vintage Kodachrome | FUJI X WEEKLY

What’s the Most Pivotal Recipe?

*The Early Photographers* – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Vintage Kodachrome

After publishing yesterday’s article Camera Makers are Joining the Recipe Fun, I took a moment to consider what was the most pivotal Film Simulation Recipe that ultimately kicked off the Recipe revolution. What one Recipe deserves the most credit? There are definitely a few worth considering, but one stands out to me as the most crucial, and without it, we might not be talking about Recipes today.

I considered the original Classic Chrome Recipe from August 2017 (it was the sixth article published on Fuji X Weekly). It actually predates this website (it was originally published on a now long-defunct blog), so it’s been around a long time. It was one of the very first Recipes for Fujifilm cameras—heck, maybe the first, I’m not certain (and probably depending on how strictly you define it). Right now it’s the sixth most popular Recipe of all time (based on page-view statistics). I think it would be easy to pick the original Classic Chrome Recipe as the most important; while it is clearly a crucial Recipe, I don’t think it is quite the most pivotal.

*Onaqui Horses* – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Vintage Kodachrome

Next up I considered the X-T3/X-T30 version of Kodachrome 64. There was a big leap in growth for this website in 2020, unlike anything before or since. While each year has seen some growth, the jump from 860,000 page-views in 2019 to 3.7 million in 2020 was incredibly massive—over 400% increase! (For those wondering, we’ve had over 10 million page-views for the last two years in a row, and we’re on track to top it again this year). By far, the most popular Recipe of 2020 was Kodachrome 64, so it obviously played a big role in the popularity of Recipes in-general.

Another one that certainly deserves some credit is the followup version of Kodachrome 64 for X-Trans IV (except the X-T3/X-T30), which is the all-time number one most popular Recipe on Fuji X Weekly, viewed well over 600,000 times on this website. This has been the long-time most popular Fuji X Weekly Recipe, until very recently when it was overtaken in 2025 by Reggie’s Portra.

Above: Vintage Kodachrome Recipe

There are a number of Recipes that played a critical role in perpetuating straight-out-of-camera photography, but one stands out to me as the most important: Vintage Kodachrome. Published on October 21, 2017, it’s one of the oldest Fuji X Weekly Recipes—the fifth oldest, in fact. It’s a long-time fan favorite—the fourth most-viewed of all time—and obviously its popularity was particularly paramount in the growth of this website and Recipes in-general. What makes it the most crucial, though, are two things: it was the first Recipe that required more radical adjustments (such as maximum Highlight and minimum Shadow combined with underexposure), and the first to mimic a specific film stock from a specific era. This particular Recipe opened my eyes to what might be possible on Fujifilm cameras. I realized that I could do so much more; a lot of future Recipes would never have happened without this one first. So, yes, it’s one of the all-time most popular, but it also set the stage for future Recipes like Kodachrome 64 and many, many others. I can’t think of another Recipe that was more important than this one.

If not for Vintage Kodachrome, Fujifilm might not have given the X-E5 the ability to save three Film Simulation Recipes on the Film Dial (including using the word “Recipe” within the camera’s menu). There likely wouldn’t be a Fuji X Weekly App. I probably would never have made Ricoh Recipes. Nikon might not have Imaging Recipes. OM Systems likely would not have just announced Creative Recipes. Vintage Kodachrome was a critical step in the advancement of Fujifilm Recipes, and without it things probably would look just a little different today—not just within Fujifilm, but across the photo world.

Summer of ’59 — Fujifilm X-T5 (X-Trans V) FXW App Patron Early-Access Recipe

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Ritchie Roesch

*Stop Time* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Summer of ’59

This Film Simulation Recipe began as an attempt to recreate the aesthetic of some of Saul Leiter’s color photographs from the 1950’s and early-1960’s, particularly images like Paris 1959, Foot on El 1954, Bus 1954, San Carlo Restaurant 1952, Taxi 1957, Near the Tanager 1954, Phone Call 1957, and Pipes 1960—among others—with the greatest emphasis on Paris 1959. While I don’t think it’s possible to faithfully reproduce that look exactly on Fujifilm cameras, this Summer of ’59 Recipe is definitely at times pretty darn close. Also, some of Saul’s other photographs from that same era had a divergent aesthetic, and this Recipe isn’t good for replicating those.

During this time, Saul Leiter was using the first era of Kodachrome film. Something interesting that I learned while researching this is that Saul preferred shooting Kodachrome that was past the expiration date. He liked the way the film looked when expired, and especially the serendipity of not knowing what the precise aesthetic was going to be. An alternative name for this Film Simulation Recipe could be Expired Vintage Kodachrome.

Saul Leiter liked reflections, shooting through glass, and using layers. He kept his eyes out for catchy colors. He wasn’t afraid of shadows. His favorite lenses were telephoto, particularly 90mm and 150mm. If you are really trying to replicate his look, those are things you’ll want to consider. Vintage lenses might help, too.

*Mint Chocolate Shake* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Summer of ’59

This Summer of ’59 Film Simulation Recipe is an App Patron Early-Access Recipe. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you have access to it right now. If not, no worries, as it will eventually be made available to everyone, once it is replaced by a new Early-Access Recipe. It is fully compatible with X-Trans V cameras, which (as of this writing) are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, and X100VI.

One consideration is White Balance Shift: I wen’t back-and-forth on both Red and Blue, and I think +5 Red could alternatively be used, and/or -7 Blue could be alternatively used. All of the sample pictures in this article are with the WB Shift as published, and not the divergent options mentioned above.

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Summer of ’59 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:

*Hanging Glass* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Falling Water in a Fountain* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Lion Water* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Pet Waste Station* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Red & White Blooms* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Bougainville & Palm Tree Trunk* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Summertime Feelings* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Founder’s Day Weekend* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Blue Flags* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Power Lines* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*An Arizona Home* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Yellow Car* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Bougainvillea Along a Sidewalk* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*CVS Pharmacy Sign* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Next Time* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Sunlit Lamp* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Fake House Plant* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Bedroom Plant* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*1000 Record Covers* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Fountain Pot* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Jo in the Backyard* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Bench End* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Twin Seats* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Outdoor Potted Plant* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Desert Cactus Landscape* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*The Boys* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Red Hots* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

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

*Pick Up* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 300 more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

10 Vintage Film Simulation Recipes You Should Try!

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Sentinel & Merced* – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Vintage Color Recipe

A lot of people are interested right now in achieving a vintage aesthetic with their Fujifilm cameras. Retro renderings are in-style, but with about 300 Film Simulation Recipes to choose from on the Fuji X Weekly website (and App), it can be difficult to know which ones to use. If you are after a vintage look, let me suggest 10 Recipes to you. They all have “vintage” in the name, and each will deliver a retro analog-like rendering.

Some of the Film Simulation Recipes below are quite popular (especially the first one), and maybe you’ve even used a few of them yourself. Many of them are less popular and are often overlooked; maybe you’ve seen them, but never programmed them into your camera. Perhaps this is the very first time you’re seeing a couple of these Recipes. Whatever the case, if you are after a vintage look, pick a couple of these to try today!

The first three Recipes below are compatible with X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 & X-T30; to use them on newer X-Trans IV models, set Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose a Grain size (either Small or Large). The next five are compatible with “newer” X-Trans IV models (X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II); to use them on X-Trans V, set Color Chrome FX Blue one step lower (Weak instead of Strong, Off instead of Weak). The last two are compatible with X-Trans V cameras; the second-to-last Recipe can be used on some X-Trans IV models (X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II) by setting Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Off.

Take a look at the 10 Vintage Film Simulation Recipes below. If one or two or three of them stand out to you as especially interesting, go ahead and give them a try!

Vintage Kodachrome

*Old Log in Kolob Canyon* – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F – Vintage Kodak Recipe

Vintage Agfacolor

*Palms & Canopy* – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Vintage Agfacolor Recipe

Vintage Kodacolor

*Large Stone & Tall Grass* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – Vintage Kodacolor Recipe

Vintage Negative

*Suburban Reed Evening* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – Vintage Negative Recipe

Vintage Vibes

*Playing in a Dirty Kitchen* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – Vintage Vibes Recipe

Vintage Color

*Elephant Seal Beach* – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Vintage Color Recipe

Vintage Color v2

*Boy With Nerf Gun* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro3 – Vintage Color v2 Recipe

Vintage Analog

*Arch Over Bell Tower* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Vintage Analog Recipe

Vintage Bronze

*Rudolph* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vintage Bronze Recipe

Vintage Cinema

*Ball on a Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vintage Cinema Recipe

Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.

Fuji Features: Kodachrome on Fujifilm

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

The last Fuji Features article was about Monochrome, so this one is about color—more specifically, Kodachrome. For those who don’t know, Fuji Features is a weekly series where I Google some topic related to Fujifilm and post what I find. Each week has a different theme, and this week it’s Kodachrome.

I’ve published a ton of different film simulation recipes named Kodachrome: Vintage Kodachrome, Kodachrome I, Kodachrome II, X-Trans IV Kodachrome II, X-Trans II Kodachrome II, Kodachrome 64, X-Trans II Kodachrome 64, new Kodachrome 64, Kodachrome without Classic Chrome, and even Monochrome Kodachrome. These are popular recipes because Kodachrome was such an iconic film with a special aesthetic. It’s impossible to 100% recreate the film with Fujifilm JPEGs, but it is possible to get pretty close to recreating the feel and magic of it with Fujifilm cameras, something that’s really just incredible when you think about it.

Below you’ll find a bunch of articles and videos that are about using one (or more) of these recipes. I’m sure that I missed a few, so if you know of something that I failed to include, please post a link in the comments.

Enjoy!

Jamie Chance Travels

Island in the Net

Alik Griffen

Lee Jones

Travelling Lens

Senri Blog

https://youtu.be/NmbAFSheNCQ

https://youtu.be/vTSo9g52sbk

https://youtu.be/V3RIKE4UDGs

Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodachrome 1

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Kodak Blossoms* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome 1”

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summer
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day

Kodachrome is probably the most iconic photographic film ever made. It was legendary, and many people saw the world through its colors. Kodak produced Kodachrome film from 1935 through 2009, when it was suddenly discontinued.

The Kodachrome name has been used for many different films over the years. The first Kodachrome product was a two-glass-plate color negative that was introduced in 1915. Like all other color photography methods of its time, the results weren’t particularly good and the product not especially successful.

*Forest Brooks* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome 1”

In 1935 Kodak released its next Kodachrome, which was a color transparency film with an ISO of 10. This Kodachrome was the first color film that produced reasonably accurate colors and was the first commercially successful color film. It became the standard film for color photography for a couple decades, and was even Ansel Adams’ preferred choice for color work. The December 1946 issue of Arizona Highways, which was the first all-color magazine in the world, featured Barry Goldwater’s Kodachrome images.

Kodak made significant improvements to Kodachrome, and in 1961 released Kodachrome II. This film boasted more accurate colors, sharper images, finer grain, and a faster ISO of 25. While it was still similar to the previous Kodachrome, it was better in pretty much every way. A year later Kodachrome-X was introduced, which had an ISO of 64.

Another generation of Kodachrome, which came out in 1974, saw Kodachrome II replaced by Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome-X replaced by Kodachrome 64. The differences between this version and the previous weren’t huge with nearly identical image quality. The biggest change was going from the K-12 to the K-14 development process (which was a little less complex, but still complex). This generation of Kodachrome is what most people think of when they picture (pun intended) the film, gracing the pages of magazines like National Geographic.

*CPI* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodachrome 1”

I personally have shot plenty of Kodachrome, mostly Kodachrome 64. It was a good general use film that produced sharp images and pleasing colors. I haven’t used it in more than a decade. Its days are gone. Even if you can find an old roll of the film, there are no labs in the world that will develop it.

This Kodachrome 1 film simulation recipe is meant to mimic that first era of Kodachrome. This isn’t your parent’s or grandparent’s Kodachrome, it’s your great-grandparent’s. This Kodachrome 1 recipe is actually an updated version of my Vintage Kodachrome recipe. Since the new Fujifilm cameras have more JPEG options, such as Clarity, Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome Effect Blue, it’s possible to get more accurate or at least different looks out-of-camera. This recipe is very similar to the original version, but I hope this one is just a tad better. It’s only compatible with the X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras; if you don’t have one of those cameras, give the Vintage Kodachrome recipe a try. Both the old and this new version have a great vintage analog look that I’m sure many of you will appreciate. I want to give a big “thank you” to Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab for his help with updating this recipe.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -2
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Clarity: +1
Grain Effect: Strong, 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 this Kodachrome 1 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Reel 2 Reel* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Behind the Grocery Store* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*American Neighborhood* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Open Window Blinds* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Playing Cards* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Summer* *Bloom* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Forest Edge* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Dead Tree Trunk* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Trees of Life & Death* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunlight & Leaves* – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Arizona Highways & Vintage Kodachrome

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

48537671326_55ecd22c0e_c

Last night when I checked the mail, waiting inside the metal box was the September issue of Arizona Highways. For those who may not know, this magazine has a long history of publishing great photographs, and many renown artists have been found in its pages throughout the decades. The newest issue of Arizona Highways features many pictures from the 1950’s and 1960’s, including the cover photograph by Allen Reed, so I found it especially interesting.

As I was flipping through the pages of the magazine this morning while sipping coffee, I was drawn to the Kodachromes, which can be seen many times in this issue. I was impressed with how well my Vintage Kodachrome film simulation recipe mimics the aesthetics of these pictures. It shouldn’t be too surprising since I consulted (among other things) some old Arizona Highways magazines when I created it, but it is a bit surprising that it’s possible to get this look right out of camera. Studying this issue was good confirmation that I got those settings right, and it made me want to shoot with it more. Perhaps later this week I’ll use Vintage Kodachrome for my Film Simulation Challenge.

If you can, pick up a copy of the latest issue of Arizona Highways so you can view these pictures for yourself. Look carefully at the vintage photographs captured by Ansel Adams, Ray Manley, Chuck Abbot and others. Esther Henderson’s pictures were especially impressive, and this was my introduction to her work. It was great inspiration for me, and perhaps it will be for you, too.