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I used THESE 7 Film Simulation Recipes for Fall Colors on my Fujifilm X100V

*Autumn in a Mountain Meadow* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor Superia 100

When you think of dramatic displays of Autumn colors, you probably don’t think of Arizona. It’s easy to miss that Arizona has a significant amount of mountainous terrain, with extensive forests and even snow-capped peaks in the winter. In autumn, some of these trees change color as the leaves prepare to drop. The fall foliage in Arizona can be impressive!

Two days ago I drove up north to the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks just outside of Flagstaff for an autumn hike. The trail is called Aspen Corner Trail, which sits right below the Snowbowl ski resort. Interestingly, I was looking for the Aspen Loop Nature Trail, but I didn’t quite go far enough, and didn’t realize until later that I wasn’t even on the intended path. I had never been on any trails in this area before; I saw all of the cars and the many photographers, and just figured I was in the right place.

It was an easy hike, with very short sections that might be considered moderate (maybe). I didn’t go anywhere close to the end, just perhaps a quarter mile down where the thick forest opened to a large meadow, then back to the car as the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. The place was nothing short of stunning!

*Arizona Aspens* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – The Rockwell

I had my Fujifilm X100V with me. I picked seven Film Simulation Recipes—some because I knew they’d do well, and others because I wasn’t sure how they’d do and I wanted to find out. The Recipes that I chose for my C1-C7 are The Rockwell, Kodak Ektar 100, Kodak Portra 400, Reggie’s Portra, CineStill 400D v2, Fujicolor Superia 100, and Fujicolor NPH. I’ll discuss each briefly below, providing some thoughts on how well they did. One more note: I used a 5% CineBloom filter with all of these pictures.

For those who don’t know or remember, the way I’m currently using my X100V is the rear LCD is turned off, and the hybrid viewfinder is set to OVF. That means that I don’t know how the pictures turned out until later when I review them. This is intended to replicate a film-like experience, in a way. Since I don’t know what I’m getting, I try to take a little extra care to ensure that I get it right. Also, I really enjoy reviewing all of the photos at once, not knowing how exactly it all went; there’s a certain thrill when one is especially great or unexpectedly interesting. This process has been a good exercise for me.

Now, let’s take a look at the seven Film Simulation Recipes that I used to photograph fall colors on my Fujifilm X100V!

The Rockwell

This Recipe produces bright and colorful pictures. If you want to really show off a vibrant scene, The Rockwell will do it! The flip side is that it can be over-the-top sometimes—too bold, too colorful, too crisp. I was confident that this would be a good option, and I was right. If you want to emphasize the vivid colors of autumn, The Rockwell will deliver just that. I used this Recipe more than any of the others.

Kodak Ektar 100

I don’t shoot with the Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe all that often, so I thought this would be a good opportunity. It’s warm and vibrant, and seemingly a good match for autumn photography. After reviewing the pictures, my regret is not using this Recipe more! The image above, for example, is one of my favorites of the outing. I’m going to keep this one programmed into my camera for awhile longer.

Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Portra 400 v2 is one of the Recipes that I typically use the most—definitely Top 5, maybe Top 3—so I thought I’d try the “v1” Kodak Portra 400 Recipe instead on this trip. I just don’t shoot with it often enough. After reviewing the pictures, this is another one that I wish I had used more. While it doesn’t emphasize the colors like the two Recipes above, it does produce an analogue-like rendering that’s easy to appreciate.

Reggie’s Portra

Another Recipe that I didn’t use a lot was Reggie’s Portra, although it certainly did quite well. In retrospect, I probably didn’t need to have both Kodak Portra 400 and Reggie’s Portra programmed into the camera. Personally, I prefer the aesthetic of Kodak Portra 400 just slightly more (although, overall, they’re pretty similar), but Reggie’s Portra is more versatile, so it can be the better choice if the light might be something other than sunny daylight. If I were to do this again, I’d choose either Kodak Portra 400 or Reggie’s Portra and not both.

CineStill 400D v2

This is a Recipe that I suspected might be very good for fall foliage photography, but I wasn’t certain. I’m now convinced that it is! Upon reviewing the pictures, CineStill 400D v2 was one of my favorite Recipes that I used, and another that I wished that I used more. Very beautiful results, perhaps the best of these seven for the light and colors on this particular adventure. I really liked this one!

Fujicolor Superia 100

Fujicolor Superia 100 was my second-most used Recipe (only behind The Rockwell), and I chose it because I wanted a Fuji color-negative film look, plus I thought this might be a good option for autumn images (although I wasn’t sure). While the picture at the very top of this article, which was captured with this Recipe, was one of my top favorites of this trip, overall I was a tad disappointed with Fujiclor Superia 100. It wasn’t a bad choice for fall colors, but it wasn’t as good as some of the others that I used less often. So, basically, Fujicolor Superia 100 was great sometimes and mediocre at other times, depending on the exact light and colors.

Fujicolor NPH

I wondered how a Recipe with a bit more green in it might fare in the fall. I knew there’d be some pines, and figured that the Fujicolor NPH Recipe might render those well. I think the results were interesting—and definitely different than the others—but this was my least favorite of the seven. That’s not to say that it was bad, but only I preferred the other six more. It has some potential, though—for example, the very last picture has an obvious similarity to some prints I have in a photo box in the closet. But, overall, I think there are better Film Simulation Recipes for autumn photography.

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Is the X-E Line Done? Fujifilm seems to think so….

Posted on October 17 by Ritchie Roesch

“If we decided to stop entry-level products such as X-T200 or X-E4,” Franck Bernard, Fujifilm France Photo Division Director, stated in a recent Phototrend interview, “it is because it is not a promising market. Today, competitors are also deciding to abandon certain more accessible product lines.”

Wow. This seems to be confirmation that the X-E line is done. The X-T200 was discontinued back in 2020, and with that the X-T000 line was abandoned. The Fujifilm X-E4 was discontinued back in March. This appears to be an indication that, in 2023, the X-E series has succumbed to the same fate that the X-T000 line did three years ago.

Of course, in other interviews, Fujifilm has kind of tiptoed around this topic and even hinted that the X-E line hasn’t been axed. They never expressly communicated one way or the other with certainty, but now they have. Sort of. They used fuzzy language—“if we decided”—and Mr. Bernard isn’t a corporate manager (he’s regional), so perhaps he didn’t have the authority to state what he said and it might not be exactly what HQ wanted made public. In other words, this might not be the official position of Fujifilm.

I think that his comment is factual and simultaneously must be taken with a large grain of salt. He’s likely saying something that’s largely understood within the company, but also something that Fujifilm doesn’t want to outright state, because they want to reserve the right to change their mind in a quickly shifting market and with dynamic corporate directives. They don’t want to officially kill off the X-E line, only to discover that they should have made an X-E5; instead, if they quietly cancel it, then it’s a bit easier to bring back at a later date if market conditions allow.

*Pacific Poppies* – Montaña de Oro SP, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues Recipe

Franck Bernard goes on to provide a little context to his comment: “I believe that Fujifilm has made the industrial choice for more than 5 years now to turn to high-end products and we will not return to entry-level products.”

I’ve heard this said a few times from Fujifilm managers. They believe the future of the brand is not with low-end models, or even with what we once thought of as the mid-range bodies, but with the higher-tier cameras. The X-H line, the X-T0 line, the X100 series, X-S00 line (which was made slightly more higher-end with the X-S20), and X-Pro, along with GFX. That’s where Fujifilm wants to focus their efforts. That’s where Fujifilm sees the future of their digital camera brand. The X-E series just doesn’t fit in, no matter how in-demand the X-E4 was at the time of its discontinuance. Camera brands don’t axe a line that has a lot of demand and a waitlist to buy—unless it was simply impossible to secure the necessary parts to manufacture more, or the higher-ups shifted priorities to other things. I think the latter explains the X-E4’s sudden and inexplicable discontinuation. Fujifilm doesn’t want to offer models in the X-E class. It’s beneath them now. Or, perhaps, for whatever reason, they believe the market is about to dry up for it, despite the demand (which, by the way, still exists more than six months after its discontinuation).

“Logically,” Mr. Bernard continued, “there should be a successor to the X-T30. We would like to maintain older, affordable products that correspond to a certain purchasing power. But we have no visibility on future ranges.” This is a bit after he stated that, “…our flagship product remains the X-T5, the standard model of the range. Comes behind the X-T30 II, and then follows the X-S10/X-S20.”

I think he was saying that, in France, the X-T5 is Fujifilm’s top selling model, followed by the X-T30 II, then the X-S00 series. Because of the demand for the X-T30 II, there should logically be a successor. Fujifilm France wants to be able to offer products that those with a more limited budget can afford. But, Fujifilm Japan has not provided them with a timeline when such a camera will come, if at all. That’s my interpretation, but I don’t know if that’s what he really meant. It’s a bit confusing.

As best as I can tell from all of this, the X-E line is done (but Fujifilm wants to reserve the right to change their minds) and an X-T30 II successor is desired by certain people within Fujifilm (and they believe logically it should happen) but HQ hasn’t provided any information to them on when or if that will happen. This is because—beginning five years ago—Fujifilm began to shift away from lower-end gear and towards higher-end products. This is all a part of the long-term plan, more or less.

*Evening Charge* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe

Will an X-T40 (perhaps it will be called X-T30 III or X-T50) happen? It sounds like eventually it will happen, but not necessarily soon. Don’t be surprised if it is given new features (IBIS? 40mp?) and a higher price tag. Will an X-E5 happen? Probably not. If a lot of people speak up and state that they’d buy one, maybe. But still probably not. There’s been a large vocal desire for an X80, but that hasn’t happened, nor will it—technically, though, it is still possible, just highly unlikely. I think that’s the unfortunate state of the X-E line.

In a seemingly-unrelated-but-at-closer-look-completely-related article, PetaPixel says that young people are finding digital cameras to be more difficult to use and more time-consuming than cellphone cameras (imagine that!). While it’s easy to dismiss this, I think there are a few points worth considering. First, it’s great that Fujifilm introduced the X App, which is better than their rather mediocre (being kind) Cam Remote App, but the new app is years late and not compatible with older models. If Fujifilm wants to sell cameras to younger folks (which, presumably, generally have a tighter budget and aren’t buying flagship models), having an intuitive and reliable way to transfer the images is a necessity. Unfortunately, Fujifilm has fantastically failed at this, which undoubtedly affects sales of lower-end models. Think about this: film simulations (and especially Film Simulation Recipes) are highly desirable among those who want great results without fuss and without spending a lot of time achieving it. But getting those pictures off the camera can be a pain.

What Fujifilm (and the other camera makers) should have done is create a way to upload directly from the camera to Instagram, X, Facebook, Flickr, text, email, cloud, etc.. Maybe have an Android-like operating system with apps. As it is now, the step in-between that’s time-consuming, frustrating, and unintuitive is one reason why the cellphone is constantly eating away the bottom end of the camera market. Instead of innovating, camera makers just throw their hands up and say “Oh, well.” They blame the cellphone, but really they just concede the fight without trying all that hard to compete with it. Oh, and why did Fujifilm abandon the concept of connecting the camera directly with their Instax printers? That’s another missed opportunity, in a similar vein.

So if Fujifilm were to release an X-E5, but with a whole new way to get the pictures off of the camera and shared wherever the photographer wishes—something that’s easy, fast, and intuitive—I have zero doubts that it would sell well. Yes, there’s the X App, which is a step in the right direction, but ideally there would be no need for an app. It should be a one-step process from the camera itself. As the PetaPixel article illustrates, the hassle of using a digital camera—hassles that don’t need to exist but do, and hassles that aren’t found on the cellphone—is notable enough to go viral. Don’t doubt that the opposite is also viral-worthy. For example, the reason why the X100V suddenly became popular is because it went viral on social media, and a big reason why it went viral is because it could produce analog-looking pictures that didn’t require editing (yes, Recipes!). It produced wonderful results easily, and that caught the attention of so many that the camera is historically long-backordered. Now imagine if those results could be more quickly and intuitively available for sharing. Yes, that’s notable enough to go viral.

Kodak Portra 160 — Fujifilm X100V (X-Trans IV) Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on October 15 by Ritchie Roesch

*Coastal Blossoms at Sunset* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Portra 160 Recipe

Kodak introduced the Portra line in 1998, with two ISO 160 versions, two ISO 400 versions, and an ISO 800 emulsion (plus a short-lived ISO 100 Tungsten film, for those keeping score). Portra saw a couple of updates by Kodak, and in late-2010 the two ISO 160 versions were merged into one, as well as the two ISO 400 versions. The film has become iconic, with its warm yet natural colors. As the name implies, it was meant for portrait photography, but is popular for many genres.

Originally, Kodak Portra 160 came in “NC” (neutral color) and “VC” (vivid color) versions; Portra 160 NC was more popular for portraits and Portra 160 VC was more popular for landscapes. When Kodak merged the two, it fell kind of in-between the two emulsions—more vibrant than NC but less than VC. This Film Simulation Recipe is intended to mimic the merged Portra 160 that Kodak introduced in 2010.

I already have a Kodak Portra 160 Recipe that is compatible with X-Trans III cameras plus the X-T3 and X-T30, but not one for newer models. This update is long overdue, and I’m thrilled to finally publish it. Instead of simply making a quick adjustment to the “old” Recipe, I started from scratch. While the results are still very similar, it’s a significant redesign, and (hopefully) it’s just a tad better. This Recipe pairs really well with diffusion filters; for the California pictures in this article I used a 10% CineBloom filter, and for the Arizona pictures I used a mix of a 5% CineBloom and no diffusion filter at all. I did not adjust Clarity when using the diffusion filters.

*Glass View* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Portra 160 Recipe

This Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. For fifth generation X-Trans models, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Strong. This Recipe will also work on newer GFX cameras, but the results will likely be slightly different.

Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: 4900K, +4 Red & -6 Blue
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -2
Color: 0
Sharpness: -2
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Golden Coast* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Pacific Gold* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Bluff Above the Golden Coast* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Blooms Above the Pacific Ocean* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Gold Coast Blooms* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunset Selfie* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Blooming Bush on Pacific Bluff* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Pacific Overlook* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Red Coastal Flowers* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Aliso Beach* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Hotel* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Floral Arch* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Flowers & Palms* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Bunch of Blossomed Flowers* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Flowers & Water* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Coastal Peek* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Wedding Guests* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Flower Petals* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Book & Mirror* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Gifts & Snacks* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Mirror* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*You Like Jazz?* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Twin Palms & Concrete* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Empty Cage* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Trumpet Haze* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Streaking Light over Tree Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Spiderweb in the Shrub* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*LavAzza Cactus* – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Trash Moon* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Orange Leaf* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Apartment* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Top of the Playground* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Playground Canopy* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Palm* *in the Sky* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Tree-Lined Path* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Bougainvillea Warm* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Arizona Jon* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Waterless Lions* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Evening Light Bougainvillea* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Oleander Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Bougainvillea Blossom* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

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Creative Collective 057: Film Simulation Recipes for Emotions

Posted on October 13 by Ritchie Roesch

*Paid For* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Purple Color Cast – Upcoming Recipe

Colors are closely tied to mood and emotion. One picture can produce various reactions simply by changing the color cast. Since Film Simulation Recipes have various color casts, you can use them to make your pictures convey certain feelings. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly that means.

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The Current Fujifilm X-Series Lineup

Posted on October 10 by Ritchie Roesch

According to Fujirumors, there will not be another X-series camera announced in 2023. Apparently, whatever camera was thought to be coming is not… at least not until sometime after New Years. The next Fujifilm camera to be released will, then, be the X100V successor, which will likely be announced in late-January or early-February.

The name most thrown around for the X100V successor is X100R, where “R” stands for Roku, which is six in Japan; however, I’d be surprised if Fujifilm did this just because Roku is such a recognizable brand name. Can you imagine the fun, though, that someone like Omar Gonzalez or Kai Wong could have with this? I can already see the gags about the X100Roku… plug it into your TV for streaming made easy! Catch the latest videos from your favorite YouTubers right on the X100Roku! I don’t know what Fujifilm will name it, but I propose X100Z, which makes the most sense to me.

Other than a new lens, not much is known about the X100V successor. I think it will have the 40mp X-Trans V sensor. Nothing else has leaked, as far as I’ve seen. We’ll just have to wait and see.

A lot of Fujifilm models have been discontinued, and we’re now in the last quarter of 2023, so I thought I would take this opportunity to briefly discuss what the X-series lineup currently looks like.

Fujifilm X100V

This, of course, is the one model that everyone wants but nobody can get. It’s the most in-demand camera that Fujifilm has ever made. With a backorder list that’s months-long, new orders are being placed for the X100V faster than Fujifilm can manufacture new copies. Hopefully, the X100Z (or whatever Fujifilm will call it) will help alleviate this issue, but it might just exacerbate it. I wonder if those who have been on backorder lists for months will be made first in line for the new model, or if they’ll have to jump into a whole new line? Fujifilm will have to be careful with how they handle the transition. The X100V is currently the only rangefinder-style model being offered by Fujifilm. Oh, and good luck finding one!

Fujifilm X-T5

The latest in the often-celebrated X-T line is the X-T5, which is truly a photographer’s camera. It is one of four fifth-generation X-series models, and one of only two with the 40mp X-Trans V sensor. It’s also the only SLR-styled camera with the traditional tactile controls being offered by Fujifilm at this time.

Fujifilm X-H2 / X-H2s

These two cameras are Fujifilm’s flagship models designed to competitively contend with some full-frame offerings by Canikony brands. They’re the most expensive in the lineup, offering the best-of-the-best features, but in a body dissimilar from most that Fujifilm has previously released for X cameras. They’re largely intended to bring photographers into the Fujifilm fold from other brands, and not necessarily satisfy the desires of those who have been with the brand for many years. The X-H2 is the 40mp high-resolution version, while the X-H2s is the 26mp performance option.

Fujifilm X-S20

The X-S20 is the more budget-friendly and compact version of the X-H2/X-H2s. It’s like their little brother. It’s also more intended to bring in folks from Canikony brands than to sell to long-time Fujifilm users. Despite having the old sensor, it’s Fujifilm’s newest X-series model.

Fujifilm X-S10

The X-S10 is the predecessor to the X-S20. Even though the new iteration has been out for several months, Fujifilm hasn’t discontinued the X-S10. I’m not sure if it’s because they still have a lot of copies sitting around, or if it’s just selling so well that they’ll keep it around awhile longer. Fujifilm did something similar with the X-T3—continued to manufacture it well after the X-T4 was released—because it was still doing well for them. The X-S10 is Fujifilm’s cheapest offering, and currently the best value in my opinion.

That’s it! That’s the full X-series lineup currently. It looks a lot different than it used to—boy, have times changed!

Cameras that have been discontinued that still might see a successor are the X-T30 II, X-E4, and X-Pro3. My guess is that an X-Pro4 will be announced in late-spring or early-summer, and will be the first to follow the upcoming X100-series model. I’m not certain if we’ll get an X-T40 (maybe they’ll call it X-T30 III or X-T50), but it would make a lot of sense to offer it, as that line has always done well for Fujifilm, and a budget-friendly camera with the traditional tactile controls is curiously and sadly missing. If Fujifilm does eventually make an X-E5, if past releases are any indication, it will be sometime in late-2024 or even in 2025, I think, just before X-Trans VI; however, the X-E4 had a lot of demand and a long backorder list before being suddenly discontinued, so it would make a lot of sense to release an X-E5 before then. I’m not convinced that Fujifilm will offer both an X-T00 and X-E model simultaneously, and it’s possible that one of those two lines is gone for good. We’ll see.

My guess is that we’ll see three X-series cameras in 2024. The first will be the X100Z, then the X-Pro4, then either the X-T40 or X-E5 later in the year. The X100V successor is the only one that’s for certain, the rest is speculation.

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

Fujifilm X100V: Amazon B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-T5:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-H2:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-H2S:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-S20:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-S10:  Amazon  B&H  Moment

Fujifilm Related Deals at Amazon

Posted on October 10 by Ritchie Roesch

I guess it’s “Prime Day” at Amazon, and they have some deals on Fujifilm and Fujifilm related gear that I thought worth pointing out, just in case you needed an excuse to spend money. I don’t know how long these deals will last—they might be over quick. So let’s get right to it!

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

TTArtisan 27mm f/2.8 AF Amazon 20% off
TTartisan 50mm F1.4 Tilt Amazon 20% off
Samyang 75mm f/1.8 AF Amazon 24% off
Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 Amazon 31% off
K&F Concept NP-W235 Battery and Charger Amazon 20% off
SmallRig X-T5 Retro Cage Amazon 20% off
SmallRig X-H2/X-H2S Cage Amazon 20% off
SmallRig X-S20 Cage Amazon 20% off

Not a lot to get excited about, but the lenses are pretty decent deals. I have the K&F Concept NP-W235 battery charger, and it works well; the batteries themselves I guess are good for spares.

Using Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipes for Wedding Photography

Posted on October 6 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X100V — Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe*

I’m not a wedding photographer, although I have photographed a few weddings in the past as a favor to family and friends. Since I’m always carrying a camera around, I’m occasionally asked to capture someone’s wedding, but it’s not my thing. While I have a lot of photography experience, I have limited experience as a wedding photographer.

I don’t envy those in this genre, because it’s a lot of work. The wedding photographer is often one of the first to arrive at the venue, and one of the last to leave, because every moment—from setup to reception’s end, and especially every instance in-between—is worth recording. There are so many memorable moments throughout the day, and the photographer’s job is to capture as many as possible, including every single of the big ones. Then there’s all the culling and editing. I would estimate that for every hour spent capturing pictures, I’d need two to three hours at the computer to edit the images. If I photographed for 12 hours, that would mean 24 to 36 hours of post-processing. Yikes!

Because Film Simulation Recipes can save you a whole bunch of time, it’s not surprising that I’ve been asked a number of times which ones might be good for wedding photography. Whether you’re a professional, or just doing it as a favor, or as a guest, Recipes are much more efficient, and cutting the culling and editing down to a reasonable time is highly appealing. I haven’t photographed a wedding since I began using Recipes, so it’s been difficult to recommend specific ones. Without personal experience, I’ve only been able to guess which ones might do well.

Last month I was invited to Marisa and Sahand Nayebaziz‘s wedding in Laguna Beach, California. Sahand is an app developer—if you’ve ever used the Fuji X Weekly App, Ricoh Recipes App, or RitchieCam App, you’ve seen his handiwork. His own app is called Details Pro, and if you are familiar with SwiftUI, you’ve probably heard of and maybe even used his app. Anyway, I’ve worked with Sahand for three years now, and he has been a significant part of the Fuji X Weekly story. He shoots with Fujifilm cameras and uses Film Simulation Recipes, so naturally we have developed a friendship. It was a real honor to be invited to Marisa and Sahand’s marriage ceremony.

The wedding was incredibly beautiful! Aside from the breathtaking location and the perfect weather, the event was decorated so well. It was literally like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was like a movie, except it was real!

My wife and I were guests. I brought my Fujifilm X100V—with a 10% CineBloom filter on the front—and did my best to stay out of the way. I wanted to photograph the wedding, but there’s nothing more annoying to the wedding photographer—and perhaps also the bride and groom—than to get in the way by being pushy with the camera. It’s much better to just blend into the crowd. I wasn’t the wedding photographer, and was quite satisfied with that arrangement; however, I still wanted to capture some images. Funny story, the wedding photographer, who was using a couple of Leica models, asked me several questions about my X100V; apparently he’s interested in buying one for his personal photography. Although I tried to blend in, my camera caught his attention, but I think in a good way.

My approach was to focus on things that I thought the wedding photographer might overlook. Of course, I had no idea what the photographer would or wouldn’t capture, but I know how easy it is to miss small things when your attention is on big things. I did my best to photograph those potentially missed pictures, while drawing as little attention to myself as practical. Also, I think the perspective of the guests can be a little different than that of the wedding crew, so I approached it as such.

The Fujifilm X100V is a great camera, but the fixed-focal-length lens is limiting. That’s not always a bad thing, but it did make it challenging in this case because I was sometimes further away than I needed to be to get the shots that I wanted. The digital teleconverter was utilized more often than usual—in a pinch it works well, but I avoid it when I can.

*Fujifilm X100V — Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled*

I had two Film Simulation Recipes in mind for the wedding, but I wasn’t sure until I got there if they would be good choices. It was a daylight outdoor wedding, and for those pictures I used my Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe, which is a favorite of both Sahand and myself, so it made a lot of sense to try it. That Recipe worked excellent, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. For the indoor reception pictures, I used the Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled, which is soft and versatile—perfect for the situation.

Kodak Portra 400 v2 is a Film Simulation Recipe that I’m now happy to recommend for outdoor daylight wedding photography. Some others to consider are Kodak Portra 400, Reggie’s Portra, Timeless Negative, Reala Ace, Fujicolor Reala 100, Fujicolor Superia 100, Fujicolor C200, Fujicolor Pro 400H, and Fujicolor Natura 1600. I’m sure many others could work, too. Of course, which one you should choose will depend on the exact light condition and the aesthetic you desire. Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled is a Recipe that I’m happy to recommend for indoor wedding photography. Fujicolor Super HG v2, Eterna v2, Reggie’s Portra, Reala Ace, and Timeless Negative are some others to consider. You might notice that a few Recipes are in both categories, and that’s because they’re more versatile. In fact, Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled could also be a good option for sunny daylight situations. Kodak Tri-X 400 would be my top choice for black-and-white.

I just picked two Recipes, but if I was the photographer (and not a guest), I would have seven options ready to go in my C1-C7. I would select two for sunny outdoors, two for indoor, two for versatility, and one B&W. Something like Kodak Portra 400 v2 and Fujicolor Superia 100 for outdoors, Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled and Fujicolor Super HG v2 for indoors, Reggie’s Portra and Reala Ace for versatility, and Kodak Tri-X 400 for monochrome. Then, I’d test each one at the venue, and decide at that point which ones I want to use—perhaps just three or maybe four of them—and stick with those few, unless the light changed and an adjustment was needed.

The photographs in this article are about 1/3 of the total that I gave to the bride and groom. Because I used Film Simulation Recipes and didn’t edit (aside from some cropping), the culling and post-processing took minutes, and not hours and hours. These were bonus pictures for them, hopefully complimenting the wonderful photographs that the actual wedding photographer captured. Marisa and Sahand seemed to like them. If you are considering using Film Simulation Recipes at an upcoming wedding, I hope that this article provides you with some direction. If you’ve used Recipes at a wedding, let me know in the comments which ones you used and how they worked out.

Kodak Portra 400 v2

Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled

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

Fujifilm X100V in black: Amazon B&H Moment
Fujifilm X100V in silver: Amazon B&H Moment
CineBloom Filters: Moment

Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

Choose Your Journey & Don’t Care What Others Think

Posted on October 2 by Ritchie Roesch

*Bench with a View* – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Pentax-110 24mm – Pacific Blues Recipe

“If you want that look, you’ve got to shoot RAW. JPEG Recipes are for amateurs, and nobody serious would ever use them. RAW editing gives you complete control.” —Anonymous person on the web trying to be a gatekeeper

I get tired of being told that if you’re serious about photography, you must shoot RAW and not JPEG. It’s such a worn-out argument that keeps getting repeated. I discussed it at length last year in The RAW vs JPEG Debate Needs to End… Again.

Simply: do whatever you want, and don’t worry about what other people think. There are a lot of people who play gatekeeper, but they shouldn’t have any say in your photography. They have a way that works for them—which is great—but it’s wrong to suggest that their way is the “best” or “only” way, and that you must approach your photography the same as they do. My personal approach works best for me, their way works best for them, and what works best for you might not look anything like either. You have to decide for yourself what works best for you. There’s no right or wrong way to do photography, only what does or doesn’t work well for you.

*Reflection of a Broken Door* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 27mm – Fujicolor 100 Gold Recipe

If you’re interested in learning more about my approach, I’ve discussed it extensively in various articles on this blog for years and years. It’s been a journey, and I invite you to travel along with me if you’re interested; otherwise, I published an article on Moment’s website earlier this year where I typed out my approach and why it might be preferable (click here). I don’t expect that everyone should approach photography this way—it’s simply what works for me, and it might or might not be what works for you. If you think it might work for you, too, that’s awesome, and I hope you’ll follow this website.

I just don’t appreciate when people tell me that my way is the wrong way. I’ve actually been told that I’m doing great harm to photography by suggesting that RAW editing isn’t a requirement. Or, more condescendingly, if I just learned to use RAW software, I’d realize why it’s superior (which ignores the years and years and years of experience I have RAW editing…). If you have a way that works for you that’s different than mine, that’s wonderful! Different strokes for different folks. But please don’t go around telling people that your way is the only way or the best way or the way that all serious photographers must use, because that’s nonsense and factually untrue. It’s simply the approach that you prefer, and that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. It may or may not be what works best for another person.

One day the argument that you must shoot RAW will end. Shoot RAW if you want to and if it works for you, or shoot JPEG if you want to and if it works for you. Or shoot film. Or whatever other technique you like. Or do one approach sometimes and another approach at other times. There is no single path, and you get to choose your journey. Whatever anyone else thinks about it doesn’t matter at all.

Creative Collective 056: FXW Zine — Issue 23 — October 2023

Posted on October 2 by Ritchie Roesch

The October issue of FXW Zine is out now! Creative Collective subscribers can download it today. Not a Creative Collective subscriber? Join to gain access to this issue plus all pervious issues of FXW Zine and the many bonus articles.

Issue 23 explores the unexpected diversity of Arizona’s landscapes. There are 31 pictures (including the cover) over 24 pages. Enjoy!

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Read more of this content when you join the Fuji X Weekly Creative Collective today! Click here to learn more.

5 Amazing Film Simulation Recipes (that few are using…)

Posted on September 29 by Ritchie Roesch

There are some very popular Film Simulation Recipes that it seems like everyone is using, or has at least tried, on their Fujifilm cameras. Kodak Portra 400, Kodak Portra 400 v2, Reggie’s Portra, Kodachrome 64, Vintage Kodachrome, Vibrant Arizona, Reala Ace, Fujicolor Reala 100, Pacific Blues, and Kodak Tri-X 400 are currently the 10 most popular (based on article page views this month). Those particular Recipes are a lot of people’s favorites! But there are others that are less popular and, obviously, much less frequently used.

With over 300 Film Simulation Recipes on the Fuji X Weekly App, there are bound to be some that are underutilized. Several are intended for very specific scenarios and aren’t especially versatile, so it’s understandable why those are chosen less often than others. Some might just get lost in the crowd; perhaps my sample pictures weren’t strong enough to demonstrate the Recipe’s potential. There’s a group, however, that should be more popular than they are, but are underutilized because they’re not yet available to everyone. These are the Fuji X Weekly App Patron Early-Access Recipes.

My Film Simulation Recipes are free, and the Fuji X Weekly App is free; however, there’s a real expense to all of this, and I do want a little reward for all of my efforts. The best way to support this website is to become a Patron subscriber to my Apps (aside from the Fuji X Weekly App, there’s also the Ricoh Recipes App and the RitchieCam App). As a reward for supporting Fuji X Weekly, the Patron subscription unlocks the best App experience.

What, exactly, does “the best App experience” mean? For one, Filtering is unlocked. Want to see only the Recipes that are fully compatible with your specific camera model? Want to display only Recipes that use a certain film simulation, white balance type, or dynamic range setting? That’s the Filter feature, and it’s available to Patrons. Another is Favoriting. There are five different colored stars that can be used to organize Recipes into categories. For example, you can use red stars for Recipes that you found to be good options for portraits, yellow for golden hour, green for landscapes, etc.. Or, yellow stars for what is currently in C1-C7, blue for what you want to try next, green for ones you tried and liked, and red for ones you tried and didn’t like. You can use these however it makes the most sense for you, but only if you are a Patron. Oh, and if you’ve made your own custom Film Simulation Recipe, you can use blank Recipe cards to add them to your App.

Another perk of being a Fuji X Weekly App Patron is that you get early access to some new Film Simulation Recipes. These Early-Access Recipes will become available to everyone in time (as they are replaced by new ones), but for now only Patron subscribers can view them. Some aren’t publicly available for everyone for a short time—usually at least a few months—and others stay as Early-Access Recipes for a year or more. For example, Eterna Bleach Bypass was a Patron Early-Access Recipe for over a year, and just two days ago it became freely available to everyone after it was replaced by Expired Kodak Vision2 250D. Currently, there are 14 Early-Access Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App.

Because not everyone can use these Early-Access Recipes, they’re not nearly as popular as the ones that are available free to everyone. Only App Patrons can use them. Some of these Recipes are really good, though, deserving of much greater attention than they’ve received. This article is simply shining a spotlight on five of them. If you are a Patron, I invite you to find them in the App and give them a try. If you are not a Patron, I ask that you consider supporting this website by becoming a Patron subscriber, which will in turn give you access to them. If you don’t have the Fuji X Weekly App on your phone, download it for free today!

Kodak Royal Gold 400

Royal Gold 400 was introduced by Kodak in 1994 as a replacement to the original Kodak Ektar 400 film (which is a little different from the Ektar that came later). The Royal Gold line, which also came in ISO 100 and 200 versions, was marketed as a “step up” from Kodak Gold, with finer grain and more vibrant colors. It was more-or-less an updated Ektar emulsion that was renamed for marketing reasons (Gold sold a lot more than Ektar). In the early 2000’s Royal Gold was replaced by the High Definition/Royal Supra line.

This Film Simulation Recipe wasn’t initially intended to replicate Royal Gold, but simply began as an attempt to achieve a “memory color” aesthetic of photographic prints from the 1990’s and early 2000’s; I wasn’t concerned about the specific films or processes. After shooting with this Recipe and reviewing the results, I was reminded of Kodak Royal Gold 400 film… sometimes. Of course, one film can produce many different aesthetics, depending on (among other things) how it was shot, developed, scanned and/or printed. Royal Gold 400 didn’t always or even usually look like this, but sometimes it did, and I found some examples in a photo-box and online that were quite similar—I’m not sure why, but my suspicion is that the film was mishandled, either from being stored improperly (possibly exposed to too much heat) or waiting too long to develop after exposing. Film can be finicky, but that serendipity is something that makes it special.

1981 Kodak

The 1981 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe was modeled after some old family pictures found in a photo box. These prints were made in July of 1981—a date stamped on the back—and printed on Kodak paper. The other technical details are unknown, but most likely they were captured with a cheap point-and-shoot of some sort (possibly even a 110 camera) with Kodacolor II color negative film, which was the most popular amateur emulsion of that era. Due to age and improper storage, the prints are fading, with a pronounced orange (sometimes yellow, sometimes red) cast, and colors overall less vibrant than they once were.

I thought that the aesthetic was interesting, so I began to develop a Recipe inspired by these photographs. It took a couple of days, and a few compromises, but I was able to create a look that mimics the general feel of those old pictures made in 1981 and printed on Kodak paper—the reason why I call this Recipe 1981 Kodak.

Vintage Cinema

I binge-watched a number of classic movies from the 1950’s, and I was really inspired by their picture aesthetics. After some research, I discovered that Kodak ECN 5248 25T motion picture film was used in several of these flicks. The problem, of course, with trying to replicate the look of a motion picture film stock is that not only is the aesthetic dependent on the usual factors of how shot and developed, but also on the lighting and filters used, which can be different movie-to-movie and even scene-to-scene. Instead of attempting to mimic the look of any particular movie or cinema film stock, I wanted to create a certain feel or mood—a “memory color” reminiscent of color movies from the 1950’s.

Kodachrome Blue

Kodak made Kodachrome color-reversal (slide) film from 1935 through 2009. There are three era’s of Kodachrome: 1935-1960, 1961-1973, and 1974-2009. Each era has its own look; the second and third eras are probably the most similar. Kodachrome is actually a B&W film, with color dyes added during development. It was a unique and complicated process. Because of how the film works, it’s the most difficult emulsion to scan, often producing a blue cast that doesn’t exist when viewing the slides through a projector or on a light table.

Professional labs will have a profile to color-correct Kodachrome scans, but even that’s not usually a 100% match. As it used to be said, “There’s nothing like projected Kodachrome!” If the scans aren’t carefully corrected, the results are often significantly more blue than the slides. The feeling that all the world’s a sunny day (as Paul Simon sang) is completely gone. Once you know what to look for, it’s easy to spot these incorrectly color corrected Kodachrome images, and they’re prevalent. This Recipe mimics those too-blue scans of Kodachrome film.

Nostalgic Emulsion

This Nostalgic Emulsion Recipe was a collaboration between myself and my 15-year-old daughter, Joy. She wanted a certain look, which she described as “dark with deep greens” and similar to some music videos, including Daylight by David Kushner. “That’s the aesthetic I want to make,” she told me, while stopping on a forested scene.

I really like the moody and nostalgic feeling that this Film Simulation Recipe produces. It has a retro negative film look, maybe along the lines of Fujicolor Super HQ or Agfa XRG or something like that, but not exactly like any specific emulsion. You can expect dark shadows and a cool cast that leans green. I think it works best when there’s a lot of lush vegetation, and is good for toning down an overly warm scene.

Eterna Bleach Bypass — Fujifilm X-E4 (X-Trans IV) Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on September 27 by Ritchie Roesch

*Evening on Main* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Eterna Bleach Bypass Recipe

I was challenged by Thomas Schwab to create a Film Simulation Recipe that mimics the aesthetic of the picture in the background of Dan Bailey’s YouTube video discussing the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation. There were indeed some challenges, including limited samples (which were viewed on a YouTube video), and the fact that I now live in Arizona and not Utah (no access to majestic snow-capped mountain scenes), but I do believe that I got in the ballpark. This is essentially a “black-and-white” Recipe for color photography—capable of producing dramatic near-monochrome images.

This Film Simulation Recipe uses Eterna Bleach Bypass, and it does, in fact, produce a bleach-bypass look. Bypassing the bleach step is a darkroom technique that produces an aesthetic similar to a black-and-white image superimposed over a color image. It’s more common in motion picture cinematography than still photography, but it’s a technique that has been utilized in still photography for a very long time. It can be done with any color film, but is more frequently done with slide film than negative film. If you are desiring a bleach-bypass look, this Recipe will produce that for you.

*Pacific Photographer* – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Eterna Bleach Bypass Recipe

This Eterna Bleach Bypass Film Simulation Recipe was a Fuji X Weekly App Patron Early-Access Recipe since last year, but it has been replaced by a different Early-Access Recipe, so now it’s available to everyone. Because it uses the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation, it is only compatible with those X-Trans IV cameras that have it, which are the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. For those with fifth-generation models—X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20—because blue is rendered more deeply on this film sim, you’ll want to set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Strong. Those with newer GFX cameras can also use it, although it will likely render slightly different.

Film Simulation: Eterna Bleach Bypass
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +2.5
Shadow: -1.5
Color: -4
Sharpness: 0
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: +2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to -1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Eterna Bleach Bypass” on my Fujifilm X-E4:

*Waterless Fountain* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Lions in the Park* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Suburban Roof Abstract* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Climbing a Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Wall Details* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Bougainvillea & Building Storm* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Clouds Above Mesa* – St. George, UT – Fujifilm X-E4

*Crashing Wave Along Coast* – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4

*Backyard Garden Sunbeams* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Garden Trumpet* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Little Bug* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Saguaro Fingers* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Boardwalking* – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4

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

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Expired Kodak Vision2 250D — FXW App Patron Early-Access Film Simulation Recipe for X-Trans IV & X-Trans V

Posted on September 27 by Ritchie Roesch

*Dry Fountain Evening* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Expired Kodak Vision2 250D Recipe

A Fuji X Weekly reader shared with me some scans of expired Kodak Vision2 250D motion picture film that he shot on a Canon camera and had developed using the ECN-2 process. The pictures were very interesting, and I thought it would be fun to recreate the aesthetic for my Fujifilm cameras. I don’t feel that this is a 100% perfect match, but it’s pretty darn close, and definitely has the right vibe.

Kodak made Vision2 250D, a daylight-balanced color negative film, from 1997 to 2005. It was replaced by the very similar Vision3 250D. I have a Recipe already for Kodak Vision3 250D, which renders noticeably different than this Expired Kodak Vision2 250D Recipe. The Vision3 Recipe is one of my favorites, and you should definitely try it if you haven’t already. This Vision2 Recipe probably won’t be anyone’s go-to option, but it is fun to use on occasion, especially if you like warm pictures.

There are two versions: one for “newer” X-Trans IV cameras—specifically, the X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II—and another for fifth-generation cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20 (yes, the X-S20, even though it has an X-Trans IV sensor). Those with newer GFX models can use it, too, although it will render slightly different.

*Neighborhood Bougainvillea* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Expired Kodak Vision2 250D Recipe

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

Find this Expired Kodak Vision2 250D Film Simulation Recipe in the Fuji X Weekly App! If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, it’s available to you right now.

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Expired Kodak Vision2 250D Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4 and Fujifilm X-T5:

X-Trans IV

*Sun Below the Trees and Above a Building* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Waterless Fountain Detail* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Fountain Corrosion* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Reflection & Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Architectural Abstract* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Four Trumpets* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Sunlight through Tree Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*End of the Road* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Cactus Moon* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

X-Trans V

*Fresh Blooms, Fading Blooms* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Electric Wheels* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Empty Pathway, Empty Chairs* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Indoor Joy* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Concrete Shapes* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Sun-Kissed Shrub Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Garden Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Stucco & Spanish Tiles* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*CVS Pharmacy* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Sunlit Bulb* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Red Vans* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Watering Pot* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Backyard Girl* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Happy Boy* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Bougainvillea & Blurry Tree* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Pink Oleander Blossoms* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Cactus Spikes* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Curious Dog* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Enjoying the Outdoors* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Sunstar through Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Arizona Sunset & Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

The Film Simulation Recipe Wrench

Posted on September 27 by Ritchie Roesch

*Red Rocks Among Green Trees* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Gold 200 Recipe

Peter McKinnon’s recent YouTube video entitled The Valley really struck me. It was highly relatable, and not just because it was filmed in Arizona and Utah. There were several interesting takeaways, and a lot that could be discussed. For now, I want to focus on one thing in particular: the wrench.

I think it’s important to feel a little uncomfortable sometimes. “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations,” Orson Welles famously stated. Oftentimes restricting ourselves in some way will propel us forward or allow us to achieve what we otherwise could not, as we have to approach the situation differently than we are comfortable doing. That perspective shift is where growth happens. Wrenches are good.

If you haven’t yet seen the video, go ahead and watch it now.

“I mentioned I’ve been shooting for 20 years,” Peter McKinnon states at about the eight-minute mark. “Digital gets a bit—maybe not even digital, it’s not even the way to say it—just photography itself just gets a bit monotonous after two decades. There’s a formula that you can follow, and it works—you’ve got a style and you’re used to it and you’re used to everything. So it’s nice to throw a wrench into that mix, and that wrench—for me—that’s film. Really needing to understand what feels like an entirely new craft in so many ways with so many facets to it—it really puts you on your toes. It takes you out of the comfort zone and forces you to see the world through a new perspective.”

“There’s something that connects you with nature,” he continues. “There’s something that connects you to the landscapes you’re standing in when you’re out there loading a roll of film that you’re going to shoot [but] that you can’t see after. There’s something that just feels like true photography. And that feeling I plan on chasing for as long as I can.”

Initially, I saw this through the eyes of a long-time film photographer. Yeah, there is something about loading the roll of film and not knowing what you’ve got until much later that connects you with the scene. But then I saw it through my eyes when I neared the 20-year mark (there’s something about that date…), which was a handful of years back. I desperately needed a wrench, as I was feeling burnt out and uninspired. That wrench for me was Film Simulation Recipes. Shooting straight-out-of-camera was the limitation that I needed to be propelled forward. It’s what rejuvenated and inspired me (still does!), and what I plan to chase as long as I can. For Peter it’s film, for me it’s JPEG Recipes—which, incidentally, do have some similarities.

*Mitchell Mesa* – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1 – Velvia Recipe

Of course, Peter McKinnon still edits his film photographs. He spot-removed the horse poop, for example. He very obviously used masks to brighten up the subjects. Nothing wrong with that, as it’s his art. For me, though, post-editing just sucks the life out of me. It’s just not my thing anymore, after having done it for so long without any enjoyment. Thankfully, using Film Simulation Recipes allows me to not worry about editing, and focus more on capturing.

I also saw Peter’s video through my current eyes. For several months now I have been feeling that I need some new limitation—a brand new wrench—to force myself to see through a new perspective. And this video was the aha moment. I grabbed my Fujifilm X100V, turned off the EVF so that it was just the optical viewfinder (no image preview), and turned off the rear LCD. Then I determined not to review my pictures until later, sometime after I was done photographing. This would emulate to an extent that film experience Peter talked about, and that I kind of miss (now that I don’t shoot much film anymore). Doing this, I load the Film Simulation Recipe that I want to use into the camera (or, choose one of the seven that I already have saved), capture some photographs, and then I don’t know what I have until sometime later. It’s definitely a different approach than what I’ve been doing, but so far so good. I think I’m going to appreciate this new wrench.

I just started doing this. Below are a few of the first handful of exposures captured using this technique. The Recipe is one that’s not yet been published, but is coming soon, so stay tuned for that. I can only do this on my X100V and X-Pro1, and not my other models, since it requires an optical viewfinder. Maybe this will be a good excuse to buy the X-Pro4 whenever Fujifilm decides to release that someday in the future. In the meantime, this is how I will approach photography whenever I’m out with my X100V. I think it’s the wrench I need right now.

*Pink Arm* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

Creative Collective 055: Serendipity of Accidental Noise

Posted on September 25 by Ritchie Roesch

*Dark Cloud Over The Dark Mountain* – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push Process Recipe – ISO 25600

Most people don’t use ultra-high ISOs like 25600 on their Fujifilm cameras. But maybe it’s underutilized? Perhaps it’s not appreciated nearly as much as it should be. While I have utilized ISO 25600 and higher on purpose in the past, a couple of recent accidental uses of this ultra-high ISO has made me pause and reconsider if I should be using it more often than I do.

So let’s take a look at some ultra-high ISOs!

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Is Full Frame Actually Better than APS-C?

Posted on September 22 by Ritchie Roesch

*Gold Coast Blooms* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – upcoming Film Simulation Recipe

The announcement of the Nikon Zf seems to have rekindled an old adage: full frame is better than APS-C. Some are saying that full frame cameras have the minimum sensor size necessary for serious photography, and APS-C and smaller are for amateurs. But is this actually true? Is full frame superior to APS-C? Can APS-C cameras be just as good or perhaps even better than full frame? Does the size of the sensor actually matter all that much? Why even buy a Fujifilm APS-C camera now that Nikon has the full frame Zf?

At the core is the physical size of the sensor. Full-frame is 50% larger than (most) APS-C. The size of a full frame sensor is the same as a 35mm film frame, while the size of an APS-C sensor is the same as an Advanced Photo System Classic film frame. In the film days, no respectable pro or enthusiast photographer used Advanced Photo System cameras. Why should they in the digital age?

*Misty Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Pacific Blues Recipe

Back in the early days of digital, when dynamic range and noise control were much more critical than nowadays, full frame had a clear advantage, as one needed to squeeze the absolute most out of their files and full frame allowed that. APS-C was more affordable and smaller, so it was popular with amateurs and enthusiasts on a budget. This is where the stigma originated that APS-C is not for those who are serious, and to an extent it unfortunately remains to this day, despite so many incredibly talented and successful photographers utilizing APS-C models.

Since APS-C sensors are smaller than full frame, there is less physical room for light sensitive sensor elements (pixels). There are two options: smaller pixels or fewer pixels. Smaller pixels will allow for increased resolution, but at the expense of low-light capabilities and dynamic range. Fewer pixels allows for better low-light capabilities and dynamic range, but at the expense of resolution. Resolution is resolution, and 24mp on full frame is the same as 24mp on APS-C, yet the pixels on the APS-C will be smaller than those on the full frame sensor. 61mp on full frame is more resolution than 40mp on APS-C, yet their pixels are similarly sized. It’s easy to see the advantage of full frame! Except that most photographers don’t actually need 40mp of resolution, let alone 61mp. It looks good on paper, and it’s great for pixel-peeping and bragging rights, but in practical use, the majority of photographers don’t actually need more than 20mp, and everything above that is overkill. Yes, there are some who do need more, because they crop deeply or print huge, but most people who say they need that much resolution don’t actually need it. Megapixels sell cameras, though, so camera makers keep pushing higher and higher. My argument is simply that there is plenty of real estate on an APS-C sensor; while the increased room on full-frame sensors does offer advantages, those advantages find themselves on a diminishing returns segment of an inverted U curve.

Improved dynamic range and high-ISO are often overstated on full frame. The dynamic range of, say, the APS-C Fujifilm X-T5 and the full frame Canon EOS 5DS R are quite similar, and not much different at all in real world use. There are some APS-C cameras with more dynamic range and some with less dynamic range than the X-T5; likewise, there are some full frame cameras with more dynamic range and some with less dynamic range than the 5DS R. But even if we’re talking about an APS-C camera with less and a full frame with more, in practical use, that difference is fairly insignificant (outside of some extreme circumstances). Same with digital noise. Full frame might be cleaner with less noise—particularly as the ISO climbs—but a camera like the X-T5 has a film-grain-like rendering to the digital noise that is much more tolerable than the noise from the 5DS R. In other words, the more noisy X-T5 might be preferable to the less noisy 5DS R at the same ISO. For the most part, full frame does have the advantage with both dynamic range and high-ISO, but it isn’t nearly as big nowadays as many might think.

Now let’s talk crop factor, which is often given as a reason to choose full frame. Because full frame sensors are 50% larger than APS-C, there is a 1.5x crop factor for APS-C focal lengths. For example, a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera will have the same focal length as a 75mm lens on a full frame camera. If you are trying to reach far, it’s a little easier on APS-C than full frame, and if you are trying to go wide, it’s a little easier on full frame than APS-C; however, there are plenty of long telephoto and ultra-wide lens options for both sensor sizes. Crop factor also affects depth-of-field, as f/2 on APS-C has a larger depth-of-field than an f/2 on full frame. If you want a shallow depth-of-field, it’s a little easier to achieve on full frame than APS-C, but if you want a large depth-of-field, it’s a little easier to achieve on APS-C than full-frame; however, it’s still very much possible to get a small depth-of-field on APS-C and a large depth-of-field on full frame. One often-overlooked advantage of APS-C is that, to achieve that shallow depth-of-field, you’re likely to use a larger aperture, allowing more light to reach the sensor, which means shooting at a lower ISO.

Perhaps the biggest advantages that APS-C has over full frame—and likely the main reasons why most choose APS-C instead of full frame—are size and price. APS-C cameras are often smaller and weigh less than full frame. Smaller gear can be preferable, especially when traveling, and it can potentially provide a better user experience. Because the sensor is smaller, the price is often lower, sometimes much lower. Your money often goes further with an APS-C system than full frame.

While APS-C cameras can have some advantages over full frame, and some of the strengths of full frame can be overstated, bigger sensors obviously do allow for more and/or bigger light sensitive sensor elements, which generally speaking is better. My point is not to diminish full frame, because they serve important purposes, and can be preferable; instead, my point is only that the stigma that APS-C is “less than” and isn’t for serious photographers is outdated and inaccurate. Full frame has advantages, and APS-C has advantages, and you might find one more preferable than the other, but they are both very capable sensor sizes. My personal preference is Fujifilm X-Trans APS-C, as it works quite well for my photography. You have to decide for yourself what works best for you. I just hope that the stigma can finally be put to rest, as it’s simply not true.

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

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

Reala Ace — Fujifilm X-T5 (X-Trans V) Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on September 15 by Ritchie Roesch

*Luxury Among Palms* – Laguna Hills, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe

Fujifilm introduced a new film simulation with the GFX100 II called Reala Ace. Fujifilm says that it “combines faithful reproduction with hard tonality,” showing it with a little higher vibrancy than Classic Negative paired with a tonality more similar to Provia. Some have described it as being true-to-life. Photographs that I have found captured with the new film simulation have a Classic Negative look, but with an increase in color, a reduction in contrast, and significantly more blue. I think this new film sim could have been called Classic Negative v2, but Fujifilm named it Reala Ace instead.

Fujicolor Reala 100 was Fujifilm’s first Superia film, even though initially it did not have Superia in the name. Superia films shared Fuji’s “4th layer technology” and Reala was the first to have it, but Reala was marketed towards “pro” photographers while Superia was marketed towards “consumer” photographers. Eventually, though, Fujifilm added Superia to Reala’s name. There were several different versions of Reala manufactured, including a high-ISO Tungsten one made for motion pictures, but Reala 100 was the most popular. Reala was very similar to Superia, but Superia was intended for “general purpose” photography while Reala was intended for portrait and wedding photography. Colors are rendered a little differently between the two films, especially blue, which is deeper and more saturated on Reala, despite Reala being overall slightly less saturated than Superia 100. Fujifilm discontinued Reala in 2013. I have a Film Simulation Recipe that replicates Fujicolor Reala 100, which uses Classic Negative as the base, since Classic Negative is closely modeled after Superia film.

On occasion, Fujifilm named certain film stocks differently in Japan than the rest of the world, and there were several film stocks made available only in Japan. Fujicolor Reala Ace 100 was a color negative film sold only in Japan. Some speculated that it was the exact same thing as Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 just sold under a slightly different name, while others said that Fujicolor Reala Ace 100 was a unique film similar to the Reala sold worldwide except fine-tuned for Japanese skin tones. There doesn’t seem to be any consensus on which is correct, but I’d bet that the latter is true. It was said for decades that Fujifilm kept their best emulsions in Japan. For whatever reason, Fujifilm went with the name Reala Ace for their new film simulation, and not simply Reala. Not all film sims are accurate reproductions of the emulsions that they’re named after, but Reala Ace seems to have the right vibe for replicating actual Reala film.

*Red Cliffs* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe

I have never used the new Reala Ace film simulation. There aren’t a lot of examples of it, but there are some; however, it’s impossible to know if those images are straight-out-of-camera factory-default Reala Ace JPEGs, or if the photographer adjusted some parameters or post-edited the pictures in some way. Trying to emulate new film simulations when there’s not a lot known about it is tricky, and the results are often wrong. For example, my attempt at Classic Negative was way off, and I stated that it would likely be—I was hesitant to publish it for that reason. Nostalgic Negative was a near identical story, and I stated, “…this Recipe will likely turn out to be an inaccurate facsimile to the real Nostalgic Negative film simulation.” I was right about that. This time, though, is different, as I am confident that this Reala Ace film simulation is a close approximation of the real thing. It might not be perfect, but it is definitely in the ballpark. I bet that it is a 95% match—if not closer—but it’s impossible to know for certain until more samples come out, and (even better) it trickles out to other models and I have a chance to try it myself. It’s definitely close enough that I feel quite good calling it Reala Ace.

Fujifilm said of the new film sim, “As an approach to rich gradation expression, the new sensor for the GFX100 II is the best fit for it. Without this sensor, we are not able to realize the Reala film simulation in it.” They talked about silver halide and signal-to-noise ratios and stuff. You might think this means that Reala Ace won’t make its way to the X-series; however, Fujifilm said something very similar about Nostalgic Neg., yet it is now available for X-Trans V generation models, including the X-S20, which has an X-Trans IV sensor. I think this is just Fujifilm’s way of saying that it’s not coming to X-Trans right away. I, of course, believe that this is a big mistake, because the majority of GFX users don’t use Film Simulation Recipes and won’t really care about this new film sim, while a whole lot of X-series owners do use Recipes and do care a lot about new film simulations. Fujifilm is letting what could be a big promotional opportunity just slip through their fingers, which is exactly what they did with Nostalgic Negative. I hope someday they learn this lesson, and stop making the same mistake over and over. Fujifilm: seriously, and I cannot state this any louder or more clearly, you need to introduce new film simulations with significant X-Trans releases, and not GFX. We can all see through the bogus it-has-to-be-100mp excuse, because I did in three days (and with much more limited resources) what you said wasn’t possible, and made Reala Ace available to all those with X-Trans V cameras. Please don’t hate me for rectifying your mistake, as this Recipe will likely influence more people to buy an X-series camera than Reala Ace will cause people to buy the GXF100 II. For those looking for an excuse to upgrade to an X-Trans V model, this Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe might just be it for you, because it is that good.

*Dodge Van Steering Wheel* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe

I love this new Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe, and for me it’s an instant favorite! It is kind of like a cross between the Fujicolor Reala 100 and Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled Recipes—you could consider it a “v2” of either of those two, although it has a much stronger Reala vibe than NPS 160. The Recipe is soft yet colorful, highly versatile, and has a clear analog-like aesthetic. It’s just as Fujifilm put it: suitable for all subjects and situations. If you have a fifth-generation X-Trans camera, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20 (yes, the X-S20!), I invite you to try this Reala Ace Recipe today! If you have a fourth-generation X-Trans camera with Classic Negative and half-point Highlight/Shadow adjustments, which are the X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II, you can also use this Recipe, but know that blues will be render slightly less deeply (try it anyway). For the X-Pro3 and X100V, consider Highlight set to -1 in low contrast situations and -2 in high contrast situations.

Film Simulation: Classic Negative
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & +1 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1.5
Shadow: -2
Color: +2
Sharpness: 0
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1 (typically)

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

*Amaricana Equestrian* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Bougainvillea Blooms & Blue Sky* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Sunlit Bougainvillea Blossom* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Twin Trumpets* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Little Vibrant Blooms* – Riverside, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Fish Out of Water* – Riverside, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Fake Fern* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Potted Palm* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Morning Johanna* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Flowing Fountain* – Riverside, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*China in America* – Riverside, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Hill Houses* – Laguna Hills, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Setting Sun over the Pacific Ocean* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Young Surfer* – Laguna Hills, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Golden Ocean* – Laguna Hills, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Jon on the Gold Coast* – Laguna Hills, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Rainbow & Palms* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Hazy Paifang* – Riverside, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Evening Hoop* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Evening Palms & Clouds* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Rays from Behind a Big Cloud* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Clouds & Coaster* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Cup Ride* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Happily Anticipating the Thrill Ride* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Bumper Cars* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Blacksmith Working* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Faux Tree Branch* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Three Bathtub Ducks* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Red Comb* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Dog Resting in the Shade* – Riverside, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Paseo Avila* – Riverside, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Illuminated Dilapidation* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Permanently Opened Door* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Hole in the Wall* – Litchfield, Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Sonoran Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Cholla Cactus* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Unlit Headlamp* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Tattoo & Turkish Pizza* – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Thunderbird Tire* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Thunderbird Taillight* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Inside Dodge Travel Van* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5

*Summer Season in the Suburbs* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

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

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

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New: Reala Ace Film Simulation

Posted on September 12 by Ritchie Roesch

Now that the X Summit is over and the GFX100 II has been officially announced, we have a little bit better idea of what exactly Fujifilm’s new film simulation is. First, the name is not Reala like was previously rumored, but Reala Ace. Not a huge difference, but different nonetheless.

Fujifilm has sometimes named certain film stocks differently in Japan than the rest of the world, and several film stocks were only made available in Japan. Fujicolor Reala Ace 100 was a color negative film sold only in Japan. Some speculated that it was the exact same thing as Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 (initially, Superia wasn’t in the emulsion name, but was added later) just sold under a slightly different name, while others said that Fujicolor Reala Ace 100 was a unique film similar to the Reala sold worldwide except fine-tuned for Japanese skin tones. For whatever reason, Fujifilm went with the name Reala Ace for their new film sim.

Prior to today’s announcement, I had speculated that “…the new film simulation will [not] be an accurate replication of Reala film, since Classic Negative is so close already; instead, I think Fujifilm is simply going to use the brand name for a film sim that has a neutral and natural rendering (true-to-life or real-like, yet leaning towards soft tonality and muted colors).” I also said, “I’m crossing my fingers that the Reala film simulation will be a tweak of Classic Negative that will more closely mimic Reala emulsions.”

I was half right and half wrong, but I’m quite happy to be half wrong. I was right that the film sim would lean towards soft tonality and have a true-to-life rendering. I was wrong that it wouldn’t look like Reala film or Classic Negative, because it does. You could call the new film sim Classic Negative v2, but Fujifilm named it Reala Ace.

*Leaving the Water* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Fujicolor Reala 100 Recipe

How accurate is the Reala Ace film simulation to Reala film? It definitely has the right vibe, from the small number of samples I’ve found online. It isn’t all that dissimilar to my Fujicolor Reala 100 Film Simulation Recipe, either—in fact, I think just a few small adjustments to my Recipe brings the results closer to the new film simulation. Of course, I have no idea if those Reala Ace examples are unedited, and what parameter adjustments the photographer might have done, or if they’re all factory defaults.

Fujifilm has a graph demonstrating how the different film simulations fit on a tonality and saturation scale. It should be taken with a grain of salt. For example, there’s no way that Nostalgic Neg. is the second most vibrant film sim, because it’s not. PRO Neg. Hi has a little more saturation than PRO Neg. Std, yet they’re the same on the chart. Still, we can extrapolate that Reala Ace has softer tonality yet a tad higher vibrancy than Classic Negative.

Even though Reala Ace is essentially Classic Negative, I’m quite thrilled that this new film sim has an obvious analog aesthetic. Classic Negative is one of my favorite film simulations, and I’m sure Reala Ace will be, too, once I get a chance to use it someday in the future. My guess is that the upcoming Fujifilm X100Z (or whatever Fujifilm calls it… maybe they’ll name it X100Ace?) will be the first X-series camera to get Reala Ace. I won’t buy the GFX100 II (it’s way outside of my budget), so it might be awhile before I get to try it. From what I can tell, the new film sim will be found right below Classic Chrome and right above PRO Neg. Hi in the camera’s film simulation list.

Interestingly enough, there seems to be a lot of interest in this new film sim, but not necessarily by folks who will buy the GFX camera. The ones most excited seem to be those who anticipate that it will trickle to the X-series. Most of those who have reviewed the camera (who received a pre-production model from Fujifilm) barely mentioned it, and mainly as a passing thought. One did talk a little more about it (and right at the beginning), but otherwise the enthusiasm for Reala Ace seems to be much stronger from the X crowd than the GFX, despite it only found (for now) on GFX. This makes a lot of sense to me because most of those who shoot GFX cameras don’t use Film Simulation Recipes (yet there are some); however, many who have X-Trans cameras do use Recipes. Fujifilm should introduce new film sims on X-series models where they can better capitalize on that excitement, and not on GFX where it’s unimportant (generally speaking) to those buyers, essentially wasting the opportunity (hey, maybe Fujifilm should consult with me??!!).

I modified the Fujicolor Reala 100 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5, reprocessing in-camera some recent pictures on the SD Card, to more closely resemble the Reala Ace film simulation. You can find the Reala Recipe on this website (here) and on the Fuji X Weekly App. The modifications I made to the Fujicolor Reala 100 Recipe are: White Balance Shift set to 0 Red & +1 Blue (using Daylight WB… I also tried Auto White Balance with that same shift), Color Chrome FX Blue Strong, Color +1, Highlight -1.5, Sharpness 0, and Clarity -2. There are only a small number of examples of the new film sim, and it’s impossible to know if they’re 100% default Reala Ace or if they have been modified or edited in some way, but I think I’m in the ballpark with these settings. It’s pretty close. Below are some examples.

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

Fujifilm X-T5 in black:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm GFX100 II:  B&H

Do 7 out of 10 Fujifilm Photographers Prefer PASM?

Posted on September 12 by Ritchie Roesch

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

Once the upcoming GFX100 II is announced tomorrow, seven of the last 10 Fujifilm models will have been PASM cameras. First was the X-S10 in fall 2020, then the GFX100S in early 2021, followed by the GFX 50S II in mid-2021, then the X-H2s in mid-2022, followed closely by the X-H2, then the X-S20 back in May, and now the GFX100 II. The three non-PASM cameras released during that time are the X-E4 (which has since been discontinued despite more demand than supply), the X-T30 II (which was mostly just a firmware update to the X-T30, and has also been discontinued), and the X-T5, which has been out for a little over nine months now.

PASM cameras have a shooting-mode dial on top for Program, Aperture-Priority, Shutter-Priority, and Manual modes—most cameras by other brands have this dial. Traditionally, most Fujifilm cameras don’t have a PASM dial because the retro tactile controls found on most Fujifilm models make it unnecessary. It used to be that only the low-end entry-level models had PASM, and the rest did not. Beginning with the X-S20, Fujifilm began placing PASM dials (in lieu of the traditional knobs) on cameras that weren’t entry-level. Now, the highest-end models all have PASM.

When Fujifilm began to do this, a lot of the long-time loyal customers sensed a philosophy shift within the brand. Others insisted that, by offering more options, Fujifilm could attract new users, which would only be good, and those who prefer non-PASM had nothing to be concerned about. Well, actions speak louder than words, and it is clear that the shift has happened, even if it hasn’t been publicly spoken by Fujifilm (although I do believe that they have hinted at it several times).

What does all this mean? What exactly is this shift? What’s Fujifilm’s new focus?

Canikony brands—Canon, Nikon, and Sony—are focusing less on APS-C and more on full-frame. They haven’t abandoned APS-C, but are clearly spending much more R&D time and money on their higher-end products. I believe that Fujifilm sees an opportunity to position themselves as the clear leader and king of APS-C. While Canikony brands are aiming their attention towards full-frame, Fujifilm is putting their attention towards higher-end APS-C, along with the GFX line.

*Evening Charge* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodak Portra 400 v2

A camera like the X-H2 can compete not just against the competition’s top APS-C models, but pretty well against their low-end full-frame and arguably even against mid-range full-frame models. A camera like the GFX100 II can compete well not only against other medium-format models, but also against high-end full-frame models. Fujifilm is clearly trying to gain market share by competing against the full-frame options from Canikony brands, both from below and above. In order to do this, Fujifilm clearly believes that they need to become more like those brands, instead of embracing what has made them successful in the past. In my opinion, Fujifilm should double-down on what is unique about their brand, and focus on better communicating why those unique characteristics are desirable. Instead, Fujifilm seems to be moving towards becoming a part of Canikony… Canikonyfilm?

I personally don’t care that GFX has gone fully PASM, as I’m not in that system. I have no skin in the game. I don’t think as many X-series photographers jumped into the GFX line as Fujifilm first thought would; the majority of those who have bought into the new system are first-time Fujifilm photographers—in other words, photographers largely coming from Canon, Nikon, and Sony. They’re used to PASM—many of them prefer it, actually—so it made sense for Fujifilm to make that change. Those hoping for a GFX 50R successor might be waiting a really long time.

I do care about X-series cameras, since I’m deeply invested into that system (more than most, I assume). Traditional tactile dial models have taken a backseat to PASM cameras. Yes, there’s the X-T5, but Fujifilm “cheapened” it just a little by not offering the battery grip like all the previous iterations of that series. The X100V replacement is supposed to be announced early next year, once the X100V is four-years-old. The X-Pro4 isn’t even visible on the horizon, despite that line being due for a successor. The X-T00 and X-E series are both in limbo, with their current versions being discontinued while the new ones are possibly far off, if they come at all (the X-T40 has been long anticipated—some people thought for sure it would come out sometime in 2022). If you want one of the two flagship models that offer the best-of-the-best, you’d better be happy with PASM. If you want IBIS but not PASM, the X-T5 is your only options (…for brand new, the X-T4 and X-H1 can be purchased used), while currently there are four PASM options with IBIS: X-S10, X-S20, X-H2, and X-H2s. Yes, the X-S10 hasn’t been discontinued, even though the two models released afterwards—one of which had a long backorder list—are no longer available.

A rumor has floated around for months that Fujifilm will announce a new X-series model sometime before the end of the year, probably in November. There’s been a lot of speculation that it will be an X-Pro4, since the X-Pro line is overdue for a new iteration, but there have been zero X-Pro leaks, so either Fujifilm is being historically tight-lipped about it, or it’s not coming until summer 2024 or sometime beyond. What, then, could this upcoming camera be? Whatever it is, it’s either inconsequential enough that it’s not worth leaking, or Fujifilm is keeping the lid on super tightly. My guess is the former. I think it will be an X-T30 III, which will be the same exact thing as the X-T30 II (which is basically the same thing as the X-T30), except with the X-Trans V processor (but still the X-Trans IV sensor), allowing for some autofocus and video spec improvements (plus Nostalgic Neg., and maybe Reala, but probably not), yet still keeping it under $1,000. Like the X-T30 II, it will probably just say “X-T30” on the body, skipping the roman numerals, because it’s basically the same camera.

*Golden Light in Abandoned House* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor Reala 100

2024 might be the year of the traditional dials. I suspect we’ll see an X100V and X-Pro4. It could be that the X-T0, X100, and X-Pro series are the last remaining without PASM. If, in fact, Fujifilm releases an X-T30 III in November, that will probably be the very last iteration of that series. If an X-E5 is ever made, it won’t likely be until 2025 sometime. I’ve heard that the X-T5 has been a smashing sales success, which I’m relieved about. I think if sales had sputtered, Fujifilm would have considered putting that series on the chopping block, too. So we’ll definitely get an X-T6 at some point. I don’t think Fujifilm will keep both the X-T00 and X-E lines, or, if they do, they won’t be available simultaneously. By the time we get to “20 years of X mount” there’s a strong possibility that only three lines remain with retro dials and styling.

Markets change. Goals change. Leadership changes. Vision changes. There are some (mostly those who own a PASM model) who will argue that Fujifilm had to pivot to survive. Maybe so. There are some (mostly those who have been in the system for less than three years) who say that no such pivot has happened, that all this is much ado about nothing. Perhaps. There are some (mostly those with PASM and who have been in the system only a short time) who will say I’m just too old and I complain too much, and that Fujifilm camera’s are now for a whole new generation of photographers with different wants and needs. That could be true, too. I’m just saying that I’ve noticed a shift, and I’m personally less excited and optimistic about Fujifilm’s direction. It’s the elephant in the room that I’ll be criticized for mentioning, but literally everyone who has been shooting with Fujifilm cameras for a long time notices.

The good news is that I already own the cameras that I need. As long as they’re operational, I don’t have a need for anything brand new. If Fujifilm releases something exciting, I’ll eagerly buy it, I’m sure. But if they never do, it’s not the end of the world. I can happily play with the toys I already have.

Interestingly, Nikon is supposedly announcing a retro-designed camera in about a week and a half. Maybe Nikon will position themselves as the next Fujifilm? I doubt it, but if they play their cards right and Fujifilm plays them wrong, it could happen. Either way, the more cameras with tactile controls the better. Unfortunately, the Nikon Zf will likely still have PASM, as Nikon won’t play their cards right. This is all, of course, my personal opinions. You might disagree with all of them, and that’s ok. I’m sure that most of us—and all of the regular readers of this website—can agree that Fujifilm cameras produce wonderful straight-out-of-camera JPEGs. Fujifilm has that right, no doubt about it! I just highly doubt that seven out of 10 Fujifilm photographers prefer PASM cameras, but maybe the user demographics have shifted by that much? I think it’s more of a reflection of who Fujifilm wants their customers to be rather than who their customers actually are, but in doing this they’ve created a self-fulfilling prophecy—if you build it, they will come. They have come and will continue to come, which is great. But I will remember when Fujifilm—back before they were a part of Canikonyfilm—made some exciting cameras that were much different and more beautiful than those from other brands—in fact, I’ll be reminded each time I open my camera case.

Why the Upcoming Nikon Zf won’t be a “Fujifilm Killer”

Posted on September 5 by Ritchie Roesch

Apparently, Nikon is about to announce a new retro-style full-frame camera called the Zf. The phrase “Fujifilm killer” has been floated around as if this camera will strike at the heart of Fujifilm’s market share. Let me give you a few reasons why this won’t be the case.

Before I begin, I want to applaud Nikon for creating a new retro-style camera. I believe the Zfc—their APS-C retro-looking model—has been a commercial success. I own one, although I almost never use it (the last time was on a trip to Sedona in May). Nikon hopes to build on the success of the Zfc with the upcoming Zf. Most camera companies don’t have the guts to create a beautifully designed body, so it’s great to see Nikon do it. I probably won’t buy a Zf personally (Nikon, if you want to send me one, I won’t say no!), but I’m sure it will be a very tempting camera for many.

Supposedly, the Zf will be a 24mp full-frame model with two memory card slots (one SD, one Micro-SD). It will be less plasticky than the Zfc, but it is unknown if it will be weather-sealed. Apparently, it will have IBIS and even pixel-shift. While I’m sure the Zf will generate plenty of excitement, it won’t be a “Fujifilm killer” for a few reasons.

First—and this is Nikon’s mistake—is there aren’t any Nikkor Z-mount lenses with aperture rings. I do believe that some of their lenses can be customized to make the manual-focus ring an (unmarked) aperture ring, but then you don’t have a manual focus ring. That’s not an ideal setup. Because the lenses don’t have aperture rings, Nikon will likely include a PASM dial or switch (like on the Zfc) to toggle on-and-off the knobs on the top plate, which is awkward and seemingly unnecessary. The best solution is to use a third-party lens that has an aperture ring and shoot in manual mode. Nikon should released a series of prime lenses with aperture rings along with the Zf (or, even better, back when they announced the Zfc), but I don’t think that will happen. This oversight means that you’ll have a really hard time replicating the Fujifilm shooting experience; if you want that, you’d better buy a Fujifilm camera instead.

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

Another important piece of the puzzle that Nikon lacks are JPEG Recipes. A lot of people buy Fujifilm cameras for Film Simulation Recipes, which can save you a lot of time and frustration while providing a more enjoyable experience. There are some Recipes for Nikon Z cameras (here, here, and here), but nothing like what’s available for Fujifilm. A community has even sprung up out of these Recipes, with photographers that are often extremely kind and welcoming. I don’t think there’s a better community in all of photography!

A number of people have said, “If only Fujifilm made a full-frame camera!” With Fuji, there’s either APS-C or medium-format, but not full-frame. At one time APS-C was for amateurs or hobbyists, while full-frame was for professionals and advanced enthusiasts, but that time has come and gone (yet the stigma doesn’t easily disappear, despite being outdated). Nowadays, there are tons of amazingly talented photographers who shoot with APS-C cameras.

The advantages that a 24mp full-frame sensor provides over Fujifilm’s 26mp or 40mp APS-C sensors are improved high-ISO performance and increased dynamic range, but it should be noted that Fujifilm’s cameras are quite excellent at high-ISO and dynamic range, so it only matters in extreme circumstances—and even then, only a little. People will mention depth-of-field (due to the crop factor), but that’s a bit overstated, as it depends on the lens focal-length and aperture—it’s possible to get a narrow depth-of-field on APS-C similar to full-frame, but not with identical focal-lengths and apertures.

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

This isn’t to say that APS-C is just as good or better than full-frame. There are some advantages and disadvantages to both sensor sizes, but overall those advantages and disadvantages aren’t huge. In my opinion, the advantages of APS-C (which are size, weight, and cost) outweigh the advantages of full-frame, but each has to determine what makes the most sense to their unique desires and needs. My only point is that full-frame isn’t massively better (if better at all) than APS-C, so just because Nikon offers a similarly-styled model with a full-frame sensor doesn’t mean that Fujifilm should be quaking in their boots.

A fun side-by-side experiment would be the Fujifilm X-T5 with the Fujinon 33mm f/1.4 and the Nikon Zf with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8. The Fujinon lens is 2/3-stops brighter, while the Nikkor has about 1/3-stop less depth-of-field (f/1.4 on APS-C has a depth-of-filed more similar to f/2 on full-frame, everything else being equivalently equal). Both offer the same field-of-view. While the Zf is full-frame, on paper the X-T5 has several spec-sheet advantages. The X-T5 is smaller, lighter, and cheaper; however, since the Fujinon lens is more expensive, the cost of these two kits will be similar. The “winner” of this experiment would likely depend on the photographer (one might lean Fujifilm while another might lean Nikon), but I bet it would be a very close call.

The yet-to-be-announced Nikon Zf will certainly be an excellent camera, and I think it’s smart for Nikon to make it. I don’t believe it will have any significant impact on Fujifilm sales. In fact, if it does well enough, it could even boost Fujifilm’s sales (similarly to how the X100V’s success has caused a spike in Ricoh GR III sales). Most of those who buy the Zf will likely be those already in the Z system. There might be some disgruntled Sony or Canon shooters who are considering switching brands who could be attracted to Nikon by the Zf. There might even be some Fujifilm X-T3 owners who are peeved that Fujifilm left their camera on an island who take a long look at the Zf. Overall, though, I don’t think the Zf will be a “Fujifilm killer” because—while it might have some lovely retro styling similar to what Fujifilm has become known for—it doesn’t offer the same shooting experience, due to the lack of an aperture ring, the inclusion of a PASM switch or dial, and the small number of JPEG Recipes available for it (plus the community built around that). The Nikon Zf will certainly be a popular model, but so is the Fujifilm X-T5—they both can exist simultaneously, and not step on each other’s toes.

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

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

Creative Collective 054: FXW Zine — Issue 22 — September 2023

Posted on September 1 by Ritchie Roesch

The September issue of FXW Zine is out now! Creative Collective subscribers can download it today. Not a Creative Collective subscriber? Join to gain access to this issue plus all pervious issues of FXW Zine and the many bonus articles.

Issue 22 explores improving your photography by shooting during Golden Hour light. There are 23 pictures (including the cover) over 16 pages. Enjoy!

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