Fujifilm X-T20 | FUJI X WEEKLY

Fujifilm X-T20 (X-Trans III) + X-T30 Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Ultramax

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Street Lamp Sunset* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Ultramax”

I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from my Fujifilm X100V Kodak Ultramax 400 film simulation recipe, which I published two weeks ago. I’ve had a ton of requests to make a version of this recipe that’s compatible with X-Trans III sensor cameras, plus the X-T30 and X-T3. Well, I’ve done it, and here it is!

This version of the Ultramax recipe is pretty close to the original, but not precisely the same. Because the new cameras—the X100V, X-T4 and X-Pro3—have different tools, that recipe isn’t compatible with “older” Fujifilm cameras, but I made some adjustments and changes, and created this new version, which produces similar results. It’s fully compatible with the X-Pro2, X100F, X-E3, X-T2, X-T20, X-H1, X-T3 and X-T30 cameras. While not 100% exactly the same as the original recipe, it definitely has the same overall Ultramax aesthetic.

*Sunstar Through Peach Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – “Kodak Ultramax”

Ultramax 400 is Kodak’s consumer grade ISO 400 color negative film. Kodak has sold Ultramax 400 under many different names, beginning in 1987 with Kodacolor VR-G 400, rebranded Gold 400 one year later, called simply GC at one point, and finally, in 1997, Kodak settled on Ultramax 400. Kodak still sells Ultramax 400, although it’s not the same film as Kodacolor VR-G 400. This film has been tweaked and updated at least nine times over the years; however, the overall aesthetic is still substantially similar between all variations.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +2
Shadow: +2
Color: +4
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off or N/A
White Balance: Auto, +1 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 Kodak Ultramax film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T20 and X-T30:

*Creek* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

*Shadow Catcher* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Boy by a Window* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Jonathan in Window Light* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Pencils on the Table* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Balcony* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

*Panda Express* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

*Window Flag* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*American Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Green Mountain Summer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Summer Pear Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Greens of Summer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Backyard Tree Evening* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

*Backyard Aspen Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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!

$5.00

Fujifilm X-T20 (X-Trans III) Film Simulation Recipe: Cine Teal

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Garden Flowers Bloomed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – “Cine Teal”

My Fujifilm X100V “Cine Teal” film simulation recipe has been a lot more popular than I expected it to be. It requires the Eterna film simulation, plus some other settings only found on the newest Fujifilm models. I’ve been asked by a few people to create a “Cine Teal” recipe for X-Trans III cameras, which don’t have that film simulation and those new options, so I did! This recipe woks best during the “Blue Hour” of dusk and dawn, in shade and on overcast days.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +3
Color: -3
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: -1
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: 4500K, +2 Red & -8 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photos, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured on a Fujifilm X-T20 using this “Cine Teal” Film Simulation recipe:

Upside-Down Umbrella – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Green Tree & House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Been Better – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Spring Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Tree Leaves Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Lavender Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Pine & Rock – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

These settings also work on the Fujifilm X-T30 and X-T3, just set Color Chrome Effect to Off. I captured the photographs below on my X-T30 using this “Cine Teal” film simulation recipe:

Hazy Light Through The Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Mountain Pines – Francis Peak, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Mountain Ridge – Francis Peak, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Mountain Radar – Francis Peak, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dusting Snow & Clouds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Clouds Around The Mountains – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Spirit of Photography – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stairs & Reflection – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Morning Light & Shadows – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Film – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Video: Monument Valley with Fuji X Weekly (500th Post!)

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Follow along with me as I photograph Monument Valley! The video above, Monument Valley with Fuji X Weekly, is a behind-the-scenes look at my photographic adventure to the incredible desert formations of southern Utah and northern Arizona on the Navajo Nation. It was a thrill to experience Monument Valley. It really is an amazing place!

This was my last trip before the worldwide pandemic shut down all of my travel plans. So far I’ve had to cancel two trips, and there’s likely one or two more that won’t happen. I hope that this video will bring you some joy. I hope that it reminds you of some recent travels that you’ve done. I hope that it inspires you to dream of where you’ll go and what you’ll photograph when you can once again go places.

My wife, Amanda, and I created this video. Actually, she did the majority of the work. Amanda recorded the clips. She did all of the editing. She coached me through the narration. I have a face for radio and a voice for print, yet somehow she made the video look great! Her vision, her storytelling, and her talents are what made this happen. Thank you, Amanda!

Evening at Monument Valley – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Rokinon 12mm

The photographs in the video were captured using a Fujifilm X-T30 and X-T1. I used four different lenses: a Fujinon 100-400mm, Fujinon 90mm f/2, Fujinon 35mm f/2 and Rokinon 12mm f/2. Amanda recorded the video using a Fujifilm X-T20 with a 16-50mm lens and a GoPro Hero 8 Black. The film simulation recipes used on the X-T30 were Velvia, Kodachrome 64, Analog Color, Dramatic Monochrome and Agfa Scala, and Velvia and Monochrome were used on the X-T1. Amanda used PRO Neg. Hi on the X-T20.

This article marks a significant milestone that I wanted to point out to you. This is the 500th post on Fuji X Weekly! Many blogs never make it to 500 posts, either because they publish too infrequently or they simply give up before it’s reached. What it means for you is that there’s a lot of content on this blog! If you haven’t been following Fuji X Weekly since the beginning, there are a ton of articles that you might have missed. There are perhaps many posts that could be helpful to you and your photography that you’ve never seen. I invite you to explore the older articles. The best way to do this is click the four lines on the top-right of this page, and either search a topic or browse the archive. Anyway, thank you for being a part of Fuji X Weekly! Without you, the 500 Posts milestone would not have been reached. You are appreciated!

Be sure to follow Fuji X Weekly, so that you don’t miss anything! I invite you to follow the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel, as well. If you liked the Monument Valley video, I invite you to give it a thumbs-up, comment and share!

Help Fuji X Weekly

$5.00

Family Holiday Portraits: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-T20 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Every November my wife, Amanda, asks me to take some family pictures for the Christmas card. Actually, for several years now she’s been wanting to hire a photographer to capture our annual holiday portraits. But, you know, I’m a photographer, and I’m also stubborn and cheap, so I usually tell her that I’ll take care of it, no need to hire anyone. I know that it’s a big challenge to be both in front of the camera and behind it at the same time, but I’ve done it before, so no big deal, right?

Amanda likes to pick the location and our clothes. Actually, location scouting is a joint venture; Amanda has an idea in her mind of what she wants, then I help her find it. Last year I photographed our family at Antelope Island State Park. The year before we went to downtown Ogden. This year she wanted a tree-lined road, and we found a good location not terribly far from our house. You wouldn’t know from the pictures that we were actually in the city, right behind a restaurant.

Everything was set, we were all dressed and ready to go, but I had already encountered a problem: one of my tripods was missing. I discovered in past photo sessions that I get the best results when using two cameras. I have a primary camera that I shoot using a remote, and I have a secondary camera offset to the side, which has the interval timer set to snap a random picture every five seconds. The primary camera captures the staged portraits, while the secondary camera captures the natural moments in-between. This setup has worked well for me, but without the second tripod it wasn’t going to happen. After much searching without success, I found some step-stools and books to stack onto each other to form a makeshift tripod, which was far from ideal but better than nothing.

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Upon arriving at the photo-shoot location, I encountered another issue. The plan was for our family to be far away from the camera to make us smaller in the frame, but I discovered that the camera remote range was not large enough. I was too far away from the camera to remotely activate the shutter. After trying a few different things, and after much frustration, I settled on ditching the remote and using the camera’s interval timer, set to snap an exposure every three seconds. This is like spray-and-pray to the extreme. The wheels were beginning to come off, but we put on a smile and pressed forward.

I’m not a family portrait photographer. I’ve done it before a few times, but it’s really not my cup of tea. Trying to get everyone to look good simultaneously is nearly impossible. There’s inevitably always someone with a goofy look on their face. And even if you think an exposure looks good, one of the adults (usually but not always the wife) will find something insignificant to nitpick about. It seems like, as the photographer, you just can’t win. Maybe some of you have better experiences than me, but I just don’t find much joy in family portrait photography. Still, doing it myself is better than paying someone, I told myself.

In my family, the two youngest children, ages five and two, are the goofballs, and they also don’t follow instructions well, sometimes defiantly so. If you’re behind the camera, you can observe their behavior, and offer some words or bribes (candy works well) to get them to pose appropriately. When you are in front of the camera and not behind, it’s much more difficult to catch them in the act, and so you’ll get a bunch of shots where they don’t look good. The ten-year-old tries much too hard to smile, and often looks as unnatural and uncomfortable as possible. Only by telling funny jokes can you get him to loosen up. The 12-year-old thinks that she’s the boss of the other three, which sometimes causes unnecessary conflicts. The challenge is somehow getting all of this under control at just the right moment when the shutter clicks. And it’s clicking every three seconds on one camera and every five seconds on the other.

Fujifilm X-T20 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

It’s actually a tiny miracle that any of the pictures turned out decent. The light was rapidly changing. At one point the sun found a place between the clouds and the trees, and put a bright hazy flare right through the middle of the frame (and not the good kind, either), and during this time someone walked through the scene. I couldn’t see this because I wasn’t behind the camera. As the sun got lower the temperature rapidly dropped, as did the spirits of those being photographed. It was all a mess, beginning to end. We did it anyway, determined to have a nice picture on the Christmas card. Afterwards we had some hot cocoa to warm us up.

The primary camera was a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens attached to it, set on a tripod. The secondary camera was a Fujifilm X-T20 with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to it, which was set on top of a stack of stools and books. I used the Provia film simulation, DR400, Grain Weak, Highlight 0, Shadow +1, AWB +1R & -2B, Color +2, Sharpening +2 and -4 NR on both cameras. This is a new recipe that I created for these pictures.

This article would not be complete if I didn’t share with you the outtakes. Below are the pictures that were failures, where things didn’t go as planned, and the pictures are far from the “good” photos that we had hoped to capture. These are the “bad” and “ugly” images that show what really happened during our family holiday portrait session; not what we wanted, but certainly real life.

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Vintage Market Days with Kodacolor

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

My wife, Amanda, and I created a new video! Well, Amanda created the video. She was the cinematographer and the editor. I submitted the photographers. Amanda loves to create videos, and she’s a great storyteller. She’s encouraged me for some time now to include more video content on the Fuji X Weekly blog. I’m not especially good at making videos, so I was thrilled when she offered to help. This will be the first of many videos that we will collaborate on together, but they’re mostly Amanda’s creations, which is wonderful. If you like this video, please let her know in the comments!

The idea behind the Vintage Market Days video, and the many others that will be forthcoming, is that we will use one film simulation recipe for the footage and photographs. For this particular video we chose the Kodacolor recipe. In retrospect that might not have been the best recipe for this situation, as it produces a yellow cast under artificial light, but when we decided to do this we didn’t know that it mostly an indoor event. It’s still pretty interesting to see what happens when you use Kodacolor.

Did you know that you can use most of the different film simulation recipes for video? I know many of you aren’t videographers, but some of you are. Using the recipes for video saves time in editing because you already have your “look” and don’t need to adjust it with software. This will be a game-changer for some of you! Some of you might be already doing this.

I used a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 90mm lens for the photographs. Amanda used a Fujifilm X-T20 with a Rokinon 12mm lens for the video footage.

Click here to visit the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel! Don’t forget to subscribe, like, comment and share!

Weekly Photo Project, Week 32

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

The theme of this week’s photographs is black-and-white. And mountains. Oh, and they were all captured with a Fujifilm X-T20. And I used a Fujinon 50-230mm lens for all of them. This was a good week photographically speaking, and I could have chosen a few different themes (or no theme at all), but this one stood out to me for some reason. I hope you enjoy!

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Cloud Over The Wasatch Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Monday, March 11, 2019

Helper Locomotive – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Wisp Above The Wasatch – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Misty Mountain Monochrome – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Lifting Morning Mountain Mist – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, March 15, 2019

Cold Canyon – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Strongs Peak Behind The Rocky Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Week 31 Week 33

Steak, Sushi & Shutter

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Japanese Lamps – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

I try to carry a camera with me wherever I go because you just never know when a photographic opportunity might present itself. One recent example of this was dinner. Specifically, my family and I ate out at a local Japanese restaurant called Kobe Teppanyaki, which was a fun and delicious place. Because I had a camera with me, I was able to capture a few photographs of the experience, a couple of which turned out decently enough.

The camera I used was a Fujifilm X-T20. I sometimes like to use vintage lenses, and I had an Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 attached to the front of the camera. This is one of my all-time favorite lenses, as it produces lovely images. The dark environment proved to be challenging. It’s a restaurant, and people move pretty quick to get their work done. The lens is a manual focus lens, and nailing focus with a large aperture is not an easy task. The added challenge is that I had my one-year-old daughter in my lap, so I was one-handed photographer much of the time. Still, I managed to capture a few pictures that I’m happy with.

Japanese Cook – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sushi Makers – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Itamae – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

What Is This?

Posted on March 16, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Captured on Antelope Island with a Fujifilm X-T20

A few days ago my wife and I visited one of our favorite places nearby: Antelope Island State Park. I captured a bunch of images, but one frame (and only one frame) showed something strange. I’m not sure what it is. There are some unusual dark vertical lines on the right side of the frame. Take a look at the photo above to see for yourself.

The camera I used was a Fujifilm X-T20 and the lens was the Fujinon 50-230mm zoom. It was near sunset and the hill at the bottom-right is hiding the low sun. There were some distant clouds and plenty of haze. Below are a few other pictures captured near this same location and near this same time.

Distant Sailboats – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Frary Evening – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Rocky Bluff – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Buffalo Point Puddle – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Citrus Sky – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Low Sun Over The Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Afterglow – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Vibrant Salt Lake Glow – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

The weird lines only appear in that one frame, and I didn’t notice them when I made the exposure. It wasn’t until later when reviewing the pictures at home that I noticed the lines. I’m really unsure what it is. Was it how the light from the setting sun was interacting with the haze? Is it something with the camera’s sensor? The shutter? I guess I’m wondering if this was a natural phenomenon or a gear issue, and if it was a gear issue, what specifically happened to cause this.

Here’s a closer look at it:

32453888847_ffaa491757_c

What do you think it is: natural or gear, and if gear, what caused it? Have you ever seen something like this in your photographs? I’d love to get your feedback!

Weekly Photo Project, Week 28

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Another week in the books! This was a particularly photographically productive week. Not every day was especially productive, obviously, but on several days I created a number of good images. You’ve seen some of them already, and others will be shared in the coming weeks in various articles.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Colorful Chalk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Monday, February 11, 2019

Evening Mountain Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Coca-Cola Cans – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Morning Egg Bowl – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Classic Camera – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, February 15, 2019

Dramatic Clouds Over The Winter Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Brush Strokes Over The Great Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Week 27 Week 29

5 Reasons To Choose The Fujifilm X-T30 & 5 Reasons To Choose The Fujifilm X-T20

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm just announced the upcoming X-T30. It’s expected to be released in late-March for $900 for the camera body. This camera replaces the X-T20, which was my top recommended Fuji camera. What’s new? What’s improved? Which should you buy? I will attempt to answer those questions by listing five reasons to choose each one. Only you can decide if either of these cameras are right for you, but hopefully I can help add some clarity to your decision.

5 Reasons To Choose The Fujifilm X-T30:

#5 – Joystick

Fujifilm chose to replace the D-Pad that’s found on the X-T20 with a joystick and touch-screen controls. This is the same setup that’s on the X-E3 and other Fujifilm cameras. If you like the focus joystick, the X-T30 has it and the X-T20 doesn’t.

#4 – Charcoal Grey

Besides all-black and silver-and-black, Fujifilm has made a third color option for the X-T30 camera body: grey-and-black. I’m on the fence if I love it or hate it, but if you love it, it’s available on the X-T30.

#3 – New JPEG Features

The X-T30 has a few new features not available on the X-T20, including Color Chrome effect, Eterna film simulation, and color toning of Acros. If you shoot JPEG, these are nice options that Fujifilm has included to help you achieve your desired look in-camera.

#2 – Improved Auto-Focus

The X-T30 has the new X-Trans IV sensor and processor, which produces less heat that in turn allows for quicker operations. The X-T30 is a faster camera than the X-T20, and it’s most prevalent in the improved auto-focus. If you shoot fast moving subjects, the X-T30 will be the better choice.

#1 – Impressive Video

Perhaps the biggest improvements found on the X-T30 are with regards to video. Things like DCI 4K 30fps, H.264 4:2:2 10-bit external, and F-Log make this a better option for video than the X-T20. It’s not quite as good as the X-T3, which is to be expected, but it’s definitely a step up from the camera it is replacing. No doubt, the X-T30 could be used for serious videography.

5 Reasons To Choose The Fujifilm X-T20:

40132684683_a9dbdec280_z

#5 – D-Pad

While some people might prefer the joystick on the X-T30, others will prefer the D-Pad on the X-T20. If that’s you, you might appreciate the X-T20 more. Want both the joystick and D-Pad? You’ll have to get an X-T3 or other high-end model.

#4 – It’s Essentially the Same Camera

Aside from some small changes and improvements, the X-T20 and X-T30 are not much different from each other. The X-T20 has a good auto-focus system and decent video capabilities, and if you don’t need them to be better, there’s not a big advantage to owning the new camera.

#3 – You Have Another X-Trans III Camera

Although still image quality is nearly identical between X-Trans III and X-Trans IV sensors, there are still some very minor differences that might require processing exposures slightly different. If you already have a different X-Trans III camera (say, and X-T2, X-Pro2 or X100F) you might want to choose the X-T20 just to keep post-processing the same.

#2 – X-T20 is Cheaper

While the MSRP is the same between the X-T20 and X-T30, the X-T20 has been discounted for several months now. In fact, at Amazon, the X-T20 is currently $700 for the body and $1,000 bundled with the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens. That’s $200 cheaper for what is 95% the same exact camera. With the imminent release of the X-T30, the X-T20 might see even bigger discounts in the coming weeks.

#1 – You Can Buy the X-T20 Now

The X-T30 won’t be released until late-March. It’s not even available yet for pre-order (although it should be soon), and if you don’t pre-order you won’t likely get your hands on one until sometime in April, and, depending on how popular it is, maybe not even until May. The X-T20 is in-stock and could be in your hands within a couple of days.

Weekly Photo Project, Week 24

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

I had a couple of photographically productive days this week, plus a bunch that were not. Still, I managed to capture at least one image each day, which is the goal of this project. I’m still working on the quality side of things. I don’t want to capture a thoughtless snapshot just to have an image, which I’ve done several times since I started this 365 challenge. I want each day to be represented by a good picture, which I’m attempting to do better at. I still have plenty of room for improvement. I hope that you enjoy these pictures!

Monday, December 31, 2018