My definitive Fujifilm X Film Simulation Recipe
As an official Fujifilm X Photographer and satisfied Fujifilm X Series user of the cameras, I think I already have a fair amount of experience to share my personal recipe.
I only shoot in JPG since many years, even before to switch to Fujifilm. With the X series cameras I finally found the colors satisfying me, but all over these years I experimented a lot, always looking for a personal aesthetics, focused on a natural aspect of the images, good for prints and with a filmy aspect. I tested many film simulations and settings. Today I can say that I found finally the definitive formula for my photography.
I would something that shows consistence and that is good for my street photos as well as my commercial work. Classic Chrome fascinated a little, but to the end of the game I back again to my favourite Fujifilm film simulation: Astia soft. It is useful to say that I am photographing in full manual, with ISO AUTO set in a certain way as you can see below on my recipe:
Film Simulation: Astia Soft
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: 0
Shadow: 0
Color: 0
Sharpness: +1
Noise Reduction: 0
White Balance: AUTO
ISO: AUTO, 200 up to ISO 6400, SHUTTER VELOCITY 1/250 (1/125 and 1/60 at night)
Respect to many recipes out of here It can appear very basic. But after many tests and considerations I can see how in this way I can be always ready to make my own thing. Many use White Balance in daylight and I made that in the past, but when I enter in some place I tend to forget to change the white balance and so I prefer to leave it in Auto.
For my Fujifilm Xpro2 I set grainy effect on weak and I like it. I used to set the color to -2 but I realized that the color rendering was not true to reality. Astia soft gives me gentle tones to the skin, giving me a slightly more delicate and perhaps a little 70's photograph that is good also for street photography and not only for portraits.
I do not think that the aesthetic choice should be imposed too much to the point that you only think about that rather than the photo: this is an aspect important to me as a photojournalist collaborating with agencies, because I need to be always ready not only for my personal photography.
Other considerations are that I tested classic chrome and after a lot of time I can say: I don’t like the blue color so eye-catching and if you see the green of of leaves and plants in general is really strange and results false. Again skin tones of people are fundamental in my choice. And I don’t love excessive contrast too. In fact as a photographer but also as photo editor and lover of photographs I think contrast is overrated and something that has gone to extremes since the advent of digital cameras.
I am using these settings for all my Fujifilm X series cameras. And this is the recipe working for my way to work, not pretending others imitating these settings, but if you do, I think is cool, guys!
Please note: the photos you see are all JPG straight from the camera. I used Fujifilm XPRO2 and Fujifilm XA3.
