Film Simulation | FUJI X WEEKLY

Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe, Part 2

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Remaining Relic in Disrepair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

One of the most popular film simulation recipes that I’ve created is Kodacolor, which mimics the look of Kodacolor VR film, and ColorPlus 200 (the same film re-branded). A Fuji X Weekly reader recently asked me to create a recipe that resembles the aesthetic of photographer Stephen Shore. Stephen has been around for many, many years, and he’s still photographing today. Over the decades he’s used many different films, and perhaps even digital in recent years, but most notably he shot Kodacolor in 35mm, 4″ x 5″ medium-format, and especially 8″ x 10″ large format.

When I was looking at Stephen Shore’s pictures, there was something about it that seemed “off” when compared to my Kodacolor recipe. Close, but off. Some of that could be attributed to the use of different films, or how the film was shot, developed and/or printed. Then I read that the medium-format and especially the large-format versions of Kodacolor film were more vibrant, more saturated, then the 35mm version, and I realized why my recipe seemed off. It needed Color to be turned up in order to mimic Stephen Shore’s pictures.

This is not a new recipe. It is my Kodacolor recipe with one change: Color is to 0 instead of -2. That’s it! The results are only subtly different, but closer to Stephen Shore’s aesthetic. I think, alternatively, setting Grain to Weak could also be appropriate, but I left it at Strong. All of the pictures in this article were captured using this modified Kodacolor recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30. This recipe (as well as the original Kodacolor recipe) is compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 6300K, -1 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to + 1-1/3 (typically)

Francis Peak Afternoon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

March Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ready To Swing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Potted Plant by a Window – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pointing Towards the Sky – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

House Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Colorful Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kiss The Crepes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

5:20 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Packed Parking Lot – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Monochrome Kodachrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Light on the Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Monochrome Kodachrome”

Kodachrome was a black-and-white film. No, really, it was! The color dyes were actually added during development. The process to develop Kodachrome color transparencies was complex and toxic. As demand for the film decreased and Kodak experienced financial troubles, both the film and the chemicals to develop it were discontinued. If you still have some undeveloped Kodachrome film sitting around, there’s absolutely no place in the world that can process it; that is, except as black-and-white negatives. It’s true: Kodachrome can be developed to this day as a black-and-white film!

While I think that this recipe does more-or-less mimic the look of Kodachrome developed as black-and-white, that’s not necessarily the intent of it. This recipe began as an experiment by Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab, who created the Urban Vintage Chrome recipe. He took my Vintage Kodachrome recipe and replaced the Classic Chrome film simulation with Acros, Monochrome and Sepia, and the results were quite interesting! I made a couple of minor adjustments to create this recipe. This is definitely a joint effort, and it wouldn’t exist without Thomas Schwab’s experiments and willingness to share the results. Thank you!

Window & Blinds – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Monochrome Kodachrome”

What I like about this Monochrome Kodachrome film simulation recipe is that it has a great film-like quality to it. This recipe pairs especially well with vintage lenses (I used an Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm for about half of these pictures). Even though it says “Fujifilm X-T30” in the title, it can be used on any X-Trans III & IV camera. You can also use this same recipe with the Monocrome+R film simulation, for a slightly different result.

Acros+R
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Toning: 0
White Balance: AWB, 0 Red & +9 Blue
ISO: Auto, ISO 3200 to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

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

Roman – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cleaning Cart – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fake Potted Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Shadow on a Brick Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Small Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rural Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Monochrome Mountain Landscape – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

B&W Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tennis Swing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Engaged In Television – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Jo – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hand Washing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Faceless – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Muffins – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pronto! – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Daylight Balanced – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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12 New Film Simulation Recipes in 2020, And Counting…

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

So far this year I have published 12 new film simulation recipes: six for “newer” Fujifilm cameras, such as my X-T30, and six for “older” models, such as my X-T1. Actually, one article contained three different recipes, so technically we’re up to 14. Yet there will be more! I have several ideas and aesthetics that I am working on. 2020 might be the biggest year yet for film simulation recipes!

One of these days I hope to have the new Classic Negative and Bleach Bypass film simulations available to use. I think both, but especially Classic Negative, have the potential to be great starting points for new recipes. I’m not “upgrading” my camera right now, though, as there’s not really a need to, so unfortunately that will have to wait until Fujifilm makes those available to the X-T30 via firmware updates (which may or may not happen), or I buy a new model sometime down the road (it won’t be soon).

Which of the recipes below are your favorites? Are you using any of them right now? Is there one that you haven’t yet used but are planning to soon? Even though I have five listed under “X-Trans IV” you can still use them with X-Trans III cameras. You just don’t have Color Chrome Effect, which doesn’t make a big difference, so the results will be quite similar.

X-Trans IV

Analog Color

Cut Strawberries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Vintage Color Fade

Young Boy with an Old Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bleach Bypass

Instamatic Mourning – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dramatic Monochrome

Shadow Ware – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Split-Toned B&W

Vintage Bolsey Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

X-Trans III & IV

Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed

I Will Always Love You – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

X-Trans II

Kodachrome 64

Suburban Silver Lining – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Kodachrome II

The Wetlands of Farmington Bay – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Kodacolor

Man In Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Classic Chrome

Praying the Order is Right – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

X-Trans I & II

Ektachrome 100SW

Windows & Reflections – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Velvia

Pink Penguin – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Monochrome

Rebuilt 24 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Faded Monochrome

Thought – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Faded Monochrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Partially Illuminated – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 “Faded Monochrome”

This is my Faded Monochrome recipe adapted for my Fujifilm X-T1. It will work on all X-Trans I & II and Bayer sensor cameras, just so long as it has a double-exposure mode (I think they all do, but I’m not 100% certain). You have to put the camera into double-exposure mode, capture the scene with the first exposure, and use the second exposure to photograph a medium-grey piece of paper (I used an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of construction paper). I prefer the second exposure to be out of focus. The first exposure should be slightly overexposed, perhaps by 1/3 to 2/3 stop, because the second exposure will decrease the contrast. The second exposure should be underexposed by at least 1 stop, and as many as 3 stops. How bright or dark the second exposure is will determine just how faded the picture will be. It requires some experimentation, but thankfully you get a real-time display of what the picture will look like and the opportunity for a do-over (simply select “Retry”). The look you get is similar to using a low-contrast filter when making black-and-white prints in the darkroom.

Monochrome
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +2 (High)
Shadow: +2 (High)
Sharpness: 0 (Medium)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Faded Monochrome recipe on my Fujifilm X-T1:

Thought – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Girl Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Piano Hand – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Piano Fingers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Faded Lily – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Flowers Fading – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Bouquet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Wheelbarrow Monochrome – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Gathering – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Window Blinds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Analog Color Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Pentax – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Analog Color”

Sometimes accidents are happy, such as with this film simulation recipe, which I call Analog Color. I was attempting to make a recipe that mimics the looks of Kodak Portra 400 that’s been overexposed, but I was unsuccessful (at least for now); however, in the process I accidentally created this one. It was a mistake, but I liked how it looked, so I shot a bunch of pictures with it. This recipe reminds me of Fujicolor C200 or Agfa Vista 200, or perhaps even Kodak Gold 200. It’s in the neighborhood of ColorPlus 200, as well. But, it doesn’t exactly resemble any of those films perfectly. What I appreciate about this Analog Color film simulation is that it has a film-like quality to it, with a real color negative aesthetic, even if it’s not an exact match to any film that I’m aware of.

How this film simulation recipe looks depends on the light. This is true of all the recipes that don’t use auto white balance, but it seems especially so with this particular recipe. It can have a warm cast sometimes and cool cast other times, or even occasionally both a cool and warm cast within the same image. Perhaps this is one of the things that make it appear film-like. I do think that there’s something special about this recipe.

Route Running – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Analog Color”

I like Color set to -1, but feel free to play around with that. If you want something more saturated, increase Color to 0 or +1. If you don’t like grain, set it to Weak or off. If you like lots of grain, keep the ISO high, perhaps no lower than ISO 1600. I think that this recipe will pair well with vintage lenses, and that’s something else you can experiment with.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +0
Color: -1
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Strong
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 1
White Balance: Daylight, -3 Red & +1 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured using my Fujifilm X-T30 Analog Color film simulation recipe:

Red Window – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Cut Strawberries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Joshua Smiling – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl in a Blue Sweater – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Living Room Bass Pro – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backlit Jon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Succulent on a Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Time’s Fun When You’re Having Flies – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

46 Minutes to Ogden – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Empty Seats – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Bags We Carry – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

No Storage – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rain God Mesa – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree In The Dirt – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Monument Valley Afternoon – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Monument Valley After Sunset – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

I Will Always Love You – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed”

Fujifilm introduced Fujicolor Pro 400H in 2004 and it’s been a popular 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. The effect can range from subtle to pronounced. I have been trying for some time now to create a film simulation recipe that mimics the aesthetic of overexposed Pro 400H, and, despite creating a Fujicolor Pro 400H film simulation recipe already, achieving an overexposed look has eluded me.

I had read that one of the films that was the inspiration for the PRO Neg. Hi film simulation was Pro 400H. I tried and tried using that film simulation, and even PRO Neg. Std and Astia, to get the look that I was after, but I just couldn’t get it right. Yesterday, following some inspiration, as I was playing around with the Provia film simulation, I created a look that I thought might work. It was close! A few adjustments here and there, and this Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed film simulation recipe was born, and I spent the afternoon shooting a bunch of exposures with it. I just couldn’t believe that I finally did it!

Green Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed”

Something that I went back and forth on with this recipe is the shadows. I feel like +4 is too much sometimes, and +3 is too little sometimes. I ended up choosing +4, but I think +3 would be just as acceptable. You might try some shots with +4 and some with +3 and decide which you like better. Perhaps use +4 in low-contrast scenes and +3 in high-contrast scenes. I also debated on Color, settling on +1, which might be too high. You might consider setting Color to 0 if you think it’s too saturated. Even though I created this on my Fujifilm X-T30, it’s fully compatible with all X-Trans III and IV cameras.

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

Example photographs, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured using my Fujifilm X-T30 Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed film simulation recipe:

Annoyed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed”

Happy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reading – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Markers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lego Car – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ocean of Books – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Trunk Between Shrubs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Liquid Obscurity – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Windows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Closed Umbrella – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Raining In The Pool – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Observing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Outdoor Mall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

String of Lights – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Disconnected – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Vintage Color Fade Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Young Boy With An Old Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Vintage Color Fade”

Two days ago I posted my “Bleach Bypass” film simulation recipe, and yesterday I posted my Split-Toned B&W recipe. Today’s film simulation recipe takes elements from both of those to produce a look that reminds me of something found on Nik Analog Efex. I call it Vintage Color Fade. It’s actually similar to my Faded Color recipe, but with modifications, producing a different result. This recipe definitely has a vintage analog aesthetic to it, with some very interesting results. It’s quite amazing that you can do this in-camera!

My Vintage Color Fade film simulation recipe requires the use of the double exposure feature of your camera. You make the first exposure using the settings under “Exposure 1” below. Then, before capturing the second image, switch to the settings found under “Exposure 2″ below. The only difference between the two sets of settings is the film simulation and the B&W tone, so it’s pretty easy to switch between them. The first exposure is of the scene that you want to capture, and the second exposure is of a piece of paper, which I prefer to be out-of-focus. The paper that I used was a medium-blue 8.5″ x 11” construction paper, the same paper that I used in the Split-Toned B&W recipe. The color of the paper doesn’t matter, but whatever it is should be medium-grey in black-and-white. How bright the second exposure is will determine how faded the picture will appear.

Exposure 1
PRO Neg. Hi
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: +4
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, -5 Red & +5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Exposure 2
Acros
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Tone: +6 (warm)
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, -5 Red & +5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1 to -3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Vintage Color Fade film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Love You Always – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Indoor Potted Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fisher Price Phone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Young Film Photographer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Josh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Reading – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

A Good Book – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Black Bike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Down Stairs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Honey Buckets – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

UTA Train – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Split-Toned B&W Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Vintage Bolsey Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Split-Toned B&W”

While creating my “Bleach Bypass” film simulation recipe, which requires double exposures, I also discovered how to split-tone black-and-white pictures in-camera using double exposures. Split toning was originally a darkroom technique where one would give their black-and-white print a bath in two different toning chemicals, which resulted in shadows and highlights having two different colors. There are many different ways to split tone and many different potential results. This Split-Toned B&W recipe loosely mimics the aesthetic of ferrocyanide toning (blue) with diluted sepia (reddish-brown). You can get similar results very easily with software, but it’s fun to achieve a split tone effect straight out of camera.

For this recipe, you’ll capture the first exposure as normal. I find that increasing the exposure by 1/3 to 2/3 stop over what you might normally do produces better results. For the second exposure, photograph blue paper. I used an 8.5″ x 11″ medium-blue construction paper for my pictures. I like to purposefully make the second exposure out of focus, although I’m not sure that it matters much if you do. You can control the strength of the blue tone by how bright the second exposure is. The darker the exposure, the less blue there will be and the less faded the picture will appear. The brighter the exposure, the more blue there will be and the more faded the picture will appear. It’s fun to experiment with this, because you can vary the look significantly by how you expose the second image. If you want the highlights to be warmer, simply increase the tone of the first exposure to be more warm, or even use the Sepia film simulation instead of Acros. You could use a different color paper, or even use a cool tone instead of warm on the first exposure, if you wanted. You could really play around with this and come up with all sots of different looks.

Exposure 1
Acros
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Tone: +6 (warm)
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Exposure 2
Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: +2
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & 0 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1 to -3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Split-Toned B&W film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Open Blinds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ocean – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Faux Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Monochrome Floral Arrangement – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lily Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Throw Pillows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dirt Play – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl In The Sunlight – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 “Bleach Bypass” Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Instamatic Morning – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Bleach Bypass”

The upcoming Fujifilm X-T4 will have a new film simulation: Bleach Bypass. This new film simulation might eventually come to other X-Trans IV cameras, such as the X-T30, X-T3, X-Pro3 and X100V, but it might not, as Fujifilm has yet to add Classic Negative to the X-T3 and X-T30. It would certainly be nice if Fujifilm gave those of us with “older” X-Trans IV cameras the new film simulations. Even if they never do, you are in luck, as I have created a film simulation recipe to mimic the look of bleach bypass!

Bleach bypass is a darkroom technique where you skip or limit the bleach during development of color film, which causes it to retain the silver. Results will vary greatly depending on the film used and exactly how you develop it, but generally speaking what you get with bleach bypass is a high-contrast, low-saturation, grainy picture that appears as if a black-and-white and color picture were combined together. This technique is more common for motion picture film than still photography, but some people do bleach bypass with C-41 film.

I experimented with the techniques that I used for this film simulation back in June of last year. Much came out of those experiments, including both the Faded Color and Faded Monochrome film simulation recipes, as well as in-camera texturing. I created something similar to this recipe, but gave up on it before completing it. Last week Fuji X Weekly reader James Clinich reached out to me to share some experiments he had been doing, which turned out to be very similar to what I had done back in June. This rekindled my interest, and with inspiration drawn from James, I made this “Bleach Bypass” film simulation recipe.

Car’s 3 & 4 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Bleach Bypass”

This film simulation recipe requires the use of the double exposure feature of your camera. You will need a tripod, and there can’t be any movement in the scene. You have to make two identical exposures, one in color and one in black-and-white. After the first exposure is made, you must change the film simulation before making the second exposure. You can have both sets of settings programmed into the custom menu as separate presets, and toggle between them, or just change the film simulation, making sure that the tone is set correctly when making the Acros exposure. It’s a bit tricky and limited, but the results are nice. If you don’t want to do double exposures, but want something that will produce similar results to this recipe, try my Dramatic Classic Chrome recipe except set color to -4. That’s about as close as you can get. Otherwise, if you want to create a bleach bypass look in-camera, this recipe is your best option.

Exposure 1
Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: +2
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Strong
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & +3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Exposure 2
Acros
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Tone: +2 (warm)
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Strong
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & +3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Bleach Bypass” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Pillows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Window Robot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Illuminated Faux Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pronto! – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Touch of Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rooftops & Mountaintops – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tracks Under The Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Do Not Cross Tracks – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Locked Box & Escape Route – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Empty Walking Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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New Film Simulation Coming: Bleach Bypass

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

According to Fujirumors, the upcoming Fujifilm X-T4 will come with a brand new film simulation: Bleach Bypass. What’s bleach bypass? It’s a darkroom technique where you skip or limit the bleach during the development of color film, which retains the silver in the film. What you end up with is a high-contrast, low-saturated image that might appear as though someone combined a color and black-and-white image. Think Classic Chrome, but with more contrast and less saturation, and a silvery appearance. I think this new film simulation will be an excellent addition!

Will Fujifilm make the new Bleach Bypass film simulation available to other cameras via a firmware update? Maybe the X-Trans IV models, not likely any other. Fujifilm has yet to add Classic Negative to the X-T3 or X-T30, and maybe they never will. I’m hopeful that after the release of the X-T4, Fujifilm will add both of these new film simulations to the “older” X-Trans IV models, but that might be nothing more than wishful thinking. I will tell you this: it’s hard not to be envious! I’m really looking forward to one day trying both of them and creating new film simulation recipes. I just hope that day comes sooner than later.

Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Ektachrome 100SW Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Windows & Reflections – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 “Ektachrome 100SW”

What I love about my Ektachrome 100SW film simulation recipe is that it reminds me of a film that I used to use. Just like the original Ektachrome 100SW recipe, which is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras, this recipe is identical to my Kodachrome II recipe, except that it uses Velvia instead of Classic Chrome. This version of Ektachrome 100SW is compatible with X-Trans I & II cameras, as well as Fujifilm Bayer cameras.

Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +2 (High)
Shadow: +1 (Medium-High)
Color: -1 (Medium-Low)
Sharpness: 0 (Medium)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -2 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this Ektachrome 100SW film simulation recipe:

Instamatic – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Throw Pillow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Striped Pillow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Indoor Decor Near a Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Grass & Concrete – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Little Steps – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

February Forest – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Lizard – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Penguins On A Rock – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Swimming Penguins – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Coral Fish – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Kodachrome II Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Rural Grass – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

One of my favorite film simulation recipes, and one of the most popular, if not the most popular, on Fuji X Weekly, is my Kodachrome II recipe. This version of that recipe is adapted for Fujifilm X-Trans II cameras, such as my X-T1. It will work on all cameras with an X-Trans II sensor, plus Bayer sensor cameras, such as the XF10, X-T100 and X-A7. Because it requires the Classic Chrome film simulation, it is not compatible with X-Trans I cameras, or the original X100.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +2 (High)
Shadow: +1 (Medium-High)
Color: -1 (Medium-Low)
Sharpness: 0 (Medium)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -2 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this Kodachrome II film simulation recipe:

The Wetlands of Farmington Bay – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Pallet Dump – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Old Wood – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

February Thistles – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Francis Peak in February – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Succulents – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Bright Apple – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Kodak Film Canisters – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Bolsey on the Camera Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Longing For Another World – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Dramatic Monochrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

The Obscurity of Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Dramatic Monochrome”

A couple of weeks ago when I was discussing the possibility of Fujifilm creating a black-and-white only camera, something that I came to learn by accident is that the Monochrome film simulation is pretty darn good. On X-Trans III & IV cameras, I have always used the Acros film simulation because it is beautiful and has a film-like quality to it. But there’s something about the “old-fashioned” Monochrome film simulation that’s nice, as well. I had never made a Monochrome film simulation for X-Trans III & IV cameras, so I set out to do so.

At first I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted, so I decided that the best starting point was to revisit the iconic photographs of the great photographers from the 1930’s, ’40’s and ’50’s—people like Ansel Adams, Andre Kertesz, Robert Doisneau, Weegee, Pual Strand, Elliott Erwitt and others. I realized that I was drawn to the high-contrast pictures that these photographers had created. I wanted to create a recipe that mimics that look in-camera. These settings, which I call Dramatic Monochrome, are what resulted from that.

Francis Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Dramatic Monochrome”

For those with X-Trans III sensors, which don’t have the Color Chrome Effect, you’ll get similar results, but it won’t be quite as dramatic. The difference isn’t very big, so don’t worry about it. I would consider using +2 for Sharpness on X-Trans III instead of +3. On X-Trans IV cameras, you could give a +1 toning for a subtle warm look, such as what would happen if you gave a print a quick Sepia bath.

Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Toning: 0
Sharpening: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800

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

Chair Near a Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Shadow Ware – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Pillow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Santa Fe – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Young Piano Hands – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Clouds Above The Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wasatch Ridge Winter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lines In The Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Clouds Over The Frosted Hill – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Beyond Dark – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Frosted – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Darkness & Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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First Fujifilm X-T1 Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-T1 Blog

I’ve had my Fujifilm X-T1 for less than two weeks. I plan to create many different film simulation recipes for it, but that takes time, so they’ll likely trickle out over the coming months. I did create three film simulation recipes, which you’ll find below. I like to mimic the aesthetic of vintage films with in-camera JPEG settings, as I learned photography in the film era. These three X-T1 recipes aren’t intended to mimic the look of any particular film; I just like how they look.

The in-camera JPEG options on the X-T1, which has an X-Trans II sensor, are different and much more limited than X-Trans IV or even X-Trans III cameras. Fujifilm continues to provide more and better features to achieve desired looks straight out of camera. While the X-T1 doesn’t have as many options, it’s still possible to get very nice pictures right out of the camera, no post-processing needed. Actually, sometimes it’s nice to have fewer choices as it makes things more simple.

Even though these recipes were created on a Fujifilm X-T1, they’re compatible with all X-Trans II cameras, such as the X100T, X-E2, and X-T10, as well as Fujifilm Bayer cameras, like the XF10, X-T100, and X-A7. The Velvia and Monochrome recipes are compatible with X-Trans I cameras, such as the X-Pro1, X100S and X-E1. I should also point out that my Fujifilm XF10 film simulation recipes are compatible with the X-T1 and other X-Trans II cameras.

Some of you have been asking me to create recipes that are compatible with the older models for some time now, and I’m happy to finally be able to share some. You’ve waited awhile! These three film simulations are just the beginning for the X-T1. I will be creating more. I hope to recreate some of my other looks with the X-Trans II sensor, but we’ll see how that goes. Some future recipes might require unconventional approaches. I can’t wait to see what I come up with! In the meantime, enjoy the recipes below.

Classic Chrome

Praying the Order is Right – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -1 Blue
Color: +2 (High)
Highlight: +1 (Medium-High)
Shadow: +1 (Medium-High)
Sharpness: 0 (STD)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200

Rural Road In Winter – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Winter Boxcar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Flaming Lemon – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Joyful Dining – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Opening a Soda Bottle – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Egg, Bowl & Rice – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Grill Fire – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Velvia

Pink Penguin – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Film Simulation: Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR200
White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & -2 Blue
Color: +2 (High)
Highlight: -1 (Medium-Low)
Shadow: -1 (Medium-Low)
Sharpness : 0 (STD)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200

Kobe Cold – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Sushi Lamp – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

For Goodness Sake – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Anchored Caboose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Red In The Woods – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

When The Season Is All Wrong – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Rudy Drain Winter – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Monochrome

Rebuilt 24 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Film Simulation: Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1 (Medium-High)
Shadow: +1 (Medium-High)
Sharpness : +1 (Medium -Hard)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400

Monochrome Lines – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Metal – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

When Life Gives You Lemons – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Soup – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Jo With Chopsticks – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Drinking Soup – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Eating Rice – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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10 Most Popular Film Simulation Recipes of 2019

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Shot on a Fujifilm X-T30 using my Vintage Kodachrome film simulation recipe.

It’s the new year, and that means reviewing last year, and making “top lists” of everything under the sun from the previous 12 months on this blog. Most popular posts. Top favorite pictures. You get the idea. That’s what I’ve done in the past, and besides, everyone else is doing it. Actually, this article will be the only one on Fuji X Weekly this January. Well, I’m not promising, as I reserve the right to change my mind, but for now, my only top list will be this post, where I will share the most popular film simulation recipes for Fujifilm cameras from 2019.

I determined which film simulation recipes were the most popular by the number of page views each one received last year. Which article was seen the most during 2019 is what determines the popularity for the purpose of this post. That doesn’t mean more people are using it or more images were captured with it, just that more people viewed the recipe. Also, not every film simulation recipe was around the whole year. Some were made not very long ago and are at a strong disadvantage to make this list.

I was surprised by how many views a few of these film simulation recipes had. The top five were expected, but some of the others were not. Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite! Also, let me know which recipe that didn’t make this list is your favorite. I hope that your holidays were wonderful. May 2020 be a fantastic year for you!

#10. Cinestill 800T
#9. X100F “Eterna”
#8. Ektar 100
#7. Eterna
#6. Fujicolor Superia 800
#5. Kodachrome 64
#4. Kodak Portra 400
#3. Classic Chrome
#2. Vintage Kodachrome
#1. Kodachrome II

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Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 + Fujifilm X-T30

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

The Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 is a wide-angle prime lens that was made by Pentax in the early-1960’s through mid-1970’s for their M42-mount cameras. If you are a regular reader of the Fuji X Weekly blog, you will know that I love to pair my Fujifilm X-T30 with vintage lenses like this one. It’s incredibly fun for me, as I learned photography in the film era with manual-only cameras and lenses. Besides, many of these old lenses have tons of character that can add a little extra interest to my pictures. Super-Takumar lenses tend to be especially great, so I was excited to give this one a try.

There are actually four variations of the 28mm f/3.5 Takumar lens. The first two are very similar to each other. The main difference is that the original model has a minimum aperture of f/22 while the second model has a minimum aperture of f/16. The third and fourth models have a completely different design inside and out from the first two, and aside from sharing the same focal-length and maximum aperture, they don’t have all that much in common with the earlier models. My copy is the original version, which dates back to somewhere between 1962 and 1965.

Because of the crop factor, when mounted to my Fujifilm X-T30, the Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 lens has a focal-length equivalence of 42mm, which is barely wide-angle. It’s very close to being a “standard” prime. It’s actually a great all-around focal-length, which makes it especially appealing for many different genres of photography. The minimum focus distance is about 15″, so it’s not a macro lens and you can’t focus particularly close to your subject. The f/3.5 maximum aperture isn’t all that impressive, which means that this lens isn’t the best option for achieving a shallow depth-of-field or for low-light situations. Since it’s an M42-mount lens, you’ll need an adapter to use it on your Fujifilm X camera.

This lens has some obvious flaws. At f/3.5 there’s significant corner softness and vignetting, both of which don’t completely disappear until f/8. Center sharpness is good-but-not-great when wide open, and I noticed some chromatic aberrations, too, but both improve significantly as you stop down. This lens has noticeable barrel distortion, which is obvious if you photograph brick walls and not especially obvious otherwise. Flare isn’t controlled especially well (I’m sure the Super-Multi-Coated version is much better at controlling flare), but I like the way the lens renders flare, so at least there’s that. Bokeh is rather mediocre.

What I love about the Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 lens is that it’s super sharp (“tack as a Tak”), especially between f/5.6 and f/16. The sweet-spot for this lens is between f/8 and f/11, which means if you are an “f/8 and be there” type of photographer, this lens will suit you well! Below f/5.6 there’s noticeable corner softness and even the center isn’t quite as crisp, becoming worse as the aperture increases, although it is still sharp even when wide open. Diffraction sets in when the aperture is smaller than f/11, but really isn’t a problem until beyond f/16. This lens has great contrast and renders pictures very nice overall. It’s built solidly, and my copy functions smoothly and flawlessly, like it’s new and not over 55 years old.

The Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 lens certainly has some shortcomings, but it also has some great strengths. Whether or not those strengths outweigh the weaknesses depends on how you use it. It’s a great lens within a somewhat small envelope, and a so-so lens outside of that. I personally love it, but part of that might be because I’ve learned when to use it to best take advantage of its strengths, and when it’s better to put it on the shelf. The Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 is not a lens that I will use all of the time, but it’s definitely a great one to use when the time is right.

American Christmas – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Roof Curve – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Ice Cold City – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Iowa Pump – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

House Blend – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Style – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Sisters – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Jo at a Museum – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Amanda Waiting – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Criddle’s Cafe – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Comparing “Classic Negative” and “Color Negative” Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Someone asked me what the differences are between my “Classic Negative” film simulation recipe and my “Color Negative” film simulation recipe. They’re pretty similar, but they’re not exactly identical. I thought it would be helpful to see them side-by-side, so I applied my “Color Negative” recipe using the in-camera RAW converter on my Fujifilm X-T30 to a few recent exposures that I had captured using my “Classic Negative” recipe. Check them out:

“Classic Negative”

“Color Negative”

“Classic Negative”

“Color Negative”

“Classic Negative”

“Color Negative”

“Classic Negative”

“Color Negative”

As you can see, while they’re quite similar, the “Color Negative” recipe is more saturated, has a tad more contrast, and is a little warmer with a bit more red. The “Classic Negative” recipe is slightly more bland, but with a nice vintage negative-film aesthetic. So which film simulation recipe do you like better, “Classic Negative” or “Color Negative”? Let me know in the comments!

Film Simulation Challenge –Roll 4: Classic Negative (with Ree Drummond)

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Back in August I introduced the Film Simulation Challenge, which is where you pick one film simulation recipe and shoot either 24 or 36 frames before changing settings. It’s kind of like loading your camera with a roll of film, and you are stuck with whatever film you loaded until that roll is completely exposed. This challenge is the digital equivalent of that analog issue. I thought it would be a fun experiment to encourage photographic vision while sharing the joy of Fujifilm X cameras.

The “film” that I loaded into my Fujifilm X-T30 was a 36 exposure “roll” of my new “Classic Negative” film simulation recipe. This recipe is the closest that I could come to matching the new film simulation of the same name that’s on the X-Pro3, but I have to admit, it’s not a complete match. The Classic Negative film simulation changes depending on the light and how you expose it, which is different than the other film simulations. I don’t think it’s possible to create an exact match, but hopefully my “Classic Negative” recipe is at least in the general ballpark. Or, if it isn’t, I hope that some of you appreciate it nonetheless.

My wife, Amanda, is a big fan of Ree Drummond (also known as The Pioneer Woman). She’s a famous blogger, author and television personality best known for her cooking recipes. She has a store, restaurant and bakery in Oklahoma, which my wife and I visited two summers ago. Ree has a new cookbook, and she’s been traveling the country doing book signings. Amanda insisted that we go so that we could meet her, and so we did! We stood in line for almost an hour in order to have a thirty second conversation with her. It was a very quick meet-and-greet that seemed like it was over before it even began. What you might not know is that Ree’s a pretty good photographer, and I was able to suggest that she create a photojournal book of her ranch that features her black-and-white photographs. She replied that she needs to get the pictures off her SD Card first.

I made 36 exposures using my “Classic Negative” film simulation, and most were of this event, especially while waiting in line. The lighting inside the bookstore was terrible, with some crazy mixed artificial lights, and this recipe wasn’t a good choice for it. I did reprocess in-camera the RAW image of Ree Drummond, and I’ve included that at the bottom of this article. I used a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens for these pictures. I hope that you enjoy!

Frame 1: Pink Sleeve – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 2: Sunset 218 – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 3: Changing Nature – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 5: Sweetaly Gelato – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 7: King of Books – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 8: Waiting For The Bus – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 9: 15th Street – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 15: Brick Chimney – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 18: A Roof – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 19: Waiting In The Waning Sun – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 22: Rick – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 24: No Trucks – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 26: Salt Lake Neighborhood – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 28: Ree Drummond – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 30: Open – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 31: Happy Amanda – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 32: Bank On It – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 33: Brews – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Reprocess of frame 28:

Ree Drummond – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – PRO Neg. Hi

My Fujifilm “Classic Negative” Film Simulation Recipe (For X-Trans III)

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

November Morning – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – “Classic Negative”

The Fujifilm X-Pro3 has a new film simulation: Classic Negative. This film simulation is supposed to mimic the look of Superia film. The Classic Negative film simulation is expected to make its way to the X-T3 and X-T30 via a firmware update at some point in the near future, but for now the X-Pro3, which is still a couple weeks out from shipping, is the only camera with it. I’ve already had a number of requests for a film simulation recipe that resembles Classic Negative, despite it being so new.

To be clear, I have absolutely zero experience with the Classic Negative film simulation. There’s only a small sampling of examples that I could find online. I have used Superia film before, but sometimes the film simulations aren’t exact matches to the film they’re supposed to look like. From what I can tell, in this case Fujifilm did a decent job of creating a film simulation that resembles the film.

Classic Negative is actually a little different than other film simulations. Fujifilm has increased the color contrast in it compared to other film simulations. How it renders the picture depends on the lighting and exposure. The darker the light, the lower the saturation, while the brighter the light, the stronger the saturation. In addition, warm colors seem to be a little more vibrant, and cool colors appear a little less so. Highlights seem to have a creamy quality to them, while blacks look a tad faded. This is unlike any other option Fujifilm has given us, so you can imagine creating a film simulation recipe that mimics this is very difficult.

Fujifilm X-Pro3 Blog

According to Fujifilm, this new film simulation has the second-most contrast out of all of them, only behind Velvia, while the saturation is in the range of PRO Neg. Std. I found it difficult to create a high-contrast look that doesn’t blow out highlights or create blocked shadows. I also found it difficult to recreate the look of warm and slightly vibrant skin tones while also creating cool and dull shadows, as you can only get one right. I tried to find a happy middle ground that’s not very far off on anything and generally provides a similar aesthetic. I hope that I succeeded, although I’m not completely confident in that I did.

I didn’t initially intend to share this recipe until I had a chance to see Classic Negative for myself. When the Eterna film simulation came out, I created a recipe for it for my camera that didn’t have it. Some time later, once I had a chance to shoot with Eterna, I realized that my recipe wasn’t as close as I thought or hoped it would be. I’m guessing this one might turn out to be the same. However, a Fuji X Weekly reader urged me to share it, even if it might turn out to be wrong, as some people might like it anyway. I hope that you do like it, whether or not it is completely accurate to the real Classic Negative film simulation.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +2
Color: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off or N/A
White Balance: 6700K, -2 Red & +7 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs made using this “Classic Negative” film simulation recipe:

Smile of Joy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

November Red Shed – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dormant Neighborhood Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Icy Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Brown Cottonwood Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Brown Eye Boy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Mixed Use Crate – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backyard Winter – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Brown Leaf Pile – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban House – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My White Balance Shift Solution

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

As you know, my film simulation recipes rely heavily on white balance shifts. Unfortunately, you cannot save white balance shifts with custom presets. You can only save one white balance shift for each white balance type in the White Balance Menu. In other words, whatever shift you set for auto white balance will be applied to all custom presets that use auto white balance. If all of your C1-C7 presets in the Q menu use the same white balance, one white balance shift will be applied to all of them. For many people, this means that whenever you change recipes you’re also having to adjust the white balance shift, which is a pain sometimes.

The Fujifilm X-Pro3 doesn’t have this problem from what I’ve heard. You can save unique white balance shifts with each preset in the Q menu. You can set it and forget it! There’s a decent chance that this ability will be added to the X-T3 and X-T30 via a firmware update at some point, but right now the X-Pro3 is the only camera that can do this. There’s an outside chance that X-Trans III cameras could also be given this feature, but most likely not. Don’t fret! I do have a solution. There’s a simple work-around that might make things much easier for you.

The issue is that only one white balance shift can be saved per white balance, but in that statement lies the answer! What you need are presets that use different white balances. Or you can have presets that use the same white balance and the same white balance shift. What do I mean?

So you have custom slots C1 through C7, right? Maybe you use all seven of them for color. Or maybe you set aside one or two for black-and-white, in which case white balance and white balance shift may or may not be important. For each color preset you simply use a film simulation recipe with a different white balance. If each recipe uses a different white balance, then you can set the shift for that recipe and you’re good to go. It will always be set to that unless you decided to change it.

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For example, you could have Kodachrome II, which uses auto white balance, set to C1, Kodacolor, which uses a kelvin white balance, set to C2, Kodachrome 64, which uses daylight white balance, set to C3, Lomography Color 100, which uses cloudy/shade white balance, set to C4, Color Negative, which uses fluorescent 1 white balance, set to C5, Fujichrome Sensia, which uses flurescent 2 white balance, set to C6, and Portra 400, which uses a custom white balance, set to C7. If you did that, since each recipe uses a different white balance, you wouldn’t have to adjust the white balance shift when going between different presets. Also, there a few recipes that share the same white balance and white balance shift as others, such as Kodachrome II and Ektachrome 100SW, so you could use both of those and never have to change the shift.

To make things easy for you, I’ve organized the color film simulation recipes by white balance. Choose one from each until all of your available presets are filled. It’s pretty simple. Unfortunately, you might not be able to use all of your favorite recipes, depending on exactly what the white balance and white balance shifts are. But I hope that you find enough options you like to fill your available presets.

Film Simulation Recipes that use AWB
Film Simulation Recipes that use Kelvin
Film Simulation Recipes that use other White Balances

Since I set up my custom presets this way on my camera, it’s made a world of difference to me. It’s so much easier moving between recipes! The user experience has been greatly improved. I hope that you find this just as useful as I did.

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