Film Simulation Settings

My Fujifilm X-T30 Faded Color Film Simulation Recipe

Fading Memories – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Faded Color”

This recipe is a failure. More accurately, it’s a failed attempt at a certain aesthetic. It doesn’t look like what I was hoping it would look like. It’s close, but no cigar. What it does look like are faded color photographs from perhaps the 1950’s through 1970’s. I have some old issues of Arizona Highways magazine from the 1950’s, and these pictures have a similar look to what’s found in those magazines. You might have some old family photos that have faded over time and perhaps look like the pictures that this recipe creates. You can also achieve this washed-out “milky” look through darkroom techniques. Even though this recipe doesn’t look like what I was trying to create, it looks really amazing, and I am astonished that this look can be achieved in-camera.

What I was trying to create was a certain cinematic characteristic. I was asked by a Fuji X Weekly reader to create a film simulation recipe that produces a look similar to the aesthetic of the Wong Kar Wai movie Chungking Express. I had never seen this movie, so I had to do much research, and thankfully a lot of great information was easily found online. I discovered that the motion picture film used in the movie was Agfa XT320, and that it was often (but not always) push-processed, sometimes one stop and sometimes two. A technique called flashing was used a number of times in the movie, which involves flashing the film with light to give it a smoky, atmospheric, or faded feel, lowering contrast. It’s a type of double exposure, except that the second exposure is nothing more than a little light. Another technique that was used in the movie was to give different scenes a certain color cast using gels. Wong Kar Wai likes to create scenes with one predominant color, and so you will find elements in the scene that are the same color as the color cast. He used a slow shutter speed in the movie to blur motion. There were a ton of different techniques used, and so you can probably understand the difficulty of the task. You cannot incorporate everything into one recipe, so I had to make some choices and create a plan to try to achieve something that looks similar to the movie.

My idea was to attempt a recipe that resembled push-processed Agfa XT320 that has been flashed and has a color cast. I decided to use the double-exposure feature on my Fujifilm X-T30 and white balance shift to achieve this. For the second exposure, which needed to be white, I tried a number of things, including a miniature portable studio, but after some trial-and-error, I settled on a plain white 4″ x 6″ index card. I would hold it a few inches in front of the lens and make the second exposure. Auto-focus would never lock onto it, and I figured that a blurry exposure might actually be preferable. For the color cast, I found that one exposure should not have a shifted white balance and the other should. Initially I was adding the color cast to the main exposure and not the white exposure, but then I switched that and liked the results better for some reason. I used the 16:9 aspect ratio to make it a more cinematic shape. Unfortunately, I could never get the results to look quite right for Chungking Express. I think I was in the general ballpark, but not as close as I was hoping. Fortunately, what I did create was pretty interesting, so I kept shooting with it, except I used the 3:2 aspect ratio.

Main Motion – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Faded Color”

To use this recipe, you must set the camera to double-exposure, which on the X-T30 is found on a knob on the top. You capture the main exposure, then you must make some adjustments for the second exposure. The white balance must be shifted and the exposure compensation must be adjusted. For the white balance shift, I found going almost to the extremes works well. For a yellow cast, choose 0 Red & -8 Blue. For an orange cast, choose +8 Red & -8 Blue. For a red cast, choose +8 Red and 0 Blue. For a purple cast, choose +8 Red & +8 Blue. For a blue cast, choose 0 Red and +8 Blue. For a cyan cast, choose -8 Red and +8 Blue. For a green cast, choose -8 Red & 0 Blue. For green-yellow cast, choose -8 Red & -8 Blue. The exposure compensation for the white exposure is a little tricky. A lot depends on how bright the white is (whether it has direct light on it or if it is in shade) and how faded you want the image to look. It takes a little practice, but the good news is that the camera shows you exactly what the results are going to be, and even allows you do-overs if you don’t like it. I found that sometimes 0 was good, I found that sometimes -2 was good, and often -2/3 or -1 was a good choice. Each picture should get individual consideration. The second exposure is a picture of something white, such as the blank index card that I already described, although you could certainly try other things if you find something that might work better for you. This creates a faded look that almost seems unbelievable that it came out of the camera unedited.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: +4
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto (use a shift on the second exposure)
ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (main exposure), 0 to -2 (second exposure)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using my Faded Color recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30:

Good Life – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Or Another – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Santa – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Makeup – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Walking Without Wondering – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bike Repair – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Transit Train Transportation – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kid Bowling – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Instax Girl – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Guitar Cat – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cracked Eggs – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Good Vibes – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Steps & Vines – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lake Grass – Willard Bay SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Faded Daisies – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Soft Rose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Roses – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Rose Faded – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dark Rose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Big Red Ball Catching – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tona – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hanging Bulbs – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wet Bloom – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Caboose Steps – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Breakboy – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lake Boy – East Canyon SP, UP – Fujifilm X-T30

Springtime Lake – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

East Canyon Reservoir – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Fujicolor 100 Industrial Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on 5 Days Ago by Ritchie Roesch

Urban Binding – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujicolor 100 Industrial”

I get asked frequently to create different film simulation recipes, and I always put some consideration into those requests. I don’t get around to attempting all of them, although I do attempt many, but I at least think about how I might create a certain look. Even if I do attempt it, I’m not usually successful, as it just doesn’t look right quite often, so I go back to the drawing board when time and inspiration allows. On rare occasions I’m able to create a certain aesthetic quickly and easily. This recipe falls into the latter category.

I have to be honest, when I was asked to create a recipe to mimic the look of Fujicolor 100 Industrial film, I had never heard of it and knew absolutely nothing about it. I had to do some research on this film, and I found lots of good and helpful information. As it turns out, Fujicolor 100 Industrial is a negative film only sold in bulk in Japan, although you can purchase it from some camera stores who sell it individually. It’s actually re-branded Fujicolor 100, well, the Japanese version of Fujicolor 100, which is not the same film as Fujicolor 100 in America, although they’re similar to each other. Something interesting about Fujicolor 100 Industrial (and Fujicolor 100 Japan, which is the same film) is that it has a Tungsten emulsion (with a Kelvin temperature of 3200), but it is daylight balanced because the dye colors have been shifted to account for the cooler temperature. Weird, huh? Well, it turns out that you can do the same thing in your Fujifilm camera using white balance shift, and it creates a similar aesthetic.

Backyard Daisy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujicolor 100 Industrial”

I find that this recipe is especially good in higher-contrast scenes, although it can still deliver interesting results in lower-contrast scenes. It’s a milder recipe that doesn’t have a lot of saturation, although sometimes just the right amount, and it handles shadows and highlights well. It creates lovely pictures that are soft and not bold. It needs the right subject and light to stand out, but it can look really great in the right situations. It definitely has a low-ISO print-film quality to it, and resembles Fujicolor 100 Industrial film surprisingly well.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: +1
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: 3200K, +8 Red & -8 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Sample photographs, all camera-made JPEGs, captured with a Fujifilm X-T30 using this Fujicolor 100 Industrial recipe:

US Bike Lane – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Twilight Temple – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Broadway Me – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Three Stories – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boston Building Reflection – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Corporate Ladder – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Their Bank – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Urban Sunset – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Partial Loaf – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Purple Zebra – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Leaves In The Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Partly Cloudy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rosebud Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

In Case of Fire – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Watching Television – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Feet – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Donut Eater – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Plastic Hand – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Expired Eterna Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on 12 Days Ago by Ritchie Roesch

Red Tricycle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

I used to shoot film. I don’t much anymore, but I was one of those crazy holdouts that refused to go digital when it seemed as though everyone else had. Eventually I succumbed, and I’ve been shooting digitally for awhile now. One thing that I appreciate about Fujifilm cameras is that they produce images that are a little more film-like and a little less digital-esque than other camera brands. This shouldn’t surprise anyone as Fujifilm started out as a film company. On Fujifilm cameras one will find many great film simulation options. The most recent addition is Eterna, which is modeled after their motion picture films, but it can be made to resemble color negative film. What I appreciate about film is it has character that’s often lacking in digital cameras.

While Eterna was a motion picture film, it was also made and sold in limited quantities for still photography. A Fuji X Weekly reader recently purchased and used an expired roll of Eterna and shared one of the pictures. Using expired film is always an interesting endeavor because you don’t know exactly what you’ll get. Depending on the film, how long it has been expired and how it was stored, the results can vary significantly. The picture that the Fuji X Weekly reader shared had a purple color cast, which is a common trait of expired film.

There are many reasons why an analog picture might have a purple color cast, not just because the film expired. If the film was exposed to too much heat (such as left in a hot car) the pictures might have a purple cast. If a print or slide isn’t stored correctly it could turn purple over time. I’ve seen cross-processed film produce a purple color cast. You can even buy purple film. While I’ve called this recipe “Expired Eterna,” it’s not necessarily meant to exactly mimic expired Eterna film, but to produce an analog film look that could have turned purple for any number of reasons, including but not limited to being expired.

American Debt – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

You might notice that I didn’t include an ISO setting in this recipe, and that’s because you can use any ISO you’d like. I got interesting results all the way up to ISO 25600. In fact, you might use an ultra-high ISO on purpose to get a certain look that you can’t get at a lower ISO. Trying this recipe at different ISOs is a fun experiment. It’s also interesting to see the results you get from different exposures, whether slightly overexposed or underexposed. Expired Eterna is a fun recipe to play around with, and I enjoyed pairing it with vintage lenses.

Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & +5 Blue
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Bloom Purple – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Pink Paper Flower – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Sunlight Through The Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Backlit Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Rural Evening – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Country Trees – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Cottonwood Trunk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Little Flowers & Stone – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Rosebud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Country Foot Bridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Boy Behind Chain-Link – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Orange Cones – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Reaching Rosebud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Sycamore Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Dusk Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Mountain View Evening – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Spring Sky Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Sunset Whisper – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Dramatic Sky Behind Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Bright Storm Clouds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Grey Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Disk Girl – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Jo In A Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Wearing Grandpa’s Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Lady’s Sun Hat – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Girl Climbing Bleachers – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Number of Intersecting Lines – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

One Through Six – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Parked RV – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

American Suburb – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Light Flag – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Green Spray Bottle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Curious Kitchen Curios – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

High ISO:

Cirrus Clouds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800

Sycamore Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800

Cottonwood – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800

Cottonwood Cotton – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 25600

Old Wheelbarrow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 25600

“Expired Eterna” for X-Trans III:

Bottle Vases – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”

Alternate recipe using PRO Neg. Std instead of Eterna.

I know that not every Fujifilm camera has the Eterna film simulation. Right now Eterna can only be found on the X-T3, X-T30, X-H1 and the GFX line. For those who don’t have it, I’ve made an alternative recipe that produces similar results using PRO Neg. Std. I found that Shadow set to 0 isn’t quite strong enough, but +1 is too strong, so pick whichever you like better. While the results aren’t 100% identical, it’s still a pretty close match. You do have to drop the exposure by about 1/3 stop compared to using Eterna. I hope that this is useful for some of you.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: 0
Color: 0
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & +5 Blue
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to 0

My Fujifilm X-T30 Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push-Process Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on 20 Days Ago by Ritchie Roesch

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It’s better to be lucky than good.

This film simulation recipe was a mistake. I discovered it when I accidentally chose ISO 51200 instead of Auto-3 ISO. In my hurry, I scrolled down one too far, which took me from the bottom to the top, and I didn’t notice that I had inadvertently selected the highest possible ISO. I wouldn’t normally, or really ever, use ISO 51200. Even on most full-frame cameras, that high of an ISO is pushing the capabilities of the camera. It’s beyond what most would ever think of using on an APS-C camera. I’ve often wondered why Fujifilm even made it an option. Yet on Memorial Day I made a few exposures with it, not even realizing it.

Memorials – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – ISO 51200

Little Flags – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – ISO 51200

When I reviewed the images that I had captured, I was reminded of some photographs I made four years ago when I pushed a roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 film by one stop. Push-processing is a technique where you underexpose film and increase the development time to make up for it. You are essentially increasing the exposure in the lab using chemicals. The result is a higher-contrast image with more pronounced grain. Sometimes you would do this because the ISO of the film wasn’t high enough to make a good exposure, and sometimes you’d do this just for the aesthetics of it. Different films respond differently to push-processing, and different films have different tolerances to how much they can be pushed. While HP5 Plus is a good film, it’s not typically considered one of the best for push-processing, but the results can still be good, especially if you don’t push it too much.

Here are some push-processed Ilford HP5 Plus 400 pictures that I captured several years back:

Whiskey Pete’s – Primm, NV – FED 5c – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Pushed 1 Stop

Grand View – Las Vegas, NV – FED 5c – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Pushed 1 Stop

I-15 Travelers – Las Vegas, NV – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Pushed 1 Stop

After seeing the ISO 51200 results from my Fujifilm X-T30, I decided to make some more ultra-high ISO black-and-white pictures. What I discovered is that for contrasty and grainy B&W pictures, ISO 51200 on the X-T30 is not only usable, but it can produce film-like results that are similar to push-processed Ilford HP5 Plus 400 film. A negative aspect of ISO 51200 is that it can sometimes produce “smudgy” results, especially in grass. It doesn’t always do that, but it sometimes does, so I would say that this maximum ISO should be used with care. Taking the ISO down one stop to 25600 seems to remedy this, and delivers similar results to the higher ISO images. ISO 12800 is almost not grainy or contrasty enough, but it’s very close and is also usable for this recipe should you need to drop the ISO.

You might notice that this recipe is quite similar to my Tri-X Push Process recipe, mostly just a higher ISO and added grain. I like that recipe a lot and I think it also delivers analog-like results. Even though it’s based on the same film, there are several differences between this recipe and my original Ilford HP5 Plus recipe. This one is much less “clean” and is fun to pair with vintage lenses. Also, this recipe can be used on X-Trans III cameras, except (obviously) you ignore Color Chrome Effect. I tried it on an X-T20 and it looked good, even at ISO 51200 (see the very top picture in this article).

Acros (Acros+Y, Acros+R, Acros+G)
Dynamic Range: N/A
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Toning: 0 (off)
ISO: 25600 or 51200
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push-Process Film Simulation recipe:

Home Builder – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Crop from the above ISO 51200 image.

Exchanging Money – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Crop from the above ISO 51200 image.

Can Money Buy Happiness? – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Playing A Game – South Weber, Utah

Chance Taker – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Thinker – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Birds In The Kitchen – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

River Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Riverbank – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grey Flowers – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hiding Grey Flowers – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Bloom – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dark Cloud Over The Dark Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bulldog – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Oil Change – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm Provia Film Simulation Settings – Or, My Agfa Optima 200 Recipe

Posted on February 14 by Ritchie Roesch

Colorful Chalk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

With the start of the new year I decided that I wanted to rethink my Fujifilm film simulation settings and make new recipes with each option. I wanted to start with Provia, not only because it’s the “standard” option on Fujifilm X cameras, but also because I’ve been asked many times to create a film simulation recipe that uses Provia as the base. I do have a film simulation recipe that uses Provia, but it’s definitely not for everyone. This one could actually be someone’s standard recipe on their camera.

I’ve never been a fan of the Provia film simulation on Fujifilm X cameras, partly because the film simulation looks very little like the film that it derives its name from. Curiously, Provia film actually more closely resembles the Astia film simulation and Astia film more closely resembles the Provia film simulation (although neither are close to being an exact match). I don’t think Fujifilm ever considered making the Provia film simulation resemble the film that it was named after or really any film, they just wanted to use the trademark name for their standard setting. The Provia film simulation is designed to give generally pleasing results to the masses. Some people love it, but I personally find it to be the least interesting of the color options available.

While I never intended to mimic the look of any specific film with this recipe, I think that it fairly closely resembles Agfa Optima 200. If you are looking for an Agfa Optima recipe, look no further! Agfa made many different films over the years. They were never as big as Kodak or Fujifilm, but they weren’t that far behind, either. Agfa Optima 200 was a color negative film that was introduced in 1996, replacing AgfaColor XRS 200, and was discontinued in 2005. I never used this film myself, but I have seen it in person and on the internet plenty of times, so I have a good idea of what it looks like. Even though I didn’t intend to recreate the look of a film with this recipe, the fact that it happens to resembles one is a very happy accident. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

Morning Egg Bowl – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

I’ve found that this particular film simulation recipe looks best when using an ISO between 1600 and 3200. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t use a lower or higher ISO, because I certainly do, but for some reason that ISO range seems to produce the most pleasing result. I have flirted with the idea setting the ISO range to be between 1600 and 3200, but I have yet to do that. This recipe says to set ISO to Auto up to ISO 6400, but please don’t feel like you have to set it to that just because that’s what settings I typed out. As always, choose what works best for you and your photography.

Provia
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: -2
Shadow: +2
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -1 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs made using this Provia film simulation recipe:

Coca-Cola Cans – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Bolsey 35 Model B – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Mercantile Coffee Cup – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Durable Nonstick Pot – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Oil Pastels – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Table Curve – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Window Grass – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Indoor Decor – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Blinded – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Shrub In The Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Waiting For Warmer Weather – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

For Everything There Is A Season – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Fading Light On The Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Agfa Optima”

Fujifilm PRO Neg. Std Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on February 2 by Ritchie Roesch

Great Salt Lake Evening – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – PRO Neg. Std

PRO Neg. Std is one of the least popular film simulations available on Fujifilm X-Trans cameras, so you might be surprised by the number of different film simulation recipes I created that use it as the base. At first PRO Neg. Std may seem flat and dull. It has the softest tonality of all the film simulation options, and it is one of the least saturated. Fujifilm modeled it after Fujicolor Pro 160 NS film printed on Fujicolor paper. It has a great analog print quality to it that can be quite appealing!

The PRO Neg. Std film simulation was inspired by a portrait film, so it’s no surprise that it is great for skin tones. By adjusting the settings, it can be made to resemble different negative films or produce different analog looks. I particularly appreciate how this film simulation handles shadows. Many of the different color film simulations that Fujifilm offers on their cameras handle shadows similar to reversal film, but not PRO Neg. Std, which has a negative film quality, particularly in the shadows.

Below you will find all of my different film simulation recipes that I have created that use PRO Neg. Std. If you haven’t tried them all, I personally invite you to do so and see which are your favorites! My personal favorites are Superia 800 and Pro 400H, but they each have their own usefulness and charm. Let me know in the comments which recipe you like most!

Even though the different recipes say X100F and X-T20, they are completely compatible with any Fujifilm X-Trans III or newer camera. For example, you don’t have to use the X100F recipes exclusively on the X100F. You can use any of my recipes on any X-Trans III camera.

Fujicolor Superia 800

CineStill 800T

Eterna

Aged Color

Fujicolor Pro 400H

Kodachrome vs. Ektachrome – A Film Simulation Showdown

Posted on January 12 by Ritchie Roesch

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I have two very similar film simulation recipes that both produce results quite close to their namesake slide films: Kodachrome II and Ektachrome 100SW. Even though the settings are nearly the same, the looks that they produce are quite different. As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of the old “Kodachrome vs. Ektachrome” debate from the days of film. There were people who preferred one over the other for various reasons. Kodachrome was more iconic. Ektachrome had more variations. Despite the fact that they were both color transparencies made by the same company, I could probably write a long article about the differences between the two films, but this blog is about Fujifilm X cameras and not Kodak film stocks.

What I wanted to do here is compare the two film simulation recipes side by side. I will show them both, and you can decide which is best for you. It’s kind of a revival of the old debate, but with a modern twist. Kodachrome or Ektachrome? You get to decide which is the better film simulation recipe!

Take a look at the pictures below:

Welcome to Ogden – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Kodachrome II”

Winter Mountain – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Desert Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Kodachrome II”

Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

Pueblo de Taos – Taos, NM – Fujifilm X-Pro2 “Kodachrome II”

View From Mount Carmel Tunnel – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

Kodak Transparencies – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Kodachrome II”

Kodak Transparencies – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

What I like about the Kodachrome II recipe is that it produces a vintage color look that reminds me of the images found on the pages of old magazines, such as National Geographic and Arizona Highways. As I look through my grandparent’s old slide collection (which I have at home), I can see this look in their old photographs from 50 or so years ago. It’s such a fantastic recipe for Fujifilm X cameras, and I just love it!

What I like about the Ektachrome 100SW recipe is that it produces a color look that reminds me of some images that I have captured with the actual film. The film was good for western landscapes or any situation where you needed some color saturation with a warm color cast. It wasn’t around for very long because it was only marginally commercially successful, but it was one of the better variations of Ektachrome film in my opinion.

What do you think, Kodachrome or Ektachrome? Let me know in the comments which film simulation recipe you like best!

Fujifilm Acros Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on January 10 by Ritchie Roesch

Taos Tourist – Taos, NM – Fujifilm X100F “Agfa Scala”

Acros is one of the most popular film simulations available on Fujifilm X-Trans cameras. It looks incredibly similar to the black-and-white film that it was named after. In fact, in my opinion, it produces the most film-like results of any settings on any camera! It’s easy to see the draw to the analog-esque results produced by the Acros film simulation.

I love Acros and I have used it as the base for a bunch of different film simulation recipes. It’s possible to achieve a number of different interesting looks straight out of camera by adjusting the settings. I plan to create even more film simulation recipes using Acros in the coming months. As I do, I will add them to this article.

Below you will find all of my different film simulation recipes that I have created that use Acros. If you haven’t tried them all, I personally invite you to do so and see which are your favorites! My personal favorite is Tri-X Push-Process, but they each have their own usefulness and charm. Let me know in the comments which recipe you like most!

Even though the different recipes say X100F and X-Pro2, they are completely compatible with any Fujifilm X-Trans III or IV camera. For example, you don’t have to use the X100F recipes exclusively on the X100F. You can use any of my recipes on any X-Trans III camera.

Original Acros

Acros Push-Process

Agfa Scala

Ilford HP5 Plus

Tri-X Push Process

Fujifilm Classic Chrome Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on January 6 by Ritchie Roesch

Classic Chrome is one of the most popular film simulations available on Fujifilm X-Trans cameras. It produces a look similar to quintessential Kodak color transparency films like Kodachrome and Ektachrome, which graced the pages of publications like National Geographic and Arizona Highways for many years. With all things vintage being in style, there is a huge draw to the analog-esque results produced by the Classic Chrome film simulation.

I love Classic Chrome and I have used it as the base for a bunch of different film simulation recipes. It’s possible to achieve a number of different interesting looks straight out of camera by adjusting the settings. Honestly, I think that I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. I plan to create even more film simulation recipes using Classic Chrome in the coming months. As I do, I will add them to this article.

Below you will find all of my different film simulation recipes that I have created that use Classic Chrome. If you haven’t tried them all, I personally invite you to do so and see which are your favorites! My personal favorite is Kodachrome II, but they each have their own usefulness and charm. Let me know in the comments which recipe you like most!

Even though the different recipes say X100F, X-Pro2, and X-T20, they are completely compatible with any Fujifilm X-Trans III or IV camera. For example, you don’t have to use the X100F recipes exclusively on the X100F. You can use any of my recipes on any X-Trans III camera.

My original Classic Chrome recipe.

My dramatic Classic Chrome recipe.

My Vintage Kodachrome recipe.

My Kodachrome II recipe.

My Vintage Agfacolor recipe.

My Kodak Portra recipe.