Discover Fujifilm’s Film Simulations | Colour Your Story Ep 00

A Journey of Discovery

“Colour Your Story” is a series that takes a closer look at Fujifilm’s film simulations. It’s a deep-dive into what they are and how to use them best to get the best results in-camera. By focusing on one film simulation at a time, I plan to share some background information, showcase qualities of the simulations and recommend photography genres or lighting conditions in which they produce the best results.

The series begins with the film simulations present in the early generations of cameras with X-Trans sensors – with PROVIA taking the stage first, since it should be considered as the baseline for all the other film simulations – and progresses through the complete set in the chronological sequence that they were launched in. This follows the way that I got to know them and showcases the evolution of Fujifilm’s colour science from the early beginnings, all the way to REALA ACE which, as of writing in 2024, is the latest (and greatest of them all).

My Film Simulation Journey

I joined the Fujifilm family in 2013 when I got my first Fujifilm camera, the X100s. It had PROVIA, Velvia, ASTIA, PRO Neg. Hi, PRO Neg. Std, Monochrome (+YRG Filters) and Sepia. The film simulation I used most at that time was PROVIA. Like many others at the time, I was almost exclusively a “RAW” shooter. I honestly did not pay much attention to the different film simulations. Since then, Fujifilm and I (and the photography community across the globe) have come a very long way. It’s been an interesting journey that has played a pivotal role in improving my straight-out-of-camera game, each new camera and each new film simulation at a time.

Samples of different looks that can be achieved for straight-out-of-camera images shot with a variety of film simulations

The Irony of Technology

Want to know how far this journey has come? Here’s what I caught myself thinking while preparing this series:

“In 2013 I got my first X100-Series camera, the X100s because I wanted a powerful yet compact camera that could shoot RAW. In 2024 I couldn’t wait to get my hands on my X100VI, the latest X100-Series camera, because I can create high-quality, in-camera jpegs with the complete set of the film simulations and the latest I.Q. settings available.”

Me reflecting on my own journey, October 2024

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But before I get carried away in the details, let’s go back to the beginning.

What are Film Simulations?

Film Simulations are Fujifilm’s ingenious way of putting “film into a digital camera”. They are also referred to as “modes” and represent carefully crafted colour, tone and sharpness profiles and, with the help of the camera’s processor, get saved into jpeg or HEIF file format in-camera. The result is images with a specific look and that often have a likeness to “film” looks that hark back to the analog photography era. On top of that, the photographer has the choice to dial in additional settings to fine-tune or create their own unique style in-camera, while shooting too. Yes, in real-time!

There is much more to it than a bunch of settings that affect colour, contrast and sharpness. Film simulations have been meticulously crafted, by the experts that created Fujifilm’s original famous emulsions. The process considers how image qualities are rendered, similar to how this was applied in manufacturing analog film. Switching between film simulations delivers very different results. It’s like changing film in the analog days – just way faster, much easier and for no additional cost. In my view, this is what has set Fujifilm apart from other camera manufacturers over the last decades. 

Film Simulations have been Around for a Long Time

Film Simulations are nothing new to the Fujifilm world. They have been around for a long time. Early forms made their appearance when Fujifilm started making digital cameras. They were developed as a tool to make images look less digital and harsh, although they were nothing like the fully-fledged modes available in today’s cameras. As a leading film manufacturer at the height of the analog film era, the expertise that Fujifilm accumulated during that time has become the backbone part of its digital technology. Even though film simulations are incredibly powerful and unique to Fujifilm, at the onset they did not attract the attention they deserved. But, that has changed significantly, for the better, in recent times.

Film Simulations in 2024

In 2024 it’s a buzz word. Film simulations are finally taking centre-stage in conversations and use, across the photographic industry. For example, many people accredit the somewhat surprising rise to fame of Fujifilm’s most popular camera, the X100V (and its successor the X100VI) and it going viral on TikTok in 2023 to the film simulations. Finally, photographers and content creators had latched on to this powerful feature.

At the height of the film simulation buzz in May of 2024, Fujifilm released the X-T50 – their first camera with a dedicated Film Simulation dial. At the same time they also launched a website dedicated to film simulations that underlined the realisation that the community was finally ready to fully embrace their colour science technology. This is emphasised by the release of the X-M5 in October of 2024 which also features a dedicated Film Simulation dial.

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Why I shoot with Film Simulations

I have been focussing on film simulations for the last couple of years and the more I shoot with them, the more I love the process. There are many reasons why, so let me summarise the ones that stand out most for me:

Jpegs with a Classic Look
I like that film simulations are designed to emulate distinct colours, tones and contrasts that convey a certain mood. Some even emulate the look of analog film. Shooting this way gives my jpegs and HEIFs a specific look straight out of camera, that I absolutely love. That classic “film” look is so my jam.

A more Efficient Work-Flow
Since the processing of the jpegs is done in-camera, sharing them becomes much easier and way faster. Jpegs and HEIFs are much smaller in file size (when compared to RAW) which in turn makes downloading and sharing faster, results in less storage space and just saves resources all round. 

Many Places – One Consistent Look
It is easier to achieve a consistent look across a series of images shot in various locations or lighting conditions by shooting with one film simulation. This is particularly relevant for projects in which creating a body of work with continuity and a particular look and feel is essential.

One Simulation – Unlimited Customisable Possibilities
Fujifilm cameras offer the user many adjustable settings to film simulations that make it possible to customise the look of images even further. Ranging from highlights and shadows to colour, tone and sharpness, these settings can have very subtle or extreme impact on the final image. In practice, these “adjusted film simulations” are generally known as film simulation recipes or recipes for short.

Unleash Your Creativity
I find using film simulations very creative and rewarding. It keeps the photographic process interesting and inspires me to pick up my camera every day and to keep creating. It’s like a key to a creative treasure chest.

20 Film Simuations to Choose From

In 2023 Fujifilm released REALA ACE, the latest addition to their family of film simulations. This brought the number of modes to a total of 20 that are all available in Fujifilm cameras with the 5th generation X-Trans sensor. This sounds like a lot? Yep and trying to make a choice can be quite daunting. But fear not, that’s why I have created this series.

Join me for a journey through the universe of Fujifilm colours! Discover one film simulation at a time and level up your colour game by learning which, when and why to choose a film simulation to get even more, in-camera, out of your Fujifilm images.

Ready? Okay then, let’s do this!

The Complete Collection

This is the complete collection of film simulations for our journey. Each in turn will be covered in a separate article along with example photographs.

I believe that I am not alone in feeling that using film simulations concentrates the creative process into the camera (rather than into post-production). It is fun and incredibly rewarding. In my case, it has been essential in keeping my photography interesting and vital to me picking up my camera every single day to take yet another shot for my personal photography collection. I hope it will do the same for you and I am glad you are here to journey with me.

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I hope you will enjoy the ride as much as I have and still do! Here’s to creating lots of beautiful looking jpegs!

In February 2025, I plan to host a workshop in Johannesburg in which these film simulations will all come together. There will also be an option to participate remotely. Details about this will be shared by early December 2024.