Fujifilm xt30 | FUJI X WEEKLY

Photoessay: November Arizona, Part 1: Color

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

River & Rays – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

I love Arizona! It is perhaps the most beautiful state in America. Some might disagree with that sentiment, thinking that the desert is dull and brown, but I find it to be a colorful and diverse landscape. Others might consider California, Colorado or my current home state of Utah, or perhaps another state like Maine, Alaska, Hawaii, etc., to be more majestic, and they are each certainly majestic, but to me Arizona is at the top of the list, and my heart belongs there.

My family and I like to travel to Arizona whenever we can, which is usually once or twice each year. A few weeks ago we visited some family of ours in Phoenix, and of course I brought my Fujifilm X-T30 along, with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 attached to the front. I appreciate this setup for travel because it’s small and lightweight enough to not get in the way, yet can produce some stunning pictures. The film simulations I used were Velvia, Kodachrome 64, and “Classic Negative” (for Quit My Job). This wasn’t a photography trip, but as always I captured a number of pictures. I hope you enjoy!

In It Together – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Gravel Road Above The City – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Desert Above, City Below – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Desert City – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Saguaro Above Phoenix – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Desert Neighborhood – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Lookout Mountain From North Mountain – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Phoenix From North Mountain – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Above The City – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Two Palms – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Palm Tree Bees – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Desert Hill – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Red Barrel Cactus – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Foothills Saguaro – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Desert Warmth – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

The Desert – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Bright Spikes – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Palo Verde Sun – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Quit My Job – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Lucy – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

New River Trail – Peoria, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

New River – Peoria, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Water Under The Bridge – Peoria, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Falls & Foam – Peoria, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Pigeons Over A Roof – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Part 2: Monochrome

Fujifilm Grain Settings

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

ISO 640, Grain Off.

Grain Weak

Grain Strong

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

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

ISO 640, Grain Off

Grain Weak

Grain Strong

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

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

ISO 400, Grain Weak

ISO 400, Grain Strong

ISO 400, Grain Weak

ISO 400, Grain Strong

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

Can you spot the differences between the two crops below?

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

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

ISO 400, Grain Weak

ISO 400, Grain Strong

ISO 6400, Grain Strong

ISO 6400, Grain Weak

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

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

Asahi SMC Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4 + Fujifilm X-T30

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Asahi Pentax Macro Takumar 50mm f4 Fujifilm XT30

I recently purchased an Asahi SMC Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4 lens from Fuji X Weekly reader Tony Reidsma. I love Takumar lenses! Generally speaking, they are super sharp and have great character. There’s something special about them. They are often quite affordable, so you can add a bunch of Takumar lenses to your collection without going broke.

Asahi was the original name of Pentax. Up until the mid-1970’s when they switched from M42 screw-mount to K-Mount, Pentax used the Asahi brand name for their lenses. Asahi called their lenses Takumar in honor of the founder’s brother, Takuma Kajiwara, who was a famous photographer and painter. Asahi Takumar lenses require an M42 to Fuji X adapter, which can be found for cheap, to attach them to your Fujifilm camera.

The Asahi SMC Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4 is, no surprise, a macro lens. It has a 1:2 magnification ratio, which is not as close up as some macro lenses. An earlier version of the lens (without SMC) does, in fact, have a 1:1 magnification ratio. This SMC Macro-Takumar has a similar close-focus capability as the Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 Macro, which is good-but-not-great.

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What I love about the Asahi SMC Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4 lens is that it’s very crisp. There’s some corner softness at f/4, but the lens is edge-to-edge super sharp at f/5.6 through f/11 (diffraction begins after f/11). I haven’t noticed much distortion, vignetting or chromatic aberrations. This lens has excellent contrast and controls flare very well. Bokeh is pretty nice, too. The lens is made of metal and feels very solid. It was a quality lens when it was new, and all of these decades later it is still a quality lens.

The Macro-Takumar is an all-manual lens. You’ll have to manually set the aperture and manually focus. The aperture ring on my lens is a little stiff, but otherwise works as it should. The focus ring is super smooth and accurate. Because it’s a macro lens, it takes a little effort to get from the close end to infinity, and the lens will actually focus just past infinity, which isn’t entirely unusual.

On the Fujifilm X-T30, because of the APS-C crop factor, the 50mm focal length is equivalent to 75mm. Essentially the Asahi SMC Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4 is a mid-telephoto prime that’s very sharp but with a maximum aperture of only f/4, which isn’t especially fast. It doubles as a macro lens, and it’s quite good at that, just as long as you’re not trying to get really close, as the magnification ratio isn’t particularly impressive. There are certainly shortcomings with this lens, but it has the “it factor” when it comes to image quality, producing especially lovely pictures. If you find this lens for a good price, be sure to buy it, because it’s worth having around. The technical specs of this Macro-Takumar lens won’t knock your socks off, but the images that it produces very well could.

Micro Christmas Lights – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Christmas Berries – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Amanda’s Eyes – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Citrus Ladder (N Scale Model) – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Country Barn (N Scale Model) – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Highway Sunset – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Sierra Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Old Truck & Old House (N Scale Model) – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Two Horses Monochrome (N Scale Model) – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Speedy Super Chief (N Scale Model) – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4

Travel: McCormick Stillman Railroad Park, Scottsdale, AZ

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Ol’ Number 11 – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Almost two years ago my family and I visited the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, Arizona, and I captured it with a Fujifilm X100F. The McCormick Stillman Railroad Park is one of the best city parks in America (it’s actually been ranked #1), and it truly is a neat place to go. If you are in Phoenix, Arizona, with your family, I highly recommend that you stop by this park. It’s especially magical around Christmas, as they elaborately decorate it for the holiday season. Last week my family and I returned to the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park, but this time I had a Fujifilm X-T30 and Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens to photograph the visit.

What I love about this park is that there’s something for everyone. There’s a large playground for the kids. There are barbecue grills and pavilions and large grassy areas to throw a ball or Frisbee. There’s a gift shop where you can buy ice cream in the summer and hot cocoa in the winter. There’s a museum. There’s a carousel. There are scale trains which you can ride that loop around the park. It’s both modern and historic. You can feel mindfulness and nostalgic simultaneously. It really is unique. And, of course, it can make an interesting subject for photography. I used my Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe for most of these pictures.

Trains Boarding – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Santa Fe Sun – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Aguila – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Happy Train Riders – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Looking Back – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

P&P 42 – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Train Rides Today – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Trolley Rider – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

It’s Not Too Late – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Photoessay: Monochrome Sun Rays Over Willow Beach, Arizona

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Rays Over Colorado River – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Along U.S. Highway 93, about 12 miles south of the Hoover Dam, there’s a scenic view pullout, which offers tremendous views of desert mountains and canyons and a glimpse of the Colorado River at Willow Beach. This is part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It’s easy to drive right on past this spot, as I have done many times before. Those who do stop here are rewarded with an incredible vista. It’s not the Grand Canyon, but it’s like a small glimpse of the Grand Canyon. It’s a quintessential Arizona landscape. Actually, you can see both Arizona and Nevada, as the river marks the boundary between the two states.

When I was at this scenic pullout last week, there was a storm passing through, which provided a dramatic sky with streaking light rays from the peeking sun. It was an amazing sight, yet short lived. I had my Fujifilm X-T30 with me, alternating between a Fujinon 35mm f/2 and a Fujinon 90mm f/2 attached to the front. A more wide-angle lens might have been nice, but these are the two lenses that I had with me. I captured a number of frames, then the great light disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Because I had a camera with me, and I decided to stop, I was able to witness and record this beautiful moment. Many cars zoomed down the highway, perhaps witnessing the scene quickly from behind their windows, or perhaps not noticing it at all, and only a few stopped. I’m thankful that I was one of the few who stopped, and what a great reward I was given for doing so. Sometimes the journey is the destination, especially if you are a photographer.

Light Streaming – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Light & Mesa – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Shining Down – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Pouring Light Over Desert – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Dramatic Desert Sky – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Rays Over The Desert – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Rays Over Willow Beach – Lake Mead Nat’l Rec. Area, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Rumor: Classic Negative + Other X-Pro3 Updates Not Coming to X-T3 or X-T30 Anytime Soon

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-Pro3 Blog

Fujifilm announced that the X-T3 will receive a couple of firmware updates, one in December and one in January, which will improve the camera, but neither will include the new features of the X-Pro3. No Classic Negative. No clarity or curves or custom grain, etc., etc. No ability to save white balance shifts with each custom preset. There are a bunch of new tools that Fujifilm has included on the X-Pro3, but none of them will be in these upcoming firmware updates. That doesn’t mean they won’t make their way to the X-T3 and X-T30, it just means it’ll be in the spring at the earliest. And perhaps not all of the new features will ever be added to the X-T3 and X-T30. You might have to wait until the X-T5 and X-T50 (they’ll skip the number four because it’s unlucky in Japan), or buy the X-Pro3. I bet the upcoming X100V will have the same tools as the X-Pro3, so there’s that, too. I was hoping that Fujifilm would add the capabilities of the new camera right away to the two “old” models that share the same sensor and processor, but it looks like they’re delaying it for awhile. I just hope that they don’t delay it indefinitely.

Film Simulation Challenge –Roll 4: Classic Negative (with Ree Drummond)

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Back in August I introduced the Film Simulation Challenge, which is where you pick one film simulation recipe and shoot either 24 or 36 frames before changing settings. It’s kind of like loading your camera with a roll of film, and you are stuck with whatever film you loaded until that roll is completely exposed. This challenge is the digital equivalent of that analog issue. I thought it would be a fun experiment to encourage photographic vision while sharing the joy of Fujifilm X cameras.

The “film” that I loaded into my Fujifilm X-T30 was a 36 exposure “roll” of my new “Classic Negative” film simulation recipe. This recipe is the closest that I could come to matching the new film simulation of the same name that’s on the X-Pro3, but I have to admit, it’s not a complete match. The Classic Negative film simulation changes depending on the light and how you expose it, which is different than the other film simulations. I don’t think it’s possible to create an exact match, but hopefully my “Classic Negative” recipe is at least in the general ballpark. Or, if it isn’t, I hope that some of you appreciate it nonetheless.

My wife, Amanda, is a big fan of Ree Drummond (also known as The Pioneer Woman). She’s a famous blogger, author and television personality best known for her cooking recipes. She has a store, restaurant and bakery in Oklahoma, which my wife and I visited two summers ago. Ree has a new cookbook, and she’s been traveling the country doing book signings. Amanda insisted that we go so that we could meet her, and so we did! We stood in line for almost an hour in order to have a thirty second conversation with her. It was a very quick meet-and-greet that seemed like it was over before it even began. What you might not know is that Ree’s a pretty good photographer, and I was able to suggest that she create a photojournal book of her ranch that features her black-and-white photographs. She replied that she needs to get the pictures off her SD Card first.

I made 36 exposures using my “Classic Negative” film simulation, and most were of this event, especially while waiting in line. The lighting inside the bookstore was terrible, with some crazy mixed artificial lights, and this recipe wasn’t a good choice for it. I did reprocess in-camera the RAW image of Ree Drummond, and I’ve included that at the bottom of this article. I used a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens for these pictures. I hope that you enjoy!

Frame 1: Pink Sleeve – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 2: Sunset 218 – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 3: Changing Nature – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 5: Sweetaly Gelato – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 7: King of Books – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 8: Waiting For The Bus – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 9: 15th Street – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 15: Brick Chimney – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 18: A Roof – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 19: Waiting In The Waning Sun – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 22: Rick – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 24: No Trucks – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 26: Salt Lake Neighborhood – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 28: Ree Drummond – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 30: Open – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 31: Happy Amanda – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 32: Bank On It – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Frame 33: Brews – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Negative”

Reprocess of frame 28:

Ree Drummond – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – PRO Neg. Hi

My Fujifilm X-T30 Provia Film Simulation Recipe (Fujichrome Sensia 100)

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Evening Flag – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Provia

The film simulation that Fujifilm calls “standard” is Provia, but of all the color options, Provia is my least favorite. For the most part, I prefer the other film simulations instead. In fact, the only recipes that I’ve created that use Provia are Agfa Optima 200 and Cross Process, both of which are great in their own way. The problem with Provia is that it’s somewhat boring. And it doesn’t resemble the film that it’s named after. The Astia film simulation looks more like real Provia film, and the Provia film simulation more resembles Astia film. Weird, huh? Well, I decided that Provia needed a little more of my love, so I created a new recipe for it.

This Provia recipe reminds me of Fujifilm Fujichrome Sensia 100, although that is strictly coincidental, as I wasn’t attempting any specific film look, just a general analog aesthetic. Fujichrome Sensia 100 was a general-purpose slide film that was discontinued about 10 years ago. It was a popular choice for cross-processing, although that’s not the look you find here. There were three different generations of the film, and each looked very slightly different. I shot a little of the second version of Sensia back in the day, but I usually preferred Velvia or Provia film. This recipe’s accidental resemblance is a happy accident.

Autumn Tree Branches – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Provia

The white balance required for this recipe is Warm-White Fluorescent, which is also known as Fluorescent Light 2 or Neon 2. It’s the second fluorescent white balance option underneath cloudy/shade. It’s a bit unusually to select this in daylight, but it works in this case.

Provia
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Warm-White Fluorescent (2), -1 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Provia film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Lost In Thought – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Is Over – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Last Yellow Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Abscission – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Leaves of Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Autumn Sun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Autumn Tree Trunk – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Neighborhood Snowfall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Baseball Boy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cottonwood Fall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Lomography Color 100 Film Simulation Setting

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Misty Mountain Sunset – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Color 100”

Several different Fuji X Weekly readers have asked me to create a film simulation recipe based on Lomography Color 100 film. Lomography is essentially low-fi film photography, and it’s also the name of a company that sells cameras and film. One of their negative films is Color 100. It’s a popular film among lomographers, but even those who wouldn’t consider themselves a part of the lomography movement have taken notice of it. I’ve never used this particular film myself, as it didn’t exist when I shot a lot of film, so I only had the internet to assist me with creating this recipe.

Besides the fact that I don’t have any first-hand experience with this film, another big hurdle for creating these settings was the film itself. As I researched it, I discovered that Lomography Color 100 film isn’t one single emulsion. In fact, at least two, possibly three, and maybe even four different emulsions have been sold under the name Lomography Color 100! At least two of those, and maybe all of them, are Kodak films. Lomography bought these emulsions at a discount, either because too much was manufactured and the film was approaching its expiration, or because it didn’t pass quality control, and Kodak sold their unwanted film cheaply to Lomography. Which films, you ask? Gold 100 and Pro Image 100, for sure. Ektar 100 possibly. The fourth, if there is a fourth, would be a non-Kodak film, possibly Fujifilm Fujicolor 100, but there’s a good chance that a fourth emulsion for Color 100 never happened.

Curious – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Color 100”

Another hurdle with this film simulation recipe is that a lot of people use alternative techniques with Color 100, such as push-process. There’s a big variety with how it’s typically handled by photographers, which makes creating a look that resembles Color 100 quite difficult. Results may vary would be the best description of the film. Despite that, I do believe that this recipe is in the neighborhood of the film, and those looking for an aesthetic that’s close to Color 100 film will appreciate this facsimile of it.

Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +1
Color: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
White Balance: Cloudy/Shade, -3 Red & +7 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Color 100 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Yellow Cottonwood – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Morning Yellow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cold Backyard Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Tree Snowfall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ball Hitter – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl In Bright Sunlight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Autumn Leaves – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backyard October Winter – South Weber, UT

October Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ice Cold Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Camera Shelf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

R Decor – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Asahi-Pentax Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 + Fujifilm X-T30

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm XT30 Blog Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 135mm f/3.5

Asahi-Pentax Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 Lens & Fujifilm X-T30.

The Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens was made by the Asahi Optical Company in Japan in the 1960’s and 1970’s for Pentax M42 screw mount cameras. There were a few nearly identical versions of the Asahi Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens manufactured, each with a different coating applied to the glass, but otherwise identical. I love pairing my Fujifilm X-T30 with vintage lenses, such as this one. You will need an M42 to Fuji-X adapter to attach it to your Fujifilm X camera. The Asahi-Pentax Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens is a long telephoto prime that won’t break the bank, but is it any good?

This lens, unsurprisingly, is all manual (don’t let the “A” and “M” switch on the side fool you). You will have to manually focus it and manually adjust the aperture. There’s nothing automatic about it. If you are not used to lenses like this, it might take some practice to get comfortable using it. Also, being a longer lens without image stabilization, you’ll need to use faster shutter speeds or tripod to avoid blur.

As I stated in my Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens review, the 135mm focal length used to be very common. It was one of the first primes you’d add to your bag. It’s much less common nowadays. Because of the APS-C crop factor, this lens has a full-frame focal-length equivalency of about 202mm, which makes it a long telephoto option. Fujifilm only makes one prime lens this long, in fact, but it costs a heck-of-a-lot, so if you want a long telephoto prime, you have to look elsewhere, such as vintage glass like this one, or buy a telephoto zoom.

Fujifilm XT30 blog Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 135mm f/3.5

Fujifilm XT30 Blog Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 135mm f/3.5

The Asahi Takumar 135mm lens is fairly small and lightweight for how long it is. At 0.75 pounds, it weighs noticeably less than the previously mentioned Fujinon 90mm lens. It’s made of metal and feels pretty sturdy. Asahi made quality lenses, so this is not surprising. Even though this lens is quite old, it seems like it has a lot of life left.

Sharpness is a tale of two lenses, with the focus distance being the key factor. At near and medium distances, the Asahi Takumar 135mm is quite sharp. There is perhaps some softness, particularly in the corners, at f/3.5 (the maximum aperture), but by f/5.6 it’s pretty sharp across the entire frame. Peak sharpness is around f/8 or f/11, with diffraction setting in at f/16, and f/22 (the minimum aperture) being only marginally usable. Beyond medium focus distances, the lens becomes less sharp as you move towards infinity, and has only mediocre sharpness when focused at infinity, about what one would expect from a cheap zoom and not a prime.

There’s quite a bit of chromatic aberrations in the corners no matter the aperture, but the smaller the aperture the worse it seems to get; there’s very little in the middle at all apertures. I haven’t noticed any vignetting. There’s a tiny amount of pincushion distortion that will only be noticed when photographing brick walls. This lens does not control flare well at all, producing a hazy-type flare that significantly reduces contrast. Sunstars are medicore. Bokeh is not especially good looking.

Fujifilm Blog Asahi Pentax Super Takumar 135mm f/3.5

The lens functions well. The focus ring is smooth. The aperture clicks at the f-stops. I have had no problems pairing it with my Fujifilm X-T30. There are good and bad points to the image quality that the Asahi Takumar 135mm lens produces. In fact, I would say that this is the worst Takumar lens I’ve used, but it is still capable of capturing good images. You have to understand its strengths and weaknesses, and use it accordingly.

Despite the negative points, this lens can usually be found for less than $50, and sometimes for less than $25, which makes it a great bargain! You can find cheap M42 to Fuji-X adapters that will allow you to attach the lens to your camera; mine was about $10. Considering the price, if you want a 200mm equivalent focal-length lens, it’s worth taking a chance on this one.

Sample photographs, all captured using this Asahi-Pentax Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens attached to my Fujifilm X-T30:

Flowing Fall – Bountiful, UT

Apple, Hangin’ On – South Weber, UT

Young Smile – South Weber, UT

White Stars – Roy, UT

I See Red – Riverdale, UT

Plant Leaves – South Weber, UT

Becoming Autumn Yellow – South Weber, UT

Cold On Top – South Weber, UT

Peaks & Ridges – South Weber, UT

Last Light on the Clearing Mountain – South Weber, UT

Sunset Red Peak – South Weber, UT

White Cloud Over Black Mountain – South Weber, UT

Mount Ogden #1 – Riverdale, UT

Mount Ogden #2 – Riverdale, UT

Coffee & Cameras – South Weber, UT

Video: Street Photography with a Fujifilm X-T30 & Eterna

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Take a look at Street Photography with a Fujifilm X-T30 & Eterna, which is the latest video from Fuji X Weekly! Last Sunday I shared with you the first video that Amanda and I worked on together, which featured footage and photographs captured using my Kodacolor film simulation recipe. This new video features footage and photographs captured using my Eterna film simulation recipe. The point of this video series is to demonstrate different film simulation recipes for video and still photography, but in a way that’s hopefully entertaining and perhaps even inspirational.

Unlike the last video, which had Amanda behind the video camera, I captured all of the footage for this one. While I was doing it, I did my best to think, “How would Amanda record this shot?” I didn’t do a particularly good job, though, but I did record a lot of content in hopes that there would be something usable. I employed my Fujifilm X-T30 with a Rokinon 12mm lens for both the video and stills. Amanda took all of it into editing software and somehow made this great video. Honestly, I don’t know how she did it. She really did an incredible job!

If you haven’t done so already, please visit the Fuji X Weekly YouTube channel. I invite you to subscribe. Feel free to like, comment and share. Over the coming weeks and months you can expect more video content to be added, thanks to the talents of my wonderful wife, Amanda.

If you are interested in purchasing the gear used for this video, you’ll find my affiliate links below. If you make a purchase using my links I will be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X-T30 (Body Only) B&H Amazon
Fujifilm X-T30 w/15-45mm lens B&H Amazon
Fujifilm X-T30 w/18-55mm lens B&H Amazon
Rokinon 12mm f/2 B&H Amazon

Industar 69 Lens + Fujifilm X-T30

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-T30 with an Industar 69 lens.

The Industar 69 is a terribly great lens! What I mean is that it is a terrible lens and a great lens at the same time. If you judge it simply on charts and technical qualities, it’s clearly a dud, not worthy of attaching to your camera. If you judge it on the It-Factor, the Industar 69 transcends common rationality and produces a difficult-to-define yet highly appealing quality. This lens is full of flaws, but it’s the flaws that make it especially interesting.

The Industar 69 f/2.8 is a Soviet Union 28mm pancake lens designed for Russian Chaika half-frame cameras. It was produced from the mid-1960’s through the mid-1970’s. It’s an M39 screw-mount lens, and is a Zeiss Tessar copycat. To attach it to my Fujifilm X-T30, I used a cheap M39-to-Fuji-X adapter that I’ve had for several years and paid about $10 for. This particular Industar 69 lens was loaned to me from a friend, but my copy is already ordered and currently en route, costing me only $35, including shipping.

One peculiarity of the Industar 69 is that it can’t focus to infinity (or even all that close to it), because it sits too far from the sensor. It can be modified to focus to infinity, and I plan to make that modification with my lens when it arrives, but unmodified it has a limited window of focus. The aperture is controlled by a thin ring around the glass that doesn’t click at f-stops. The focus ring is smooth. The lens is made of metal and feels solid. The Industar 69 is small and lightweight and might seem like a budget alternative to the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens.

Industar 69 Lens Fujifilm X-T30 Camera

Those who judge lenses based on corner softness and vignetting will not like this lens, as there is noticeable softness in the corners and pronounced vignetting, especially when wide-open, but also when stopped down. There’s also some obvious distortion. Lens flare is not controlled particularly well. The Industar 69 is pretty much the opposite of perfect from a technical point-of-view.

What I love about this lens is how it renders pictures. It produces glowing highlights, similar to (but not exactly like) an Orton effect. While the corners are soft, the center is quite sharp. The Industar 69 has nice bokeh; specifically it has swirly bokeh when wide open. It infuses an analog character into the images captured through its glass, made possible by its flaws, which is not achievable from finely-engineered modern lenses.

The Industar 69 is an interesting vintage pancake option for your Fujifilm camera. It could be considered a low-budget alternative to the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8, but I see them as different lenses for particular purposes. They will render pictures much differently, and you’ll likely use them much differently. But if you simply cannot afford the Fujinon lens and want a pancake option, this Russian lens might be your best bet. With that said, the reason to get the Industar 69 is for how it makes pictures look, because there aren’t too many lenses that will do what this one does, which is something you’ll either really appreciate or you won’t. This lens is incredibly inexpensive, so it might be worth trying out for yourself to see whether or not you find it to be terrible or great.

Glowing Cross – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Backyard Afternoon – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Weber Canyon Morning – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Early Autumn Sycamore – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Josh Throwing Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Smilin’ Jon – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Refill Please – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Sitting Joy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Glass Window Bottles – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Light Stripes – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Corner Seat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Jo Cool In Her Carseat – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Sunlit Tree Monochrome – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

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!

Photoessay: Fall Meets Winter

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Autumn & Winter – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

One thing that’s great about where I live is the view. The Wasatch Mountains loom over our house, and are clearly visible from the back windows and throughout the yard. Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year because the mountains behind our house become dotted with the vibrant colors of the season. That’s how it is right now. The view doesn’t get old, and I feel fortunate to live where I do.

A few days ago a storm rolled through and dusted the top of the mountain with snow and ice. The contrast between the autumn trees and winter weather was intriguing and beautiful. It seemed much too early for these two seasons to meet, but there it was on display for those willing to take a moment to look. It caught my attention, and I proceeded to capture it with my camera.

Despite the front-row seat from my yard, the white mountain peaks were actually a good distance away, and required a long telephoto lens to bring the scene close enough to photograph. Attached to my Fujifilm X-T30 was a Fujinon 50-230mm zoom lens, which is my longest telephoto option. Actually, this lens belongs to my wife, Amanda, but she graciously let me borrow it. I photographed all the pictures in this article from my yard using this camera and lens combination, along with my Velvia film simulation recipe. I hope that you enjoy these pictures of when fall meet winter a few days ago.

Frosted Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Veiled Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Vibrant White – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Winter Kissed Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Mountainside Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Frosted Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Peeking Peak – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lifting Autumn Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

JTPX 1204 – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade”

I recently ran across some old slides that I had forgotten about, and one of those color transparencies was a frame of Kodak Elite Chrome 200 that was beginning to fade and change color. The picture wasn’t especially good, but it looked interesting because of how the image was transforming. Elite Chrome was a version of Ektachrome, which has been dubbed Fade-a-chrome, as it’s very prone to fading and discoloration, especially if not stored correctly, which this particular picture wasn’t. You can see the fading Elite Chrome 200 photograph below.

I wondered if I could create a film simulation recipe that mimics the look of fading Elite Chrome 200. I experimented with the settings a bunch, but couldn’t get it to look right. After showing my wife, Amanda, she suggested that the digital picture looked too crisp, too detailed. I made some more modifications, and found myself much closer. Not perfect, but very close. I made more changes and adjustments, but unfortunately I couldn’t get it to look better, so I went back to those settings that were very close to being right, which is the recipe here.

DGNO Locomotive – Dallas, TX – Canon AE-1 & Kodak Elite Chrome 200 35mm film

One addition to this film simulation recipe that you’ve never seen in any of my other recipes is Image Quality. I have always used Fine, because it’s the highest quality setting, but in this case Fine was, well, too fine. I set it to Normal instead so as to better mimic the transparency. While I’m sure this particular recipe is not for everyone, those looking for something that resembles film from decades ago might appreciate it, as it has an analog aesthetic, and a look that’s a bit unusual, perhaps a bit lomographic (did I just make up a word?).

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +2
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: +2
Sharpening: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Image Quality: Normal
White Balance: 8300K, +4 Red & +8 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to -2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Green Locomotive – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tank Rider – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tracks By The Refinery – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

American Joe – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Neighborhood Patriotism – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sidewalk Tricycle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Flag – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Peek – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

One Eye Open – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Bike – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fence & Path – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Out Flowing – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Mountain Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wet Red Rose – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rose Blossom Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Photoessay: Suburban B&W

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

You might think that you live in a boring neighborhood. You might think that there’s nothing of interest to photograph where you live. You might think that you have to go somewhere to capture good photographs. This photoessay is intended to debunk that. I live in a boring suburban neighborhood, but I have still made an effort to walk the sidewalks with my camera in hand. This particular collection features some recent black-and-white images that I’ve captured in the neighborhood where I live. In the past I’ve shared many pictures captured in my neighborhood, so these are far from the only ones or even the best ones–they are simply ones that I have not posted on here before. I hope that this article inspires you to get out into your local area with your camera, even if “getting out” is just a short trip around the block.

Home Peek – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Shadow Maker – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Suburban Pathway – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Monochrome American Flag – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Pentax Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2

Geo – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Pentax Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2

House Work – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Alaskan Engineer – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Ray Above The Roof – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

Hill Behind The Homes – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Curious Cow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Grey Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

The Ray Manley Photo Challenge

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

In 1939, Ray Manley, who was at the time a broke college student in northern Arizona, made a decision that would change the course of his life. Ray decided that he wanted to be published in Arizona Highways magazine, so he purchased 10 frames of Kodachrome. During that era, Kodachrome was not cheap, and Ray could barely afford those 10 frames. He had some prior experience shooting black-and-white film, but not much. Color photography was completely new to him, and he’d never used Kodachrome before. Still, Ray was determined, and he set out to make the most of those 10 exposures. Three of those Kodachromes would be printed on the cover of Arizona Highways during the 1940’s. And it was those three pictures that helped Ray launch a successful photography career, which included publication in National Geographic, Saturday Evening Post, Popular Science, as well as several books that featured his pictures.

The Ray Manley Challenge is to capture 10 exposures and only 10 exposures, attempting to get a minimum of three good pictures out of it. The intention of this is to train yourself to slow down and really think about what you are doing. It’s about being very deliberate and making every exposure count. Ray had only 10 exposures because that’s all he could afford, and it’s incredible what he did with it. You have unlimited exposures, yet, I know for myself, meaningful pictures are only captured sparingly. This photo challenge is a good way to refine your photography skills, and increase the odds of capturing something good.

I had considered using my Vintage Kodachrome recipe to really mimic what Ray was up against, but decided instead to use any settings that I felt would best fit the scene. I might try this again and use only Vintage Kodachrome, although I’m not really sure right now if I’ll do that. You can choose to do so for an added challenge, or use whatever settings you feel is best. It’s really up to you how you want to tackle this challenge, as the only real rule is that once you’ve made 10 exposures, you are done.

Here are my results:

Frame 1: Mt Wolverine Reflected In Silver Lake – Brighton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 0.7 Seconds, f/11, ISO 160

Frame 2: Flowing Creek – Brighton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 0.4 Seconds, f/11, ISO 320

Frame 4: Big Cottonwood Creek – Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 1/5, f/13, ISO 160

Frame 5: Flowing River Monochrome – Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 0.3 Seconds, f/11, ISO 160

Frame 10: Hidden Falls – Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 2 Seconds, f/13, ISO 160

How did I do? I would say mediocre.

In the first exposure there’s that bright stump on the top-left that I really didn’t want to include in the frame. Unfortunately, there was a bridal photo shoot going on just out of the right side of the frame, and I had to pick between including people in the shot or the stump. I chose the stump. Otherwise, I like that picture. I felt like I did a good job of taking my time and creating the best picture that I could with what was there, and I think this is my second favorite frame from this challenge.

The second frame is a well executed photo of a rather bland scene. I feel that there probably wasn’t a better picture that I could have created at that spot, but perhaps I shouldn’t have made an image at all, and saved the exposure for a different location.

Frame three was identical to frame four other than I didn’t get one setting right, so I made another exposure. If I had taken my time just a little more I wouldn’t have made that mistake. Frame four is a good picture and probably my third favorite from this challenge.

The fifth frame is alright. I don’t think I composed it particularly well. I put the tripod with the camera on it in the river, which was a risk. At this point the light that I wanted was quickly disappearing, and I wasn’t taking my time like I should have been.

Exposures six, seven, eight and nine were all failures. I was going too fast. I should have stopped and really soaked in the scene and worried less about the disappearing good light and saved those frames for another time. This was the lesson that I needed to learn.

For the final frame, I made sure that I got it right. I slowed myself down and really thought about how I wanted the picture to look. I moved the tripod a couple of times to refine the composition. This is my favorite exposure of the 10 that I made.

On the drive home, just a little ways down the road from where I exposed the 10th frame, I saw what I thought would have been a great picture. I stopped the car and looked at the scene, but I left the camera in the bag. If I hadn’t wasted several of my exposures, I could have captured this place. I got back on the road and stuck with my restriction.

This project didn’t go quite as well as I had hoped, but it was a great photographic exercise that proved to be valuable. I learned much. I intend to do it again soon, and I invite you to join me in completing the Ray Manley Photo Challenge.

[Not] My Fujifilm X-T30 “Warm Contrast” Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Flower Pots – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Warm Contrast”

Fuji X Weekly reader Manuel Sechi recently contacted me regarding some camera settings that he was working on. He was trying to replicate the look of the “Warm Contrast” preset in Lightroom. He felt that he was close but was hoping that I might help refine the settings to get a little closer. He showed me some of his pictures where he had applied the preset, which was helpful as I don’t use Lightroom. I tried out his settings and indeed they looked very close to the photographs that he shared. I made some small adjustments to refine it to what I thought might be a closer match to the preset, although not having the preset at my disposable was admittedly a challenge, and I can only hope that I made the recipe better and not worse.

While I call this film simulation recipe “Warm Contrast” due to its intended replication, it’s not particularly warm nor especially high in contrast. It seems to work best in mid-contrast situations, and when the light is already a bit on the warm side. When it works, though, it looks really good. I can see why Manuel was interested in creating it. I’m sure some of you will appreciate these settings, and I’m eager to share them with you.

August Wasatch – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Warm Contrast”

Thank you, Manuel, for sharing your settings, and allowing me the opportunity to tweak them. While I put “Fujifilm X-T30” in the title, this recipe can be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. In low-contrast situations, going +4 on Shadow and +2 on Highlight might produce better results. In cooler light, -1 Red and -5 Blue might prove to be better. As always, don’t be afraid to season this film simulation recipe to taste.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow:+3
Color: +4
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Auto, -2 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using these settings on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Fighting Flamingos – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Duck In A Stream – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rural Stream – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bee On A Pink Flower – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bee At Work – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kids on a Bridge – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Confident Direction – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Leaves of Various Colors – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Looking Bird – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Yarn Owl – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Green Mountain Majesty – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sloping Ridges – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Canvas Sky – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

American Fair – Salt Lake City, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Eterna Low-Contrast Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Gap of Light – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Eterna Low-Contrast”

After choosing my Eterna film simulation recipe for the Film Simulation Challenge, I thought it might be interesting to attempt a low-contrast Eterna recipe. I wanted to replicating the look of low-cost color negative film, but I didn’t have any specific film in mind, and didn’t do any of my typical film research. What I did do was play with the settings until I found something that I thought might look good. Even though Eterna is supposed to look cinematic, I’ve found it to be a great starting point for color negative aesthetics, and in the case of this recipe, it sometimes roughly resembles Fujifilm C200 and it sometimes (oftentimes?) doesn’t.

I almost didn’t share this recipe. I do sometimes create film simulation recipes that I don’t share, usually because I’m not happy with the results. There’s something not right about it, so I keep it to myself, and either shelve it or attempt to improve it. I was really on the fence with this one. On one hand it can sometimes produce really lovely results, and on the other hand it can be too flat and boring. It seems to require strong light and bright colors, and it makes something beautiful and soft out of it. Even outside of those parameters it can occasionally render a picture quite nice, but often it just delivers a boring rendition. It’s for those times where it might be the just-right recipe that I decided to share it, and hopefully it will be useful to some of you.

Stock Photography – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Eterna Low-Contrast”

Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -1
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: 5900K, -3 Red & +3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using my Eterna Low-Contrast film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30:

Red – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunset In The City – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Vintage & Antique – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Been Better – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

No Trespassing – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Everyone Has A Cross To Bear – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Joe Shortino – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Good Stuff – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Shopping Cart Line – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cart – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fishing For A Laugh – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sitting In The Evening Light – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Jo Cool – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kitchen Towel Roll – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

R Is For Roesch – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Too Many Coffee Beans – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Third Wheel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backyard Shed – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Green Tree Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cottonwood Tree Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Film Simulation Challenge – Roll 3: Eterna

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

For this third installment of the Film Simulation Challenge, where I use the same settings for 24 or 36 exposures, similar to shooting a roll of film, I chose my Eterna film simulation recipe. This particular recipe isn’t meant to mimic the look of any real film, but nonetheless it has a color negative aesthetic. I “loaded” this “film” into my Fujifilm X-T30, and exposed 36 frames. Sometimes I had a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to the front of the camera, and sometimes I had a Fujinon 90mm f/2. Both of these lenses are fantastic. I like the way this Eterna recipe looks, and I think Eterna in general is under appreciated. Only a few cameras have this film simulation, so perhaps that’s why it’s not discussed as much as it deserves, but I think it’s great, and I was glad to use it here.