Fujifilm X-Trans III + X-T3 & X-T30 Film Simulation Recipe: Vintage Kodacolor

Large Stone & Tall Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Vintage Kodacolor”

This Film Simulation Recipe is called “Vintage Kodacolor” because I was inspired by some old Kodak Kodacolor puzzles that I stumbled across (did you know that Kodak made jigsaw puzzles?). I’m not completely certain which Kodacolor film was used for these puzzles—possibly Kodacolor II—or how much the printing process affected the aesthetic, or even how much the colors have faded and shifted over time. Whatever the case, this recipe does a pretty good job emulating it, and produces a warm vintage-like aesthetic that’s easy to appreciate. There’s some similarities between this and my Kodacolor II 126 recipe.

This recipe has been available on the Fuji X Weekly App as a Patron Early-Access Recipe since December; however, a different Early-Access Recipe has replaced it, so now this one is available to everyone! This isn’t a Film Simulation Recipe that is for every person or every situation, but some of you in the right situations will absolutely love it. I think it is especially good for achieving a vintage look on sunny days and during golden hour.

Pink Bougainvillea Flowers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Vintage Kodacolor”

This “Vintage Kodacolor” recipe is fully compatible with all X-Trans III cameras, plus the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30. Those with newer X-Trans IV (and X-Trans V) cameras can use it, too, but you’ll have to decide on Clarity (I suggest 0, or maybe -2), Color Chrome FX Blue (I suggest Off), and Grain size (I would try Large).

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +2
Shadow: 0
Color: -4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -1
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off/NA
White Balance: 9100K, -4 Red & +4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800

Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Vintage Kodacolor” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1 & X-T30:

Tree Behind – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30
Vintage Phragmites – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Evening Reeds and Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Three Brown Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Don’t Approach the Great Blue Heron – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Safe Zone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Sunset Through The Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Evening Light on the Wood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Flowers No More – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Metal Door – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Cool Dog – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30
Cardboard Architect – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Holiday Horse Rider – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 200 more 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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Fujifilm X-Trans III + X-T3 & X-T30 Film Simulation Recipe: Kodacolor VR

Inside City Creek – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodacolor VR”

This Film Simulation Recipe was an experiment. I started out with my Fujicolor 100 Industrial recipe, but instead of using a cool White Balance with a warm White Balance Shift, I did the opposite: I used a warm White Balance with a cool shift. After many adjustments to various settings, this ended up not resembling the Fujicolor 100 Industrial recipe much at all, but it does have a great vintage print-film aesthetic that I really like.

I wasn’t sure at first which film this recipe most closely resembled (since it wasn’t intended to mimic any specific film), although it seemed to have some similarities to Kodacolor VR. I already have a Kodacolor recipe (plus a variant of it), which does a great job at mimicking Kodacolor VR; this recipe and that one look somewhat similar, but definitely different. Then I ran across some pictures that looked very similar to the ones you see in this article, and it turned out that they were shot on Kodacolor VR film that had expired. So I think this recipe, while it does resemble Kodacolor VR, as well as ColorPlus 200 (which is a direct descendant of that film), it most closely looks like Kodacolor VR that’s been stored a little past its expiration date. Of course, one film can have many different looks, depending on how it was shot, developed, scanned and/or printed, and (in this case) stored, so this recipe serves as a nice alternative to my original Kodacolor recipe.

Leaning Tower – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodacolor VR”

This “Kodacolor VR” recipe was originally a Patron Early-Access Recipe, but is now available to everyone! If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, there is a new Early-Access Recipe that replaced this one, so be sure to look for that. This recipe is compatible with Fujifilm X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras. For those with newer X-Trans IV cameras, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0 (or perhaps -2), and I’d suggest Grain size Large, but use Small if you prefer.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +1
Color: +2
Sharpness: -1
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 10000K, -7 Red & +8 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Kodacolor VR” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Summer Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Corner Through Leaves – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Stones & Glass Ceiling – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Glass – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Building a Building – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Small Spaces Between – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Twilight Telephone Poles – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Stoneground – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Goes for Gold – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Night Parking – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Doki Doki – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Escalators – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Downtown Buildings – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Coming Train – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Trax – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Waiting on the Platform – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Glass & Sky – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tall Downtown Buildings – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 200 more 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!

$2.00

New Fujifilm X-Trans III App Patron Early-Access Film Simulation Recipe: Vintage Kodacolor

Large Stone & Tall Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Vintage Kodacolor”

The Fuji X Weekly App is free, yet becoming a Fuji X Weekly Patron unlocks the best App experience! One benefit of being a Patron is you get early access to some new film simulation recipes. These early-access recipes will eventually become available free to everyone in time, including this new one. In fact, many early-access recipes have already been publicly published on this blog and the App, so now everyone can use them. Patrons help support Fuji X Weekly and, really, without them there would be no App. So I want to give a special “thank you” to all of the Patrons!

This new Patron early-access recipe is called Vintage Kodacolor. I was inspired by some old Kodacolor puzzles that I stumbled across (did you know that Kodak made jigsaw puzzles?). I’m not completely certain which Kodacolor film was used for these puzzles—possibly Kodacolor II—or how much the printing process affected the aesthetic, or even how much the colors have faded and shifted over time. Whatever the case, this recipe does a pretty good job emulating it, and produces a warm vintage-like aesthetic that’s easy to appreciate. There’s some similarities between this and my Kodacolor II 126 recipe. This “Vintage Kodacolor” recipe is fully compatible with all X-Trans III cameras, plus the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30. Those with newer X-Trans IV cameras can use it, too, but you’ll have to decide on Grain size.

If you are a Fuji X Weekly Patron, it’s available to you right now on the App!

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Vintage Kodacolor” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1:

Vintage Phragmites – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Evening Reeds and Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Three Brown Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Don’t Approach the Great Blue Heron – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Safe Zone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Sunset Through The Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Evening Light on the Wood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Flowers No More – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Metal Door – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Cardboard Architect – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Holiday Horse Rider – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

SOOC Episode 04 Viewer Images

I want to give a big “Thank You” to everyone who tuned in to Episode 04 of SOOC, a collaboration between myself and Fuji X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry. This video series is live and interactive, so I’m especially grateful to all who participated! You are the ones who make these episodes great!

In the video above are the viewer’s photographs, captured using the Kodacolor film simulation recipe, that were shown during the show. It’s a short clip, so be sure to watch! I love seeing your pictures, and I’m honored that you submitted them for us to view.

The SOOC Episode 05 “recipe of the month” is Agfa Optima 200. Shoot with that recipe, and upload your pictures here to be featured in the next video! Episode 05 will be on November 18 (this Thursday!), so mark your calendars, and I look forward to seeing you then!

If you missed Episode 04, you can find it below. Also, below that, I’ve included Episode 05, so that you can set a reminder to ensure that you don’t miss it.

Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Film Simulation Recipe: Kodacolor 200

Pumpkin – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodacolor 200”

For this recipe, I was attempting to recreate a Kodak Portra 400 NC aesthetic. A couple of decades ago, Portra (both the ISO 160 and ISO 400 emulsions) came in two versions: NC (“Neutral Color”) and VC (“Vivid Color”). Kodak later revised the film to be something in-between the two, which they simply called Portra 160 and Portra 400. This recipe is, I believe, in the general ballpark of Portra 400 NC, but not exactly right; however, I like the results anyway. So if this recipe is close to Kodak Portra 400 NC, why did I call it Kodacolor 200? Because I think it is actually a little closer to Kodacolor 200, which is a variety of Kodacolor VR, and related to ColorPlus 200. I wouldn’t call it an exact match to Kodacolor 200, but that’s the film this is most likely closest to. If you want a Portra 400 NC or Kodacolor 200 aesthetic, this recipe is relatively similar to both.

There’s a fair amount of contrast produced by this recipe, which looks really good in conditions without harsh light. In bright daylight, the contrast might be a little too much, perhaps more closely resembling push-processed film, or (to a lessor extent) even bleach-bypassed Portra. On bright days, you might consider dropping both Shadow and Highlight to +1 if you find it to be too contrasty. I believe this film simulation recipe produces its best results when the sun is a little obscured, but not heavy overcast; however, it’s possible to get good results in many different circumstances. If your X-Trans II camera has Classic Chrome, I invite you to give this recipe a try—it’s a great high-contrast, low saturation option.

Power Pole Cup – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodacolor 200”

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +2 (Hard)
Shadow: +2 (Hard)
Color: -2 (Low)
Sharpness: -1 (Medium-Soft)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: 3200K, +8 Red & -8 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200

Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this Kodacolor 200 film simulation recipe:

Phragmites – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Touch of Red – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Pumpkin Stem – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Autumn Shrub – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Ground Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Neighborhood Autumn Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Creek Path in Autumn – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Narrow Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Old Mile Post – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Delicate Fibers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Find this film simulation recipe and many more 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!

$2.00

SOOC Episode 04: Kodacolor

Episode 04 of SOOC was this morning. I want to give a big “Thank You” to everyone who tuned in and participated—you are the ones who make these episodes great! If you missed it when it was live, you can still watch it (above). We ran a little long (almost two hours!), but I hope you learned something, that you were inspired, and/or that it was entertaining enough to make it worthwhile. Asking for two hours of your time is a lot, and we really appreciate everyone who journeyed along with us today!

For those who may not know, SOOC is a monthly live video series, with each episode focused on a different film simulation recipe. It is a collaboration between Tame Your Fujifilm (Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry) and Fuji X Weekly (Ritchie Roesch). SOOC is a fun and educational experience where we not only talk about Fujifilm camera settings, but also answer your questions and give tips and tricks. Basically, we’re trying to help you master your Fujifilm camera, with a focus on simplifying your photographic workflow.

In this month’s episode we discussed my Kodacolor film simulation recipe, and viewed the wonderful pictures that you captured with this recipe. We also introduced the next recipe: Agfa Optima 200. Upload your pictures here to be featured in the next video! Episode 05 will be on November 18th, so mark your calendars, and I look forward to seeing you then!

If you appreciated Episode 04, be sure to hit the “thumbs up” button on YouTube. Also, help us spread the word by sharing the video on your social media accounts. Thanks so much!

SOOC is Live Today!

Episode 04 of SOOC is live today! Join Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry (Tame Your Fujifilm) and Ritchie Roesch (Fuji X Weekly) as we discuss the Kodacolor film simulation recipe and so much more! This will be both educational and entertaining, and well worth your time. SOOC is an interactive program, so we need your participation! I personally invite you to tune in at 10 AM Pacific Time, 1 PM Eastern—if you are not sure what time it will be where you’re at, you can use this time zone converter. I hope to see you soon!

SOOC Episode 04 Postponed to October 21

Episode 04 of SOOC has been postponed one week to Thursday, October 21. Unfortunately, things came up, and we’re not able to do the broadcast on the 14th as previously planned. I’m very sorry if this causes any problems for you—hopefully it isn’t too inconvenient.

SOOC is a monthly live video series, with each episode focused on a different film simulation recipe. It is a collaboration between Tame Your Fujifilm (Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry) and Fuji X Weekly (Ritchie Roesch). SOOC is a fun and educational experience where we will not only talk about Fujifilm camera settings, but also answer your questions and give tips and tricks.

Episode 03 of this live interactive video series was on September 9th. We discussed the Fujicolor C200 film simulation recipe, and took a look at the photographs that you submitted. The SOOC Episode 04 “recipe of the month” is Kodacolor, which is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras. Upload your pictures here to be featured in the next video! Episode 04 will be on October 21, so mark your calendars, and I look forward to seeing you then! If you missed Episode 01, 02, or 03, you’ll find them below.

Fujifilm X-Trans III + X-T3 & X-T30 Patron Early-Access Film Simulation Recipe: Kodacolor VR

Inside City Creek – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

This film simulation recipe was an experiment. I started out with my Fujicolor 100 Industrial recipe, but instead of using a cool White Balance with a warm White Balance Shift, I did the opposite: I used a warm White Balance with a cool shift. After many adjustments to various settings, this ended up not resembling the Fujicolor 100 Industrial recipe much at all, but it does have a great vintage print-film aesthetic that I really like.

I wasn’t sure at first which film this recipe most closely resembled (since it wasn’t intended to mimic any specific film), although it seemed to have some similarities to Kodacolor VR. I already have a Kodacolor recipe, which does a great job at mimicking Kodacolor VR; this recipe and that one look somewhat similar, but definitely different. Then I ran across some pictures that looked very similar to the ones you see in this article, and it turned out that they were shot on Kodacolor VR film that had expired. So I think this recipe, while it does resemble Kodacolor VR, as well as ColorPlus 200 (which is a direct descendant of that film), it most closely looks like Kodacolor VR that’s been stored a little past its expiration date. Of course, one film can have many different looks, depending on how it was shot, developed, scanned and/or printed, and (in this case) stored, so this recipe serves as a nice alternative to my original Kodacolor recipe.

Leaning Tower – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Fuji X Weekly app is free, yet becoming a Fuji X Weekly Patron unlocks the best app experience! One benefit of being a Patron is you get early access to some new film simulation recipes. These early-access recipes will eventually become available free to everyone in time, including this new one. In fact, many early-access recipes have already been publicly published on this blog and the app, so now everyone can use them. Patrons help support Fuji X Weekly and, really, without them there would be no app. So I want to give a special “thank you” to all of the Patrons!

This new Patron early-access recipe is compatible with Fujifilm X-Trans III and X-Trans IV cameras. For those with newer cameras, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0 (or perhaps -2), and I’d suggest Grain size Large, but use Small if you prefer.

If you are a Fuji X Weekly Patron, it’s available to you right now on the app!

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Kodacolor VR” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Summer Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Corner Through Leaves – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Stones & Glass Ceiling – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Glass – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Building a Building – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Small Spaces Between – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Twilight Telephone Poles – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Stoneground – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Goes for Gold – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Night Parking – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Doki Doki – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Escalators – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Downtown Buildings – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Coming Train – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Trax – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Waiting on the Platform – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Glass & Sky – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tall Downtown Buildings – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Find these film simulation recipes and many more 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!

$2.00

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodacolor II 126 Film Simulation Recipe

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Blooming Pink – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodacolor II 126”

A Fuji X Weekly reader asked me to recreate the look of some old family prints from the 1970’s that he found. After some investigating, it was determined that the pictures were captured on an Instamatic camera using 126 film (also called Kodapak). 126 film was basically 35mm film, except with a paper back and no sprockets (like 120 film), and in a cartridge that didn’t need to be rewound (similar to 110 film). It was intended for low-budget point-and-shoot cameras, and the cartridge made loading and unloading film easier. Basically, Instamatic was Kodak’s attempt to open up photography to the masses, as it required little to no skill or photographic background. It was very popular in the 1960’s and ’70’s, and became less popular in the 1980’s. A quirk of Instamatic cameras and 126 film is that it captured square pictures.

It’s unknown what film was used on the pictures in question, but most likely it was Kodacolor II, which was by far the most popular color 126 film during the time that these pictures were captured. Kodacolor is a name that Kodak gave to a number of different color negative films going back to the 1940’s. Kodacolor II was the very first C-41 process film. It was introduced in 1972 and discontinued in 1981, replaced by Kodacolor VR, which is the film that my Kodacolor film simulation recipe resembles. The prints likely have some fading and color shifts due to age, but they appeared to be in good condition overall.

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Instamatic – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodacolor II 126”

This film simulation recipe, which I’ve called Kodacolor II 126, is a bit unusual in that it is supposed to mimic a look that came from cheap cameras. It calls for Image Quality to be set to Normal instead of Fine (I normally use Fine). The only other recipe that I’ve done this with is my Kodak Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade. I keep the ISO high on this recipe to make it look more grainy. While I’ve done that with several black-and-white recipes, this is the first time I’ve done it with color. This is also the only recipe that calls for the 1:1 aspect ratio, although feel free to use 3:2 or 16:9 if you’d like. These settings pair well with vintage lenses, and if you “miss” focus a little sometimes, well, that just makes it resemble Instamatic even more.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +3
Color: -4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Image Quality: Normal
Aspect Ratio: 1:1
White Balance: 6300K, +6 Red & +3 Blue
ISO: 3200 – 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodacolor II 126” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

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Polaroid Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Lizard, Boy & Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Boy in the Alley – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Two Cans – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Suburban House & Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Suburban Trees & Distant Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Tree Top & Mountain Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Suburban April  – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Robot in the Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Heart & Soul – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Wreath & Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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White Paper – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Bowl on a Trike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Hose & Elephant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Concrete Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Little Colorful Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Summer Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Day Dreaming – 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!

$5.00

 

Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe, Part 2

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Remaining Relic in Disrepair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

One of the most popular film simulation recipes that I’ve created is Kodacolor, which mimics the look of Kodacolor VR film, and ColorPlus 200 (the same film re-branded). A Fuji X Weekly reader recently asked me to create a recipe that resembles the aesthetic of photographer Stephen Shore. Stephen has been around for many, many years, and he’s still photographing today. Over the decades he’s used many different films, and perhaps even digital in recent years, but most notably he shot Kodacolor in 35mm, 4″ x 5″ medium-format, and especially 8″ x 10″ large format.

When I was looking at Stephen Shore’s pictures, there was something about it that seemed “off” when compared to my Kodacolor recipe. Close, but off. Some of that could be attributed to the use of different films, or how the film was shot, developed and/or printed. Then I read that the medium-format and especially the large-format versions of Kodacolor film were more vibrant, more saturated, then the 35mm version, and I realized why my recipe seemed off. It needed Color to be turned up in order to mimic Stephen Shore’s pictures.

This is not a new recipe. It is my Kodacolor recipe with one change: Color is to 0 instead of -2. That’s it! The results are only subtly different, but closer to Stephen Shore’s aesthetic. I think, alternatively, setting Grain to Weak could also be appropriate, but I left it at Strong. All of the pictures in this article were captured using this modified Kodacolor recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30. This recipe (as well as the original Kodacolor recipe) is compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 6300K, -1 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to + 1-1/3 (typically)

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Francis Peak Afternoon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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March Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Ready To Swing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Potted Plant by a Window – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Pointing Towards the Sky – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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House Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Colorful Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Kiss The Crepes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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5:20 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Packed Parking Lot – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Kodacolor for X-Trans II

My Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe


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Man in Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodacolor”

Yesterday I published my Kodachrome 64 recipe for X-Trans II cameras, such as my Fujifilm X-T1, and today I will share with you my Kodacolor recipe for X-Trans II! Because this Kodacolor recipe requires the Classic Chrome film simulation, those with X-Trans I cameras can’t use it, but those with X-Trans II or Bayer sensor cameras can. While I got the overall aesthetic pretty darn close to the original Kodacolor recipe for X-Trans III and IV, the one thing that I wish I could change is the grain. Newer Fujifilm cameras have faux grain options, but older ones don’t. If you want to mimic the grain in-camera, your best option is to use a higher ISO, such as 3200 or 6400, and let the digital noise act as faux grain. Otherwise, I’m quite pleased with how this Kodacolor film simulation recipe turned out.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1 (Medium-High)
Shadow: +1 (Medium-High)
Color: -2 (Low)
Sharpness: 0 (Medium)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: 6300K, -3 Red & -2 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodacolor recipe on my Fujifilm X-T1:

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Front Runner – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Fro – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Cross at Crosswalks – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Look Both Ways – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Pipe – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Rusty Shadows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Stop by the Rack – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Nord’s Stop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Mall Across the Mud – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Pond Among Reeds – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Grass on the Water – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Lake Reflection – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Antelope Island Beyond Farmington Bay – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Camera Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Green is Good for My Soul – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Vintage Market Days with Kodacolor

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!

Film Simulation Challenge – Roll 2: Kodacolor

My first “roll of film” for the Film Simulation Challenge was Kodachrome 64. For my second “roll of film” I choose my Kodacolor film simulation recipe. I “loaded” the “Kodacolor film” into my Fujifilm X-T30 camera, which had a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to it, and exposed 36 frames. The Film Simulation Challenge is where you capture 24 or 36 exposures using the same settings much like shooting a roll of film. It can be a fun (and educational) experiment to use your digital camera similarly to an analog camera.

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Frame 1: Taco – Layton, UT

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Frame 3: Sweet Job – South Weber, UT

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Frame 6: Smooths – South Weber, UT

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Frame 10: Big League – South Weber, UT

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Frame 11: Illuminated Top – South Weber, UT

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Frame 13: Setting Sun Over Suburban Street – South Weber, UT

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Frame 18: Users Own Risk – South Weber, UT

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Frame 23: Stop Voting Only One Way – South Weber, UT

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Frame 24: Red Stripe – South Weber, UT

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Frame 26: Hiding Behind The Tree Branches – Farmington, UT

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Frame 28: Colorful Urban Nature – Farmington, UT

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Frame 32: Not A Clock – Farmington, UT

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Frame 34: Moon Beyond The Maverik – South Weber, UT

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Frame 35: Gas At Night – South Weber, UT

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Frame 36: Night Pumps – South Weber, UT

Roll 3: Eterna

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe


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Summit Merc – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

This is the film simulation recipe that you’ve been waiting for! Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but if you like my Kodachrome II or Portra 400 recipes, which are both very popular, you’ll likely also appreciate this one. It’s in the same neighborhood as those, producing a classic Kodak analog aesthetic. I think many of you will like this film simulation recipe.

Last week I was contacted by a Fuji X Weekly reader who wanted help creating an in-camera look that was similar to the pictures from this other photographer. It didn’t take me long to realize that the photographer in question was using a digital camera (Nikon D750) and applying a plugin preset (most likely VSCO) to achieve the desired look. If I had to take a guess, I would say that the preset is supposed to resemble Kodak Portra 400, although probably one of the alternative versions and not the straight Portra 400 preset. Anytime that I get one of these requests I always make an attempt to create it, although oftentimes my efforts are not successful and no recipe is made. This time, my first stab at it was pretty close, and a little refining made it even closer. I was able to quickly create a film simulation recipe that produces similar results in-camera to what that other photographer is getting with software.

The reason that I named this recipe Kodacolor and not Portra is that, to me, it looks more like Kodacolor VR than Portra, although the aesthetics of these two films are quite similar. Portra is the better film with improved grain, more tolerance to under and over exposure, and slightly more accurate skin tones, but overall the films produce very similar looks. Kodak originally developed Kodacolor VR film in the early 1980’s for their Disc cameras, which used a film cartridge resembling a computer floppy disc (or the “save icon”), allowing the camera to be small and easy to use. It made tiny exposures on the disc of film, and the film prior to Kodacolor VR, which was called Kodacolor II, was too grainy and not sharp enough for the small exposure to produce good results. Kodak’s solution was to create a sharper film with finer grain, which they originally named Kodacolor HR, and quickly renamed Kodacolor VR after making a small improvement. Kodacolor VR was available in ISO 100, 200, 400 and 1000 film speeds. This film simulation recipe most closely resembles Kodacolor VR 200, in my opinion. Kodacolor VR was replaced by Kodacolor VR-G in the mid 1980’s, which was later renamed Kodak Gold. Kodacolor VR was technically discontinued in 1986, but the ISO 200 version was renamed Kodacolor 200 and later ColorPlus 200, which is surprisingly still available today.

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Kodak Flying Disc – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

One characteristic of Kodacolor VR is that it’s not particularly tolerant to underexposure (for color negative film), so a common technique was to overexpose the film (to prevent accidental underexposure). The side-effect of this, which is a common side-effect of most Kodak color negative films, but it’s especially pronounced on this particular film, is cyan sky. Blues tend to become an unnatural lighter color. That’s what this film simulation recipe looks like: Kodacolor VR 200 that’s been overexposed. It’s also a close proximity to Portra 400 that’s been overexposed, although it’s not quite as strong of a match for that as Kodacolor VR.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +2
Color: -2
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 6300K, -1 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to + 1-1/3 (typically)

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

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Echo Canyon Morning – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Morning Light In Echo Canyon – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Tree On The Rocky Ledge – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Western Cliff – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Rock Bowl – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Echo Mesa – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Summer Witches – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Trees Dotting The Rock – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Blue Sky Rocks – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Weber River Thistle Blooms – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Yucca Blossoms – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Sky Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Sycamore Seeds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Green Cottonwood Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Cottonwood Sun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Vintage Sunset – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Blue Hole – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Summer Clouds Behind The Green Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Summer Blue & Green – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Big Cloud Behind The Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Grey Sky Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Car Wash – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Burger Umbrellas – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Renew or Replace – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Red Curve – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Red Corner – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Moore Motor – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Better Days Behind – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Building For Sale – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Brick Angles – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Suburban Garage – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Gas – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Gas Cafe – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Neighborhood Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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The Joy of Driving Rain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Man of Steel – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30  – Kodacolor

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Bicycle Back Tire – South Weber, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Chaos Wheel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Hat On A Bed – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Couch Pillows – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Wall Curtain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Intelligence Game – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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The Trouble With Age – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Ketchup – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Orange – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Playing With Fire – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Mastrena – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Be The Light – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Adidas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Balloon Maker – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Standing In The Water Balloon Pool – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Water Balloon Fight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Recording Summer Fun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Wearing Grandpa’s Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Johanna – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Echo Canyon Morning Freight – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Freight Train At Echo – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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Eastbound Freight Through Echo Canyon – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

See also:
Kodacolor, Part 2
Kodacolor for X-Trans II

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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