SOOC | FUJI X WEEKLY

Why I Haven’t Published a Fujifilm X-T5 Camera Review

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

I purchased my Fujifilm X-T5 when it was released back in November. I’ve received several messages lately asking why I haven’t published a review of the new camera. I think it’s because they are considering buying one themselves, and they want to know if it’s actually “worth” upgrading to or if there is something they should be aware of. Basically, some people want to either be talked into buying it or talked out of buying it, as it’s a lot of money and a big decision—which can be paralyzing—and you want to be wise with it. Lots of research is essential, and finding opinions from those you trust can be invaluable. I’m honored and flattered that many of you consider this website to be trustworthy.

At the beginning of each year, I like to take some time to consider how things went the prior year, what the current trajectory is, and where I want things to go. For Fuji X Weekly, I really feel that a slight shift in trajectory is needed, and in some ways I began moving towards that last year, even if I wasn’t sure the why and where. After much consideration, I have a clearer vision of where I want this website to go in 2023, and how to achieve it. I haven’t communicated these changes to you (until now, I suppose), but you’ve probably already noticed some.

There’s actually a lot going on behind the scenes. Many different projects are in the works. I’m juggling quite a bit right now. When the time is right, there are many exciting things that I look forward to announcing and sharing with you. Some projects might never work out, which has happened before (that’s just they way it goes sometimes), but I do believe that most of these will come to fruition. Some will take much longer than others, so stay tuned for these announcements over the coming weeks and months.

*Lemon Bowl* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “Superia Xtra 400”

One thing that I haven’t announced (but you might have already picked up on) is that I’m doing more to explain and suggest when to use various Film Simulation Recipes. There are so many to choose from, and it can be difficult to know which to try. Then, when you find one you like, maybe the weather or light changes, and you don’t like it nearly so much in that situation. Now what do you do?

The trouble with suggesting Recipes is that, while one person might love one for a certain light and situation, another person might hate it for the same light and situation. For example, in the very same day, one photographer told me that they used the Kodak Portra 400 Recipe for a professional portraiture photo shoot and they couldn’t be more happy with the results, while another photographer told me that they tried that same Recipe for portraits and the results were horrible. Each person has their own tastes and style, and what will work for one person won’t work for another. I could suggest to you the Recipes that I think are good for various situations, but you might completely disagree with my assessment. Still, it can be helpful have a starting point.

Some of the articles that I’ve published so far in 2023 to help out with this are Five Film Simulation Recipes Every Social Media Influencer Should Try on Their Fujifilm X100V, Using Film Simulation Recipes to Recreate Vintage Looks — 10 Recipes to Try Today!, Elevating Your Street Photography with Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipes + 5 Recipes to Try Today!, Creative Collective 040: FXW Zine — Issue 15 — February 2023 (with the article: 10 Film Simulation Recipes for Cloudy Days), The 10 Best Film Simulation Recipes on the Fuji X Weekly App, and 5 Film Simulation Recipes every Fujifilm X-T5 Photographer Should Try. This actually started late last year with the Which Film Simulation Recipe, When? series. You can expect a lot more similar content moving forward because this is where I want to focus more of my time and energy. Even when I’m publishing new Recipes, I’m trying to do a better job of briefly explaining what situations or light they might work best in. Hopefully this is helpful to you.

None of this is completely new. For example, in the SOOC Live broadcasts, not only have we discussed at length a Film Simulation Recipe in each show, but for awhile now we’ve suggested several Recipe for use in specific situations or for various genres of photography. Without giving away what’s in store of Season 3, which kicks off tomorrow, I can tell you that we’re doubling-down on that concept. Be sure to tune in, and subscribe to the new SOOC Live YouTube channel.

What does any of this have to do with a review of the Fujifilm X-T5? Simple: I’m moving away from product reviews. For now—and I don’t know if this will last forever or if it’s just for a time—I won’t be publishing any camera or lens reviews. I want to focus a lot less on telling you what is good or bad about various gear, and focus more on how to use your get to achieve the aesthetics you want straight-out-of-camera. I’m not going to publish a review of the X-T5, but instead publish more articles on using Recipes with that camera (and other camera, too, definitely not just or even mostly the X-T5). I want to help you get the results you want out of your camera, and product reviews, which take a lot of time to put together, get in the way of that. Besides, there are so many reviews of the Fujifilm X-T5 already, what could I possibly add? The only things I would say is that X-Trans V renders the color blue slightly deeper on some film simulations, Auto White Balance can be quirky, Nostalgic Neg. is similar to Eterna, and if you are doing long broadcasts the camera might overheat. Those are the only things that I would add to what others have discussed, and I’ve already said them. If you have been waiting patiently for my review (that won’t come), I hope this is somehow helpful to your decision to buy or not buy; mostly I would say trust your gut, because deep down you know whether or not you actually “need” that new camera, or if it’s just Gear Acquisition Syndrome, New Camera Envy, or Fear of Missing Out.

While not publishing camera and lens reviews might be seen as negative, I hope that the revised vision for Fuji X Weekly is very positive, and that the benefits of the changes far outweigh what must be left behind. I invite you to come along for the ride, and let’s see where all of this goes.

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

There’s an Easier Way — JPEG Photography for a Faster Workflow

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Arches National Park, Utah — iPhone 11 — RitchieCam App — Analog Gold filter*

“I’ve been working on my photos from October rather than reviews….”
—Ken Rockwell, February 2, 2023

I just stumbled upon that quote from Ken, which was followed by an iPhone photo from October (that’s why this article begins with an iPhone picture). I bet a lot of you can relate to his statement. When you photograph a lot, your post-processing workflow can get backed up quite a bit. I have thousands of unprocessed RAW files that have been sitting on a now-obsolete computer’s hard drive for at least seven years now. I get it: you’ve got stuff to do, and your limited time is being pulled every which way, so something’s got to give.

I discovered that there’s a better way. There’s no need to get four or five months behind. There’s no need to let your photographic work back up so much. You can can accomplish so much more with the time that you’ll save. What is this better way? It’s really simple: shoot JPEGs, and skip the picture editing step (called One Step Photography, as explained by Ansel Adams in his book Polaroid Land Camera). More and more photographers are embracing this approach.

*Sitting Above Horseshoe Bend* – Horseshoe Bend, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Pergear 10mm – “The Rockwell” Recipe

Ken Rockwell knows this. Not only does he often shoot JPEGs, but he once tried one of my Film Simulation Recipes on a Fujifilm camera. He shoots with a lot of brands, and Fujifilm isn’t his main make. I have Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras, I have Recipes for Ricoh GR cameras, and I have an iPhone camera app called RitchieCam; if you don’t shoot with Fujifilm, Ricoh, or iPhone, your options are much more limited (I did make a few Recipes for Nikon Z, too, but it’s a pretty small number).

The reason why it’s important to shoot with Recipes is because the settings have been fine-tuned to produce a particular aesthetic that doesn’t require editing. The images look good straight from the camera, as if they had been post-processed or perhaps were even shot on film. Except they weren’t, which saves you a ton of time, money, and hassle. If you aren’t shooting with Recipes, you are most certainly doing some amount of post-processing, whether you shoot RAW or JPEG. There are some people who do still edit their camera-made-using-Recipes JPEGs, but they’re doing much less editing than they otherwise would be. The point of using Film Simulation Recipes is to edit less or (preferably) not at all, which has a huge upside, but it does require Recipes that produce excellent results, and a little extra care by the photographer in the field, since “I’ll fix it in post” isn’t really an option.

If Ken had used a Fujifilm camera programmed with Fuji X Weekly Recipes, surely he would not be busy right now post-processing pictures captured way back in October. Instead, he’d be writing those reviews that have been delayed, or out on some other photographic adventure. The October exposures would have been completed in October, or maybe early November at the latest. If he had used RitchieCam, there would be no need to process his iPhone images with Skylum software, because they would have been ready-to-publish the moment they were captured. Ken, you should try my iPhone camera app. And you should shoot with Fujifilm cameras more often.

*Captured at the end of October, posted to Instagram the next day, and published on this website November 8th.*

With the Canikony brands, shooting awesome straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEGs isn’t as easy or prevalent. Sure, it can be done, but it is much more often done with other brands because of things like the Fuji X Weekly App, which contains approaching 300 Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras, so no matter your desired aesthetic, there’s a Recipe for you. Download the Fuji X Weekly App for free today (Android here, Apple here), and consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience. Ken is sitting at a computer right now fiddling with files, since he didn’t shoot with Fujifilm cameras programmed with Film Simulation Recipes.

People seem to either love or hate Ken Rockwell. To be clear, this article is not bashing him. I’ve actually had correspondence with Ken, and he seems like a very nice guy. I think his “real” personality is much more kind and genuine than his online persona, which can sometimes come across as abrasive and perhaps even offensive. If you hate him, I would suggest that you reach out to him with an open mind and heart, and try to get to know him a little, because your mind might get changed, even if just a bit. Personally, I have found some of his articles, insights, and commentary to be quite helpful; however, I certainly don’t agree with everything that he says, and I take his words with a grain of salt (as you should with mine). He’s very successful at what he does, so he’s obviously doing something “right” even if I don’t fully agree with what it is.

All of that is to say, if you don’t want your workflow backed up for months because you have so many exposures to edit, and you’d rather spend your time doing something else—including capturing more photographs—then SOOC JPEGs might just be the thing for you. If you don’t own a Fujifilm camera, consider picking one up. Download the Fuji X Weekly App. Select a few Film Simulation Recipes to try. Let your RAW editor subscription expire.

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-E4 in black: Amazon B&H Moment
Fujifilm X-E4 in silver: Amazon B&H Moment

SOOC Live Season 3 Kicks Off February 9!!

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

We’re two weeks away from kicking off SOOC Live Season 3! Join myself and Nathalie Boucry as we talk about Film Simulation Recipes, Fujifilm cameras, photography, and so much more. There will be quite a few changes to the show, which we’ll discuss in the initial episode, so you’ll want to tune in. We’ll be broadcasting live on February 9th at 9 AM Pacific Time, Noon Eastern Time, and we hope that you will join us. Mark your calendars now!

One big change is that SOOC Live has its own YouTube channel. All of the “old” episodes will be added there, but it is a work-in-progress and will take some time, so please excuse the construction. You’ll want to take a moment right now to subscribe to the SOOC Live channel, that way you’ll get notified of new broadcasts. Also, the Season 3 Kickoff episode has already been scheduled, so be sure to set the reminder. You know, hit the bell and smash the button and all that fun stuff.

If you haven’t uploaded your photos, don’t forget to do so soon (click here)! Which pictures should you share? Submit up to three of your favorite images captured with the Mystery Chrome Film Simulation Recipe (which was created live during the last episode of Season 2) and/or festive photographs captured over the holiday season with any Film Simulation Recipe. Be sure to include your name and the recipe used in the file name. All the pictures submitted will be included in a slide show, and some will be shown during the show. Everyone who submits a photo will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a 12-month Patron subscription to the Fuji X Weekly App. Please submit your pictures by February 7th.

If you haven’t visited the SOOC Live website, you’ll want to do so and bookmark it. It’s also a work-in-progress, and you’ll see a few changes and updates over the coming weeks and months.

There are some big things in store for SOOC Live Season 3! Come along for the ride and see where this journey takes us.

The SOOC Revolution

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fence & Desert* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – “Vintage Bronze” Recipe

“The effect of one-step processing on both amateur and professional creative photography has been revolutionary.”
—Ansel Adams, Polaroid Land Camera

I woke up this morning unsure what to write about. It just so happened that I had a handful of exposures I captured yesterday evening still sitting on the SD Card in my Fujifilm X-T5. Using Fujifilm’s Cam Remote App, I transferred the pictures from the camera to my iPhone, cropped and straightened a few of them, and uploaded the images to cloud storage. It took maybe 10 minutes tops start-to-finish, and I don’t even think it was that long. One-step photography, which removes the second-step (the editing step), is truly revolutionary, just as Ansel Adams stated. Of course he was talking about instant film—something he was a big fan of—and we’re talking about straight-out-of-camera JPEGs, something that I’m a big fan of. Now I know what to write about today!

*First Sign of Spring* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – “Vintage Bronze” Recipe

Why is shooting straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEGs revolutionary?

First, it allows for a faster, more streamlined workflow. When you use Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes, the camera does all the post-processing work for you. You don’t have to spend hours and hours sitting in front of a computer fiddling with images. This can save you an extensive amount of time and effort, which can significantly increase your productivity, plus make photography more enjoyable. It’s not only a faster workflow, but an easier workflow. Achieving a desired aesthetic is as simple as programming the correct recipe into your camera.

*Yellow Wildflowers* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – “Vintage Bronze” Recipe

Next, SOOC JPEGs allow you to be more consistent. Because the camera is applying the recipes, the photographer doesn’t have to worry about inconsistencies in their editing process. This makes achieving cohesive results for a photo series or project much easier.

Also, JPEGs are more efficient than RAW in terms of storage space. You don’t need to buy a larger SD Card or external hard drive or pay for more cloud storage nearly as quickly. Upload and download times are faster. You have a ready-to-share photo the moment that it’s captured—you don’t have to wait for a program to process it first.

*Jon at the Fishin’ Pond* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – “Vintage Bronze” Recipe

Finally, SOOC JPEGs might be considered more authentic. Film Simulation Recipes often replicate the look and feel of classic film stocks and processes, and seem less digital-like in their rendering. There is a growing sentiment among photography consumers (not photographers, but those who view pictures) that “Photoshop” is bad, and picture manipulation equals people manipulation; however, unedited images don’t carry that stigma, and can come across as more authentic.

All of this and more are why there is a revolution in photography right now. More and more photographers—from first-camera beginners to experienced pros with recognizable names—are using Film Simulation Recipes and shooting SOOC JPEGs. It’s a growing trend, and I believe it will become much bigger in the coming years. I’m truly honored to be a part of it, and I’m glad that you’ve come along for the ride.

*Budding & Blooming* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – “Vintage Bronze” Recipe

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  Moment
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujinon 35mm in black:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujinon 35mm in silver:  Amazon  B&H  Moment

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

Using Film Simulation Recipes to Recreate Vintage Looks — 10 Recipes to Try Today!

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*More Than Double Wide* – Arlington, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “1970’s Summer” recipe

Fujifilm cameras have color profiles called Film Simulations, which can be customized to create various looks, including emulating the aesthetics of different types of film. Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes, which are a set of specific camera settings that produce many different looks in-camera without the need for editing, can be used to easily apply various vintage film looks to photos taken with Fujifilm cameras. These recipes can be used without the need for post-processing because they are essentially a set of camera settings that are tailored to emulate the aesthetic of a specific type of film—you get the retro analog look straight-out-of-camera.

One of the benefits of using these Film Simulation Recipes is that they can save a significant amount of time in post-processing. Instead of having to manually adjust various settings in editing software to achieve a vintage film look, photographers can simply apply the appropriate recipe in-camera and get the desired look straight-out-of-camera. The photos are finished and ready to share the moment that they are captured. You don’t even need to involve a computer at any point in your workflow, if you don’t want to. Not editing is a huge timesaver that allows photographers to be more productive thanks to a streamlined workflow.

Another benefit of using the Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes is that they can help new photographers achieve vintage film looks without having to learn cumbersome, intimidating, and expensive software. These recipes provide an easy way to experiment with different analog aesthetics. Film is expensive, and recipes are a quicker, more convenient, and cheaper alternative that still produces film-like results. And there is instant gratification when the unedited picture looks good, as if it had been post-processed or shot on film.

There are four reasons why photographers might want their pictures to have a retro analog look:

Aesthetics — Vintage looks can evoke a sense of nostalgia and give photos a timeless quality that can be pleasing to the eye.
Branding — Some photographers may want to apply vintage looks to their work as a way to set their brand apart or to appeal to a specific target market that appreciates the vintage aesthetic.
Storytelling — Applying a vintage look to a photo can also help to tell a story or convey a certain mood or atmosphere that may be difficult to achieve with a more modern look.
Experimentation — Some photographers may also want vintage looks as a form of creative experimentation or as a way to add an extra layer of meaning to their photos.

Film Simulation Recipes that produce a nostalgic aesthetic are popular. Below are 10 of my favorite Film Simulation Recipes that recreate vintage film looks.

Kodachrome 64

Old Ektachrome

Chrome Slide

1970’s Summer

Nostalgia Color

Fujicolor Natura 1600

Vintage Color

Vintage Vibes

Vintage Negative

Xpro ’62

Obviously, there are a lot more options than just these 10—in fact, there are over 250 Film Simulation Recipes published on Fuji X Weekly and found in the Fuji X Weekly App! There are a lot to choose from, and if you are not sure, the list above should provide you with at least a few to try.

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

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
Fujifilm X100V in black: Amazon   B&H
Fujifilm X100V in silver: Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X-E4 in black: Amazon   B&H
Fujifilm X-E4 in silver:  Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X-Pro3:  Amazon B&H

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

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Fujifilm X-Trans III + X-T3 & X-T30 Film Simulation Recipe: Mystery Chrome

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Backlit Lightbulbs* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Mystery Chrome”

During this last SOOC broadcast, we attempted something never done before by anyone ever: create a new Film Simulation Recipe live on YouTube (which you can find at the 2:09:19 mark, if you missed the show). It was all done randomly. We spun wheels, used random number apps and programs, picked paper out of a hat, conducted a couple polls, and even had a kid pick a number—this recipe was a group effort created by you using chance. A special Thank You to everyone who participated! This was, of course, for fun. I would say that this is the least serious recipe ever to be published on this website, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it for serious photography, because you absolutely can!

After completing the recipe, we took up name suggestions from the audience, and then ran a poll to decide which to go with, and “Mystery Chrome” won by a significant margin. The mystery is, perhaps, whether or not this is any good, or if anyone will actually use it—or maybe because it was all a mystery as it was being formed, parameter-by-parameter. We (as in the hosts, the guests, and those in the audience) also programmed this recipe into our cameras right away, and while still broadcasting live, we captured a picture, uploaded it, and shared them in the show (my picture is below). That’s the power of Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes: within minutes of creating a recipe, people can program it into their cameras, capture an image, and share it across the globe—it can be that quick. Amazing!

*Slides* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Mystery Chrome”

Interestingly, this recipe—completely by luck—has a Kodak-like reversal film look, thanks to Classic Chrome, the white balance, and Highlight/Shadow settings. I think it’s somewhat similar to Kodachrome 200—it’s not quite right for that, but certainly in the ballpark, and probably the closest recipe on this website for that film. This is a high-contrast recipe, and is best for use in low-contrast situations or to achieve bold results in mid or high contrast scenarios. It certainly has the potential to be well-liked, but I don’t suspect it will be anyone’s go-to recipe for everyday photography.

If it were up to me, I would make one modifications to Mystery Chrome: Noise Reduction to -4 instead of +4. I’m not a big fan of the in-camera Noise Reduction, and I like to take it all the way down. For internet viewing, and even 8″ x 12″ prints, you’ll have a hard time even noticing the difference between +4 and -4, but if you zoom in or print larger, it becomes more obvious. Maybe you prefer the increased Noise Reduction; personally, I do not. All of the photos in this article were captured with Noise Reduction set to +4.

*Twin Flags* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Mystery Chrome”

This Mystery Chrome Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras—X-Pro2, X100F, X-E3, X-T2, X-T20, and X-H1—plus the X-T3 and X-T30 by simply setting Color Chrome Effect to Off. For newer X-Trans IV cameras, additionally set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose a Grain size (either Small or Large)—if you use it on X-Trans V cameras, blues will render slightly more deeply. For GFX, shadows will render slightly less dark, which you might actually prefer.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: 0
Color Chrome Effect: N/A (X-Trans III) or Off (X-T3/X-T30)
Sharpness: -4
Noise Reduction: +4
Grain: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +3 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Mystery Chrome” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1:

*Slides Plus Canisters* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Corvette Abstract* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Taco Lamp* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Happy Girl* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Late Bloomer* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Rainbow Trumpets* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Wren in Rome* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Traffic Flag* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Pergola Lights* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Autumn Rainbow* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Amber Autumn* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Brilliant Leaf* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Yellow Tree* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Bougainvillea & Palm Fronds* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Contrasty Tree* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Saguaro Brothers* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Tall Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Little Cactus* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Brixton Boy* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Out of the Shadows* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Blending In* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

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

Help Fuji X Weekly

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Let’s Get Festive — The SOOC Holiday Special!

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

Join me next week for a very special SOOC broadcast! On Thursday, December 8, at 8:30 AM Pacific Time, 11:30 AM Eastern, Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I, plus a number of guests, will get festive live on YouTube, as we finish our discussion of the Kodak Ektachrome 100SW Film Simulation Recipe (don’t forget to upload your pictures by December 6th—click here). We have several fun surprises planned, so this is an episode that you won’t want to miss! I hope to see you then!

For those who don’t know, SOOC is a monthly live video series, with each episode focused on a different Film Simulation Recipe. It is a collaboration between Tame Your Fujifilm (Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry) and Fuji X Weekly (Ritchie Roesch). SOOC is a fun and educational experience where we not only talk about Fujifilm camera settings, but also answer your questions and give tips and tricks. Basically, we’re trying to help you master your Fujifilm camera, with a focus on simplifying your photographic workflow.

If you missed the last broadcast… due to technical difficulties, it’s been divided into Part 1 and Part 2, which you can find below. Also, I’ve included the last Viewers’ Images slideshow (your pictures!) at the bottom, in case you missed that, too.

When Things Don’t Go As Planned (a.k.a. Technical Difficulties Suck) + A Special Announcement + YOUR Pictures!

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Sunrise Lamp* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujichrome Sensia 100”

Today’s SOOC live broadcast started out well. Very well, in fact. A lot of you tuned in—even Fujirumors! There was a lot of participation. It was on pace to be one of the best episodes yet!

Then it all came to an abrupt end.

When you do a live broadcast, there’s bound to be some trouble. Especially since we’re doing this from two different continents, there’s a lot of opportunities for technical difficulties. If you’ve watched a couple SOOC broadcasts before, you’ve likely seen some of these unfortunate issues. It’s expected that things won’t go completely according to plan, and there will be some minor hiccups here and there. Today’s hiccup was far from minor. At almost the two-hour mark, as we were nearing the end of the show (but not at the end—we still had plenty to say), YouTube cut us off. The broadcast just ended, mid-sentence. We were suddenly done. We tried to get it up-and-running again, but that was a failure, too, due to additional technical difficulties.

If you didn’t watch it live, you can view the broadcast below—just know that it ends quite abruptly when it shouldn’t. It’s incomplete.

I have to apologize for this. There’s a lot of problems that we can work through. “The show must go on,” is the saying, and normally that’s what we do. There was no going on from this, though—it was a fatal flaw. The broadcast was over, and we couldn’t salvage it. I’m really sorry, because you gave up a lot of your time to tune in and participate. We want to give you our best, and we couldn’t do that. It’s embarrassing. I hope that our situation wasn’t too much trouble for you.

Nathalie and I want to finish the show. We tried to do that today, but it didn’t work out. So, instead, we’ll finish the episode with a Part 2 on Tuesday, November 22nd, at 9:30 AM Pacific Time, 12:30 Eastern. We’d like to finish our discussion of the recipe-of-the-month, Kodak Ektachrome 100SW (here and here), reveal the giveaway winner, and make a special announcement. Those are the things we couldn’t say today because we were cutoff. This special edition Part 2 on Tuesday will be a much shorter show. I hope that you can join us live!

https://youtu.be/Aih14q_hObY

I want to say a big “thank you” to everyone who submitted pictures using the Fujichrome Sensia 100 Film Simulation Recipe! The Viewers’ Images slideshow video is below, so be sure to take a look!

Load These Two Film Simulation Recipes Into Your Camera…

Posted on November 10, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Evening Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Ektachrome 100SW”

For those who watch the monthly SOOC broadcast, the current recipe-of-the-month is Fujichrome Sensia 100. We introduced that Film Simulation Recipe in the last episode, and we will finish our discussion of it in the next show, which will be in one week, on Thursday, November 17th. I hope that you’ll join us! Don’t forget to upload your photos captured with the Fujichrome Sensia 100 Film Simulation Recipe (click here) by November 15th to be shown in the next broadcast.

Speaking of the next SOOC broadcast, after we finish our discussion of the Fujichrome Sensia 100 recipe, we’ll introduce the next recipe-of-the-month, which will be Kodak Ektachrome 100SW. It produces warm and vibrant colors, which I find especially well suited for landscape photography. Be sure to set a reminder, so that you don’t miss the episode!

Even though I have my own photography projects going on and I’m always working on new Film Simulation Recipes, I also shoot with the recipes that we discuss in each episode (plus the upcoming episode). I have been using both the Fujichrome Sensia 100 and the Kodak Ektachrome 100SW recipes. I don’t just ask you to use the recipes, myself and Nathalie both use them, too—we’re doing it together as a community.

*Flag Pole* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujichrome Sensia 100”

If you have a Fujifilm X-Trans III or newer camera, I invite you to program and shoot with the Fujichrome Sensia 100 Film Simulation Recipe, and share with us your results. While you’re at it, load the Kodak Ektachrome 100SW recipe into your camera, too, and have it ready to go for next week.

If you missed the last SOOC broadcast, which really was a good one, you can watch it below. It’s a bit long (we have a little problem called “time management”… 🤣), but I believe you’ll find it worthwhile.

See you next Thursday!

SOOC was Yesterday… if you missed it, you can watch it today… + YOUR Kodak Portra 400 Pictures!

Posted on October 28, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

SOOC was live yesterday. If you missed it, you can watch it today—I’ve included the full episode at the bottom of this article. This was one of my favorite SOOC broadcasts so far, and much of the thanks for that goes to you! Everyone who tuned in and participated in some way made it exceptional. Definitely, if you couldn’t watch it live, be sure to take some time to view it now. Also, thank you to everyone who submitted pictures using the Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipe. The Viewer’s Images slideshow video is above, so be sure to take a look!

The new recipe-of-the-month is Fujichrome Sensia 100. Be sure to shoot with that and upload your pictures (click here) by November 15th to be included in the next broadcast, which will be on November 17th (mark your calendars now!).

SOOC will be LIVE this Thursday!

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

SOOC will be live this Thursday, October 27! Join Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself as we finish our discussion of the Kodak Portra 400 recipes, and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Fujichrome Sensia 100. The PreShow kicks off at 9:30 AM Pacific, 12:30 PM Eastern, and the main show begins 30 minutes later. I hope to see you then!

I’m Sick… and SOOC is Postponed to Next Week

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

I’m currently sick with the flu, and because of that the SOOC broadcast scheduled for this Thursday has been postponed one week. Nathalie and I will instead be live on Thursday, October 27th. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause, and I hope to see you on the 27th!

On the 27th, we’ll finish our discussion of the Kodak Portra 400 recipes, and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Fujichrome Sensia 100. Can’t wait to see you then!

*Fujifilm X100V — “Fujichrome Sensia 100”*

Fujifilm X100V & Kodak Portra 400

Posted on September 29, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

Six months ago I turned my Fujifilm X100V into a monochrome-only camera, and just shot black-and-white Film Simulation Recipes with it, which was a lot of fun! I hope that someday Fujifilm makes a B&W-only model. Recently I started shooting color pictures on my X100V again, and the first three color recipes I programmed into the camera were Kodak Portra 400—three different versions of it!

My very first Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, which I published in May of 2018. It requires a hard-to-explain-and-get-right custom white balance measurement. I have had some luck in the past getting it “right” and at times not-so-much luck. I think this time I was able to get it pretty close but not exactly correct. I made three different attempts (using the three custom white balance slots), and went with the best of the three; however, I think the white balance should be slightly warmer than it is. It’s a tricky thing, and I wish it was more easily repeatable. To use this recipe on my X100V I set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome Effect to Off, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.

The next Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for the Fiujifilm X-T3 and X-T30, which I published in May of 2020. This one is easier to program (and probably more accurate to the film) than the X-Trans III version. To use it on my X100V I set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.

*Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400” (X-T3/X-T30 version)*

The third Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for the “newer” X-Trans IV cameras, including the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, which I published in June of 2020. Of the three versions, this one is probably the most “accurate” to actual Portra 400 film, but it is extremely similar to the X-T3/X-T30 recipe—only very subtly different.

One film can produce a variety of looks depending on a whole host of factors, including (among other things) how it was shot, developed, and scanned—even the pH balance and temperature of the water can affect it. It’s not possible for one recipe replicate all possible aesthetics. Also, different Fujifilm cameras have different JPEG options, and different sensor generations have slight variances in rendering; even though one recipe might be more “accurate” to the film, it’s certainly not always so—the variables are pretty significant. What’s more important than accuracy is finding the recipe that works best for you and your photography.

I’ve published many other Portra recipes, including Kodak Portra 160 (X-Trans II), Kodak Portra 160 (X-T3/X-T30), Kodak Portra 400 v2 (X-T3/X-T30), Kodak Portra 400 v2 (X-Pro3 & newer), Kodak Portra 400 Warm (X-Pro3 & newer), Reggie’s Portra (X-Pro3 & newer), Portra-Style (X-Pro3 & newer), Kodak Portra 800 (X-Pro3 & newer), Kodak Portra 800 v2 (X-pro3 & newer), and Portra v2 (X-Trans II). There are others recipes that aren’t necessarily modeled specifically after Portra film, but have a Portra-like aesthetic nonetheless, such as Bright Summer, Bright Kodak, Jon’s Classic Chrome, and Classic Kodak Chrome. There are plenty to choose from!

Let’s take a look at some photographs that I captured with the three Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipes on my Fujifilm X100V.

Kodak Portra 400 (original recipe, for X-Trans III)

Kodak Portra 400 (2nd recipe, for X-T3/X-T30)

Kodak Portra 400 (3rd recipe, for X-Pro3 & newer X-Trans IV)

Comparison

*“Kodak Portra 400” (X-Trans III version)*

*“Kodak Portra 400” (X-T3/X-T30 version)*

*“Kodak Portra 400” (X-Pro3 & newer version)*

I hope that seeing these three Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipes together helps you decide which to try. Maybe one stands out more to you than the others. Perhaps the camera you own is more of a determining factor than the recipe itself. I personally like all three of them, and have enjoyed shooting with them on my (no-longer-B&W-only) X100V.

Also, as a reminder, these three Kodak Portra 400 recipes are the current SOOC recipes-of-the-month. Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I will conclude our discussion of these recipes in the next broadcast (be sure to watch the last episode if you missed it!), which will be live on October 20th. Upload your images (click here) captured with one (or more) of these Kodak Portra 400 recipes by October 18th to be included in the next show. I hope to see you then!

Why the Fujifilm X70 is Great — 15 Frames on Kodak Portra 160 — An Impromptu Lake Trip

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Ocean Kayaks* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

You should always have a camera with you.

The Fujifilm X70 is so small that it fits into my pants pocket, making it convenient for carrying literally everywhere. When I head out the door, no matter where I’m going, I shove the X70 into my pocket, along with my wallet, keys, and phone. I don’t always use it, but sometimes the opportunity presents itself, and I’m grateful to have a camera with me.

I was recently out running some errands with my wife, Amanda, and the kids. After we finished our tasks, Amanda asked, “Want to go to Lake Pleasant, just to check it out?” I’m always up for an adventure; besides, over 20 years ago, Amanda and I used to go to this lake, and we hadn’t been back since. So I eagerly answered, “Let’s go!”

*Old Dock, New Dock* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

I hadn’t been to Lake Pleasant in a long, long time. The drive out there was vaguely familiar yet a whole lot different. Much had changed. While the body of water is still outside the city—way out in the lonely desert—the city sprawl is inching closer and closer, and the lake has seen quite a bit of development. I’m sure it happened slowly, but, because I hadn’t seen it in so long, it was a bit shocking to me. There weren’t many people there, but I’m sure on a holiday weekend or during the summer heat the place is probably extremely crowded. We didn’t stay long, but because I had a camera with me I was able to capture these 15 pictures.

One of the custom presets programmed into my Fujifilm X70 is the Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe. I thought it would do well at this location, so I chose it. This is one of my favorite recipes for X-Trans II cameras, and it didn’t disappoint on this adventure, delivering a Kodak-like color negative film aesthetic. These pictures are unedited, aside from some minor cropping and straightening on some of them, and is how they came out of the camera.

You never know when photographic opportunities will present themselves, so it’s best to always be prepared. I would have been disappointed that I didn’t have a camera if I hadn’t had the X70 in my pocket. Instead, because I did have it, this impromptu trip to the lake yielded some interesting pictures, which will serve as reminders to this quick adventure for years to come.

*Kayaker* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Short Rope off a Long Pier* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Water Wench* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Water Watching* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Paqua* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Wench & Docked Boats* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Repair Kit* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Dolly* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Slip Away* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

Barrel Cactus Blue – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Pleasant Lake* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Desert Water* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

*Saguaro Hill* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Kodak Portra 160”

I mentioned at the beginning of this article that I had also put my phone into my pocket, which is an iPhone 11 with the RitchieCam camera app on it. For those who don’t know, I have my very own iPhone camera App, available in the Apple App Store. Even if I had failed to bring a Fujifilm camera, I would still have had my phone. Or, in the case of this particular trip, in addition to the X70, I also had RitchieCam on my iPhone (selecting the Sunny Day filter), and I used both to capture pictures.

*Deserted Boats* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – iPhone 11 + RitchieCam – “Sunny Day”

*Hole View* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – iPhone 11 + RitchieCam – “Sunny Day”

*Lake Vista* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – iPhone 11 + RitchieCam – “Sunny Day”

*Scorpion Bay Kayaks* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – iPhone 11 + RitchieCam – “Sunny Day”

*Orange Dolly* – Lake Pleasant, AZ – iPhone 11 + RitchieCam – “Sunny Day”

When SOOC Digital Looks Like Film

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

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

Note: I wrote this article, which I stumbled across today, over two years ago, but for some reason never published it. I replaced many of the original pictures and corrected some words and grammar, but otherwise I kept it the same.

I love film photography, but digital is so much more convenient. The cost of digital photography is paid upfront, while with film there’s a per-frame cost with each exposure, which is just getting more and more expensive. I rarely shoot film anymore, but I like the look of film. The best of both worlds is when I can get a film aesthetic straight out of a digital camera. That might sound pie-in-the-sky or even pretentious; if I like the look of film, why not just shoot film? If I shoot digital, why not just edit like everyone else?

Fujifilm cameras can create something film-like while delivering digital advantages, and that’s incredible! With digital you don’t have to send off your exposures to a lab or have your own lab set up somewhere in your home. You can know immediately if your frame is any good or not—no need to wait hours or days or sometimes longer. And you are not limited to 12, 24, or 36 exposures. There’s a reason why most photographers shoot digital, yet there’s a reason why some still go through the hassle of shooting film. I think Fujifilm is kind of a bridge between the two.

*Rainbow in the Woods* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Kodak Portra 160“

Using software, such as Alien Skin Exposure or any of the many preset filter packs that are available, it’s very easy to turn a RAW file into something that looks analog. I’ve done that for many years, and I appreciate the results. If I can skip the software step and have a finished image straight-out-of-camera, that’s even better. That saves me some serious time! For many people, editing a picture is half the fun, but for me it’s not. I much prefer to not sit at a computer manipulating photographs. That’s just my preference, and it may or may not be yours, and that’s perfectly fine—there’s no right or wrong way, only what works for you. Shooting Fujifilm cameras using recipes to get film-like pictures straight-out-of-camera is what works for me.

I’m amazed at all the different looks that I can get out of my camera using my different Film Simulation Recipes on Fujifilm cameras. Fuji only gives so much control in-camera— they’re constantly providing more customization options with each new generation, but it’s still limited. Despite that, there’s a lot that you can do to create many different looks. It’s possible to mimic various film aesthetics without using any software. Thanks to Fujifilm’s vast experience with film, they’ve been able to infuse into their camera-made-JPEGs an analog soul that’s frankly missing from most digital pictures.

The photographs in this article are all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs that weren’t edited, with the exception of some minor cropping in some circumstances. They’re all from Fujifilm cameras, including an X-E4, X100V, X-T30, X-T20, X-Pro2, X100F and X-T1. In my opinion, in one way or another, they resemble film—an analog look from a digital camera. That’s nothing short of amazing!

10 example pictures, just to illustrate the point:

*Classic Mirror* – Fort Worth, TX – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Fujicolor Natura 1600“

*Welcome to Ogden* – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – “Kodachrome II“

*Denny’s Days* – Beaver, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodachrome 64“

*Coastal Blooms* – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Pacific Blues”

*Train Crossing* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nostalgia Color“

*Working* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Vision3 250D“

*Tail of a Whale* – Morro Bay, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400“

*Dark Cloud Over The Dark Mountain* – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push Process“

*Leather Gloves* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F – “Kodak Tri-X Push Process“

*Twisted Tree* – Keystone, SD – Fujifilm X-Pro2 – “Acros“

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

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Using the Vintage Agfacolor Film Simulation Recipe (Plus YOUR Pictures!)

Posted on September 10, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X-E4 + Vintage Agfacolor recipe*

In the last episode of SOOC, Nathalie Boucry and myself finished our discussion of the Vintage Agfacolor Film Simulation Recipe. As you know, while we encourage you to use the recipes that we feature, we also use them ourselves. I hope that you find it to be just as enjoyable of an exercise as we do!

If you missed the last SOOC broadcast when it was live, you can find it below. It’s nearly two hours long, so buckle up!

If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, I hope that you’ll take a few minutes to check out the viewer-submitted slideshow. These are YOUR pictures! I appreciate everyone who uploaded their photographs captured with the Vintage Agfacolor recipe—your participation is what makes these shows great, and it is much appreciated!

Below is the viewer’s images slideshow:

A couple more of my pictures using the Vintage Agfacolor recipe:

And with that we close this chapter on Vintage Agfacolor, and begin the next adventure: Kodak Portra 400! This new recipe-of-the-month is unique because it’s not just one recipe, but three. For those with an X-Trans III camera, try this Kodak Portra 400 recipe (click here). For those with an X-T3 or X-T30, use this Kodak Portra 400 recipe (click here). And for those with an X-Pro3 or newer camera, this is your Kodak Portra 400 recipe (click here). Use these recipes, and upload your pictures (click here) to be included in the next SOOC broadcast.

Here are a few of my recent pictures where I used the Kodak Portra 400 recipe:

*Fujifilm X-E4 + Kodak Portra 400 recipe*

The next SOOC episode will be live on October 20, so mark your calendars now! We’ll finish our discussion of Kodak Portra 400 and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Fujichrome Sensia 100! I hope to see you then!

https://youtu.be/GN-uAy6tstI

You can find all these recipes and many, many more in the Fuji X Weekly App.

Join Fuji X Weekly LIVE this Thursday!

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

The next SOOC episode will be live on Thursday, September 9th! Join Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself as we finish our discussion of the Vintage Agfacolor Film Simulation Recipe and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Kodak Portra 400. Which Kodak Portra 400 recipe? These three: Here, Here, & Here. Yes, all three! The PreShow starts at 9:30 AM Pacific, 12:30 PM Eastern Time; if you can’t make the PreShow, be sure to tune in by 10:00 AM Pacific, 1:00 PM Eastern to catch the broadcast.

Nathalie has an excellent write-up for the Vintage Agfacolor recipe on her website, so be sure to check that out!

See you Thursday!

SOOC Viewer’s Images Video!

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

This video is the viewer submitted photographs from SOOC Season 02 Episode 06. Yes, your wonderful pictures! The recipe-of-the-month was Fujicolor Pro 400H. I hope that you enjoyed shooting with it! Thank you to everyone who shared their images, to everyone who participated, and to everyone who tuned in!

If you missed Episode 06 when it was live, you can watch it now (below):

The current recipe-of-the-month is Vintage Agfacolor. My recommendation with this recipe is to go dark by decreasing the exposure a little. Embrace the deep shadows! Vintage Agfacolor is compatible with X-Trans III cameras. If you have an X-T3 or X-T30, simply set Color Chrome Effect to Off. If you are using an X-Pro3 or newer camera, you’ll have to additionally set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose either Grain size Small or Large (your choice). Remember to upload your images (click here) captured with the Vintage Agfacolor recipe by September 6th to be shown in the next broadcast, which will be on September 8th (mark your calendars now).

This is a complete aside, but my daughter, Joy, is really into animation. She’s still learning. She hopes to be an animator someday. She animated a little clip for Fuji X Weekly (below). She also made a short animation using the FlipaClip App as part of a remix challenge (FlipaRemix), which I’ve also included below. If you’re familiar with Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle, it should be instantly recognizable (yes, that’s Billy Crystal’s voice…).

3 (More) Nikon Z Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

Nikon Zfc — Amazon — B&H
TTArtisans 35mm f/1.4 — Amazon — B&H

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SOOC is LIVE on Thursday!

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

The next SOOC episode will be live on Thursday, August 11! Join Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself as we finish our discussion of the Fujicolor Pro 400H Film Simulation Recipe and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Vintage Agfacolor. The PreShow starts at 9:30 AM Pacific, 12:30 PM Eastern Time; if you can’t make the PreShow, be sure to tune in by 10:00 AM Pacific, 1:00 PM Eastern to catch the broadcast.

If you missed the last episode when it was live, you can watch it below:

See you on Thursday!