Portra film simulation | FUJI X WEEKLY

Comparing 6 Kodak Portra Film Simulation Recipes

*Sunset Photography* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Portra 400 v2

Some of the absolute most popular Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras are those that mimic Kodak Portra film. I have a number of Recipes that are modeled after Portra, and with so many choices it can be difficult to know which ones to program into your camera. I thought I’d take this opportunity to compare six of them, with the hopes that it will help you decide. There are actually several more Portra-inspired Recipes than the six here, but I chose to compare these because they’re all X-Trans IV Recipes compatible with my Fujifilm X100V, the camera I used to capture them on a recent trip to the California coast.

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 2010 the two ISO 160 versions were merged into one, as well as the two ISO 400 versions. 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.

*Laguna Coast* – Laguna Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Portra 400 v2

One film can produce all sorts of various looks, depending on a host of factors, including how it was shot, developed, printed and/or scanned. The Kodak Portra 400 and the Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipes are very similar, but they were modeled after two different photographer’s Portra film pictures, and so their rendering varies just a little. Kodak Portra 400 leans a little more towards red-orange, while Kodak Portra 400 v2 leans a little more towards yellow-green. Kodak Portra 400 Warm, which is a modification of both Kodak Portra 400 Recipes, is intended to better replicate the results of Alex MacDougall’s Portra-Style presets. To create Reggie’s Portra, Reggie Ballesteros modified my Kodak Portra 400 Recipe to better suit his style. Because it uses Auto White Balance and a slightly more neutral WB Shift, it is much better than the others in artificial light situations; also, because it has Clarity set to 0, it is the best option for fast photography (Clarity set to anything other than 0 causes a short “storing” pause). Kodak Portra 800 is the grainiest of these Recipes. To create Kodak Portra 800 v2, which is the least vivid of these six, Thomas Schwab captured side-by-side images with a Fujifilm X-Pro3 and an analog camera loaded with Portra 800 film.

While each of these Portra-inspired Film Simulations Recipes are different—some only slightly so, others more significantly so—they all produce a distinct Portra-like aesthetic. Looking at the results, it’s easy to understand why these are popular options! Because they are a little different from each other, you can find the one that most closely matches your style. Or you can choose different ones for various scenarios. Perhaps you prefer something like Kodak Portra 400 for sunsets, Kodak Portra 400 Warm for midday light, Kodak Portra 800 v2 for soft portraits, and Reggie’s Portra for indoor pictures. If you’ve never tried any of these Recipes, be sure to pick at least one to program into your camera today!

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Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Portra 400 v2

Kodak Portra 400 Warm

Reggie’s Portra

Kodak Portra 800

Kodak Portra 800 v2

Kodak Portra 400 v2 — Fujifilm X-T5 (X-Trans V) Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on December 16 by Ritchie Roesch

*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.

Succulent Stories – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

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

*Changing Seasons* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Leaves on the Concrete* – Buckeye, 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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Happy Motoring: Abandoned Exxon — Route 66 — Santa Rosa, NM — Fujifilm X-E4 + Kodak Portra 400 v2

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Happy Motoring!* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

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.

*Evening Charge* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

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”

*Unleaded Regular* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Zero Gallons Available* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Gas & Games* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Rusty Hoop* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Dark Lights* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Ice Cold Coke* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Fan Belts* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Someone Left The Lights On* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Toolbox* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Still Being Repaired* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Exxon Pumps* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*DQ Sandwich* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Exxon* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Nickel & Dimed* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Application Information* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Atlas Tires Book* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Sandia Peak* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

*Time Stands Still* – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

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Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipe: Reggie’s Portra

Posted on June 11, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Dr Pepper Closed* – Childress, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

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:

Abandoned in Childress

*Brick Building* – Childress, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Interior Junk* – Childress, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Inside Mess* – Childress, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Glass Door* – Childress, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

A Walk in the Ozarks

*Chapel* – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X100V – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Dark Clouds Over Lake* – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X100V – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Fishing Trail* – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X100V – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Ducks by a Pond* – Ridgedale, MO – Fujifilm X100V – “Reggie’s Portra”

Cadillac Ranch

*Classic Drivers* – Amarillo, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Krylon* – Amarillo, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Spray Artists* – Amarillo, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

*Love Spray Paint* – Amarillo, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Reggie’s Portra”

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!

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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: