CineStill 400D is a cinematic color negative film meant for C41 processing that’s been around for less than a year. Unlike other cinematic films, the “D” doesn’t apparently stand for “Daylight” (even though it is Daylight balanced), but “Dynamic” because it has a large latitude for push processing. I’ve had a number of requests to create a Film Simulation Recipe that mimics the aesthetic of CineStill 400D. The problem I encountered is that this emulsion has a lot more variance than most films. All films can produce different looks depending on a host of factors, including how shot, developed, and scanned, but CineStill 400D seems especially so. As I understand, this film “scans flat” and some degree of post-processing is necessary, which likely accounts for some of that variance, as each photographer will manipulate the file to their own tastes to produce a final image.

No one recipe will ever come close to replicating all of the possible aesthetics from CineStill 400D, so instead I’m publishing a series of CineStill 400D Film Simulation Recipes, each a facsimile of a different look produced by the film. This recipe—CineStill 400D v2—has less contrast and leans more red/purple than the previous version. I think it is especially well suited for “golden hour” photography, but it is also a good option for overcast, shade, and midday sun. While it is certainly usable for many genres of photography, I particularly appreciate this one for urban and street photography.

This CineStill 400D v2 recipe was a joint effort between myself and Nestor Pool (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube). We went back-and-forth on the settings, trying to match some examples of the film. After a few attempts, we decided it was best to focus on the “right feel” for what we wanted than an exact replication of the emulsion, especially since there was so much variance. After more fine-tuning, this is the recipe we created together. Nestor recommends using a 5% Moment CineBloom filter with these settings, although I didn’t do that with these pictures because my filter doesn’t have the right thread size for the lenses I used. It was a real honor to work with Nestor Pool, and I want to give him a special “thank you” for his efforts on this!

This CineStill 400D v2 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with “newer” Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras—X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II—and all X-Trans V models—as of this writing, X-T5, X-H2, and X-H2S. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with the X-T3 and X-T30. Those with newer GFX models should be able to use it, too, but the rendering will be slightly different (try it anyway). Click here for CineStill 400D v1.

Film Simulation: Astia
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: Fluorescent 1, -2 Red & +4 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -2
Shadow: 0
Color: +2
Sharpness: -2
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -4
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “CineStill 400D v2” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:

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

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 250 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!