Monochrome film simulation recipe

Top 10 Most Popular B&W Film Simulation Recipes of 2024

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

*Round Window* – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400

I get asked fairly regularly which Film Simulation Recipes are the most popular. For me, this is a fascinating topic, but it’s definitely hard to know definitively. While I get a glimpse on social media, my best gauge is the Fuji X Weekly website statistics; specifically, which Recipe articles are viewed the most. I don’t collect any data on the Fuji X Weekly App, so that’s no help—although, if I did, it would likely offer the most accurate picture; however, it would still be impossible to know which Recipes people programmed into their Fujifilm cameras, or how often they used each. Perhaps a survey would be particularly useful, yet even it has its limitations. While certainly a flawed method, page-view website statics offer the best glimpse at which Film Simulation Recipes are the most popular, so that’s what I’m using for this article. These are simply the Top 10 most-viewed B&W Recipes on the Fuji X Weekly website so far in 2024.

It’s close enough to the end of the year that there is unlikely to be much movement, if any, between now and January 1st, so I thought it would be a good time to begin looking at year-end statistics. When I share the Top 25 most popular Recipes of any given month, the results are pretty predictable: color Recipes dominate, especially those that mimic Kodak film stocks and use Classic Chrome. On the suggestion of a Fuji X Weekly reader, I’m going to share some Top 10 articles for Recipe categories where few are likely to crack the Top 25 overall. I’m starting with black-and-white, and we’ll see where this all goes from here.

*Smoking* – Philadelphia, PA – Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak Tri-X 400

I knew that Kodak Tri-X 400 would be Number One. It’s far-and-away the most popular black-and-white Film Simulation Recipe for Fujifilm cameras, and is in the Top 15 overall. Second place is a distant second, and not close to cracking the Top 25. I really didn’t know how the others would rank, and I was quite surprised by some of them. Four of these use the Acros film simulation (I thought more would), and six use the Monochrome film simulation.

Without any further delay, below are the most popular B&W Recipes of 2024!

Top 10 Most Popular B&W Film Simulation Recipes of 2024

#1:

Kodak Tri-X 400

This is the long-time most popular B&W Recipe on Fuji X Weekly. It’s based on the Acros film simulation, and has compatibility with X-Trans III, X-Trans IV, and X-Trans V models.

#2:

Kodak T-Max P3200

Another Acros-based Recipe, this one is compatible with X-Trans IV (except the X-T3/X-T30) and X-Trans V cameras.

#3:

Ilford HP5 Plus 400

This is the highest ranked Recipe that uses the Monochrome film simulation. It is compatible with X-Trans IV (except the X-T3/X-T30) and X-Trans V cameras.

#4:

Ilford FP4 Plus 125

Another Monochrome-based Recipe, this one is compatible with X-Trans IV (except the X-T3, X-T30, X-Pro3 & X100V) and X-Trans V models.

#5:

Ilford HP5 Plus

This is an older Recipe, published back in 2018. It uses the Acros film sim and is compatible with X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30.

#6:

Acros

Based on Acros, this was one of the very first Film Simulation Recipes published on Fuji X Weekly. It is compatible with X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30.

#7:

Monochrome Red

This Recipe is for X-Trans II cameras, and uses the Monochrome film simulation.

#8:

Monochrome

This is an X-Trans I Recipe that uses the Monochrome film simulation.

#9:

Dramatic Monochrome

Another Monochrome-based Recipe, this one is compatible with the X-T3 and X-T30; for use on X-Trans III, simply ignore the settings that your camera doesn’t have.

#10:

Kodak T-Max 400

Last but certainly not least is Kodak T-Max 400, which also uses the Monochrome film simulation. It has compatibility with X-Trans III, X-Trans IV, and X-Trans V models.

Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App!

Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone — A Film Simulation Recipe for Fujifilm X-Trans IV & X-Trans V Cameras (Part 2)

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone – Photo by Ritchie Roesch*

Part 1 — Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone

Dan Allen, who created this Film Simulation Recipe after shooting with Kodak T-Max 100 film and his Fujifilm X-T5 side-by-side, noticed that there are a lot of subtle variances in the film. Even within the same roll, there can be small differences from frame-to-frame, and one Recipe can’t mimic them all; however, instead of creating five or six different versions of a Kodak T-Max 100 Recipe, Dan made two that were “close enough” to the emulsion to be convincing: Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone and Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone.

The “Hard Tone” version has a little more contrast, with brighter highlights and deeper shadows, and this Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone Recipe has less contrast, with softer highlights and lifted shadows. The difference between the two isn’t huge, nor should it be. And it is perfectly alright to customize them further—”season to taste”—by making small adjustments to Highlight, Shadow, etc., especially since the variances cannot be fully mimicked by just two Recipes. You might try using the Highlight setting from one version with the Shadow setting of the other—or just use them as they are, and appreciate the excellent results.

Above photos by Dan Allen. Left: Kodak T-Max 100 Film / Right: Fujifilm X-T5 & Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone Recipe

This Film Simulation Recipe is fully compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50 cameras. Presumably it will also be compatible with the camera that Fujifilm is about to announce (rumored to be the X-M5). You can also use this Recipe on the latest GFX models, although it will likely render slightly differently (try it anyway).

Film Simulation: Monochrome+G
Monochromatic Color (Toning): WC 0 & MG 0 (Off)
Grain Effect: Weak, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight, -6 Red & -3 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -0.5
Shadow: +1.5
Sharpness: -1
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -1
ISO: up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone Film Simulation Recipe using a Fujifilm X-T5 and X100VI:

*Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone – Photo by Dan Allen*

*Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone – Photo by Joy Roesch*

*Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone – Photo by Jonathan Roesch*

Comparison:

Left: Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone / Right: Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone

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Part 1

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Fujifilm X-T5 in black:
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Fujifilm X-T5 in silver:
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Fujifilm X100VI in black:
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Fujifilm X100VI in silver:
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Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone — A Film Simulation Recipe for Fujifilm X-Trans IV & X-Trans V Cameras (Part 1)

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone – Photo by Joy Roesch*

Kodak introduced T-Max 100 and T-Max 400 in 1986, and T-Max P3200 two years later. It was touted as a fine-grained, sharp and detail-rich black-and-white negative film. Interestingly, ever since T-Max was released, there has been a divide in the photographic community around this emulsion: people either loved it or hated it. Those who loved it tended to not like Tri-X, and those who hated it tended to love Tri-X; you were likely in one camp or the other. Tri-X was more gritty, dramatic and versatile, while T-Max was softer, cleaner, and more finicky. All-in-all, you are not likely to spot huge differences between the two as a casual observer, but those who regularly shot with these films could easily distinguish the nuances.

This particular Film Simulation Recipe, called Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone, was created by Dan Allen after shooting some rolls of Kodak T-Max 100 film side-by-side with his Fujifilm X-T5. He did his best to match the X-T5 photos to the T-Max frames. This was not an easy task, and took a lot of adjustments and refinements. Dan spent a lot of time and effort on this. He discovered that it would take a handful of versions of the Recipe to replicate all of the variances that can be found even within the same roll, and ultimately determined that one Recipe cannot mimic them all. His solution was to create two versions—one with a higher contrast and one with a lower contrast—that are “close enough” to be acceptable facsimiles for most of the variabilities.

Above photos by Dan Allen. Left: Kodak T-Max 100 Film / Right: Fujifilm X-T5 & Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone Recipe

Even though this Recipe does a pretty darn good job of replicating Kodak T-Max 100, it is always ok to “season to taste” the settings. Don’t be afraid to increase or decrease Highlight and Shadow, for example. There are a lot of factors that can determine the exact aesthetic of the film, so some small tweaks might be necessary to get it precisely as you want it. Or, just leave them as Dan created, and enjoy the lovely results.

*Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone – Photo by Dan Allen*

Dan Allen is no stranger to Fuji X Weekly. You might recall that he invented the Kentmere Pan 400 Film Simulation Recipe, and had a helping hand in the Vintage Bronze, Ilford FP4 Plus 125, and Ektachrome E100 Recipes. He also wrote the fascinating article Shooting Fujifilm Instax with a 108-year-old Kodak camera. Part two of this Recipe series will be coming soon, so be on the lookout for that.

Film Simulation: Monochrome+G
Monochromatic Color (Toning): WC 0 & MG 0 (Off)
Grain Effect: Weak, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight, -6 Red & -3 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +0.5
Shadow: +2.5
Sharpness: -1
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -1
ISO: up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone Film Simulation Recipe using a Fujifilm X-T5 and X100VI:

*Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone – Photo by Jonathan Roesch*

*Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak T-Max 100 Hard Tone – Photo by Ritchie Roesch*

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 350 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

Part 2 — Kodak T-Max 100 Soft Tone

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Ilford FP4 Plus 125 — Fujifilm X-T5 (X-Trans V + X-Trans IV) Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Gift Giving* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “Ilford FP4 Plus 125”

Anders Lindborg is, in my opinion, the guru on Fujifilm black-and-white Film Simulation Recipes. After all, he invented the Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford HP5 Plus 400, and Ilford Pan F Plus 50 recipes, and co-created the Kodak T-Max 400 recipe. These are some of my favorite monochrome options, and Kodak Tri-X 400 is my all-time favorite recipe, period. Anders also created the Kodak Gold v2 recipe, seven Fujicolor Pro 160NS recipes, seven Fujicolor Pro 400H recipes, and made an important D-Range Priority discovery. This Ilford FP4 Plus 125 recipe was invented by Anders Lindborg, too, so I know that you will love it! It’s a real honor to publish it on Fuji X Weekly, and I appreciate his willingness to share it with all of you.

The story doesn’t end there. Recently, Fuji X Weekly reader Dan Allen wanted to help create an Ilford FP4 Plus 125 recipe, and he purchased some rolls of the film to shoot side-by-side with his Fujifilm camera. When he told me this, I sent him Anders’ recipe to try. After he did his experiment, Dan shared with me the results, which were quite fascinating. It turns out that Dan’s Ilford frames and his Fujifilm digital pictures (using Anders’ recipe) looked similar, but the Ilford frames had less contrast, with softer highlights and shadows, so I made a few small modifications to Anders’ recipe to better match Dan’s pictures. Of course, one film can have many different looks, depending on how it was shot, developed, printed, and/or scanned. “This particular film stock,” Anders told me, “is highly tunable, ranging from super clean to ultra gritty.” No single recipe will ever recreate every possible aesthetic from the film.

“Just like the real thing,” Anders explained to me, “a slight underexposure protects the highlights and improves contrast. Centered around the upper half of the grayscale, this recipe ranges from soft and dreamy to sharp and almost graphic with pencil-like lines. It will almost never go entirely black and is great for shadow details.” Ilford originally introduced FP4 Plus 125 way back in 1968, and in 2014 they improved the emulsion, which is what’s currently available.

*Bougainvillea Grey* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “Ilford FP4 Plus 125”

If you want to use Anders Lindborg’s recipe as he created it, set Dynamic Range to DR100, Highlight to 0, and Shadow to -1. He says that you can “really go crazy” with Clarity and Grain—try Clarity anywhere from -2 to +4, with Grain Weak/Small when using less Clarity (for a cleaner look) and Grain Strong/Large when using more Clarity (for a grittier look). Also, feel free to use the different faux filter options (+Ye, +R, +G) with this recipe.

The Ilford FP4 Plus 125 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with X-Trans V cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-T5, X-H2, and X-H2S, and newer X-Trans IV cameras: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. If you have an X100V or X-Pro3, you can use Anders’ unmodified version (explained above); for the X-T3, X-T30, plus X-Trans III, additionally ignore Clarity and Grain size. This recipe is especially well suited for mid-to-high contrast scenes, paying careful attention to the highlights so as to not clip them.

Film Simulation: Monochrome
Grain Effect: Weak, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +6 Red & -8 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -0.5
Shadow: -1.5
Monochromatic Color: 0 WC & 0 MG
Sharpness: 0
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: +2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1 to -1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Ilford FP4 Plus 125” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:

*Projector Light* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Fog Lights* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Disco Ball* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Christmas Concert* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Light Lines* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Window Shade Pull* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Window Light on a Small Rug* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Call it a Fuji X Weekly Holiday* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Christmas Gift* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Legos for Christmas* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Was a Rose* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Backlit Petunia* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Dark Bougainvillea* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Lizard on a Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Block Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Waiting by the Pool* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Butcher* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Tamale TV* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Reading the Morning Paper* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Coffee Sugar* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Hydrant Top* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Geometric* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Suburban Rooftop* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X-T5 in black: Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver: Amazon B&H

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 250 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

Fujifilm X70 (X-Trans II) Film Simulation Recipe: Monochrome Red

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Houses, Reflected* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Monochrome Red”

Back when I shot black-and-white film, I usually used a color filter to manipulate the shades of grey, and for landscape photography the Red filter was my most-used option. You cannot use these filters on your Fujifilm camera, but Fujifilm does provide you with three faux filters: +Y, +R, & +G. These mimic the aesthetic of using a Yellow, Red, or Green filter (sort of). In my opinion, +R doesn’t actually replicate the use of a Red filter very well; it’s more like an Orange filter. This recipe is intended to produce a look more similar to a Red filter on black-and-white film, which means that it will darken blues and lighten reds.

I actually created this “Monochrome Red” Film Simulation Recipe several months back on my Fujifilm X-T1, but that camera has a dirty sensor in need of a cleaning, so I never shared the results. Then I moved, and the X-T1 got packed away for awhile. Just recently I purchased a different X-Trans II camera—an X70—so I plugged this recipe into it and began shooting. This is an excellent option if you are looking for a black-and-white recipe, and is especially good for landscape photography.

*Sunlit Flowers* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Monochrome Red”

The “Monochrome Red” recipe is compatible with all X-Trans II cameras. If you have an X-Trans I or Bayer model, the results will be ever slightly different, but very similar, and you can definitely use it—if you have an X-Pro1 or X-T200 or anything like that, feel free to give this recipe a try.

Monochrome+R
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1 (Medium-Soft)
Shadow: +2 (Hard)
Sharpness: +1 (Medium-Hard)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Fluorescent 1, -4 Red & +7 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured on my Fujifilm X70 using this “Monochrome Red” Film Simulation Recipe:

*Josh Intently Gaming* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Jonathan with a Smile* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Backlit Jo* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Boy Fishing* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Dock Abstract* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Lock & Chain* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Pole & Chain* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Fishing Pole on Dock* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Young Boy Fishing* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Lakeside Tree* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and nearly 250 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipe: Ilford HP5 Plus 400

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Haystack Driftwood* – Cannon Beach, OR – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford HP5 Plus 400”

This new film simulation recipe comes from Anders Lindborg (Instagram). Anders is the one who created the Kodak Tri-X 400 recipe, Ilford Pan F Plus 50 recipe, Kodak Gold v2, seven Fujicolor Pro 160NS recipes, seven Fujicolor Pro 400H recipes, and made an important D-Range Priority discovery. So I know that you’ll love this one, too! He was kind enough to share it with me and allow me to share it with all of you—thank you, Anders!

Anders sent me a lengthy note on his process to create this recipe, and I want to share with you a short snippet just so you get an idea of the effort put into this. “I checked the spectrum sensitivity chart and looked for any significant bumps in the wavelengths,” he wrote. “For the largest bump, I checked what color it represents to try to match it as close as possible with the white balance shift. This recreated the bump in the recipe to make the simulation a bit extra sensitive to that specific color.” This was point four of seven in his process, and shows the kind of effort that can go into creating Film Simulation Recipes.

Specifically about this recipe, Anders noted, “Middle gray is the game here. Soft highlights and things disappearing into deep dark shadows, but never as black as Tri-X. Great for all day shooting in just about any weather. Looks totally awesome on winter shots!” I can add that it looks great on both sunny days and rainy days, too. I think it does especially well in moderate and high contrast situations.

*Footbridge & Falls* – Multnomah Falls, OR – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford HP5 Plus 400”

Ilford began the Hypersensitive Panchromatic (HP) series in 1931. HP5 Plus 400 is the latest version, released in 1989, and still available today. This is a classic black-and-white film stock that has stood the test of time, and Anders did a great job mimicking it on Fujifilm cameras. This recipe is intended for use on the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras; however, for the X-T3 and X-T30, as well as X-Trans III cameras, simply ignore Grain size, and this recipe is compatible with those cameras, so anyone with an X-Trans III or IV camera can use this.

A side note: this recipe is different than my old Ilford HP5 Plus and Ilford HP5 Push Process recipes, which I still quite like, and are both excellent in low and mid contrast situations. Try those or Anders’ version—or all three if you are feeling adventurous!

Monochrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -2
Clarity: 0
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -8 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Ilford HP5 Plus 400” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Horsetail Falls From Bridge* – Columbia River Gorge, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Horsetail Falls* – Columbia River Gorge, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Upper Falls* – Multnomah Falls, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*36 CFR 261.53(e)* – Multnomah Falls, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Use Caution For Slipping Bandits* – Multnomah Falls, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*No Cars* – Astoria, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Two Elk in a Yard* – Warrenton, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Spiral Stairs* – Fort Stevens SP, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Old Fireplace* – Fort Stevens SP, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Stairs in the Forest* – Fort Stevens SP, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Astoria & Columbia River* – Astoria, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Two Ships in the Columbia River* – Astoria, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Tetons, As Seen By Oneskies* – Grand Teton NP, WY – Fujifilm X100V

*South Jetty* – Fort Stevens SP, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Pointing To The Pacific* – Cannon Beach, OR – Fujifilm X100V

*Haystack Sticks* – Cannon Beach, OR – Fujifilm X100V

Find this film simulation recipes and over 200 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Ilford Ortho Plus 80

Posted on January 24, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

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

Many years ago I used to develop my own black-and-white film. It required removing the film from the cassette, winding it around a developing reel, and placing the reel into a developing canister—all in complete darkness! It was very tricky. If you didn’t get the film wound onto the reel quite right, it could ruin the film during development. When people think of darkrooms, they often think of dipping photosensitive papers into tubs of chemicals in dim amber light. This red light is called a safelight, and it’s safe for photographic paper, but not safe for undeveloped photographic film—that’s why you have to get the film from the cassette to the canister in complete darkness.

Ilford Ortho Plus 80 film is different, as it’s orthochromatic, which means it’s sensitive to blue and green light but not red, making it possible to transfer the film from the cassette to the canister under a safelight. This film was introduced in 2019, so it hasn’t been around very long. It produces sharp, fine-grain images that are fairly contrasty for a low-ISO film, and reds will be rendered dark. I’ve never used this film myself, so I relied on pictures I found on the internet to create this recipe. With film, how it’s shot, developed, and printed or scanned can have a big impact on how it looks, and that’s certainly a challenge for creating a facsimile on Fujifilm cameras, but I think this one is pretty close from the pictures I’ve seen. It also seems to be in the neighborhood of Washi S 50.

*Monochrome Country* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford Ortho Plus 80

I set Monochromatic Color (Toning) to WC +1 because many of the examples that I found had some warm toning (not sure if it’s in-software after scanning or from toned prints or both), but it’s completely optional, you can set WC to 0 if you prefer. This recipe is intended for newer X-Trans IV cameras, such as the Fujifilm X100V, X-T4, X-Pro3 and X-S10, and isn’t compatible with other cameras; however, if you disregard Clarity you can achieve something similar on the X-T3 and X-T30, but it won’t be exactly the same (feel free to try).

Monochrome+G
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +2
Shadow: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +2
Clarity: -2
Toning: WC +1, MG 0
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: 7000K, -5 Red & 0 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Ilford Ortho Plus 80 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Thorns of Nature* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Monochrome Berries* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Icy River* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Zipping* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Playground Boy* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Silhouette Playground* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Canvas Moon* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Cat & Salmon* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Fedex Delivery* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Locked Box* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Emotion Through Glass* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Tablet Play* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Arizona Film* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X100V Black Amazon B&H
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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Classic Monochrome

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Signs, Poles & Wires* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Classic Monochrome”

For some reason, black-and-white film simulation recipes aren’t as popular as color, but Fujifilm cameras are capable of some great monochrome images straight-out-of-camera. This new “Classic Monochrome” recipe was made by Thomas Schwab (B&W Instagram), who has created several of the film simulation recipes on this website and collaborated on several others. He’s a friend of this blog, and I’m honored that he allows me to share his recipes here!

Thomas said that he started with one of the Ilford recipes, and this evolved from that. It’s called “Classic Monochrome” because it has a great old-school B&W print feel. The only change that I added was Toning, which is optional, but it seems to look nice with these settings. This recipe has quickly become one of my favorite black-and-white options! It’s most similar to Dramatic Monochrome, so if you like that recipe you’ll like this one, too. Thank you, Thomas!

*Suburban Garages* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Classic Monochrome”

This recipe is contrasty and clean. It reminds me of Agfapan 25 printed using a high-contrast filter (maybe a #4, or even split-filtered). It’s not intended to look like it, but that’s what it reminds me of. It does have a limited dynamic range, and it’s easy to clip highlights, so the exposure should be carefully considered, or perhaps try DR-Auto if you are concerned. It’s compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X100V, X-T4, X-Pro3 and X-S10 cameras.

Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Clarity: +4
Toning: WC +1, MG 0
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong
White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & 0 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Classic Monochrome film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Marks the Spot* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Main Line Trail* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Empty Box* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Empty Bench* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Joshua Biking* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Girl & Bike* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Horses & Ducks* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Country Road Bus* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*No Motor Vehicles* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Weed 1* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Weed 2* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Ice Abstract 1* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Ice Abstract 2* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

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Fujifilm X-M1 (X-Trans I) Film Simulation Recipe: Monochrome

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Broken View* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

Fujifilm introduced the world to the X-Trans sensor in January of 2012 with the announcement of the X-Pro1 camera. Later that same year the X-E1 became the second camera with this new sensor, and a year later the X-M1 became the third and final camera to have the original X-Trans sensor. Even before the X-M1 was released, Fujifilm had begun selling cameras with the X-Trans II sensor, so the original sensor was already old news by the time the camera was released. It seems that, more-or-less, Fujifilm had some spare X-Trans I sensors laying around, so they put them inside of the X-A1, a Bayer sensor camera, and renamed it X-M1. There never was an X-M2.

Even though only three cameras have an X-Trans I sensor, I’ve had many requests for film simulation recipes that are compatible with the X-Pro1, X-E1 and X-M1. I used to own an X-E1 (two, actually), but I mostly shot RAW with it and never developed any film simulation recipes for it. Some X-Trans II and Bayer recipes are technically compatible, but produce slightly different results. I purchased a cheap, gently used X-M1 to create some recipes with, and this is the very first one!

*White Trees* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

The X-M1 only has one black-and-white option. There’s no B+Y, B+R and B+G. There’s just standard B, which is the abbreviation for the Monochrome film simulation. I wanted to create a B&W recipe that produces dramatic results, but the JPEG options are limited on this camera compared to the newer models, so I had to get creative with the white balance to get the look that I wanted. This recipe is intended for X-Trans I cameras, but those with Bayer and X-Trans II cameras can use it, too, but the results will be slightly different.

Monochrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +2 (Hard)
Shadow: +2 (Hard)
Sharpness: +1 (Medium-Hard)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Incandescent, -5 Red & +9 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs made using this Monochrome film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-M1:

*Old Phone* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Dark Chocolate* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Ice Cream Bowl* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Countertop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Steel Deck* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Good Sam* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Tool Ghosts* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Timesaver* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Saw Table* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Abandoned Workshop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Buy American* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Anchor Screw Drawer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Open Drawers* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Indoor Hoop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Window with Broken Glass* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Abandoned Garage* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak T-Max 400

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Tree Behind Bars* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak T-Max 400”

Kodak introduced T-Max black-and-white negative film back in 1986, and they dubbed it “the finest-grained black-and-white film in the world.” While it certainly has fine-grain, particularly the low-ISO version, I don’t know how accurate Kodak’s proclamation was. It’s available in ISO 100, 400 and 3200 variants. This film simulation recipe is intended to resemble the ISO 400 version.

T-Max 400 is a popular B&W film. I’ve used it, although it has been many, many years. Kodak updated the film in 2007 to be sharper and have finer grain; it’s the old version that I have personal experience with. With any film, but perhaps especially with black-and-white negative film, so much can be altered in the darkroom to customize the aesthetic, and one film can produce many different looks, so creating a recipe can be controversial because it might not look exactly like what someone thinks it should. Still, I hope that you will recognize this as T-Max-esque.

You might find that this recipe looks familiar. Actually, it began as Kodak Tri-X 400. Fuji X Weekly readers Thomas Schwab (who has helped with several recipes) and Anders Linborg (who invented the Tri-X recipe) worked together to modify that recipe into this one. I added a couple of small revisions, and now we have Kodak T-Max 400! It really was a group effort, but mostly Thomas and Anders. Thanks, guys!

*Night Clouds* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak T-Max 400”

This Kodak T-Max 400 film simulation recipe is intended for the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras; however, with a couple small modifications, it can be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. First, if your camera doesn’t have Clarity, consider using +1 Highlight and +4 Shadow instead, although you can certainly keep those settings as they are in the recipe below. If your camera doesn’t have the option for Grain size (only strength), set it to Strong. I used Toning on this recipe, which is completely optional, but on the X-T3 and X-T30, which has a different Toning menu, consider using +1 (warm). Back when I shot film I would often give my prints a quick Sepia bath, both for warmth and archival reasons, and the Toning option on your X-Trans IV camera does a good job of mimicking that.

One difference that you might notice between this recipe and Tri-X is ISO. On that recipe I suggest using ISO 1600 to 12800. I think for this recipe the best results are found between ISO 1600 and 3200, but anything from ISO 320 to 6400 looks good. I feel like ISO 12800 is a bit too much, but feel free to try it and see what you think.

Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +2
Clarity: +3
Toning: WC +2, MG 0
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight,+9 Red & -9 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak T-Max 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Hanging Leaves Silhouette* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Light Through The Dark Forest* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Ghosts* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Tree Trunks & Ground Cover* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Tree at Forest Edge – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Paved Forest Path* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*People Shadows* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Happy Jon* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Fish in the Net* – Hyrum Reservoir, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Tired Old Dock* – Hyrum Reservoir, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*A Boy & His Fishing Pole* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Lake Water* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Flower Photo* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Monochrome Wildflower* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Photo by Thomas Schwab* – Husum, Germany – Fujifilm X100V

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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[Not] My Fujifilm X-T30 Ilford Delta Push-Process Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Boy in a Chair with a Phone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Ilford Delta Push-Process”

When I shot film, Ilford Delta was my go-to for black-and-white photography. Sure, I used other films, but Ilford Delta was what I most often loaded into my camera. For fine-grain, I used Delta 100. For situations other than bright daylight, or if I wanted more contrast and grittiness, I would choose Delta 400. For dim light, I would on a rare occasion use Delta 3200. Sometimes I would push-process the Delta 100 and Delta 400 a stop or two. I actually still have a couple rolls of Delta film sitting around, although I haven’t shot much film in the last few years. The last roll of Ilford Delta that I shot was Delta 3200.

Something that people might not be aware of is that Delta 3200 is actually not an ISO 3200 film, it’s actually rated at ISO 1000, but has “built-in” push-processing to ISO 3200 (labs know to increase the development time unless you specify otherwise). Ilford Delta films have a lot of latitude and flexibility. There’s a lot that one can do in the lab with any of the Ilford Delta films to customize the contrast and grain.

Fuji X Weekly reader K. Adam Christensen shared with me his film simulation recipe for Ilford Delta 3200, and I really like the way that his recipe looks. It’s a great black-and-white recipe! I made a couple of small tweaks to it, nothing big. Adam uses this recipe on his X100V, and he sets Grain to Large, which is an option on that camera, as well as the X-Pro3 and X-T4, but not on my X-T30. If I could set Grain to Large I would, as that would better mimic Delta 3200. Without it, perhaps these settings more resemble Delta 3200 shot and developed at ISO 1600. It reminds me of Delta 400 pushed one stop or maybe a stop and a half.

White House Beyond the Thistle – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Ilford Delta Push-Process”

I have the ISO on this recipe set at 12800, which makes it difficult (but not impossible) to use in daylight situations. It’s a little easier on X100 cameras that have a built-in neutral density filter. If you need to drop the ISO, you can go as low as ISO 3200 and still get good results, but for best results keep the ISO at 12800 as much as possible. All of the pictures in this article were shot at ISO 12800.

Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +3
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Toning: 0
Sharpening: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
ISO 12800

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Ilford Delta Push-Process film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

FED 5C & Industar 69 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Phone Numbers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl, Smile – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Broccoli – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Faux Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Glass Bottles with Stems – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Flowers Waiting to Pot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Potted Tulip – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Tulips at Night – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Outdoor Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dirty Feet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Roller Skating – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Skates – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Outdoor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Two Feet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Chair Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blackberry Vine on Concrete – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Watering Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wet Handlebar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Raindrops on a Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Dramatic Monochrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

A couple of weeks ago when I was discussing the possibility of Fujifilm creating a black-and-white only camera, something that I came to learn by accident is that the Monochrome film simulation is pretty darn good. On X-Trans III & IV cameras, I have always used the Acros film simulation because it is beautiful and has a film-like quality to it. But there’s something about the “old-fashioned” Monochrome film simulation that’s nice, as well. I had never made a Monochrome film simulation for X-Trans III & IV cameras, so I set out to do so.

At first I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted, so I decided that the best starting point was to revisit the iconic photographs of the great photographers from the 1930’s, ’40’s and ’50’s—people like Ansel Adams, Andre Kertesz, Robert Doisneau, Weegee, Pual Strand, Elliott Erwitt and others. I realized that I was drawn to the high-contrast pictures that these photographers had created. I wanted to create a recipe that mimics that look in-camera. These settings, which I call Dramatic Monochrome, are what resulted from that.

Francis Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Dramatic Monochrome”

For those with X-Trans III sensors, which don’t have the Color Chrome Effect, you’ll get similar results, but it won’t be quite as dramatic. The difference isn’t very big, so don’t worry about it. I would consider using +2 for Sharpness on X-Trans III instead of +3. On X-Trans IV cameras, you could give a +1 toning for a subtle warm look, such as what would happen if you gave a print a quick Sepia bath.

Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Toning: 0
Sharpening: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800

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