The list of Film Simulation Recipes below are my “Essential 7” for X-Trans III cameras, which are the X-Pro2, X100F, X-T2, X-T20, X-E3, and X-H1. If you are not sure which Recipes to program into your C1-C7 Custom Presets, these are my suggestions for you to begin with. These are the ones that you must try, in my opinion. You might love all of them, you might only appreciate some of them, or you might not like any of them. Each person has their own styles and tastes, and there’s no one single Recipe that’s universally loved by everyone (although a few seem close). Still, give these seven a try—keep the ones you like, and replace the ones that you don’t.
Follow the Bird to Salt Lake – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – Cross Process
A couple of important side notes here. First, this list isn’t necessarily made up of versatile Recipes. Like film, most Film Simulation Recipes have specific use cases—such as sunny daylight—so not all of these option will be good for night photography, for example, or perhaps other situations. Be sure to visit my Which Film Simulation Recipe, When?article for a more comprehensive group of options for various use cases. Also, X-Trans III models cannot save a White Balance Shift within the C1-C7 Custom Presets. You can only save one WB Shift per White Balance type, which means you’ll have to remember to adjust the WB Shift each time you change Recipes. The suggestions below do not take this into account; however, the Which Film Simulation Recipe, When? article does, so be sure to read it.
The Essential 7 Film Simulation Recipes to program into your X-Trans III camera first:
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
The January issue of FXW Zine is out now! Creative Collective subscribers can download it today. Not a Creative Collective subscriber? Join to gain access to this issue plus all pervious issues of FXW Zine and the many bonus articles.
In Issue 26, I discuss 24 Film Simulation Recipes that I anticipate using often in 2024. There are 77 pictures (including the cover) over 54 pages. Enjoy!
The list of Film Simulation Recipes below are my “Essential 7” for the X-T3 and X-T30. Fujifilm left these two models on an island (didn’t give them the same JPEG options as the other X-Trans IV models), so that’s why they get their own article. If you are not sure which Recipes to program into your C1-C7 Custom Presets, these are my suggestions for you to begin with. These are the ones that you must try, in my opinion. You might love all of them, you might only appreciate some of them, or you might not like any of them. Each person has their own styles and tastes, and there’s no one single Recipe that’s universally loved by everyone (although a few seem close). Still, give these seven a try—keep the ones you like, and replace the ones that you don’t.
Evening at Monument Valley – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – Velvia
A couple of important side notes here. First, this list isn’t necessarily made up of versatile Recipes. Like film, most Film Simulation Recipes have specific use cases—such as sunny daylight—so not all of these option will be good for night photography, for example, or perhaps other situations. Be sure to visit my Which Film Simulation Recipe, When?article for a more comprehensive group of options for various use cases. Also, the X-T3 and X-T30 cannot save a White Balance Shift within the C1-C7 Custom Presets. You can only save one WB Shift per White Balance type, which means you’ll have to remember to adjust the WB Shift each time you change Recipes. The suggestions below do not take this into account; however, the Which Film Simulation Recipe, When? article does, so be sure to read it.
The Essential 7 Film Simulation Recipes to program into your X-T3 or X-T30 camera first:
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
The list of Film Simulation Recipes below are my “Essential 7” for X-Trans IV cameras (except for the X-T3 and X-T30, which will be found in Part 3). If you are not sure which Recipes to program into your C1-C7 Custom Presets, these are my suggestions for you to begin with. These are the ones that you must try, in my opinion. You might love all of them, you might only appreciate some of them, or you might not like any of them. Each person has their own styles and tastes, and there’s no one single Recipe that’s universally loved by everyone (although a few seem close). Still, give these seven a try—keep the ones you like, and replace the ones that you don’t.
An important side note here: this list isn’t necessarily made up of versatile Recipes. Like film, most Film Simulation Recipes have specific use cases—such as sunny daylight—so not all of these option will be good for night photography, for example, or perhaps other situations. Be sure to visit my Which Film Simulation Recipe, When?article (this one, too) for a more comprehensive group of options for various use cases.
This list is for X-Trans IV cameras (except for the X-T3 & X-T30), which include the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. The X-S20’s exclusion is a bit controversial because it has an X-Trans IV sensor paired with the X-Trans V processor, but since it seems to render more similar to X-Trans V than X-Trans IV, and has the X-Trans V JPEG options, it’s not in this list, but with the X-Trans V cameras.
The Essential 7 Film Simulation Recipes to program into your X-Trans IV camera first:
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
This is Part 1 of what will be a series of articles on this topic. I actually attempted to do this back in the summer, but got sidetracked, and never made it beyond the first post. So those with an X-Trans V camera get a little bonus. My hope is to make it all the way through X-Trans I, so if you have an older model, don’t worry—we’ll get to your camera soon.
The list of Film Simulation Recipes below are my “Essential 7” for X-Trans V cameras. If you are not sure which Recipes to program into your C1-C7 Custom Presets, these are my suggestions for you to begin with. These are the ones that you must try, in my opinion. You might love all of them, you might only appreciate some of them, or you might not like any of them. Each person has their own styles and tastes, and there’s no one single Recipe that’s universally loved by everyone (although a few seem close). Still, give these seven a try—keep the ones you like, and replace the ones that you don’t.
Left the Lights On – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Fluorescent Night
An important side note here: this list isn’t necessarily made up of versatile Recipes. Like film, most Film Simulation Recipes have specific use cases, such as sunny daylight, so not all of these option will be good for night photography, for example, or perhaps other situations. Be sure to visit my Which Film Simulation Recipe, When?for a more comprehensive list of options for various use cases.
This list is specifically for X-Trans V cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20. The X-S20 is a bit controversial to be included here because it has an X-Trans IV sensor paired with the X-Trans V processor, but since it seems to render more similar to X-Trans V than X-Trans IV, and has the X-Trans V JPEG options, it is included in this list. Also, use this list for the upcoming X100V successor, once it comes out (in February or March, most likely). Next up in this series is X-Trans IV.
The Essential 7 Film Simulation Recipes to program into your X-Trans V camera first:
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
This morning I awoke to an email in my inbox from Anders. As a Christmas gift to you, he wanted to share his methods for creating Film Simulation Recipes that he has developed and put to use. This formula can be used by anyone. I have taken a similar approach a number of times myself (I do it in-camera, and not with X RAW Studio), although—for me—Recipes can come about many different ways; I don’t have one single method, but perhaps a handful of various approaches. I discussed it a bit in my Emulsion ’86 article.
Pink Blossom Bush – San Diego, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Emulsion ’86
Anders’ step-by-step formula is a path that you can follow to create your own Recipes that are certain to be accurate to any film aesthetic that you’d like to mimic. Oftentimes you can easily find the film spec sheets with a quick Google search, but for some emulsions you’ll have to dig deeper, or maybe you won’t find them at all. Many spec sheets for Kodak films are readily available, for example, but you may have trouble finding them for other brands or long-discontinued emulsions. If you can locate the spec sheet, then you can begin Step 1. If you don’t have or use X RAW Studio, you can do this in-camera, but it is probably a little easier to do with X RAW Studio; either way, it does require shooting RAW+JPEG so that you can reprocess the RAW file.
Thank you, Anders Lindborg, for sharing this with everyone! Even if you have no interest in creating a Film Simulation Recipe yourself, perhaps this gives you an idea of the incredible effort that sometimes goes into creating one.
Round Window – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400
Anders’ Film Simulation Development Method
Download all reference material you need, including film spec sheets. This is really important to have, if you want to create a realistic simulation. You will need a good chart of color wavelength in nanometers as well, to be able to use this method.
Load some reference photos into X Raw Studio. Select a good one that is taken at noon, as this used to be the official reference for film daylight temperature. Note: The time when the photo is taken is important. Don’t cheat!
Select the base Film Simulation you think is most similar to the film you actually want to simulate. Sometimes, the general characteristics are more important than the color scheme being spot on.
Choose the Dynamic Range you think is most correct for your simulation. The characteristic curves chart from the spec sheets can be a lot of help here.
Set the White Balance (in kelvin) to a value that corresponds to the color of the film base layer. This will most likely make your colors look really off, but don’t worry about that right now. Note: It helps knowing where the film was created, as the daylight temperature varies quite a bit depending on where in the world you are located.
Check the spec sheets and find out what colors of the second and third (with Fuji, sometimes a fourth) layers are. Look at the spectral sensitivity chart to find how the colors are distributed and which color is most prominent. Locate the highest peak of the dominant color and check the specified wavelength of the peak.
Look in the color wavelength chart and find the color that corresponds to the wavelength reading from the previous step. Now go back to X Raw Studio and open the WB Shift panel and locate the exact color you found. This takes some practice, but after doing it a few times it’s quite easy.
Now look at the colors of your photo and check the color distribution compared to the spectral sensitivity chart. Make any adjustments needed to balance out the color distribution.
Look in the spec sheets again and locate the spectral dye density curves chart. This chart describes the tonality of the film. Adjust Highlight, Shadow, and Clarity as needed.
Any other parameters needed should be set at this step. These include Grain, Sharpness, Color Chrome Effects, Noise Reduction, etc.. Note that changing a single parameter can have a huge impact, so be careful here!
Look at your photo again. Do the colors look like they should? If not, make more adjustments to either your selected White Balance or WB Shift. Only minor adjustments should be needed at this step.
Save your current recipe and apply it to your other reference photos in X Raw Studio. Compare them to photos found on Flickr and film review sites. Keep in mind that many of them are developed and scanned at home, so you need to learn how different development and scanning methods affect the final result! Adjust the recipe as needed and keep reapplying it to your reference photos and double check them over and over again.
If you think you might be done, it’s time to test it for real! Load the recipe into your camera and get out there. Try taking photos that mimics what you’ve found on the Internet so they are somewhat comparable. It’s all about details here, so keep iterating from Step 8 until you are happy. With hard work and a bit of luck, you’ll have a spot on clone of the original film!
“Don’t forget to share your creation with the world,” Anders Lindborg wrote, “and feel happy about contributing to the community! Just keep in mind that this is more of learning how to best mimic the original film, rather than creating an exact copy. There are so many variables that can affect the final result of real film and the most important part here is that the general behavior is the same. This method is proven to work for both color and black & white simulations and is all based on color science. Several successful simulations have been created while developing the method, so this is several years of blood, sweat and tears that have been compressed into these steps. While this method might look very advanced, trust me when I say that it works and that it’s worth the effort! Not only the general look of the film will be simulated, but also its behavior in different situations, including weird color shifts and other general quirks. The results have amazed me several times!”
In the Season 3 finale of SOOC Live, Fuji X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I discussed double exposure photography at length, and especially how to do it in-camera on Fujifilm models. If you are interested in the topic and didn’t catch that episode when it was live, you may want to take some time and watch it now. I’ve included it below. If you are short on time, skip ahead to the 35 minute mark, and begin around there.
I’m not going to rehash all that was said during the show (you’ve got to watch it)—this is a lengthy and complicated topic that can go many different directions. Really, books can be (and have been) written about it. Instead, I want to talk about Film Simulation Recipes for double exposures, and also provide a little more explanation for some things that maybe weren’t clear in the broadcast. I hope it all makes sense by the end.
The three Film Simulation Recipes that we discussed in the show and are challenging you to shoot with for the remainder of December plus most of January are Mystery Chrome, Dramatic Monochrome, and Faded Negative. Some notes about each:
Mystery Chrome is fully compatible with X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30. To use it on newer models, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose a Grain size (Small or Large… I recommend Large). For those using newer cameras, we recommend using the Average setting for this Recipe, but don’t be afraid to try Additive.
Dramatic Monochrome is fully compatible with the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30. To use it on X-Trans III cameras, simply ignore Color Chrome Effect—the results will be nearly identical. To use it on newer cameras, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose a Grain size (Small or Large… I recommend Large). For those using newer cameras, we recommend using the Additive setting for this Recipe, but don’t be afraid to try Average.
Faded Negative is fully compatible with X-Trans IV cameras, except for the X-T3 and X-T30. To use it on X-Trans V models, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Strong. This Recipe is not found in the Fuji X Weekly App because it requires further explanation on how to use it, and the App format is not conducive to that; however, in the broadcast Nathalie provides a great tip for how you can use the New Recipe (Blank Recipe Card) feature to add it to your App if you’d like. Be sure to read the article before attempting to use this Recipe.
You can use any Film Simulation Recipe with double exposure photography, but in my experience the ones that work best are Recipes that are especially contrasty. For the purpose of the show, we’re using three specific ones; however, feel free to try any Recipe that interests you. The color pictures below were captured using the Ferrania Solaris FG 400 Recipe, and Kodak Tri-X 400 was used for the B&W. As for submitting images for the Viewers’ Images Slideshow, please only use the Mystery Chrome, Dramatic Monochrome, and Faded Negative Recipes.
One thing that perhaps should have been demonstrated in the show but wasn’t is what in-camera double exposures look like, taking a peek at each of the two exposures individually and then the combined image. Since the newer cameras can save a RAW file of each exposure (which can be processed into a JPEG in-camera), it’s possible to demonstrate this pretty easily.
Exposure 1
Exposure 2
Double Exposure using Average
Exposure 1
Exposure 2
Double Exposure using Average
Exposure 1
Exposure 2
Double Exposure using Additive
I would say that double exposure photography takes a lot of practice to feel comfortable with, but there is a ton of potential for creativity. It’s worth trying, and it’s worth going through a lot of failures in order to get good at it. There are also so many different approaches and methods that can yield very different results. You’ll discover some of these as you practice. So my encouragement for you is to try and try again. If the pictures aren’t very good at first, don’t give up! Keep at it, and pretty soon you’ll surprise yourself with what you create.
One last thing: below I’ve included the Viewers’ Images Slideshow for the Reala Ace episode. If you haven’t yet seen it, be sure to watch it now. I want to express a very big “Thank you!” to everyone who submitted their photographs for inclusion in it. I always enjoy seeing your wonderful pictures!
Left the Lights On – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Fluorescent Night Recipe
I wanted to create a Film Simulation Recipe for my Fujifilm X-T5 camera that would produce a certain look when shot under fluorescent lights at night. Now there are different varieties of fluorescent lightbulbs, and the kelvin temperature can vary quite significantly between them. It’s also not uncommon to find fluorescent lights mixed with other nearby light sources. In other words, results will very depending on the exact light situation. Sometimes this Recipe will produce warm results, and sometimes cool. While not modeled after any specific emulsion, this Recipe is similar to using a Tungsten-balanced film—perhaps something similar to Fujicolor NPL 160T or Kodak Portra 100T, although it’s not exactly like either of those. This Recipe gives you one more option for nighttime photography.
What I found myself enjoying more than I thought I would is using this Fluorescent Night Film Simulation Recipe during the day. It has an obvious cool cast with pronounced blues. Still, I was pleasantly surprised that this Recipe is halfway decent for daylight use. If you are looking for a retro film-like aesthetic that isn’t warm, Fluorescent Night might be a good option for your daylight photography.
A Visit with Santa – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Fluorescent Night Recipe
This Fluorescent Night Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20 (yes, the X-S20). You should also be able to use this on newer GFX models, but the results will likely be slightly different (try it anyway). For nighttime use, I most often selected -2/3 or -1/3 exposure compensation, and for daylight I most often used +1/3 or +2/3; however, “typical exposure compensation” is only meant as a starting point, and each exposure should be judged individually.
Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg. Dynamic Range: DR200 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak White Balance: Fluorescent 2, -8 Red & -1 Blue Highlight: -1 Shadow: -1.5 Color: +4 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -3 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Fluorescent Night Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:
Happy Girl – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Neighborhood Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Bougainvillea Blue – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Bougainvillea Along Stucco Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sidewalk Potted Plant – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Potted Palm Tree – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Hairstyle Chair – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Christmas Tree & Letters to Santa – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Illuminated Door at Abandoned Building – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Broken Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Birria – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Circle K Gas Station – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Christmas Star – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Spooner Cove – Montaña de Oro SP, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor 100 Gold
When I published my Top 25 Most Popular Film Simulation Recipes of 2023 (so far…), what was surprisingly absent were any that were modeled after or inspired by Fujifilm emulsions. The Top 25 were almost entirely Kodak-like Recipes. That shouldn’t be too surprising since Kodak was the most popular film manufacturer, so the desire for a Kodak rendering is to be expected. But, personally, I really appreciate many of the Fujicolor Recipes, and their complete exclusion from the Top 25 list was a bit unexpected.
Someone suggested that I should make a new list, this one showcasing the most popular Fujifilm-like Recipes. Just like the Top 25 list, this one is based on page-view website statistics. It’s a flawed method, but the best that I have available to me. I included the overall ranking, too, just so that you can see where they stand in the big picture.
The number one most popular Fujicolor Recipe is for X-Trans III cameras (plus the X-T3 and X-T30), as is number eight. The tenth spot is an X-Trans V Recipe. All the others are for X-Trans IV cameras. Eight of these use Classic Negative as the base, one uses PRO Neg. Std, and one uses Velvia. Some of these are personal favorite Recipes of mine, while some of my other personal favorite Recipes that are modeled after or inspired by Fujifilm emulsions didn’t make this list.
Without any further delay, here are the Top 10 Fujicolor Film Simulation Recipes:
I get asked sometimes a very fair question: why use Film Simulation Recipes when Fujifilm’s factory-default film simulations are just so darn good?
Fujifilm has, in my opinion, the best JPEG output of any brand. Their film simulations are significantly influenced by Fujifilm’s vast experience with analog film, and it should not surprise anyone that they look good without any modifications. However, Fujifilm does provide a number of tools to customize and fine-tune the straight-out-of-camera results, which I believe makes them even better.
For those who don’t know, Film Simulation Recipes are settings for Fujifilm cameras that produce certain aesthetics, often modeled after classic film emulsions. I have published over 300 of them, which you can find on this website and the Fuji X Weekly App. Recipes are intended to be shot as JPEGs (or RAW+JPEG, if you prefer), and produce out-of-camera pictures that don’t require any editing, or perhaps minimal post-processing if you like. They appear as though they were edited, or even film-like. This saves a lot of time, hassle, and possibly money. It opens up photography to those who don’t know how to RAW edit, or don’t have the desire to learn, or maybe don’t even have access to editing software. This also makes photography more enjoyable to folks (like me) who have RAW-edited for years but don’t care much for it, and would rather be doing other things (like capturing more pictures!).
Golden Light in Abandoned House – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor Reala 100
Many photographers who own a Fujifilm camera never dive into the menu to adjust the JPEG parameters. They keep it on Provia/STD and at factory defaults, which is 0, Off, or Auto. Or maybe they try the other film simulations, but they still keep everything else set to the default settings. It’s completely understandable. The results are already good, and, besides, the options can seem overwhelming and confusing. Film Simulation Recipes, which takes the guesswork out of the various options, improve upon the standard film sims, but also provide some variety. If you only ever use the default options, you are limited to (for example) a maximum of 10 looks for color photography (11 if you have the latest GFX model with Reala Ace), but there are over 300 Film Simulation Recipes, so (depending on your camera model) you could have hundreds to choose from. You can find the Recipes that produce aesthetics that best match your style and taste.
This is in no way intended to put down factory-default film simulations, or those who use them. My intention is to simply compare a default film sim photograph with a Film Simulation Recipe. Maybe you like the non-Recipe picture better, and that’s ok if you do. There are so many other Recipes to choose from, and I bet at least one would produce a look that you like more than the default film sim—for example, there are 80 Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App that use Classic Chrome, so if you don’t like the Recipe I chose for this article, there are 79 others that could possibly be a better match for you.
Some Film Simulation Recipes are drastically divergent from the default film simulations, and some are only subtly altered. Many are intended for certain light situations (sunny daylight or artificial light, for example), while Auto White Balance is the factory standard. There’s no one single “right” Recipe or even a perfect film simulation. What matters is finding what works best for you and your photography. That could be a collection of Film Simulation Recipes, it could be a default film sim, or it might be shooting RAW and editing with the software of your choice, or any combination thereof or something different entirely. There’s no right or wrong way. For me, it’s shooting straight-out-of-camera JPEGs using Film Simulation Recipes.
Below are examples of factory-default film simulations compared to Film Simulation Recipes.
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and about 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Yellow Aspen Forest – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Portra 160 v2 – DR-P Auto
Fujifilm introduced a feature called D-Range Priority (abbreviated DR-P) on the Fujifilm X-T3 in late-2018. Except that’s not entirely true, as the history of DR-P goes back much further than that. You see, Fujifilm EXR cameras, which were before X-Trans and utilized pixel-binning, also had something called D-Range Priority. Oh, and on their Frontier scanners, Fujifilm had something nearly identical to DR-P called Hypertone. The origins of DR-P seem to be found somewhere in the 1990’s.
My first camera that had D-Range Priority—a Fujifilm X-T30—arrived at my doorstep in early-2019, but I haven’t utilized the feature all that much, only sparingly. I get questions about it fairly regularly, particularly after I publish a Film Simulation Recipe that uses it, so I thought I’d take a moment and explain what DR-P is, plus how, when, and why to use it.
Let’s go back to Fujifilm’s Frontier scanners, which were common in photo labs in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Fujifilm modeled their film simulations—at least in part—after scans of films with corrections applied. Those scans were likely from Frontier scanners, and one of the corrections that Fujifilm recommended was Hypertone set to Auto. One limitation of digital camera sensors compared to color negative film is dynamic range. Negative film often has a larger dynamic range than digital cameras (especially in the early days of digital). Film tends to be more forgiving to overexposure (highlights), where digital tends to be more forgiving to underexposure (shadows). Hypertone was a software trick to maximize dynamic range so that it would digitally render more similarly to printed film on Fujicolor paper. D-Range Priority is a trick to achieve a dynamic range more similar to Frontier film scans that had Hypertone enabled.
Which answers the question of why to use it. D-Range Priority maximizes dynamic range, so as to keep highlights and shadows in check, but especially highlights. It’s more difficult to blow out highlights when you use DR-P. If you want to have the greatest dynamic range so as to avoid clipped highlights and blocked-up shadows, this is your best tool.
A few notes. First, like the regular Dynamic Range options (you know, DR100, DR200, DR400, and DR-Auto), D-Range Priority is ISO dependent. In this regard, DR-P Weak is like using DR200, and DR-P Strong is like using DR400. D-Range Priority is used in lieu of the Dynamic Range settings, so you cannot choose (for example) both DR200 and DR-P Weak simultaneously, only one or the other. Also, D-Range Priority disables the Tone Curve, so you cannot select a Highlight and Shadow setting. When enabled, DR-P is the Tone Curve. Interestingly, DR400 with both Highlight and Shadow set to -2 produces similar results to DR-P Weak. DR-P Auto chooses DR-P Weak almost always, and only selects DR-P Strong when there is a very bright light source, like shooting directly at the sun. D-Range Priority Strong produces a very low-contrast image, while DR-P Weak is a little less flat, but is still low-contrast.
To choose D-Range Priority, within the IQ section of the camera’s main Menu find D-Range Priority and select Auto, Strong, or Weak. Normally, D-Range Priority is set to Off. You only enable it when you want to use it. You can also choose D-Range Priority within Edit/Save Custom Presets, and have it enabled on any of your C1-C7 (or C1-C4, depending on your model) options.
To answer the when to use D-Range Priority question, it’s important to remember what DR-P does: produce a low-contrast picture that maximizes dynamic range to protect shadows and especially highlights. If you want punchy pictures, DR-P is not what you want to use (although in high contrast situations, you might still get dramatic results). If you want light pictures that might more closely resemble film scans (particularly from Frontier scanners), then DR-P is an option that you’ll want to consider.
While D-Range Priority is a fairly recent addition to X-Trans cameras—first introduced on X-Trans IV models—it turns out to have a much longer history. For years I assumed that D-Range Priority was for emergency use in extreme situations only, so I pretty much ignored it. I have since warmed up to DR-P, and I use it much more often than I used to. I still feel it’s probably not an option to utilize all of the time, but in the right situations or for a certain look, it works really well.
At the very moment that I was finishing up my Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe for X-Trans IV cameras, Thomas Schwab, who has created or co-created a number of Recipes on this website, sent me a modification that he made of the “old” Kodak Portra 160 Recipe (for X-Trans III plus the X-T3 & X-T30 cameras) to make it compatible with X-Trans V models. Clear as mud? Let me retry. This new Kodak Portra 160 v2 Recipe was modified by Thomas from the Kodak Portra 160 Recipe published in 2020 so as to be compatible with X-Trans V cameras. Plus he gave it a tune-up. Excitedly, I programmed this new version into my Fujifilm X-T5; however, I had several other projects going on, so it took a little time to get this one out. Thomas Schwab did a great job of updating the old version, and the results speak for themselves. I want to give Thomas a special “thank you” for his work and willingness to share!
Kodak introduced the Portra line in 1998, with two ISO 160 versions, two ISO 400 versions, and an ISO 800 emulsion (plus a short-lived ISO 100 Tungsten film, for those keeping score). Portra saw a couple of updates by Kodak, and in late-2010 the two ISO 160 versions were merged into one, as well as the two ISO 400 versions. Originally, Kodak Portra 160 came in “NC” (neutral color) and “VC” (vivid color) versions; Portra 160 NC was more popular for portraits and Portra 160 VC was more popular for landscapes. When Kodak merged the two, it fell kind of in-between the two emulsions—more vibrant than NC but less than VC. This Film Simulation Recipe is more similar to the merged Portra 160 that Kodak introduced in 2010. The film has become iconic, with its warm yet natural colors. As the name implies, it was meant for portrait photography, but is popular for many genres.
Shell Gas Station – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Portra 160 v2 Recipe
This Kodak Portra 160 v2 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2, X-H2s, X-T5, and X-S20 (yes, the X-S20). With one modification—setting Color Chrome FX Blue to Strong instead of Weak—this Recipe is also compatible with most fourth-generation X-Trans cameras: X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4 & X-T30 II. This can also be used on newer GFX models, but it will render slightly different (try it anyway).
Film Simulation: Classic Chrome Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 Blue Dynamic Range: D-Range Priority (DR-P) Auto Color: 0 Sharpness: -1 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -2 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Portra 160 v2 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:
Smokey Sunset – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Mountainous Contemplations – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Siblings – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Backlit Boy in Autumn – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Jonathan Using RitchieCam – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Golden Hour, Golden Trees – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Deer in the Meadow – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Yellow Aspen Tree Tops – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Yellow Aspens behind Green Pine – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Leaves & Needles – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Autumn Joy – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Bougainvillea Pink – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Endless Blue & Palms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Dusk in the Suburbs – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Frisbee Golf – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Yard Palm – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Palm Behind Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Two-Trunked Saguaro – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Help Support Fuji X Weekly!
Nobody pays me to write the content found on the Fuji X Weekly blog. There’s a real cost to running this website. I also put a lot of my own time into writing the posts. If you’ve found something on Fuji X Weekly helpful to you and you’d like to give back, this is a good place to do it. You can donate to this blog using PayPal by clicking below. I appreciate it! Thank you for your support! Please do not feel obligated to give, but do so only if you want to.
No Cigarettes – Avila Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodachrome 64 Recipe
I get asked fairly regularly which Film Simulation Recipes are the most popular. For me, this is a fascinating topic, but it’s definitely hard to know definitively. While I get a glimpse on social media, my best gauge is the Fuji X Weekly website statistics; specifically, which Recipe articles are viewed the most. I don’t collect any data on the Fuji X Weekly App, so that’s no help—although, if I did, it would likely offer the most accurate picture; however, it would still be impossible to know which Recipes people programmed into their Fujifilm cameras, or how often they use each. Perhaps a survey would be particularly useful, yet even it has its limitations. While certainly a flawed method, page-view website statics offer the best glimpse at which Film Simulation Recipes are the most popular, so that’s what I’m using for this article. These are simply the Top 25 most-viewed Recipes on the Fuji X Weekly website.
There’s a lot that can be gleaned from this exercise, but also a grain of salt must be consumed, too. For example, Vibrant Arizona actually has four Recipes in that article (two versions of two), so it would certainly rank lower if it only had one; also, it was published near the end of April, so it has a time disadvantage, as do all of the other Recipes published after January 1st. But, setting those limitations aside, there are still some fascinating trends to be explored. Some of these rankings are quite surprising to me, and others are not surprising at all.
Classic Chrome is the king of film simulations. The five most popular Fuji X Weekly Recipes all use Classic Chrome, as do 21 of the Top 25. Second place, which is Classic Negative with two, is a very distant second. Acros and PRO Neg. Std have one each. The other film simulations don’t even chart on this list. For those who use Film Simulation Recipes, Classic Chrome is clearly the film sim of choice for most.
Not surprisingly, Recipes with Kodak brand names are the most popular. 13 have Kodak in the name, eight have Portra in the name, and five have Kodachrome in the name. Kodak was the most popular film brand, so it should be expected that Film Simulation Recipes that mimic those emulsions would also be popular. What is surprising to me is that none with Fujifilm, Fujicolor, Superia, Provia, Velvia, etc., in the Recipe name made this list, as some of those are my personal favorites.
10 of these Recipes use a Kelvin White Balance, eight use Auto White Balance, six use Daylight, and one uses a Custom White Balance measurement. Almost all of them are warm, at least a little. Only one B&W Recipe made this list, which isn’t a shock to me because the color Recipes are typically far more popular than monochrome. Only one Recipe specifically intended for night photography made this list, and I’m actually a little surprised by which one and how high it ranks. 10 Recipes use DR200, nine use DR400, five use DR-Auto, and one uses D-Range Priority Strong.
Most people who use Recipes do so on X-Trans IV cameras, specifically the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II models. Of the Top 25 Recipes, 16 of them are for those specific X-Trans IV cameras, including each of the Top 3. Six are for X-Trans III cameras plus the X-T3 and X-T30, two are for X-Trans V, and one is for X-Trans II (the very last one). But it’s a little more convoluted than that, because some Recipes (Vibrant Arizona and Kodak Tri-X 400 for sure, and probably others) are being used on X-Trans V cameras. Some of the X-Trans III plus X-T3 and X-T30 Recipes are likely being used on X-Trans IV and X-Trans V models to some extent. The majority of X-Trans V Recipes are at a disadvantage because they were published after January 1st, and there are only four fifth-generation X-Trans models anyway. I think the biggest takeaway is that the majority of people who shoot with Film Simulation Recipes in 2023 are doing so on X-Trans III and newer cameras, and X-Trans IV is the largest group within that. Recipes are not as popular on EXR, X-Trans I, X-Trans II, Bayer, and GFX models, although there are certainly many who do use them.
There are some rankings that surprise me. Vibrant Arizona is the only one published in 2023 to make the Top 25, although the fact that there are actually four Recipes in that article certainly affect its page-views. The X-Trans III version of Kodak Portra 400 requires a hard-to-get-right custom White Balance measurement, so it’s always surprising to me that so many use it. Kodak Portra 400 Warm and Bright Summer are especially warm, and their use case is more narrow than the others. If you had asked me what the second-most popular Recipe that uses the Classic Negative film sim, I would not have guessed Kodak Max 800, yet here it is! The X-Trans III version of Kodachrome II was ranked #7 last year, the X-Trans IV version of Kodachome II was ranked #8, Nostalgic Negative was #9, and Kodak Ektar 100 was #10, so those have fallen significantly, now ranked #12, #19, #24, & #16, respectively. I’m a little surprised that Classic Kodak Chrome is the most popular X-Trans II Recipe.
Anyway, I’ve held you up long enough. Let’s get to the list!
Top 25 Most Popular Film Simulation Recipes of 2023 (…so far)
There are over 300 Film Simulation Recipes on this website and the Fuji X Weekly App. Having so many options to choose from is great, because no matter your style there’s bound to be at least one that you love, and different Recipes are sometimes best in specific situations. The only problem with having all these options is that sometimes it’s hard to know which ones to choose. There can be a paralysis of choice, or, at the very least, it can seem overwhelming.
But not to worry, I’m here to help! Over the last year I’ve been publishing articles to help with this specific problem—to be a guide of sorts through the many Recipes. There’s no comprehensive list (nor should there be, I think) of when to use each option, because whether or not a particular Recipe is great for a specific scenario is subjective. I might like one, but you might dislike it. However, I can provide some direction—something that I have been attempting to do over the last 12 months.
The problem with my method, though, is that it’s easy for my articles on this subject to get lost in the shuffle. So I thought it would be helpful to round them up, and put them into one place. That’s the intention of this article.
First up is my Which Film Simulation Recipe, When? series. If you only open one article, that’s the one to choose. I think it’s probably the most helpful out of all of them in this post. You might appreciate many of the others, too, so I would encourage you to click on more than one article to read, especially if the number of Film Simulation Recipes feels overwhelming to you, or you’re just not sure where to begin. I hope this helps with that, and you’ll have a little more confidence choosing some to program into your camera.
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Help Support Fuji X Weekly!
Nobody pays me to write the content found on the Fuji X Weekly blog. There’s a real cost to running this website. I also put a lot of my own time into writing the posts. If you’ve found something on Fuji X Weekly helpful to you and you’d like to give back, this is a good place to do it. You can donate to this blog using PayPal by clicking below. I appreciate it! Thank you for your support! Please do not feel obligated to give, but do so only if you want to.
Luxury Among Palms – Laguna Hills, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe
Today’s SOOC Livebroadcast was wonderful. Thank you to everyone who tuned in and participated—you all make it great!
We discusses the new Reala Ace film simulation, and talked at length about my Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe. The Reala Ace Recipe is for X-Trans V cameras, and not everyone has one of those cameras, and even if you do, you might prefer a different option, so Nathalie Boucry and I offered three similar Recipes as alternatives. Specifically, we suggested Fujicolor Reala 100, Fujicolor Superia 100, and Fujicolor 100 Industrial. Watch the video below to learn more.
There are two Fujicolor Reala 100 Recipes—one for X-Trans IV (excluding the X-T3 and X-T30), and one for X-Trans V. Likewise, there are two Fujicolor Superia 100 Recipes—one for X-Trans IV (excluding the X-T3 and X-T30), and one for X-Trans V. The Fujicolor 100 Industrial Recipe is just for the X-T3 and X-T30; however, simply ignore Color Chrome Effect to use it on X-Trans III (it will look very similar, and only slightly different), or for newer cameras, set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.
While you are here, the long-overdue Viewers’ Images slideshow from the previous broadcast was finally published. You can watch it below. There are some really great pictures by you all, so you’ll definitely want to take a look. Thanks to everyone who submitted photographs!
Color film almost always is either Daylight balanced or Tungsten balanced. The majority of emulsions are Daylight balanced. Use film intended for sunny light in the daytime, and use film intended for artificial light at night. If the light condition is something else, color correction filters can be used to achieve a correct color cast.
Film Simulation Recipes are often quite similar, and many are meant for use during daylight hours or (less commonly) at night. I get asked sometimes if there are good Recipes that can be used anytime, no matter the light. I think it’s a great strategy to have at least one versatile option programmed into your Custom Presets ready to go. It may or may not be your favorite Recipe, but you know it’s going to deliver good results no matter the situation.
There are actually quite a few of these types of Recipes. The easiest way to find them is, if you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, is to Filter by White Balance in the App, and look for Auto White Balance (or Auto White Priority) Recipes. Some are more all-purpose than others, but all of those will be at least somewhat versatile. Even some Recipes that are don’t use Auto White Balance can be surprisingly capable in a variety of light situations—just because it doesn’t use AWB doesn’t mean that it can only be used in one scenario—but those that do use Auto are going to be more so.
Night Snakes – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Fujicolor Super HG v2
Below I have five personal picks for versatile Film Simulation Recipes. These are options that I know from my own use are going to be good for when the light condition is uncertain or changing. These are fantastic all-purpose Recipes that you should considered having at-the-ready in your C1-C7 (or C1-C4 if you have an X-S camera) Custom Presets. I like to have at least one programmed, just in case I need it.
Everyday Astia is an X-Trans III plus X-T3 and X-T30 Recipe; to use it on newer X-Trans IV cameras, set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0. Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled is my go-to Recipe for indoor artificial light (including a wedding reception); to use it on X-Trans V, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak. Fujicolor Super HG v2 has both an X-Trans IV version and an X-Trans V. Reggie’s Portra is a very popular for X-Trans IV, to use it on X-Trans V set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off. Reala Ace, which is for X-Trans V, is pretty new but currently getting a lot of buzz—join Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself this coming Thursday (November 2nd) as we discuss the Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe!
Autumn in a Mountain Meadow – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Fujicolor Superia 100
When you think of dramatic displays of Autumn colors, you probably don’t think of Arizona. It’s easy to miss that Arizona has a significant amount of mountainous terrain, with extensive forests and even snow-capped peaks in the winter. In autumn, some of these trees change color as the leaves prepare to drop. The fall foliage in Arizona can be impressive!
Two days ago I drove up north to the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks just outside of Flagstaff for an autumn hike. The trail is called Aspen Corner Trail, which sits right below the Snowbowl ski resort. Interestingly, I was looking for the Aspen Loop Nature Trail, but I didn’t quite go far enough, and didn’t realize until later that I wasn’t even on the intended path. I had never been on any trails in this area before; I saw all of the cars and the many photographers, and just figured I was in the right place.
It was an easy hike, with very short sections that might be considered moderate (maybe). I didn’t go anywhere close to the end, just perhaps a quarter mile down where the thick forest opened to a large meadow, then back to the car as the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. The place was nothing short of stunning!
Arizona Aspens – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – The Rockwell
For those who don’t know or remember, the way I’m currently using my X100V is the rear LCD is turned off, and the hybrid viewfinder is set to OVF. That means that I don’t know how the pictures turned out until later when I review them. This is intended to replicate a film-like experience, in a way. Since I don’t know what I’m getting, I try to take a little extra care to ensure that I get it right. Also, I really enjoy reviewing all of the photos at once, not knowing how exactly it all went; there’s a certain thrill when one is especially great or unexpectedly interesting. This process has been a good exercise for me.
Now, let’s take a look at the seven Film Simulation Recipes that I used to photograph fall colors on my Fujifilm X100V!
This Recipe produces bright and colorful pictures. If you want to really show off a vibrant scene, The Rockwell will do it! The flip side is that it can be over-the-top sometimes—too bold, too colorful, too crisp. I was confident that this would be a good option, and I was right. If you want to emphasize the vivid colors of autumn, The Rockwell will deliver just that. I used this Recipe more than any of the others.
I don’t shoot with the Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe all that often, so I thought this would be a good opportunity. It’s warm and vibrant, and seemingly a good match for autumn photography. After reviewing the pictures, my regret is not using this Recipe more! The image above, for example, is one of my favorites of the outing. I’m going to keep this one programmed into my camera for awhile longer.
Kodak Portra 400 v2 is one of the Recipes that I typically use the most—definitely Top 5, maybe Top 3—so I thought I’d try the “v1” Kodak Portra 400 Recipe instead on this trip. I just don’t shoot with it often enough. After reviewing the pictures, this is another one that I wish I had used more. While it doesn’t emphasize the colors like the two Recipes above, it does produce an analogue-like rendering that’s easy to appreciate.
Another Recipe that I didn’t use a lot was Reggie’s Portra, although it certainly did quite well. In retrospect, I probably didn’t need to have both Kodak Portra 400 and Reggie’s Portra programmed into the camera. Personally, I prefer the aesthetic of Kodak Portra 400 just slightly more (although, overall, they’re pretty similar), but Reggie’s Portra is more versatile, so it can be the better choice if the light might be something other than sunny daylight. If I were to do this again, I’d choose either Kodak Portra 400 or Reggie’s Portra and not both.
This is a Recipe that I suspected might be very good for fall foliage photography, but I wasn’t certain. I’m now convinced that it is! Upon reviewing the pictures, CineStill 400D v2 was one of my favorite Recipes that I used, and another that I wished that I used more. Very beautiful results, perhaps the best of these seven for the light and colors on this particular adventure. I really liked this one!
Fujicolor Superia 100 was my second-most used Recipe (only behind The Rockwell), and I chose it because I wanted a Fuji color-negative film look, plus I thought this might be a good option for autumn images (although I wasn’t sure). While the picture at the very top of this article, which was captured with this Recipe, was one of my top favorites of this trip, overall I was a tad disappointed with Fujiclor Superia 100. It wasn’t a bad choice for fall colors, but it wasn’t as good as some of the others that I used less often. So, basically, Fujicolor Superia 100 was great sometimes and mediocre at other times, depending on the exact light and colors.
I wondered how a Recipe with a bit more green in it might fare in the fall. I knew there’d be some pines, and figured that the Fujicolor NPH Recipe might render those well. I think the results were interesting—and definitely different than the others—but this was my least favorite of the seven. That’s not to say that it was bad, but only I preferred the other six more. It has some potential, though—for example, the very last picture has an obvious similarity to some prints I have in a photo box in the closet. But, overall, I think there are better Film Simulation Recipes for autumn photography.
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Help Support Fuji X Weekly!
Nobody pays me to write the content found on the Fuji X Weekly blog. There’s a real cost to running this website. I also put a lot of my own time into writing the posts. If you’ve found something on Fuji X Weekly helpful to you and you’d like to give back, this is a good place to do it. You can donate to this blog using PayPal by clicking below. I appreciate it! Thank you for your support! Please do not feel obligated to give, but do so only if you want to.
Coastal Blossoms at Sunset – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Portra 160 Recipe
Kodak introduced the Portra line in 1998, with two ISO 160 versions, two ISO 400 versions, and an ISO 800 emulsion (plus a short-lived ISO 100 Tungsten film, for those keeping score). Portra saw a couple of updates by Kodak, and in late-2010 the two ISO 160 versions were merged into one, as well as the two ISO 400 versions. The film has become iconic, with its warm yet natural colors. As the name implies, it was meant for portrait photography, but is popular for many genres.
Originally, Kodak Portra 160 came in “NC” (neutral color) and “VC” (vivid color) versions; Portra 160 NC was more popular for portraits and Portra 160 VC was more popular for landscapes. When Kodak merged the two, it fell kind of in-between the two emulsions—more vibrant than NC but less than VC. This Film Simulation Recipe is intended to mimic the merged Portra 160 that Kodak introduced in 2010.
I already have a Kodak Portra 160 Recipe that is compatible with X-Trans III cameras plus the X-T3 and X-T30, but not one for newer models. This update is long overdue, and I’m thrilled to finally publish it. Instead of simply making a quick adjustment to the “old” Recipe, I started from scratch. While the results are still very similar, it’s a significant redesign, and (hopefully) it’s just a tad better. This Recipe pairs really well with diffusion filters; for the California pictures in this article I used a 10% CineBloom filter, and for the Arizona pictures I used a mix of a 5% CineBloom and no diffusion filter at all. I did not adjust Clarity when using the diffusion filters.
Glass View – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Portra 160 Recipe
This Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. For fifth generation X-Trans models, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Strong. This Recipe will also work on newer GFX cameras, but the results will likely be slightly different.
Film Simulation: Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong White Balance: 4900K, +4 Red & -6 Blue Highlight: -1 Shadow: -2 Color: 0 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -3 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Golden Coast – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Pacific Gold – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Bluff Above the Golden Coast – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Blooms Above the Pacific Ocean – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Gold Coast Blooms – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Sunset Selfie – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Blooming Bush on Pacific Bluff – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Pacific Overlook – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Red Coastal Flowers – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Aliso Beach – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Hotel – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Floral Arch – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Flowers & Palms – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Bunch of Blossomed Flowers – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Flowers & Water – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Coastal Peek – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Wedding Guests – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Flower Petals – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Book & Mirror – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Gifts & Snacks – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Mirror – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
You Like Jazz? – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Twin Palms & Concrete – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Empty Cage – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Trumpet Haze – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Streaking Light over Tree Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Spiderweb in the Shrub – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
LavAzza Cactus – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Trash Moon – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Orange Leaf – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Apartment – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Top of the Playground – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Playground Canopy – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Palmin the Sky – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Tree-Lined Path – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Bougainvillea Warm – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Arizona Jon – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Waterless Lions – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Evening Light Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Oleander Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Bougainvillea Blossom – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
Help Support Fuji X Weekly!
Nobody pays me to write the content found on the Fuji X Weekly blog. There’s a real cost to running this website. I also put a lot of my own time into writing the posts. If you’ve found something on Fuji X Weekly helpful to you and you’d like to give back, this is a good place to do it. You can donate to this blog using PayPal by clicking below. I appreciate it! Thank you for your support! Please do not feel obligated to give, but do so only if you want to.
I’m not a wedding photographer, although I have photographed a few weddings in the past as a favor to family and friends. Since I’m always carrying a camera around, I’m occasionally asked to capture someone’s wedding, but it’s not my thing. While I have a lot of photography experience, I have limited experience as a wedding photographer.
I don’t envy those in this genre, because it’s a lot of work. The wedding photographer is often one of the first to arrive at the venue, and one of the last to leave, because every moment—from setup to reception’s end, and especially every instance in-between—is worth recording. There are so many memorable moments throughout the day, and the photographer’s job is to capture as many as possible, including every single of the big ones. Then there’s all the culling and editing. I would estimate that for every hour spent capturing pictures, I’d need two to three hours at the computer to edit the images. If I photographed for 12 hours, that would mean 24 to 36 hours of post-processing. Yikes!
Because Film Simulation Recipes can save you a whole bunch of time, it’s not surprising that I’ve been asked a number of times which ones might be good for wedding photography. Whether you’re a professional, or just doing it as a favor, or as a guest, Recipes are much more efficient, and cutting the culling and editing down to a reasonable time is highly appealing. I haven’t photographed a wedding since I began using Recipes, so it’s been difficult to recommend specific ones. Without personal experience, I’ve only been able to guess which ones might do well.
Last month I was invited to Marisa and Sahand Nayebaziz‘s wedding in Laguna Beach, California. Sahand is an app developer—if you’ve ever used the Fuji X Weekly App, Ricoh Recipes App, or RitchieCam App, you’ve seen his handiwork. His own app is called Details Pro, and if you are familiar with SwiftUI, you’ve probably heard of and maybe even used his app. Anyway, I’ve worked with Sahand for three years now, and he has been a significant part of the Fuji X Weekly story. He shoots with Fujifilm cameras and uses Film Simulation Recipes, so naturally we have developed a friendship. It was a real honor to be invited to Marisa and Sahand’s marriage ceremony.
Fujifilm X100V — Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe
The wedding was incredibly beautiful! Aside from the breathtaking location and the perfect weather, the event was decorated so well. It was literally like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was like a movie, except it was real!
My wife and I were guests. I brought my Fujifilm X100V—with a 10% CineBloom filter on the front—and did my best to stay out of the way. I wanted to photograph the wedding, but there’s nothing more annoying to the wedding photographer—and perhaps also the bride and groom—than to get in the way by being pushy with the camera. It’s much better to just blend into the crowd. I wasn’t the wedding photographer, and was quite satisfied with that arrangement; however, I still wanted to capture some images. Funny story, the wedding photographer, who was using a couple of Leica models, asked me several questions about my X100V; apparently he’s interested in buying one for his personal photography. Although I tried to blend in, my camera caught his attention, but I think in a good way.
My approach was to focus on things that I thought the wedding photographer might overlook. Of course, I had no idea what the photographer would or wouldn’t capture, but I know how easy it is to miss small things when your attention is on big things. I did my best to photograph those potentially missed pictures, while drawing as little attention to myself as practical. Also, I think the perspective of the guests can be a little different than that of the wedding crew, so I approached it as such.
The Fujifilm X100V is a great camera, but the fixed-focal-length lens is limiting. That’s not always a bad thing, but it did make it challenging in this case because I was sometimes further away than I needed to be to get the shots that I wanted. The digital teleconverter was utilized more often than usual—in a pinch it works well, but I avoid it when I can.
Fujifilm X100V — Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled
I had two Film Simulation Recipes in mind for the wedding, but I wasn’t sure until I got there if they would be good choices. It was a daylight outdoor wedding, and for those pictures I used my Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe, which is a favorite of both Sahand and myself, so it made a lot of sense to try it. That Recipe worked excellent, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. For the indoor reception pictures, I used the Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled, which is soft and versatile—perfect for the situation.
Kodak Portra 400 v2 is a Film Simulation Recipe that I’m now happy to recommend for outdoor daylight wedding photography. Some others to consider are Kodak Portra 400, Reggie’s Portra, Timeless Negative, Reala Ace, Fujicolor Reala 100, Fujicolor Superia 100, Fujicolor C200, Fujicolor Pro 400H, and Fujicolor Natura 1600. I’m sure many others could work, too. Of course, which one you should choose will depend on the exact light condition and the aesthetic you desire. Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled is a Recipe that I’m happy to recommend for indoor wedding photography. Fujicolor Super HG v2, Eterna v2, Reggie’s Portra, Reala Ace, and Timeless Negative are some others to consider. You might notice that a few Recipes are in both categories, and that’s because they’re more versatile. In fact, Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled could also be a good option for sunny daylight situations. Kodak Tri-X 400 would be my top choice for black-and-white.
I just picked two Recipes, but if I was the photographer (and not a guest), I would have seven options ready to go in my C1-C7. I would select two for sunny outdoors, two for indoor, two for versatility, and one B&W. Something like Kodak Portra 400 v2 and Fujicolor Superia 100 for outdoors, Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled and Fujicolor Super HG v2 for indoors, Reggie’s Portra and Reala Ace for versatility, and Kodak Tri-X 400 for monochrome. Then, I’d test each one at the venue, and decide at that point which ones I want to use—perhaps just three or maybe four of them—and stick with those few, unless the light changed and an adjustment was needed.
The photographs in this article are about 1/3 of the total that I gave to the bride and groom. Because I used Film Simulation Recipes and didn’t edit (aside from some cropping), the culling and post-processing took minutes, and not hours and hours. These were bonus pictures for them, hopefully complimenting the wonderful photographs that the actual wedding photographer captured. Marisa and Sahand seemed to like them. If you are considering using Film Simulation Recipes at an upcoming wedding, I hope that this article provides you with some direction. If you’ve used Recipes at a wedding, let me know in the comments which ones you used and how they worked out.
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
With over 300 Film Simulation Recipes on the Fuji X Weekly App, there are bound to be some that are underutilized. Several are intended for very specific scenarios and aren’t especially versatile, so it’s understandable why those are chosen less often than others. Some might just get lost in the crowd; perhaps my sample pictures weren’t strong enough to demonstrate the Recipe’s potential. There’s a group, however, that should be more popular than they are, but are underutilized because they’re not yet available to everyone. These are the Fuji X Weekly App Patron Early-Access Recipes.
My Film Simulation Recipes are free, and the Fuji X Weekly App is free; however, there’s a real expense to all of this, and I do want a little reward for all of my efforts. The best way to support this website is to become a Patron subscriber to my Apps (aside from the Fuji X Weekly App, there’s also the Ricoh Recipes App and the RitchieCam App). As a reward for supporting Fuji X Weekly, the Patron subscription unlocks the best App experience.
Nostalgic Emulsion Recipe
What, exactly, does “the best App experience” mean? For one, Filtering is unlocked. Want to see only the Recipes that are fully compatible with your specific camera model? Want to display only Recipes that use a certain film simulation, white balance type, or dynamic range setting? That’s the Filter feature, and it’s available to Patrons. Another is Favoriting. There are five different colored stars that can be used to organize Recipes into categories. For example, you can use red stars for Recipes that you found to be good options for portraits, yellow for golden hour, green for landscapes, etc.. Or, yellow stars for what is currently in C1-C7, blue for what you want to try next, green for ones you tried and liked, and red for ones you tried and didn’t like. You can use these however it makes the most sense for you, but only if you are a Patron. Oh, and if you’ve made your own custom Film Simulation Recipe, you can use blank Recipe cards to add them to your App.
Another perk of being a Fuji X Weekly App Patron is that you get early access to some new Film Simulation Recipes. These Early-Access Recipes will become available to everyone in time (as they are replaced by new ones), but for now only Patron subscribers can view them. Some aren’t publicly available for everyone for a short time—usually at least a few months—and others stay as Early-Access Recipes for a year or more. For example, Eterna Bleach Bypass was a Patron Early-Access Recipe for over a year, and just two days ago it became freely available to everyone after it was replaced by Expired Kodak Vision2 250D. Currently, there are 14 Early-Access Recipes in the Fuji X Weekly App.
Because not everyone can use these Early-Access Recipes, they’re not nearly as popular as the ones that are available free to everyone. Only App Patrons can use them. Some of these Recipes are really good, though, deserving of much greater attention than they’ve received. This article is simply shining a spotlight on five of them. If you are a Patron, I invite you to find them in the App and give them a try. If you are not a Patron, I ask that you consider supporting this website by becoming a Patron subscriber, which will in turn give you access to them. If you don’t have the Fuji X Weekly App on your phone, download it for free today!
Royal Gold 400 was introduced by Kodak in 1994 as a replacement to the original Kodak Ektar 400 film (which is a little different from the Ektar that came later). The Royal Gold line, which also came in ISO 100 and 200 versions, was marketed as a “step up” from Kodak Gold, with finer grain and more vibrant colors. It was more-or-less an updated Ektar emulsion that was renamed for marketing reasons (Gold sold a lot more than Ektar). In the early 2000’s Royal Gold was replaced by the High Definition/Royal Supra line.
This Film Simulation Recipe wasn’t initially intended to replicate Royal Gold, but simply began as an attempt to achieve a “memory color” aesthetic of photographic prints from the 1990’s and early 2000’s; I wasn’t concerned about the specific films or processes. After shooting with this Recipe and reviewing the results, I was reminded of Kodak Royal Gold 400 film… sometimes. Of course, one film can produce many different aesthetics, depending on (among other things) how it was shot, developed, scanned and/or printed. Royal Gold 400 didn’t always or even usually look like this, but sometimes it did, and I found some examples in a photo-box and online that were quite similar—I’m not sure why, but my suspicion is that the film was mishandled, either from being stored improperly (possibly exposed to too much heat) or waiting too long to develop after exposing. Film can be finicky, but that serendipity is something that makes it special.
The 1981 Kodak Film Simulation Recipe was modeled after some old family pictures found in a photo box. These prints were made in July of 1981—a date stamped on the back—and printed on Kodak paper. The other technical details are unknown, but most likely they were captured with a cheap point-and-shoot of some sort (possibly even a 110 camera) with Kodacolor II color negative film, which was the most popular amateur emulsion of that era. Due to age and improper storage, the prints are fading, with a pronounced orange (sometimes yellow, sometimes red) cast, and colors overall less vibrant than they once were.
I thought that the aesthetic was interesting, so I began to develop a Recipe inspired by these photographs. It took a couple of days, and a few compromises, but I was able to create a look that mimics the general feel of those old pictures made in 1981 and printed on Kodak paper—the reason why I call this Recipe 1981 Kodak.
I binge-watched a number of classic movies from the 1950’s, and I was really inspired by their picture aesthetics. After some research, I discovered that Kodak ECN 5248 25T motion picture film was used in several of these flicks. The problem, of course, with trying to replicate the look of a motion picture film stock is that not only is the aesthetic dependent on the usual factors of how shot and developed, but also on the lighting and filters used, which can be different movie-to-movie and even scene-to-scene. Instead of attempting to mimic the look of any particular movie or cinema film stock, I wanted to create a certain feel or mood—a “memory color” reminiscent of color movies from the 1950’s.
Kodak made Kodachrome color-reversal (slide) film from 1935 through 2009. There are three era’s of Kodachrome: 1935-1960, 1961-1973, and 1974-2009. Each era has its own look; the second and third eras are probably the most similar. Kodachrome is actually a B&W film, with color dyes added during development. It was a unique and complicated process. Because of how the film works, it’s the most difficult emulsion to scan, often producing a blue cast that doesn’t exist when viewing the slides through a projector or on a light table.
Professional labs will have a profile to color-correct Kodachrome scans, but even that’s not usually a 100% match. As it used to be said, “There’s nothing like projected Kodachrome!” If the scans aren’t carefully corrected, the results are often significantly more blue than the slides. The feeling that all the world’s a sunny day (as Paul Simon sang) is completely gone. Once you know what to look for, it’s easy to spot these incorrectly color corrected Kodachrome images, and they’re prevalent. This Recipe mimics those too-blue scans of Kodachrome film.
This Nostalgic Emulsion Recipe was a collaboration between myself and my 15-year-old daughter, Joy. She wanted a certain look, which she described as “dark with deep greens” and similar to some music videos, including Daylight by David Kushner. “That’s the aesthetic I want to make,” she told me, while stopping on a forested scene.
I really like the moody and nostalgic feeling that this Film Simulation Recipe produces. It has a retro negative film look, maybe along the lines of Fujicolor Super HQ or Agfa XRG or something like that, but not exactly like any specific emulsion. You can expect dark shadows and a cool cast that leans green. I think it works best when there’s a lot of lush vegetation, and is good for toning down an overly warm scene.
