Portra 160 | FUJI X WEEKLY

Kodak Portra 160 v2 — Fujifilm X-T5 (X-Trans V) Film Simulation Recipe

*Yellow Aspen Forest* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Portra 160 v2 Recipe

At the very moment that I was finishing up my Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe for X-Trans IV cameras, Thomas Schwab, who has created or co-created a number of Recipes on this website, sent me a modification that he made of the “old” Kodak Portra 160 Recipe (for X-Trans III plus the X-T3 & X-T30 cameras) to make it compatible with X-Trans V models. Clear as mud? Let me retry. This new Kodak Portra 160 v2 Recipe was modified by Thomas from the Kodak Portra 160 Recipe published in 2020 so as to be compatible with X-Trans V cameras. Plus he gave it a tune-up. Excitedly, I programmed this new version into my Fujifilm X-T5; however, I had several other projects going on, so it took a little time to get this one out. Thomas Schwab did a great job of updating the old version, and the results speak for themselves. I want to give Thomas a special “thank you” for his work and willingness to share!

Kodak introduced the Portra line in 1998, with two ISO 160 versions, two ISO 400 versions, and an ISO 800 emulsion (plus a short-lived ISO 100 Tungsten film, for those keeping score). Portra saw a couple of updates by Kodak, and in late-2010 the two ISO 160 versions were merged into one, as well as the two ISO 400 versions. Originally, Kodak Portra 160 came in “NC” (neutral color) and “VC” (vivid color) versions; Portra 160 NC was more popular for portraits and Portra 160 VC was more popular for landscapes. When Kodak merged the two, it fell kind of in-between the two emulsions—more vibrant than NC but less than VC. This Film Simulation Recipe is more similar to the merged Portra 160 that Kodak introduced in 2010. The film has become iconic, with its warm yet natural colors. As the name implies, it was meant for portrait photography, but is popular for many genres.

*Shell Gas Station* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak Portra 160 v2 Recipe

This Kodak Portra 160 v2 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2, X-H2s, X-T5, and X-S20 (yes, the X-S20). With one modification—setting Color Chrome FX Blue to Strong instead of Weak—this Recipe is also compatible with most fourth-generation X-Trans cameras: X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4 & X-T30 II. This can also be used on newer GFX models, but it will render slightly different (try it anyway).

Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 Blue
Dynamic Range: D-Range Priority (DR-P) Auto
Color: 0
Sharpness: -1
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 160 v2 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:

*Smokey Sunset* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Mountainous Contemplations* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Siblings* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Backlit Boy in Autumn* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Jonathan Using RitchieCam* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Golden Hour, Golden Trees* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Deer in the Meadow* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Yellow Aspen Tree Tops* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Yellow Aspens behind Green Pine* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Leaves & Needles* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Autumn Joy* – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

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

*Endless Blue & Palms* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Dusk in the Suburbs* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Frisbee Golf* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Yard Palm* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Palm Behind Bougainvillea* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Two-Trunked Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

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

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Kodak Portra 160 — Fujifilm X100V (X-Trans IV) Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on October 15 by Ritchie Roesch

*Coastal Blossoms at Sunset* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Portra 160 Recipe

Originally, Kodak Portra 160 came in “NC” (neutral color) and “VC” (vivid color) versions; Portra 160 NC was more popular for portraits and Portra 160 VC was more popular for landscapes. When Kodak merged the two, it fell kind of in-between the two emulsions—more vibrant than NC but less than VC. This Film Simulation Recipe is intended to mimic the merged Portra 160 that Kodak introduced in 2010.

I already have a Kodak Portra 160 Recipe that is compatible with X-Trans III cameras plus the X-T3 and X-T30, but not one for newer models. This update is long overdue, and I’m thrilled to finally publish it. Instead of simply making a quick adjustment to the “old” Recipe, I started from scratch. While the results are still very similar, it’s a significant redesign, and (hopefully) it’s just a tad better. This Recipe pairs really well with diffusion filters; for the California pictures in this article I used a 10% CineBloom filter, and for the Arizona pictures I used a mix of a 5% CineBloom and no diffusion filter at all. I did not adjust Clarity when using the diffusion filters.

*Glass View* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Portra 160 Recipe

This Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. For fifth generation X-Trans models, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Strong. This Recipe will also work on newer GFX cameras, but the results will likely be slightly different.

Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: 4900K, +4 Red & -6 Blue
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -2
Color: 0
Sharpness: -2
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Golden Coast* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Pacific Gold* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Bluff Above the Golden Coast* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Blooms Above the Pacific Ocean* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Gold Coast Blooms* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunset Selfie* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Blooming Bush on Pacific Bluff* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Pacific Overlook* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Red Coastal Flowers* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Aliso Beach* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Hotel* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Floral Arch* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Flowers & Palms* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Bunch of Blossomed Flowers* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Flowers & Water* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Coastal Peek* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Wedding Guests* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Flower Petals* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Book & Mirror* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Gifts & Snacks* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Mirror* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*You Like Jazz?* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V

*Twin Palms & Concrete* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Empty Cage* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Trumpet Haze* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Streaking Light over Tree Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Spiderweb in the Shrub* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*LavAzza Cactus* – Scottsdale, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Trash Moon* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Orange Leaf* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Apartment* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Top of the Playground* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Playground Canopy* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Palm* *in the Sky* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Tree-Lined Path* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Bougainvillea Warm* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Arizona Jon* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Waterless Lions* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Evening Light Bougainvillea* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Oleander Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Bougainvillea Blossom* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Summer Waves Hello – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 160”

This is the film simulation recipe that you’ve been waiting for! One of the top films that I’ve been asked to create a film simulation recipe for is Portra 160. I’ve tried many times, and I felt that I got close a couple of times, but I was never able to get it quite right. Fuji X Weekly reader Piotr Skrzypek recently created a Portra 160 film simulation recipe for his Fujifilm X-E2, which he gave me permission to share. I modified his settings very slightly, and published that Portra 160 recipe for X-Trans II cameras last week. Using those settings as a starting point, and understanding how X-Trans II is different than the newer sensors, I was able to make a Portra 160 film simulation recipe that is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Portra is a line of films that Kodak introduced in 1998. As the name implies, it was designed for portrait photography, although it has been used for many different genres, as it’s good for more than just portraits. Kodak made Portra in three different ISOs: 160, 400 and 800. The ISO 160 and 400 versions originally had two options: Neutral Color (NC) and Vivid Color (VC). In 2011 Kodak redesigned Portra, and they did away with the Neutral and Vivid versions, making instead only one option in each ISO. Portra has been a popular film since its introduction.

Horizontal Ladder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 160”

This recipe looks great when you turn the exposure compensation dial up. You don’t want to clip highlights, but if you keep the highlights just below clipping you can get excellent results. This recipe is especially good for high-contrast scenes. Really, this is a good all-around recipe that you’ll want to keep programmed in your camera’s Q Menu. I imagine that for some of you, this will be the top film simulation recipe that you use most of the time. Don’t be afraid to use Auto-White-Balance instead of Daylight, or to adjust Color up to +2 or down to 0, depending on your tastes.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -2
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 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 160 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Last Light Roofline – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rooflines – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Garages – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Dumpster – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stop – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Elevator Trucks – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bird Over Grain Elevator – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Autumn Leftovers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Reed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in Thought – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Wall Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl by the Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bike Seat – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

First Pear Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Goosenecks – Goosenecks SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Satellite Dish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grey Sky Over Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Barn Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

36 Exposures of Portra 160

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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Last month I loaded a 36 exposure roll of Portra 160 film into my Asahi Pentax S1 SLR, and attached a Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 lens to it. I walked along a trail that borders a ranch and leads to Farmington Bay, which is a wetland near the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and I snapped a bunch of pictures. I hadn’t shot Portra for a number of years, so I was excited to get the film back from the lab.

My 36 exposures of Portra came back from the lab yesterday. I was excited to see the results! As I viewed the scans on my computer, I couldn’t help but recall my great appreciation for this film and film photography. Portra 160 is wonderful! It makes me want to ditch digital and go back to my analog roots, as there’s something special about film that you just can’t replicate with modern cameras. Below are some of those 36 exposures of Portra 160 that I shot last month. Enjoy!

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You might notice that the date of this article is April 1st, which is April Fools Day. I did not, in fact, shoot these pictures on Portra film. They were captured on my iPhone. Just kidding! Yesterday I shot 36 exposures of a new film simulation recipe that will be called “Portra 160” on my Fujifilm X-T30. I did, in fact, use the 28mm Super-Takumar lens. This new film simulation recipe, which is what I used for these pictures, is compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras. I hope to publish the recipe later this week, so stay tuned!

[Not] My Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Mitchell Mesa – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1 “Kodak Portra 160”

Kodak introduced Portra film in 1998. As the name implies, this film was designed for portrait photography, as it produces pleasing skin tones. It came in three ISO options: 160, 400 and 800. The ISO 160 and 400 versions came in two varieties: Neutral Color (NC), which was less saturated, and Vivid Color (VC), which was more saturated. In 2011 Kodak did away with the Neutral Color and Vivid Color options, making a new version that was more-or-less in-between the two.

One of the top films that I’ve been asked to create a film simulation recipe for is Portra 160. I’ve tried many times, and I felt that I got close a couple of times, but I was never able to get it quite right. Fuji X Weekly reader Piotr Skrzypek recently created a Portra 160 film simulation recipe for his Fujifilm X-E2, and he gave me permission to share his settings with you! When I first looked at his pictures, I immediately thought that they resembled Portra, and I continued to think so as I used his recipe on my X-T1. Piotr has a lot of experience shooting film, and the main film that he uses is Portra 160. I’ve shot Portra before, but it’s been many years. How the film is shot, developed, and printed or scanned effects the way that it looks, so results can vary, but this recipe is overall an excellent facsimile of actual Portra 160 film. Great job, Piotr Skrzypek!

Portra – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 “Kodak Portra 160”

I did alter Piotr’s recipe a little. I have Color set to +1, but he has Color set to +2, which I think more mimics Portra 160VC. Whether you set Color to +1 or +2, you are still getting a Portra look, and you can try it both ways and decide which you like better for your photographs. You can even try setting color to 0 to get a Portra 160NC look. The other change I made is to white balance, which I set to Daylight, while Piotr uses auto-white-balance. In many outdoor circumstances Daylight and AWB will produce identical results, so for the most part it doesn’t matter which you choose. I like Daylight a little more than AWB, but you can decide which you prefer for yourself. This recipe is intended for X-Trans II cameras, but there will be a Portra 160 recipe for X-Trans III and IV cameras coming soon!

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -2 (Low)
Shadow: -2 (Low)
Color: +1 (Medium-High)
Sharpness: -2 (Low)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Daylight, +3 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200