Swath of Red – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
This is a simple update to the Kodak Portra 400 v2 Film Simulation Recipe, which was originally made for X-Trans IV cameras. I discovered that a slight tweak is needed for X-Trans V models, because the new sensor renders blues just a little deeper on some film simulations, including Classic Chrome. For this recipe, simply setting Color Chrome FX Blue from Weak to Off makes it compatible with (as of this writing) the Fujifilm X-T5, X-H2, and X-H2S.
Kodak Portra 400 is a popular professional-grade color negative film introduced in 1998. There’s been a number of revisions and improvements to the emulsion over the years, so the Portra that’s available today is slightly different than the original Portra from roughly 25 years ago. As the name suggests, it’s intended for portraitures, but is also a popular option for many other genres of photography. One film can have several different aesthetics depending on many factors, and this particular Film Simulation Recipe is modeled after the Kodak Portra 400 pictures from a specific photographer. It’s one of my absolute favorite recipes for daylight and especially golden hour photography, and it does pretty well in several other light conditions; however, it’s probably not the best option for indoor artificial light, unless you want especially warm pictures.
This Kodak Portra 400 v2 Film Simulation Recipe is intended for Fujifilm X-Trans V models. It’s compatible with newer GFX cameras too, but will likely render slightly different. If you have an X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, or X-T30 II, try the Kodak Portra 400 v2 recipe for those models (click here). If you have an X-T3 or X-T30, try the version for those cameras (click here).
Film Simulation: Classic Chrome Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Off White Balance: 5200K, +1 Red & -6 Blue Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -2 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodak Portra 400 v2” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:
Christmas Angel – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Nativity – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Happy Holidays – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Lemons – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Changing Seasons – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Leaves on the Concrete – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
GCR – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Lighted Cupola – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sisters – Williams, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Brothers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
December Fog – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Multi-Arm Saguaro – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Saguaro Mist – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Wall Cage – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Super Star – Glendale. AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
I Believe – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Standing in the Sun – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Untidy Palm – Palo Verde, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Misty Desert Hills – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
It Was All Yellow – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Small Pop of Color – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Clouds & Brown Trees – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Golden Neighborhood – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
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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!
SOOC was live yesterday. If you missed it, you can watch it today—I’ve included the full episode at the bottom of this article. This was one of my favorite SOOC broadcasts so far, and much of the thanks for that goes to you! Everyone who tuned in and participated in some way made it exceptional. Definitely, if you couldn’t watch it live, be sure to take some time to view it now. Also, thank you to everyone who submitted pictures using the Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipe. The Viewer’s Images slideshow video is above, so be sure to take a look!
For those who don’t 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.
The new recipe-of-the-month is Fujichrome Sensia 100. Be sure to shoot with that and upload your pictures (click here) by November 15th to be included in the next broadcast, which will be on November 17th (mark your calendars now!).
I’m currently sick with the flu, and because of that the SOOCbroadcast scheduled for this Thursday has been postponed one week. Nathalie and I will instead be live on Thursday, October 27th. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause, and I hope to see you on the 27th!
For those who don’t 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.
Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400” (X-Trans III version)
Six months ago I turned my Fujifilm X100V into a monochrome-only camera, and just shot black-and-white Film Simulation Recipes with it, which was a lot of fun! I hope that someday Fujifilm makes a B&W-only model. Recently I started shooting color pictures on my X100V again, and the first three color recipes I programmed into the camera were Kodak Portra 400—three different versions of it!
My very first Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, which I published in May of 2018. It requires a hard-to-explain-and-get-right custom white balance measurement. I have had some luck in the past getting it “right” and at times not-so-much luck. I think this time I was able to get it pretty close but not exactly correct. I made three different attempts (using the three custom white balance slots), and went with the best of the three; however, I think the white balance should be slightly warmer than it is. It’s a tricky thing, and I wish it was more easily repeatable. To use this recipe on my X100V I set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome Effect to Off, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.
The next Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for the Fiujifilm X-T3 and X-T30, which I published in May of 2020. This one is easier to program (and probably more accurate to the film) than the X-Trans III version. To use it on my X100V I set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.
The third Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for the “newer” X-Trans IV cameras, including the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, which I published in June of 2020. Of the three versions, this one is probably the most “accurate” to actual Portra 400 film, but it is extremely similar to the X-T3/X-T30 recipe—only very subtly different.
One film can produce a variety of looks depending on a whole host of factors, including (among other things) how it was shot, developed, and scanned—even the pH balance and temperature of the water can affect it. It’s not possible for one recipe replicate all possible aesthetics. Also, different Fujifilm cameras have different JPEG options, and different sensor generations have slight variances in rendering; even though one recipe might be more “accurate” to the film, it’s certainly not always so—the variables are pretty significant. What’s more important than accuracy is finding the recipe that works best for you and your photography.
I hope that seeing these three Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipes together helps you decide which to try. Maybe one stands out more to you than the others. Perhaps the camera you own is more of a determining factor than the recipe itself. I personally like all three of them, and have enjoyed shooting with them on my (no-longer-B&W-only) X100V.
Also, as a reminder, these three Kodak Portra 400 recipes are the current SOOC recipes-of-the-month. Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I will conclude our discussion of these recipes in the next broadcast (be sure to watch the last episode if you missed it!), which will be live on October 20th. Upload your images (click here) captured with one (or more) of these Kodak Portra 400 recipes by October 18th to be included in the next show. I hope to see you then!
In the last episode of SOOC, Nathalie Boucry and myself finished our discussion of the Vintage Agfacolor Film Simulation Recipe. As you know, while we encourage you to use the recipes that we feature, we also use them ourselves. I hope that you find it to be just as enjoyable of an exercise as we do!
If you missed the last SOOC broadcast when it was live, you can find it below. It’s nearly two hours long, so buckle up!
If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, I hope that you’ll take a few minutes to check out the viewer-submitted slideshow. These are YOUR pictures! I appreciate everyone who uploaded their photographs captured with the Vintage Agfacolor recipe—your participation is what makes these shows great, and it is much appreciated!
Below is the viewer’s images slideshow:
A couple more of my pictures using the Vintage Agfacolor recipe:
Here are a few of my recent pictures where I used the Kodak Portra 400 recipe:
Fujifilm X-E4 + Kodak Portra 400 recipe
Fujifilm X-E4 + Kodak Portra 400 recipe
Fujifilm X-E4 + Kodak Portra 400 recipe
For those who don’t 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.
The next SOOC episode will be live on October 20, so mark your calendars now! We’ll finish our discussion of Kodak Portra 400 and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Fujichrome Sensia 100! I hope to see you then!
You can find all these recipes and many, many more in the Fuji X Weekly App.
Back in May, while on a lengthy roadtrip, I stopped in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, for the night. A small town along historic Route 66, Santa Rosa pretty much exists to provide food, fuel, and beds for travelers passing east-and-west through The Land of Enchantment. Like a lot of old Route 66 towns, Santa Rosa has seen better days—there are many abandoned buildings along the highway, and some others that appear to not be far from their inevitable fate of abandonment.
Santa Rosa might be best known for a scene in The Grapes of Wrath, where Tom Joad watches a freight train cross a bridge over the Pecos River. Scars from The Great Depression are still visible if you look hard enough. The biggest tourist attraction is the Blue Hole, a natural swimming pond fed by a vast underground water system. While visiting Santa Rosa, I was asked by locals a couple of times, “Are you here for the Blue Hole?” I guess it’s a big deal, but I didn’t make time to see it.
I did make time to photograph a few of the abandoned buildings. One was an old Exxon gas station. This particular service station offered two grades of gas, two stalls for vehicle maintenance, and two restrooms. You could buy maps or a soda from a vending machine. Inside was an old Dairy Queen sign that I do not believe originated from this particular gas station, but probably another building elsewhere in town, perhaps owned by the same person.
In an empty grass-filled lot next to the gas station I found some old playground equipment. There may have been a campground or RV park there at one time, but the playground is the only thing left. I suppose on hot summer nights, the ghosts who still use the teeter-totter can get a coke from the abandoned Exxon next door.
Exploring and photographing places like this is both fascinating and frightening. It’s like a large time capsule that broke open years before being discovered, now filled with retro nostalgia and haunting decay. You don’t know what you’ll find—what’s hiding behind a corner—and even if there isn’t any danger, it’s still not safe. Going into abandoned buildings is never safe. I do believe that it’s important to photograph these places for several reasons: they’re always changing (due to nature and vandals) and will eventually be completely gone, they offer a glimpse into a previous time that’s long gone and fading from our memories, and to document the way societies deals with unwanted junk from broken lives and broken dreams. As Troy Paiva put it, these places are “steeped in Wabi-Sabi feelings of accepting loss and finding beauty and nobility in decay.”
The sun was low while I was there, preparing to set behind the western horizon—I had about 30 minutes of wonderful “golden hour” light to work with. I used my Fujifilm X-E4 with a Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens attached to it to capture these images. The Film Simulation Recipe that I used for these photographs was Kodak Portra 400 v2, which is one of my favorites—the Kodak-like colors and tones are just so lovely—an excellent option for this particular scene and light.
Ring – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
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Reggie Ballesteros (website, YouTube, Instagram, Instagram), also known as Reggie B Photo, is an official Fujifilm X-Photographer based in San Fransisco, California. He shoots both film and digital, and on his Fujifilm cameras he likes to use both RAW and JPEG. For his JPEGs, Reggie developed a Film Simulation Recipe that’s a close match to the Kodak Portra 400 film that he shoots and has developed and scanned (on a Noritsu) at Richard Photo Lab. He was very kind to allow me to share his Portra recipe with you on this website and the Fuji X Weekly App. Thanks, Reggie!
Portra 400 was introduced by Kodak in 1998. It used to come in two varieties: “NC” (Neutral Color, which had less saturation) and “VC” (Vivid Color, which had more saturation). I shot a little of both Kodak Portra 400NC and Kodak Portra 400VC back in the day, and I preferred the more colorful version. The film was redesigned in 2006 to improve grain and scanning. It was again redesigned in 2010, with the NC and VC emulsions dropped, replaced by a new mid-saturation version (simply called Portra 400), with more improvements to scanning.
I’m Your Huckleberry – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X100V – “Reggie’s Portra”
As the name implies, Kodak Portra 400 is intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other genres of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made. It’s still available today, and is very popular among film photographers.
When developing his Portra recipe, Reggie used the Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipe from this website as his starting point, and he tweaked it to more closely match his Portra scans and to better suit his photography. One film can have many different aesthetics, depending on how it’s shot, developed, scanned, and a whole host of other factors, so it’s great that Reggie made this alternative version, which might be closer to the exact look that you are after. Also, because this recipe uses Auto White Balance and doesn’t use Clarity, you might find that this one is more versatile than some other recipes. Oh, and take a look at the Kodak Portra 400 v2 and Kodak Portra 400 Warm recipes, which could potentially produce your desired aesthetic.
Pines – Lake Catherine SP, AR – Fujifilm X100V – “Reggie’s Portra”
One special note: Reggie has a 5% CineBloom diffusion filter attached to his lens whenever he shoots with this particular recipe. I have been using my Fujifilm X100V as a monochrome-only camera, but because I, too, have a 5% CineBloom filter attached to it, I made an exception so that I could test this recipe on that camera with the diffusion filter. For the shots captured on my X-E4, I did not use a diffusion filter; however, I do like how the 5% CineBloom subtly affects the image, and I recommend pairing it with this recipe if you can.
This Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, & X-T30 II cameras. To use it on the X-T3 and X-T30, simply ignore Grain size and Color Chrome FX Blue, since your camera doesn’t have those options—the results will be slightly different, but nearly identical. More than likely this recipe is compatible with GFX and X-Trans V, but I haven’t tested it to know for sure.
Abandoned Long John Silver’s – Elk City, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Reggie’s Portra”
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR-Auto Highlight: -1 Shadow: -1 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: 0 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using “Reggie’s Portra” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4 and Fujifilm X100V cameras:
Below is a video that Reggie made which illustrates his Portra recipe quite well (he notes that the Shadow setting is incorrect in the video—it should say -1, not -2). Be sure to like and subscribe and all that stuff. Enjoy!
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Nobody pays me to write the content found on 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!
The Snap Chick YouTube channel recently published a video where they compare actual Kodak Tri-X 400 film with the Kodak Tri-X 400 film simulation recipe. It’s a very fascinating video! If you’re looking for something to do, give it a watch—it’s about 15 minutes long. Definitely worth your time.
Walking on a Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
This film simulation recipe is a slight variation of my Kodak Portra 400 recipe. It came about after I made a Portra 400 v2 recipe for the newer X-Trans IV cameras, which was created after studying actual examples of the film provided to me by a reader. I wanted to create a similar modification for the X-T3 and X-T30, which became this recipe. One film can have many different looks, depending on how it’s shot, developed, and scanned and/or printed, so this isn’t necessarily a “better” recipe, just a slightly different take on recreating the film’s aesthetic. I really like this one, and I think you will, too!
Portra 400, which is a color negative film, was introduced by Kodak in 1998. It was redesign in 2006 and again in 2010. As the name implies, it’s intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other types of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made. Interestingly, Kodak briefly made a black-and-white version of Portra 400!
Downtownscape – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
This isn’t exactly a brand-new recipe. It was published as a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App back on December 1st, so Patrons have had access to it for quite some time. Now another early-access recipe has replaced it, so this one is available to everyone! If you are a Fuji X Weekly Patron, be sure to check out the new early-access recipe in the app.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR-Auto Highlight: -1 Shadow: -1 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Grain Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect: Strong White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodak Portra 400 v2” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:
Blackberry Forest Evening – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Three Backlit Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tiny Red Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Broken and Boarded – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Window to the City – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Lululemon – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Two Tall Buildings – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Hotel – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Two Cranes – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
A Downtown Cityscape – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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!
Old Trolley Building – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 Warm”
This Kodak Portra 400 Warm recipe came about after the Kyle McDougall Portra-Style comparison article. These settings are an attempt to get closer to Kyle’s preset aesthetic. Some film simulation recipes are good for everyday use, while some are good only in the right situations. This is one falls into the latter category, I think. This recipe isn’t for everyone or every situation, but for some people in the right situations, this recipe will be greatly loved! I think it looks best in sunny daylight, but can produce interesting results occasionally in other lighting situations, too. Thank you to Ryan for helping out with this!
One film can have many different looks depending on how it’s shot, developed, and scanned or printed. This Kodak Portra 400 Warm film simulation recipe is an alternative aesthetic. Portra 400 was introduced by Kodak in 1998, and was redesigned in 2006 and again in 2010. As the name implies, it’s intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other types of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made.
If you like my other Portra recipes, you might like this one, too. It uses Clarity, which slows down the camera considerably—I hope that Fujifilm speeds this up with a firmware update at some point. This recipe is only compatible with the latest Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras: the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, and X-E4. This was a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App, so if you are a Patron you’ve had access to this Kodak Portra 400 Warm recipe for awhile—there’s now a new early-access recipe in its place, so be sure to check that out!
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -1 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: 5500K, 0 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodak Portra 400 Warm” film simulation recipe:
Dumpster, Truck – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Beer & Wings – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bright Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Western Structure – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Turn of the Century – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Train Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
New Holland – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Food Field – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlight in the Forest – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
This new Kodak Portra 400 Warm recipe came about after the Kyle McDougall Portra-Style comparison article. These settings are an attempt to get closer to Kyle’s preset aesthetic. Some film simulation recipes are good for everyday use, some are good only in the right situation. This is one falls into the latter category, I think. This one isn’t for everyone or every situation, but for some people in the right situations, this recipe will be greatly loved! I think it looks best in sunny daylight, but can produce interesting results sometimes in other lighting situations, too.
If you aren’t a Patron, don’t worry. Like all of the early-access recipes, this one will eventually be made available to everyone. Just have patience. If you have the app but aren’t a Patron, yet you want to use this recipe, you can either wait for it to become free or become a Patron and help support the great things that are happening here! Really, Patrons are the ones who are making so much happen because I can’t do it on my own. If you are a Patron, thank you so much for your support!
Beer & Wings – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 Warm”
Bright Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 Warm”
Sage Sunset – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
One film can have many different looks depending on how it’s shot, developed, scanned or printed. This new Portra 400 film simulation recipe, called Kodak Portra 400 v2, is an alternative aesthetic, created by studying examples of actual Portra 400 film (thanks to Julien Jarry). The “other” Fujifilm X100V Kodak Portra 400 recipe was also created by studying examples of actual film (thanks to Thomas Schwab). They’re both good options for achieving a Portra look, and neither is more “right” than the other.
This isn’t exactly a brand-new recipe. It was published as a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App back on December 1st, and now another early-access recipe has replaced it, so this one is now available to everyone! You might remember that this Kodak Porta 400 v2 recipe was mentioned in the Kyle McDougall preset comparison article.
Ford Truck – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
If you like my other Portra recipes, you’re sure to like this one, too. Because it uses Clarity, it slows down the camera considerably. I hope that Fujifilm speeds this up with a firmware update at some point, but in the meantime, if you can, my recommendation is to embrace the slowdown. This recipe is only compatible with the latest Fujifilm X cameras: the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4 and X-S10.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 5200K, +1 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Portra 400 v2 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Stacked Pallets – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Now Hiring – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Double-Double – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Burger Roof – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Julien Jarry with RED Camera – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Julien Filming – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow Rabbitbrush – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Frary Peak Peeking – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Desert Brush – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Light Log – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunlight Through the Forest Trees – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
One Lane Bridge – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
String of Lightbulbs – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Dock at Night – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Moon Over RV – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunset RED – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Buffalo Point Sunset – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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!
The film simulation recipes that Ryan used are Portra 160, Portra 400, Portra 400 v2 (currently available to Fuji X Weekly Patrons on the Fuji X Weekly iOS app), and Portra 800. The two Kyle McDougall presets are Kodak Portra Style Neutral and Kodak Portra Style Warm. Kyle mentions that his presets aren’t intended to strictly mimic Portra film, but are his preference to how he likes his Fujifilm photographs to look based on his experience shooting the film. Portra can have many different looks, not only because there are different stocks that share the name, but also because how it’s shot, developed, and printed or scanned can greatly affect the exact aesthetic.
Let’s look at some pictures!
“Kodak Portra 160”
“Kodak Portra 400”
“Kodak Portra 400 v2”
“Kodak Portra 800”
“Kodak Portra Style Neutral”
“Kodak Portra Style Warm”
“Kodak Portra 160”
“Kodak Portra 400”
“Kodak Portra 400 v2”
“Kodak Portra 800”
“Kodak Portra Style Neutral”
“Kodak Portra Style Warm”
“Kodak Portra 160”
“Kodak Portra 400”
“Kodak Portra 400 v2”
“Kodak Portra 800”
“Kodak Portra Style Neutral”
“Kodak Portra Style Warm”
As you can see, there are some pretty significant differences between each recipe and Kyle McDougall’s Lightroom presets. Kyle’s presets create a bright picture with a strong yellow color cast. Portra can certainly be that way, particularly if overexposed. My first thought is that my Bright Summer (a.k.a. “Preetra 400”) recipe is probably the closest to Kyle’s Portra Style. My second thought is that I need to create a recipe that’s a closer match to Kyle’s presets!
Ryan explained, “At the beginning of this project I got kind of discouraged as the weather was transitioning into fall and was gray and dismal here on the west side of the Cascade’s. Sunlit scenes are what I had in mind. But I did my best to work with what I had, which helped my creativity, and one of those creative positives would be the fall colors that I tried to utilize. I loaded the recipes into my X100V, and when I saw an opportunity to take some images, I would take a pic, change to the next recipe, snap, load the next recipe, etc. In my camera, C2 is Portra 400 v2, C4 is Portra 400, C5 is Portra 160, and C6 is Portra 800. I found that when composing the shot, that exposing +2/3 is what I liked, so I tried exposing that way for all the images, though I can’t remember if I hit it the same every time, but did my best to keep the exposure the same between and for each image taken in a session, trying to keep things uniform. It was neat to see the differences between the different recipes. From what I understand, the different Portra films are unique in their own way. I’d say that the Portra 400 v2 was closest to Kyle’s preset. By the way, that recipe and Portra 160 are my favorites!”
Below are a couple comparisons of the Kodak Portra 400 v2 recipe and Kyle McDougall’s Kodak Portra Style Neutral preset.
“Kodak Portra 400 v2”
“Kodak Portra Style Neutral”
“Kodak Portra 400 v2”
“Kodak Portra Style Neutral”
Here are a couple comparisons of the Portra 160 and Portra 400 v2 recipes:
“Kodak Portra 160”
“Kodak Portra 400 v2”
“Kodak Portra 160”
“Kodak Portra 400 v2”
Thank you again, Ryan, for doing this project and sharing the results! It’s very fascinating, and I’m sure helpful to the Fuji X Weekly community. It’s helpful to me personally!
If you appreciated this article, let myself and Ryan know by leaving a comment!
Journal – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
I recently stumbled upon an abandoned RV dealership in North Salt Lake, Utah. It’s been vandalized. Broken glass and graffiti abound. Nature is doing its thing, too. It’s significantly dilapidated.
Hugh’s R.V. apparently hasn’t been closed for very long, I believe less than two years, but the building looks like it has been abandoned for a decade or more. One of the reviews I found for this place stated that it looked dilapidated—this was when it was still open!—so it was already in a state of disrepair prior to abandonment, and that partially explains why it looks so bad now. Perhaps more than anything, people have just trashed it since it closed.
I captured Hugh’s R.V. with my Fujifilm X100V using my Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe. I love how this recipe looks for many things, including structures. Really, it was an easy choice! This particular film simulation recipe could be many people’s “only” recipe. It’s good for such varied situations, and an abandoned building in afternoon light is no exception. This Portra 400 recipe on the X100V is an especially great combination, and a one camera, one lens, one recipe philosophy could be embraced. I appreciate the film-like aesthetic of my Portra 400 settings.
My challenge to you is for one week (or at least one day if that’s too much) use one camera with one lens and one film simulation recipe. If you don’t have an X100V, that’s no problem, just use what you do have. I think the restriction will empower your creativity. Limitations improve art. If you accept this challenge, let me know in the comments which camera, lens and recipe you plan to use, and also report how it goes. I look forward to your feedback!
Hugh’s R.V. – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
Hugh’s Graffiti – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
Closed Circuit – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
ERNL – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
Open Door, Broken Window – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
Trash in the Shadow – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
Tubes & Tablets – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
Out of Office – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Portra 400”
Bridge Over Stream – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400”
This is a brand-new version of my X-T30 Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe, designed specifically for the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4. My “old” recipe isn’t, in fact, old, as I published it only one month ago, but already I have improved on it, thanks to Fujifilm’s new tools, and also thanks to Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab, who helped tremendously refine the recipe to be more accurate to actual Portra 400 film. You see, he captured some pictures with Portra 400 film and made some identical pictures with his X-Pro3. After a few small changes, this new recipe emerged. It’s very similar to the X-T30 Portra 400 recipe, the differences aren’t huge, but it is subtly better in my opinion.
Portra 400 was introduced by Kodak in 1998, and was redesigned in 2006 and again in 2010. As the name implies, it’s intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other types of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made. Like all films, results can vary greatly depending on how it’s shot, developed and printed or scanned, and even which version of the film you’re talking about.
This new Portra 400 film simulation recipe requires the use of Clarity, which slows down the camera considerably. Fujifilm suggests shooting RAW and adding Clarity later, but I just use the pause to slow myself down. The use of Clarity also means that this recipe can’t be used on “older” cameras, only the X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 (as of this writing), but feel free to apply the white balance shift of this recipe to the X-T30 version and see if you like it better.
Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -2
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Clarity: +2
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +3 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Light Green Leaves – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunlight In The Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Forest – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Creek Through The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Light on the Water – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Creek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Big Green Leaf – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunshine & Tree Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunlit – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Stone & Blooms – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jo Swinging – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Brother & Sister Driving – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Protect & Serve – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Seagull on a Lamp – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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Around The Bend – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 400”
Portra 400, which is a color negative film, was introduced by Kodak in 1998. It was redesign in 2006 and again in 2010. As the name implies, it’s intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other types of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made. Like all films, results can vary greatly depending on how it’s shot, developed and printed or scanned, and even which version of the film you’re talking about. Interestingly, Kodak briefly made a black-and-white version of Portra 400!
I’ve been meaning to revisit Kodak Portra 400 for some time now. As you may know, I already have a Kodak Portra 400 recipe, which I created two years ago, but it requires a difficult-to-achieve custom white balance measurement. I was never really satisfied with that recipe, even though it can produce interesting results. I have been eager to create a new Portra 400 recipe, and, In fact, I’ve tried a couple of times, but without success.
Blue Sky Day – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 400”
A Fuji X Weekly reader suggested to me that if I use my Kodak Portra 160 recipe, except increase Shadow, Highlight and Color by one, that should be pretty close to Portra 400. Indeed it is! I liked what I saw, but I played around with the settings more to see if I could improve on it. Turns out not much needed to be tweaked. I liked the results better with Color Chrome Effect set to Strong, but if you have an X-Trans III camera, which doesn’t have that feature, you can still use this recipe, but it will look slightly different. The only other change that I made was I set Grain to Strong.
Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -1
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:
Mountain in the Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Reeds To The Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Jensen Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Water Beyond The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Paved Trail – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Spring Green & White – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fries in the Sky – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Royal Lunch – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Evening Suburban Home – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Boy in the Striped Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Boy Sitting – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Sunlight Through The Pink Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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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