Someone pointed out something interesting to me: the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4 has “Film Tones” that take close inspiration from Fujifilm. Specifically, CC Film and NC Film are “Fuji-inspired” (as DJI puts it), and are obviously similar to Fujifilm’s Classic Chrome and Classic Negative Film Simulations (apparently, CC Film more so than NC Film). These are intended to give a finished look straight-out-of-camera.
First, as Oscar Wilde famously stated (or maybe he didn’t, it’s apparently debatable), “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” That’s not a dig on DJI, but simply noting that 1) Fujifilm’s Film Simulation are both great and popular, and 2) someone’s approximation of it will never be quite the same as the real thing (but maybe it doesn’t need to be). If something is successful, there will be copycats—sometimes close copies and sometimes more of an “inspired by” situation. I’m not sure what type of copyrights and trademarks Fujifilm may have for (say) Classic Chrome, or if DJI infringed on it, but my guess is that legally speaking, it’s all ok (I’m not an attorney, though).
I personally don’t take issue with DJI copying Fujifilm; however, maybe they should have been more discrete about it. As Albert Einstein famously stated (or maybe he didn’t, it’s apparently debatable—a theme in today’s post), “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” Flaunting it is a little brash. Call it Chrome Color Film and Negative Color Film and don’t mention that it’s trying to emulate Fujifilm’s Film Simulations. Or, the other option is to be upfront and honest about the origins and intentions, giving Fujifilm credit for the inspiration. I like that better, actually. And maybe there’s a point to it.
The problem when you use multiple camera brands to record clips that will be included in the same video is that they look different. With enough grading, you can get them to be similar enough, but that’s a lot of work. Now imagine that you have an X-H2s or X-S20 or some other Fujifilm camera, and you’re using the Classic Chrome Film Simulation to record clips (so as to reduce or eliminate color grading) for a YouTube video; you also have the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 for some clips, and on it you’re using the CC Film Tone. In that situation, you’re going to spend less time in software because all of the clips are going to have a similar aesthetic out of the camera.
So, if you’re a videographer that uses Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulations, you might find the new DJI camera to be an intriguing option for certain situations, as a companion to your larger gear. Perhaps that’s their point: not necessarily to convince people to buy their camera instead of a Fujifilm model, but as a potentially complimentary tool for Fujifilm photographers. At least that’s my take on it. The addition of Fujifilm-like profiles is appealing to me as a Fujifilm photographer; however, at least for the time being, the DJI camera is not available in the US.
Flower Farm – Buellton, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Vivid Chrome
Among landscape photographers, Fujichrome Velvia is legendary. This line of color slide films was introduced by Fujifilm in 1990, and quickly became the gold standard for vibrant photography. The first iteration was called Velvia RVP, which had an ISO of 50, delivering ultra-fine grain, exceptional sharpness, and intensely saturated hues (especially in greens and reds). Now it’s called Velvia 50, which is nearly identical to the original emulsion (the largest difference is the clear plastic base). There have also been two ISO 100 versions: Velvia 100 and Velvia 100F. Velvia 100, which was initially only sold in Japan before later becoming available internationally, is very similar to Velvia 50, but slightly less vivid, making it better for portraits. Velvia 100F was the most different, with the lowest saturation and leaning less warm, and overall a little more Provia-ish than Velvia 50. Mostly, when people say “Velvia” they mean Velvia 50.
One of the architects of the Velvia Film Simulation also worked on the Velvia 100 and Velvia 100F emulsions. This Film Simulation was intended to closely mimic the aesthetic of the film; however, Fujifilm has stated that technology precluded them from initially achieving what they wanted, and so Velvia has had to evolved a bit over time. While some might prefer the Velvia Film Simulation from one sensor generation over another (which is great, as each has its own charm), the current output from fifth-generation cameras is probably the most refined, the most like how Fujifilm wanted it to be in the first place. Factory-default Velvia looks nice, and seems to aim in-between Velvia 100 and Velvia 100F. With some adjustments, one can tweak it to achieve a lot of various looks, many of them only subtly different.
Factory-default Velvia Film Simulation (no Recipe)
Vivid Chrome Recipe
Vivid Velvia Recipe
I’ve published 30 Recipes that use the Velvia Film Simulation. By utilizing the Filter By Simulation feature in the Fuji X Weekly App (available for both Apple and Android), you can quickly and easily find all of them. For the sake of this article, I wanted to compare some of the most recently published Velvia-based Recipes, specifically: Velvia Film, Vivid Velvia, Vivid Chrome, Velvia Slide, and Velvia 100F. The differences between these five Recipes might not be immediately obvious, so I wanted to compare them, to provide a better idea.
Velvia Film is a part of the Film Dial Recipe set. It’s unintentionally similar to Velvia 50 with a warming filter. Because it uses the Auto White Priority White Balance, it’s an extremely versatile Recipe, and is great for night photography. Vivid Velvia is intended to be similar to The Rockwell Recipe, just slightly less extreme. It’s also very versatile, and is also along the lines of Velvia 50 with a warming filter. Those two are the most similar among these five Recipes. Vivid Chrome is the newest Velvia Recipe. It was intended specifically for colorful travel photography, and is by chance in the general ballpark of Velvia 100. Velvia Slide was an attempt to replicate Velvia 100, and it seems to do so pretty well in some circumstances and less so in others. This is currently a Patron-only Early-Access Recipe available only to Fuji X Weekly App subscribers. Last but not least is Velvia 100F, which is a part of the Universal Negative Recipe set. It’s unintentionally in the general ballpark of Velvia 100F, although not a perfect match.
Beach Chairs – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Velvia Film
Mountain Grass & Flowers – Boulder, CO – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Velvia Slide
Small Flowing Creek – Queen Creek, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI – Velvia 100F
These five Recipes have their strengths and weaknesses. They’re good for various subjects and scenarios, and less good for others. Velvia Film and Vivid Velvia are the most colorful and warm; Velvia Film leaning slightly warmer and Vivid Velvia leaning slightly more vibrant, but overall very similar. Both are quite versatile. Vivid Velvia is the sharpest. You might find these two Recipes to be just a bit too wild sometimes, but perfect for landscapes where you want the colors to pop. Vivid Chrome is just slightly more subdued, producing bold images without being over-the-top. In a lot of ways, this is a Goldilocks option. Velvia Slide and especially Velvia 100F are less warm, with cooler cast; the Velvia 100F Recipe leans a little green. These two also are less vibrant than the others, especially Velvia 100F, which is the least saturated of these five. In situations where the others are too warm and colorful, you might like these last two.
Below are each of these five Recipes in three different scenes (the third scene was captured by my wife, Amanda). When you compare the Recipes side-by-side, the differences stand out more. Maybe you’re drawn more to one, and maybe there’s one that you especially dislike. We all have our own tastes and styles. I do think that each of these five can be excellent for the right subject and lighting. Let’s take a look!
It’s your turn! Which of these five Fujifilm Recipes was your favorite in each scene above? Which was your least favorite? Which Velvia-based Recipe do you like that I didn’t include in this exercise? Let me know in the comments!
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Windmill – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm X-E5 – Nostalgic Air
I first met Hayden Goldsworthy on a photowalk nearly two years ago. He is extraordinarily knowledgable about Fujifilm cameras (that’s a massive understatement), and is extremely well acquainted with Film Simulations, the various JPEG options, and Fujifilm Recipes. He has lead some Fujifilm events and workshops, and been to many others. Some of you may have met him. When I saw that he had created a Recipe, I knew it would be a good one. I immediately asked if I could share it with you all on Fuji X Weekly, and he happily agreed. Thank you, Hayden!
“Ever since Nostalgic Negative was introduced in 2022,” Hayden told me, “I’ve been drawn to it. It really lives up to Fujifilm’s description—warm, amber, and nostalgic—but what stood out to me the most was how flexible it felt as a base for creating something unique. One of the first NN Recipes that really clicked for me was 1976 Kodak. I used it extensively, including on multiple paid wedding shoots, and I never felt the need to adjust it. That Recipe has a consistent everyday look that works in a wide range of situations, and it’s a big part of why I developed a soft spot for Nostalgic Negative in the first place.”
Sunset Saguaro – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5 – Nostalgic Air
“Since then,” he continued, “I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting and gradually refining my own take on it. Nostalgic Air is the result of that process—something that’s been slowly shaped over time rather than built all at once. It really came together during a trip to Destin, Florida. The bright blue skies, warm sand, and sunlit buildings made the strengths of the Recipe stand out. The colors felt light and pastel without losing their vibrancy, and the overall rendering had a soft, open quality that matched the environment perfectly. That was the moment it clicked as something worth keeping.”
“From there,” Hayden stated, “I made a few final adjustments to improve its consistency across different lighting conditions. While it naturally shines in sunny environments, I’ve found it to be just as reliable outside of golden and blue hour, which made it feel like a strong everyday option. My goal was to create something soft, airy, and natural—leaning into peachy highlights and calm blues—while still maintaining flexibility. Despite looking great straight out of camera, I intentionally built this Recipe to leave room for subtle curve adjustments when needed. At times I like to gently crush the shadows, and more often I’ll shape the highlights to add a bit more pop. That flexibility is a big part of why I named it Nostalgic Air. “
Small Boat Dock – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5 – Nostalgic Air
“Nostalgic Negative can sometimes introduce greens and yellows that feel a bit off to me,” he said, “so the White Balance Shift helps push warmer peach-like tones while keeping a subtle teal balance. I tend to slightly overexpose when using this Recipe, using +2/3 to +1 exposure compensation; in higher-contrast scenes, like golden hour or harsh light, I’ll expose for the highlights to keep things under control. I also love pairing this with a Tiffen Glimmerglass 1 diffusion filter.” Nostalgic Air is compatible with all fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras: X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. Thanks again, Hayden! It’s an honor to use your Recipe, and host it on Fuji X Weekly.
Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg. Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Off Color Chrome FX Blue: Off White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & -1 Blue Dynamic Range: DR-Auto Highlight: -1 Shadow: 0 Color: +4 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -3 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all unedited camera-made JPEGs using this Nostalgic Air Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E5:
Fog in Avalon Bay – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Welcome to Avalon – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Onboard Docked Boat – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Empty Cafe Table – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Suzuki – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
In-N-Out – Rialto, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Thank You – Rialto, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Rural Flowers – Buellton, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Western Wear – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Rocks Framed by Cactus – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Flash Flood Area – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Golden Light on Hidden Saguaro – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Tall Cholla – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Sunset Cholla – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Aquila – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Aquila Place Hotel – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Nighttime Windmill – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
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Assuming that Fujifilm’s sixth-generation cameras are right around the corner—probably five or six months out—what should be different about it? I don’t want to answer that question in this article, but it is what made me think of today’s topic: which Film Simulation should come next? Looking back, Classic Chrome was introduced with X-Trans II, Eterna with X-Trans III (sort of), Classic Negative and Eterna Bleach Bypass with X-Trans IV, and Nostalgic Neg. and Reala Ace with X-Trans V. There’s a significant chance that a new Film Simulation or two will arrive during the next generation. What should they be?
I don’t think that Fujifilm should concentrate solely on introducing new Film Simulations. There are plenty of opportunities for improvements and advancements throughout the cameras, and I’m sure they are working on all of that. Within the Recipe realm, there are a number of potential options, including split-toning (for both color and B&W), faded blacks, vignetting, halation, and light-leaks. Since there is a good likelihood that a new Film Sim is coming, let’s briefly discuss some options that Fujifilm could possibly choose from.
I know that there’s already PRO Neg. Hi and PRO Neg. Std, both of which are reminiscent of the Fujicolor PRO line of films. While Fujifilm has claimed that Reala Ace is modeled after the film of the same name, it really isn’t; it’s much more similar to Fujicolor PRO 160C and not Reala Ace, which is in the Superia line. Classic Negative is a much closer match to actual Reala Ace film. The Reala Ace Film Simulation is essentially a third PRO Neg., and it probably should have been called PRO Neg. C (although Reala Ace is a much better name for marketing purposes). Since there’s already three PRO Neg. Film Simulations, why do we need another? The answer is simple: none of them are quite like Fujicolor PRO 400H. That film stock is legendary, especially among wedding photographers. It famously turns pastel with overexposure. If Fujifilm can make a Film Simulation that closely resembles PRO 400H film and behaves similarly with overexposure, that would be an instant hit. Of course making a Film Simulation that can withstand a stop or two of overexposure without blowing out the highlights would be a challenge, but I have faith that Fujifilm could pull it off.
Fortia
Rose in Frame 7 – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Pop Color Advanced Filter
Urban legend says that Fortia was an accident, a botched batch of Velvia 50 that was wildly vivid. Instead of trashing it, they sold it as a special run in Japan during the cherry blossoms. It was such a hit that they recreated it and sold it (only in Japan and now under the name Fortia SP) from 2005 to 2007 around the time of the cherry blossoms. Interestingly, Pop Color in Advanced Filters is surprisingly similar to Fortia. I think it’s time for it to graduate from an Advanced Filter to Film Simulation, so that we can add Grain, Color Chrome Effect, etc., to it. While the Velvia Film Simulation is indeed vivid, I think some nature and landscape photographers would welcome one that’s beyond Velvia.
Velvia XPRO
Red Caboose – Boron, CA – FED 5c – Fujichrome Velvia 50 cross processed
Back in the day, cross processing was a fun experiment. Cross processing, also sometimes called xpro, was simply developing film in chemistry that was not intended for that film. It could mean a lot of things, but most commonly it was developing slide film in C41 chemistry. My personal favorite film for this was Velvia 50. It would be really cool if Fujifilm made a Film Simulation that replicated cross processed Velvia. Or maybe this is something that could be added to Advanced Filters should Pop Color become a Film Simulation.
Infrared Chrome
Red Yucca in the White Sand – White Sands NP, NM – Fujifilm X-T4 ES – Aerochrome v2 Recipe
I love infrared photography with my full-spectrum Fujifilm X-T4 ES. RNI has an app that replicates Aerochrome on any digital photo. I don’t see why Fujifilm couldn’t make a Film Simulation that resembles Aerochorme, but obviously they’d need to change the name. I think a lot of people are interested in IR photography, but full-spectrum cameras aren’t particularly common and the cost to convert a camera is expensive. This would give a faux-IR experience in a non-IR camera, and without the need of various filters.
Expired Film
Railroad Museum Diptych – Savannah, GA – Fujifilm X half – Expired Film Filter
Expired Film is a really cool Filter on the Fujifilm X half. It’s definitely not for every subject or situation, but it can be great occasionally. If they don’t make it a Film Simulation, at the very least it should be added to Advanced Filters on other X-series cameras.
Now it’s your turn! In your opinion, what Film Simulation should Fujifilm make next? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear your ideas.
White Bridge across Pond – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
I’ve been asked a couple of times lately which Fujifilm Recipes are the best. Someone also asked which Recipes are my favorite for each Film Simulation. Of course “best” is a subjective term, making it impossible to answer; however, if you consider “best” as a synonym to “my personal favorite” then we can move forward answering these questions. Instead of compiling a list of (say) the Top 10 Best Recipes, I decided to tackle this by sharing my favorite Recipe for each Film Simulation.
Some of these were difficult decisions because I have so many favorite Recipes for Classic Chrome, Classic Negative, Reala Ace, Nostalgic Neg. and Eterna. I’m not 100% sure that I actually chose the best, and it probably depends on what day of the week you ask me. If I had written this yesterday or if I procrastinated until tomorrow, some of the selections might be different. I guess take this list with a small grain of salt.
I also included a “runners up” selection for each Film Simulation. Those Recipes were in the running as possible picks for the best, but didn’t quite make the cut. For Classic Chrome and Classic Negative, I could have made the runners up list much longer, and I still would have felt like I left some worthy contenders out. And I know that I did leave a large number of excellent Recipes out of this list, but that’s just the way it goes. So feel free to tell me in the comments what you agree with, what you disagree with, and which Recipes should have been mentioned but weren’t.
Spring Wildflowers & Dead Wood – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-Pro2 – Provia Slide
Provia Slide is a Recipe for X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30 by setting Color Chrome Effect to Off. It’s probably the most ideal Provia Recipe, just really lovely. Generally speaking, I’m not a big fan of the Provia film sim, but this Recipe forces me to like it.
Red Yucca in the White Sand – White Sands NP, NM – Fujifilm X-T4 ES – Aerochrome v2
I love Velvia for colorful landscape photography, and there are a number of excellent options. Being pressed to choose my favorite, the obvious answer is Aerochrome v2, a Recipe for full-spectrum infrared cameras, like the X-T4 ES. This Recipe is an absolute thrill; unfortunately, most can’t use it.
Astia is a Film Simulation that I have to warm up to, it’s not one that I typically choose. But there are a number of good Recipes that use Astia as the base, and my favorite is CineStill 400D v2, which was collaboratively created by Nestor Pool and myself.
Red Barn – Ronks, PA – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodachrome 64
Classic Chrome is the king of Film Simulations. There are probably 25 or more Recipes that could have been chosen to represent the “best” but Kodachrome 64 jumped out to me as the one I should pick. There are so many excellent ones, and I feel like the five “runners up” below is a significantly insufficient selection—lots of great Recipes were unfortunately excluded.
Service – Bisbee, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm
Even though this is the newest Film Simulation, there are a lot of excellent Reala Ace Recipes. I went back-and-forth a bit, but decided on Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm, which is a part of the Film Dial set. The Reala Ace film sim is essentially a “better” PRO Neg.—as Fujifilm put it, a negative for the new era.
Spiky Arms – Saguaro National Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – PRO Negative 160C
Between PRO Neg. Hi and PRO Neg. Std, I tend to choose the latter much more often than the former. Now that we have Reala Ace, I don’t go for either very often anymore. But there are some good Recipes to choose from, and for PRO Neg. Hi, PRO Negative 160C is my favorite.
Urban Binding – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Fujicolor 100 Industrial
I have several favorite Recipes for PRO Neg. Std, but Fujicolor 100 Industrial, which is for X-Trans III cameras (plus the X-T3/X-T30), is something special.
Misty Saguaro– Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Pacific Blues
Classic Negative is one of my top favorite Film Simulations. Like Classic Chrome, choosing a top favorite and narrowing to just five “runners up” was difficult, and I’m certain I left a number of excellent ones off the list. With that said, Pacific Blues seemed like a good choice to represent this film sim as the best Recipe.
The Nostalgic Neg. film sim is one that seems to work very well or only so-so, just depending on the subject and lighting. Of the various color Film Simulations, I would probably rank this one fifth best. There are a number of excellent Recipes that use Nostalgic Neg. as the base, and 1970’s Summer is probably my top favorite.
Working – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodak Vision3 250D
The Eterna Film Simulation is probably most often used for video, but it is excellent for stills, too. It has a unique tonality that can be fun to experiment with. While I chose Kodak Vision3 250D as my favorite, it was a difficult decision, and any of the five below could have just as easily been chosen instead.
Low Sun over Tetons – Grand Teton NP, WY – Fujifilm X-E4 – Ferrania Solaris FG 400
I feel like Eterna Bleach Bypass is one of the least used color film simulations, maybe even the least used. But that doesn’t mean it’s not good, because it certainly can be great. My favorite Recipe that uses Eterna Bleach Bypass is Ferrania Solaris FG 400, but the runners up below are good, too.
Pool Remnant – Rodanthe, NC – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodak Tri-X 400
When people ask what my favorite Recipe is, I often tell them Kodak Tri-X 400, which was created by Anders Lindborg. This is my favorite B&W Recipe, and one of my top Recipes, period. Acros is such a great Film Simulation, and this Recipe really makes the most of it.
Horsetail Falls From Bridge – Columbia River Gorge, OR – Fujifilm X100V – Ilford HP5 Plus 400
I don’t like the Monochrome Film Simulation (which is simply Provia without color) nearly as much as Acros, but it can still be a good base for black-and-white Recipes. Ilford HP5 Plus 400, which was also created by Anders Lindborg, is my favorite that uses the Monochrome Film Simulation.
Last and least is Sepia. After Fujifilm introduced Monochromatic Color on X-Trans IV, which allows custom toning of B&W photos, the Sepia Film Simulation seemed obsolete. Still, it’s found on every Fujifilm camera. I haven’t created very many Sepia-based Recipes, but there are a few. B&W Sepia, which is a part of the Universal Negative set, is my personal favorite.
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Flower Farm – Buellton, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Vivid Chrome
Fujifilm Nordic asked if I’d be interested in making a Film Simulation Recipe specifically designed for Denmark that would be unveiled at the upcoming Fujikina event in Copenhagen next month. Of course I said yes! I made three Recipes, and then traveled to Solvang and Catalina Island in California to test them out. Solvang is probably the most Danish town in America, so that was an obvious choice. Catalina Island has more of a Mediterranean vibe than Baltic Sea, but it’s colorful and leans slightly European, making it another good option. After photographing with each of the three Recipes at those two locations, the winner was obvious to me. That Recipe will be unveiled in Copenhagen in a little less than a month, and published on Fuji X Weekly a short time later. Second place was Avalon Ace, which is currently available in the Fuji X Weekly App. This Recipe, called Vivid Chrome, came in last; however, it’s very nice, and I’m sure many of you will appreciate it. Even though it didn’t win, it’s still a winner.
Vivid Chrome is probably most reminiscent of Fujichrome Velvia 100, but it’s not intended to be a replication of that or any other specific film. The idea was more to produce good results for colorful scenes. This Recipe produces punchy, vibrant colors; however, it’s also slightly restrained, and avoids being too over-the-top. This is a great option for landscape photography, and also for travel if you’ll be someplace colorful. This Recipe works best in sunny daylight, and can be ok for nighttime photography in the right lighting situations.
The Vivid Chrome Recipe is compatible with all fifth-generation Fujifilm X-series cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III. It’s also compatible with “newer” fourth-generation models: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. Additionally, it works well on the latest GFX cameras, like the GFX100S, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF.
Film Simulation: Velvia Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Off White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -2 Blue Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -1 Shadow: -0.5 Color: +2 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: +3 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Vivid Chrome Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E5, GFX100RF, and GFX100S II:
Green Pleasure Pier & Boats in the Bay – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Shoreboat – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Nautical Preparations – Catalina, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Docked Boats in Avalon Bay – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Green Rope on a Dock – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Yellow Rope in the Water – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Ready for a Ride – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Avalon Morning – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Hotel St. Lauren – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Atwater Hotel at Dusk – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Christmas Window – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Patina Rooftop – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Office – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Windmill Morning – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Hamlet Square Ice Cream – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Golden Light on Windmill – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Last Light on Solvang – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Windmill Closeup – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Danish Design – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Hotel – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Green Apex – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Pinnacle – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Flower Bed – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Field of Flowers – Buellton, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Flower Field – Buellton, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Prickly Cactus – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Superstition Mountains – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Western Desert Girl – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
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Dark Cloud Over The Dark Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push-Process
Some people like grainy photos, and some people don’t. Back in the film days, there were photographers who chose their film based on the grain. Kodachrome 25 was a one of the finest-grained color films, and some liked it for the near lack of grain. Kodak Tri-X 400 had a strong grain structure, and some preferred the character of it over options with finer grain. Personally, I like grain in my photos, because it adds texture and feels more organic. Digital photography can be super clean, essentially “grain-free” (noise free, really), but to me that’s a bit clinical or sterile. With your Fujifilm camera, you can choose to keep the ISO low and Grain set to Off for a clean image, or you can bump up the ISO and select Strong/Large Grain for texture and character, or anything in-between. There’s no right or wrong approach, only what each photographer wants for their pictures.
For those who desire a lot of grain and not just a little, below are 10 Fujifilm Recipes that will produce grainy pictures. These aren’t the only ones (this is not an exhaustive list by any means), just some that I think you might like. For more, use the Filter By Categories feature in the Fuji X Weekly App, and select Grain. If grainy photos are something you’re after, take a look at these Recipes.
Pickup Truck Taillight – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push-Process
The Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push-Process Recipe is super grainy not only because Grain is set to Strong, but also because it requires ISO 25600 or 51200. It’s a combination of the Grain setting, the built-in Grain that the Acros Film Simulation has (which increases as the ISO increases), and the digital noise from the ultra-high ISO that makes it especially grainy, the most of any Recipe. It’s not the easiest to use in sunny daylight (an ND filter helps), but it produces a lot of texture, if that’s something you want. Besides, it can come in handy in low-light situations. This Recipe is specifically for the X-T3 and X-T30; to make it compatible with newer cameras, set Grain size to Large, Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.
Fujifilm’s first official Recipe, FRGMT B&W—created by fashion designer, producer, and artist Hiroshi Fujiwara—was included in a limited edition of the GFX100RF. I asked for and received permission to publish it on Fuji X Weekly. This is a contrasty and grainy black-and-white Recipe that produces dramatic results. It’s compatible with fourth and fifth-generation X-series cameras, as well as newer GFX models.
The Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe was a collaborative effort between Anders Lindborg and the lateJohn Sevigny. This is one of the best black-and-white Recipes, producing dramatic and grainy images. For more grain, use ISO 3200 and higher. It’s compatible with fourth and fifth-generation X-series cameras, as well as newer GFX models.
Low Clouds Over Manhattan – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak Tri-X 400
My personal favorite B&W Recipe is Kodak Tri-X 400, which was created by Anders Lindborg. This Recipe requires a minimum ISO of 1600, and the higher you go the grainier it gets. It has compatibility with X-Trans III, X-Trans IV, and X-Trans V cameras, as well as GFX. It can be modified a few different ways, which is discussed in the Recipe article.
Classic B&W is a newer monochromatic Recipe that I really like. For grainer photos, increase the ISO (all the way to 12800 if you’d like). It’s compatible with fourth and fifth-generation X-series cameras, as well as newer GFX models.
Orange Lighter & Abandoned Home – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – GAF 500
Mimicking the aesthetic of the highest ISO color slide film of the ’60’s and ’70’s, the GAF 500 Recipe requires using an ultra-high ISO: 12800! This Recipe is compatible with fourth-generation X-series cameras; for fifth-generation, simply reduce Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak (instead of Strong). You can use it on newer GFX cameras, too.
Protect our Wildlife – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams
Urban Dreams produces a look somewhat similar to Kodachrome 200, a high-ISO version of Kodachrome introduced in 1986 and discontinued in 2006. It was never as popular as Kodachrome 64 or even Kodachrome 25 due to its pronounced grain. This Recipe is not an exact match for that film, but not terribly far off, either. It’s for fourth-generation models; while it can be used on fifth-generation cameras, the results will be just slightly different.
Fujicolor Natura 1600 is a Recipe that mimics one of the highest ISO color films. I really like this one, personally. The Recipe linked above is for fourth-generation cameras; however, there is a version for fifth-generation models.
Corndog – San Francisco, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – 1970’s Summer
One of my personal favorite Recipes is 1970’s Summer. It seems to either work really well or only ok, but when it works really well it is absolutely fantastic! It’s compatible with fifth-generation cameras and the latest GFX models.
Church – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Last but certainly not least is Pacific Blues, another personal favorite Recipe. While intended for a sunny day at the beach, this one delivers dramatic photos in a variety of situations. The Recipe linked above is for fourth-generation cameras; however, there is a version for fifth-generation models.
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more in the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Fujirumors posted a poll asking which future sixth-generation camera would excite you the most. As I looked at the list, I had to ask myself: what would make me buy that camera? For example, I have an X-T5 that I’m very happy with, what feature upgrade would make me buy an X-T6? I did that with the X100VII, X-E6, etc., and each time I had trouble answering the question. What would make me buy an X-Trans VI camera when I’m very happy with X-Trans V?
The obvious pick from the poll, which is the current frontrunner (by far), is the X-Pro4, and that’s because the X-Pro3 was discontinued several years back, and now there’s a significant hole in the lineup left by its absence. Over 40% of people who voted are “most excited” for this camera, but I highly doubt that the next X-Pro will account for anywhere close to 40% of sixth-generation camera sales. That model would simply fill an obvious hole, and that’s why so many voted for it.
One potential camera left off the list is an X70 successor. That’s a notable hole, and it might have even received more votes than the X-Pro4 had Fujirumors included it in the survey (I understand why they didn’t). The GFX100RF is essentially a medium-format X70, and it is apparently doing quite well for Fujifilm. I hope they can see that the market is ripe for an X-series version. If there’s a sixth-generation camera that I’m most excited for, this is it, if only Fujifilm would make it.
But let’s move away from specific models for moment. My original question was: what would make me buy an X-T6 when I already own an X-T5? The obvious answer is that I shouldn’t. It is generally good advice to skip a generation, and this is because successors come too quickly. I’ve advocated for longer gaps between new models for awhile now, but you can do this yourself by simply skipping every other version. For example, if you purchased an X-T1 twelve years ago, you would have skipped the X-T2 and bought an X-T3 six years ago, then you would have skipped the X-T4 and gone for the X-T5 instead, and you will pass on the X-T6 and wait for the X-T7, whenever that eventually comes.
Let’s just say, though, that some feature will be included on the next generation of X-series cameras that will entice you to buy. What would that be? The top answer you are likely to find on the internet, of course, is autofocus, but the AF is already plenty good enough for most people, and those who do complain, most of them could fix their AF woes themselves if they wanted to (how else do you explain those using the same exact gear in the same situations and aren’t having trouble?). I’ve already talked too much about AF, so I’m not going to go deeply into it, other than Fujifilm will improve it on the next generation of cameras; however, if they don’t make it more intuitive and work well straight-out-of-the-box without requiring the user to adjust settings in the menu, then the complainers are still going to complain. The issue isn’t so much the AF itself; however (and specifically), a lot of people don’t realize that they’re expected to do some work in order to get the most out of it, and even if they do realize, they may not know how. Solve that, and you largely solve AF, without any other improvements. For myself and the majority of customers, AF improvements are nice, but that alone isn’t enough to justify an upgrade; however, for some, an intuitiveness improvement might just do the trick.
Fujifilm Recipes sell Fujifilm cameras. I cannot tell you how many people have told me that the top reason they purchased a Fujifilm model was to use Recipes. Over the last two years, doing photowalks from coast-to-coast, to my surprise many of the sales people at various cameras stores (including some very big ones) told me that the top tool they use to sell Fujifilm cameras is the Fuji X Weekly App. They pull out their phone and show potential buyers what’s possible straight-out-of-camera, and that seals the deal (it would be nice if I got a little kickback…[insert winking emoji]). New Film Simulations and JPEG options will convince some—including myself—to buy a new camera. There are those who purchased an X-Pro3 simply for Classic Negative, when it was the only camera available with it for about four months. I would hope that Fujifilm fully realizes this, and it’s a part of their X-Trans VI plans.
The number one thing, though, that would make me purchase a sixth-generation model when I already own a fifth-generation iteration of that camera is fixing the Clarity pause. Clarity, which is a micro-contrast adjustment, is a great tool. Using plus-Clarity makes an image appear more crisp, kind of like using a Summicron lens, or like shooting with a sharp slide film such as Kodachrome. Using minus-Clarity is like a built-in diffusion filter, which makes an image appear more soft, and often more negative-film-like. It’s one of my favorite JPEG tools; however, it has an annoying side effect. Whenever Clarity is set to anything other than 0, it causes a short storing pause. It’s about the same amount of time as advancing to the next frame on a film camera. Things that slow you down can be good sometimes; however, if Fujifilm could reduce or even eliminate the Clarity pause, that would be awesome. I would consider upgrading for this alone.
Fifth-generation X-series cameras are excellent, and it’s hard to imagine improvements that are so dramatic that it would convince me to upgrade. Yes, there’s certainly room for improvement—no camera is perfect. But a new Film Simulation (maybe based on Fujicolor Pro 400H that turns pastel with overexposure), a new JPEG option (such as Light Leak from the Fujifilm X half), and especially a long-overdue fix to the Clarity pause, would go a long ways towards convincing me that I should.
Avalon Bay – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF – Avalon Ace
I have an upcoming project that requires the invention of a new Fujifilm Recipe. I’ll have more details on all that later, but the thing to know now is that I created a few different options, but there could only be one winner. This Avalon Ace Recipe is not the winner, it’s the runner up. I didn’t quite like it as much for the project as the one that won. In determining which Recipe would be chosen for the project, I used them all quite extensively (I have a lot of photos that I could include, this is only a small sampling). It was a tough choice. Even though this Recipe wasn’t the winner, I really like it, and I’m excited to share it with you!
I intended for the Avalon Ace Recipe to be especially great for travel photography, particularly coastal images with a lot of blue, and also European architecture. I wanted it to be analog-esque. I studied many film scans from various photographers who traveled across Europe—mostly (but not exclusively) Kodak stocks like Gold and Portra. While this Recipe isn’t specifically intended to mimic any one emulsion, the film-like character of the Recipe should be obvious. It should feel like you have an analog camera with you to document your journey.
Clearing Fog Over Avalon – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5 – Avalon Ace
The Avalon Ace Recipe is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. There is a mix of X and GFX images in this article, but mostly GFX. One obvious difference is Grain. Fujifilm doesn’t scale their faux grain for sensor size, so Grain looks smaller and more fine on GFX than X-series, and it looks much more pronounced on the X half (you can’t use Recipes on the X half…). If you were shooting film, you would expect grain to be smaller and less pronounced on 120 film than 35mm, and you’d expect grain to be larger and more pronounced on 110 film than 35mm. If you think of GFX as medium-format film, X-series as 35mm, and the X half as 110 film, it’s easier to come to terms with the Grain difference between sensor sizes.
This is a Fuji X Weekly App Early-Access Recipe, which means that it is currently only available to App Patrons; however, in time it will be available to everyone. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron subscriber, it’s available to you right now. Please note: currently there is a caching issue that seems to only affect Samsung Galaxy phones. I’m working on this problem, and will hopefully have it resolved soon. What it means is that if you have a Samsung Galaxy, it might not load the current data, and this Recipe might take days or even weeks to appear. Hopefully a fix will be ready in the coming days. I’m sorry for this issue.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Avalon Ace Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E5, GFX100S II and GFX100RF:
Marilla & Crescent – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Isuzu – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Garbage Truck – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Hotel St. Lauren – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
1901 Ford – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Low Clouds over Catalina Island – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
L74700 – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Guy Wearing Blue in a Boat – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Orange Bicycle – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Boats at a Dock – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Fishing Tackle – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Dock Corner – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Yellow Kayak – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Bird on a Kayak – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Clearing Clouds Over Avalon – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Boats in Avalon Bay – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Blue Sky, Blue Bay – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Lifesaver – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Disney Cruise – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Shore Chains – Avalon, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Rainbow Field – Buellton, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Flower Farm – Buellton, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Colorful Poppies – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Danish Building – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Fake Birds on Yellow Building – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
European Architecture – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Mission Drive Windmill – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm X-E5
Solvang Windmill – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
California’s Nordic – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Building Backside – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
The Landsby – Solvang, CA – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Superstitions Between Saguaros – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Girl in the Desert – Apache Junction, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 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.
View of the North Rim from the South – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – 1971 Kodak
I was flipping through the pages of a photo album that my grandma had put together a long time ago, when I saw something interesting. Most of the pictures in this book were captured before I was born, and some when I was very young. I came across a group of color prints that all looked similar. They were warm—very yellowish—with fairly subdued colors, kind of flat-looking, yet with a decent amount of contrast. Blown-out highlights was a commonality among many (but not all) of the prints. A month and year were printed on the border, along with a red fox. Kodak is faintly visible on the back of the paper.
I was very intrigued by the aesthetic of these photographs. It was much different than the prints from my childhood. There was an obvious resemblance to my 1970’s Summer Film Simulation Recipe, although not quite identical. So I set out to recreate it with my Fujifilm X-T5.
Grand Dome – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – 1971 Kodak
From the clues, I determined that the film was most likely Kodacolor-X, which was a popular color negative film from that era. It required the C-22 development process, which was a predecessor to C-41. The prints likely are a bit discolored and faded due to age, and probably looked slightly different when they were newly made. Many of them were square, and those were likely shot on a Kodak Instamatic camera and on 126 format film; the rectangular pictures are from 35mm film. Most of the prints were developed in 1971, although some had dates in 1972 printed on the border. The red fox indicates that it was developed at Fox Photo, which at the time was a popular one-hour photo lab. Interestingly, in the iconic mall scene in Back to the Future, it’s a Fox Photo that get’s destroyed by the VW van.
I made a scan of one of the prints, and it really messed up the look. I did my best to correct it to closely match the print, and I did get pretty close; however, it’s not 100% identical. I didn’t use this scan, but the prints themselves, to create the 1971 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe. I think you can still get a pretty good idea of what the prints look like from the scan.
A scan of one of the prints from 1971. The kid on the right with the trombone is my dad when he was 15.
The aesthetic that the 1971 Kodak Recipe is intended to produce is Kodacolor-X film printed on Kodak paper in the early-1970’s, and viewed today after aging. The most similar Recipe to this is 1970’s Summer, and I’ve included a comparison at the bottom so that you can see the difference. This Recipe is compatible with fifth-generation X-Trans cameras from Fujifilm, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III cameras, as well as the latest GFX models: GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. This Recipe pairs very well with vintage glass (or inexpensive third-party lenses with character), and is best for sunny daylight scenarios. This isn’t a new Recipe. It was a App Patron Early-Access Recipe for the last two years, but now it’s available to everyone.
Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg. Grain Effect: Weak, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak White Balance: 5900K, -1 Red & -6 Blue Dynamic Range: DR100 Highlight: +2 Shadow: -2 Color: -2 Sharpness: -4 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 1971 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:
BM&LP RR 6001 – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Standing at the edge of the Canyon – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Four Kids at the Canyon – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Golden Sunlight in the Canyon – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Garden Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Last of Autumn – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Backlit Backyard Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Leaf Pile – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Autumn Tree and Grey Sky – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Construction – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Old Saguaro Reaching High – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Pinyon Pine at the South Rim – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Lookout Store Sign – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Swift – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
No Teasing the Horses – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Comparison:
1970’s Summer Film Simulation Recipe
1971 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe
1970’s Summer Film Simulation Recipe
1971 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 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.
I remember a long time ago heading out with my old Canon AE-1 loaded with a roll of 35mm film. If I had planned ahead, I might have had a second or third roll in my pocket or camera bag. You were limited by the film you had loaded into the camera, and maybe the film in reserve. Having just a few options felt like a gift. Today, we find ourselves in a very different place. Fujifilm cameras offer a deep set of JPEG controls—there are over 400 hundred Fuji X Weekly Recipes and probably thousands available elsewhere online, so the possibilities seem nearly endless. And yet, sometimes, that abundance doesn’t feel freeing—it feels paralyzing.
Curiously, the more choices we have, the harder it can be to choose. You scroll through Recipes, finally narrowing it down to just seven—which you program into your camera—and head out to shoot. But instead of fully engaging with the scene in front of you, you find yourself wondering, is this the right Recipe? Which of these seven should I choose? Should I switch? Should I find a different Recipe entirely? Would another be better?
Misty Saguaro– Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Pacific Blues
Film didn’t work that way. When you loaded a roll of Kodachrome 64 or Portra 400 into your camera, you were committed, at least for 24 or 36 frames. Not because it was objectively the best choice for every situation, but because it was the choice you made when you loaded the roll. And in that commitment, you weren’t second-guessing, you were seeing. You worked with the light you had, the colors in front of you, and the characteristics of the film you chose. Limitations are not restrictive, they’re clarifying.
Fujifilm Recipes can function in much the same way, but only if we allow them to. The key is not to chase the perfect Recipe for every scenario, but to select a few that resonate with you and stick with them long enough to understand them. Learn how they respond to different light conditions. Discover their strengths, and (just as importantly) their weaknesses. Over time, those Recipes not only become familiar tools, but extensions of your creative voice.
Pool Remnant – Rodanthe, NC – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodak Tri-X 400
I think a simple approach can be helpful. Narrow your choices to just two or three Recipes. That’s it. Ideally, pick ones that complement each other, such as a versatile everyday color Recipe, a less versatile but stylized option, and maybe a black-and-white. This small set will cover most situations without overwhelming you, and it is more obvious when to choose each. Then commit to them. Don’t switch constantly. Give each Recipe time to prove itself. Use it in different lighting conditions and with different subjects. Pay attention to how it renders colors, how it handles highlights and shadows, and how it shapes the mood of your images. The goal is not to find a perfect match for every scene, but to learn how your chosen Recipes behave.
Once you’ve done that, select a different set of two or three and repeat the process. Then repeat it again. Once you’ve done it five or six times, you’ll have a really good idea of which seven Recipes are your favorites, and when each should be used. It will be second nature. And you might find yourself mostly sticking with a few of the seven, while the majority are only used occasionally when the time is right. When each Recipe has a role, the decision becomes easier because you’re no longer guessing, you’re selecting with intention.
This doesn’t mean you should ignore the wealth of Recipes available. Far from it. Exploration can be a lot of fun. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the choices, consider the suggestion above. Use the tools available in the Fuji X Weekly App, such as the new Filter By Categories feature, to really narrow it down. Then choose only a few, and really get to know them before trying out others.
The question isn’t whether there are too many Recipes—maybe there are, maybe the most ideal one for you hasn’t been created yet—it’s how many you truly need, and how do you find those. For most, we probably need less than we think we do—a few really good ones that match our personal aesthetic preferences and that we’re familiar enough with to know how to get the most out of them. A few well-chosen Recipes, used consistently, will take you much further than a camera full of options you’re unsure of when and how to use. Try out a few and use them for awhile, then try out a few more, until you’ve got a set that you’re comfortable with and have confidence in.
Last year, Reggie’s Portra, which uses Classic Chrome, was the number one most popular Fujifilm Recipe on Fuji X Weekly, and it’s on track to be number one this year, too. The creator of that Recipe is Reggie Ballesteros (website, YouTube, Instagram), and he just recently published a new Recipe based on Classic Negative called Reggie’s Superia. The two of us talked recently, and he was super kind to allow me to publish his Recipe on this website and in the Fuji X Weekly App—thank you for creating Reggie’s Superia and sharing it with the community!
Reggie Ballesteros, also known as Reggie B, created his famous Recipe nearly five years ago, and I published it on Fuji X Weekly four years ago. It’s steadily grown in popularity thanks to its versatility—it’s one of those Recipes you can use in pretty much any situation. Reggie told me that this new Recipe is not intended to replace Reggie’s Portra, but is an intentional expansion, providing an alternative aesthetic that’s more Fujicolor-like instead of Kodak-esque. He was inspired to create Reggie’s Superia after many requests for his take on the Classic Negative film simulation from the Fujifilm community.
The problem that Reggie found with most of the Classic Negative Recipes he has tried is that they tend to be calibrated for street or landscape photography, and not for portraiture, especially across a range of skin tones. He designed his Recipe specifically to retain depth and richness in melanated skin while simultaneously embracing a film-forward look. Reggie’s Superia is intended to be moodier, grainer, and more contrasty than his take on Portra, prioritizing character and emotion over tonal preservation or strict color accuracy. He told me that it is best suited for directional light, where the photographer consciously chooses to lean into highlights or shadows, oftentimes allowing either very dark shadows or slightly blown-out background highlights as part of the aesthetic.
The Fuji X Weekly Recipe that’s probably the most similar to Reggie’s Superia is Fujicolor Superia 100, but the two are notably divergent in a number of ways. 1-Hour Photo might also be considered somewhat similar. Actually, if Fujicolor Superia 100 and 1-Hour Photo had a baby, it might roughly be along the lines of Reggie’s Superia. If you like those two Recipes, you are highly likely to appreciate this one, too. I used Reggie’s Superia pretty extensively on a trip across Texas, and I really liked the results.
You’ll find the parameters to Reggie’s Superia below, but please watch the YouTube video above first, which explains a lot more about the Recipe, how to use it, and even how to program it into your camera. Once you’ve watched it, then come back for the Recipe parameters. Reggie’s Superia is designed for fifth-generation X-series cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III, as well as the latest GFX models; however, you can use it on fourth-generation cameras (except the X-T3 and X-T30), too, with slightly different results (most notably, the color blue will render a little less deeply)—Reggie says not to worry about the small differences, and just go for it.
Film Simulation: Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR-Auto Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -3 Blue Highlight: -2 Shadow: -1 Color: +1 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: 0 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using Reggie’s Superia Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E5 & X-T5:
Backlit Red Oleander Flowers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Spiderweb on Spent Rose Blooms – Humble, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Drainage Pond – Humble, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Big Brother & Little Sister Having Fun – Richland Hills, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Plastic Ax – Richland Hills, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Lube Express – Humble, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Hotel Windows – Humble, TX – Fujifilm X-T5
Old Main Street Tower – Grapevine, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Buc-ee’s – Madisonville, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Corvette Corner – Humble, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Good (Not Grim) Days – Humble, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Curtain – Richland Hills, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Boot – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Cowboy Jon – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Happy Jo – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Bride & Groom – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Bouquet on a Chair – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Wedding Flowers – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Grass – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Son and Dad – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Light Strand at Sunset – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Red Railroad Lights – Grapevine, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
D Y – Grapevine, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
White Cadillac – Grapevine, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Red Dirt – Grapevine, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Red Neon – Grapevine, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Christmas Lights – Grapevine, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Red Cowboy – Weatherford, TX – Fujifilm X-E5
Comparison:
Factory-default Classic Negative (no Recipe)
Fujicolor Superia 100 Recipe
Reggie’s Superia Recipe
1-Hour Photo Recipe
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Herbie on Route 66 – Antares, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100RF – 1-Hour Photo
There are 20 Film Simulations on the latest Fujifilm cameras. These Film Simulations are good on their own; however, they can be made even better by adjusting the various JPEG parameters into a Fujifilm Recipe, which are the factory-default JPEG settings fine-tuned in conjunction with a Film Simulation to form a new picture aesthetic. You can do this on most any camera from any brand, but Fujifilm’s JPEG processing engine is (in my opinion) the best in the industry. What you can do with it is more than with most brands, and what people have done is far and away more than any other brand. I’ve published more than 400 Recipes, which you can find on this website and in the Fuji X Weekly App.
But are Recipes actually better than the standard unmodified Film Simulations? Are they all that much different? Are the Film Simulations doing the heavy lifting, and all the other setting adjustments just minor tweaks? Should you use the factory-default settings in conjunction with the Film Simulations? Or is it better to find a good Recipe? That’s the subject of this article.
To clarify, Film Simulations cannot be modified. They are hard-set. You can’t increase or decrease their intensity. What can be modified are the other JPEG parameters, like Tone Curve (Highlight/Shadow), Color Chrome Effect, Grain, White Balance, etc., etc., etc.. When you change those settings—whether a little or a lot—to something other than factory-default (which is 0, Off, or Auto) and combine it with a Film Simulation, that’s a Recipe. I hope that all makes sense.
Fujifilm Recipes can produce a very subtle change to the picture aesthetic, or a very drastic one, or anything in-between. A lot of them tend to lean warm because most Fujifilm Recipes are modeled after film stocks—Kodak was by far the most prominent film manufacturer, and many of their emulsions had a warm cast. Aside from that, in the film era, it was quite common for photographers to use warming filters, further increasing the warmth. So it shouldn’t be surprising that many Recipes also tend to be warm; however, there’s a massive variety of looks possible with Recipes. There’s something for everyone if you look hard enough for it.
As you can see in the examples above, the difference between using a Recipe and not using a Recipe is pretty noticeable. The standard Film Simulations (no Recipe) don’t look bad at all, but the Recipes are definitely divergent, and (in my opinion) better. Of course, this is all quite subjective—there’s no right or wrong way to use Fujifilm cameras, Film Simulations, or Recipes. It’s about finding what works for you and your photography.
The best way to think about all this might be to consider a Film Simulation as the foundation, basement, and first floor of a building. Sometimes that’s all you need—for example, that’s perfect for a quick lube oil change business. Adjusting the settings to something other than factory-default (a.k.a. Recipes) is constructing the third, fourth, fifth, etc., floors into a high rise. When you look at a downtown cityscape, think of all those skyscrapers as Recipes. Some of the buildings are quite tall, some are ornate, some are unusual, others are fairly ordinary, and many are hidden in the shadows. Recipes take a Film Simulation to new heights.
Rainbow over Hoboken – Hoboken, NJ – Fujifilm X-T50 – Pushed Analog
To illustrate how one Film Simulation can produce many different looks, below are eight photos, each made with a different Classic Negative-based Recipe. Each one has its own character. Each produces its own unique picture aesthetic. I could repeat this with all of the Film Simulations. Perhaps one is perfect for you, perhaps none of them are. I simply want to show that one Film Simulation can make a variety of looks depending on the settings (Recipe). Maybe warm, neutral, or cool. Maybe high contrast, maybe low contrast. Maybe colorful or muted. Whatever look you are after, there’s a pretty good chance that a Recipe exists that will deliver that aesthetic. You just have to find it.
Let’s try something new: Recipe of the Month. The idea is to encourage you to try a Fujifilm Recipe that maybe has gone a bit under-the-radar, that isn’t necessarily popular, but is really good. You could consider this a challenge. Use this Recipe just once to see what it does, or use it exclusively throughout March to truly get acquainted with it, or anything in-between. That’s the idea, anyway.
For the very first Recipe of the Month, I selected CineStill 400D v2. This is an Astia-based Recipe that’s compatible with fourth-generation (except the X-T3/X-T30) and fifth-generation cameras, as well as newer GFX models (for those keeping score, that’s 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, X-TM5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100S, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF). It was collaboratively created by Nestor Pool and myself, and published three years ago. This Recipe is good in a lot of scenarios, but I especially love it for golden-hour photography—if you are just giving it a quick test drive, make sure that you use it during sunrise or sunset, because it’s especially good for that. CineStill 400D v2 is one of my favorite Recipes that use the Astia Film Simulation, and I think many of you will like it, too.
Above: Two pictures I made this morning using the CineStill 400D v2 Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E5.
If you do happen to use this Recipe during the next 31 days, and should you post the pictures to Instagram, feel free to tag me. I may or may not see it (I’m not on social media all the time, and I get tagged in a lot of pictures), but I would love the chance to view some of them. It would be a great way to spread the love for this Recipe, and hopefully introduce even more Fujifilm photographers to it.
If you are looking for a Fujifilm Recipe to try, let me recommend to you CineStill 400D v2. If you want to attempt the full Recipe of the Month challenge, starting today and continuing through March 31st, see what pictures you can create using this Recipe. If you simply want to kick the tires, program it into your camera and capture a few frames during golden-hour light, and see if you like it—you might find it to be your new favorite option. If you don’t like it, well, there will be a new Recipe of the Month in April.
My plan for the Recipe of the Month articles is to include some sort of Recipe roundup with it. In other words, it will be both Recipe of the Month plus Recipe Roundup altogether in one post. I’m not sure what exactly that will look like and if it will be the same formula for each month, or if I’ll change up what it is from month-to-month, but there will be a second (or maybe even third) section to the articles. For March, I thought I’d do a quick recap of the Top 25 most popular Recipes of February 2026 (based on website page view statistics), in order of most-to-least popular. There are certainly a few surprises!
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Back in 2018, one year after starting Fuji X Weekly, I published my Agfa Scala Film Simulation Recipe, which was intended for X-Trans III cameras (like the X100F that I was using back then). It was the 15th Fujifilm Recipe published on this website, and the third black-and-white. It’s been a long-time personal favorite; however, I never updated it for the newer cameras. Earlier this year, I decided that this Recipe was long overdue for a refresh, so I set out to make a new iteration. I started from scratch, trying many different adjustments, but ultimately came back to those 2018 settings, with only minor changes.
Agfa introduced Scala 200 in 1992 (renamed Scala 200x shortly thereafter). It was the only commercially available black-and-white slide film ever made (although you could make slides from any B&W film, if you wanted to). It used a proprietary development process known as AP-44. I didn’t shoot much Scala personally, only a few rolls. What was great about it is that you had a finished photo straight from the lab. With black-and-white negative film, the darkroom printing process played a major role in the finished picture; Agfa Scala removed that requirement. Obviously, the intention was that you’d project the pictures onto a screen, which we don’t do anymore (most film you see today are scans). In 2005, Agfa discontinued Scala, as well as the chemicals for the AP-44 development process. The last roll of Scala that I shot couldn’t be developed, unfortunately. Adox introduced a new Scala slide film, called Scala 50, in 2019; however, it’s a different emulsion with a different development process. Interestingly, the old Agfa Scala 200x could be processed in the new chemistry, but with slightly different results.
Route 66 in Rural Arizona – Seligman, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5 – Agfa Scala
Scala was known for deep blacks and glowing highlights. It had a much smaller dynamic range than black-and-white negative film. Like color slides, you really had to nail the exposure, as there was very little leeway for underexposure or overexposure. If you got it right, the results were great; if not, there wasn’t much forgiveness. The film was extremely fine-grained for being ISO 200—it was sharp and looked beautiful when projected. This Agfa Scala Recipe mimics the film pretty well. The camera’s histogram can be very helpful to prevent overexposure. This Recipe is compatible with most fourth-generation and all fifth-generation cameras (as well as newer GFX models), which includes 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, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100S, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF.
Film Simulation: Acros (including +Ye, +R, or +G) Monochromatic Color (Toning): WC 0 & MG 0 (Off) Dynamic Range: DR100 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Off Color Chrome FX Blue: Off White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & 0 Blue Highlight: +4 Shadow: 0 Sharpness: +1 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: +2 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Agfa Scala Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E5, X-T5 and GFX100RF:
Buick in B&W – Seligman, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Truxton Gas Station – Truxton, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Rural Mailboxes – Antares, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100RF
End of the Road – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Herbie on Route 66 – Antares, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Tom’s Orlando Motel – Truxton, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100RF
God Bless America – Kingman, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Ranchero – Antares, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Frontier Motel Restaurant – Truxton, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Welcome RT 66 – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Arizona American – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Happy for Lunch – Kingman, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Bougainvillea Growing Over Backyard Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100RF
Monochrome Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5
Coyote Pass – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Apartment Row – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Church Steeple – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Flagstaff Station at Night – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
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So you just got a Fujifilm camera. Which Film Simulation Recipes should you program first? With over 400 to choose from on Fuji X Weekly and in the Fuji X Weekly App, it can be difficult to know which ones to begin with. This article is a quick-start guide for those wanting to dive into the Fujifilm Recipe world.
Most Fujifilm cameras have seven Custom Settings presets, also known as C1-C7. You can program a Recipe into each of those positions, which means you’ll find seven Recipes below as your suggested starting point. Some cameras (like the X-H2) only have six presets, and some (like the X-S20) only have four. This article assumes that you’ve purchased a fifth-generation model, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III. This list also applies to the latest GFX models: GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. In other words, these are fifth-generation Recipes, and not for older models (although I might turn this into a series if there’s enough interest in the topic).
If you are unsure how to program a Recipe into your Fujifilm camera, simply press MENU/OK, navigate to EDIT/SAVE CUSTOM SETTING in the IQ Menu set, choose the C1-C7 slot that you want to save a Recipe in, select EDIT/CHECK, enter the Recipe parameters, and hit DISP/BACK to save. If you’re stuck, check out this article (click here) or this video (click here). I also have a short set of slides below that quickly demonstrate the steps. Hopefully, between all of that, you won’t have any issues. It can be a little intimidating and confusing the first time through, but after you’ve programmed a couple of Recipes it becomes quite easy.
What makes a good set of seven Recipes? If each one in the group serves a purpose, that’s a solid group. Just throwing some random ones in might produce a good set, but most likely not. It’s better to be intentional; however, since most newcomers don’t know where to begin, that’s a near impossible task. This article is intended to help with that. If you are unsure which Recipes to try, the set of seven below is what you should use first. Once you’ve tested these out, if there were any that you didn’t love, simply replace those with something else—repeat that enough times, and you’ll end up with a set of seven that are a perfect match for you. Let’s dive right in!
Red Barn – Ronks, PA – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodachrome 64
Kodachrome was the most iconic film, and it stands to reason that you should start with the Kodachrome 64 Recipe. It’s intended for sunny daylight photography, but can sometimes be good in other scenarios, too, just depending on the subject and lighting. It’s a good allrounder for a variety of genres. Kodachrome 64 is essential to try, in my opinion, so you might as well place it in C1.
Misty Saguaro– Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Pacific Blues
The Pacific Blues Recipe is intended for a sunny summer day at the beach; however, I have found it works wonderfully well on foggy or dreary days, too. It’s more dramatic and significantly different than Kodachrome 64, so it offers a good alternative aesthetic that’s still film-like. This is one of my personal favorite Recipes.
Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO – Fujifilm X100VI – Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm
With a softer tonality than the previous two, Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm is a highly versatile Recipe that can be used anytime of the day or night. Most of the Recipes in this list will do quite well in certain situations but not for everything, but this one is good almost no matter what you encounter with your camera. It’s a part of the Film Dial set, so if you have an X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, or X-T30 III, it is especially great for those cameras; however, even if your specific model doesn’t have a Film Dial, you can still use it similarly. A quick tip for those with a Film Dial model is to use a Film Simulation that’s not on the Dial (such as Eterna) instead of Reala Ace, since Reala Ace is easily accessible to you. Having a Film Dial Recipe available in your C1-C7 adds a ton of aesthetic versatility.
Corndog – San Francisco, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – 1970’s Summer
The 1970’s Summer Recipe is warm with a retro aesthetic. It’s not going to work well for every subject or situation, but when it works, which is typically sunny midday light and Americana type scenes, it does especially great—some of my favorite photos have been made using this Recipe. It’s the warmest option in this list. If you want a nostalgic look, this is a must-try Recipe.
Boldly colorful, Vivid Velvia is intended for landscape photography where you want the scene to pop. It’s fairly versatile, but probably not the best option for portraits. If you are primarily a landscape photographer, you might find yourself using this one the most.
While C3 will do quite well for nighttime photography due to its versatility, CineStill 800T is specifically intended for photographing after dark. You can use it during the day if you should desire a cool cast, but for the most part you’ll want to save it for after sunset.
C7 — Kodak Tri-X 400
Pool Remnant – Rodanthe, NC – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodak Tri-X 400
No C1-C7 would be complete without at least one B&W Recipe, and Kodak Tri-X 400 is my go-to option. I love monochromatic photography, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better Recipe than this one for it. This might be my all-time personal favorite.
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Red Barn – Ronks, PA – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodachrome 64
In an interesting conversation I had recently, someone mentioned that Fujifilm Recipes are great because they provide freedom—freedom from the computer and Lightroom (or other RAW editing software), freedom from indecisive aesthetic choices, freedom from unfinished work (such as RAW files just sitting around waiting to be edited)—but it can be too much freedom sometimes. For example, I’ve published over 400 Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras; while having so many options allows you to find a great match for your subject, situation, and style, narrowing it down can feel overwhelming. Perhaps there are too many choices. “Limitations are necessary constraints for creativity,” he told me, “and freedom is most productive when it’s narrowed on purpose.” In other words, intentional constraints. Sometimes, less is more. Finding the “right” Recipe out of hundreds might seem daunting, but even choosing from among the seven programmed into your camera’s C1-C7 Custom Settings presets might be too much.
Something to try, he suggested, is to program fewer Recipes into your camera—perhaps three, or even just one. Instead of scrolling through your C1-C7 options before every shot, try pre-selecting one, two, or three Recipes before you head out, and commit to just those. Use just those for the duration of your walk, day, or trip. When the look is already decided, your attention naturally shifts to light and framing. Instead of asking, “Which Recipe should I use?” Ask, “How can I make this scene work with what I’ve chosen?” When selecting your Recipes (if it’s more than one), consider having one specifically for color daylight, one specifically for color nighttime, and one for black-and-white. If the Recipes are too similar in aesthetic or serve a similar purpose, it makes it less obvious which one to shoot with.
Analog photographers understood all of this instinctively. Loading a roll of film was a commitment for 12, 24, or 36 frames. You accepted the look, learned its strengths and weaknesses, and worked within them. That constraint didn’t stifle expression, it shaped it. On X and GFX cameras, you can benefit from that same discipline by using one Recipe long enough to understand where it shines and where it fails. You adapt rather than escape. Using a single Recipe for an extended period—days, weeks, or a full project—can be especially revealing and rewarding.
Fujifilm Recipes work best when they’re treated like film stocks: chosen with purpose, used with commitment, and understood through experience. When you narrow your options on purpose, the freedom they offer becomes more focused, more useful, and ultimately more gratifying. Freedom in photography isn’t about having endless options at every moment, but about choosing a direction and going far enough down that path to discover something meaningful. When freedom is narrowed on purpose, it stops being a distraction and starts being productive.
Low Clouds Over Manhattan – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak Tri-X 400
This is all theoretical, of course, and I don’t want to leave you hanging with that. Let me give a practical example of how this could be implemented. As you might have guessed from the photos in this article, you could choose the Kodachrome 64 Recipe for daylight photography, Fluorescent Night for nighttime, and Kodak Tri-X 400 for B&W. Alternatively, you could choose Pacific Blues for daytime, CineStill 800T for night, and Classic B&W for monochrome. There are a ton of possible three-Recipe combinations, but the larger point is to pick three (or fewer), and use those for an outing, a day, a month, or a project to better familiarize yourself with the strengths and limitations of those specific Recipes. If you do this enough times, you’ll be intimately aware of which Recipe to use for each subject and circumstance you encounter, and you’ll be more in tuned with your personal style.
I have often told people that when I started creating and using Fujifilm Recipes, I experienced a ton of freedom. Photography became more enjoyable to me when I detached editing software from it. Because I was spending much less time at a computer, I had more time to photograph (increasing productivity) and also more time to spend with my family. But as more and more Recipes are created (which is a good thing), it can be difficult to know which to use and when to use them. Narrowing it down through experience—simply by picking one, two, or three and using those for a period—is a great way to help with this. Another option is to use the Categories feature in the Fuji X Weekly App (available for Android and Apple), which can help to really zero in on specific genres, styles, and situations. For example, if you want a retro Americana aesthetic that’s good for midday light, you can find that. By selecting multiple Categories, you can significantly narrow down the selection to assist in finding the perfect Recipe for your needs.
In photography, nothing stays the same forever. Film stocks come and go, and are revised over time. Processes change. Technology advances. New cameras with fresh features are introduced. New techniques are invented, while old ones are occasionally rediscovered. Styles are constantly evolving. What’s “in” one year might be “out” the next, and maybe back “in” sometime later. Everything evolves as it passes from one person to another. As Austin Kleon famously stated in his book Steal Like An Artist, “Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas.” Film Simulation Recipes are not exempt from this.
Most of the 400+ Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes are at least loosely inspired by photographic film stocks. Some are more strict replications than others, but none are exactly perfect. They’re constrained by the camera’s hardware and programming—it’s simply not possible to replicate specific films with scientific accuracy straight-out-of-camera, although it’s surprising just how close you can get sometimes. I’ve seen photos online that I thought were my Recipes, but they turned out to be actual film; I’ve seen photos online that I thought were film, but turned out to be one of my Recipes. For the most part, though, you can only get so close because you are working within some strict parameters and limitations (limitations should be viewed positively). Basically, consider Fujifilm Recipes as creative interpretations of analog aesthetics—remixing old ideas with new technologies and processes, sentiments straight from Austin’s book.
Pool Remnant – Rodanthe, NC – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodak Tri-X 400
According to AI (because I’m not a mathematician), there are 1,418,895,421,643,700 possible unique Fujifilm Recipes on the latest X-series cameras. That’s one quadrillion, four hundred eighteen trillion, eight hundred ninety-five billion, four hundred twenty-one million, six hundred forty-three thousand, seven hundred. When accounting for commonly-used settings, the odds of two people independently creating the same exact Recipe are about one in four billion (apparently, if you ignore all of the least common options—for example, most Monochromatic Color for B&W, etc.—the odds are about 1 in 100 million). My best guesstimate is that roughly 8,000-to-10,000 Recipes have been published on various platforms and websites by Fujifilm photographers, which is amazing—I remember when the Fujifilm Recipe community numbered in the hundreds; now it’s hundreds-of-thousands worldwide! We’re nowhere near scratching the surface of exhausting the possible Recipes for Fujifilm cameras—not even close to a fraction of one percent. There’s lots of room for a lot more.
It’s not uncommon to “season to taste” a Recipe for the specific subject or situation, or for the photographer’s personal taste. I’ve encouraged that for nearly a decade, saying that it’s better to make a small adjustment or two to the Recipe parameters and get it to work well for you than to stubbornly stick with some settings that aren’t quite right. Sometimes those adjustments result in only a subtle change, and sometimes they’re transformative. That’s not a problem whatsoever—it’s progress. The evolution of Recipes occurs in three natural ways.
The first is what I’d call a tweak. This is when someone makes a small adjustment to one or two Recipe parameters. Maybe it’s changing Highlight from -1 to -2, or White Balance from Daylight to Auto, or Grain strength from Strong to Weak. These tweaks don’t replace the original Recipe; they personalize it. It’s just seasoned-to-taste a little for your preferences. A good example of this is Reggie’s Portra, which I will occasionally use with DR400 instead of DR-Auto if there is a bright light source in the scene. That change simply tweaks it, and does not make it a brand-new Recipe. When you say, “I’m using this Recipe with a tweak,” that context helps other photographers understand what they’re seeing and how you arrived there, and why they might possibly prefer that small change, too.
The second is a variant. Variants happen when the core idea remains, but the color or tonality shifts enough that it becomes its own expression. Oftentimes it’s when three or four parameters have been adjusted, or perhaps just one if that one setting has a profound effect (such as Film Simulation). Variants are wonderful because they show how flexible an idea can be, and they deserve to be named as such—connected to the original, but clearly standing on their own. A good example of this is Kodak Vericolor III 160, which is a variant of Kodak Vericolor Warm. Stating, “I started with this Recipe, but made some notable changes to get this outcome,” helps photographers understand why they might choose to use the new variation or stick with the original.
The third is inspiration. Sometimes the idea of one Recipe can spark something entirely new. The result might share a feeling or direction, but the settings themselves are fundamentally different. An example of this might be Kodak Pro 400, which was inspired in-part by Kodak Portra 400 v2; while the two Recipes have some commonality, they’re notably divergent. In that case, it’s most accurate to say that a Recipe was inspired by another rather than directly formed by it.
I’m not suggesting this as any sort of formality or rigid rule; instead, it’s simply clarity and kindness. Give credit where credit is due (however, if you don’t, nobody is policing it). When we’re open about how ideas evolved, we make it easier for others to learn and experiment. Credit isn’t about ownership, it’s about storytelling. It helps to trace how an aesthetic came to be, and it honors the shared journey that got us there. Recipes are tools meant to be used, adjusted if needed, and maybe occasionally outgrown. If they help you to make photographs that you care about, then they’re doing their job. If your version of a Recipe looks a little different than mine, that’s proof that photography is still a personal endeavor. If your photographic vision changes over time, and a favorite Recipe is no longer a desired aesthetic, or maybe Recipes in-general are no longer satisfying, that’s all normal, and a part of the photography continuum.
Frontier Motel & Cafe – Truxton, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Vericolor III 160
One of the first Film Simulation Recipes that I created for X-Trans V cameras was Kodak Vericolor Warm, which utilized what was at the time the brand-new Nostalgic Neg. film simulation. While I didn’t set out to replicate Vericolor film when I made it, nonetheless the Recipe had some resemblance to Kodak Vericolor III 160 Type-S film when used with a warming filter (like an 81A or 82A), so I named it Kodak Vericolor Warm. Fast forward a little over three years, and I got an email from Thomas Schwab (who has created or co-created a whole bunch of Recipes), with the idea to modify the Kodak Vericolor Warm Recipe into a normal (not extra warm) iteration of Kodak Vericolor III. The changes were simple, but it makes a notable difference. That’s where this Recipe comes from.
For those who don’t remember, Kodak introduced the Vericolor line in the early 1970’s and Vericolor III in 1983. Initially, there were two versions of the film: the daylight-balanced Vericolor III 160 Type-S and the Tungsten-balanced Vericolor III 100 Type-L. Kodak renamed the latter to Ektacolor Pro Gold 100T and later to Portra 100T, which was discontinued in 2006. In the late-1980’s, Kodak renamed the former to Vericolor III 160 (dropping Type-S from the name) when they introduced Vericolor III 400. In 1998, both of those films were replaced by Portra 160 and Portra 400 respectively. It’s my understanding that Kodak made periodic improvements or adjustments to the film during the 1980’s and 1990’s, but, overall, those changes were small.
Canyon Club – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Vericolor III 160
The Kodak Vericolor III 160 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with all fifth-generation X-series cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III cameras. You can also use it on the latest GFX models, like the GFX100 II, GFX100S II, GFX100RF, and presumably the Eterna 55. I’m definitely a fan of this Recipe. In certain situations you might find it to be slightly too cool, and the original Kodak Vericolor Warm Recipe might be a better fit. For those who found the “warm” version just a hair too warm, you might like this one more.
Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg. Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong White Balance: 3200K, +7 Red & -8 Blue Dynamic Range: DR-Auto Highlight: -2 Shadow: -1 Color: +2 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -2 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Vericolor III 160 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:
Last Light Over Estella Mountains – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Short Final – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Route 66 – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Star Hotel – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Grand Canyon Hotel – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Boxcar Bridge – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
9 Arizona Motor Hotel – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Buick with Flat Tire – Seligman, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Daniel’s Moving & Storage – Truxton, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Closed Gas Station – Truxton, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
San Fransisco Peaks with Dusting of Snow – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Go 2 the Train Station – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Stay – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Fujifilm Photographer – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Rooftop Portrait – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Photo by Amanda Roesch
Comparison
Kodak Vericolor III 160 Recipe
Kodak Vericolor Warm Recipe
Kodak Vericolor III 160 Recipe
Kodak Vericolor Warm Recipe
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Some people really hate Fujifilm Recipes. Some people even loathe the mere idea of Recipes. Someone once told me that I’m doing much harm to photography by creating and publishing Film Simulation Recipes and encouraging people to use them. Why is it even slightly controversial? What explains the hate?
I don’t have any definitive answers, but my best guess is that most of it stems from the old rule-of-thumb that if you’re a serious photographer, you must shoot RAW. There was a time when RAW really was necessary because cameras sensors were less capable and JPEG engines were not nearly as good. This was especially true in the early days of digital photography, becoming less and less true as the years went on and technology advanced. Some brands have better JPEG output than others, and us Fujifilm photographers are especially spoiled. While you-must-shoot-RAW is generally outdated advice, a lot of people still hold onto it, and preach it as if it’s still gospel truth. For me, relying on camera-made JPEGs changed my life (no hyperbole), by making photography more enjoyable while simultaneously increasing my photographic productivity while simultaneously taking up less of my time that could then be devoted to other things (a win-win-win).
Related closely to the previous paragraph, I think there’s also a bit of gatekeeping. There are some who insist that there’s only one “right” way to do photography, which incidentally is whatever way they do it. All other methods are wrong. Don’t ever listen to anyone who says such things. You can do photography however you want, which can vary dramatically from person-to-person. There’s no right or wrong format, only what works best for each person, which could be RAW, or JPEG, or RAW+JPEG, or something else entirely, or sometimes one thing and other times a different thing.
There’s also a misconception that JPEGs are no good. It’s true that if you want to edit your pictures, JPEGs have far less latitude than RAW; however, if you aren’t editing or only lightly editing, that argument falls flat. In fact, most RAW shooters export their finished edited photos as (wait for it…) JPEGs. So it’s not so much that JPEGs are bad, it’s that they’re not nearly as flexible if you plan to extensively edit—if you’re not editing (or only lightly editing), there’s really no difference between Lightroom producing a JPEG and your camera doing so.
Some people believe that real photography involves two steps: capturing and editing (or darkroom, in the film days). Both steps are equally critical. They’ll tell you that Ansel Adams—the darkroom master himself—proved that two-step photography is essential; however, this ignores that Adams was a big fan of Polaroid photography (he wrote a whole book about it), and even coined the term one-step photography, which he said was “revolutionary” for both professional and amateur photographers. Using Recipes on Fujifilm cameras is a modern day version of one-step photography, where the second step—the editing step—is no longer necessary to achieve great results.
But, but… for best results, you must edit, right? Sometimes, perhaps; other times, not so much. It really depends. I have seen some extraordinary results straight-out-of-camera that you’d never guess were unedited. I’ve seen some camera-made JPEGs that look better than most people’s RAW edits. But it all depends. Sometimes editing a RAW file will produce results that the in-camera JPEG processor isn’t capable of. Either way, it doesn’t matter to those viewing the pictures, who don’t care how a picture was created. The only thing that matters is whether the photographer’s vision was conveyed, and, for a lot of people, Recipes do just that, and for others, it doesn’t. Some dismiss Recipes without even trying them because they assume they’re not good, but maybe they’d change their minds if they gave them a chance.
Joshua Tree Hotel – Kingman, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100RF – Agfa Ultra 100 v2
The analog equivalency of Recipes are color reversal (slide) film, and the equivalency of RAW are negative emulsions; back in the film days, nobody looked down on those who shot slides as less-than, and nobody thought those who shot negatives were better—it was simply different approaches, each with advantages and disadvantages. The tools are different, but the intent is similar. You choose the one that best delivers the desired results.
Lastly, there are some who would say that Fujifilm Recipes are gimmicks, just shortcuts for lazy photographers. They keep people from learning the fundamentals. But Recipes don’t replace knowledge; they reward it. Knowing when a Recipe will do well, how light interacts with it, and when to switch or season-to-taste, takes experience and understanding. It takes more thought and effort while in-the-field to get the most out of them. Just like film, a Recipe won’t save a bad exposure or poor composition. It simply gives you a distinct palette to work within. Nothing lazy or gimmicky about that, just a divergent approach that’s more similar to classic analog photography.
I don’t believe that the majority of the criticisms around Fujifilm Recipes has anything to do with image quality, but about philosophy. Recipes challenge the idea that photography must be software-dependent, requiring the “right” post-processing skills, and a lot of time at a computer. If that isn’t necessary, it might make some feel uncomfortable because their identity as a photographer is closely tied to those things. If editing isn’t actually necessary, and half of your picture quality and aesthetic is determined by the second step, that can perhaps feel threatening and/or distressing, which explains the excessive negativity and combativeness. Then again, not everything is for every person, and that’s perfectly ok. Different strokes for different folks. There’s no right or wrong way to do photography, only whatever it is that works for you personally, which might look very different for each of us. If it’s Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes, awesome! If it’s something else, that’s great. Maybe it’s a combination of things, just depending on the situation or your mood. As long as you’ve discovered and are happy with whatever it is, that’s all that matters, and the the naysayers’ words are meaningless.
