Fujifilm video | FUJI X WEEKLY

Introducing Video Recipes for Fujifilm Cameras!

I’m thrilled to finally release an exciting project that has been in the works for over a year: Video Recipes for Fujifilm cameras! This has taken tremendous effort to complete. Even though there are significantly fewer settings available for video than for stills, I found that creating Recipes for video to be much more difficult. A lot of care went into them. I’m extremely happy to share these new Recipes with you today.

Any Fujifilm Recipe can be used for video, but there are some caveats. First, not all of the options that are available for still photography are available for video (and, to a much lesser degree, vice versa). Also, the various Film Simulations look very subtly divergent for video than stills, simply because the pipeline is different for color sampling, curves, sharpening, and noise reduction—the output is nearly the same, but there are some small inherent variations, with some Film Simulations affected more than others. All of this is to say that Recipes intended for still photography will work for cinematography if you ignore the settings that aren’t available in movie mode, but the outcome will not be 100% exactly the same. Aside from that, what works well for still photography does not always work well for video (and vice versa)—that’s why film manufacturers have some emulsions specifically for photographs and some specifically for motion pictures. With that in mind, I decided to create Fujifilm Recipes that are specifically designed for cinematography.

I just published eight brand-new video Recipes. All of them are compatible with fifth-generation cameras (Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III), while some can also be used with fourth-generation models. Additionally, these Recipes are compatible with newer GFX cameras, like the GFX100 II, GFX100S II, GFX100RF, and Eterna 55. If you are a video content creator who wants to take advantage of Fujifilm’s excellent colors and spend less time—or even eliminate—color grading, these Video Recipes are for you!

All of the footage in the sample videos are straight-out-of-camera, completely unedited other than length (and sometimes cropped and/or stabilized). The clips were not color graded or manipulated. If you were to use these Recipes for your cinematography, you can expect the same type of results. What you see is what you’ll get.

This Video Recipe project was a team effort. I developed the Recipes myself with input and feedback from my lovely wife, Amanda. The footage in the sample videos were made by several creators, who I’ll introduce in just a moment. Amanda edited all of clips into YouTube videos. The Fuji X Weekly App had to be modified, made possible by the talents of my app developer, Sahand Nayebaziz.

Now, let’s take a look at the six Video Recipes!

Chrome Color

The Chrome Color Video Recipe is warm and subtly colorful, with a strong Kodak-like aesthetic. It’s great for a summertime vibe. While it’s especially good for sunny daylight situations, it’s also quite versatile, and can be used anytime of the day or night.

Reala Color

The Reala Color Video Recipe is warm, light, and vibrant—yet somehow true-to-life—with an analog feel. It’s quite versatile, and can be used anytime of the day or night.

Nostalgic Color

The Nostalgic Color Video Recipe is soft, warm, and slightly muted—an aesthetic that feels like a memory. This Recipe evokes nostalgia, and is quite versatile.

Natural Negative

The Natural Negative Video Recipe is soft, light, and warm, yet true-to-life. It has a strong cinematic feel. This Recipe is extremely versatile, great for day or night or any other light situation.

Retro Fujicolor

The Retro Fujicolor Video Recipe is muted and contrasty, with a vintage Fujicolor look reminiscent of the ’80’s and ’90’s. The Recipe is highly versatile, and can be used anytime of the day or night.

Vivid Fujichrome

The Vivid Fujichrome Video Recipe is vibrant and leans warm; slightly contrasty with deep blacks. This is a bold Recipe for colorful subjects, and has a distinctive Velvia quality. It’s specifically intended for sunny daylight, but it can sometimes produce good results in other light situations. It’s especially great for sunset and blue hour.

Retro Cinematic

The Retro Cinematic Video Recipe emphasizes both warm and cool tones. In the right light, it almost has a split-tone effect. Depending on the situation, it can appear to have a warm cast or a cool cast. While this Recipe is intended for use in sunny daylight, it’s great for showcasing the blues of twilight and for emphasizing the warmth of artificial light.

Vision Daylight

The Vision Daylight Video Recipe is warm, somewhat contrasty (yet with great tonality), and subtly colorful—very summer-like—with a cinematic feel. It has a strong Kodak-esque motion picture aesthetic. This Recipe is specifically intended for sunny daylight situations, but can be interesting in other light, too.

Now let’s meet the cinematographers! I want to give a big shoutout and thank you to them, as they each played an important role in this project. Also, I want to give a special acknowledgement to my wife, Amanda, who produced the sample videos above, and was instrumental in this whole project—without her, none of this would have happened.

Kyler Steele

A New York City-based travel photographer and videographer, Kyler’s content evokes a feeling of nostalgia through his use of color and composition. He has collaborated with Hasselblad, Leica, and Fujifilm. His reviews, guides, newsletter, and educational content are popular on Instagram and YouTube.

Austin, also known as AV and AVdidit, is a New York City-based landscape and travel photographer and videographer who aims to capture the emotion or atmosphere of a scene rather than strict realism. He has worked with B&H, Fujifilm, OM Systems, Cruise America, and more. You can find him on Instagram and YouTube.

Dave Geffin

A New York City-based photographer and cinematographer, Dave has worked with Fujifilm, Adidas, Amazon, Phase One, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and many, many more. Dave has extensive experience with fashion, commercial, and editorial clients around the world.

B.Monét

B.Monét is an award-winning writer and director, who’s various short films have screened in dozens of film festivals and streamed on BET, Hulu, and Max. She has worked with Levi’s, Estée Lauder, Disney, Uber, and more.

Sahand Nayebaziz

Sahand is a Los Angeles-based portrait photographer and filmmaker since 2011. He’s also an app developer, and a vital part of the Fuji X Weekly team for over six years.

Jeffrey Sun

Jeffrey is an up-and-coming New York City-based photographer, content creator, and YouTuber who specializes in street and travel images. He has worked with various musicians, events, and brands, including Fujifilm.

Chrome Color — A Video Recipe for Fujifilm Cameras

Posted on 6 Days Ago by Ritchie Roesch

Any Fujifilm Recipe can be used for video, but there are some caveats. First, not all of the options that are available for still photography are available for video (and, to a much lesser degree, vice versa). Also, the various Film Simulations look very subtly divergent for video than stills, simply because the pipeline is different for color sampling, curves, sharpening, and noise reduction—the output is nearly the same, but there are some small inherent variations, with some Film Simulations affected more than others. All of this is to say that Recipes intended for still photography will work for cinematography if you ignore the settings that aren’t available in movie mode, but the outcome will not be exactly the same. Aside from that, what works well for still photography does not always work well for video (and vice versa)—that’s why film manufacturers have some emulsions specifically for photographs and some specifically for motion pictures. With that in mind, I decided to create Fujifilm Recipes that are specifically designed for cinematography.

Even though there are significantly fewer settings available for video than for stills, I found that creating Recipes for video to be much more difficult. I began this project over a year ago, and only now am I publishing the results. It’s been a lot of fun, but also very challenging. The YouTube video that I’ve embedded below is a good sampling of what the Chrome Color Recipe looks like. I would describe it as warm and subtly colorful, with a strong Kodak-like aesthetic. It’s great for a summertime vibe. While it’s especially good for sunny daylight situations, it’s also quite versatile, and can be used anytime of the day or night.

Chrome Color is a video Recipe, and is not intended for still photography; however, you can use it for stills by choosing a Grain size (either Off or Weak/Small), setting Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and set Clarity to 0. I did not include a “typical exposure compensation” because you’ll want to carefully consider the exposure for each individual scene, and whether it should be brighter or darker will depend on the exact light situation and desired mood. This Chrome Color Recipe is compatible with some fourth-generation Fujifilm cameras—X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II—as well as all fifth-generation 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. You can also use this with newer GFX cameras, too.

***Update: The Chrome Color Recipe was initially published on this website with incorrect parameters (however, it was correct in the Fuji X Weekly App). It has now been fixed below. I apologize for this mistake.***

Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -4 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: -1.5
Color: +3
Sharpness: 0
High ISO NR: -4
Interframe NR: Auto
ISO: up to ISO 6400

The stills below are from the video above. The video footage was captured using a Fujifilm X-H2s, X-S20, and GFX100 II. No color grading, just straight-out-of-camera clips. Footage by AV, Sahand Nayebaziz, and Jeffrey Sun.

Click here to find more Video Recipes!

Find this Fujifilm Recipe and hundreds more in the Fuji X Weekly App. Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

Nostalgic Color — A Video Recipe for Fujifilm Cameras

Posted on 6 Days Ago by Ritchie Roesch

This is the Recipe that began the whole Video Recipe project. Early last year, my family and I participated in a 72-hour short film challenge. We had three days to write, record, edit, and submit a five minute short film. The overall theme (heroic), some dialog that must be included (“This better be useful”), and a prop that must be used (a sticky note) were not given until the very start of the 72 hours, so we couldn’t preplan much. The short film was a team effort—probably my biggest contribution was the Video Recipe. Prior to this, we primary used Reggie’s Portra for videography (ignoring the settings unavailable in Move Mode), but we wanted a softer, warmer, more muted aesthetic for this movie (something that seemed more like a memory), to better convey the intended feelings. There were nine contest entries, all of which were played in a local movie theater. To our surprise, we won Best Film (and several other trophies). If you are interested, it’s called Will You Play With Me? (click here to watch). Amanda recorded most of the clips, and all of it was filmed on an X-T5 using this Nostalgic Color Recipe.

From there, I was inspired to create even more Video Recipes for Fujifilm cameras. Nostalgic Color was the first, so it has a special place in my heart. It’s quite versatile. The aesthetic of this Recipe evokes nostalgia. I can imagine a full-length documentary filmed with this someday—in fact, the inspiration for this Recipe came from some shots in the documentary American Symphony. The YouTube video that I’ve embedded below is a good sampling of what the Nostalgic Color Recipe looks like.

Nostalgic Color is a video Recipe, and is not intended for still photography; however, you can use it for stills by choosing a Grain size (either Off or Weak/Small), setting Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and set Clarity to 0. I did not include a “typical exposure compensation” because you’ll want to carefully consider the exposure for each individual scene, and whether it should be brighter or darker will depend on the exact light situation and desired mood. This Nostalgic Color Recipe is compatible with all fifth-generation 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. You can also use this with newer GFX cameras, too.

Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg.
White Balance: Auto Ambiance Priority, +3 Red & -3 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: -1
Color: -2
Sharpness: 0
High ISO NR: -4
Interframe NR: Auto
ISO: up to ISO 6400

The stills below are from the video above. The video footage was captured using a Fujifilm X-H2s and X-S20. No color grading, just straight-out-of-camera clips. Footage by AV, Dave Geffin, B.Monét, and Jeffrey Sun.

Click here to find more Video Recipes!

Find this Fujifilm Recipe and hundreds more in the Fuji X Weekly App. Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

Natural Negative — A Video Recipe for Fujifilm Cameras

Posted on 6 Days Ago by Ritchie Roesch

Any Fujifilm Recipe can be used for video, but there are some caveats. First, not all of the options that are available for still photography are available for video (and, to a much lesser degree, vice versa). Also, the various Film Simulations look very subtly divergent for video than stills, simply because the pipeline is different for color sampling, curves, sharpening, and noise reduction—the output is nearly the same, but there are some small inherent variations, with some Film Simulations affected more than others. All of this is to say that Recipes intended for still photography will work for cinematography if you ignore the settings that aren’t available in movie mode, but the outcome will not be exactly the same. Aside from that, what works well for still photography does not always work well for video (and vice versa)—that’s why film manufacturers have some emulsions specifically for photographs and some specifically for motion pictures. With that in mind, I decided to create Fujifilm Recipes that are specifically designed for cinematography.

Even though there are significantly fewer settings available for video than for stills, I found that creating Recipes for video to be much more difficult. I began this project over a year ago, and only now am I publishing the results. It’s been a lot of fun, but also very challenging. The YouTube video that I’ve embedded below is a good sampling of what the Natural Negative Recipe looks like. I would describe it as soft, light, and warm, yet true-to-life. It has a strong cinematic feel. This Recipe is extremely versatile, great for day or night or any other light situation.

Natural Negative is a video Recipe, and is not intended for still photography; however, you can use it for stills by choosing a Grain size (either Off or Weak/Small), setting Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and set Clarity to 0. I did not include a “typical exposure compensation” because you’ll want to carefully consider the exposure for each individual scene, and whether it should be brighter or darker will depend on the exact light situation and desired mood. This Natural Negative Recipe is compatible with some fourth-generation Fujifilm cameras—X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II, as well as all fifth-generation 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. You can also use this with newer GFX cameras, too.

Film Simulation: Eterna
White Balance: Auto White Priority, +2 Red & -4 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +1
Color: +2
Sharpness: -1
High ISO NR: -4
Interframe NR: Auto
ISO: up to ISO 12800

Click here to find more Video Recipes!

Find this Fujifilm Recipe and hundreds more in the Fuji X Weekly App. Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Sprinkles — Pal2Tech Explains Film Sims & Recipes

Posted on December 15 by Ritchie Roesch

*Ice Cream Trailer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodak Vision3 250D

What a fun surprise to watch the latest Pal2Tech YouTube video! For those that don’t know, Pal2Tech is one of the top Fujifilm-centric YouTubers, and for a very good reason: he’s awesome at explaining complex things in an easy-to-understand way (and often in an entertaining way). His library of videos is a treasure trove of information. I always recommend his channel to those new to Fujifilm. Even if you are seasoned in the X-series system, there’s a lot that you can learn. And beyond that, some of his “other” content is really cool, like the OJ Simpson video. If you’ve never watched his stuff, be sure to visit his channel today.

In his most recent upload, Pal2Tech discusses Film Simulations and Recipes. I’m not going to spoil it, you’ll just have to watch the video, which I’ve included below. For those looking for the Film Simulation Recipe specifically mentioned in the video, click here. Dish yourself a bowl of vanilla ice cream, grab a spoon, and enjoy the video.

SOOC Live Update: new time tomorrow

Posted on November 23 by Ritchie Roesch

Just a quick update about tomorrow’s show: it will now be at 9:00 AM Pacific Time, 12:00 noon Eastern. This is one hour earlier (or 13 hours, if you count my mistake of using PM instead of AM… what an error!). So just to clarify, it will be 9:00 AM Pacific, 10:00 AM Mountain, 11:00 AM Central, and 12:00 noon Eastern. You can find the show on the SOOC Live YouTube channel, or by clicking here. I’ve also included it below. I hope that you can join us! And I apologize for the time mixups and changes.

California Coast in Infrared

Posted on November 3 by Ritchie Roesch

I just uploaded a brand-new video to YouTube. Some of you are probably unaware that there even is a Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel because I post so infrequently to it. This is only my second long-form video this year; last year I had two, and the year before that I uploaded three. Still, somehow, the channel has nearly 18,000 subscribers, and most of my videos top 10,000 views. I’d love to create a lot more long-form video content in the future, but it takes a lot of time that is just so hard to come by right now.

This video was filmed a few months ago. Initially I felt bad that it took so long to get it put together and finished, but then Preston Summorrow posted a video a week or so ago that was filmed back in July. If it was alright for him to have a large gap between start and finish, then it’s alright for me, too. I hope that you enjoy my video—I included it below.

I love infrared photography! It is so much fun. The results are just incredible. I have a handful of Infrared Film Simulation Recipes, and my personal favorite is Aerochrome v2. If you are interested in infrared photography, be sure to check back often to follow my personal journey. I know this is a niche genre that most people have a passing interest in at most, but even if you don’t care to try it yourself (or don’t have the opportunity to try it), maybe you’ll enjoy the photographs nonetheless.

My wife, Amanda, is the one who filmed and edited the video. She’s a lot better at it than I am, and she enjoys the process a lot more than I do. I think she did a great job! If you appreciate the video, be sure to leave a nice comment for Amanda. I know she would be encouraged by your gracious feedback.

A Roadtrip with the Fujifilm X-E5 using 11 Recipes

Posted on August 4 by Ritchie Roesch

I’m really excited, because I just published my first YouTube video in over a year! You might not be aware that Fuji X Weekly has a YouTube channel, but it does. I published two videos (not including Shorts) in 2024 (here and here), and three in 2023 (here, here and here). Those were a lot of fun, but YouTube videos are so much work. They take hours and hours and hours to create from start-to-finish. A good estimation—for those channels without a team of people—is one or two (or sometimes more) hours of editing for every minute of video published. That’s not including the time it takes to record the clips.

The video that just went live is a roadtrip to the Mission San Xavier del Bac in Tucson. This is the oldest still-used building in Arizona, and the oldest church. It’s where the city started (even though now it’s a little outside of town). The mission is a popular location for photography, and even Ansel Adams photographed it. I used 11 different Film Simulation Recipes on a Fujifilm X-E5. The adventure gets a bit wild, so hang onto your proverbial hats. I’ve included the video below—be sure to watch!

We tried a little different style for this new video. It’s a bit more relaxed, but hopefully entertaining. It gets a bit silly at times. Amanda (my wife) filmed it all using her Fujifilm X-S20 and Fujinon 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 lens and an upcoming Recipe for video (look for more details on that in the near-ish future). She also did almost all of the editing. There were some technical difficulties; hopefully a new mic will help alleviate some of the issues on future projects. This is also the longest video we’ve ever published, nearly three times longer than the previous longest. A big hurray for Amanda and all the work she put into it!

Even though I have published videos very infrequently over the last few years, the channel has (surprisingly) grown and grown. There are over 17,000 subscribers currently. Four of the last five videos have over 10,000 views, and two have over 16,000. That’s not bad for a barely-there channel. My hope with this new upload is to kick-off a restart of sorts. While I can’t promise anything, my goal is to publish new videos regularly, and not let so much time pass between them. But, in the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this one.

How to use Fujifilm X-T50’s Film Dial — Getting the most out of this new feature

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

As you are probably aware, the Fujifilm X-T50 has a new Film Dial, which allows you to quickly and easily switch between different film simulations. It’s a contentious design feature, and I think a lot of people were surprised that I actually like it.

To be honest, I didn’t care for the Film Dial at first, as it initially seemed to be something that I’d never use. But after thinking about it and playing with it, I discovered a way to get the most out of the Film Dial, which I wrote about here. Now, I love the new knob!

Could it have been implemented better? Yeah, it definitely could have been (as Omar Gonzalez laid out so well in his video). Is it useful as it is? Yes, no doubt about it.

Afterwards, I received a number of requests to demonstrate what the article stated. Some people are visual learners, and it can be difficult to fully grasp the meaning of something that’s written. A number of messages and comments asked, “Can you show me what you mean?” That’s the entire point of my new YouTube video, which I’ve included below.

If you are a visual learner and are interested in or curious about the new Fujifilm X-T50, definitely give the video a watch. I hope that it is helpful to some of you—if so, let me know! If you’d like more of this type of content in the future, let me know that, too.

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-T50 in black:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X-T50 in silver:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X-T50 in charcoal:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex

Let’s Chat LIVE Tomorrow!

Posted on April 17, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

Join myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry live tomorrow as we discuss some must-have Film Simulation Recipes for your Fujifilm camera! It’s an interactive program, so your participation makes it better. Be sure to bring any questions that you might have about Recipes or Fujifilm cameras. The show begins at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern. I hope to see you there!

The show will be broadcast on our SOOC Live YouTube page. You can get to it from the SOOC Live website, and I’ve also included it below, so that you can easily find it tomorrow. Also, in preparation for the episode, there’s a poll that will run during the show, which you can participate in right now if you’d like (click here).

On being a YouTuber — Plus YOUR videos!

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

I’m not a YouTuber.

Yes, I have a YouTube channel, but it’s a pretty minor footnote compared to everything else that is Fuji X Weekly. I’m a blogger. I’m an app developer (Sahand Nayebaziz deserves much of that credit, though). You could even make an argument that I’m a social media influencer, although that is a bit of a stretch in my opinion. I do, however, have a YouTube channel, and I do occasionally post videos—a whopping total of three last year. Technically speaking, I’m a YouTuber, but practically speaking, I’m a photography blogger who happens to have a small YouTube channel.

My definition of a YouTuber is someone who is successful at it. They post regularly, have some popularity, and earn a nice side-hustle income or even a full-time income from it. I fail at all three of those points. That doesn’t mean that it won’t ever happen, because it could. If I make a plan and work very hard at it, plus don’t give up, there’s a pretty good chance that I could find success. In time I could be a YouTuber, but right now I’m very far from it.

Making YouTube content is hard. It doesn’t have to be: strap on a GoPro and post the clips. That’s not my style, though. Many hours of recording and editing go into each minute of every video on the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel. A two minute video might have taken eight hours or more to complete, start to finish. My wife, Amanda, does the vast majority of it. She’s busy raising our four children, and YouTube content is not at the top of her priority list. She very much enjoys doing it, though, and I’m always impressed at her skill and vision. I have a face for radio and a voice for print, yet she somehow manages to make it seem otherwise. It’s easy to understand why putting together quality videos is a near impossible task—hence, just three published in 2023—but Amanda does an amazing job, especially considering all of the challenges. She deserves a lot of credit.

*Fujifilm X-T5 + Kodak Vision3 250D v2 Recipe*

I’m surprised by the success that the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel has had: over 14,000 subscribers, and three videos that have topped 15,000 views. 14K subscribers puts the channel deep into the Top 10%! Supposedly, only about 9% of all YouTube channels have over 1,000 subscribers, and only about 2% top 10,000 subscribers. I’m only in the Top 2% because of the popularity of this website, and not because I’m prolific on YouTube. The percentage that tops 100K subscribers is about 0.3%, so Omar Gonzales, Serr, Pal2Tech, and many others like them, are in an elite category that not very many reach, and even less surpass. Only 0.03% YouTube channels have a million or more subscribers.

What’s interesting is that the top 0.8% most-watched YouTube videos (which are ones that have at least 100K views) account for about 83% of all views on the entire platform. The inverse of this is that 99.2% of all YouTube videos (ones under 100K views) only account for about 27% of all views. Most of the videos on YouTube don’t get many views—in fact, about 88.5% have less than 1,000 views. Only 8% have more than 1,000 views but less than 10,000 (which is where most of my videos are), and only about 3.5% have more than 10K views. The percentage of videos with 100K or more views is less than 1%.

If you’re not a big channel with 100K or more subscribers, you are playing in the shallow end of the pool. There are some smaller channels that manage to break the mold, and have some success with one or two or a few videos. For most people, they’re stuck with under 1,000 subscribers, and their videos will almost always get less than 1,000 views. I feel very fortunate to have somehow moved into the Top 2% for subscribers, with most of my videos in the Top 8% for views, and a few that climbed into the Top 3.5%. Even so, I’m very small potatoes. The Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel is still much too small for me to be considered a YouTuber. Maybe someday it will get there (although that’s not currently a goal of mine). I like seeing it grow, but I have no expectations that it will ever be in that Top 0.3%, which is where one needs to be in order to eke out a living at it. Those that are getting rich from YouTube—aside from Google—are an extremely tiny fraction of the users—probably about 35,000 people worldwide (there are about 115 million channels on the platform).

So I went on YouTube today, and found some videos from smaller channels that posted about Fujifilm and/or Film Simulation Recipes, and included them below. I hope that in some way this helps them grow their channels. I also hope that you enjoy their content. If this can facilitate you finding someone new to follow on YouTube, then this article was a success. At the very bottom I also included my latest YouTube video, in case you have yet to watch it. Right above it is the latest SOOC Live broadcast.

My latest video:

Creating Controversy with my Camera

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

*This Kodak camera isn’t a Kodak camera.*

I’ve received a ton of feedback following the “Kodak Retina” video that I published two days ago. It was controversial, just as I thought it would be. While it was a joke, it was also inherently dishonest (up to the point where I came clean, which was early on). Most people seemed to understand that it was comedy. The vast majority of the feedback I received was positive, with a lot of “lol” comments and laughing emojis. Some people didn’t like it, though, and didn’t “get” the humor. A few people said some really unnecessarily mean things. A little bit of the negative feedback was constructive criticism, and so that’s actually positive, and much appreciated.

There were a few different ideas behind the video, and various things that I wanted to accomplish with it. I think it would be worthwhile to explain them to you, so that maybe they’re better understood. If you haven’t yet seen the video, I’ve included it below. You can also find it on the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel.

First, the video was a gag. It was supposed to be funny. If you follow me on social media, you already know that I have a sense of humor—typically a dry one. If you’ve ever seen videos with two guys sitting down sipping coffee, telling each other “dad jokes” while trying not to laugh… that’s my type of humor. Some people suggested that my video would have been a great April Fools prank, and I agree. It definitely would have been. I didn’t want to wait for April 1st because I figured I wasn’t the only one with this idea (using the TTArtisan 27mm f/2.8 limited edition yellow/orange lens to make a Kodak-looking camera), so I wanted to beat anyone else doing something similar to the punch(line). Also, Kodak’s new Super 8 camera has people thinking Kodak right now. The timing was right for this video, despite the date; however, it would have been more obviously comedic had it been released on April 1st (I will have to come up with another idea for that date).

Second, I wanted this video to attract people who would not normally click on content about Fujifilm gear. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a few months now. I’ve known for awhile now that Film Simulation Recipes which mimic Kodak emulsions are the most popular, but I never really thought of the deeper implications of this. It makes perfect sense: Kodak was a more popular film manufacturer than Fuji. However, I think some people overlook Fujifilm cameras simply because it is Fujifilm. It’s not that they have anything against Fuji, it’s just that it’s not [insert brand name here]. The point of the gag was more than just for a good laugh, but to perhaps get a few people who would otherwise ignore Fujifilm to take a closer look, and to discover what they’ve been missing.

*Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 27mm + Kodachrome 64*

Third, I wanted to provide to you a sampling of photographs that demonstrate how well various Kodak-like Film Simulation Recipes perform for southwest-America travel photography. I tested out eight Recipes, and shared the results. You can see if any of them might work well for you, should you find yourself in a similar photographic situation. The video serves as a micro-review of the Fujifilm X-T5 and TTArtisan 27mm f/2.8 for travel, as well.

Fourth, I wanted to give a glimpse of what it’s like to ride the Grand Canyon Railway to the National Park, stay a night at the rim, and return back on the railroad the next day. This video would serve as a mini travel-vlog of the adventure. Perhaps it will be helpful to someone else considering the same thing. While this was a goal of the video, it was not the main point.

*Fujifilm X-T5 + TTArtisan 27mm + Kodak Tri-X 400*

Fifth… my family and I love looking back at videos we’ve made over the years of our adventures. This is one that we’ll definitely watch (especially beginning at the 3:07 mark) many times over the coming years as we remember the great time that we had. This is a huge bonus for me.

I hope that this explanation helps to shed some light on the exact purpose—why I made this video.

Was it successful? Did the video accomplish what I hoped it would? I think so. Most people seemed to find the humor in the hoax. I did’t expect that everyone would find it funny, and some didn’t. Several folks stated that they didn’t appreciate the gag. A few people told me that I need to be more serious with my content. But a couple of people said that they’re going to look into Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes. Many of you mentioned that you appreciated the pictures and enjoyed the adventure. And a lot of you laughed. Perhaps it wasn’t a home run, but I do think the video is doing just what I wanted it to.

Let’s talk about a New Film Simulation Recipe!

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

*Morning at the South Rim* – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Upcoming Recipe

Tomorrow I will unveil a brand-new Film Simulation Recipe! I’ve been shooting with this new Recipe for nearly two months, and I think that you’re really going to like it, too. It will certainly be utilized by many of you, and will quickly become a popular choice. I’m not going to give any more details about it until then, so you will want to stay tuned.

Actually, you’ll want to tune in! You see, Season 4 of SOOC Live will kick off tomorrow, and we’re going to discuss this new Recipe in-depth. This is a don’t-miss type of episode. Be sure to follow SOOC Live on YouTube if you don’t already, so that you’re notified of all the new content.

There will actually be two broadcasts tomorrow. The first will be at 8:30 AM Pacific Time, 11:30 AM Eastern. This will be more relaxed and less formal, and will just introduce the new season and explain some changes. It’s kind of like a pre-show. Following that will be Episode 01 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time, noon Eastern. This is the broadcast where we will introduce and discuss the brand-new Film Simulation Recipe. I hope that you can join us for both, but if you can only make one, be sure to tune in to the second.

I’ve included both broadcasts below, so that you can easily find them tomorrow.

I hope to see you tomorrow!

Film Simulation Recipes for Double Exposure Photography

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Double Exposure captured with the Mystery Chrome Recipe*

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.

The third Recipe—Faded Negative—requires a different technique than the first two. It’s definitely an outside-the-box approach to double exposure photography. There are other Recipes, which are also not in the App, that require double exposures, including Faded Color, Vintage Color Fade, Bleach Bypass, Faded Monochrome, Faded Monochrome for X-Trans II, and Split-Toned B&W. You can dive pretty far down this rabbit hole if you’d like. For further ideas, check out these articles: Making Color Pictures Using Acros, B&W Toning & Multiple Exposures, How To Add Texture To Your In-Camera JPEGs, The Treachery of Images, Creative Faded Exposures, Double Exposure Art — A Simple Method, and Easy Double Exposure Photography.

*In-camera double exposure on a Fujifilm X100F*

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.

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!

Let’s Talk About Double Exposure Photography!

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

Tomorrow—Thursday, December 7th—is the season finale of SOOC Live. Not only that, but it’s also our holiday special. Oh, and we’re going to take a deep dive into double exposure photography. Join Nathalie Boucry and I tomorrow at 9:00 AM Pacific Time, 12:00 noon Eastern as we bring Season 3 to a close. This is an interactive program, so your participation makes it even better. I hope to see you tomorrow!

If you don’t already subscribe to the SOOC Live YouTube Channel, be sure to do so now—otherwise you might miss out on future broadcasts. To make it easy to find, I’ve included tomorrow’s show below:

Double exposure photography is simply two exposures on a single frame; however, getting good results can be quite tricky. There’s actually a whole lot to it, with a number of techniques and considerations to talk about. There’s also a ton of creative potential, and various ways to use double exposures that you might not have thought of. You can get amazing straight-out-of-camera results that perhaps seem impossible to achieve in-camera, but are indeed possible.

This article contains five of my double exposure photographs. Perhaps you are surprised by some of them, as they might not appear to be double exposures. You might also be surprised to learn that they’re all camera-made JPEGs. We’re going to talk about the specifics tomorrow, so be sure to tune-in if you want learn more about double exposure photography on your Fujifilm camera.

Reala Ace + 3 More Recipes!

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Luxury Among Palms* – Laguna Hills, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe

Today’s SOOC Live broadcast 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!

Some pictures from today’s show:

Photographing a ghost town with the World’s Smallest lens!!

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X-T5 + Pentax-110 24mm + 1970’s Summer Recipe*

I just published a new video to the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel!

Just in time for Halloween, this video is about using the world’s smallest interchangeable lens—the Pentax-110 24mm f/2.8—on my Fujifilm X-T5 camera, and photographing a haunted ghost town in the Arizona desert!

I’ve included it below, so check it out!

The four Film Simulation Recipes that I used are 1970’s Summer, Fujicolor Natura 1600, Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1, and Agfachrome RS 100. Find all of these Recipes plus hundreds more in the Fuji X Weekly App! The adapter is a Fotasy Pentax 110 to Fujifilm X, which is really quite affordable. The lens, as I said, is the tiny Pentax-110 24mm, which is comically small when attached to my Fujifilm X-T5.

I hope that you enjoy the video!

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

SOOC Live Postponed Two Weeks

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Red Cliffs* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe

I know I just told you that the next SOOC Live broadcast will be this coming Thursday, but it’s now been delayed two more weeks, and will now be on Thursday, November 2nd. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause you. I look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks!

While I have you here, I do have a request: keep Nathalie and Stanley in your thoughts and prayers. They had a loss in their family. It’s been a bit crazy for them, and tough emotionally. So if you can take a moment to lift up their family in whatever way that you do that, it would be really great. The Fujifilm and—more specifically—the Fuji X Weekly community is the best in all of photography, so that’s why I’m making this request to you.

SOOC Live THIS Thursday!

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Dodge Van Steering Wheel* – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe

Mark your calendar! After a two week delay, the next SOOC Live broadcast will now be this coming Thursday, October 19th. Originally, we were going to discuss double-exposure photography (as was advertised at the end of our last show), but we decided to change the topic to Reala Ace.

Why? First, life events happened, and we just didn’t have the time needed for such a big topic, as there are a whole lot of considerations and approaches to multiple-exposures worth addressing. We hope to still tackle this at some point, but understand that it’s a big undertaking, and we can only do it if we have the time to prepare everything. It just didn’t work out this time like we had hoped it would. Second, Reala Ace, which is the name of Fujifilm’s latest film simulation, is a trending subject, and my new Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe has quickly caught on. So Nathalie Boucry and I thought that we should discuss this instead, diving more deeply into it, while also providing some alternatives.

I hope that you can join us this Thursday! It’s an interactive program, and your participation makes the show better. I’ve included the video below so that you can easily find it, but please follow the SOOC Live YouTube channel so that you don’t miss any upcoming episodes. See you soon!

Let’s talk about 3 Killer Film Simulation Recipes… Tomorrow!

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

Tomorrow, myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry will be discussing live on YouTube three “killer” Film Simulation Recipes. This will be a special episode of SOOC Live, with a divergent format and on an abnormal date.

This season, our broadcasts have been (with a few exceptions) the first and last Thursday of each month—the first episode introduces a theme and the second finishes the discussion. So far, we’ve talked about Street Photography, Storytelling, AI, Travel Photography, and Black & White. This month there’s only one episode, and it’s right in the middle of the month, on September 14 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern. I hope that you can join us. As always, it’s an interactive show, and your participation makes it better.

I’ve included the video below, so that you can easily locate it tomorrow. You can also find it on the SOOC Live YouTube channel. See you tomorrow!