful. The price is very affordable. My only complaints are that it has 1/2 intermediate stops (instead of the more common 1/3), those intermediate stops end at f/4, and the lens jumps straight from f/8 to f/16. Of the three 35mm lenses, this one is my favorite for design and practical use, and my second favorite for how it renders images.

Below are some of those 36 exposures that I captured in Sedona with my Nikon Zfc and TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 using the Vintage Color Recipe.

Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 + Vintage Color Recipe – Sedona, AZ

Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7

Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7

The Fujifilm X-E4 was my most-used camera in 2022. Its compact size and simplicity make it an especially excellent option for travel photography. The X-E4 was released just before the Nikon Zfc and with an MSRP a little lower, so it shouldn’t be surprising that on paper these cameras have similar specs (although the X-E4 in my opinion has the advantage in most categories), but once you hold the two cameras, you quickly see that they’re much different. First, the X-E4 is significantly smaller and lighter. The X-E4 has a rangefinder-like styling while the Zfc is SLR-shaped. For full-manual photography, the Zfc has one important advantage: an ISO knob.

Fujifilm did not give the X-E4 an ISO knob or ring. I think an ISO ring around the shutter knob like on the Fujifilm X100V would have been an excellent touch, but they didn’t do that. Normally this is no issue at all because I most commonly use Auto-ISO, and don’t often manually adjust the ISO; however, when one does want to adjust the ISO, one has to dig through the menu, or setup a shortcut. I set the front command wheel to adjust the ISO; while that’s a sufficient workaround, it’s not nearly as ideal as having a dedicated dial. For this project, I set the ISO to 1600, and only adjusted it when I absolutely had to, which worked out alright.

Of the three cameras, the Fujifilm X-E4 was my favorite during this experiment, despite the lack of an ISO dial. The small size and weight make it more pleasant for caring around on hikes or when doing touristy things. While not perfect, it’s one of my favorite cameras; however, the X-E4 has been difficult to find for some time, and even more so now that Fujifilm has discontinued it. To add insult to injury, I’ve noticed some significant price gouging lately. The Nikon Zfc is easy to find and perhaps even at a discount. The Fujifilm X-T5 is still in stock at most stores. If you don’t already own a Fujifilm X-E4, you’re not likely going to get your hands on one anytime soon, and you’ll likely pay a premium, since Fujifilm didn’t produce as many copies as there was demand for.

The Film Simulation Recipe that I programmed into my Fujifilm X-E4 was Fujicolor Natura 1600, which is one of my absolute favorites for achieving an analog aesthetic. I think this particular Recipe could trick unsuspecting viewers into believing that the pictures were actually shot on color negative film. I published this Recipe almost exactly one year ago, and it’s one of my most used. Like the Zfc, I shot 36 exposures with this Recipe while in Sedona, and it didn’t disappoint on this adventure!

The Meike 35mm f/1.7 is a lens that I really love and kind of dislike simultaneously. The aperture ring is click-less, which means that you don’t really know when you are at a particular f-stop. Mostly that’s just annoying and detracts from the experience, but sometimes it’s kind of convenient and actually better than having no intermediate stops or half-stops. The lens jumps from f/8 to f/22 rather quickly. The maximum aperture of f/1.7 is the “slowest” of these three. What I like most about the Meike 35mm lens is the quality and character of the images that it produces, which is just wonderful! This is my second favorite lens of the three for how it looks, my least favorite for the shooting experience, and my most favorite for how it renders pictures. It’s super inexpensive, so it’s very easy to recommend.

Below are some of those 36 exposures that I captured in Sedona with my Fujifilm X-E4 and Meike 35mm f/1.7 using the Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe.

Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-E4 + Meike 35mm f/1.7 + Fujicolor Natura 1600 Recipe – Sedona, AZ

Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95

Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95

It might seem unfair to compare the Fujifilm X-T5 to the Fujifilm X-E4 and Nikon Zfc, because this camera is clearly in a different class than the other two. The X-T5 is a more premium model, with IBIS, weather-sealing, better build quality, and double the resolution of the Zfc (and about 55% more than the X-E4). But, aside from the handgrip, the X-T5 and the Zfc are surprisingly similar on the outside, and that’s why I included it in this experiment.

The Fujifilm X-T5 is technically the best of these three cameras, hands down; however, the one reason why I believe the Fujifilm X-E4 won this challenge is size and weight. While visiting Sedona, I enjoyed carrying around the X-E4 more than the X-T5 or Zfc. Comfort and convenience are important aspects of travel photography, and sometimes that trumps pure specs or even key features. If I were to simply choose the best camera, doubtlessly it would the Fujifilm X-T5, but, for the purpose of traveling to Sedona, I liked the X-E4 just a little bit more.

I crowned the X-E4 the winner, but it is not an easy camera to find; if you do happen to see one for sale, the price will likely be inflated. The Fujifilm X-T5 can be found fairly easily, but it is by far the most expensive of these three models. The Zfc offers a somewhat similar experience to the X-T5 when shooting in manual mode with third-party lenses, but for a lot less money. Yes, the X-T5 is significantly better overall, but if you are on a tight budget (and you can’t find an X-E4), the Zfc is not a bad camera to own. If you can find an X-E4 for a reasonable price, that’s my top recommendation. If you can afford the X-T5, that’s a close second. If neither of those are applicable to you, then the Zfc is a decent consolation prize.

The Film Simulation Recipe that I programmed into my Fujifilm X-T5 is 1970’s Summer, which uses the new Nostalgic Neg. film simulation, and produces a warm retro film-like aesthetic with similarities to some classic American New Color pictures. I shot 36 exposures with this Recipe, as if it was a roll of film.

This was my very first time using the TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 lens, which is by far the most expensive lens of the three, but still reasonably affordable. It’s kind of ugly compared to the other two, sort of resembling a sport’s referee. Wide open it’s extremely soft (nearly unusable, unless you are purposefully seeking dreaminess), but stopped down it’s sharp, and performs especially well from about f/4 to f/8. The aperture ring clicks, which is nice, but with 1/2 intermediate stops (instead of the more common 1/3 stops); thankfully, the intermediate stops go through the whole range to f/16 (the minimum aperture). This lens has the most pronounced distortion of the three. For the most part, I like the images produced by the other two lenses better than this one (which is disappointing considering the price), but the TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 is still a lens that I enjoyed using and produces good results.

Below are some of those 36 exposures that I captured in Sedona with my Fujifilm X-T5 and TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 using the 1970’s Summer Recipe.

Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ
Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 + 1970’s Summer Recipe – Sedona, AZ

The Fujicolor Natura 1600 and 1970’s Summer Film Simulation Recipes can be found in the Fuji X Weekly App, along with nearly 300 others. Don’t have the App? Download it for free today! Consider becoming a Fuji X Weekly App Patron to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

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
Fujifilm X-E4 in black:  Amazon   B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-E4 in silver:  Amazon   B&H  Moment
Nikon Zfc:  Amazon   B&H
TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 for Nikon:  Amazon   B&H
TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 for Fujifilm:  Amazon   B&H
TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 for Nikon:  Amazon   B&H
TTArtisan 35mm f/0.95 for Fujifilm:  Amazon   B&H
Meike 35mm f/1.7 for Nikon:  Amazon
Meike 35mm f/1.7 for Fujifilm:  Amazon   B&H

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Nostalgic Emulsion — Fujifilm X-Trans III (+ X-T3 & X-T30) FXW App Patron Early-Access Film Simulation Recipe

Bougainvillea Blues – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – Nostalgic Emulsion Recipe

My 15-year-old daughter, Joy, approached me and asked, “Can I make a Film Simulation Recipe?”

“Sure,” I happily replied. I handed her my Fujifilm X-H1, gave her a quick tutorial on the menu and settings (she hadn’t previously used this model), and off she went.

A couple of hours later Joy returned. “I’m not sure this is right. Can you help me?” She showed me her pictures.

“What look are you trying to create?” I asked.

“Well,” she replied, “it’s this aesthetic that’s dark with deep greens.”

“Where did you see it?” Joy then proceeded to show me some music videos, including Daylight by David Kushner. “That’s the aesthetic I want to make,” she told me, while stopping on a forested scene.

Rose of Sharon Backlit – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – Nostalgic Emulsion Recipe

The camera settings she had chosen weren’t all that far off, so I suggested a few adjustments. After more testing and review, another couple changes were made, and then even more testing was done. I asked, “Are you happy with this look?”

“Yes!” Joy excitedly responded. “This is the aesthetic I wanted.”

After she was done capturing pictures, I shot with her settings for a little while myself. I really like the moody and nostalgic feeling that this Film Simulation Recipe produces. It has a retro negative film look, maybe along the lines of Fujicolor Super HQ or Agfa XRG or something like that. You can expect dark shadows and a cool cast that leans green. It’s not a Film Simulation Recipe that everyone will love, but I bet it will be an instant favorite for some of you. It requires a White Balance setting that I had not previously used for a Recipe; for those trying to avoid adjusting the WB Shift when switching between C1-C7, this is another option for you to try.

Concrete Vine – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – Nostalgic Emulsion – by Joy Roesch

The Fuji X Weekly App is free, yet becoming a Fuji X Weekly App Patron unlocks the best App experience! One benefit of being a Patron is you get early access to some new Film Simulation Recipes. These Early-Access Recipes will eventually become available free to everyone in time, including this new one. In fact, many Early-Access Recipes have been publicly published on this blog and the App, so now everyone can use them. Patrons help support Fuji X Weekly and, really, without them there would be no App. So I want to give a special “thank you” to all of the Patrons!

This Nostalgic Emulsion Patron Early-Access Recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 & X-T30. For those with newer X-Trans IV cameras, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and I’d suggest Grain size Small. Those with “older” GFX cameras can use it, too, although it will render slightly different (but try it anyway!).

If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, the Nostalgic Emulsion Recipe is available to you right now on the App! Don’t have the Fuji X Weekly App? Download for free today! Consider subscribing to unlock the best App experience and to support this website.

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Nostalgic Emulsion Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1:

Water Fountain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Concrete Fountain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Little Vine Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Backlit Green Leaves – Buckeye, AZ -Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Hidden Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Garden – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Spring Window Reflection – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Fallen Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Bougainvillea Sprouting – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Bougainvillea Sage – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Bougainvillea Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Bloom Small – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Backyard Trumpet Blossoms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Rose of Sharon – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Rosebud – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Bright Green Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Bush & Blocks – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Pouring Sunlight over Honeysuckles – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Garden Gate – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Pink Oleander Blooms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Dark Blooms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Wall and Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Joyful Josh – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Peaches – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Architecture & Jon – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Blue Glass – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Three Bright Ideas – Buckeye, AZ – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Dusk Light – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Green Leaves at Dusk – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Veiled Lightbulb – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Blue Hour Light – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – by Joy Roesch
Disabled Parking – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Illuminated Plant – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Night Corridor – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and nearly 300 more in the Fuji X Weekly App!

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Fujicolor Pro — Fujifilm X-Trans III (+ X-T3 & X-T30) Film Simulation Recipe

Last Light on Brush – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – Fujicolor Pro Recipe

This Film Simulation Recipe is intended to produce an analog-like color-negative-film aesthetic with a classic Fujicolor palette. While I didn’t attempt to mimic any specific film, I had Fujicolor Pro 160NS in my mind as I made this. There are already Recipes for that film (here and here), and this one isn’t “better” than those two, but more of an alternative version that you might like. I also had pulled-process Fujicolor Pro 400H on my mind (there’s also already a Recipe for that); again I didn’t necessarily try to mimic that film and process specifically, but instead had the intention of producing a general Fujicolor Pro “memory color” (similar to what I did with my Nostalgic Color Recipe). This Fujicolor Pro Film Simulation Recipe works well in a variety of daylight situations, and produces a fairly distinct look.

The Fujicolor Pro Film Simulation Recipe has been a Patron Early-Access Recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App for over a year—it’s well past due to become available to everyone! And now it is. If you are an App Patron, be sure to look for the Early-Access Recipe that replaced this one.

Parking Garage – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Fujicolor Pro”

This Fujicolor Pro Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 & X-T30. For those with newer X-Trans IV cameras, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and I’d suggest Grain size Small. Those with “older” GFX models can use this Recipe, too, although it will render slightly differently (but try it anyway).

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR400

Grain: Strong
White Balance: 5900K, -2 Red & 0 Blue
Color Chrome Effect: N/A (X-Trans III) or Off (X-T3/X-T30)
Highlight: -2
Shadow: +3
Color: -2
Sharpness: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Fujicolor Pro Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1:

Bunch of Honeysuckle Blooms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Cage – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Easter Egg Hunting – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Jon with Messy Hair – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1
Stairs Up – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Main St. Market – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Yellow Among Green – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Frary Peak Sage – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Great Salt Lake Rocks – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Lake Between the Rocks – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Salt Lake From Antelope Island – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Island Brush – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Jetty – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Sunset Over Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and nearly 300 more in the Fuji X Weekly App!

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Top 10 Film Simulation Recipes

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

I’m always fascinated by which Film Simulation Recipes you are using. I get a glimpse on social media, but my best gauge is the website statistics; specifically, which Recipe articles are viewed the most. Two months ago I shared with you the Top 10 most viewed Recipe articles of 2022 plus the most viewed through the first two months of 2023, and I was surprised by a couple of the rankings. Looking at this two months later, I’m once again surprised by a few things, and not so much by most of it.

So far in 2023, seven of the ten—including the Top 3—Film Simulation Recipes are for X-Trans IV camera. From the data I have, the majority of people who shoot with Recipes are doing so on X-Trans IV models. Kodachrome 64 remains king of Recipes, Kodak Portra 400 v2 is a close second, and Kodak Portra 400 is solidly third. Vintage Kodak and Classic Chrome (the original Fuji X Weekly Recipe), which are both for X-Trans III cameras (plus the X-T3 and X-T30), hold the fourth and fifth spots. Kodak Tri-X 400, the only B&W Recipe on this list, is sixth. Those first half-dozen are all identical rankings to 2022.

Kodak Ultramax 400 didn’t make last year’s Top 10 list, but it did rank number seven through the first two months of this year, and it continues to hold that through April. The X-Trans III version of Kodachrome II dropped one spot, while the X-Trans IV version moved out of the Top 10 completely. Pacific Blues didn’t make the Top 10 last year, but is number nine so far in 2023, up one spot from two months ago. Reggie’s Portra also didn’t make the Top 10 last year, but now holds the last spot, down one from two months ago, switching places with Pacific Blues. Kodak Ektar 100 and Nostalgic Negative both fell out of the Top 10.

10 Most Viewed Film Simulation Recipes of 2023 (…so far)

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Now let’s look at April-only. How did the Film Simulation Recipes rank during those 30 days?

The big surprise is that Vibrant Arizona is number two. It’s a little complicated, because that article actually includes four Recipes—two for X-Trans IV and two for X-Trans V. Even though I published it only nine days ago, the Vibrant Arizona Recipe, which is intended to produce a Wes Anderson aesthetic, is being used a heck-of-a-lot right now! The only other surprises are that Pacific Blues moved up to number eight, while Kodak Tri-X 400 fell two spots to number nine and Kodachrome II fell two spots all the way to the bottom. The first seven Recipes, plus the last one, all use the Classic Chrome film sim, which is Fujifilm’s most popular.

10 Most Viewed Film Simulation Recipes of April

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Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

Can AI Make a Fujifilm Recipe? — Kodak Ektachrome E100VS — Two Fujifilm X-T5 (X-Trans V + X-Trans IV) Film Simulation Recipes!!

Rocky Hill in the Desert – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1

I asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT to make a Film Simulation Recipe to mimic the look of Kodachrome X slide film. This wasn’t the first time that I attempted to use ChatGPT to make a Recipe for Fujifilm cameras… you might recall that the Urban Dreams Film Simulation Recipe was made by ChatGPT, and by chance it has some resemblance to Kodachrome 200. I learned a lot about the AI’s ability (or is it inability?) to make Recipes, so I decided to try again just for the fun of it.

Kodak introduced Kodachrome—a color transparency film, and the world’s first commercially successful color film—in 1935. Kodachrome X was in the second era of the emulsion, sold between 1962 and 1973. It was replaced by Kodachrome 64, which was discontinued in 2009. Today you cannot buy Kodachrome, and even if you found some old rolls of the film, you cannot even get it developed. Shooting with a facsimile Film Simulation Recipe on Fujifilm cameras is a great way to experience some of these old emulsions that no longer exist, such as Kodachrome X.

Here’s a YouTube video I made documenting the experience!

I have Film Simulation Recipes already that mimic Kodachrome X slide film. These Recipes are called Kodachrome II, and there’s one for X-Trans I, one for X-Trans II, one for X-Trans III, and two for X-Trans IV cameras. In the video above, I compare ChatGPT’s Kodachrome X Recipe to my Kodachrome II v2 Recipe for X-Trans IV, which I shot on my X-T5; in order to make the Recipe compatible, I set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off since X-Trans V cameras render blue more deeply with some film sims.

My opinion is that ChatGPT’s Recipe is much too vibrant to mimic Kodachrome X. While the film was richly vibrant for its time, no emulsion in the 1960’s was that colorful. Today it would be described more as true-to-life. There are also other issues I take with the settings that the AI chose, so I don’t think it did well at mimicking Kodachrome; however, that doesn’t mean the settings (by chance) don’t look nice.

ChatGPT’s Kodachrome X Recipe
My Kodachrome II v2 Recipe

After examining the ChatGPT Recipe, I decided that it reminds me a lot of Kodak Ektachrome E100VS. There have been over 40 different emulsions that carried the Ektachrome name over the years—each with their own unique look—and E100VS was just one. Kodak introduced this film in 1999 and discontinued it in 2012. Ektachrome E100VS was Kodak’s best attempt at Velvia, and was their most vibrant emulsion. The “VS” in the name meant Vividly Saturated. While it was similar to Velvia, it wasn’t identical—the warmth of the film was the most obvious difference—and many photographers preferred Fujifilm’s Velvia over Kodak’s Ektachrome E100VS. Still, at the pinnacle of the film era, it was a popular choice for landscape photographers wanting a boost in vibrancy.

I noticed with AI generated Film Simulation Recipes that most of the time it chooses Auto White Balance, Grain Strong, and stays within -2 to +2 on all of the settings; my experience is that it only occasionally strays from that. It also seems to always leave some necessary settings out, and you have to ask it to add those. Of course, no film has Auto White Balance—most are Daylight (around 5500K), and some are Tungsten (around 3200K). While it is amazing that ChatGPT can produce a Recipe for Fujifilm cameras, if it looks good or not—and if it truly produces the aesthetic that you asked for—is more by chance than skill. Also, it doesn’t like to cite its sources, which is just wrong in my opinion.

Yellow Desert Flower – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2

While it tried and failed to resemble 1960’s era Kodachrome, I still liked the look produced by ChatGPT’s Kodachrome X Film Simulation Recipe. Since it has some similarities to Kodak Ektachrome E100VS color transparency film, I renamed it after that emulsion. I also refined the settings to more closely resemble the film, and am including that as a second Recipe, which I call Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2. So v1 is ChatGPT’s Recipe, and v2 is my modified alternative.

I shot a number of rolls of Ektachrome E100VS back in my film days. Most of these pictures are stored away in little yellow boxes, but a few images have been scanned. Obviously, the scanner—and especially the quality of the scan—has an impact on the photo rendering. The four images below are some real Kodak Ektachrome E100VS frames that I shot many years ago. None of these are high-quality scans, and for that I apologize, and I hope you can overlook that aspect of the pictures. Also, it’s important to state that they all look significantly more impressive when viewed on a light table or especially from a slide projector.

Actual Kodak Ektachrome E100VS film
Actual Kodak Ektachrome E100VS film
Actual Kodak Ektachrome E100VS film
Actual Kodak Ektachrome E100VS film

How the film was shot had a significant impact on the look. For deeper blues and reds, one should underexpose the film slightly. For cyan sky and brighter (and warmer) colors, one should overexpose slightly. Of course, you had to be careful, because the film—like most slide films—had a narrow dynamic range, and there wasn’t much room for error either direction. These two Film Simulation Recipes behave similarly, although I believe v2 a little more so than v1.

Without further ado, here are the two Kodak Ektachrome E100VS Film Simulation Recipes!

Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1

ChatGPT Recipe for Kodachrome X

Beef Franks – Vulture City, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Ektachrome E100VS v1

This is the Recipe that ChatGPT created to mimic Kodachrome X, but it looks more like Kodak Ektachrome E100VS. It produces vivid colors similar to—but more warm and slightly less vibrant than—Velvia film. For darker blues and deeper reds, use a lower exposure compensation, and for lighter blues and brighter/warmer colors, use a higher exposure compensation. Because it uses Auto White Balance and DR400, you’ll find it to be quite versatile; however, the rendering is clearly “wrong” in some situations.

The Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 Film Simulation Recipe is fully compatible with X-Trans V cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-T5, X-H2, and X-H2s, as well as “newer” X-Trans IV cameras, which include the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. You can use this Recipe on newer GFX cameras; however, it will render slightly differently (but try it anyway!). For the X-T3 and X-T30 (plus older GFX), you’ll have to ignore Color Chrome FX Blue, Grain size, and Clarity (since your camera doesn’t have those options), so it will definitely look a little different, but you might like it nonetheless; for X-Trans III, you’ll have to additionally ignore Color Chrome Effect.

Film Simulation: Velvia
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -2 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +1
Color: +2
Sharpness: +1

High ISO NR: -2
Clarity: +1
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:

Suburban Arches – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Red, Green & Yellow – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Pink Blossom in Spring – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Boy in a Red Hat – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Saguaro & Abandoned Building – Vulture City, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Agave at the Mine – Vulture City, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Pile of Rocks – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Barrel Cactus & Yellow Flowers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Colorful Thorns – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Hidden Saguaro – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sharpness – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
A Cactus in Spring – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Spiderweb Among Thorns – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Yellow Flowers Behind Cactus – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Cactus Vailed by Sunlight – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Little Purple Wildflowers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Veiled Cactus – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Desert Spring in the Shade – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Shaded Bristlebush Blooms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2

Fuji X Weekly Recipe

Unexpected X – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2

This version of Kodak Ektachrome E100VS is my modification to better mimic the film. It’s not too divergent—only slightly dissimilar—since it’s simply a modification of the AI Recipe, and not made from scratch. Because it uses more of a daylight-balanced Kelvin White Balance and DR200, it’s not quite as versatile as v1, and you have to be a little more careful of the light situation you are shooting in and pay closer attention to the highlights to avoid clipping. Sometimes it’s not completely correct, but I think in the “right” conditions it can be quite convincing—nearly identical to some slides I have.

The Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2 Film Simulation Recipe is fully compatible with X-Trans V cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-T5, X-H2, and X-H2s, as well as “newer” X-Trans IV cameras, which include the X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with the X-T3, X-T30, X-Pro3, or X100V. You can use this Recipe on newer GFX cameras; however, it will render slightly differently (but try it anyway!).

Film Simulation: Velvia
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: 5150K, +3 Red & -3 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1.5
Shadow: +0.5
Color: +1
Sharpness: -1

High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: +3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5 and X-E4:

Americana Home – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Blue Sky Behind Trees – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Boy in a Red Hat 2 – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Abunda la Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Garden Apex – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Bright Backyard Blossom – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Shaded Oleander Blooms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Tiny Yellow Evening Blooms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS
Reddish Orange Cactus Flower – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
White Paper Flowers – Beckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Desert Hill through Palo Verde – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Little Pops of Purple – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Purple Spring – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Bunch of Yellow Trumpets – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Red Airplane – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sunset in Suburbia – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

Comparison

In the three examples above, Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 is on the left (revealed by moving the slider right), and Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v2 is on the right (revealed by moving the slider left).

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 these Film Simulation Recipes and nearly 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

As a bonus, I asked OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 AI image creator to show me what ChatGPT creating Film Simulation Recipes looks like. The results? Awful, but also kind of funny! I tried rewording the request several different ways in hopes of getting a better image, but it never really got any better.

Here are a few:

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Getting a Wes Anderson Look from your Fujifilm Camera + 4 new Film Simulation Recipes!!!!

Yellow Cactus Blooms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vibrant Arizona Recipe

Everyone is after a Wes Anderson look right now!

When I first watched the trailer for the upcoming Wes Anderson movie Asteroid City, I thought perhaps it might be possible to mimic the aesthetic on my Fujifilm X-T5; however, I quickly realized that it’s not possible straight-out-of-camera. The movie has an orange and teal look, and I’ve tried unsuccessfully for years to achieve that on Fujifilm. In order to get orange and teal, the White Balance Shift requires plus red for orange and minus red for teal; it’s not possible to do both, so you must decide which one you want: orange or teal? After a few hours of unsuccessfully trying to get the settings right, I gave up.

Then I saw your pictures on Instagram. Specifically, there were photos captured using the Bright Summer, Bright Kodak, Kodak Portra 400 Warm, and Pacific Blues Film Simulation Recipes that had some Wes Anderson vibes to them, which convinced me to try again. I directly compared those four Recipes to Asteroid City screenshots, and decided that Bright Summer and Bright Kodak were the closest; however, none of them were quite right. So I set out to get a little closer—as close as I could—knowing that I wouldn’t be able to achieve a perfect match, but I hoped it would be similar enough that at a cursory glance it would pass for Asteroid City.

Popeyes – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Vibrant Arizona Recipe

Knowing that most of you don’t have an X-Trans V camera, I made a version for X-Trans IV models, too, since the majority of those who shoot with Recipes do so on X-Trans IV cameras. Also, I figured that some of you won’t be satisfied with the results, and are after an even closer facsimile of Asteroid City, so I have some advice for that, too, a little further down, but it does require a small amount of post-editing with Capture One.

While attempting to mimic Asteroid City, I was inspired by another Wes Anderson film: The French Dispatch, specifically, the indoor scenes of the newspaper office, so I made Film Simulation Recipes for that, too—one for X-Trans V and another for X-Trans IV. I don’t know what the light situation was exactly in those scenes, so I don’t know if it would render similarly under identical light, but it does produce convincing results in certain artificial and mixed light scenarios.

If you are after a Wes Anderson look, check out the four Film Simulation Recipes below!

Vibrant Arizona (X-Trans V)

Look that Way – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vibrant Arizona Recipe

The Vibrant Arizona Film Simulation Recipe can be characterized as bright, colorful, and warm, yet still classic-analog-like, with some similarities to overexposed Kodak negative film. While not an exact match, I’m confident that it is as close as you’re going to get to an Asteroid City aesthetic straight-out-of-camera. The movie takes place in a fictional northern-Arizona town (although it was filmed in Spain, apparently), so that is why I’m calling it Vibrant Arizona.

An important note is that this Recipe uses D-Range Priority (a.k.a. DR-P), which takes the place of Dynamic Range and the Tone Curve (Highlight and Shadow). I don’t have a lot of Film Simulation Recipes which utilize D-Range Priority, but there are a few, including Pulled Fujicolor Superia, Scanned Superia, and Portra-Style, the last of which has some similarities to Vibrant Arizona.

This particular Recipe is for X-Trans V cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-T5, X-H2, and X-H2s. For best results, use in sunny daylight. I shot in both the 3:2 and 16:9 aspect ratios, and preferred the latter for a more cinematic feel.

Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: 4350K, +6 Red & -8 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR-P Strong
Color: +4
Sharpness: -2

High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to + 1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Vibrant Arizona Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:

Backyard Spring – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Spring or Fall? – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Blue Star – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Ocotillo & Saguaro – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Palo Verde on Rocks – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Rocks & Vista – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Arizona View – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Girl with a Camera – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Contemplation – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Over There – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Please Let Me Get Back to Playing – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Neil’s – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Deere in the Desert – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Apartment Palm – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sonoran Desert – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
The Yellow Desert – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
A Cactus Blossom – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Main Fountain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

Vibrant Arizona (X-Trans IV)

Red Light – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Vibrant Arizona Recipe

Because X-Trans V cameras render blue more deeply on some film simulations, the X-Trans IV version of this Recipe calls for Color Chrome FX Blue to be set to Strong instead of Weak, and is otherwise identical. This Vibrant Arizona Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. For the X-T3 and X-T30, you can ignore Grain size and Color Chrome FX Blue (since your camera doesn’t have those options), and use a 1/4 Black Pro Mist or 10% CineBloom diffusion filter in lieu of Clarity; however, it will look slightly different. For newer GFX models… I’m not sure if you should use this version or the X-Trans V version, but one of the two should work well on your camera—try them both, and see which you prefer.

Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: 4350K, +6 Red & -8 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR-P Strong
Color: +4
Sharpness: -2

High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to + 1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Vibrant Arizona Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:

Bird in a Palm – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Green Sign – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Two Palm Building – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Indicative? – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Spring or Autumn? – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Caged – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bougainvillea Branch Blossom – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Pink & Yellow – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bougainvillea Garden – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Green Meets Red – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

Asteroid City Edit

Asteroid City Edit

If you aren’t satisfied with how well the Vibrant Arizona Film Simulation Recipe matches Asteroid City, there is a quick and easy Capture One edit that will make your pictures even closer to the aesthetic of the motion picture film. Simply import your straight-out-of-camera JPEGs (not the RAW!) into Capture One, find the Basic Color Editor, and make these adjustments:

Cyan
Hue -30
Lightness -20

Blue
Hue -20
Saturation +50

Those are the adjustments that I made to the picture above plus the five images below. You might have to stray from the above settings and modify the exact parameters, just depending on the photographs, but for these six, I followed them precisely and made no other changes. With this edit, the pictures are pretty convincing, and there’s no doubt that we’re mimicking Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City. Even though this will get you closer to the movie aesthetic, I personally prefer the unedited versions.


Yellow Pillow – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Indoor Angouleme Recipe

There was a moment while creating the above Recipes that I became particularly frustrated with the process, so I took a break, and instead worked on a different Wes Anderson look. I was inspired by the indoor scenes inside the newspaper office in the movie The French Dispatch, so I began working on a Film Simulation Recipe to mimic that aesthetic. The look is warm when shot in warm light, with somewhat muted colors and low contrast. This is a much different aesthetic than Asteroid City, but it is another Wes Anderson film that’s popular right now.

While the movie takes place in a fictional French town, it was filmed in the real town of Angouleme, which apparently (and appropriately) is known as the City of the Image. While these Recipes look quite interesting in outdoor daylight situations, they are intended for artificial and mixed indoor lighting, which is where they really shine. That’s why I’ve named the two Film Simulation Recipes below Indoor Angouleme. Although none of the movie was filmed in the 16:9 aspect ratio, I used it for these Recipes, but feel free to use whichever aspect ratio you prefer.

Indoor Angouleme (X-Trans V)

Red Chair – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Indoor Angouleme Recipe

This version of the Indoor Angouleme Film Simulation Recipe uses the new Nostalgic Neg. film simulation. It also utilizes the Auto Ambience Priority White Balance, which I’ve only used once before (on the Ektachrome 320T Recipe). Indoor Angouleme is compatible with X-Trans V cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-T5, X-H2, and X-H2s. Those with newer GFX cameras can use it, too; however, it will likely render slightly differently.

Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg.
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: Auto Ambience Priority, -2 Red & -6 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -2
Color: -1
Sharpness: -2

High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Indoor Angouleme Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:

Dessert – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Nutmeg – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Iced or Hot? – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Pumps – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Mmmm – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Tea Cup – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Artist at Work – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Making Salad – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Joshua in Front of a Curtain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Spectacular Suburban Sunset – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Pergola Corner – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Roof Ridge – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sun Peeking Behind Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Big Bloom – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
A Pink Rose – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

Indoor Angouleme (X-Trans IV)

Water, Fish, and View – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Indoor Angouleme Recipe

The Nostalgic Neg. film sim is somewhat similar to Eterna, and can sometimes be closely mimicked with it. Since X-Trans IV models don’t have Nostalgic Neg., I used Eterna instead. While this version isn’t 100% identical to the X-Trans V Recipe, it is pretty close overall, and retains the same feel.

This version of Indoor Angouleme is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. To use it on the X-T3 and X-T30, ignore Color Chrome FX Blue and Grain size (since your camera doesn’t have those options), select regular AWB (since your camera doesn’t have the Ambience option), and use a 1/4 Black Pro Mist or 10% CineBloom diffusion filter in lieu of Clarity; however, it will look slightly different.

Film Simulation: Eterna
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: Auto Ambience Priority, -1 Red & -6 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -1
Color: +4
Sharpness: -2

High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Indoor Angouleme Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:

Tabletop Succulent – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bookshelf Plant – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Sugar & Creamer – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Roar – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Alignment – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
1:10 – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Green Planet – Litchfield, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
White Rose – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Pink Blossomed Rose – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

Find these Film Simulation Recipes and nearly 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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
Fujifilm X-E4 in black:  Amazon   B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-E4 in silver:  Amazon   B&H  Moment

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

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Slowing Down with Sandmarc ND Filters

Neutral Density filters, more commonly called ND filters, are very useful. It’s worthwhile to have at least one ND filter available for your photography. Maybe you don’t know which one (or ones) to own and why you’d use it. I recently got some ND filters, and perhaps my story will be helpful to you.

In my How to get Filmic Photographs from your iPhone article I explained that my wife has a Sandmarc case for her iPhone 13 Pro. I thought she’d also appreciate some ND filters for her phone, since she uses it regularly for videography, so I got her three Sandmarc ND filters that can attach to her iPhone case. You see, ND filters are common in cinematography because you want a shutter speed close to the frames-per-second you’re recording in order to avoid jutter (a.k.a. stutter or choppy) when panning or whenever there is movement. Getting a slow enough shutter speed in bright conditions can be difficult without an ND filter. Unfortunately, the ND filters didn’t really work out with her iPhone workflow, so they initially went unused. Not wanting to let the filters go to waste, I reimagined how they could be utilized, and I figured out how to make them work for me. Now I see them as an essential tool for my photography!

Before I get to the filters, I want to briefly talk about one other Sandmarc item I have: iPhone Tripod, Compact Edition. This was also for my wife, but she doesn’t use it often—only occasionally—so I borrow it regularly, except that I use it with my Fujifilm cameras and not my phone. I need a small tripod for my desk when I do the SOOC Live broadcasts, but the one I’ve owned for years kind of sucks and just barely works; however, with Season 3, I began using the Sandmarc tripod, and it is so much better—perfect for the job! I also discovered that it’s great for travel because it folds up very small and doesn’t take up much space (about 8.5 inches). The tripod only expands to a little taller than two feet, but it is sturdy enough to hold my X-T5 with a lens as large as the Fujinon 90mm, so for occasional casual use—which is all I ever use tripods for in my photography—it is just fine. Since getting it, the Sandmarc tripod has become my most-used. I don’t think that it’s intended for “real” cameras like the Fujifilm X-T5, but that’s what I use it for, and it works great. I bring this up because tripods are closely associate with ND filters.

Neutral Density filters block the amount of light entering the lens, which allows for slower shutter speeds. Why would you want to do this? I already mentioned that in cinematography, slowing the shutter can reduce juttering. In still photography, slowing down the shutter allows you to show motion by way of blurring moving things, and it allows for high-ISO photography in bright conditions.

Sandmarc’s iPhone ND filters come in a pack of three: ND16, ND32, and ND64. The ND16 reduces light by four stops, the ND32 reduces by five stops, and the ND64 reduces by six stops. I most commonly use the ND16, but for longer exposures, the other two certainly come in handy. Did I mention that Sandmarc’s ND filters are also polarized? They are! Polarizers reduce glare and haze, which can be particularly useful when photographing water. Pretty cool, eh?

So if these ND filters are made for iPhones, how am I using them on my Fujifilm cameras? Technically, I’m not using them on my camera, I’m attaching them to my Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens. The ND filters have 40.5mm threads, and the 27mm lens accepts 39mm threads, so I purchased a cheap Rise 39mm-40.5mm step-up ring, which allows me to use the Sandmarc ND filters on my Fujinon lens. It works like a charm!

There are three ways in which I’ve integrated ND filters into my photography: slow shutter with a tripod, slow shutter without a tripod, and high-ISO in daylight. I’ll briefly explain each below.

ND Filter + Tripod

1.4 Second Exposure — Upcoming Recipe
1/9 Second Exposure — AgfaChrome RS 100 Recipe

The classic way ND filters are used for still photography is with a tripod. By utilizing a slow shutter speed, things within the frame that are moving will become a blur. Waterfalls are probably the most common subject for this technique, where water appears to be a streak of blur or even a mist if the exposure is long enough. Typically, a maximum shutter speed of 1/15 is required for blurring the subject, but there are a few factors—lens focal length, speed and distance of the subject, desired blur—that could affect the necessary shutter speed, either faster or slower. The longer the shutter is open, the more blur you will get. Because you want everything that’s not moving to be sharp, a tripod is required for this technique.

ND Filter without Tripod

1/20 Second Exposure — Reggie’s Portra Recipe
1/2 Second Exposure — Emulsion ’86 Recipe

Who says that pictures have to be sharp? Maybe you want everything in the frame to be blurry! For this, you simply remove the tripod and use a slow shutter while the camera is handheld. Panning is one example of this. Using a slow shutter speed without a tripod is probably the most difficult ND filter technique, but there is a lot of opportunity for creativity, which means there is potential for dramatic or interesting photographs. The longer the exposure the more difficult this technique is—unless you’re really going for abstract art—so be careful not to set the shutter too slow.

High ISO in Bright Daylight

ISO 12800, f/8, 1/550 — GAF 500 Recipe
ISO 12800, f/8, 1/450 — GAF 500 Recipe
ISO 12800, f/4, 1/3200 — Ilford Delta Push Process Recipe
ISO 12800, f/8, 1/400 — Ilford Delta Push Process Recipe
ISO 25600, f/4, 1/1900 — Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push Process Recipe
ISO 25600, f/2.8, 1/350 — Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push Process Recipe

You might think that purposefully setting a high-ISO in bright daylight is a weird thing to do. The general advice given since the beginning of photography is to use the lowest ISO that you can get away with. If you can use ISO 200, use ISO 200. If you need to bump it up to ISO 400 because the light is dimmer, use ISO 400. Only use ISO 800 if you have to. And ISO 1600 should be used with extreme caution. ISOs higher than that are for emergency purposes only. But is that still good advice? In my opinion, Fujifilm cameras are excellent at high-ISO because—thanks to the X-Trans sensor and processor—they better control the aesthetic of digital noise, rendering it more like film grain. In other words, purposefully using high-ISOs can produce a more analog-like result. Some of my Film Simulation Recipes actually require ultra-high ISOs, and using them in bright daylight can be difficult; however, ND filters make it much more practical. My X100V has a built-in ND filter, but my other Fujifilm cameras do not; ND filters have opened up the opportunity to use these high-ISO Recipes in situations that would be much more difficult otherwise—this is how I’m most often using my Sandmarc ND filters.

Find these Film Simulation Recipes and nearly 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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
Fujinon 27mm f/2.8:  Amazon   B&H   Moment

Note: the top four pictures were captured with a Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 35mm f/2; images 1, 2 & 4 are Pacific Blues and image 3 is Kodak Portra 400 v2. The other pictures were captured using my Fujifilm X-T5 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 with a Sandmarc ND filter attached.

Fujifilm Recipes for Spring Flower Photography

Vibrant Flowerbed – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Velvia Recipe

April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. Yes, it’s wildflower season already, and if you are not sure which Film Simulation Recipe to program into your Fujifilm camera to capture the colorful spectacle, this article should help with that. No matter which Fujifilm X-Trans camera you have, there’s a Recipe for you to try today!

This is far from a comprehensive list of Film Simulation Recipes that will work well for photographing spring blossoms. There are nearly 300 Recipes, and most of them could be a good choice, depending on the exact subject, lighting, and your style. This list is simply a selection of the ones that I personally like and can recommend to you. Feel free to try other Recipes not included in the list below. If I didn’t include your favorite Recipes for photographing spring flowers, let me know in the comments because I’d love to hear which ones you use. If you are not sure which Film Simulation Recipe to try, these recommendations should get you started.

X-Trans V

X-T5, X-H2, X-H2s

X-Trans IV — Part 1

X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II

X-Trans IV — Part 2

X-T3, X-T30

X-Trans III

X-Pro2, X100F, X-E3, X-T2, X-T20, X-H1

X-Trans II — Part 1

X100T, X-E2, X-E2s, X-T1, X-T10, X30, XQ2, X70

X-Trans II — Part 2

X100S, X20, XQ1

X-Trans I

X-Pro1, X-E1, X-M1

Find these Film Simulation Recipes and nearly 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

I’m Working on Two new Film Simulation Recipes!!

Upcoming Film Simulation Recipe #1

I’m always working on new Film Simulation Recipes. Even though there are nearly 300 on the Fuji X Weekly App (available for both Android and Apple), I’m nowhere near finished. There are so many more that I want to create!

Recently I’ve been working on two specific Recipes that I’m especially excited about. I’m not going to say today what they are inspired by or are supposed to mimic—feel free to guess in the comments! Both required a lot of testing and adjusting and retesting and readjusting… and compromises. I look forward to sharing them with you soon. Which one are you most excited for: Recipe 1 or Recipe 2? Let me know!

Why should you shoot with Film Simulation Recipes? It’s a part of a better way to get a retro film look. It’s one of seven tips to get a film look from your digital photos. It’s popular. Why do I? It saves me a ton of time over post-processing RAW files and is so much more fun—shooting with Recipes on Fujifilm cameras has had such a profound impact on my photography and my life, no hyperbole!

Upcoming Film Simulation Recipe #1
Upcoming Film Simulation Recipe #1
Upcoming Film Simulation Recipe #2
Upcoming Film Simulation Recipe #2
Upcoming Film Simulation Recipe #2

Four Film Simulation Recipes for Storytelling Photography

Underwood Typewriter – Vulture City, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – AgfaChrome RS 100 Recipe

All photographs tell stories—a picture is worth a thousand words, after all—but storytelling photography is perhaps a step further than just ordinary picture-taking. How exactly do you effectively tell stories through photos? What gear do you need? Which techniques should you consider? Which Film Simulation Recipes are best?

All of those questions and more are discussed at length by myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry in the video below, which was last week’s SOOC Live broadcast. If you haven’t yet watched it, I invite you to do so now. If you want to try this type of photography or simply challenge yourself to become better at telling stories through your pictures, this episode is a must-watch. Also, so you don’t miss any future broadcasts, be sure to follow the SOOC Live YouTube channelEpisode 1 and Episode 2 of Season 3, plus all of the first two seasons, can be found there, too.

Most simply, storytelling photography is a type of documentary photography. It is chronicling the important or everyday events that you’ll want to remember for many years to come, such as holidays or precious family moments. It is capturing the human experience—how people adapt to or effect the environment around them. It is eliciting a response from the viewer, weather prompting questions or evoking emotions. Perhaps most importantly, you should “f8 and be there” because storytelling pictures become more meaningful over time, so it is critical to be in the moment and capture the picture.

The four Film Simulation Recipes that Nathalie and I challenge you to use for storytelling photography are:

Reggie’s Portra

Spray Artists – Amarillo, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – Reggie’s Portra Recipe

This is a versatile Film Simulation Recipe that produces classic Kodak negative film colors. This could easily be your go-to Recipe for almost any situation, as Reggie Ballesteros, the creator of this Recipe, will gladly attest. It is intended for “newer” X-Trans IV cameras—X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II; for X-Trans V, I recommend setting Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and for the X-T3 and X-T30, simply ignore Color Chrome FX Blue and Grain strength, since your camera doesn’t have those options.

Cute Alien – Rock Springs, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reggie’s Portra Recipe
Gunslinger – Tombstone, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Reggie’s Portra Recipe

AgfaChrome RS 100

We Are Open – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – AgfaChrome RS 100 Recipe

I love the retro rendering of this Recipe! It’s not quite as versatile as Reggie’s Portra, but, because it has a cooler cast, it does still do well in a variety of light situations. If you want to emphasize blues and reds, this is the one to use. It is intended for “newer” X-Trans IV cameras—X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II; for X-Trans V, I recommend setting Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak.

Bikes & Brunch – Cave Creek, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – AgfaChrome RS 100 Recipe
Here Ducky, Ducky, Ducky – Tucson, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – AgfaChrome RS 100 Recipe

Classic Slide

Pan for Gold – Tucson, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Classic Slide Recipe

This Film Simulation Recipe reminds me of a reversal film aesthetic similar to Elite Chrome or Provia 100F, although it’s not modeled after those emulsions specifically. It has a lot of contrast, and (like slide film) you have to be careful to get the exposure right. Because of the cool cast, it can be used in some artificial light situations and produce good results. This Recipe is compatible with all X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30; to use it on newer models, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and Grain size to Small.

Saguaro Wearing a Hat – Cave Creek, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Classic Slide Recipe
Bear in a Shop – Rock Springs, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Classic Slide Recipe

Ilford Delta Push Process

Dirty Feet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Ilford Delta Push Process Recipe

This is a great black-and-white Recipe; I think B&W lends itself well to this genre in general, so definitely give it a try! It does require an ultra-high ISO, which is challenging for bright daylight photography—enable the electronic shutter for faster shutter speeds and stop down, or use an ND filter. It is compatible with all X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30; to use it on newer models, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and Grain size to Large.

March Horses – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Ilford Delta Push Process Recipe
Fetching Bowls – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Ilford Delta Push Process Recipe

Find these Film Simulation Recipes and nearly 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

A Better Way To Get a Retro Film Look

Rodeo Cold – Cave Creek, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm – AgfaChrome RS 100

Is there a better way to get a retro film look? In my opinion, the answer is yes!

Notice that I didn’t say the best way, only a better way. The best way to get a retro film look is to shoot actual analog film on a retro film camera; however, film is expensive and the process inconvenient. Digital is much more convenient, but digital images inherently don’t resemble film—one must manipulate them. There are numerous programs, plugins, and presets that will provide you with a film look without a lot of fuss, but it does require some level of post-processing; editing pictures is a good way to get a retro film look, but a couple downsides are 1) you must have access to (and pay for) the software and know how to use it and 2) it takes time to edit all of your pictures. There is another way, which I believe is a better way.

It’s very simple: shoot JPEGs on Fujifilm cameras programmed with analog-like Film Simulation Recipes and use vintage lenses. I say that this is a better way because you can achieve a retro film look without the hassle of picture manipulation. Better, of course, is subjective, but this is an increasingly popular method, largely because more and more photographers are deciding that it is indeed a better way for them.

Arizona Honeysuckles – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 70mm – AgfaChrome RS 100

Fujifilm cameras are an important ingredient to this because, when programming their digital output, Fujifilm utilized their film department to assist with the image rendering. In other words, using their vast film experience, they set out to infuse an analog aesthetic into their digital photographs. Film Simulation Recipes take it a step further by fine-tuning the camera settings to better replicate specific film stocks and/or processes or mimicking certain looks. There are nearly 300 Recipes on the Fuji X Weekly App (available for Android and Apple), so be sure to download it if it’s not already on your phone. You can do pretty much the same thing as Recipes with software, but it will not 100% match the straight-out-of-camera images and you will have to work for it (at least a little), while camera-made JPEGs are good-to-go without editing (the work is already done for you). This is a paradigm shift that can dramatically transform your workflow by drastically simplifying it, which saves you a lot of time, hassle, and potentially money, while simultaneously making photography more fun. Like I said: better.

The final ingredient is the glass. Modern lenses are often precision engineered, making them nearly flawless. That’s great if you want a digital look, but if you want a retro film look you should employ the same lenses that were used to shoot film, which often have flaws that give them character—an important aspect of the analog aesthetic. Find some old glass and shoot through it! You’ll need an adapter—the exact one depends on the mount of the lens—and set the camera to “Shoot Without Lens” in the Menu settings. These lenses are manual focus, which can be tricky at first, but thankfully Fujifilm provides you with some excellent tools to assist with it, making manual focus much easier and more enjoyable. Alternatively, you could use inexpensive third-party lenses, which often have similar characteristics to vintage lenses, and you won’t need a special adapter.

For the pictures in this article, I used a Fujifilm X-T5 programed with my AgfaChrome RS 100 Film Simulation Recipe shot through various tiny Pentax-110 lenses. The straight-out-of-camera results are very analog-like, and could probably pass as actual film photographs if I didn’t provide any background information. You’re not likely to think that these are out-of-camera pictures from a modern camera. If you weren’t convinced that they’re film, you’d likely assume some post-processing was done to make them appear film-like, yet they’re unedited. In any event, if you want a better way to get a retro film look, use Fujifilm cameras programmed with Film Simulation Recipes and shoot through vintage lenses. Simple. Easy. Convincing. Fun.

Colorful Wheel – Vulture City, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Turn Signal – Cave Creek, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Rockshop – Rock Springs, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Out the Upstairs Window – Rock Springs, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Pie – Rock Springs, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Kokopelli – Rock Springs, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Fuzzy – New River, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 70mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Yellow – New River, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 70mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Desert Spring – New River, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 70mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Two Cholla – New River, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 70mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Spring Lupine – New River, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 50mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Purple Lupine – New River, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 50mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Yellow Spring – New River, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 50mm – AgfaChrome RS 100
Blossoms Among Ocotillos – Vulture City, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm – AgfaChrome RS 100

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