Fujifilm grain strong | FUJI X WEEKLY

10 Grainy Fujifilm Recipes

*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.

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.

FRGMT B&W

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.

Kodak T-Max P3200

The Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe was a collaborative effort between Anders Lindborg and the late John 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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Fujifilm Grain Comparison: GFX100S II vs. X-T5

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Ritchie Roesch

*Unfair Comparisons* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Astia Summer

I’m planning to do a number of comparison tests between the JPEGs from the Fujifilm GFX100S II and my X-series models, like the Fujifilm X-T5. What’s different? What’s the same? I haven’t come to very many conclusions yet. There’s clearly a difference, but it seems so subtle it is tough to put a finger on what exactly is divergent.

For this article, I’m comparing the faux Grain between the GFX100S II and the X-T5. This isn’t a carefully controlled scientific test. When my wife (on the X-T5) and I (on the GFX100S II) captured these images, we did not intend for them to be used in any sort of comparison test. I chose these because they were made in the same location (White Sands National Park in New Mexico). They were captured with the new Kodak Gold Max 400 Expired Recipe, and reprocessed in-camera with the Astia Summer Recipe. I chose those two Recipes because of their Grain: Weak/Small and Strong/Large.

*Fujifilm X-T5 – Astia Summer – Grain Weak/Small*

*Fujifilm GFX100S II – Astia Summer – Grain Weak/Small*

*Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Gold Max 400 Expired – Grain Strong/Large*

*Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodak Gold Max 400 Expired – Grain Strong/Large*

You cannot tell much at all from the above photos. From examining the pictures more closely, I can state that the size of the faux grain is a little larger in the X-T5 JPEGs than the GFX100S II, but you can’t really tell without cropping in. So let’s crop in!

In the first set (identified simply by “Crop”), I’ve made the pictures roughly the same size. If you look carefully, the Weak/Small Grain is slightly more visible in the X-T5 pictures, but it’s not overtly obvious. In the second set (identified by “Bigger Crop”), I’ve tried to match the Grain, and I had to crop much more deeply on the GFX100S II pictures to do so. These are significant crops, and you’d have to print large to view them this big. I think if a Grain size Medium existed on GFX, that would more closely match Grain size Small on the X-series.

*Crop – Fujifilm X-T5 – Astia Summer – Grain Weak/Small*

*Crop – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Astia Summer – Grain Weak/Small*

*Bigger Crop – Fujifilm X-T5 – Astia Summer – Grain Weak/Small*

*Bigger Crop – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Astia Summer – Grain Weak/Small*

Below is a repeat, except for with Strong/Large Grain. I think if a Grain size Medium existed on the X-T5, it would more closely match Grain size Large on the GFX100S II.

*Crop – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Gold Max 400 Expired – Grain Strong/Large*

*Crop – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodak Gold Max 400 Expired – Grain Strong/Large*

*Bigger Crop – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Gold Max 400 Expired – Grain Strong/Large*

Bigger Crop – *Fujifilm GFX100S II – Kodak Gold Max 400 Expired – Grain Strong/Large*

I don’t know that it makes any practical real-world difference, but the size of the Grain—whether Small or Large—is not identical on GFX as it is on X-series cameras. It’s not scaled the same. It’s smaller on GFX and larger on X-series, specifically when comparing the 100mp images from the GFX100S II to the 40mp images from the X-T5. There are also likely variances between the 26mp APS-C sensor and the 50mp GFX sensor.

The way to look at this, I suppose, is that film grain appears more fine on medium-format film than 35mm. The difference in silver grain between—say—120 film and Advanced Photo System Type-C film is much, much more significant than the difference in Grain between GFX and X. I think you’d expect the Grain to be more “fine” on GFX—and that’s what you find—but it isn’t nearly as much of a difference as with actual film.

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

Fujifilm X-T5 in black:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm GFX100S II:
Amazon, B&H, Wex

Fujifilm Grain Settings

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Blue Winter Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Many of my film simulation recipes call for faux grain, in order to achieve a more analog aesthetic. The picture above was captured using my Kodachrome 64 recipe, which requires Grain set to Weak. Fujifilm cameras with X-Trans III or IV sensors have a faux grain option, which can be set to Off, Weak or Strong (the X-Pro3 has additional grain options). The Acros film simulation has built-in grain that increases as the ISO increases. I have often said that X-Trans digital noise is also grain-like in appearance. But all of this is hard to see, especially when viewed at web sizes, so it can be tough to know exactly what the different settings are doing to pictures. I thought it would be helpful to take a closer look at the grain on Fujifilm cameras. For this post I used a Fujifilm X-T30.

Let’s take a closer look at Blue Winter Sky, the picture at the top of this article. Here are some crops:

ISO 640, Grain Off.

Grain Weak

Grain Strong

You likely can see the grain in the bottom crop, which has Grain set to Strong, but the middle one with Grain set to Weak is a little more difficult to notice. It’s subtly there, but the difference between Grain Off and Grain Weak isn’t huge by any stretch, and you have to look very closely to find it. Even Grain Strong isn’t particularly obvious, but it’s certainly noticeable upon close inspection.

Let’s look at some massive crops from another picture:

ISO 640, Grain Off

Grain Weak

Grain Strong

This example is a little bit deeper of a crop, and so it’s also a little easier to spot the differences in grain. Still, there’s not a huge distinction between Grain set to Off and Grain set to Weak. Grain set to Strong stands out from the others, but again it’s still not especially obvious.

Can you spot the difference between Grain set to Weak and Grain set to Strong in the two images below?

ISO 400, Grain Weak

ISO 400, Grain Strong

ISO 400, Grain Weak

ISO 400, Grain Strong

I think if you study the crops above long enough, you can see that the bottom one has a stronger grain, but just barely. It’s not obvious whatsoever, even when viewed this closely.

Can you spot the differences between the two crops below?

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The top image is ISO 400 with Grain set to Weak. The bottom is ISO 6400 with grain set to Strong. You could probably tell that the top image is slightly cleaner and crisper, but it is very subtle, and not something you’d ever notice without closely comparing crops side-by-side.

Now let’s take a look at some Acros crops. Can you spot the differences?

ISO 400, Grain Weak

ISO 400, Grain Strong

ISO 6400, Grain Strong

ISO 6400, Grain Weak

There’s not much to notice, but there’s (once again) a subtle difference between ISO 400 with Grain set to Weak and ISO 6400 with Grain set to Strong, and you’re not likely to spot it without closely comparing crops. In real life, nobody does that.

The conclusion is that the faux grain options on Fujifilm cameras aren’t especially obvious without a close study. Grain Strong stands out much more than Grain Weak, but neither are particularly noticeable without a close inspection. Even the difference between ISO 400 and ISO 6400 (with or without grain) isn’t all that big, especially if you aren’t viewing the pictures large. The more you crop, the more you zoom into the image, or the larger you print, the more you’ll notice the differences. For internet viewing, you’ll have a tough time even noticing. It’s perfectly fine to set Grain to Off if you don’t like it. I personally enjoy seeing the grain, even if it’s not immediately apparent, because I first learned photography in the film era and I love grain. I look forward to someday trying out the new grain options that Fujifilm has included on the X-Pro3, and I hope it’s added to the X-T30 via a firmware update, but in the meantime I’m happy to use the faux grain that’s currently available to me in my camera.