There’s a brand-new Fuji X Weekly App update that I’m really excited to share with you. The main headline is a new feature called Categories, which can be interacted with in two different ways. The goal of Categories is to help you find Film Simulation Recipes for the specific situation that you are photographing in. This update is beneficial for both Patrons and non-Patrons.
The first way to interact with Categories is if you choose a Recipe—any Recipe, it doesn’t matter which one—and scroll towards the bottom just above Notes, you’ll find a Category Tag or maybe a handful of them (the amount varies from Recipe-to-Recipe). This tells you that the particular Recipe you selected has been identified as good for those specific situations and/or aesthetics. Now, tap on a Category Tag and it opens Discover Recipes, except instead of showing you all of the photos in the entire App to browse through, it shows only those that share that tag. This can help you to find Recipes based on image aesthetic. Each time you tap on a Category Tag, the order of the photos is reshuffled. For Patron subscribers, Category Tags can be used in conjunction with Filter by Sensor or Filter by Camera.
The second way to interact with Categories is only available to Patron subscribers. If you tap Filter, you’ll see By Category has been added to the list of options. You can choose one or more Categories—as many as you like, but the more you choose the fewer results you’ll get. You can Filter By Cameras (say X100VI), Film Simulation (say Classic Negative), White Balance (say Auto, Auto Ambience Priority and Auto White Priority), and Categories (say Film-Like and Street), and you’ll get a few results that match your request quite well. You can get real specific. If you are looking for (let’s say) a Film-Like Recipe that’s good for Portraits on Cloudy days for your X-Pro3, you can find that.
This is such a fun new way to interact with Film Simulation Recipes, and I anticipate that it will be extremely helpful to those who don’t know which Recipes to try. I’m really excited to introduce Categories to you because of all that, and also because so much work went into it. I didn’t keep careful tabs on the exact number of hours spent on this project, but it was a lot! The task of categorizing the various Recipes (over 400!) was pretty daunting on its own. I’m sure that it’s not perfect, and some might disagree with a certain Recipe’s inclusion or exclusion from a specific Category, but overall I think it turned out quite well. I really hope that some of you will find it to be a useful feature.
***Update: We were able to get the bug identified, fixed, and the app update submitted and approved by Apple in record time. On your iPhone, if the Fuji X Weekly App crashes immediately, make sure that you update to version 1.12.1 (and not 1.12.0) or update the iOS to the latest version (either option will fix it). I’m sorry for any trouble that this may have caused anyone.***
The Fuji X Weekly App is available to download for free from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly. If your device didn’t update automatically, be sure to update it now.
Over the weekend I released a very small update to the Fuji X Weekly App, for both Apple and Android. This was supposed to be included in a much larger and more significant update (that’s coming soon), but I’m still working on some of the upcoming features and improvements, so I decided to just get this smaller one out now. It fixes a minor bug that most of you probably didn’t notice. It also changes the functionality of something, which I thought deserved an explanation.
The functionality change has to do with Filter by WB and Filter by DR. Prior to this update, both of those Filter options were “choose one” types, which means you picked the one option that you wanted. By request, both of those are now “choose one or more,” which means that you can select as many as you’d like.
The reason why you might wish to select more than one White Balance type is that, perhaps, you want to choose all three of the Auto options (Auto, Auto Ambience, and Auto White). Before you couldn’t do that, and you had to pick only one of the Auto options at a time, but now you can select all three if you want. For Dynamic Range, you can select (say) DR-Auto, DR100, and DR200, and filter out all of the Recipes that use DR400 and DR-P (this seems more helpful for reprocessing RAW files in-camera or with X RAW Studio).
This isn’t a game-changer type update, as it will likely have a minimal impact for most people (if at all). But for some, this will help them out a little. The upcoming update, which I’m hopeful will be ready later this month or maybe early next month, will be much more robust, and will directly help all users, providing an improved experience for everyone.
Backlit Lupine – Sun City, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Thommy’s Ektachrome
I get feedback sometimes that many of the Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes produce too strong of a warm, yellowish cast. Often this feedback is specific to artificial light photography. The majority of Recipes, like film, are intended for sunny daylight conditions, and when you use them in a different light scenario the results can be a mixed bag. My best suggestion is to—again, like film—use the most appropriate Recipe for the specific situation. Other feedback I get is that some Recipes are too warm even in the most ideal daylight situations. Of course, this is a personal taste situation—what one person might love, another might hate. We each have our own preferences and styles. With over 400 Recipes on this website and the Fuji X Weekly App, there’s bound to be at least one that fits your photography well.
This article is for those who are in search of cooler Recipes—ones that are less warm, and with a blueish cast and not yellow. Of course, it should be noted that Recipes which utilize Auto White Balance are much less prone to being too warm. That might be your best option, and if you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you can find those really easily using the Filter by White Balance feature in the App. For this article, I wasn’t specifically considering AWB, and only one in this list uses it. These Recipes are specifically intended to produce (to varying degrees) a cool, blueish cast in sunny daylight conditions—some much more so than others. If you are trying to avoid yellowish results, the 15 Film Simulation Recipes below are ones to consider. This is not an exhaustive list, and there are many others worth trying that are not mentioned here.
Illuminated Houses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Jeff Davenport Night
The Jeff Davenport Night Recipe, as the name implies, is for nighttime photography. When used during daylight, you get a strong blue cast. For sunny situations, I find that it works best during overly warm golden hour light, and especially when you want to convey that it’s literally cold outside. It should come as no surprise that it works especially well in artificial light conditions. This Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-T3, X-T30, and GFX100.
Lake Grass – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI – CineStill 800T
Like the film of the same name, this Recipe is intended for nighttime and artificial light scenarios. It’s not nearly as blue during sunny daylight as Jeff Davenport Night, but it still has a strong cool cast. This Recipe is for the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF; there’s also a version for the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S, a version for X-Trans III cameras plus the X-T3 and X-T30, and a version for X-Trans II.
Toyota – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodacolor VR 200
This Recipe, which was made by Thomas Schwab, resembles a version of Kodacolor film from the early 1980’s, especially prints that have begun to color-fade. This one still has a touch of warmth, but is cooler than a lot of daylight-balanced Recipes. Kodacolor VR 200 is for the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF; for the X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Strong.
Old Man at the Vista – Tucson, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Thommy’s Ektachrome
Another Recipe created by Thomas Schwab, this one is similar to Kodak Ektachrome images printed in classic magazines like National Geographic and Arizona Highways. It’s intended for daylight photography, and still has a touch of warmth, but has a cooler rendering than a lot of other Recipes. This is compatible with the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF.
This Recipe also mimics Kodak Ektachrome film, but more specifically the new version of the emulsion. It was made with a little assistance from Dan Allen, and is currently an App Patron Early-Access Recipe (only available to FXW App subscribers, currently). Like the two previous Recipes, this one is also intended for sunny daylight situations, and it, too, has a touch of warmth, but less so than a lot of the other options. This Recipe is for the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF.
Elephant Seal Along Rocky Shore – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Chrome Slide
This is yet another Recipe that’s intended for sunny daylight situations, but will often produce a cool cast, with a bit of an Ektachrome-like quality to it. This Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S; for the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak.
Bougainvillea Blue – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodachrome Blue
The Kodachrome Blue Recipe mimics improperly scanned Kodachrome slides. Due to its unique design, Kodachrome is the most difficult slide film to accurately scan, and therefor there are a lot of examples of the film with a blue cast, including some of my own that the lab did a poor job scanning. This Recipe is daylight-balanced, but often produces a somewhat cool cast. The Kodachrome Blue Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S; for the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak.
Yellow Beanie – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – Fujicolor Blue
This Recipe is also intended for sunny daylight, but has a slight blue cast caused simply from removing some red that’s naturally in the Classic Negative film simulation. Fujicolor Blue is currently an App Patron Early-Access Recipe (only available to FXW App subscribers, currently). It’s compatible with the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF.
A Sub Above the Dumpster – Pasadena, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Nostalgic Print
This Recipe mimics the aesthetic of prints from one-hour labs on Crystal Archive paper (at least one specific print). Like a lot of the Recipes in this list, it’s intended for sunny daylight photography, and can have a touch of warmth, but overall the photos have a slight cool cast. This Recipe is for the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, GFX100S, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF.
Winter Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Classic Slide
Kind of roughly a Kodak Elite Chrome aesthetic, this is yet another daylight-balanced Recipe with a slightly cool cast. Classic Slide is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro2, X100F, X-T2, X-T20, X-E3, X-H1, X-T3, X-T30, and GFX100.
Clearing Clouds Over Winter Ridge– Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro3 – Standard Provia
A slightly cooler, more contrasty, and more vibrant rendering than the Provia film simulation with everything set to factory defaults. This Recipe is for the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, GFX100S, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF.
Mushos for 5$ – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Fujichrome Provia 100F
This Recipe mimics a popular Fujichrome slide film, and as such has a cooler cast than many that replicate Kodak emulsions. It’s compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S; for the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak.
Park City Downtown – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – AgfaChrome RS 100
More of a European color aesthetic, this Recipe is daylight-balanced, but isn’t nearly as warm as a lot of the other options. This is for the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S; for the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak.
Please Don’t – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro3 – Agfa Ultra 100
This Recipe is not too dissimilar from the one above. It’s for the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S; for the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak.
Refine – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Urban Vintage Chrome
This Recipe was also created by Thomas Schwab, and it has kind of a bleach bypass aesthetic. It has a tinge of warmth, but overall is not nearly as yellow as a lot of other Recipes, and the colors quite muted. This one is like a more contrasty version of the Nostalgic Print Recipe. It’s compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro2, X100F, X-T2, X-T20, X-E3, X-H1, X-T3, X-T30, and GFX100.
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and hundreds more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Mountain Grass & Flowers – Boulder, CO – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Velvia Slide Recipe
Back in January, I published the Provia Summer Patron Early-Access Recipe, which was supposed to kick off a series of Early-Access Recipes to help clear out the backlog. I never intended for the Early-Access Recipes to be locked for as long as they have been, so I decided to fix that in 2025. My goal for this series was to publish a new Recipe every three to four weeks; however, it’s now May, and this is only the second one. I will try to do better moving forward.
My intention for the Velvia Slide Recipe was a replication of Velvia 100 color reversal (slide) film, which should not be confused with Velvia 50 or Velvia 100F (although Velvia 100 is pretty similar to Velvia 50). I never used Velvia 100 (I have used Velvia 50 many times), so I relied on online resources, as well as my Velvia 50 slides. I feel like, in the right light, this Recipe does quite well at mimicking it, but it’s not always correct. It’s sometimes really convincing and sometimes less so; however, either way, I really like the look of it.
Book & Fake Succulent – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 – Velvia Slide Recipe
While there are many Film Simulation Recipes that use Velvia, this one is not quite like any that I’ve previously published. Perhaps Kodak Ektachrome E100VS and Improved Velvia are the closest. It works best in sunny daylight, but can also be good for natural light indoors. It’s especially well suited for colorful landscape photography.
This is a Patron Early-Access Recipe. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you have access to it right now. If not, no worries, as it will eventually be made available to everyone, once it is replaced by a new Early-Access Recipe. With the exception of the X-T3 and X-T30, it is compatible with all fourth and fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, and X-M5. It can also be used on the newer GFX models, including the GFX100S, GFX100S II, GFX100 II, and GFZ100RF.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Velvia Slide Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-T4, X-S20, and GFX100S II:
Bougainvillea in Spring – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Oleander Branch in Bloom – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Garden Flowers – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Blooming Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Yellow Bougainvillea Backlit – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Palm Branch Curve – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Toyotires – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Palm Trunk – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Spring Sun – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Setting Sun – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Hawk Perched on Desert Rocks – Rock Springs, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Old Dog – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Lake Waves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Flatirons – Boulder, CO – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Mohawk Mountain – Boulder, CO – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and 400 more in the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
There’s a brand-new Ricoh Recipes App update, and I want to bring your attention to it because it is a foreshadowing of the next Fuji X Weekly App update. Specifically, Custom Recipes—a new feature for Ricoh Recipes, but not a new feature for Fuji X Weekly—is intuitive and integrated into Filtering, Favoriting, Random Recipes, and the Selected Recipe Widget. In other words, it’s much better in the Ricoh Recipes App than how it currently is in the Fuji X Weekly App. This is something I’ve been working on for a long time, and I cannot wait to incorporate the improvements into the Fuji X Weekly App soon. You’re going to love it!
I want to also bring your attention to the new Backup/Restore feature, which allows you to save a backup file of your Custom Recipes, Favorites, and Notes. You can restore that file later, and you can also send the file to another device and restore it there. If you want to ensure your inputs are not lost, if you want to share those with another device, or if you are upgrading to a new device, Backup/Restore is a great new tool. This will be coming to the Fuji X Weekly App soon, too.
While the Ricoh Recipes App update does not directly affect most of you, it indirectly does, because these two significant improvements are coming to the Fuji X Weekly App in the near future. I’m very excited to incorporate these, because I think many of you will greatly appreciate them. I don’t have a specific timeline, but I’m hoping to get it out as soon as I can, perhaps in a month-ish, so definitely stay tuned!
Library at Last Light – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI – Universal Negative Set – Elite Chrome Recipe
I made a mistake when I published the new Universal Negative set of 14 Recipes yesterday. On the website everything is correct; however, in the Fuji X Weekly App, I mistakenly said that the WB Shift should be -2 Blue when, in fact, it should be -5. So if you programmed this into your camera yesterday and you got the settings from the App (and not the website), your White Balance Shift is wrong. I fixed it in the App—so it is correct now—but for the last 21 hours it was wrong in the App.
I’m very sorry for making this mistake. I know it must be frustrating for those who programmed the wrong WB Shift into their camera, and it is my fault. I apologize for that. I’ll try to be a little more careful in the future to avoid repeating this issue. Sadly, it’s not the first time. Four years ago I made a similar mistake, only I had it wrong on the website and correct in the App, and it took a lot longer to realize the mistake and get it fixed. Hopefully, if it ever happens again, it will be at least four years in the future before it does. Obviously the goal is to learn from my mistake and not let it happen again. Again, I’m very sorry that this happened.
Red Yucca in the White Sand – White Sands NP, NM – Fujifilm X-T4 ES – Aerochrome v2
The Full Spectrum Infrared Film Simulation Recipes are now in the Fuji X Weekly App! If your phone didn’t automatically update to the new version, I recommend manually doing so now (Android, Apple). Because those Recipes are different than those for “normal” (non-infrared) cameras, a lot of little tweaks had to be made to the App in order to display them correctly. It was significantly more work to get these into the Fuji X Weekly App than I had anticipated, but I’m happy they are available there now.
So far, I have published six Full Spectrum Infrared Recipes for Fujifilm cameras: Aerochrome v1, Aerochrome v2, Aerochrome v3, PurpleChrome, Cotton Candy Chrome, and Agfa 400S. These Recipes require a full spectrum X-Trans IV or X-Trans V model. Converting a normal camera to full spectrum is an expensive and invasive procedure from a third-party vendor, such as LifePixel, Kolari Vision, or Spenser’s Camera (to name a few). Otherwise, the Fujifilm X-T4 ES (“Extended Spectrum”) is a full spectrum camera (is sensitive to light outside the visible gamut) briefly offered by Fujifilm to the general public. As of this writing, I believe that you can still buy the Fujifilm X-T4 ES from B&H, but it requires a phone call or in-person visit, and cannot be ordered from the internet. Additionally, these Recipes require specific filters.
I know that the vast majority of people don’t own a full spectrum camera like the Fujifilm X-T4 ES, but I have seen a growing interest in infrared since I started posting these Recipes last summer. The general rule of thumb was that extensive editing was required—including channel swaps—in order to achieve good infrared results, particularly for color images. Thankfully, with the right filters and camera settings, that’s just not true, and excellent straight-out-of-camera infrared photography can be quite easy. While the number of people who will use these Full Spectrum Recipes will always be small, I do believe it will grow significantly in the coming months and years—I suspect there may be a small infrared resurgence of sorts.
Also, for those who may have missed it, I added several GFX cameras to the Fuji X Weekly App. If you haven’t opened it in the last few days, you’ll likely notice some changes. There are many more improvements in the works, and hopefully those will be ready in the coming months. While the Fuji X Weekly App has come a long ways since it was first released, it will continue to get better and better.
One of the first things that I hoped to accomplish after buying a Fujifilm GFX100S II camera last month is to understand how compatible X-series Film Simulation Recipes are with GFX, and what adjustments should be made, if any. I had anticipated this being a fairly easy task, and in a sense it was, but I really struggled with this project.
Fujifilm has made a number of GFX models since February of 2017: GFX50S, GFX50R, GFX100, GFX100S, GFX50S II, GFX100 II, and GFX100S II. There are a few different sensors and processors, and the cameras can be separated into different generations. The GFX50S, GFX50R and GFX50S II share the same sensor, but the GFX50S II falls into a different generation than the original two. The GFX100 and GFX100S share the same sensor, but are different generations. The GFX100 II and GFX100S II share the same sensor, but not the same sensor as the first two 100mp GFX models. It’s a bit of a puzzle. The only GFX camera that I own is the GFX100S II, and I briefly had the opportunity to borrow a GFX50S four years ago. My GFX experience is very limited at this point.
One issue that I found when comparing Recipes captured on X-Trans vs GFX is that the lenses are not the same. Different lenses can produce slightly different results depending on the micro-contrast and coatings. While not a big deal, it would have been preferable to have used the same lens across all the tests; however, even if I could, the focal length wouldn’t be the same. For example, when I adapt my vintage Helios 44-2 lens, the focal length on X-Trans is 87mm while it is 46mm on GFX; aside from that, the Helios is noticeably softer on the GFX. So the comparisons I made were never fully 1:1, unfortunately.
I did make a number of comparisons between the photos captured with the GFX100S II and those made on an X-T5 and X-E4, utilizing the same Recipes. The main difference between X-Trans IV and X-Trans V rendering is that blue is a little deeper on X-Trans V with the Classic Chrome, Classic Negative, Eterna, and Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulations—there are some other minor differences, but the blue rendering is the main one. On the GFX100S II, blue behaves more like X-Trans V. The overall rendering is very similar to X-Trans V, but not 100% identical. For example, Grain is scaled differently on GFX. There are several insignificant differences that I noticed upon close side-by-side comparisons, but without carefully studying deep crops, the GFX images look pretty identical to the X-Trans V photos. Except they also don’t.
This is the paradox I discovered: the pictures look so similar when comparing colors, tints, shadows, etc., etc., but there is something that’s clearly different. But what? I couldn’t put my finger on it.
I asked a few people I know who have a GFX camera, and one suggested color fidelity, that the same exact colors just seem more alive (or maybe more lifelike) on GFX. My wife, Amanda, suggested that it’s depth, that it feels like you can step into the GFX photos, while the X-series photos seem a little flat in comparison. This could simply be the depth-of-field or the micro-contrast of the GFX lenses (or both). As I thought about it, I was reminded of the Sigma DP2 Merrill camera I used to own that similarly had a (so-called) “3D pop” to the pictures. High-ISO digital noise looks different on GFX, with splotchy colors that are typical from a Bayer sensor (and not the more film-grain-like noise from X-Trans); however, it’s not particularly obvious, buried in all that resolution. It’s probably a combination of all of those things and more that make the nearly identical colors and contrast appear different in a way that is difficult to describe, but it’s all so subtle that it’s easy to miss and dismiss, so perhaps it doesn’t matter.
With that information, I made a decision regarding Film Simulation Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App. I added the GFX100 II and GFX100S II as compatible cameras to all X-Trans V Recipes, as well as X-Trans IV Recipes (excluding those for the X-T3/X-T30) that don’t use Classic Chrome, Classic Negative, Eterna or Eterna Bleach Bypass (the same Recipes as the X-T5, for example). Use those Recipes on the GFX100 II and GFX100S II, as they look great. I updated the App yesterday to show those Recipes as compatible with those two cameras. For the other (non-X-T3/X-T30) X-Trans IV Recipes, dropping Color Chrome FX Blue down one spot (Weak instead of Strong, Off instead of Weak) also makes them compatible.
After that, I thought about the other GFX models. Shouldn’t they be in the App, too? Why should they be left out? I don’t own any of those other GFX models, so I dug through the manuals—plus did several Google searches—to try to piece together how they should be categorized in the Fuji X Weekly App. That took a few verified and unverified assumptions. Also, I realized an assumption I made several years back was incorrect.
I categorized GFX100S the same as the newer X-Trans IV cameras; Recipes that are compatible with (for example) the X-T4 are also compatible with the GFX100S. I categorized the GFX100 the same as the X-T3 and X-T30.
The 50mp GFX cameras are a bit of a problem because shadows are rendered slightly lighter, and a .5 Shadow increase is necessary for those models (the GFX50S and GFX50R don’t have .5 Highlight and Shadow adjustments). A few years ago when I had the GFX50S for a few weeks, I created three Recipes for 50mp GFX. I made an assumption that those Recipes would also be compatible with the GFX100, but I believe that camera has deeper shadow rendering like the other 100mp cameras, so that assumption was incorrect; however, I left it alone in the App. If not for the shadow rendering, X-T3/X-T30 Recipes would be compatible with the GFX50S and GFX50R—you can still use those Recipes, just know that it will look slightly different (try them anyway, you might like the results). The one camera that was left out of the App is the GFX50S II. You can use X-Trans IV Recipes the same as the GFX100S; however, a .5 Shadow adjustment should be made. If a Recipe calls for -1 Shadow, use -0.5 instead, and if a Recipe calls for +2 Shadow, use +2.5 instead.
This isn’t a perfect categorization of the GFX models, but I think it’s good. If I made a mistake in this, please let me know—like I said, my GFX experience is quite limited. For those with GFX cameras, I hope this provides a little clarity as to which Recipes to use. I’m sure that having these cameras in the App will be helpful to some photographers with GFX models, so if you have a GFX camera, open up the Fuji X Weekly App and take a look.
Find Film Simulation Recipes for your Fujifilm cameras in the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
This Provia Summer Film Simulation Recipe kicks off a new series. Each Recipe in this series will use a different film simulation, beginning with Provia and ending with Sepia. None of them will be modeled after any specific emulsions, but more simply will be aesthetics that I like, that I want to create photographs with. Even though they won’t be mimicking specific films, I do intend for them to have an analog vibe. My goal is to publish a new Recipe in this series every three or four weeks. Lastly, they will each begin as an App Patron Early-Access Recipe.
I never wanted the Early-Access Recipes to be unavailable to non-subscribers for so long. Some have been 18 months or longer, most over a year. My initial idea was that they would be Patron-only for about six months or so, and then be made available to everyone; however, I’ve only reached that goal a few times. This series of Recipes will hopefully clear out the backlog, and the Recipes that some of you have long been waiting for will be available soon.
Golden CVS – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Provia Summer – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Provia Summer is in a similar neighborhood as Bright Summer, Bright Kodak, Eterna Summer, Summer of ’59, 1970’s Summer, and I’m sure a few others. Obviously it’s not exactly like any of them, as it has its own unique aesthetic. This Recipe is warm and colorful, producing images that have a summer-like feel. It’s not the most ideal option for artificial light indoors or nighttime photography, but in the right situations it can be alright for that; for best results, use on a sunny day.
This is an App Patron Early-Access Recipe. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you have access to it right now. If not, no worries, as it will eventually be made available to everyone, once it is replaced by a new Early-Access Recipe. With the exception of the X-T3 and X-T30, it is compatible with all fourth and fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, and X-M5. It can also be used on the newer GFX models, and I’ve included a few examples of that at that bottom.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Provia Summer Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E4 and X-S20:
Vibrant Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Dying Frond – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlit Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Golden Arch – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bright Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Palm Grove – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Tower Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Duel Window View – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Welcome to Wellness – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Water Drops – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Faux Beauty – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Dusk Steeple – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Electric Open – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Red Tree Trunk – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Yellow Fountain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Provia Summer Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm GFX100S II:
Bougainvillea Trestle – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Broken Palm Bark – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Jonathan in the Desert – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 350 more in the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Vintage Barn – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – 1981 Kodak Recipe
My wife, Amanda, ran across some old family pictures in her mom’s 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. The set was mostly personal family pictures, and many of them were scratched and damaged, but I did scan two of the prints, which you’ll find below.
I thought that the aesthetic was interesting, so I began to develop a Film Simulation Recipe inspired by these photographs. It took a couple of days—and a few compromises, as I was unable to match it exactly—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, which is the reason why I call this Recipe 1981 Kodak.
Scan from print
Scan from print
This 1981 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras except the X-T3 and X-T30, which is to say that you can use it on the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. For the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30, ignore Grain size and Color Chrome FX Blue, and use a diffusion filter (such as a 10% or 20% CineBloom) in lieu of Clarity. For X-Trans V, because some film sims render blue more deeply, it will look slightly different, but try it anyway.
Film Simulation: Eterna Dynamic Range: DR200 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Off White Balance: Daylight, +7 Red & -7 Blue Highlight: -0 Shadow: +4 Color: -4 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -4 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this 1981 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Coastal Hills – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Dilapidated Barn – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Rural Rancher – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Tree Fallen on Abandoned Car – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Old Ford – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Classic Grill – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Tree-Covered Road – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Light over Fallen Tree – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Sawed Log – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Cliffs of Pismo – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Ken Rockwell & ’61 Pontiac Tempest – Cayucos, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Old Van – Cayucos, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Classic Rear Fender – Cayucos, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Beach Boys – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Mrs. Peacock – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Guitar Neck – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Drummer – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Corner – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Orange Car – Laveen, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Biting Horses – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 350 more in the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Merry Christmas to you and your family! I hope that you are surrounded by love this holiday, and you create many warm memories …and photographs.
2024 has been an incredible year! It seems a bit surreal. I’ve told the story before, so forgive me for repeating it.
I started Fuji X Weekly in 2017, with the intention of writing one (or more) articles per week. Initially it was a journal or long-term review of the X100F, but it evolved into all things Fujifilm, with an emphasis on JPEG camera settings (Film Simulation Recipes). The website grew organically. In the early days I did literally nothing to promote it—people came by word of mouth, or they stumbled on it via Google. I’m always amazed how people found Fuji X Weekly back then.
Lightning Strikes Antelope Island – Fujifilm X100F – A photo from Day One of Fuji X Weekly
Eventually this website (and apps) became a full-time job, and I was faced with a decision: quit my day-job, or quit Fuji X Weekly. I could no longer do both. Even though I was not earning enough at that time to support my family with Fuji X Weekly profits, after much consideration and prayers, I took a leap of faith, and put in a two-week notice with my employer, leaving my job just before the holiday season, which was quite scary. That was three years ago.
I got a surprise phone call from Fujifilm back in January. They said that they wanted to work with me in 2024, but they didn’t yet know what that would mean exactly. I was super excited, but since people say all sorts of things, I didn’t count on it. I told my wife, “If it happens it happens, and if it doesn’t, that’s ok.”
NAB Photowalk Group 3– New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – Nostalgic Americana
But very quickly things began to happen. First, they asked me to be a part of a film simulation project, which resulted in this webpage. Then they sent me a preproduction Fujifilm X-T50 to try prior to its announcement. I was invited to a Creator’s Retreat in the Catskill Mountains with a number of incredibly talented photographers and videographers, followed by a release event for the X-T50 on a rooftop in Manhattan. Fujifilm then asked me if I’d like to co-lead a series of photowalks over the summer, in Denver, San Diego, Nashville, and Philadelphia. They also asked me to co-lead two photowalks for their Create With Us event in Austin, and three at The NAB Show in New York. That was followed by a couple more photowalks: Ann Arbor, and back to Philadelphia. If someone had told me a year ago that all those things would happen in 2024, I would not have believed them.
I’m extremely grateful and honored that Fujifilm reached out to me, and brought me along for an incredible ride. Fuji X Weekly has been an amazing journey from the beginning, but 2024 was the best year yet. I’ve met hundred and hundreds of wonderful people (some of you reading this), and worked with unbelievably talented creators. Also, in October I launched a protective case for Fujifilm X100-series cameras in collaboration with Evergreen Cases. I don’t yet know what 2025 will bring—it could be even greater than 2024—but for right now, I’m appreciative for where I’m at on this journey. The view is good from right here, right now.
Thank you for being a part of all this! It’s because of you—the greatest community in all of photography—that any of these amazing things happened. You all are why Fuji X Weekly continues to exist. It’s truly an honor to be helpful in some way to your photography. I hope that you are having a very merry Christmas right now!
11th Avenue – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – SantaColor
I get asked fairly regularly which Film Simulation Recipes are the most popular. For me, this is a fascinating topic, but it’s definitely hard to know definitively. While I get a glimpse on social media, my best gauge is the Fuji X Weekly website statistics; specifically, which Recipe articles are viewed the most. I don’t collect any data on the Fuji X Weekly App, so that’s no help—although, if I did, it would likely offer the most accurate picture; however, it would still be impossible to know which Recipes people programmed into their Fujifilm cameras, or how often they used each. Perhaps a survey would be particularly useful, yet even it has its limitations. While certainly a flawed method, page-view website statics offer the best glimpse at which Film Simulation Recipes are the most popular, so that’s what I’m using for this article. These are simply the Top 10 most-viewed Eterna Recipes on the Fuji X Weekly website so far in 2024.
It’s close enough to the end of the year that there is unlikely to be much movement, if any, between now and January 1st, so I thought it would be a good time to begin looking at year-end statistics. When I share the Top 25 most popular Recipes of any given month, the results are pretty predictable: color Recipes dominate, especially those that mimic Kodak film stocks and use Classic Chrome. On the suggestion of a Fuji X Weekly reader, I’m going to share some Top 10 articles for Recipe categories where few are likely to crack the Top 25 overall. I started with B&W, followed that up with Fujicolor; now we’ll look at Recipes that use the Eterna film simulation.
Inspired by yesterday’s SOOC Live broadcast (if you missed it, you can watch it now), I decided that Eterna needed to be included in this project. In my opinion, it’s probably the most under appreciated film sim of them all. Perhaps that’s my fault, as I probably could have done more to demonstrate just how good it is. There’s a good chance that some of you have never even used an Eterna-based Recipe—if not, perhaps now is a good time.
I had a very good hunch that the X-Trans V version of CineStill 800T would rank #1, because it’s been routinely in the Top 25 ever since I published it in April. Beyond that, I was really unsure how this list would look. I expected both SantaColor and Cinematic Film to crack the Top 10, but to my surprise neither did. I count 30 Eterna-based Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App, so obviously some had to be left out.
Without any further delay, below are the most popular Eterna Recipes of 2024!
Top 10 Most Popular Eterna Film Simulation Recipes of 2024
This is an adaptation of the X-Trans IV version (which you’ll find a little further down) for use on X-Trans V cameras. Like the film it is named after, this Recipe is specifically intended for nighttime photography.
This is one of my favorite Eterna-based Recipes. It’s an adaptation of the X-T3/X-T30 version (which you’ll find a little further down) for use on “newer” X-Trans IV models.
Vintage Color is an artist’s Recipe. It either works very well or not especially well, and should be used thoughtfully. It’s for X-Trans IV cameras; on X-Trans V, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak.
This Recipe can produce interesting results in the right light, but is definitely not for everyday use. I’m surprised to see it rank so high. It’s for use on X-Trans IV cameras; on X-Trans V, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak.
Yellow Beanie – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – Fujicolor Blue
This Fujicolor Blue Film Simulation Recipe was actually a failed attempt at recreating a certain look, but nonetheless I really liked the results, so I decided to make it an official Recipe in the Fuji X Weekly App. Whenever I attempt to replicate a certain look, it’s largely by trial-and-error, and there are a lot of failures along the way. Occasionally one of those failures is interesting on its own merit, such as this one.
What does Fujicolor Blue resemble? It definitely has a Tungsten-balanced film vibe, although I don’t think it matches any specific Tungsten emulsion. I think it also roughly resembles a daylight-balanced film used in conjunction with an 80A or other cooling filter. It definitely has a retro Fujicolor negative film look (perhaps along the lines of Fujicolor Super HR), but maybe also a bit of an Agfa aesthetic (such as Agfacolor 200). While it’s not exactly like any specific emulsion that I’m aware of, it has a strong analog feel, and you could probably convince someone that you shot film and not a modern digital camera.
Flowers & Fruit – Austin, TX – Fujifilm X100VI – Fujicolor Blue
This Fujicolor Blue Recipe is great for adding a cold feeling to a sunny daylight photograph, toning down an overly warm scene, pretty much any indoor situation, and nighttime artificial light scenarios. It’s highly versatile, but the pronounced cool cast in sunny daylight is not going to be for everyone. This Recipe is compatible with all fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, and X-M5. Those with certain X-Trans IV models and newer GFX can use it, too; however, it will render slightly different (but don’t be afraid to try it).
Fujicolor Blue is an App Patron Early Access Recipe. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you have access to it right now. If not, no worries, as it will eventually be made available to everyone, once it is replaced by a new Early Access Recipe. This also means that an different Early Access Recipe is now available for everyone, so be on the lookout for it.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Fujicolor Blue Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X100VI:
Spain – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
Poke Poke – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
Construction Site – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
Yellow Guy – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
Fujifilm Photography – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
Hudson Yards – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
Urban Skyscape – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
Green for Siding – Austin, TX – Fujifilm X100VI
How You Doing? – Austin, TX – Fujifilm X100VI
Airborne Bike 1 – Austin, TX – Fujifilm X100VI
Airborne Bike 2 – Austin, TX – Fujifilm X100VI
Here – Austin, TX – Fujifilm X100VI
Lake Dock – Clinton, CT – Fujifilm X100VI
Boatride – Clinton, CT – Fujifilm X100VI
Houseplant – Clinton, CT- Fujifilm X100VI
Fujifilm, Y’all – Austin, TX – Fujifilm X100VI
Don’t Slip – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
Chochin Lanterns – Clinton, CT – Fujifilm X100VI
Nashville Night – Nashville, TN – Fujifilm X100VI – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Johnny’s BBQ – Nashville, TN – Fujifilm X100VI – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Diamonds are For Baseball – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 350 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Oysters & Seafood – Denver, CO – Fujifilm X-T50 – Cinematic Film Recipe
This isn’t a new Film Simulation Recipe, but one of the 14 Fujifilm X-T50 Film Dial Recipes that I published in May when the Fujifilm X-T50 was announced. I stated in that article, “It would be absurd to include all 14 versions of this Recipe in the Fuji X Weekly App; even adding eight to the App is too much, but (with hesitation) that’s what I’ve done.” Those eight Recipes—Standard Film, Velvia Film, Astia Summer, Kodak Film, Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm, Superia Negative, Nostalgic Film, and Neopan Negative—are all identical other than the film simulation, and are found in the App.
I left six of the 14 Recipes—Fujicolor PRO Film, Fujicolor PRO 160S, Cinematic Film (which is this Recipe), Reduced Bleach, Monochrome Film, and Sepia Print—out of the App. In the months since, I have had a number of requests to include the Cinematic Film Recipe in the Fuji X Weekly App, so—by popular demand—Cinematic Film is now available on your phone!
Hotel Chelsea – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X-T50 – Cinematic Film Recipe
This Recipe is compatible with all fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50. For the X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, I recommend setting Color Chrome FX Blue to Strong (instead of Weak). For the latest GFX models, I recommend setting Shadow to -0.5 (instead of -1). For more information on how I setup and use the X-T50 Film Dial Recipes, watch this video (click here). If you don’t have an X-T50 and still want to use the Film Dial strategy, simply add the Recipe to one of your C1-C7 slots, and program a Fn button to activate the film simulation menu. The Cinematic Film Recipe is especially great for taming high-contrast light, for a soft aesthetic, and for after-dark photography.
Film Simulation: Eterna Dynamic Range: DR400 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak White Balance: Auto White Priority, +2 Red & -4 Blue Highlight: -1.5 Shadow: -1 Color: +3 Sharpness: -1 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -2 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Cinematic Film” Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-T50:
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Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 350 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Rainbow over Hoboken – Hoboken, NJ – Fujifilm X-T50 – Pushed Analog Recipe
I created this new Film Simulation Recipe while on my four-city photowalk tour. I didn’t have any specific film in mind, but wanted something contrasty, colorful, and warm—perhaps vaguely reminiscent of a push-processed Kodak emulsion without mimicking anything specific. In fact, I didn’t even reference any photographs when I created this (which is unusual for me), just used my experience making Recipes to achieve the aesthetic that I was after. Since it is only similar to pushed film in a very generic way, I named this Recipe very simply Pushed Analog.
Pushing film is where you purposefully underexpose, and then increase the time in the developer to compensate. This Recipe might be more similar to ISO 100 film pushed one stop or maybe two at most (but probably not two stops). Pushing film increases the contrast and grain, and makes the images more punchy and gritty. The more you push, the stronger the effect. The warmth in this Recipe is similar to using a warming filter, such as an 81A or something similar, with daylight balanced film, which used to be common in the film era.
Ciao & Church – Boston, MA – Fujifilm X-T50 – Pushed Analog Recipe
This Pushed Analog Film Simulation Recipe isn’t for every subject or situation, and not everyone is going to like it. Some of you will love it, I’m certain; however, this is not an everyday option that everyone will appreciate. I found that it works best in sunny daylight, and can also be a good option for dusk or dawn. It’s so-so for overcast days, and not good for artificial light. You can get dramatic results, but you might not find every image to be striking. This Recipe is compatible with all fifth-generation X-series cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50.
Film Simulation: Reala Ace Dynamic Range: DR200 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong White Balance: Fluorescent 1, -3 Red & -2 Blue Highlight: +1.5 Shadow: +2 Color: +4 Sharpness: -1 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -3 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Pushed Analog Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-T50:
Upper Manhatten – Hoboken, NJ – Fujifilm X-T50
Richie’s Lemon Ice – Boston, MA – Fujifilm X-T50
Yellow Umbrellas – Hoboken, NJ – Fujifilm X-T50
P is for Parking – Hoboken, NJ – Fujifilm X-T50
Chimney between the Trees – Salem, MA – Fujifilm X-T50
Vines on the Building – Salem, MA – Fujifilm X-T50
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 350 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Several weeks back I stumbled on a review of Kodak Ektachrome E100 color reversal film (the current version), and I thought: That looks a lot like the Reala Ace film simulation. I took a guess at some settings, but didn’t put much effort into testing or refining them. I got busy with some other things (such as planning and preparing for a four-city photowalk tour), and neglected to do anything more. More recently, Fuji X Weekly reader Dan Allen messaged me with the same exact observation about Ektachrome E100 and Reala Ace, which made me revisit the project.
Dan actually captured some side-by-side photos with Ektachrome E100 and a Fujifilm camera using the Reala Ace film simulation; however, he couldn’t quite get it to match. Interestingly, the settings that he had come up with as the closest facsimile were quite similar to mine. It was thought that the particular scanner used likely played a role in the exact aesthetic of the Ektachrome images—one film can produce a variety of looks depending on how it was shot, developed, and printed, projected, or scanned, among other things. Being a slide film, E100 is inherently designed to be projected. While this Recipe isn’t an exact match to Dan’s Ektachrome slides (although it’s not terribly far off, either), it does share a lot of resemblance with some Ektachrome E100 images that can be found online.
Kodak introduced Ektachrome in 1946. I counted once, and there are over 40 different emulsions that have been called Ektachrome over the years, not including slight revisions or improvements to the same film. The “E” development process was invented for Ektachrome film… it began with E1; the E6 process that’s used today was introduced in 1977. Each different Ektachrome and development process produced a divergent look. Kodak discontinued Ektachrome in 2012, but in 2018 they brought back Ektachrome E100. Some have suggested that this new version is simply a revision of Ektachrome E100G, but I don’t believe that’s been verified—it may or may not be.
While Reala Ace can be made into a pretty close match to Kodak Ektachrome E100, there are some issues that prevent it from being even more accurate—I would love a +5 Color option, for instance. Skin tones aren’t perfect, either—it’s possible to improve that, but at the expense of other attributes. I also think DR-Auto would be a good option, but the camera doesn’t jump to DR200 quickly enough, in my opinion. This Recipe is not perfect, but after a lot of tries over the years, this is the most satisfied I’ve been with any of my attempts, and I think it’s convincing enough to be given the Ektachrome E100 name.
This is an App Patron Early-Access Recipe. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you have access to it right now. If not, no worries, as it will eventually be made available to everyone, once it is replaced by a new Early-Access Recipe. It is compatible with all fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50. I’m sure it can also be used on the latest GFX models; however, it will likely render slightly different (try it anyway).
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Ektachrome E100 Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-T50:
Corn Dog – Denver, CO – Fujifilm X-T50
Window Succulent – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Airline Club – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Terminal Passenger – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Green Plant on a Red Desk – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Concrete Wall & Shrubs – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 350 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Victor Ha – VP, Electronic Imaging & Optical Devices Divisions, Fujifilm North America
Victor Ha is the Vice President of the Electronic Imaging and Optical Devices Divisions of Fujifilm North America. I met him twice while I was in New York City in May. The first time, I accidentally crashed a Fujifilm lunch meeting (funny story…). I got to introduce myself and not much else. The second time was at a loud and crowded bar. We had a short conversation, but it was a bit difficult due to the environment. Mostly we discussed art and photography in general, and not anything specific about cameras or even Fujifilm. I hope to one day talk about Fujifilm gear with him, as I have a lot of ideas and feedback that I’d love to share; who knows, maybe that opportunity will present itself someday. Anyway, Victor is a really nice guy, and it was a pleasure to speak with him in person.
Victor Ha was recently on a live Adorama YouTube broadcast (Episode 28 of Coffee with Creators) with Seth Miranda (a.k.a. LastXWitness). This is the video that Fujirumors shared indicating that the X-T5’s AF bug would be fixed and Reala Ace would be given to all the fifth-generation X-Trans cameras by the end of June (yea!). Unfortunately, I’ve been really busy over the last week, and I didn’t have a chance to watch it. Someone reached out to me to ask if I’d seen it, stating that I was given a shoutout. I hadn’t, so I watched it. I’ve included the video below, in case you want to view it, too.
If you don’t want to see the whole thing (it’s over an hour long), simply skip ahead to the 6:52 mark. Victor gives a very kind shoutout to Fuji X Weekly and briefly mentions Film Simulation Recipes. Specifically, he brought up the Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe that I used while in New York City. Actually, I used two. For anyone wondering, I believe the one that he may have been talking about in the video was the Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm Recipe that is a part of my Fujifilm X-T50 Film Dial strategy. The other Recipe that he could have been referring to is PRO Negative 160C. They’re both fairly similar, and can be found in the Fuji X Weekly App (available for Apple and Android). Once the firmware updates are released, which could be any day between now and the end of the week, Reala Ace will be available for the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20 cameras. If you have one of those cameras, soon you’ll be able to use those Recipes, too.
Pershing Square – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – Appalachian Negative Recipe
This Appalachian Negative Film Simulation Recipe was sent to me by Logan Ballew. Like a lot of Fujifilm photographers, he really likes Classic Chrome Recipes, but one day he thought he’d like to try the Nostalgic Neg. film simulation. Instead of loading one of my Nostalgic Neg. Recipes into his camera, he simply used Nostalgic Neg. instead of Classic Chrome with my Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe; however, the results weren’t quite right, so he made a number of tweaks and adjustments until he got the look that he wanted. While this Recipe initially began as Kodak Portra 400 v2 but with Nostalgic Neg., it doesn’t much resemble that now, and produces a significantly divergent look.
Logan’s goal was an aesthetic reminiscent of home: the Appalachians near Asheville, North Carolina. “I spent most of my time as a kid hiking around the Blue Ridge Mountains or with my grandfather,” he told me. While his grandfather, Lanny Phillips, was an avid photographer (among other arts, including woodworking), it wasn’t until after college that he picked up a camera and began his own photographic journey; he’s been a hobbyist photographer for about five years now. This Recipe reminds him of his childhood memories in the Appalachians.
Breakfast Home – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – Appalachian Negative Recipe
“The foliage back home is super dense, and trying to capture that without blowing out the greens and messing up the saturation is somewhat of a task,” Logan said. “What’s nice about Nostalgic Negative is that it gives this amber color to your images.” While this Recipe is specifically intended for photography in the Appalachians, he found that it works well in many other environments, too. After using it in Los Angeles, California, I can attest that this one works quite well for urban scenes. I especially like the feelings of nostalgia that this Recipe infuses into the photographs.
Logan is enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and is currently stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Joining the Navy allowed him to travel quite extensively—not just across the country, but internationally. However, he initially found Virginia to be photographically underwhelming; however, Logan says that Jason Hunter and other local photographers have been a huge help and inspiration, and now he spends a lot of time walking the boardwalks and driving around town capturing things that he would have overlooked before.
Beware my Fuji X-Pro3 – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – Appalachian Negative Recipe
Thank you, Logan Ballew, for sharing this Recipe with me, and allowing me to share it with the community! This Appalachian Negative Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with all fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50. I’m sure it can be used on newer GFX models, too, but will likely render slightly different (try it anyway, though). Logan encourages the use of a diffusion filter, such as a 5% or 10% CineBloom, with this Recipe. I used a 5% CineBloom for all of the photographs captured in Los Angeles.
Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg. Dynamic Range: DR400 Grain Effect: Weak, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak White Balance: 5200K, +2 Red & -2 Blue Highlight: -1.5 Shadow: 0 Color: +4 Sharpness: +2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: 0 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Appalachian Negative Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100VI:
Yellow Pants, Blue Cart – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Urban Photographer – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Urban Flowerbed – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
City Tree – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Urban Bougainvillea – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
The Skateboarding Photographer – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Midair – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Push Cart – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Left Circles – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Local Metro – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Crossing – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Parking – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
No Stopping Any Time – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Palms & Blue – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Quintessential California – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Joe’s – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
City Smoke – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Street Level View – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Hope the Light Changes – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Yellow Car – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Red Car – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Classic Chrysler – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Vehicle Exit – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Red Box – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Careful Which Way You Go – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Bokeh Tree Lights – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Fire Fountain – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Jon in Golden Light – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Paseo – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
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Flowers & Field – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak Gold 200 v3
I ran across an image in a (pretty interesting) PetaPixel article, and was inspired to create a Film Simulation Recipe. The picture itself sent me down a long rabbit hole; while the photograph in the article served as one of the reference photos, it was far from the only. Actually, I couldn’t closely match that particle picture, but it served as inspiration nonetheless. After sleuthing, I discovered that the image was captured on Kodak Gold 200. But why was it so green? That question is what opened up the rabbit hole.
Kodak Gold 200 is particularly prone to a green cast, and there are a whole bunch of things that can cause it. Underexposure. Heat (such as left in a hot car). Expired. Waiting too long to develop after exposure. Fluorescent lights. Airport scanners. Improper development. Improper storage of negatives prior to scanning. Poor color correction of the scan. Those are the main reasons. That lead me to a trove of Kodak Gold 200 examples that had various levels of green casts.
Clearance Parking – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak Gold 200 v3
This Kodak Gold 200 v3 Film Simulation Recipe is modeled after some of those Kodak Gold 200 photographs that have a green cast. Quite obviously I couldn’t match all of them, because there was so much variance. For most of the references pictures I’m not sure what exactly caused the cast. This definitely isn’t a “normal” Kodak Gold 200 Recipe; for that, I recommend this, this, or this. But, if you’d like an alternative aesthetic that is perhaps a bit more lomo, this is a fun Recipe to try.
Kodak Gold 200 v3 is an App Patron Early-Access Recipe. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you have access to it right now. If not, no worries, as it will eventually be made available to everyone, once it is replaced by a new Early-Access Recipe. As of this writing, it is only compatible with the Fujifilm X100VI and X-T50; however, once Fujifilm brings Reala Ace to the other fifth generation cameras (supposedly this summer), it will be compatible with the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20, too.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Gold 200 v3 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100VI:
Green Girl – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Yellow-Orange Flowers on a Green Bush – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Spring Trumpets – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Village Green Fountain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Spitting Lion – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Lion Spewing Water – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Lion Fountain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
No, No – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Oleander Parking – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Small Palm Frond – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Red Mustang – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Bumper Stickers – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Red Chair with Flowers – El Segundo, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Yellow Flower & Tree Trunk – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Tree Trunk at a Park – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Neighborhood Trees & Partly Cloudy Sky – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Parking Garage Reflected – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Photo Potential – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Paleta Cart – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Toyota – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
First Order TIE Echelon – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
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Orange Twist – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – California Summer
This California Summer Film Simulation Recipe was so much fun to create! I’m a big fan of Preet (Instagram), a photographer from Dubai. I really like his photographic style and picture aesthetics. If you’ve never seen his images, definitely check out his work—you’re in for a treat! This Recipe was modeled after some of his recent photographs.
Nearly four years ago I created a Recipe called Bright Summer that was inspired by Preet. That Recipe was the sixth most used last month (May 2024), so it’s quite popular. Funny enough, Preet himself called it Preetra 400, and I see that nickname used from time-to-time on social media. Preet doesn’t utilize camera-made JPEGs (as far as I’m aware, anyway), but prefers to edit RAW files; he even offers Lightroom Presets, should you wish to RAW-edit your pictures similarly to his (or just to support him as an artist).
Original Chop Shop – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI – California Summer
The specific photographs that inspired this California Summer Recipe were from Preet’s recent trip to America—specifically, Texas. You can find these pictures on his Instagram. Obviously this Recipe doesn’t resemble all of his pictures, just certain ones; however, I think you can spot those pretty easily, because this Recipe is a pretty good match. Not 100%, but definitely very close. It would be a great honor if he ever tried this one someday.
I wasn’t sure what to name this Recipe. I called it “Preet Texas” in my camera, and initially “Texas Summer” for the article title. After carefully reviewing the pictures that I captured with this Recipe, I really felt that it produces a quintessential California summertime vibe. So at the last moment I renamed it to California Summer. I think that name matches the picture aesthetic well.
Colorful Shell – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – California Summer
For best results, use this Recipe in sunny daylight situations. It does well in harsh midday light and especially golden hour. It can be alright in shade. I would avoid it for indoor artificial light and nighttime photography, although under the right conditions I’m sure it can be ok for that, too. This California Summer Recipe is compatible with fifth-generation X-series cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50 cameras. You can probably use this with newer GFX models, but I’ve not tested it for that, and it will likely render slightly different (don’t be afraid to try, though).
Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg. Dynamic Range: DR400 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak White Balance: 6700K, -1 Red & -6 Blue Highlight: -2 Shadow: -1 Color: +4 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -4 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this California Summer Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X100VI & X-T50:
Palm Tops – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Information – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
A Sign to Drink Coffee – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Four Carts – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Squares & Fronds – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Food Mart – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Yellow Apartments – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
STK – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Yellow Wall – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Rooftop – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Pacific Coast – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Fiesta Flags – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Flying Ace – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Loop – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Xcelerator – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Pines – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Wood – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Coaster Tracks – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Spinning Dog – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Wheel Through Glass – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Rock Wall – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Tree in a Meadow – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Forest Sunstar – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Colorful Rock – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Last Light on Tall Rocks – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T50
Fast Car – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Horse Fountain – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
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