I Love Getting Analog Looks SOOC

Captured with a Fujifilm X100V using the Fujicolor Pro 400H recipe.

I love getting an analog aesthetic right out of camera! Fujifilm X cameras offer many great tools to get film-like results straight-out-of-camera without the need to edit. By adjusting the JPEG parameters, you can create various looks that I call film simulation recipes—I have published nearly 200 of them! These settings save you time, simplify the photographic process, and make capturing pictures even more enjoyable.

“By making it possible for the photographer to observe his work and his subject simultaneously,” wrote Edwin H. Land, co-founder of Polaroid, “and by removing most of the manipulative barriers between the photographer and the photograph, it is hoped that many of the satisfactions of working in the early arts can be brought to a new group of photographers.”

Ansel Adams called it One-Step Photography, and added, “The effect of one-step processing on both amateur and professional creative photography has been revolutionary. As with all art forms, we must accept the limitations of the medium as well as revel in the advantages.”

Land and Adams were specifically talking about Polaroid pictures, but I think it applies similarly to Fujifilm X cameras and film simulation recipes. The “manipulative barriers between the photographer and the photograph” have been removed! Now you just have to decide which recipe you want to use, like picking which film to load, and start creating, without worrying about how you’re going to later manipulate the pictures, because the straight-out-of-camera pictures are pretty darn good, and don’t require manipulation. Sure, edit if you want—there’s nothing wrong with that—but you don’t have to if you don’t want to, and there’s nothing wrong with that, either. Ansel Adams called it “revolutionary” and said to “revel in the advantages.” There’s freedom in this.

All of the pictures in this article are unedited (except for perhaps some minor cropping) straight-out-of-camera JPEGs that I recently captured using a Fujifilm X camera and a film simulation recipe.

Captured with a Fujifilm X100V using the Kodak Tri-X 400 recipe.
Captured with a Fujifilm X100V using the AgfaColor RS 100 recipe.
Captured with a Fujifilm X-E4 using the Kodacolor VR recipe.
Captured using a Fujifilm X-E4 with the Fujicolor Superia 1600 recipe.

Reminder: SOOC Episode 02 This Thursday!

As a reminder, Episode 02 of the live interactive video series SOOC will be this Thursday, August 12, at 11 AM MST (10 AM Pacific, 1 PM Eastern)!

SOOC is a collaboration between Tame Your Fujifilm (Fujifilm X Photographer Nathalie Boucry) and Fuji X Weekly (Ritchie Roesch). It is a monthly live video series, and each episode focuses on a different film simulation recipe. It’s a fun and educational experience where we will not only talk about Fujifilm camera settings, but also answer your questions. This is an interactive program, which means that we need your participation! Mark your calendar and be sure to tune in!

I’m really looking forward to Episode 02. Among other things, we’ll take a look at your pictures captured with the Kodachrome II film simulation recipe, and discuss the Fujicolor C200 recipe! I really hope you’ll tune in!

If you missed Episode 01, you’ll find it below:

Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipe: Super HG Astia (Part 3 of 3)

Cacti Wall – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Super HG Astia”

When Thomas Schwab shared with me his Fujicolor Super HG film simulation recipe, he also sent me an alternative recipe that uses Astia instead of Classic Negative. I gave it a try and thought that it worked quite well for landscape photography, particularly in sunny conditions. It can produce interesting results indoors or on cloudy days, but I think it really shines in sunshine. It’s called “Super HG Astia” because it is a modification of the Super HG recipe, but with Astia.

This “Super HG Astia” recipe wasn’t intended to mimic any particular film; however, it does have some resemblance to Fujichrome Provia 100F. For whatever reason, Fujifilm programmed the Provia film simulation to look more like Astia film, and the Astia film simulation to look more like Provia film, although neither are an exact match. This recipe brings the Astia film simulation closer to resembling Provia film (albeit unintentionally). It’s definitely not a perfect facsimile, but it does nonetheless produce a very nice Fuji color-reversal film aesthetic.

Green Pines – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Super HG Astia”

This recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, and X-E4 cameras. I accidentally used Large grain for some of my pictures, and the results were fine, but Small grain is better in my opinion—feel free to use whichever Grain size you’d prefer. For the X-T3 and X-T30, you can use this recipe by ignoring Grain size, Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue—the results will be slightly different, but pretty close. For X-Trans III cameras, you’ll have to additionally ignore Color Chrome Effect; again, the results will be a little different but still very similar. If you’ve got an X-Trans III or newer camera, I invite you to try this recipe. I want to give a special “Thank you!” to Thomas for creating and sharing this recipe!

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

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Super HG Astia film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:

Blue Dumpsters – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
This Sucker’s Electrical – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Gas Pipe – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Ms Pac-Man – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Pen – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Missing Boxer – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Watching A Two-Screen Movie – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Lake Harbor – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Lake Payette – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Lake Log – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4

Part 1 – Fujicolor Super HG Film Simulation Recipe
Part 2 -Fujicolor Super HG v2 Film Simulation Recipe

Find these film simulation recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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Best Fujifilm Film Simulations

DPReview listed their Top 5 Best Fujifilm Film Simulations in the video above. I think it’s great that they’re highlighting Fujifilm’s great JPEG options and give light to some of the film simulations. While I’m sure that they made adjustments to the stock settings, I feel like they haven’t discovered the joy of film simulation recipes, and are mostly using the stock settings. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, because out-of-the-box the different film simulations are great, but with some tweaking you can achieve all sorts of different looks. I think it’s something that they’d really appreciate, if they only knew.

I went on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App (available for iOS and Android) and filtered by Camera and Film Simulation. If you are a Patron on the App, you can filter the recipes by camera model or sensor, and by film simulation or color/b&w—the best app experience is reserved for Patrons. For this experiment, I chose the Fujifilm X100F and Classic Chrome. There are 15 different options, each with a different aesthetic (Vintage Kodachrome didn’t fit on the screenshot list). Those are just the X-Trans III recipes that use Color Chrome. If you don’t filter by camera or sensor, there are 45 recipes that use Classic Chrome (and over 150 total recipes)!

I know in the video they say that Classic Chrome is “gross” but perhaps it’s only because they haven’t used the right film simulation recipe. It could be that one of those 45 mentioned above produces a look that they’d love.

I don’t want to rehash DPReview’s video, so instead I will list some of my personal favorite recipes, organized by Film Simulation (they’re not ranked), which you’ll find below. There are so many to choose from, and narrowing it down is a tough task, so obviously not all of my favorites made the list. There are so many Classic Chrome and Classic Negative options that I love, so those two were especially difficult to decide what to include below. Hopefully you’ll find this this exercise helpful, or at least fun, and maybe discover a new recipe to try.

Provia

Provia 400

Big Sky Over Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm GFX-50S – “Provia 400”

Cross Process

Truck Stop – Bowie, TX – Fujifilm X100F – “Cross Process”

Color Negative Film

Pink Roses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro1 – “Color Negative Film”

Velvia

Velvia v2

Sunset Cyclists – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Velvia v2”

The Rockwell

Abandoned Dream – Red Rock Lakes NWR, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “The Rockwell”

Vivid Color

Vibrant Autumn – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – “Vivid Color”

Astia

Astia

Nature Flames – Mirror Lake, UT – Fujifilm XQ1 – “Astia”

Superia Xtra 400

Forest River – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-M1 – “Superia Xtra 400”

Redscale

Corner Trunk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Rescale”

Classic Chrome

Kodak Portra 400 v2

Julien Jarry with RED Camera – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

Kodachrome 64

Onaqui Wild Horses – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodachrome 64”

Golden Negative

Hidden Church – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200 – “Golden Negative”

PRO Neg. Hi

Jeff Davenport Night

Wet Glass Bokeh – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Jeff Davenport Night”

Fujicolor Pro 400H

Pink Roses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”

PRO Neg. Hi

Christmas Joy – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100F – “PRO Neg. Hi”

PRO Neg. Std

Fujicolor 100 Industrial

Urban Binding – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujicolor 100 Industrial”

CineStill 800T

Night Synergy – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “CineStill 800T”

Fujicolor Superia 800

Caramel Macchiato – Sandy, UT – Fujifilm X100F – “Fujicolor Superia 800”

Eterna

Kodak Vision3 250D

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

Vintage Color

Sentinel & Merced – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Vintage Color”

Polaroid

Wilting Flower – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Polaroid”

Eterna Bleach Bypass

LomoChrome Metropolis

Stop No. 11 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T4 – “LomoChrome Metropolis”

Ektachrome 320T

Since 1938 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Ektachrome 320T”

Grizzly Ride

Slug Bug – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Grizzly Ride”

Classic Negative

Xpro ’62

Empty Diner – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V – “Xpro ’62”

Positive Film

Approaching Storm at Last Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Positive Film”

Vintage Vibes

Autumn Aspen – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V – “Vintage Vibes”

Acros

Kodak Tri-X 400

Leaves in the Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200 – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

Agfa Scala

Semi & Dinosaur – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X100F – “Agfa Scala”

Black & White Infrared

Stop Here on Infrared – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100V – “Black & White Infrared”

Monochrome

Ilford Ortho Plus 80

760 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford Ortho Plus 80”

Dramatic Monochrome

The Obscurity of Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Dramatic Monochrome”

Kodak T-Max 400

People Shadows – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak T-Max 400”

Sepia

Sepia

No Credit Tires – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Sepia”

Now it’s your turn! Which of these film simulation recipes do you like best? Which recipes that I didn’t include are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!

Find these film simulation recipes and many more in the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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!

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Fujifilm X-Trans III + X-T30 & X-T3 Film Simulation Recipe: Chrome Bypass

Don’t Walk Under Falling Bicycles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Chrome Bypass”

There are a number of X-Trans IV film simulation recipes that I’ve had multiple requests to create versions for that are compatible with X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras. LomoChrome Metropolis and Bleach Bypass are two that are commonly requested. These recipes require JPEG settings that don’t exist on the “older” cameras, including the Classic Negative or Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulations. I knew it would be impossible to recreate those recipes for X-Trans III and the X-T3 and X-T30 cameras, but I wanted to get as close as I could. After much experimenting, I came up with some settings that are sometimes similar to the LomoChrome Metropolis recipe and are sometimes similar to the Bleach Bypass recipe, and sometimes not like either.

What the LomoChrome Metropolis and the Bleach Bypass recipes have in common are that they’re both high in contrast and low in color saturation. There are some other similarities between them, but there’s plenty that’s different, too. This recipe with certain subjects and in certain light situations can resemble one or the other, or neither. It’s as close as I could get. If you like the LomoChrome Metropolis and Bleach Bypass recipes, this is your best bet for X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras (aside from doing double-exposures). While it’s not as “perfect” as I was hoping to achieve, I think it’s a pretty good recipe for capturing dramatic pictures. It’s kind of (but not really) the low saturation version of Dramatic Classic Chrome.

1100 Stop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Chrome Bypass”

Because these settings resemble both the LomoChrome Metropolis and the Bleach Bypass film simulation recipes, I decided to name this recipe Chrome Bypass, taking a little from each name. I don’t currently have access to an X-Trans III camera, so I don’t have any samples captured with a Fujifilm X-Trans III camera, but it should look very similar.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: -4
Color Chrome Effect: Off or N/A
Sharpness: -1
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Sample photographs, all camera-made JPEGs, captured with a Fujifilm X-T30 using this “Chrome Bypass” film simulation recipe:

Mountain Teasels – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Cloudy Branches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Summer Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Country Fence & Old Tires – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tulip Pot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Colorful Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Handy Dandy Grill – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Little Bit of Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Thrown Pillow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Instax Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Find this film simulation recipe on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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!

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RAW vs JPEG? The Debate Needs To End

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Did I post-processed a RAW file or is this a camera-made JPEG? Does it matter?

There’s a debate in the photographic community that I get really tired of: RAW vs. JPEG. Most of the time, what I find is RAW shooters telling JPEG shooters that they shouldn’t shoot JPEGs for one reason or another. Usually there’s name-calling or a put-down thrown in or a condescending tone. Sometimes it’s the other way around, although I find that to be much more rare. Here’s my opinion: find what works best for you and your photography, and do that.

I wasn’t intending to write this post today, but over the last few days I’ve seen a number of articles and videos that tell me why RAW is really remarkable and JPEGs are just junk. Some make a reasonable argument, while others are absolutely ridiculous. Earlier today I watched a video that falls into the latter category, and that’s why I’m writing this.

Here’s the deal: it wasn’t very long ago that camera makers across all brands did a poor job at in-camera JPEGs. Some were better than others, but by-and-large none of them were great. RAW made sense, since you were going to be editing your pictures. But over the last decade every camera brand has improved their camera’s JPEGs, and some, like Fujifilm, have really made massive strides in this department. Today’s camera-made JPEGs are nothing like they were 10 years ago. Fujifilm’s JPEGs can look like post-processed RAW images, or even film-like. If you plan to edit your pictures, RAW is your best bet. If you don’t want to edit your pictures (or only lightly edit), you can achieve some great looks right out of camera. Neither option is the “right” or “wrong” way, just different means to an end, which is a finished photograph that you’re happy with.

Shoot RAW if that’s what you want to do. Shoot JPEG if that’s what you want to do. One method is not inherently better than the other. One way might be right for you, but wrong for another. You might find that you use both, just depending on the situation. While I almost always shoot JPEG, I do also still shoot RAW sometimes (it’s helpful for developing JPEG recipes). I used to shoot RAW exclusively once upon a time, but I don’t anymore.

RAW vs. JPEG is a tired debate. You don’t need to justify with strangers why you choose one over the other. I don’t want to hear why I’m “wrong” for shooting JPEGs. Don’t try to convince me that RAW is better. I won’t try to convince you to abandon RAW and shoot JPEG only. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, and there is a time and place for both. I would encourage you, if you are unsure whether to shoot RAW or JPEG, to try both for a time, and see which you prefer. There isn’t one right path. The debate needs to end—find what works best for you and your photography, and do that!

My Fujifilm X-T30 Split-Toned B&W Film Simulation Recipe


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Vintage Bolsey Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Split-Toned B&W”

While creating my “Bleach Bypass” film simulation recipe, which requires double exposures, I also discovered how to split-tone black-and-white pictures in-camera using double exposures. Split toning was originally a darkroom technique where one would give their black-and-white print a bath in two different toning chemicals, which resulted in shadows and highlights having two different colors. There are many different ways to split tone and many different potential results. This Split-Toned B&W recipe loosely mimics the aesthetic of ferrocyanide toning (blue) with diluted sepia (reddish-brown). You can get similar results very easily with software, but it’s fun to achieve a split tone effect straight out of camera.

For this recipe, you’ll capture the first exposure as normal. I find that increasing the exposure by 1/3 to 2/3 stop over what you might normally do produces better results. For the second exposure, photograph blue paper. I used an 8.5″ x 11″ medium-blue construction paper for my pictures. I like to purposefully make the second exposure out of focus, although I’m not sure that it matters much if you do. You can control the strength of the blue tone by how bright the second exposure is. The darker the exposure, the less blue there will be and the less faded the picture will appear. The brighter the exposure, the more blue there will be and the more faded the picture will appear. It’s fun to experiment with this, because you can vary the look significantly by how you expose the second image. If you want the highlights to be warmer, simply increase the tone of the first exposure to be more warm, or even use the Sepia film simulation instead of Acros. You could use a different color paper, or even use a cool tone instead of warm on the first exposure, if you wanted. You could really play around with this and come up with all sots of different looks.

Exposure 1
Acros
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Tone: +6 (warm)
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Exposure 2
Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: +2
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & 0 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1 to -3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Split-Toned B&W film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

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Open Blinds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Ocean – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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White Faux Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Monochrome Floral Arrangement – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Lily Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Throw Pillows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Dirt Play – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Girl In The Sunlight – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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!

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SOOC eMagazine

There’s a new online magazine called SOOC that’s dedicated to Fujifilm straight-out-of-camera JPEGs. I encourage you to take a look at issue one and to support James Posilero‘s efforts, and not just because yours truly is in the magazine. There’s been an unfair sentiment within the photography community for some time that you are a second-rate photographer if you rely on camera-made JPEGs. The argument is not true, but unfortunately you will find this attitude spread throughout the internet, and you might even encounter it in person. This magazine turns that preconception on its head and debunks the fallacy, simply by the photographs found within. I personally look forward to seeing more of SOOC, and I wish much success to James.

How To Add Texture To Your In-Camera JPEGs

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Green Mountain On Canvas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

A creative option found in many photo editing programs is texture. The texture, which might be canvas, paper, cloth, wood, etc., is added as a layer which can be blended as strongly or subtly as one might want. It’s a fun technique that adds an unexpected element to pictures. I used to occasionally do this when I used Alien Skin Exposure software. There are even some specialty films that have texture built-in, such as Revolog Texture films.

When I was experimenting with my Faded Color and Faded Monochrome film simulation recipes, which use double-exposure photography to create a vintage film aesthetic, it occurred to me that I could use the double-exposure feature of my Fujifilm X-T30 to add texture to my pictures in-camera. I could get a textured look without software. Incredible! So I begun to experiment with textured JPEGs, and the results were interesting.

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Canvas Daisy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

You might ask, “I can do this in Photoshop in only a few seconds, so why would I want to do this in-camera?” That’s a good question that deserves a lengthy explanation. I used to shoot RAW, but I rely on camera-made JPEGs now. Why? It saves me tons of time and makes my photographs more honest. Since I started shooting JPEGs, my photography production has gone through the roof while my total time investment in photography has noticeably dropped. I’m creating more with less. It’s all thanks to Fujifilm’s superb JPEG engine. The honesty statement is a little more controversial, but it’s clear that photography in general has taken a large perception hit when it comes to integrity. Non-photographers (photography consumers) don’t take a picture at face value anymore, and “Photoshop” has negative connotations. People ask me, “How much is this Photoshopped?” I answer, “None of it, this is how the camera captured it. This picture is unedited.” You’d be surprised at the overwhelming positive responses that I get from this answer. People find it refreshing. Photographers don’t see anything wrong with photo manipulation; however, many non-photographers feel that it’s not the image that’s being manipulated by the photographer, but the general public. They feel as though they’re being tricked by dishonesty. Whether or not that perception is fair or should exist is a whole different discussion, but you can avoid it altogether by shooting JPEGs. People are looking for authenticity, and this is one way to move in that direction.

To capture a photograph with texture on your Fujifilm camera, you will first need to enable the double-exposure feature of your camera. On the X-T30 it’s found on a knob on top of the camera. You can use any film simulation, but note that double-exposure pictures on the camera will be flatter (have less contrast), so Velvia, Classic Chrome and Acros work best because they have more contrast. Astia and PRO Neg. Hi work alright, as well. You will want to have Highlight and Shadow set no lower than +2, and more might give better results. Don’t be afraid to try +4 on one or both. I also recommend DR100, and DR200 if the scene has a lot of contrast. I find that for the main exposure, exposure compensation typically needs to be in the +1/3 to +1 range. The second exposure, which will be the texture exposure, typically needs exposure compensation set to -1 to -2, and I usually start at -2 and adjust as necessary. The camera will show you what the picture will look like, and it also allows do-overs if you need it.

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Hanging B&W Picture – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

For texture, I found the best results came from a white stretched canvas for painting. I also tried other things, like burlap, cloth, paper, wood and metal, but the results weren’t as good in my opinion. I recommend trying different materials and seeing for yourself what you like or don’t like. After capturing the main exposure, capture a second exposure of the textured object. It’s really that simple. The camera gives a 50/50 blend of the two exposures, but because the first exposure is brighter and the second is darker, it will appear more in the neighborhood of 70/30, which is what you want. It might appear as though the image is actually printed on a textured surface.

This is a simple but creative way to use the double-exposure feature of your camera. You could really play around with this and get inventive. Try different settings, different subjects and different textures and see what happens. Below are examples of textured pictures I created using this technique on my Fujifilm X-T30:

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Afternoon Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Crop of the above image.

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Spring Green Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Crop of the above image.

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Backlit Sycamore Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Crop of the above image.

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Hazy Light Tree Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Crop of the above image.

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Tree Trunk In The Corner – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Crop of the above image.

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Weed Flower Canvas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 -Canvas

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Crop of the above image.

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Yellow Flower on Canvas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Crop of the above image.

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Yellow Blossom Burlap – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Burlap

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Bottle Still Life – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Coffee Still Life – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Metal

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Blue R – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Film on Canvas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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E To H – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas

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Zenit E on Wood – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Wood

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

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Knot A Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Wood

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Window Birds Texture – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Cloth

Kodachrome vs. Ektachrome – A Film Simulation Showdown

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I have two very similar film simulation recipes that both produce results quite close to their namesake slide films: Kodachrome II and Ektachrome 100SW. Even though the settings are nearly the same, the looks that they produce are quite different. As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of the old “Kodachrome vs. Ektachrome” debate from the days of film. There were people who preferred one over the other for various reasons. Kodachrome was more iconic. Ektachrome had more variations. Despite the fact that they were both color transparencies made by the same company, I could probably write a long article about the differences between the two films, but this blog is about Fujifilm X cameras and not Kodak film stocks.

What I wanted to do here is compare the two film simulation recipes side by side. I will show them both, and you can decide which is best for you. It’s kind of a revival of the old debate, but with a modern twist. Kodachrome or Ektachrome? You get to decide which is the better film simulation recipe!

Take a look at the pictures below:

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Welcome to Ogden – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Kodachrome II”

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Winter Mountain – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Desert Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Kodachrome II”

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Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Pueblo de Taos – Taos, NM – Fujifilm X-Pro2 “Kodachrome II”

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View From Mount Carmel Tunnel – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Kodak Transparencies – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Kodachrome II”

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Kodak Transparencies – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

What I like about the Kodachrome II recipe is that it produces a vintage color look that reminds me of the images found on the pages of old magazines, such as National Geographic and Arizona Highways. As I look through my grandparent’s old slide collection (which I have at home), I can see this look in their old photographs from 50 or so years ago. It’s such a fantastic recipe for Fujifilm X cameras, and I just love it!

What I like about the Ektachrome 100SW recipe is that it produces a color look that reminds me of some images that I have captured with the actual film. The film was good for western landscapes or any situation where you needed some color saturation with a warm color cast. It wasn’t around for very long because it was only marginally commercially successful, but it was one of the better variations of Ektachrome film in my opinion.

What do you think, Kodachrome or Ektachrome? Let me know in the comments which film simulation recipe you like best!

Fujifilm Acros Film Simulation Recipes

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Taos Tourist – Taos, NM – Fujifilm X100F “Agfa Scala”

Acros is one of the most popular film simulations available on Fujifilm X-Trans cameras. It looks incredibly similar to the black-and-white film that it was named after. In fact, in my opinion, it produces the most film-like results of any settings on any camera! It’s easy to see the draw to the analog-esque results produced by the Acros film simulation.

I love Acros and I have used it as the base for a bunch of different film simulation recipes. It’s possible to achieve a number of different interesting looks straight out of camera by adjusting the settings. I plan to create even more film simulation recipes using Acros in the coming months. As I do, I will add them to this article.

Below you will find all of my different film simulation recipes that I have created that use Acros. If you haven’t tried them all, I personally invite you to do so and see which are your favorites! My personal favorite is Tri-X Push-Process, but they each have their own usefulness and charm. Let me know in the comments which recipe you like most!

Even though the different recipes say X100F and X-Pro2, they are completely compatible with any Fujifilm X-Trans III or IV camera. For example, you don’t have to use the X100F recipes exclusively on the X100F. You can use any of my recipes on any X-Trans III camera.

Original Acros

Acros Push-Process

Agfa Scala

Ilford HP5 Plus

Tri-X Push Process

Fujifilm Classic Chrome Film Simulation Recipes

Classic Chrome is one of the most popular film simulations available on Fujifilm X-Trans cameras. It produces a look similar to quintessential Kodak color transparency films like Kodachrome and Ektachrome, which graced the pages of publications like National Geographic and Arizona Highways for many years. With all things vintage being in style, there is a huge draw to the analog-esque results produced by the Classic Chrome film simulation.

I love Classic Chrome and I have used it as the base for a bunch of different film simulation recipes. It’s possible to achieve a number of different interesting looks straight out of camera by adjusting the settings. Honestly, I think that I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. I plan to create even more film simulation recipes using Classic Chrome in the coming months. As I do, I will add them to this article.

Below you will find all of my different film simulation recipes that I have created that use Classic Chrome. If you haven’t tried them all, I personally invite you to do so and see which are your favorites! My personal favorite is Kodachrome II, but they each have their own usefulness and charm. Let me know in the comments which recipe you like most!

Even though the different recipes say X100F, X-Pro2, and X-T20, they are completely compatible with any Fujifilm X-Trans III or IV camera. For example, you don’t have to use the X100F recipes exclusively on the X100F. You can use any of my recipes on any X-Trans III camera.

My original Classic Chrome recipe.

My dramatic Classic Chrome recipe.

My Vintage Kodachrome recipe.

My Kodachrome II recipe.

My Vintage Agfacolor recipe.

My Kodak Portra recipe.

See also:

My Classic Chrome recipe for Fujifilm Bayer and X-Trans II.

If you like these recipes, be sure to follow Fuji X Weekly so that you don’t miss out when I publish a new one! Feel free to comment, as I appreciate your feedback. Please share on social media this article or any other that you found useful so that others might find it, too.

My Fujifilm X-T20 Kodak Ektachrome 100SW Film Simulation Recipe


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Ektachrome was a line of color transparency (slide) films made by Kodak that used the E-6 development process. Some people preferred it to Kodachrome because of the faster ISO (100 vs 64 or 25), more saturated colors and easier development (although Kodachrome had finer grain, a larger dynamic range and didn’t fade as easily). A lot of National Geographic photographs were shot on Ektachrome back in the day.

There were a number of varieties of Ektachrome produced over the years, and I’ve used five of them myself. My favorite was Ektachrome 100VS (VS = “very saturated”), which was Kodak’s attempt at Fujifilm Velvia. Occasionally I used Ektachrome 100SW (SW = “saturated warm”), which was introduced in 1996 and produced vivid photographs with a warm color balance. Kodak stopped production of Ektachrome 100SW in 2002 and all Ektachrome film in 2012. Just a few months ago a brand new Kodak Ektachrome film was released, although I have not tried it yet.

A Fuji X Weekly reader, Ilya Struzhkov, took my Kodachrome II recipe and made a simple modification: he used Velvia instead of Classic Chrome. He shared the results on Instagram and I immediately felt like the images had a Kodak Ektachrome 100SW aesthetic. I had to try it out myself! Sure enough, the results looked a lot like the film: saturated colors (not as much as Velvia but more than most films), a warm color balance, and shadows that easily turned black. It’s amazing that this one change to the recipe could transform it from 1970’s Kodachrome to 1990’s Ektachrome.

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The title of this film simulation recipe says “Fujifilm X-T20” but it can be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. In fact, at the bottom of this article you’ll find some Fujifilm X100F examples. The only other change I made (besides Velvia instead of Classic Chrome) is that I set sharpening to 0 instead of +1 on the X-T20, but it’s set to +1 on the X100F. That’s just how I set up the cameras, and there really isn’t much of a differences between 0 and +1 sharpening, so either one is fine. Because the settings are essentially the same as my Kodachrome II recipe, it’s super easy to toggle between the two when out shooting. Really, it’s just brilliant!

Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: -1
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs using my Fujifilm X-T20 Kodak Ektachrome 100SW Film Simulation recipe:

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Light Dust of Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Frozen Fall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Frosty Leaf & Grass – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Sandstone Peaks – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Evening Moonrise – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Zion Sun – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Evening On The Cliffs – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Amanda & Ritchie – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Still Water & Rocky Shore – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Old Dry Lavender – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Boots – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Fujifilm X100F:

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Autumn Tree Below Bridge Mountain – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

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View From Mount Carmel Tunnel – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Sandstone Trees – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

See also: My Fujifilm X-T20 Aged Color Film Simulation Recipe

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My Fujifilm X-T20 Aged Color Film Simulation Recipe


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White Duck – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Aged Color”

During World War II there was a shortage of rubber, and an effort was put forth to create synthetic rubber. There were many ideas and experiments to create rubber in the lab, most of which failed. One of those failures was a silicone-based elastic substance that could bounce, float in water, and lift print off of newspaper. This substance was created by mistake while trying to invent something else. It was a twist of fate. It was a happy accident. It was Silly Putty.

Recently I was experimenting with the JPEG settings on a Fujifilm X-T20, trying to replicate the look of some different films. I’ve been working on four different film simulation settings for several months, only hitting dead ends. I haven’t been able to achieve the desired results, but I did stumble across an interesting look. Like the discovery of Silly Putty, I made a happy accident! Even though I used an X-T20 for this recipe, you could apply these settings to any X-Trans III camera and get the same exact results.

This look doesn’t quite resemble any specific film that I’m aware of. I think it produces an analog film aesthetic, even though I couldn’t tell you which one. There are a couple of films that I can see maybe some resemblance, but overall it’s not an exact match. Actually, what it reminded me of is a group of four Alien Skin Exposure presets under the “Color Films – Aged” tab called Color Photo. These presets are similar to each other but each one has a slightly varied look. My new film simulation, which I’ve named Aged Color, produces a look that resembles those Exposure presets, although I will admit that it’s more of general aesthetic than a carbon copy. It’s just what I think it most closely resembles, by coincidence.

Below are three pictures of mine that were edited with those Alien Skin Exposure Color Photo presets:

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Hidden Waterfall – Lava Hot Springs, ID

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South Pasadena – Pasadena, CA

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Three Kids In The Water – Carlsbad, CA

While Alien Skin Exposure gives you four preset options for this look, and each of those can be heavily customized, I only have one Aged Color recipe, but you are more than welcome to tweak it to your liking. I find that it produces muted yet lovely colors and slightly faded shadows. If the scene doesn’t have a lot of contrast the images can come out a little flat. The skin tones in the pictures below show a lot of red, but some of that can be attributed to cold temperatures, and I think that under normal conditions skin will look a little more natural. This film simulation recipe is an interesting option to achieve a look that is perhaps unexpected from a digital camera and looks a bit more film-like. I doubt that it’s everyone’s cup of tea, but I think some of you will really appreciate it.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +2
Shadow: +3
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 (typically)

Example photos, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured on a Fujifilm X-T20 using my Aged Color Film Simulation recipe:

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Brother & Sister Fun – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Playground Play – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Joshua Throwing Leaves – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Evening Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Swingset Post – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Oak Tree Autumn Sun – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Last Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Sunlight Through The Branches – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Ducks Swimming In A Pond – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Late Blooms – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Dry & Yellow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Old Town Clock – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Little White Pumpkin On The Mantel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Lego Food Stand Creation – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Boy Reading – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Hot Coffee Brew – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Potted Succulent  – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Asahi Pentax SLR – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Fujifilm X-Trans III Sharpening & Noise Reduction

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About 11 months ago I published an article entitled Fujifilm X100F Noise Reduction & Sharpening, which detailed my opinions on these two features. I felt like this topic needed a quick refresher, but I didn’t want to rehash what I’ve already said. I think I came up with a good way to approach this topic while not repeating myself.

All Fujifilm files, whether RAW or JPEG, have some level of sharpening and noise reduction applied to them. The options found in the camera for sharpening and noise reduction are specifically for in-camera JPEGs. If you shoot RAW you apply whatever sharpening and noise reduction you’d like with the software of your choice in post-production. If you shoot JPEG you decide this using the options that Fujifilm provides inside their cameras. You cannot turn these off, and the lowest setting, -4, still applies some sharpening or noise reduction, even if a tiny amount.

I don’t think Fujifilm named the setting levels very well. It should be +1 through +9. Naming it -4 through +4 just causes confusion. Instead of thinking of 0 as zero, think of it as the middle option. 0 is really 5 on a scale of one through nine.

Sharpening and noise reduction are great because they make your photographs crisper and cleaner. They help give your images a polished look. However, too much of a good thing is not good at all. Apply too much of either and weird things start happening to your pictures. It’s a balancing act, and it’s easy to go too far.

How far is too far on Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras? That’s up to you to determine. I will give you my opinion, and you can take that for what it’s worth. I will say that for internet use or prints no larger than 8″ x 12″ it really doesn’t matter what settings you choose because it’s difficult to notice the difference between -4 and +4 when viewed that small. If you don’t pixel-peep or print large, using the default settings of 0 are a perfectly fine approach. If you do pixel-peep or print larger than 8″ x 12″ you may want to more carefully consider your choices.

Sharpening:

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Sharpening -4

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Sharpening 0

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Sharpening +4

What can be determined from the three crops above? Not much, because to notice anything you have to look much closer. If you do take the time to study them you can spot the differences. The change from -4 to +4 isn’t especially obvious, so, as you can imagine, a plus or minus of one is very difficult to perceive. My opinion is that anything from -2 to +2 sharpening is where the best results are found, and I stay in the -1 to +1 range for my own photography, which I believe is the sweet spot. I used to use +2 all of the time but I haven’t used that high of a sharpening setting in probably a year.

Noise Reduction:

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Noise Reduction -4

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Noise Reduction 0

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Noise Reduction +4

By looking at the three crops above it might seem as though there’s not much of a difference between -4 and +4 noise reduction, and you are correct, but it’s actually a bigger difference than you might initially think. In my opinion, the noise reduction setting is a little more critical than the sharpening setting as Fujifilm applies it a little heavy-handed on X-Trans III cameras. I think the best results are found between -4 and -2. In my opinion -2 can be marginal sometimes so I typically use -4 or -3.

If you aren’t pixel-peeping, and you are just sharing to Instagram or Facebook, none of this matters. Worry about sharpening and noise reduction if you like to zoom way in on your pictures or if you like to print them large. I personally worry about it, but I take great care with all of the settings so that I get exactly the results that I want. Just because I worry about something or like things a particular way doesn’t mean that you should, too. Find what works best for you, even if it’s unconventional or goes against popular opinion.

My Fujifilm X100F Cross Process Film Simulation Recipe


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Silos – Waco, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Cross processing film is a technique where you develop a film in chemicals intended for another film. For example, the most common cross process is to develop color transparencies, which require the E-6 process, using color negative film chemicals, which is known as the C-41 process. For slide film, the photographs typically increase in contrast and grain and the colors shift dramatically. There are other types of cross processing, as well. I’ve done cross processing before, and the results can be fun. It’s a great experiment if you’ve never done it before!

Different films will look different when they are cross processed. Overexposing or underexposing or even how the development is handled can effect how the image is rendered. The aesthetic can vary significantly, but usually you can spot a cross processed photograph when you see it. Below are a few examples of actual film that I’ve cross processed:

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Westbound CA HWY 58 – Tehachapi, CA – Fujifilm Velvia 50 cross process

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Flare & Flag – Barstow, CA – Fujifilm Velvia 50 cross process

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Old Tractor – Tehachapi, CA – Kodak Gold 400 cross process

Notice how the three photographs are quite a bit different from each other. There is not a singular look that is cross process, but rather an aesthetic spectrum. The images tend to be less literal and more abstract.

There is a significant challenge in developing a film simulation that mimics the look of cross processing. Most notably, which film and process? There are so many, and besides, one film can give many different looks. For example, the two Velvia images above were from the same 36 exposure roll of film, and one has a much more pronounced yellow-green cast than the other. What I decided to do was create something that could conceivably fall within the aesthetic spectrum, while not copying any specific film.

While this film simulation recipe does not copy one specific film, I do think it’s close to Kodak EliteChrome that’s been cross processed, or perhaps Ektachrome 100G. I think it’s close to Fujifilm Sensia sometimes, although I’d emphasis the word sometimes. These settings are never going to produce results that will always match a certain film because one film can vary in look from frame-to-frame. It’s convincing, but should be thought of in generic terms.

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Truck Stop Cross Process – Bowie, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Because the results of actual cross process film can vary so much, it would be fun to change up this recipe as you shoot. Maybe add a little more to the shadows or highlights sometimes and change the white balance shift a little after a few frames. I haven’t tried this, but it sounds like a good idea. I did change the Dynamic Range setting a number of times, going between DR100, DR200 and DR-Auto. After some playing around I settled on DR200, although I think you’d be fine with whichever Dynamic Range setting you’d prefer.

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

Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs using my Fujifilm X100F Cross Process Film Simulation recipe:

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Taos Umbrella – Taos, NM – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Pentax Shutter Dial – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Get 1 Back – Draper, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Umbrella Tie – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Covered Hoppers – Westlake, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Counters – McKinney, Texas – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Kitchen Cross Process – Waco, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Speaker – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Grain Elevator – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

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Two Towers Cross Process – Dallas, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

The Power of White Balance Shift


Truck Stop Cross Process – Bowie, TX – Fujifilm X100F

My Fujifilm film simulation recipes often call for a white balance shift. A couple of weeks ago I was thinking that I’ve never explained what a white balance shift is, how it changes an image, and how to use it. Then last week a Fuji X Weekly reader asked if I would write an article on this topic, so I knew it was time to demonstrate what this is.

White balance is the Kelvin temperature of an image. There are different temperatures so that the image color matches the light in the scene. If the white balance temperature is too cool, your photograph will have a blue cast. If the white balance temperature is too warm, your photograph will have a yellow cast. Most people use auto white balance and let the camera figure it out, but you can set it manually. In fact, some photographers purposefully use a “wrong” white balance to make their images have a cool or warm feel. I could write a whole article explaining white balance, but what I want to talk about in this post is white balance shift, which is related but different.

Many cameras, including Fujifilm, have an option to customize the white balance by shifting the color cast. In fact, Fujifilm allows you to choose between over 300 different color casts! You can shift the colors quite subtlety or obviously. White balance shift is a great tool for creating a specific look, and that’s why I rely on it for creating my film simulation recipes.

Different color films had different color casts. Different films showed color differently, and, because of this, some films were better for landscapes and some were better for portraits. Some people preferred one film over another because of how it rendered images. Not every film is for everyone or every purpose, but one can create a variety of looks depending on which films they choose and how they process those films.

Taos Umbrella – Taos, NM – Fujifilm X100F

White balance shift allows one to create a variety of different looks for different purposes and situations, much like one would choose different films for different looks and purposes. It’s simple to give a photograph an orange cast or green cast or blue cast, etc., etc., which will alter how the image renders colors, by using white balance shift. It’s possible to mimic film aesthetics or create something new using the tools that Fujifilm provides on their cameras.

When you change the color cast, you do a couple of different things to your pictures. The first is that you give your image feeling, either warm or cool. A warm image will portray happiness, like an inviting warm light inside a house at dusk. A cool image will portray sadness, like endless grey skies on a lonely winter day. You can change the emotional response from viewers by adjusting the color cast to either a warm or cool color. The side effect of adjusting the color cast is that it changes how different colors are rendered. Blues, reds, greens–every color–changes slightly to a new shade as one shifts the white balance. You may want to pick a certain color cast because of how it shifts the colors in an image.

I created the image above to demonstrate all of this. The middle picture has the white balance shift set directly in the middle: 0 red and 0 blue. Each of the other pictures show what happens when you pick the extremes of white balance shift. Starting at the top-center and moving clockwise around: 0 red & +9 blue, +9 red & +9 blue, +9 red & 0 blue, +9 red & -9 blue, 0 red & -9 blue, -9 red & -9 blue, -9 red & 0 blue, and -9 red & +9 blue. Normally you wouldn’t choose to adjust the white balance shift to the degrees shown here, but choose something a little more subtle instead. Typically you want it to be barely or at most moderately perceivable. However, there might be times that an image would benefit from a wild white balance shift. You have a lot of color cast options, which allows you to be as creative and crazy as you’d like.

White balance shift is a great tool for customizing the look of your photographs by changing the color cast. You can control the emotion and color shade by adding or subtracting blue and red. You can create looks that mimic classic film stock or you could invent something unique. Unfortunately you cannot save anymore than one white balance shift preset. I hope that someday Fujifilm will allow you to make many different ones that can be assigned to the quick recall presets, because white balance shift is a powerful tool that I use frequently.

My Favorite Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

I’ve shared many film simulation recipes for Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, such as the X100F and X-Pro2, and some of them have become quite popular. I’ve been asked a few times to share which ones are my favorites. Which film simulation recipes do I use?

I have used all of them at one time or another, but there are a handful of recipes that I really appreciate and use regularly. I have my favorites! Let me share with you which ones I currently use.

Kodachrome II

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Quaker State – Midway, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

My favorite film simulation recipe that I created is my Kodachrome II Film Simulation recipe, which I initially made for the X-Pro2 but I also use on the X100F. I really love the way these settings render color images. It gives my exposures a beautiful vintage analog look right out of camera. It takes Classic Chrome to a whole new level of goodness! I use this recipe as much as the scenes allow because I love it so much.

Velvia

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Red Leaves In The Forest – Wasatch Mountain SP, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Typically I use my Velvia Film Simulation recipe only occasionally, but with the autumn season I’m currently using it often. However, I’ve modified the original recipe to be Highlight +1, Shadow +2 and color +3 to give it more punch, while also setting Noise Reduction to -3 and Sharpening to +1. This is a better version of the recipe, except when there is a lot of contrast, which is where the original settings will likely produce better results. The great thing about these different recipes is that they can be seasoned to taste.

Upcoming Recipe??

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Sundance Chair Lift – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X100F

I’ve been working on a new film simulation recipe that I’m currently only moderately happy with. It’s a work-in-progress, and right now it only produces good results occasionally. It seems to be very situation specific, and that means it’s difficult to get enough quality example photographs to publish an article. Even if I get everything ironed out and I find the best settings, it may still be awhile before I can share it. I’ve been shooting with this now and then over the last couple of weeks, and I’ll probably continue to do so over the next several weeks or months.

Honorable Mentions

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Flat Tire – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

There are other recipes that I use for color photography, including PRO Neg. Hi, Ektar 100 and Portra 400, but as I was going over my recent photographs I realized that I haven’t used these much at all lately. It seems that my Kodachrome II recipe has essentially replaced them. That’s not to say that I won’t use them, as I like these recipes and they have their place, but I just haven’t picked them very often lately.

Tri-X Push Process

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Disc 4000 – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

This Tri-X Push Process recipe is my favorite black-and-white film simulation option, but it’s not my invention. I stole it from Luis Costa who published it on his blog. It’s absolute genius, but its limitation is that it doesn’t always work in bright-light situations because it requires a high ISO. Whenever I can use it I do use it. It produces the most film-like results that I’ve ever seen from a digital camera.

Acros Push Process

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Clouds Around Timpanogos – Heber City, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 50-230mm

Whenever I want results that are similar to the Tri-X Push Process settings but I need to use a lower ISO, I choose my Acros Push Process recipe. It’s not quite as good as Tri-X Push Process, but it’s a close second best. It was my favorite monochrome recipe until I discovered Luis Costa’s settings.

Agfa Scala

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Epic Zip Line – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X100F

When I want a black-and-white image with a little less contrast, I use my Agfa Scale Film Simulation recipe. It produces great results in higher-contrast scenes or whenever you need something that’s a little less bold than the two “push process” options. I don’t use it all of the time, but it definitely comes in handy from time-to-time.

Your Turn

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Which film simulation recipes are your favorites? It can be one of mine or your own creation. Please share in the comments what JPEG settings you use on your Fujifilm cameras because I want to know!

My Fujifilm XF10 Film Simulation Recipes


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I have created many wonderful film simulation recipes for X-Trans III cameras, but none of those can be used on my Fujifilm XF10. I had to create brand-new film simulation recipes for this camera. I used my experience with other Fujifilm cameras to create different straight-out-of-camera looks that I would appreciate.

You can only have one custom setting saved on the XF10. The default settings that I have programmed for the camera are my Classic Chrome recipe. If I want a look with more saturation I’ll adjust the settings to my Velvia recipe. If I want black-and-white I’ll adjust the settings to my Monochrome recipe. It’s a little bit of a pain to be constantly switching, so I try to not go back-and-forth any more than I need to.

While I use these recipes on my XF10, they’re compatible with the X-T100, X-A5, X-A3 and any X-Trans I or X-Trans II camera. The rendition might vary slightly from model-to-model, but the overall look should be fairly consistent. These settings won’t translate to X-Trans III or X-Trans IV.

Aside from some minor cropping, the photographs in this article are all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs. I like to keep my workflow as simple as possible, and Fujifilm’s different film simulation options allow me to rely on camera-made JPEGs. Using JPEGs instead of RAW saves me a ton of time. I appreciate being in front of a computer less and behind a camera more.

Below are my Fujifilm XF10 film simulation recipes!

Classic Chrome

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Ghosts of the Past – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

This is my go-to film simulation option. I use it significantly more often than the other recipes. It has a classic Kodak film look, although not exactly like any one in particular. I think it most closely resembles 1960’s era Ektachrome, but it’s not an exact match. Even so, it looks great and is quite versatile. It has a lot of contrast, just vibrant enough colors and a warm tone.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: +1 (0 sometimes in high-contrast situations)
Shadow: +2
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpening: -1
White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -4 Blue

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Kids At The Lake – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Bolsey 100 – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Terminal Windows – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Flag On A Pole – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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FED 5c Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Velvia

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Vibrant Bloom – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Velvia was one of my favorite films. It produced incredibly vibrant colors. Apparently Fujifilm didn’t intend to make such a wild film, it was more of an accident than anything else, but it quickly become the standard film for color landscape photography. Something interesting that I recently learned is one of the people who helped develop Velvia for Fujifilm also helped develop the Velvia Film Simulation. The film simulation isn’t a 100% match to Velvia 50, but perhaps closer to Velvia 100F. My recipe is intended to produce a look that is closer to Velvia 50.

Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: 0 (+1 in low-contrast situations, -1 in high-contrast situations)
Shadow: +1
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpening: -1
White Balance: Auto, +1 Red & -3 Blue

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Historic Dragon – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Scattering of Red – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Sunlight Through The Forest – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Green Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Yellow Amid Red – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Monochrome

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Shy Horse – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

The XF10 lacks Fujifilm’s greatest film simulation: Acros. Instead it has the old Monochrome option, which is alright but not nearly as good as Acros. Despite this, it is possible to get nice black-and-white camera-made JPEGs from the XF10. There are four different options, and to understand what each does one must understand what different colored filters do to black-and-white film, as +Y simulates using a yellow filter, +R simulates a red filter and +G simulates a green filter. If you know how to use color filters on black-and-white film then you know when to pick which option on the XF10.

Monochrome (Monochrome+Y, Monochrome+R, Monochrome+G)
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: +1 (+2 in low-contrast situations)
Shadow: +2 (+1 in high-contrast situations)
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpening: -1

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Wishes Waiting – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Plastic Fingers – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Hat Abstract – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Dream – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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Tilted Pier – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

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