If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron and you have various Filters selected (such as Filter by Camera, Filter by Film Simulation, Filter by B&W, etc.), the Random Recipe selector will only choose from the list of filtered recipes, so you can have it select from what is compatible with your camera. In my case, I chose “Filter by X-E4” prior to tapping the Random Recipe selector, so only the recipes compatible with the X-E4 were considered.
Here’s a fun way to use this new feature: the Random Recipe Challenge! The rules are 1) use the App to select a Random Recipe for you—whatever it selects you have to use (if you are not a Patron and the App chooses a non-compatible recipe, you can try again until it lands on a recipe that is compatible with your camera)—and 2) shoot with this recipe for 24 or 36 frames (your choice), like it’s a roll of film, before changing recipes. If you post to Instagram, use the hashtag #fxwrandomrecipechallenge. I hope that you have a lot of fun with the Random Recipe Challenge, and I can’t wait to see what you capture!
Tree Leaves – Gilbert, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm
Spraying Water – Gilbert, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm
Palm Tree Top – Gilbert, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm
Find the LomoChrome Metropolis Film Simulation Recipe and over 200 others on the Fuji X Weekly App! Don’t have the App? Download it for free today! Become a Patron to unlock the best App experience.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Fujifilm cameras have a feature in Advanced Settings called “High Key” that I recently discovered is based on the Provia film simulation, and can be mimicked. While this “High Key” setting can produce nice-looking images, it’s not really my style, so I set out to create a Film Simulation Recipe to serve as an alternative to it, with an aesthetic that I appreciate a little more. Specifically, I wanted a generic overexposed Kodak color negative film aesthetic, perhaps Portra-like (or at least Portra-inspired), which is why I call this recipe Bright Kodak.
Bright Kodak might look familiar. It’s actually similar to a couple of other recipes, namely Bright Summer (a.k.a. “Preetra 400”) and Kodak Portra 400 Warm. If you like those recipes, you’ll certainly like this one, too. The key to using this Bright Kodak recipe is to increase the exposure—almost overexpose—to make the pictures nice and bright.
Palm – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Bright Kodak”
This Film Simulation Recipe is fully compatible with newer X-Trans IV cameras: Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, & X-T30 II. If you have an X-T3, X-T30, or X-Trans III camera, you can get similar results by ignoring Grain size and using a diffusion filter (such as 10% CineBloom) in lieu of Clarity. This recipe is also likely compatible with newer GFX cameras, although the results won’t be completely identical.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: -2 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: Daylight, +3 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1 to +1 2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Bright Kodak” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Cactus Evening – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
3 Tall Cacti – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Cacti Reaching to the Moon – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Palm & Flowers – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Pink – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bougainvillea – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Palm Moon – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Neighborhood Palms – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
If You Know, You Know… – Gilbert, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Stripe – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Compared to “High Key”:
“High Key”
“Bright Kodak”
Compared to “Bright Summer” & “Kodak Portra 400 Warm”:
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
I picked up a vintage Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 lens at an antique store in Texas for $15. It was not well taken care of, with scratches on the glass and dust inside of it, but definitely still in usable condition. My copy of this lens is M42-mount, and I just so happen to have an M42-to-Fuji-X adapter that I’ve owned for several years now, which allows me to attach this lens to my Fujifilm X-E4.
Vivitar lenses are interesting because Vivitar didn’t actual make lenses. They contracted with other manufacturers (most you’ve probably never heard of, but a few you have) to produce lenses for them. My copy was made in 1978 by Komine (as indicated by the serial number), which has been regarded as one of the “better” Vivitar manufacturers. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of inconsistency with Vivitar lenses, but they’re generally regarded as decent, and sometimes good. My copy of the 135mm f/2.8 seems to be good, despite the wear.
One thing that’s surprising is how small the Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 lens is despite its long telephoto reach. With the adapter attached to it, it’s still smaller than the Fujinon 90mm f/2. Fujifilm doesn’t have a prime lens that’s longer than the 90mm, except for the really big and expensive 200mm f/2, so the 135mm fills a gap in the Fujinon lineup. Really, Fujifilm should consider adding a prime lens that’s longer than 90mm, such as a 135mm f/2.8. Because of the crop-factor, this lens is full-frame equivalent to 202.5mm on my X-E4, which makes it great for wildlife or headshots, but challenging for other types of photography. Because of the focal length, unless your camera has IBIS, I recommend using a minimum shutter speed of 1/250 to ensure sharp photographs.
On my copy, the aperture ring, which has 1/2 stop clicks (that used to be common, but nowadays 1/3 intermediate stops are most common), works perfect, and the minimum aperture is f/22. The focus ring is smooth—a dream to use—and the minimum focus distance is about five feet.
The image quality produced by this lens is interesting. I’m not sure if it is the scratches and dust, or if it is simply the design of the lens, but there’s a slight “romantic softness” to the pictures. It seems to have slightly less micro-contrast compared to many of the lenses that I’ve used. It’s very reminiscent of what you get when you use a diffusion filter. I actually really like it, except for when the sun is near the frame, because the glare can be intense. I read that chromatic aberrations can be quite pronounced, but my copy doesn’t appear to be prone to it… or else the camera is automatically taking care of it behind the scenes.
I love going to antique stores and flea markets to find cheap treasures like the Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 lens. It’s not for use all of the time, but this lens can be a lot of fun and highly rewarding—I’m so glad that I found it and took a chance on it. For $15, I really couldn’t be happier—probably the best $15 I’ve ever spent on photography!
Some pictures that I captured with the Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 lens on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Urban Cycling – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Chevy Mirror – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Classic Mirror – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Green – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Concrete Steps – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Urbanscaped – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
High Rise – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 & Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Golden Lake – Culleoka, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 + Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Lake Sunset – Culleoka, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 + Vivitar 135mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Help Fuji X Weekly
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Classic Police Car – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
I stumbled across an old police car while in Branson, Missouri. If you’ve never been to Branson (I hadn’t), it’s a quirky tourist town, so finding unusual things—such as a 1950’s Ford police car—parked along a road for seemingly no reason isn’t unusual. I had my Fujifilm X-E4 with the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens with me, so I decided to snap a couple of pictures. I used the Fujicolor Natura 1600 Film Simulation Recipe for these images.
To my surprise, the car was unlocked, so I opened the doors and captured some pictures of the inside. One of the windows was broken, and it smelled strongly of mold inside, so I didn’t climb in; instead, I stood outside while reaching inside with the camera. Most of my pictures are of the inside—the outside had a ton of reflections, and I didn’t have a polarizer, so it was extremely difficult to capture the car without capturing myself, too.
I’m not an automotive expert, so I could be completely wrong, but I believe this is a 1957 Ford 300 (if you know, let me know in the comments!). Because Branson is a weird town, it’s possible that this never was an actual police car, but was simply made to look like one. Whatever the case, it’s kind of a shame that it is left the way it is because it’s clearly deteriorating. This would be a great restoration project for someone, but it’s probably not for sale. I’m just glad that I stumbled upon it, and decided to photograph it with my Fujifilm camera.
Red Light – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Interior & Reflection – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Car Phone – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
CB Mobile Radio – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Car Radio – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Gauges – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
M is for Motorola – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Police Special – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
Sheriff – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 + Fujinon 27mm – “Fujicolor Natura 1600”
I had an epiphany today. It’s been building in my mind for several days now, but it was only today that I believe I fully understood it: photograph wherever you are. Whichever place it is that you find yourself, capture it with your camera.
When I was 16-years-old, my family moved to a small unincorporated community in Texas called Culleoka, which is north of Dallas near Lake Lavon. At that time it was in the middle of nowhere—and it still is—but the city has been inching closer and closer, and is now at its doorstep. I finished high school while there and enrolled in college. I studied photography for two years before leaving home—and Texas—at 19. That was a long time ago; however, my parents still live in the same house in Culleoka.
I bring up all of this because I realized that, despite learning photography while I lived there, and despite all of the times that I’ve visited over the years, I’ve never photographed Culleoka. I never thought this place was photographically interesting. I always traveled elsewhere with my camera, whether it was McKinney, Plano, Dallas, or any number of other towns in the region. I never photographed where I lived.
Visiting my parents now, for some reason—maybe because I’m older—I find Culleoka to be a much more interesting place. Yes, there’s still not much to see. If you blinked while driving through you’d miss it. There’s a gas station. A Dollar General, which is a fairly new addition. An auto body shop. A fireworks stand. A couple of churches. Maybe a couple hundred people live in Culleoka, many in mobile homes. There’s access to Lake Lavon at the far edge.
I regret now not photographing where I was, because there’s actually a lot of opportunity, if only I had had an open mind. I didn’t see it before. I just thought it was a boring place. Those “other places” were much more fascinating. I had to drive somewhere else to capture interesting pictures. Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you believe that wherever it is you are isn’t worth your camera’s attention, and because you see it day in and day out it is difficult to view it with fresh eyes.
How do you view a highly familiar location with fresh eyes? For me, I think it was just being away for a few years. Actually, I saw some interesting sunlight on the gas station, and a lightbulb went off in my mind. I was reminded of Wim Winders book Written in the West, which inspired me to photograph Culleoka using my Fujifilm X-E4 programmed with the Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe. Some ideas are to envision yourself as a tourist experiencing the place for the first time, simply keeping a photographic eye out for interesting light, or reading photography books where some pictures are similar to your current location.
Just because you believe that where you are is uninteresting, doesn’t mean there aren’t things worth photographing. You have to keep a constant eye out. Maybe you need to view it through a fresh perspective. Perhaps you just need to get out with your camera on a regular basis and keep at it until you finally “see it” as some new inspiration hits you—I think just getting out with your camera is the best advice that I have.
Don’t be like me and fail to photograph where you are. Just because you don’t think it is worthwhile doesn’t mean that it’s not worthwhile—with a fresh perspective, you’re likely to find things that actually are interesting, things you maybe passed by hundreds of times and it never caught your attention. You have a great opportunity, and perhaps an interesting series of pictures will emerge from it.
It’s an easy trap to think that you have to go someplace else in order to capture interesting pictures. I certainly believed that for awhile, even though I used to say that the job of a photographer is to find the extraordinary in the mundane. I didn’t always practice what I preached—I assumed that where I was wasn’t interesting enough—but my statement was correct: it’s my job to find what others overlook in the places I find myself, and create compelling pictures with my camera. I hope that I’ve accomplished that this time around.
Some of the pictures that I captured in Colleoka, Texas, over the last few days:
Snow on the Stormy Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Pushed CineStill 800T”
This “Pushed CineStill 800T” Film Simulation Recipe came about after I stumbled across an amazing picture that was captured on CineStill 800T film during daytime with an overcast sky. It turned out that the film was push-processed, but I never learned by how many stops (I’m guessing one-stop). After some extensive Googling, I was able to find several more examples of push-processed CineStill 800T film shot in overcast daytime light. I then set out to mimic that aesthetic on my Fujifilm camera.
Interestingly enough, even though this recipe is intended for daytime photography, it does quite well at night, too; however, I do believe it more faithfully mimics the film in cloudy daytime conditions. It does produce nice results in daylight or night, so feel free to use it anytime. Film can look different depending on how it is shot, developed, or scanned (among many other things). This recipe doesn’t replicate pushed CineStill 800T film under all circumstances, but in certain conditions it’s a good facsimile. I really like how this one looks, and I think some of you will really appreciate it, too!
Book & Minolta – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Pushed CineStill 800T”
Because this “Pushed CineStill 800T” recipe uses the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation, it is only compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. It’s possible that this recipe is also compatible with the GFX100S and GFX 50S II, but I’ve never tested it to be certain. This was a Fuji X Weekly App Patron Early-Access Recipe, so App Patrons have had access to it since October, but now it’s available to everyone! A new Early-Access Recipe replaced it find—it in the Fuji X Weekly App!
Eterna Bleach Bypass Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -0.5 Shadow: -1.5 Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: 0 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 7700K, -9 Red & +5 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Pushed CineStill 800T” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Happy Birthday Wish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Ready To Go Nowhere – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Pipe Door – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Night Urban Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Empty Parking Garage – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Empty Harmons Fuel Stop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Night Hydrant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Wet White Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Little Wild Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Clouds Building Over Green Ridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Pumpkins In A Patch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
As you might know, I’m currently on a road trip. We passed through Amarillo, Texas, and stopped at The Big Texan restaurant for dinner. The Big Texan is famous for their 72 ounce steak that, if you can eat it in under an hour, is free. Most who attempt it don’t succeed. I didn’t try, but someone did while I was there, which was neat to see. I don’t know if he was successful or not because he was still at it when I left.
I always try to carry around a camera, because you never know when a photographic opportunity will present itself. If I don’t have a Fujifilm camera with me, I have RitchieCam on my iPhone (if you have an iPhone, be sure to download the app!) or a Ricoh GR. On this occasion I had my Fujifilm X-E4 with the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 attached to it, which is a great combination for travel! I snapped a few pictures while I was at The Big Texan, mostly while waiting for our table to be ready.
A restaurant might not seem like a good place for photography. This spot, which is along old Route 66, is quirky and fun, and anyplace that’s quirky and fun is likely to produce at least one good picture. The Big Texan didn’t disappoint, photographically and taste-wise. The food was delicious! The portions were Texas-sized. The photographs turned out alright I think.
I published last year my “ultimate” travel kit, which consists of a small camera bag, with the Fujifilm X-E4 and Fujifilm X100V inside. This is perfect to ensure that I have a camera with me all of the time, so that I don’t miss any opportunities to capture interesting pictures. You never know what you’ll find, so it’s best to be ready for anything—even a quirky steak restaurant in Amarillo, Texas.
I really like The Rockwell Film Simulation Recipe, but sometimes it’s just a hair too much for me. I decided to create a new yet similar recipe that just tones it down a tad. Don’t get me wrong: this new recipe is still wild with vivid colors and definitely not for every situation or even every photographer. It will produce similar results to The Rockwell recipe, but (by a small margin) just a little more soft and tame.
This new “Vibrant Velvia” recipe is for when you want colors to pop. It’s a vibrant recipe for bold pictures. While it’s very colorful, it has low contrast, so it works especially well on sunny days, but I also had good luck with it in grey overcast conditions and in the shade. It’s not well suited for portraits or artificial light; instead, use it outdoors for colorful landscape photography. While I didn’t try to mimic Velvia film specifically, the results do remind me a little of Velvia 50 slides as viewed through a projector, although that is an impression (“memory color”), and not anything I studied specifically for this recipe.
Green Dew – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Vibrant Velvia”
The “Vibrant Velvia” recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. Because it uses Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue, it isn’t compatible with the X-T3 and X-T30—try the Velvia v2 recipe on those cameras, which is fairly similar. Those with newer GFX cameras can try this recipe, too, although the results will be very slightly different.
Velvia Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: -1 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: 0 Clarity: +4 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Daylight, -1 Red & +1 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Vibrant Velvia” Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E4:
Junk Monkey – Amarillo, TX – Fujifilm X-E4
Rose Singular – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X-E4
Rose Bloom – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X-E4
Vibrant Green Garden – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X-E4
Church in the Ozarks – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X-E4
Waterfall Over Table Rocks – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X-E4
Blue Water Fall – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X-E4
Nantucket – Branson, MO – Fujifilm X-E4
Orange Rocks – Bryce Canyon NP, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Pine Tree & Colorful Cliff – Bryce Canyon NP, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
I was cleaning out the notebook on my road trip two months ago—it was a whirlwind to the Grand Teton National Park and to the furthest northwest corner of Oregon—and I was trying to figure out what to write about. The remaining pictures are a hodgepodge, but I wanted to share them nonetheless. I then realized that many of the remaining images were captured with a Fujifilm X-E4 and Fujinon 90mm combination. Suddenly I had my article idea!
You might recall that the 90mm lens doesn’t fit into my “ultimate” travel camera kit, so I couldn’t bring it with me; however, my wife, Amanda, brought it in her camera bag to use with her X-T4. The three lenses that she likes to use are the Fujinon 10-24mm zoom, the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8, and the 90mm f/2, and the 27mm is her (and my) favorite. I had the 27mm in my bag on the X-E4, so on several occasions we swapped. This arrangement ended up working out pretty well for both of us.
Snake River Sun Rays – Grand Teton NP, WY – Fujifilm X-E4 & 90mm – “Ferrania Solaris FG 400“
The Fujinon 90mm is one of my favorite lenses, but the 135mm full-frame-equivalent focal-length isn’t always easy to use. It’s great for headshots, but definitely challenging for landscape and travel photography. Challenges are actually good if you embrace them because they force you to think outside-the-box and try new things, which will make you a better photographer. While this lens is one of the absolute best in the Fujinon lineup, it’s not always easy for this type of photography; however, if you are up for the challenge you will certainly be rewarded.
The lens isn’t especially compact or lightweight, either. I find that it balances better on bigger camera bodies, such as the X-T4 or X-H1. Using it on the small X-E4 can be a bit awkward, especially if you’ll be shooting all day with it. In other words, it’s not a convenient option. Those who obsess over ergonomics will hate this camera and lens combination. If you can get past that, though, the X-E4 and 90mm will deliver excellent images. Both the camera and lens are highly capable photographic tools, and together, from an image quality point-of-view, they’re a dream team!
Columbia River Rainbow – Hammond, OR – Fujifilm X-E4 & 90mm – “Velvia v2“
If you have an X-E4, should you pair the 90mm with it? I love the camera and I love the lens, and they’re great when used together, but they’re not without their difficulties. They’re philosophical opposites. The X-E4 is about “less”—less size, less weight, less complications—while the 90mm is about “more”—more reach, more sharpness, more bokeh. With the Fujifilm X-E4, less is more. With the Fujinon 90mm f/2, more is more. They don’t belong together, yet the images they create together speak for themselves. The pictures are what matter most, and you do what you’ve got to do to create them. That means dealing with the challenges as they come, and, for me, using these two great tools together.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Working – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – “Kodak Vision3 250D”
One of my favorite Film Simulation Recipes is Kodak Vision3 250D. It produces wonderful warm tones, and has a vague cinematic feel. Colors pop but not overly so. There’s a lot of contrast, yet it rarely feels like too much, and shadows aren’t overly deep. If you have an X-Trans IV camera and haven’t tried this recipe, you really should!
The Kodak Vision3 250D recipe is intended for the X-T3 and X-T30 cameras, but with some slight modifications it can be used on “newer” X-Trans IV cameras, like my Fujifilm X-E4: I set Clarity to 0, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Grain size to Small. If you have an X-H1, which has the Eterna film simulation, you can also use this recipe, but it will look slightly different because you don’t have Color Chrome Effect. Also, I used this recipe with much success on a GFX 50S camera, as seen in the video below.
In the last SOOC broadcast, Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I introduced the Kodak Vision3 250D recipe as the recipe-of-the-month. Shoot with this recipe and upload your pictures here to be included in the next SOOC episode, which will be live on May 12. Also, all those who upload their images captured with this recipe will have a chance to win a one-year subscription to the Fuji X Weekly App.
If you missed the last episode of SOOC, you can watch it below. Also, Season 02 Episode 03 is already scheduled, so be sure to mark your calendars and set a reminder. We will finish our discussion of the Kodak Vision3 250D recipe, showcase your images, and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Fujicolor Superia 800. It will be a great time—both fun and educational—and I hope that you can join us! SOOC is interactive, so the more that can tune-in and participate, the better the show is.
I captured the photographs in this article recently using my Fujifilm X-E4 with the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens attached to it. I love this combo! It’s great for travel, street, or just everyday walk-around photography. And the Kodak Vision3 250D recipe works great on it! It doesn’t matter if it’s street, landscape, or candid portrait photography—or almost anything else—this recipe does quite well.
The Kodak Vision3 250D recipe, along with over 200 others, is on the Fuji X Weekly App. If you don’t have it on your phone, be sure to download it now!
Dancing Joy – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – “Kodak Vision3 250D”
No Fun – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – “Kodak Vision3 250D”
Urban Daisies – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – “Kodak Vision3 250D”
Wind from the West – Hammond, OR – Fujifilm X-E4 – “CineStill 50D”
CineStill 50D is Kodak Vision3 50D (a low-ISO daylight color negative motion picture film) with the remjet layer removed so that it can be developed via the C-41 process. I’ve been asked many times to recreate the look of this film for Fujifilm X cameras. I’ve attempted multiple times, but never succeeded—even this recipe I’m a little hesitant to share because it is “as close as I can get” but perhaps not as close as I’d like it to be. I think some of you will really appreciate it, and I hope everyone else can excuse that it isn’t perhaps the most accurate recipe I’ve ever made.
There were a few tricky parts creating this CineStill 50D recipe. First, I’ve never shot the film, and had to rely on examples from the internet. Second, there are at least three distinct aesthetics produced by this film, which I assume is from how it was shot, developed, and scanned. All films can vary in looks depending on a lengthy host of factors, and this one seems especially so. I picked one specific aesthetic that I came across as the basis of this recipe, and I think this recipe mimics that pretty well. Third, I came across an article stating that CineStill 50D scans must be treated as RAW images, as “they’re not finished straight out of the scanner.” That made me wonder how much editing had been done to the picture samples I found—how much of the look was from the film and how much was from the software. These were just some of the challenges.
Spring & Winter on Wasatch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “CineStill 50D”
Because the film is missing the remjet layer, it is particularly prone to halation, so I used a 10% CineBloom filter for a couple of these pictures (such as the one above) to mimic that. I don’t think it helped as much as I thought it might, so I discontinued that pretty quickly, but it certainly something you can try. I think this recipe looks best in direct sunlight. Under overcast, shade, indoor, or nighttime light it can produce interesting results, but is “most accurate” to the film when photographing in blue-sky daylight. Because it uses Clarity, this recipe is not compatible with the X-T3 and X-T30; however, if you use a diffusion filter—such as 10% CineBloom or 1/4 Black Pro Mist—in lieu of Clarity, that will give you similar (but not identical) results.
Astia Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: -1 Shadow: 0 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -4 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: 6800K, -5 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “CineStill 50D” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Seagulls Circling Haystack Rock – Cannon Beach, OR – Fujifilm X-E4
Small Church – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Cracker Barrel – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Bread Truck – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Flag Truck – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Tulip Sale – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Tree & Block Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Do straight-out-of-camera JPEGs from Fujifilm X cameras actually resemble film?
I used to shoot film. I learned photography at the height of film, in the late-1990’s. I disliked digital when it began to get popular. Yes, I was a film snob for at least a decade, almost two. I don’t want to rehash my journey (you can read about it here), but I simply want to convey that for a long time I was a film-only guy, and I have a lot of experience with it. Now I rarely shoot film (only occasionally); instead, I use Fujifilm X cameras. I make Film Simulation Recipes that often mimic various film stocks and analog processes. I know a thing or two about film, Fujifilm, and making Fujifilm resemble film.
The answer to the first question—what makes film photographs special?—is soul. Digital and film, while very similar, have unique attributes—there are advantages and disadvantages for each. Digital is often very mathematical and clinical, which certainly serves a purpose. Film is more random and serendipitous, which is the character that gives it soul. With digital, the possibilities for an exposure are endless, but with film it is much more limited—yes, there’s a lot that can be done in the darkroom, but you’re still limited by the film itself and how it was shot. You get what you get—especially if it’s slide film—but that’s the fun of it.
You might want your digital pictures to look like film for that analog soul. How can you get the best of both worlds and achieve a film-soul in a digital picture? How can you leave some of that clinical-ness behind and replace it with randomness and serendipity? My first advice is to use Fujifilm cameras, as Fujifilm has sought to use their vast film experience to infuse a little of that soul into their digital cameras. Next, I suggest shooting JPEG using Film Simulation Recipes, which make it a you-get-what-you-get process more similar to film. Then try some of my tips for achieving a film-look in-camera, such as diffusion filters, vintage glass, high-ISO, etc., etc.. This isn’t the only method, but simply what I use and recommend.
Can you capture digital pictures that resemble film? Could they actually trick someone into thinking you shoot film when you don’t? While I think the answer to both questions is “yes” (at least to some extent), I think they’re the wrong questions. Instead, the questions should be: what process works for me? And: do my pictures have soul?
If your process doesn’t really work for you, then change it. It took me years to figure out what process works for me: shooting SOOC JPEGs using Film Simulation Recipes on Fujifilm cameras. I don’t edit (aside from minor cropping, straightening, and very occasional small adjustments), which saves me tons of time. The three pictures in this article are recently captured camera-made JPEGs using different recipes on different cameras. That process is great for me, and it might be for you, too, but it’s not for everyone because people are different. You have to do what works for you and not worry about what others are doing.
While the serendipity of film gives it soul, and some of that soul can also be found in Fujifilm cameras (and even in other cameras and processes), the number one thing that gives a picture soul is the photographer. What you do with your photography gear to craft an image is what’s most important. When you infuse a bit of yourself into your images, that’s what makes it special—much more than anything else. So whether your pictures do or don’t resemble film doesn’t matter, just as long as your process works for you and you are photographing with vision. Capture the images that you want to create in the way that you want to create them. The rest just doesn’t matter.
I’m a Fujifilm fanboy, but this new Nikon looks quite nice.
Maybe you can relate: I’m a sucker for retro-inspired cameras, and the Nikon Zfc had me drooling the day that it was announced. I love Fujifilm, yet I have nothing against Nikon—I used to shoot with Nikon DSLRs, and a few of my favorite photographs were captured on Nikon cameras. I figured that if I’m interested in the Zfc, maybe some of you are, too, so I purchased one to try. At the very least I could compare it to Fujifilm X-Trans cameras, and explain the similarities and differences.
At first glance the Zfc looks like it’s in the same class as the Fujifilm X-T30. There are certainly some similarities between the two models. The Zfc has a rear screen and knob arrangement that’s more like the X-T4, so I thought it could, perhaps, even fall in-between those two models somewhere, and serve as an upper-mid-tier APS-C mirrorless camera. It’s hard to tell from looking at pictures, but that’s what I was expecting.
When I pulled the Zfc out of the box, a few things surprised me. First, the camera is bigger than I expected. It’s much larger and noticeably heavier than the Fujifilm X-E4 that I frequently shoot with. It’s a little larger and slightly heavier than my X-T30. It’s almost as big as an X-T4, although much lighter. The Fujifilm camera in my collection that’s most similar in size and weight to the Zfc is the Fujifilm X-T1.
The Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 lens (that came with the camera) is massive, too. I thought, perhaps, there’d be some similarities between the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens and the Nikkor glass, but other than maximum aperture and similar focal-length, these two lenses are much different. The Fujifilm lens is smaller, lighter, sharper, and superior in pretty much every way. That’s not to say that the Nikkor lens is bad, but it’s definitely not as good as the Fujinon, which happens to be my favorite lens. Nikon didn’t include an aperture ring on the 28mm f/2.8 (or any other Z glass), which I think is a big oversight.
Another surprise is how plasticky the Zfc feels. It doesn’t look plasticky, and its weight suggests that it’s not all that plasticky, but it definitely feels plasticky when you use it. I wouldn’t trust this camera to survive a hard fall. It doesn’t appear to be a cheap camera (and its price tag would confirm this), but when you use it, the feeling is that it’s a budget body, and not mid-range.
After considering where it best compares to Fujifilm models, the one I think the Zfc is most comparable to is the X-T200. If Fujifilm had put markings on the customizable unmarked knobs, the two cameras would be very similar (aside from size and weight). For those who don’t know, the X-T200 was Fujifilm’s budget option, with a price of $700 for the body or $800 bundled with a kit zoom. The X-T200 didn’t last long (both introduced and discontinued in 2020) because it didn’t sell well. Perhaps the Zfc sits a little above the X-T200, but in my opinion that’s the most similar Fujifilm model.
One last surprise is that the shutter and ISO knobs are more for looks than practical use. You see, there’s a PASM switch, and only when you are in the correct PASM position do the knobs actually do anything. If this camera had been designed correctly, PASM would be completely unnecessary, and the knobs would always do something if you turned them. It’s a much different user experience than what most Fujifilm cameras deliver, and maybe more confusing.
I understand that those who don’t have a background in classic film cameras and have only used PASM might be intimidated when trying Fujifilm X cameras for the first time. I think that’s one reason why the X-T200 and X-S10 cameras were designed the way they were: intended to be less intimidating to the uninitiated. So perhaps Nikon had that in mind with the Zfc, but this was certainly an opportunity to break the mold and offer a different experience to their users, and they just couldn’t do it—it really is a missed opportunity.
Fujifilm is known for their Film Simulations and JPEG output. I’ve published over 200 Film Simulation Recipes to achieve various looks straight-out-of-camera. I even made an App (available for both Android and Apple) for these JPEG recipes. Fujifilm used their vast experience with film to create profiles that are modeled after film. For many Fujifilm photographers, Film Simulations (and recipes) are an intrinsic element of the user experience and picture aesthetic. For Nikon, their lesser-known equivalent is called Picture Control, with a subset called Creative Picture Control. While Fujifilm’s Film Simulations are inspired by film, Nikon’s Picture Controls are inspired by feelings and mood. It’s a much different take, and not necessarily better or worse—simply a divergent approach that’s worth noting. Fujifilm infuses an analog soul into their digital images, while Nikon infuses emotions that may or may not be analog-esque into their images.
Those who are regular readers of the Fuji X Weekly blog already know this, but for those who don’t, I’m a JPEG shooter. Many years ago I was a RAW guy, but Fujifilm cameras changed that for me. Shooting JPEG saves me time while making the process more enjoyable, as I get the look I want straight-out-of-camera without the need to edit. That’s my perspective.
It’s clear to me that, over the last decade, Fujifilm has invested more R&D dollars and time into their JPEG output than Nikon has. The Zfc is a new camera, but the JPEG quality is closer to X-Trans I—which is 10-years-old now—than X-Trans IV, which is very soon to be replaced by X-Trans V. When viewing on social media or the internet, you can’t tell, but when pixel-peeping, the Fujifilm X-E4 (for example) produces sharper, more detailed images, with more pleasing noise and fewer banding and artifact issues than the Zfc. It’s not a night-and-day difference (and I’m not suggesting that the JPEGs from the Zfc are bad), but it’s definitely noticeable when viewed closely, and I personally prefer the pictures produced by the X-E4; however, it only really matters if you are pixel-peeping, cropping deeply, or printing posters, and otherwise doesn’t matter.
If you want the full Fujifilm photography experience, there’s no substitute for Fujifilm. The Nikon Zfc looks like it could deliver a similar experience, but it falls short in multiple ways. I would suggest the Fujifilm X-T30 II or X-E4 instead, which are similarly priced (cheaper actually), and are better cameras, in my opinion. The Fujifilm X-T3 WW is another solid option with a similar price point (slightly more expensive). With that said, the Zfc is still a very beautiful camera that’s fun to use and produces quality pictures.
If you already own a Nikon Z camera and lenses but like retro-styling, the Zfc is for you. An advantage of Nikon Z is that Z lenses are compatible with their full-frame mirrorless line. So perhaps you start with the Zfc and 28mm lens, but then you later add a couple lenses to your collection, and even later buy a Z7 II. Or maybe it’s the other way around: your Z7 II is big and heavy, so you add a Zfc for travel and walk-around photography, and the lenses you already own are compatible. This is why you buy a Nikon Zfc, I think.
Obviously, they’re hoping that the Zfc will convince those from other brands to try Nikon. My first thought is that those “moving up” from Micro-4/3 will be tempted by this model, although I’m not sure that this camera is convincing enough. Those dissatisfied by Sony, Canon, and Pentax might consider this model, if based on nothing more than looks, which is most likely what it would be based on because the Zfc lacks innovation that would attract photographers from other brands.
I don’t think the Zfc will snag very many from Fujifilm. Maybe if you’ve never liked the lack of PASM—maybe. But other than good-looks, which your Fujifilm camera already offers, the Zfc doesn’t give you a good reason to switch brands. I can tell you with certainty that I won’t be switching brands anytime soon.
If you like your cameras to have retro-styling, the Nikon Zfc is one of your options. It’s a good camera that’s fun to use, but it’s not as good or as fun as a Fujifilm X-Trans model, like the X-T30 II or X-E4, which are slightly less expensive. My recommendation is to buy the Nikon Zfc only if you are already invested into the Z system, or if you are planning to get into that system for the long-term. Otherwise, there are better options, and if you are looking for those better options, let me point you towards Fujifilm.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
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 Trespassing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Old Kodak”
I was inspired to create this film simulation recipe after viewing some old pictures captured on various Kodak films. These pictures reminded me of the Vintage Kodachrome and Kodachrome 1 film simulation recipes, but they weren’t exactly the same. I thought if I tweaked those recipes I could get closer to mimicking the aesthetic of the old Kodak pictures that I was looking at (which is why I call this recipe Old Kodak). If you like the Vintage Kodachrome and Kodachrome 1 recipes, you’ll really appreciate this one, too!
Old Kodak was a Patron Early-Access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App, and App Patrons have had access to it for nine months; however, it’s been replaced by a different Early-Access recipe, so now it’s available to everyone! The best App experience is reserved for Patrons, and early-access to some new film simulation recipes is one of the Patron benefits. If you are a Patron, be sure to look for the new Early-Access recipe that replaced this one.
Wet Radio Flyer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Old Kodak”
Because this recipe uses 0.5 adjustments to Highlight and Shadow, plus the Auto White Priority white balance, it’s only compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. If you have an X-Pro3 or X100V, if you set Highlight to +3, Shadow to -1, and white balance to Auto, it will be similar but not exactly the same (don’t be afraid to try it anyway). While the “typical exposure compensation” is between -1/3 and +1/3, in situations with strong highlights you might have to go -2/3 or even -1 on occasion to prevent the highlights from clipping.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3.5 Shadow: -0.5 Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto White Priority, +1 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Old Kodak” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Salt Lake Marsh Evening – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Big Sky Over Marsh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Rural Red Barn – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Holland Deere – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Open Gate – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Old Wheel – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Rusty Bolts In A Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Suburban Storm – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
The Joy of Writing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Gumby on a Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Blue Pallets – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Kaysville Pond – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunset Light on Winter Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Evergreen Tops – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak High Definition Plus 200”
This Kodak High Definition Plus 200 film simulation recipe was a fun one to make. My wife, Amanda, was looking through an old box of pictures when she came across a group of prints that she thought looked interesting, so she showed them to me. The images were captured in the Sierra Nevada mountains, largely in the Sequoia National Forest, in 2006. I had no idea what film I used, but after locating the negatives, I discovered it was Kodak High Definition Plus 200. The pictures were printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper. Not surprisingly, Fujifilm paper produces a different aesthetic than Kodak paper, so if this film had been printed on Kodak paper the pictures would look a little different. Back then, the rule of thumb for best results was that Kodak negatives should be printed on Kodak paper, Fujifilm negatives should be printed on Fujifilm paper, etc., but obviously I broke that “rule” with these travel pictures.
Kodak High Definition Plus 200 was a color negative film that was also sold under the name Kodak Royal Supra 200. At the time, Kodak claimed that it was the sharpest and finest-grained ISO 200 color negative film on the market. Originally there were ISO 100, 200, 400 and 800 varieties, but since this film line was introduced right at the beginning of the decline of film, it didn’t take Kodak long to discontinue all but the ISO 200 and 400 versions, and even those didn’t last all that long. I shot a few rolls of the film, and after digging through that photo box, I found two sets of negatives, both exposed around that same timeframe. I honestly don’t remember all that much from the experience, but it was fun to rediscover these long-forgotten pictures and recreate the aesthetic on my Fujifilm X-E4 camera.
A picture of Kodak High Definition Plus negatives, captured with this recipe.
A picture of Kodak High Definition Plus 200 prints, captured with this recipe.
A poor quality scan of one of the prints. Sorry. I really need to buy a better scanner.
For ISO 200 color negative film, Kodak High Definition Plus 200 was indeed pretty sharp and fine-grained. It was moderately vibrant (just a little above “true to life”) and contrasty but not overly contrasty. From what I can tell, it didn’t have as large of an exposure latitude as some of Kodak’s other color negative films. It was warm, but seemed to lean more towards green than red when printed on Fujicolor paper. Obviously, how the film is shot, developed, printed and/or scanned will affect how it looks (I apologize for my poor quality scan above, which doesn’t do the picture justice whatsoever, but I wanted to share it anyway). This recipe mimics how I shot the film in 2006, printed on Fujicolor paper. It is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: +1 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 4800K, -2 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak High Definition Plus 200 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujifilm X100V:
Walking Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Hollow Building – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Leaves that Left – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Flag & Evergreen – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Green Pine Needles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Red Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Lonely Table – Orem, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Night Shopping Carts – Draper, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Pillow on Couch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fake Succulent – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Evening Clouds Over Wasatch Mountains – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Disappearing Light on Francis Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Autumn on Kodachrome – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodachrome 25”
The Kodachrome name has been used for many different films over the years. The first Kodachrome product was a two-glass-plate color negative that was introduced in 1915. Like all other color photography methods of its time, the results weren’t particularly good and the product not especially successful.
In 1935, Kodak released its next Kodachrome product: a positive color transparency film. This Kodachrome was the first film that produced reasonably accurate colors, and, because of that, was the first commercially successful color film. It became the standard film for color photography for a couple decades, and was even Ansel Adams’ preferred choice for color work. The December 1946 issue of Arizona Highways, which was the first all-color magazine in the world, featured Barry Goldwater’s Kodachrome images. While the most popular Kodachrome during this time was ISO 10, Kodak also produced an ISO 8 version, as well as a Tungsten option in the 1940s.
Kodak made significant improvements to Kodachrome, and in 1961 released Kodachrome II. This film boasted more accurate colors, sharper images, finer grain, and a faster ISO of 25. While it was still somewhat similar to the previous Kodachrome, it was better in pretty much every way. A year later Kodachrome-X was introduced, which had an ISO of 64, and produced more saturation and increased contrast, but was grainier.
Golden Red Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodachrome 25”
In 1974, because Kodak created a less-toxic development process, Kodachrome II was replaced by Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome-X was replaced by Kodachrome 64. This generation of Kodachrome is what most people think of when they picture (pun intended) the film, gracing the pages of magazines like National Geographic. Due to Kodachrome’s sharpness, grain, color, contrast, and archival characteristics, it was a great all-around option that worked well in most circumstance. Steve McCurry, who is perhaps the best-known photographer to extensively use this era of Kodachrome, said of the film, “It has almost a poetic look with beautiful colors that were vibrant and true to what you were shooting.”
This film simulation recipe is intended to mimic Kodachrome 25 color transparency film. I was fortunate to shoot a few rolls of Kodachrome 25. It was a beautiful film, and probably the sharpest color film ever made, but its low ISO made it difficult to use. Kodachrome 64, which was still a low-ISO film, was about 1 2/3 stops faster. The major differences between the two Kodachrome emulsions is that the ISO 25 version was sharper and less grainy, while the ISO 64 version was more contrasty, vibrant and a hair warmer. Both were very similar, though, and it would be hard to spot the differences without a close inspection. Some people preferred the slightly more subtle tones and finer detail of Kodachrome 25, and some preferred the faintly punchier pictures rendered on Kodachrome 64. I liked Kodachrome 64 a little more, and so that’s what I most often used.
Below are a couple examples of this Kodachrome 25 recipe compared to my Kodachrome 64 recipe:
Kodachrome 25 recipe
Kodachrome 64 recipe
Kodachrome 25 recipe
Kodachrome 64 recipe
In the example below, I made massive crops so that you could more easily see the subtle differences in sharpness and grain between the two Kodachrome recipes. The differences in warmth are also more obvious. If the Kodachrome 25 recipe could have a .25 adjustment warmer, and if the Kodachrome 64 recipe could have a .25 adjustment cooler, it would likely be more accurate, but alas we’re limited by what Fujifilm gives us. In the case of this recipe, a Color Chrome FX Blue Medium would be a nice option, but it doesn’t exist.
Kodachrome 25 recipe
Kodachrome 25 crop
Kodachrome 64 crop
When Kodak discontinued Kodachrome in 2009, it shocked the photographic community; however, the deeper blow was that Kodak discontinued the chemicals required to develop it. Even if you had an old roll of the film (which I did), you couldn’t develop it, except as a black-and-white film from a specialty lab. By the end of 2010, the Kodachrome era was officially over for good. Fortunately, if you have a Fujifilm camera, the spirit of Kodachrome still lives.
This Kodachrome 25 recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. You can modify this for the X-Pro3 and X100V by setting Highlight to 0 and Shadow to -1 instead of what it calls for—I don’t like it quite as much, but it’s pretty similar.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +0.5 Shadow: -0.5 Color: +1 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: +3 Clarity: +3 Grain Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 1600 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodachrome 25 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Pedestrian Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Empty Stairs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Box – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Locked Fire Box – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Three Bike Boxes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Trains Can’t Stop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Ceiling Conduit – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Delivering Boxes – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Josh in Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Orange Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Path Through A Fall Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Golden Light on Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Last Light on Francis Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Two days ago I published my new Retro Gold film simulation recipe, which is great for “golden hour” photography. That recipe has a lot of contrast in it—I stated in the article that it was similar to slide film or maybe push-processed negative film. A high-contrast recipe works great in situations that are low-contrast. Sometimes when the sun is low, the scenes you encounter aren’t low-contrast, but high contrast. In those cases, the Retro Gold recipe may not be the best choice. Thomas Schwab suggested that I should create a low-contrast version that’s better suited for high-contrast situations—that’s how this recipe, which I call Retro Gold Low Contrast, came to be.
This recipe has more of a color negative film look (Kodak Gold, maybe?). The color cast is perhaps similar to using an enhancing filter (and maybe a polarizer, too). Like the other recipe, this one isn’t intended to mimic any specific film, but it definitely has an analog aesthetic to it.
Yellow Leaf of Autumn – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Retro Gold Low Contrast”
Because this “Retro Gold Low Contrast” film simulation recipe uses Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue, it’s compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. It might also be compatible with the newer GFX cameras, too, although I’m not certain of that. Unfortunately, it’s not compatible with the X-T3 and X-T30.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -2 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Fluorescent 3 (“Cool White Fluorescent”), +4 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to -2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Retro Gold Low Contrast” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Cloudy Ridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Cloudy Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Dressed Warm – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Vines up the Bark – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Long Yellow Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Light on the Rock – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Ferrania Solaris FG 400”
Ferrania is an Italian film manufacturer that’s been making photographic film since the 1920’s. For a long time they were owned by 3M. They were perhaps best known for producing films for “generic” brands, but they also had their own products that they sold. One Ferrania brand line was called Solaris, a color negative emulsion available in ISO 100, 200, and 400 varieties. The history of the Solaris line is a little vague. There have been a number of different versions produced from perhaps the 1980’s until very recently, and some of these had significantly different aesthetics. This recipe seems to be close to Ferrania Solaris FG 400, which was sold in the late-1990’s and early-2000s. It was known for having a lot of contrast (for a color negative film), low saturation, and a slight warm cast (a bit unusual for a European film). Ferrania Solaris FG 400 Plus, which came out later, definitely had a different look (more similar to Superia), and this recipe is not a close match for that emulsion.
I didn’t set out to mimic the look of Ferrania Solaris FG 400—it just so happens to look like it. This recipe is actually Kodak Portra 400 v2 (and also Vintage Vibes) except with the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation (instead of Classic Chrome and Classic Negative, respectively). Those two recipes are personal favorites, so it’s not too surprising that simply changing the film simulation produces good results. This recipe does a good job of (unintentionally) mimicking Ferrania Solaris FG 400, but one flaw is that it’s a bit too warm (compared to the film), and it’s more like shooting the film with a warming filter attached to the lens (a common technique when shooting film).
Bike in the Steely Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Because this recipe uses the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation, it’s only compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. As a reminder, Clarity slows the camera down considerably, as it takes a noticeable moment to save the exposure to the card. You could, alternatively, instead of Clarity, use a diffusion filter, such as the 5% CineBloom filter or 1/8 Black Pro Mist, with this recipe.
Eterna Bleach Bypass Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 5200K, +1 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Wet Berries 1 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Wet Berries 2 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
BrightLeaves in a Dark Forest – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Pumpkin & Stem – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Leaves Around A Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Leaves of Autumn – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Dead Leaf – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Blackberry Bush Under Tree Trunks – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Heart of Nature – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Girl in the Forest – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Girl with Pumpkin Head – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Plant on Books – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Shelf Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Clouds Around The Mountain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Hill & Storm – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Francis Peak Peeking – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
A Fuji X Weekly reader asked me to mimic the look of some photographs that he shared with me. These were digital pictures that had been edited with software, but he was hoping to achieve this look straight-out-of-camera, if at all possible. It turns out that it is possible (although I only had three images to study, so I’m not completely certain this is an exact match, but I believe it is pretty close); however, it requires the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation, which, unfortunately, his camera does not have. If your camera does have Eterna Bleach Bypass, than you are fortunate because you can use this very interesting recipe!
What film does this recipe most closely mimic? The most similar film might be the (now discontinued) Konica Impresa 50, although it is certainly not an exact match. There are also some similarities to Portra that’s had the bleach skipped, although I wouldn’t say that this is an exact match for that, either. I don’t think this film simulation recipe is a faithful facsimile of any film, yet it produces a nice analog aesthetic anyway. It has strong contrast and very muted colors—almost monochrome. In a way, it’s the closest thing to black-and-white in color photography.
First Light on the Ridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Muted Color”
This recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X-E4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. If you have one of those cameras, I invite you to give this recipe a try! I know that it will be an instant favorite for some of you.
Eterna Bleach Bypass Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -0.5 Shadow: +1 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -8 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Muted Color” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Girl in Beanie – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Just Hangin’ Around – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
At the Schoolyard – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Monkey Bars – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Neighborhood Fire Hydrant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Grass & Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Berry Bush – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Pink Rose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Single Rose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Leaf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Cross – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Mountain Trees in Autumn – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Wrong Way Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Silver Summer”
This film simulation recipe, called Silver Summer, was a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App, and Patrons have had access to it since July. One benefit of being an app Patrons is that you get early-access to some new film simulation recipes, and this was one of them, but now it is available to everyone, since a different early-access recipe is now on the app. The Silver Summer recipe has some unintentional similarities to Lomography Cine 200, but it’s definitely not an exact match. I wasn’t intending to mimic a specific film, but a specific aesthetic that I was asked to create. While it’s not modeled after a specific film, it definitely has an analog look. I really like how this one turned out, and I think some of you will really appreciate it, too!
I found that this recipe is particularly well suited for sunny days. It uses the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation, and produces a silvery look similarly to film that’s had the bleach skipped. If you are looking for a film-like-look that’s a bit “different” than what everyone else is shooting, this is a recipe you’ll want to try.
This film simulation recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II X-Trans IV cameras. Unfortunately, because it requires Eterna Bleach Bypass, it’s not compatible with the X100V or X-Pro3, and because it uses Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue, it’s not compatible with the X-T3 or -T30.
Eterna Bleach Bypass Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -1 Shadow: +1 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 5300K, -3 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Silver Summer” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Bee on a Thistle – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Lily – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Tree Branch and Creek – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
FUJI X WEEKLY 