Fujifilm Film Simulations: The Best of Both Worlds in One Camera

Imagine being able to capture the timeless aesthetics of film directly from your digital camera. That's exactly what film simulations on Fujifilm cameras are all about.

Maggie Parisé
Fujifilm X-T5 + XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR
Receipe: Portra 400

If you read my last blog post, you know how much I love film photography, both in terms of the creative process and the aesthetic rendering. When I first heard about film simulations, I was skeptical, but I quickly changed my mind.

On my last trip to Europe, I had the chance to try out the Fujifilm X-T5, and I fell in love with it. It even redefined my creative process.  For those who, like me, are torn between using film and digital, this camera is the perfect compromise.

Simplicity is at the heart of film simulations. Imagine instantly seeing the effect of the simulation in your viewfinder. It's like working with film, but with the advantages of digital photography: no rolls to lug around and develop (not to mention the associated costs), and, best of all, only one camera to carry in your suitcases, freeing up more space for memories!

Maggie Parisé
Fujifilm X-T5 + XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR, at 28mm
1/125 | f/4.0 | ISO 1600
Simulation:  Classic Chrome

With the Fujifilm X-T5, everything happens at the moment of shooting, allowing you to concentrate on your own creativity. JPEGs render so beautifully that retouching can almost be eliminated. For travel content creation, it's simply perfect. 

The camera offers a range of pre-programmed film simulations, each with its own personality. Amongst the basic choices, you'll find classic Provia, Velvia, and Astia, as well as more creative options such as Eterna and Acros.

Maggie Parisé
Fujifilm X-T5 + XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR, at 22mm
1/2000 | f/4 | ISO 200
Receipe: without, then with Portrat 400

Maggie Parisé
Fujifilm X-T5 + XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR, at 55mm
1/500 | f/4.5 | ISO 250
Receipe: without, then with Portrat 400

The real power of these simulations lies in their customizability. You can adjust the settings of the device to better match your style and emulate your favourite films. The basic simulations are fine, but you can get much closer to the film aesthetic by customizing them. 

I use the FujiXWeekly application, which offers an array of additional film "recipes" to integrate into the camera, such as the classic Kodak Portra 400, Ultramax 400, Gold 200, Ilford HP5, and many more. 

Adding one of these "recipes" to your Fujifilm mirrorless or compact camera is very simple. It's a matter of creating a custom setting by following these steps: in the submenu, go to IMAGE QUALITY SETTING and select EDIT/SAVE CUSTOM SETTING.

From there, you can customize the parameters specific to the "recipe" you've chosen, such as grain, white balance, sharpness, shadows, saturation and so on. You can then save and rename this custom setting. Don't forget to select it under SELECT CUSTOM SETTING so that it can be applied. The device lets you store up to 7 custom simulations.

And that's it! Below are some of my favourite "recipes" for you to try out.

To create content quickly, avoid retouching, save costs and travel light, film simulations are a great asset! However, I wouldn't go so far as to say that it replaces film photography and the whole process associated with it (the excitement of seeing your photos for the first time after developing, the imperfections I love so much about film, etc.). The choice is yours!