Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1 -“Yosemite Velvia”
On a recent trip to Yosemite National Park, my daughter, Joy, created a new film simulation recipe for X-Trans II cameras, which I’m calling Yosemite Velvia. Joy has made two X-Trans I recipes, Superia Xtra 400 and Winter Blue, but this is her first for X-Trans II. On this trip I let her use my Fujifilm X-T1 camera, and I told her that she could use whichever settings she wanted—this recipe is what she came up with.
I asked her why she chose these settings. She told me that she wanted the pictures to be colorful but without too much contrast. She decided on the Shade white balance because the forecast was for overcast sky, although it ended up being mostly sunny; however, she liked how it looked, so she stuck with it. Besides photographing in Yosemite, she also used these settings in Reno, Nevada.
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1 -“Yosemite Velvia”
This film simulation recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans II cameras. You can use it on X-Trans I and Bayer sensor cameras, too, but the results will be a little different (feel free to try, though).
Velvia Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: -1 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Sharpness: -1 Noise Reduction: -2 White Balance: Shade, -2 Red & -2 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured by Joy on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this “Yosemite Velvia” film simulation recipe:
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
Photo by Joy Roesch – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-T1
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Bicycle 88 – West Valley City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodak Platinum 200”
Fuji X Weekly reader Corey Steib (Instagram here and here) shared with me an X-Trans II recipe that he created called Kodak Platinum 200. Corey named it this because it reminds him of vibrant Kodak film captured with a Panaflex Platinum motion picture camera, and because the best results are found at or near ISO 200. This recipe is nothing like the Eterna film simulation, but it does have a slight cinematic feel to it nonetheless thanks to the Shadow setting. It looks really nice, with vibrant colors and soft shadows, and is a great all-purpose recipe. Thank you, Corey, for creating this and allowing me to share it!
I have the ISO in my camera set to Auto, with the upper limit set to ISO 3200. I’m happy with the results from my X-T1 all the way to ISO 3200, but the intention of this recipe is to keep the ISO lower when you can. In bright light, depending on the contrast in the scene, because of the DR-Auto setting, the camera might select ISO 200 or ISO 400, and the idea is to use this recipe at those ISOs when practical. As the available light decreases, it’s perfectly fine to increase the ISO, and I feel good going as high as ISO 3200 when necessary.
Touch of Red – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodak Platinum 200”
This film simulation recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans II cameras. You can use it on X-Trans I and Bayer sensor cameras, too, but the results will be a little different (feel free to try, though).
Provia Dynamic Range: DR-Auto Highlight: +1 (Medium-High) Shadow: -2 (Low) Color: +2 (High) Sharpness: +1 (Medium-High) Noise Reduction: -2 (Low) White Balance: Daylight/Fine, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200 (but… the lower the better) Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured with my Fujifilm X-T1 using this “Kodak Platinum 200” film simulation recipe:
Snack – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Yellow Rope – West Valley City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Unicorn Jo – West Valley City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Curved Trunk – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Log Bridge & 3 Trees – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Bridge & Stump – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
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Approaching Storm at Last Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Positive Film”
I was attempting to create a film simulation recipe that mimicked the aesthetic of Saul Leiter. The problem with this task is that Saul used many different films over the years; while he had a unique and recognizable style, his exact aesthetic varied significantly. These settings can sometimes mimic his look, but sometimes not, so I wouldn’t call it a success, but I just love how this recipe looks—that’s why I’m sharing it. If you’re attempting to recreate Saul’s aesthetic, this recipe is a good starting point. Another one to try is “Old Kodak“—available (as of this writing) as a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly app.
I think this recipe is in the ballpark of the “Positive Film Effect” on Ricoh GR cameras—perhaps not an exact match, but definitely a similar feel, which is why I named this recipe “Positive Film.” There’s a likeness to Kodak Elite Chrome or maybe Ektachrome 100G, although (again) it’s more of a similar feel than an exact match. Whether this recipe is close to Saul Leiter’s look, Ricoh Positive Film, or a Kodak transparency is debatable; what’s not debatable is that this recipe looks really, really good!
Blacktop Lines – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Positive Film”
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Cradle Tree Branch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – “Provia”
This film simulation recipe reminds me of a filter that I used frequently on a photo editing app on my old Nokia Lumia 1020 phone (sorry, I don’t remember the app name, it’s been many years). It produces a nice vintage feel, with perhaps a cross-processed aesthetic. I especially like how it renders green and blue. Because it uses the Provia film simulation, I’ve named this recipe simply “Provia” even though it doesn’t look all that much like real Provia film. Cameras that are older than the Fujifilm X-Pro3 can’t save White Balance Shifts with each Custom Preset, so it’s helpful to have recipes that use different White Balance options. That’s how this recipe began, and why it uses the Incandescent White Balance option.
This “Provia” film simulation recipe has been a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly app since January, but now it’s available to everyone! There’s a new Patron early-access recipe for X-Trans I cameras on the app that replaced this one. This recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro1, X-E1 or X-M1 camera. If you have a Bayer or X-Trans II camera, this recipe will still work, although it won’t look the same; however, I invite you to try it anyway.
Green Tree & Blue Sky – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1 – “Provia”
Provia Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: -2 (Low) Shadow: -1 (Medium-Low) Color: +1 (Medium-High) Sharpness: 0 (Normal) Noise Reduction: -2 (Low) White Balance: Incandescent, +6 Red & -9 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Provia” film simulation recipe:
Sun over Country Horses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1
Target – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1
Bricks in the Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Strollin’ Jo – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1
Green Canopy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1
Bunch of Little Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1
White Bloom in a Green Bush – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1
Park Path – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1
Looking up Through The Trees – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1
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The Fuji X Weekly app is free, yet becoming a Fuji X Weekly 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, a few of the original early-access recipes have been publicly published on this blog and the app, so everyone can now 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 new Patron early-access recipe is called “Color Negative Film” and it is perhaps the X-Trans I recipe that produces the most film-like results. It’s not modeled after any specific film, but it definitely has an analog aesthetic. In the right conditions it is simply beautiful! I think it will be many people’s go-to recipe for X-Trans I cameras.
If you are a Fuji X Weekly Patron, it’s available to you right now on the app!
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Color Negative Film” recipe:
Rising Up – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1
Red Leaves of Summer – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1
Backlit White Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1
Sunlight Through The Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled”
Fujifilm introduced Fujicolor NPS 160 sometime in the 1990’s. It was a low contrast, low saturation color negative film intended for portrait photography. Fujifilm replaced it in 2004 with Fujicolor Pro 160S (later renamed Fujicolor Pro 160NS). I actually shot a few rolls of NPS 160 back in the day, and a picture of my parents captured with this film hangs an a wall in their house. Pulling the film, which is a technique where you overexpose and reduce development time to compensate, further reduces the contrast and saturation. This recipe looks a lot like NPS 160 that’s been pulled.
Empty Garage – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled”
What I especially love about this recipe is that it has a soft feel that’s just wonderful. It has a film-like quality to it that’s easy to appreciate. I really love shooting with this recipe! Because it required the Classic Negative film simulation, Color Chrome FX Blue and Clarity, it’s only compatible with the Fujifilm X-E4, X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4, and X-S10 cameras.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: -2 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpeness: +1 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled film simulation recipe:
Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Ritchie Roesch
Evening Condos – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Country Trailers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Farm Dirt – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlight Through Forest Branches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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Pink Roses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujicolor Pro 400H Box Speed”
In my last post, entitled A Different Approach, I shared Anders Lindborg‘s new take on film simulation recipes, which included seven different Fujicolor Pro 160NS recipes that he invented. This is Part 2 of that article. Below you’ll find another seven recipes, this time for Fujicolor Pro 400H! If you haven’t read the first post, you’ll want to do that now, because this will make a lot more sense if you have that prerequisite understanding.
If you don’t want to take the time to read it (or if you’ve already forgotten), here’s a quick summery. Anders’ approach is to have a good base recipe that works well in most circumstances, but also have subtle variations of that recipe, that mimic pushed and pulled film, for when the conditions require either less contrast (pulled) or more contrast (pushed). You can use all seven Custom Presets in the Q Menu to save each of these recipes if you want, or just save the base recipe (called “Box Speed”) and adjust to the various variations on-the-fly, or save the base setting and have the variations programmed into X RAW Studio. Also, by design these recipes will work with any film simulation, even though they call for PRO Neg. Hi.
Like the 160NS recipe, I’m only including the “Box Speed” version in the Fuji X Weekly app, and I encourage you to use the Notes section under the recipe to store the pushed and pulled variations. These seven Fujicolor Pro 400H recipes are compatible with the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30 cameras. If you have a newer X-Trans IV camera (X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4), Anders recommends setting Clarity to -3 and Grain to Weak & Large. If you have an X-Trans III camera, ignore Color Chrome Effect; the results will be slightly different, but it will still produce good results. For Pushed +3 and Pushed +4, feel free to try Grain Strong.
This recipe wasn’t intended to mimic Fujicolor Pro 400H film, but it does resemble it fairly well. A lot of people like to overexpose real 400H film to get a pastel look; unfortunately, this recipe won’t achieve that particular aesthetic (but look here and here). Anders created this recipe by modifying his Pro 160NS settings; I made a couple of small modifications to it, but mostly these settings are created by him. Thank you, Anders, for creating these recipes and allowing me to share them!
Fujicolor Pro 400H Box Speed
Pops of Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: 0 Color: +1 Color Chrome Effect: Strong Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Free Pie – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Birthday Girl Coloring – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Shelf Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 400HPulled -1
Snail – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -1 Shadow: -1 Color: +1 Color Chrome Effect: Strong Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pulled -1: HL & SH -1.
Green Aspen Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tank Cars – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Yellow Cat – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 400H Pulled -2
Hazy Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: -1 Color: 0 Color Chrome Effect: Strong Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pulled -2: HL -2, SH -1, CLR 0.
Box Cars – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Suburban Sunset – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Hazy Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 400H Pushed +1
Yucca Leaves – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +1 Shadow: 0 Color: +1 Color Chrome Effect: Strong Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pushed +1: HL +1.
Red Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tree & Dark Clouds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
David Baldwin – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 400H Pushed +2
Wood Stripes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: 0 Color: +2 Color Chrome Effect: Strong Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pushed +2: HL +2, CLR +2.
Mountain Biking – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Radar Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Bloomin’ Onion – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 400H Pushed +3
Three Artificial Plants – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +1 Color: +3 Color Chrome Effect: Strong Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pushed +3: HL +2, SH +1, CLR +3.
Berry Bush Leaves #1 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Berry Bush Leaves #2 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Sky Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 400H Pushed +4
Old Phone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +2 Color: +4 Color Chrome Effect: Strong Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -4 White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pushed +4: HL +3, SH +2, CLR +4, SHARP -4.
Berry Bush Leaves #3 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Landscape Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Below are examples of using the Fujicolor Pro 160NS Box Speed recipe using other film simulations. You can do this with all of the pull and push variants, too, although I didn’t supply any examples of those because this article is already very long.
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Pink Paper Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujicolor Pro 160NS Pulled +2”
I received an email the other day from Anders Lindborg with this subject title: A Different Approach. Anders created the Kodak Tri-X 400 film simulation recipe, which is my personal favorite for black-and-white photography. I was immediately intrigued, and I was not disappointed as I read his message. I’ll let Anders explain this new approach below as he described it to me.
“Doing professional work is tough. Since getting a Fujifilm X-T3 (and later an X-Pro3), I’ve come to rely totally on the straight-out-of-camera JPEGs. They look great and I get more jobs just because I can deliver good results fast. After diving deep into the Fujifilm film simulations, I’ve come to realize that you cannot create a single recipe that will always look great. Sometimes the sunlight is so strong that everything gets blown out and the next day the same recipe will make everything look murky and dull.”
“Coming from a film background, I’m reasonably used to pushing and pulling film as needed. With cheap consumer film stocks, you could sometimes get absolutely horrific (or ”creative” as some call them) results, but the professional films were often quite predictable. Some film stocks have become legendary because they really could take a good beating, no matter how you treated them. Also, the exposure latitude of film is insane compared to digital, which is something I really have missed since switching. Awhile back I started experimenting with recreating this, but I slowly realized that it would require several different variations of my settings. When I was finished, I had used up all seven slots! A lot of research and assumptions went into the process. For example, I totally assume that Fujifilm knows what they’re doing and that their stock simulations are good. I can honestly say after all this, that—yes—they do know their game!”
“The settings emulate a flexible film look. They serve as a base that can be modified as needed on the spot via the Q Menu (for example: changing film simulation, white balance, tint, dynamic range, etc.). The objective was to always have working settings for any scenario that emulates how professional film behaves when being pushed or pulled. They’re intended for professional use and come out of both a need and want for realistic film-like simulations that are guaranteed to work, no matter what task I’m currently challenged with. Of course it’s up to the end user to tune it to their specific preferences, but I strongly recommend you leave the highlight/shadow settings as-is. They are heavily tested with all standard film simulations and you will get a nice looking result with them. These settings took me a couple of years to develop, but this is what I actually use every day now.”
“Just step outside and try to come to a conclusion about what the current weather and light conditions are like. If the sun is harsh, you need to pull. If the sun is blindingly bright, pull two steps. The same goes for pushing. If you’re missing just a bit of light, push one step. If it’s dull, push two steps. The third and fourth push settings are perhaps a bit special as the contrast starts to increase. On a regular day, of course you use the box speed setting. Once you’ve selected your setting for the day, stick with it! This is the key to consistent results.”
“I recommend shooting RAW+JPEG and having the settings stored in X Raw Studio. RAWs are great to have if you aren’t happy with the results of your selected setting. The settings were created for the Fujifilm X-T3, but can be easily adapted to taste on any X-series camera. On my X-Pro3, I set Clarity to -3 and Grain to Weak & Large on all slots.”
Thank you, Anders Lindborg, for creating and sharing this new approach!
Pink Rose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “fujicolor Pro 160NS Pulled -1”
For those without a film background, let me briefly explain what pushing and pulling means in film photography. Film is rated at a certain ISO, for example ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, etc., which is a measurement of the film’s sensitivity to light (it’s pretty much just like on your digital camera). You can underexpose a roll of film and increase the development time to get correctly exposed pictures, and this is called push-processing or pushing the film. Also, you can overexpose a roll of film and decrease the development time to get correctly exposed pictures, and this is called pull-processing or pulling the film. Pushing the film increases the contrast, vibrancy (for color film), and grain, while pulling the film decreases the contrast, vibrancy (for color film), and grain. With film, you have to push or pull the entire roll and not just one or a few frames.
The genius of Anders’ method is that you can apply this film approach to your digital pictures, and you can do it with as few or as many frames as you wish. You can push one frame, pull the next, and shoot the third at “box speed” (nether pushed nor pulled) if you want. This type of flexibility was unimaginable in the film era!
In case you didn’t understand this approach, let me rephrase it. You have one recipe, but that recipe has push and pull variants. You can use any film simulation with the recipe, and Anders’ film simulation of choice is PRO Neg. Hi, but try any of them! The rest of the settings stay the same. His push and pull variants don’t necessarily represent stops of pushing or pulling, but more like half-stop increments (although Fujifilm lenses have 1/3 stop increments, but don’t worry about that). You can dedicate slots in your Custom Settings Menu for the recipe and variants, or you can have one Custom Settings slot set to the standard “box speed” recipe and adjust on-the-fly if you have the required changes memorized, or you can do it in X RAW Studio.
Anders actually sent me two recipes. The first, which you’ll find below, is called Fujicolor Pro 160NS. It wasn’t purposely intended to resemble that film, but it nonetheless does, more-or-less. The second, which you can find here), is called Fujicolor Pro 400H. The Pro 160NS recipe is the “standard” one, while the Pro 400H recipe is just a little more bold for when you need a bit more pizzaz.
There are seven versions of the Fujicolor Pro 160NS recipe: Pulled -2, Pulled -1, Box Speed, Pushed +1, Pushed +2, Pushed +3, and Pushed +4. You’ll find each of these below, although the Box Speed version is the only one included on the Fuji X Weekly app. My recommendation is to manually add the other versions into the notes section under the recipe in the app. These seven recipes are compatible with X-Trans III cameras plus the X-T3 and X-T30; for newer cameras Anders recommends setting Clarity to -3 and Grain to Weak & Large. As a reminder, these recipes are intended to look good no matter the film simulation used, despite it calling for PRO Neg. Hi. For Pushed +3 and Pushed +4, feel free to use Grain Strong if you’d like.
Fujicolor Pro 160NS Box Speed
Two Broken Cars – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: 0 Color: 0 Color Chrome Effect: Off Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Old Railroad Sign – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Rainy Day Railroad – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Hazy Mountain & Red Helicopter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 160NSPulled -1
Clouds Over Green Mountain – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -1 Shadow: -1 Color: 0 Color Chrome Effect: Off Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pulled -1: HL & SH -1.
Cryo-Trans – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Jonathan – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Orange Flower – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 160NS Pulled -2
Trailer Interior – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: -1 Color: -1 Color Chrome Effect: Off Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pulled -2: HL -2, SH -1, CLR -1.
Not Driven – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Americana Country – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Uncertain Walking Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 160NS Pushed +1
Green Tree & Storm Clouds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +1 Shadow: 0 Color: 0 Color Chrome Effect: Off Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pushed +1: HL +1.
Garden Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
F’n’R – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Boy Smile – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 160NS Pushed +2
Worn Seat Abstract – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: 0 Color: +1 Color Chrome Effect: Off Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pushed +2: HL +2, CLR +1.
Shasta Trailers – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Onions in Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Flowering Bush – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 160NS Pushed +3
Branches Over Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +1 Color: +2 Color Chrome Effect: Off Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -3 White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pushed +3: HL +2, SH +1, CLR +2.
Two Cows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Green Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fujicolor Pro 160NS Pushed +4
Wet Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
PRO Neg. Hi Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +2 Color: +3 Color Chrome Effect: Off Grain: Weak Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -4 White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
If you are adding this recipe to the Notes in the app, consider using this abbreviation: Pushed +4: HL +3, SH +2, CLR +3, SHARP -4.
Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Wall Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Yellow Bike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Below are examples of using the Fujicolor Pro 160NS Box Speed recipe using other film simulations. You can do this with all of the pull and push variants, too, although I didn’t supply any examples of those because this article is already very long.
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Have you ever been to an amusement park and gone on one of those log flume water rides where you get thrilled and soaked simultaneously? That’s this film simulation recipe, which is appropriately called Grizzly Ride. Immanuel Sander (a.k.a. Captn Look), who created the Nature Neon and Creamy Color recipes, also invented this one (find him on Instagram and YouTube). I’m not exactly sure why he named it Grizzly Ride, but, when you look at the pictures captured with this recipe, it makes perfect sense. I want to thank Immanuel for creating this recipe, allowing me to share it here, and allowing me to publish his pictures—it’s much appreciated! Be sure to leave him a “thank you” in the comments.
This film simulation recipe reminds me of sepia, except with color images instead of black-and-white. It’s got a great vintage feel to it, reminding me of some old color pictures from my grandparents’ photo album. It’s one of my favorite recipes for natural-light indoor photography, but it also looks good in many other situations, too.
Because this recipe uses Eterna Bleach Bypass and some other JPEG options that are only found on the newest models, it’s only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X-E4, X-T4 and X-S10 cameras. As a reminder, using Clarity causes the camera to pause briefly after the exposure, which will slow you down a little.
Eterna Bleach Bypass Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: 0 Shadow: +2.5 Color: -2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -4 Clarity: -5 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 6990K, +3 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Grizzly Ride” film simulation recipe:
Immanuel Sander
Photograph by Immanuel Sander
Photograph by Immanuel Sander
Photograph by Immanuel Sander
Photograph by Immanuel Sander
Ritchie Roesch
Onion Flames – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Hanging Lamps – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
New Sake Flavors – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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Kodak introduced Portra 800 in 1998. The Portra line has seen a number of revisions and updates over the years, but I couldn’t find any information if the current Portra 800 film is the exact same emulsion from 1998, or if it’s gone through some changes over the years like the ISO 400 and 160 versions. Portra 800 is one of the best options for high-ISO color photography, but I’ve never shot it myself.
Thomas compared images side-by-side captured with actual Kodak Portra 800 film with images captured with his Fujifilm X-Pro3, making numerous adjustments in X RAW Studio, to achieve this nearly-identical picture aesthetic. He put in a lot of work, and it shows! Thank you, Thomas, for creating this great recipe and for your willingness to share! You’ll find some of Thomas Schwab’s pictures below. This Kodak Portra 800 film simulation recipe is currently compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, and X-E4 cameras.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -2 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -5 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Daylight, +3 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Portra 800 v2 film simulation recipe:
Thomas Schwab
Photograph by Thomas Schwab
Photograph by Thomas Schwab
Photograph by Thomas Schwab
Photograph by Thomas Schwab
Photograph by Thomas Schwab
Photograph by Thomas Schwab
Photograph by Thomas Schwab
Ritchie Roesch
Treetop Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Colorful Trees – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Tree Over Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Log & Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Log & Trail – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Urban Landscape – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
McTrash – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Lobby – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Buckle – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Urban Flower Pot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Blooms in the City – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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After George Coady shared with me his wonderful Fujicolor C200 recipe, he showed me his initial attempt at a recipe for Pro 400H, which inspired me to try my hands at a better Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed recipe using the new JPEG options found on the newer cameras, such as Classic Negative, Color Chrome FX Blue and Clarity. At first glance I was disappointed with my results because it didn’t look exactly like what I was hoping for, but then I realized what I actually had created (which I’ll talk more about in just a moment); however, first let’s briefly discuss the film that this recipe is based on.
Table Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
Fujifilm introduced Fujicolor Pro 400H in 2004 and it’s been a popular color negative film ever since. Photographers often overexpose this film by as many as four stops. When overexposed, the film turns from a somewhat ordinary high-ISO (that’s what the “H” stands for in the name) portrait film into something almost magical. Colors become vibrant and pastel. The exact look of overexposed Pro 400H varies, depending on how much overexposed, how developed, and how printed or scanned, and the effect can range from subtle to pronounced, but generally you know overexposed Pro 400H film when you see it.
It was that pastel look that I was hoping to achieve with this recipe, and at first I thought I had failed—it looked more like Pro 400H overexposed by one stop or maybe two, but not three or four where the pastel colors are found. Even though I didn’t get that wonderful pastel aesthetic, the recipe looked really great nonetheless. Still, I wondered if it would be possible to get closer to that overexposed look simply by increasing the exposure. Sure enough, it worked! The two images below are examples of this, with exposure compensation set to a whopping +2 2/3!
Toys on a Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
Messy Hair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
As you can see, there are pastel colors in those two pictures, much like well-overexposed Pro 400H film. Does it closely match the film results? It’s closer than my previous attempts, but it’s not perfect. It’s as close as you’re likely going to get straight-out-of-camera. It’s fun to do this, but you’d have to be pretty brave to shoot a wedding with this much overexposure—I’d do it, but, then again, I’ve sandpapered a camera; I have a history of doing some risky (stupid?) things in the name of art.
What about Fujicolor Pro 400H that’s not overexposed? Can this recipe mimic that, too? Yes, sort of. By not overexposing this recipe, you get results that don’t look overexposed (imagine that), but does it closely resemble the film? It’s not as exact as I’d like it to be, but not far off, either. It’s more convincing as an overexposed recipe, but it also does well when not mimicking that. The two pictures below are examples of this, with exposure compensation set at +1/3.
Yard Toys – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
Ivy Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
As you can see, there’s a certain beauty in not overexposing when using this recipe.
The two sets of pictures below are examples of +1/3 exposure compensation, +1 1/3 exposure compensation, and +2 1/3 exposure compensation. In my opinion, the best results are found in the middle category, with exposure compensation in the +1 to +1 2/3 range, but sometimes reducing or increasing the exposure produces interesting results. In other words, oftentimes the best results are with exposure compensation set to +1 to +1 2/3, but try anywhere from +1/3 to +2 2/3, because, depending on the light and subject, you can get good results across a large range of exposures.
+1/3 Exposure Compensation
+1 1/3 Exposure Compensation
+2 1/3 Exposure Compensation
+1/3 Exposure Compensation
+1 1/3 Exposure Compensation
+2 1/3 Exposure Compensation
This film simulation recipe (as of this writing) is only compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4 cameras. I used a Fujifilm X100V to capture all of the images in this article. For some of the pictures I used a Tiffen 1/4 Black Pro Mist filter to diffuse the highlights, particularly the ones with a bright light source; because you are bumping up the exposure so much, this recipe pairs especially well with a diffusion filter, producing a more film-like result.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: +4 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -4 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 4900K, 0 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1 to +1 2/3 (typically), but try between +1/3 to +2 2/3
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Fujicolor Pro 400H film simulation recipe:
Forest of Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bright Leaf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Pink Flowers & Green Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Spring Sunshine – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Country Trees – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bright Tree – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Evening Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Tree Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Wild Weeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Field of Wishes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Make A Wish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
White Tree Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Gnarled Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Creek Trail – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jon in the Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Trail Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Flatcar Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Dandelion Bench – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Lighter Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fresh Aspen Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Farmington Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Onion Flower – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bright Rose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rose Bush & Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rosebush & Vine Ladder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Ready to Float – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Hide – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sibling Yard Play – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Kids & Outdoor Table – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Waiting For Food – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Heavenly Hot Cakes – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Smiling Joy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Art & Craft Tray – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Johanna & Jonathan – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fisher Price Phone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Indoor Basketball Hoop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Slapfish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Three Fake Plants on a Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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Blooming Pink – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 “Fujicolor C200”
I’ve been asked at least a dozen times—probably more—to create a Fujicolor C200 film simulation recipe. I’ve tried a few different times, but I never felt that I got close enough. A couple of recipes came out of those experiments, but a C200 recipe remained elusive. The good news is that George Coady (check out his Instagram) figured it out! Yea! George has a lot of experience shooting actual Fujicolor C200 film, and he experimented using X RAW Studio until he got the recipe right. I had a very small hand in tweaking it, but really George did all the work. He gave me permission to publish his recipe here. Thanks, George!
Fujifilm introduced Fujicolor C200 in 1990 as a low-budget, no frills color negative film. I’ve shot several rolls of it over the years, although it was never my go-to option. Fujifilm gave it a small refresh in 2017, and it’s still available today. Even though C200 is a cheap color film, it has a cult-like following, and many people enjoy its aesthetic and choose it over more expensive emulsions.
Red Chairs in a Yard – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Fujicolor C200”
This recipe looks great! In high-contrast situations DR400 does better to protect highlights than DR200, but in low-contrast situations DR200 produces better contrast. After awhile I decided to set my camera to DR400 and adjust it to DR200 when the situation calls for it. The pictures in this article are a mix of DR200 and DR400. The White Balance Shift can be set to -4 Blue, which can sometimes be more accurate to the film, or -2 Blue, which can sometimes be more accurate to the film, because one film can have many different looks depending on how it was shot, developed, and scanned or printed, but -3 Blue does well for all-around use. Because this recipe requires a half adjustment to Highlight & Shadow, it’s only compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4, although if you use Highlight 0 and Shadow -1 it’s pretty close to the same, which opens it up for use on the X100V and X-Pro3.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 (DR200 in low contrast situations) Highlight: +0.5 Shadow: -0.5 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpeness: -3 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Weak, Large Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Fujicolor C200 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Red Palms – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Chair – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Fairy & Elf – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Throw Pillows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
R&R BBQ – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Restaurant Counter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Standing Tall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sour Honey – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Large Leaf – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Blooming Branch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Yellow Bush – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
If a Tree Falls Does Anyone Hear? – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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November Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Negative”
Fuji X Weekly Patrons have had early access to this Fujicolor Negative film simulation recipe since the launch of the Fuji X Weekly app, but now it is available to all! What film does this recipe resemble? I’m not completely certain. I was messing around with the settings and stumbled upon something that I liked, which means that this recipe wasn’t intended to mimic any specific film; however, I think it’s kind of similar to Fujicolor F-II or Fujicolor Super G, but it’s not really like either. It does have a vintage Fujicolor vibe thanks to the Classic Negative film simulation that it uses as its base. Whatever film this recipe might or might not resemble, it looks beautiful!
I really enjoy using this recipe—it just produces good results that have a film-like quality. It has good contrast and natural or perhaps somewhat muted colors. This could be my go-to settings for everyday photography—that is, if I wasn’t constantly creating new recipes!
Coming Out of the Shadows – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Negative”
This Fujicolor Negative film simulation recipe is only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4 because it uses Classic Negative and Clarity. If you have a GFX camera like GFX-50S that has Classic Negative but doesn’t have Clarity, give this recipe a try anyway—it won’t be exactly the same but should be pretty darn close.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: +3 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Fujicolor Negative film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Winter Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Small Stop Sign – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Waste Management – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Pile of Pots – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Spilled Sakrete – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Framed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Reserved Rose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Oh Deer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Book of Film – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Succulent Shelf– Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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Inspiration for film simulation recipes can come from unusual places. This recipe, for example, was inspired by a promotional photograph of Ron Howard for the movie American Graffiti hanging on the wall of Mels Diner in Reno, Nevada. A little trivia: Ron Howard shoots Fujifilm cameras—or, at least, he’s been spotted sporting an X100F. Anyway, it seems unlikely, but it’s true, that an old image of Ron Howard from 1973 hanging on the wall of a restaurant in Reno inspired a new recipe that will be used by hundreds—maybe thousands—of Fujifilm photographers across the world.
This particular picture, which you can see in the image below towards the left-side, had a cross-process look to it, like reversal film developed in negative film chemistry. Of course, cross-processed film can have many different looks, depending on several factors, including (especially) the film used. I have no idea what film or process was used for that Ron Howard picture—I tried researching it, but came up empty; however, while I was waiting for my dinner to arrive at the table, I fiddled with the settings on my Fujifilm X100V and created a facsimile to that picture aesthetic.
Picture of Ron Howard (left-side) that inspired this recipe… captured with this recipe.
The photographer who captured the picture is most likely Dennis Stock. I couldn’t find a whole lot about what films he used for his color photographs or his darkroom techniques. Dennis was a legendary Magnum photographer who was best known for his celebrity photographs. His picture might not actually be cross-processed film, but it has a cross-processed look nonetheless.
The reason why I named this recipe “Xpro ’62” is because Xpro is a common abbreviation for “cross-process” and 1962 is the year that American Graffiti takes place. Promotional posters for the movie often included the question, “Where were you in ’62?” I thought that “Xpro ’62” would be a logical fit. Because this film simulation recipe uses the Classic Negative film simulation and other new JPEG options available on the newer cameras, it is only compatible with (as of this writing) the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4. Also, for some of the pictures in this article I used a Tiffen 1/4 Black Pro Mist filter to diffuse the highlights (such as Empty Diner at the top).
Wharf – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Xpro ’62”
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3 Shadow: 0 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -4 Clarity: -4 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, -3 Red & -9 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new “Xpro ’62” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Cigarettes – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Wall Harley – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
In Bottles – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Stay Apart – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Casa de Cherries – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Basketball Hoop Unused – San Francisco, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Stop Turning – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Tracks & Bridge – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Truck – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Electric Intersection – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Flower by the Path – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Flowers & Stone – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Lower Yosemite Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Tree & Lower Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Yosemite Trees – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Sentinel Above Merced River – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Upper Yosemite Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
El Cap – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
El Cap & Merced – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
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Don’t Walk Under Falling Bicycles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Chrome Bypass”
There are a number of X-Trans IV film simulation recipes that I’ve had multiple requests to create versions for that are compatible with X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras. LomoChrome Metropolis and Bleach Bypass are two that are commonly requested. These recipes require JPEG settings that don’t exist on the “older” cameras, including the Classic Negative or Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulations. I knew it would be impossible to recreate those recipes for X-Trans III and the X-T3 and X-T30 cameras, but I wanted to get as close as I could. After much experimenting, I came up with some settings that are sometimes similar to the LomoChrome Metropolis recipe and are sometimes similar to the Bleach Bypass recipe, and sometimes not like either.
What the LomoChrome Metropolis and the Bleach Bypass recipes have in common are that they’re both high in contrast and low in color saturation. There are some other similarities between them, but there’s plenty that’s different, too. This recipe with certain subjects and in certain light situations can resemble one or the other, or neither. It’s as close as I could get. If you like the LomoChrome Metropolis and Bleach Bypass recipes, this is your best bet for X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras (aside from doing double-exposures). While it’s not as “perfect” as I was hoping to achieve, I think it’s a pretty good recipe for capturing dramatic pictures. It’s kind of (but not really) the low saturation version of Dramatic Classic Chrome.
Because these settings resemble both the LomoChrome Metropolis and the Bleach Bypass film simulation recipes, I decided to name this recipe Chrome Bypass, taking a little from each name. I don’t currently have access to an X-Trans III camera, so I don’t have any samples captured with a Fujifilm X-Trans III camera, but it should look very similar.
PRO Neg. Std Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +4 Color: -4 Color Chrome Effect: Off or N/A Sharpness: -1 Noise Reduction: -4 Grain Effect: Strong White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Sample photographs, all camera-made JPEGs, captured with a Fujifilm X-T30 using this “Chrome Bypass” film simulation recipe:
Mountain Teasels – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Cloudy Branches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Summer Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Country Fence & Old Tires – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tulip Pot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Colorful Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Handy Dandy Grill – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Little Bit of Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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One of my favorite film simulations is Eterna. There’s a special quality to it that’s different than the other film simulations, with its low contrast and muted colors. Yes, you can get pretty close to Eterna using PRO Neg. Std, but you cannot completely match the lovely subtle tonality of it. I think the Eterna film simulation is a little underrated, as it’s a great base for crafting recipes, and I was eager to create a new look with it—so I did!
Real Eterna is a motion picture film. Actually, there have been a number of different film stocks that Fujifilm has given the name Eterna to. The film simulation of the same name doesn’t exactly match any specific Eterna film, yet it has a great general Eterna cinematic feel. In my opinion, the Eterna film simulation is good for achieving an analog color negative film aesthetic.
The first recipe that I created that uses the Eterna film simulation is simply called Eterna, and I really like how that one turned out. I wanted to make something similar, but not identical, using the additional JPEG options that Fujifilm has added to their newer X-Trans IV cameras. I wanted a warm vintage film look—something that could possibly be confused as being actual analog—without being based on any specific film. I think it looks pretty good, and I hope that you do, too.
El Capitan – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Eterna v2”
Because this film simulation recipe requires the new Auto White Priority white balance, it is only compatible with the X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4; however, for outdoor natural light photography, using Auto white balance will produce identical results, which means that you can use this Eterna v2 recipe with the X100V and X-Pro3! For indoor artificial light photography, using Auto white balance will produce overly warm images, so Auto White Priority works better, but right now only the three newest Fujifilm X cameras have that option. For the X-T3 and X-T30, in addition to using Auto white balance, you’ll have to disregard Color Chrome Effect Blue and Clarity, and consider setting Highlight to +2 and Shadow to +1 plus Sharpness to -2 to compensate, as well as disregard Grain size (simply use Strong). It won’t be identical, but it will be very similar—I tested it out on my X-T30 and it works.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +2 Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: 0 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto White Priority (X100V + X-Pro3: Auto), +4 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Eterna v2” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Faux Plant on a Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
J.C. Higgins – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Empty Grapefruit Box – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Duerden’s Will Call – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Reaching Tree Branches – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Flower Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Click – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sevenhundred Sixty – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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Since 1938 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Ektachrome 320T”
The Ektachrome line has been around since the 1940’s, but Kodak didn’t introduced Ektachrome 320T, also known as Ektachrome EPJ 320T, until 1992. This was a high-speed Tungsten color-reversal (slide) film intended for use under artificial light. Tungsten films were never as popular as daylight-balanced films; when used in daylight you get a strong blue cast (unless you have an 80A filter). I’m not completely sure when Kodak discontinued Ektachrome 320T, but I believe it was sometime in the early to mid 2000’s—all Ektachrome films were discontinued by 2013. When Kodak reintroduced Ektachrome in 2018, EPJ 320T was unsurprisingly not included.
This film simulation recipe was not intended to mimic Ektachrome 320T. I was simply trying to create a tungsten film look using the new Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation. Prior to this I had only one recipe for Eterna Bleach Bypass, LomoChrome Metropolis, so I was eager to create another. The reason for a tungsten-like recipe is because I feel as though I don’t have as many after-dark options as I’d like. This recipe’s similarities to Ektachrome 320T film is coincidental, as I didn’t set out to recreate it, but it does, in fact, resemble the film fairly well.
On – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Ektachrome 320T”
Even though I didn’t intend to create an Ektachrome 320T recipe, these settings come curiously close. I would consider, when using this recipe under artificial light, setting the White Balance Shift to -7 Red & -6 Blue to more accurately reflect the film (I didn’t make that adjustment for any of the photographs in this article). I wish that +5 was an option for Color—that would likely be more accurate to the film—but unfortunately it tops out at +4. I debated if Grain size should be Small or Large, but I ended up going with Small because that’s what I originally set it to; however, Large grain might be slightly closer to what you’d find on actual Ektachrome 320T, although that’s certainly debatable.
This recipe is the first one to use the new Auto Ambience Priority white balance, which is currently (as of this writing) only available on the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4 cameras. That means this recipe is only compatible with those three cameras. As a reminder, the camera will take a moment to save each exposure when using Clarity. Also, High ISO NR on the newer camera models is the same as Noise Reduction—Fujifilm renamed it for some reason, but it’s the same thing.
Eterna Bleach Bypass Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +1 Shadow: -2 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto Ambience Priority, -6 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Ektachrome 320T film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
White Tree, Blue Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Thistle Field – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Fake Plant on a Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Cage Free Eggs – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Lifted – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Old Navy Carts – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Ghost Mart – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Pot & Bench – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Lights in a Puddle – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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Accidents happen. Sometimes they’re happy accidents that lead to great discoveries, and sometimes they’re not. An example of one that wasn’t happy is when Omar Gonzalez accidentally used Classic Chrome instead of Classic Negative with the Agfa Vista 100 film simulation recipe. When I saw it, I thought, “You know, I’m going to make this mistake work, and call it ‘Agfa Vista Baby’—I just need to figure out what situations it works well in.” But, try as I might, Agfa Vista using Classic Chrome instead of Classic Negative just doesn’t look good. Sorry, Omar. An example of a happy accident is this recipe—it was discovered by mistake, but I’m very glad to have made that mistake.
You see, back in the fall I was shooting in Montana with what was at the time a brand-new yet-to-be-published recipe that’s now known as Kodak Portra 400 v2. Somehow I managed to accidentally change the film simulation from Classic Chrome to Classic Negative, and I shot a number of frames with this before I realized my mistake. As I reviewed the pictures I realized that the results were pretty good, and that this mistake was actually good fortune. As Lefty Gomez coined, “I’d rather be lucky than good.”
What does this film simulation recipe resemble? Of course, since it’s based on the Classic Negative film simulation, it has a Superia-like aesthetic, as that is what Classic Negative is modeled after. But to me it feels more vintage than Superia. I kept thinking that I’ve seen this look before. Not every picture makes me feel this way, but some—Autumn Aspen, Mill Creek, Blossoming Branch, etc.—seem to have this vintage vibe that I recognize from somewhere. But where?
Red on Pine – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “Vintage Vibes”
Wet Red Leaves – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “Vintage Vibes”
I was digging through some old issues of Arizona Highways Magazine, which, if you are unaware, is full of fantastic photography—Ansel Adams was a fairly regular contributor back in the day—and I found a very similar aesthetic on the pages of that magazine. From the mid-1960’s through the early-1980’s, there are images with this look, by numerous photographers. I did research in an attempt to discover what films were used for those pictures, but unfortunately that was largely a dead-end. I’m not sure if it’s a specific film that creates this look (and, if so, which one?), or if it’s a byproduct of the printing process that was used, or the fading ink, or a combination of all that, but this film simulation recipe, which I call “Vintage Vibes” for lack of a better name, can be, in the right situations, very similar. It’s also similar, in the right situations, to Fujicolor Superia. Whatever it looks like, it looks good, and I know that many of you will appreciate this recipe.
I’ve been wanting to get this recipe out for awhile. Sometimes it takes time. Now it’s finally ready! This “Vintage Vibes” film simulation recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4 cameras.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 5200K, +1 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Vintage Vibes” film simulation recipe on my X100V and X-E4:
Trees & Dirt Cliff – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Road – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Mill Creek – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Blossoming Branch – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlit Blossoms – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Windshield Water – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Johanna & Lens Flare – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Playing in a Dirty Kitchen – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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Forest River – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – “Superia Xtra 400” – Photo by Joy Roesch
I handed my Fujifilm X-M1 camera to my daughter, Joy, and told her that she could change the settings to whatever she wanted them to be—you might remember that she created the Winter Blue film simulation recipe. She used the camera to capture a bunch of pictures; afterwards, when I reviewed the images, I was very impressed with the look that she created. I asked her why she chose these settings, and she answered that she had hoped to capture some cherry blossoms, and it was initially overcast when she dialed in the settings, and she thought that it might work well for that.
These settings remind me of my X-Trans IV Superia Xtra 400 film simulation recipe. It’s definitely not an exact match—there’s no way that it could be because X-Trans I cameras don’t have many of the JPEG options that X-Trans IV cameras have, including the Classic Negative film simulation—but it’s surprisingly similar. I don’t imagine it’s possible to get closer. If you have an X-Pro1, X-E1 or X-M1, this is your best bet for a Superia Xtra 400 look. I think it’s also not far off from my Superia Premium 400 recipe, although, again, it’s not an exact match, just in the general ballpark. For some of you, I have no doubts that this will become your new favorite recipe.
Horsetail Reeds – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – “Superia Xtra 400” – Photo by Joy Roesch
While this recipe is intended for X-Trans I cameras, it’s possible to use it on Fujifilm Bayer cameras, although it will look slightly different. You can also use it on X-Trans II cameras, but it will look fairly significantly different, although you might like the results anyway, so it might be worth a try.
Astia Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: -2 (Low) Shadow: +1 (Medium-High) Color: +2 (High) Sharpness: 0 (Normal) Noise Reduction: -2 (Low) White Balance: Shade, +2 Red & +2 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured by Joy using her “Superia Xtra 400” film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-M1:
Dirt Cliff Forest – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Sideways Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Photographer Hiding in the Forest – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Forest Creek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Water in the Woods – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Johanna on a Bridge – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Path Through The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Small Flower – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
Patch of Red – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
White Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – Photo by Joy Roesch
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Joshua & Joy at a Creek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Portra v2” – Photo by Jon Roesch
I’ve been wanting to create a Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe for Fujifilm X-Trans II cameras for a long time now. I’ve had a Portra 160 recipe on this website for awhile, but I’ve never created a Portra 400 recipe for this sensor. I’ve actually created five different Portra 400 recipes for X-Trans III and IV cameras, but those don’t work on X-Trans II. I made a guess on my Fujifilm X-T1 on what might be a good Portra 400 recipe, handed the camera to my son, Jon, and let him capture some pictures with it. You might remember that Jon created his own Classic Chrome recipe; this time I made the recipe, but I let him capture the pictures.
You might be wondering why I didn’t call this recipe “Portra 400” but named it “Portra v2” instead. While I believe that this recipe is similar to Portra 400, I do plan to create a more accurate recipe. Actually, that was my intentions with these pictures: reprocess the RAW files in-camera to refine the Portra look; however, as I reviewed the pictures, I liked the aesthetic created by these settings, so I decided to keep this as its own recipe. I will still work on a different Portra 400 recipe for X-Trans II.
Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Portra v2” – Photo by Jon Roesch
One film can have many different aesthetics, depending on how it’s shot, developed, scanned or printed, and this is especially true with Kodak Portra 400. Portra can have many different looks. This recipe does resemble one of those aesthetics, but it definitely doesn’t resemble all of the aesthetics, or even the most common. If you do like Portra, I’m confident that you’ll appreciate these settings, which is compatible with all X-Trans II cameras that have the Classic Chrome film simulation.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: -1 (Medium-Low) Shadow: -1 (Medium-Low) Color: +2 (High) Sharpness: -1 (Medium-Low) Noise Reduction: -2 (Low) White Balance: Daylight/Fine, +4 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured by Jon on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this Portra v2 film simulation recipe:
Water – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
Fence Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
Trees & Lake – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
Creek in the Woods – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
Trees & Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
Moss on a Log – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
Grass – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
Bridge – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
My Friend – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – Photo by Jon Roesch
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!
