When the Nikon Zfc was announced in 2021, I preordered it, and waited a long time for it to come. When it finally arrived, I pulled the Zfc out of the box and began to use it, and I was quickly disappointed. I said that it was most similar to the Fujifilm X-T200, yet significantly bigger, heavier, and more expensive. Still, I put the camera through its paces, and even created 11 Nikon Z Film Simulation Recipes using the Zfc. Then the camera went back into its box, and I strongly considered selling it.
Right now I’m working on my full-review of the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 lens (coming very soon!), and that means using it. In the process, I made four more recipes—I guess I couldn’t help myself! Three of these are black-and-white and one is color. If you add these four to the 14 others, I now have 18 Film Simulation Recipes for Nikon Z cameras!
Obviously, I made these JPEG recipes on the Zfc, so it will render differently on the full-frame models, but I’m not sure exactly how differently, as I’ve never used a full-frame Z camera. The reports have been positive, though, so I assume that they work well, including on the more expensive bodies—I just have no first-hand experience myself.
For those who might not know what “Film Simulation Recipes” are, they’re JPEG camera settings that allow you to achieve various looks (mostly analog-inspired) straight-out-of-camera, no editing needed. It can save you a lot of time by simplifying your workflow, and it can make the process of creating photographs more enjoyable.
These will be the last Nikon Z recipes that I create, as I decided not to keep the Zfc. If you are interested in buying it (bundled with the 28mm pancake and TTArtisan 25mm lenses), let me know. It’s gently used, and has spent more time in its box than out of it. Just send me a message if you are interested. Why am I selling the Zfc? Partly because I have never been fully satisfied with it, and partly because I’ve yet to figure out where it makes sense in my photographic process—it seems out of place in my bag. If sometime in the future Nikon makes a better effort on a similar camera, I’ll certainly consider buying it; however, the Zfc was just not the one for me.
Dramatic Monochromatic
Nikon Zfc — Dramatic Monochromatic
Similarities to using a red filter with B&W film.
Picture Control: Monochrome Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +3.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +2.00 Clarity: +1.00 Contrast: +1.00 Brightness: +1.00 Filter Effects: Red Toning: B&W Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Cloudy WB Adjust: B6.0 G6.0 ISO: up to 6400
Nikon Zfc — Dramatic Monochromatic
Nikon Zfc — Dramatic Monochromatic
Nikon Zfc — Dramatic Monochromatic
Nikon Zfc — Dramatic Monochromatic
B&W Push-Processed
Nikon Zfc — B&W Push-Process
Resembles the contrast of B&W film that has been push-processed.
Picture Control: Graphite Effect Level: 100 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +2.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +2.00 Filter Effects: Yellow Toning: B&W Active D-Lighting: Extra High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Direct Sunlight WB Adjust: A0.0 G0.0 ISO: up to 6400
Nikon Zfc — B&W Push-Process
Nikon Zfc — B&W Push-Process
Nikon Zfc — B&W Push-Process
Nikon Zfc — B&W Push-Process
B&W Film
Nikon Zfc — B&W Film
Reminiscent of black-and-white negative film.
Picture Control: Carbon Effect Level: 100 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +1.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Filter Effects: Orange Toning: B&W Active D-Lighting: Extra High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Natural Light Auto WB Adjust: A0.0 G0.0 ISO: up to 6400
Nikon Zfc — B&W Film
Nikon Zfc — B&W Film
Nikon Zfc — B&W Film
Nikon Zfc — B&W Film
Vintage Agfacolor Fade
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Agfacolor Fade
Reminds me of Agfacolor slides from the 1930’s
Picture Control: Graphite Effect Level: 50 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: 0.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Filter Effects: Red Toning: Blue Green 0.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Incandescent WB Adjust: A6.0 M1.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Agfacolor Fade
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Agfacolor Fade
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Agfacolor Fade
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Agfacolor Fade
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When the Nikon Zfc was announced in 2021, I preordered it, and waited a long time for it to come. When it finally arrived, I pulled the Zfc out of the box and began to use it, and I was quickly disappointed. I said that it was most similar to the Fujifilm X-T200, yet significantly bigger, heavier, and more expensive. Still, I put the camera through its paces, and even created 11 Nikon Z Film Simulation Recipes using the Zfc. Then the camera went back into its box, and I strongly considered selling it.
After months and months of none-use, and after moving to a different state, I decided to give the Zfc one more try, but with a significant modification: I ditched the lousy Nikkor 28mm lens in favor of the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4. Why? Because the TTArtisan lens has an aperture ring, and the Nikkor doesn’t. The TTArtisan lens is better optically than the Nikkor, too—I’m much happier with this setup.
Right now I’m working on my full-review of the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 lens, and that means using it. Initially on my Zfc I was using the recipes that I had already created, but then I decided to make a few new ones—I guess I couldn’t help myself. If you add these three to the 11 others, I now have 14 Film Simulation Recipes for Nikon Z cameras!
Obviously, I made these JPEG recipes on the Zfc, so it will render differently on the full-frame models, but I’m not sure exactly how differently, as I’ve never used a full-frame Z camera. The reports have been positive, though, so I assume that they work well, including on the more expensive bodies—I just have no first-hand experience.
For those who might not know what “Film Simulation Recipes” are, they’re JPEG camera settings that allow you to achieve various looks (mostly analog-inspired) straight-out-of-camera, no editing needed. It can save you a lot of time by simplifying your workflow, and it can make the process of creating photographs more enjoyable.
Vintage Teal
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Teal
Vintage mood with a deep-teal cast.
Picture Control: Sepia Effect Level: 40 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +1.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +2.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Filter Effects: Red Toning: 7.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Cloudy WB Adjust: A1.0 G4.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Teal
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Teal
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Teal
Nikon Zfc — Vintage Teal
Redscale
Nikon Zfc — “Redscale”
Similar to Kodak Gold with the film spooled backwards (redscale).
Picture Control: Red Effect Level: 50 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: -1.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: 0.00 Clarity: -1.00 Contrast: +2.00 Filter Effects: Green Toning: 6.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Day White Fluorescent WB Adjust: B2.0 G4.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc — “Redscale”
Nikon Zfc — “Redscale”
Nikon Zfc — “Redscale”
Nikon Zfc — “Redscale”
Bright Negative
Nikon Zfc —“Bright Negative”
Reminiscent of brightly exposed color negative film.
Picture Control: Melancholic Effect Level: 100 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: 0.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: -1.00 Contrast: +3.00 Saturation: +3.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Daylight Fluorescent WB Adjust: A6.0 G6.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc —“Bright Negative”
Nikon Zfc —“Bright Negative”
Nikon Zfc —“Bright Negative”
Nikon Zfc —“Bright Negative”
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!
I wasn’t wrong about everything, actually. The Zfc is indeed surprisingly large and heavy—since it’s large and heavy it should have a grip, but it doesn’t. The camera feels too plasticky. It has an unnecessary PASM switch. The Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 lens that it came with is pretty pedestrian—plus it doesn’t have an aperture ring (none of Nikon’s Z lenses do, unfortunately). The Zfc is a little overpriced. It’s a camera that is easy to be disappointed with, and I believe a missed opportunity for Nikon. I was right about all of that.
Where did I get the Zfc wrong? How I was using it. This is a camera that begs to be used with a manual third-party (or vintage) lens, and with the PASM switch set to M. Forget that crummy Nikkor lens! Buy a cheap “nifty fifity” from China instead. Then use the Zfc as an all-manual camera. Viola! It suddenly makes sense!
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4
I purchased a TTArtisans 35mm f/1.4 for about $85 (stay tuned for a full review), and I’m much happier with it than the 28mm f/2.8. It has nothing to do with the focal length of the Nikkor lens or its maximum aperture. My favorite Fujinon lens is the 27mm f/2.8—that Fujifilm pancake is great! The Nikon version is not. The TTArtisans lens is much better than the Nikon lens that came with Zfc—it’s both optically superior and has more character. More importantly, though, it has an aperture ring.
Using the Zfc in full-manual without an aperture ring just doesn’t make sense. Using the Zfc in Aperture-Priority without an aperture ring doesn’t make sense, either. Using an aperture-ring-lens on a PASM camera isn’t particularly natural in my opinion, unless you set it to M and treat it like an old-school film camera—that’s what I did with my Zfc! It works on this camera only because it has shutter and ISO knobs—I control the exposure triangle with physical controls.
Nikon Zfc + TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4
This! This is how to use the Nikon Zfc—the right way—all manual. No auto anything. The Zfc is unique in that, even though it has PASM, it also has physical controls that are activated by being in the correct mode (in this case, manual mode). When you do this, the shooting experience is similar to manually shooting with a Fujifilm X camera—this is the closest to the traditional Fujifilm experience that I have found outside of using a Fujifilm camera. If you don’t mind attaching a non-Nikkor lens and shooting full-manual, the Zfc is actually an alright camera. Yes, it’s still short of what it could have and should have been, but at least I found how I can enjoy using it.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
On the day when the Nikon Zfc was announced, I placed my preorder for it. I’m a sucker for retro-styled cameras, and I used to shoot with Nikon DSLRs many years ago, so I was very curious about the Zfc. When it arrived I eagerly removed the packaging, and was very soon disappointed. The camera looked beautiful, but was bigger, heavier, and cheaper (as in quality, not price) than I had anticipated, and with questionable design decisions (such as PASM). Still, I put it through its paces, and published an article comparing the Nikon Zfc to Fujifilm cameras, which was more-or-less my review of it. Then I put the Zfc back in the box, which is where it remains today. I might dust it off and give it another chance, or maybe I’ll just sell it—I haven’t yet decided. For certain, I was unimpressed by Nikon’s efforts, and my advice to them would be to try again, but this time don’t be afraid to take the extra steps to give their customers a unique experience. I feel like they had the right idea, but didn’t have the guts to really see it through, and instead produced a mediocre camera dressed in lovely styling—kind of the lipstick-on-a-pig thing, but that’s a little harsher than I mean.
There was one bright spot with the Nikon camera: Picture Control (and the Creative Picture Control subset). While Fujifilm’s Film Simulations are inspired by film, Nikon’s Picture Controls are inspired by feelings and mood. It’s a much different take, and not necessarily better or worse—simply a divergent approach that’s worth noting. Fujifilm infuses an analog soul into their digital images, while Nikon infuses emotions that may or may not be analog-esque into their images. I found this to be intriguing, and I excitedly created some Film Simulation Recipes, which are JPEG camera settings, for it (like I do for Fujifilm cameras)—I crafted 11 Film Simulation Recipes for the Zfc before I boxed it back up.
I never did anything with those recipes, other than store them on my computer. Nobody knew that I had even made them, yet, because of my Zfc article, a number of people have requested that I publish Nikon Z Film Simulation Recipes. I briefly considered making a website and app, like I did for Fujifilm and Ricoh, but decided that I really don’t have the time, energy, or desire to do that, at least for now. Instead, I decided to simply publish those 11 Film Simulation Recipes for Nikon Z in this article—you’ll find them below! These recipes are fully compatible with the Nikon Zfc, Z50, and Z30 (the APS-C models). They are likely also compatible with the full-frame Z cameras—Z5, Z6, Z6 II, Z7, Z7 II, and Z9—but I’m really not 100% sure, and most likely they’ll render just a little differently—if you have one of those cameras, give it a try and see what happens.
For those who don’t own a Nikon Z camera, you might find the similarities and differences between these and Fujifilm recipes to be fascinating. I hope that those who come to this website for Fujifilm-related articles aren’t too disappointed by this post, but instead find something about it worthwhile. Likely a few of you have both a Fujifilm and Nikon Z camera, so this article should be beneficial to at least a handful of people. If it is, let me know in the comments! Also, if there’s a certain recipe in this list that you are drawn to, let me know!
Nostalgic Print
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Resembles the aesthetic of classic Kodak prints that have been stored in a box for many years.
Picture Control: Dream Effect Level: 90 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: -0.50 Mid-Range Sharpening: -2.00 Clarity: -4.00 Contrast: +3.00 Saturation: -2.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Natural Light Auto WB Adjust: B2.0 G0.5 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Nikon Zfc – “Nostalgic Print”
Silver Slide
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Some similarities to color transparency film with the bleach step reduced (but not skipped).
Picture Control: Dramatic Effect Level: 70 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: +1.00 Contrast: -1.00 Saturation: +3.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Direct Sunlight WB Adjust: A3.0 M1.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Silver Slide”
Weekend Negative
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Inspired by inexpensive consumer-grade color negative film, printed at the one-hour lab.
Picture Control: Sunday Effect Level: 60 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: -2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: 0.00 Clarity: +3.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: -3.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: 6500K WB Adjust: A/B0.0 G2.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Nikon Zfc – “Weekend Negative”
Tungsten Dawn
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Great for mixed light situations, with some similarities to Tungsten film—also, great for toning down the intensity of warm “golden hour” light.
Picture Control: Morning Effect Level: 70 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: -2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +2.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: +2.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Day White Fluorescent WB Adjust: A2.0 M1.0 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Nikon Zfc – “Tungsten Dawn”
Fujichrome
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Color palette reminiscent of Fujichrome Astia but with vibrancy more similar to Fujichrome Provia.
Picture Control: Somber Effect Level: 90 Quick Sharp: -2.00 Sharpening: 0.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: 0.00 Clarity: -3.00 Contrast: -3.00 Saturation: +1.00 Active D-Lighting: Extra High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Direct Sunlight WB Adjust: A2.0 M1.25 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Nikon Zfc – “Fujichrome”
Classic Slide
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
Some similarities to Kodak Elite Chrome emulsions.
Picture Control: Pop Effect Level: 30 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: 0.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: +2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: -2.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: 5200K WB Adjust: A/B0.0 M0.75 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
Nikon Zfc – “Classic Slide”
CineFilm
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Resembles the aesthetic of low-saturation cinema film.
Picture Control: Silence Effect Level: 70 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +1.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +2.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: +3.00 Active D-Lighting: Auto High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Auto (0) Keep White WB Adjust: A5.0 M0.50 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Nikon Zfc – “CineFilm”
Cinema Color
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Produces a cinematic filmic look.
Picture Control: Bleached Effect Level: 60 Quick Sharp: 0.00 Sharpening: +2.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: +1.00 Clarity: -3.00 Contrast: -1.00 Saturation: +3.00 Active D-Lighting: High High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Direct Sunlight WB Adjust: A5.0 M1.00 ISO: up to 3200
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Nikon Zfc – “Cinema Color”
Vintage Color
Nikon Zfc – “Vintage Color”
Reminiscent of color pictures from the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Picture Control: Melancholic Effect Level: 90 Quick Sharp: -1.00 Sharpening: +1.00 Mid-Range Sharpening: 0.00 Clarity: -2.00 Contrast: +1.00 Saturation: -1.00 Active D-Lighting: Normal High ISO NR: Low White Balance: Daylight Fluorescent WB Adjust: A3.0 G2.25 ISO: up to 3200
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