Which one is for you?

If you’re familiar with Fujifilm, you’ve probably heard of “film simulations”.

Film simulations are unique color profiles embedded in fujifilm cameras that allow the user to emulate or imitate the “film look”. Each film simulation has a unique quality to them that I prefer in different scenarios. Now these profiles don’t look 100% like film, but they’re pretty darn close.

Today I’d like to share the various film simulations I use on a regular basis in hopes of giving you a better understanding of each profile. Of course these are just my preferences. I’d recommend trying out each film simulation to see which works best for you.

Classic Chrome

We’ll start off with my favorite.

Classic chrome is my most used film simulation and perhaps favorite color profile.

I use it in about 60-75% of all my photography edits.

The reason is simple: classic chrome is an extremely versatile film sim that provides a great base for editing.

It’s a flatter and lower contrast profile - meaning you can stack on edits from a lower starting point without cooking your images. It also looks great alone, so you don’t have to edit if you don’t want to.

The saturation of classic chrome is lower than its fellow film sims as well, making it great for color grading. You can pick and choose the colors you wish to make stand out and not worry about desaturating or oversaturating other colors.

Another interesting point about classic chrome are the skies. Fujifilm has stated that they removed a lot of magenta from the blues, creating more of a teal look. This is personally an appealing aesthetic to me. I think it gives my images a more nostalgic filmic color.

All of these aspects are what makes classic chrome my favorite color profile. Having a film simulation that works with you and makes things easier in post means more taking photos and less editing photos.

For these reasons, I’d recommend classic chrome if you’re looking for a film simulation with a flexible and versatile base for all lighting situations.

Classic Negative

This next film simulation has very specific characteristics that make it stand out.

I use it occasionally. Not enough to call it my favorite, but enough to look back on many photos and nod in agreement.

The first thing I noticed when shooting in classic negative was the way it rendered highlights and contrast. It’s a higher contrast film sim than classic chrome but does well for overexposed images. When editing in classic negative, the highlights will soften a bit and look more natural.

Meaning overexposed images will look intentional - almost as if they were supposed to be that way. I use this often when accidentally overexposing my images as it will make bright highlights more attractive.

Another aspect about classic negative that I love are the greens. If you’re looking for a moodier film simulation, classic negative is great for that. Instead of a yellow green color classic negative will shift the hue slightly, giving your images a darker forest green. The tones richer and more appealing to my eye.

If you’re looking for a profile with strong and bold characteristics for daytime photography or moodier forest greens, I’d recommend classic negative.

Astia

Fujifilm describes Astia as a “soft” film simulation, suitable for portraits.

In my experience astia is quite versatile, useful for more than just portraits.

A defining characteristic of this film simulations are the blues. Contrary to classic chrome’s tealer blue, astia is represented by a bolder and deeper blue. If classic chrome is a greenish blue, then astia is a blue blue.

Similarly, this is a more saturated film simulation, making it appealing to those who like bolder colors with a balanced contrast.

I’ve used astia in situations from portrait, to landscape, to street and it has performed quite well. Still, I prefer classic chrome and use astia only in situations where I want richer colors.

Again, the differences between each film simulation may be difficult to comprehend at first, but once you’re acquainted with each one it’ll all make sense.

I’d recommend astia for those who enjoy a rich yet colorful aesthetic, similar to many images of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Monochrome + Filters

Monochrome is Fujifilm’s standard profile for black and white. It was never modeled after a particular film, but has been part of Fujifilm’s profiles for a while now.

The aspect I like most about monochrome is its softness and flatness. Like classic chrome, it makes a great base for editing - adding contrast here and there to create the look you want.

It works well if you don’t want anything too moody or dramatic for your photos.

For black and white film simulations, you’re also able to apply built in filters. You have the option between the standard monochrome or monochrome + red, green, or yellow filter. This is one of my favorite inclusions by fujifilm. I believe the intention was to emulate actual filters used on film cameras. Depending on the filter used, you could accentuate or tone down qualities such as contrast or color.

My default here is the yellow filter. This gives me a notably better contrast in the skies and is a good all around filter.

I also like using the red filter to emphasize and bring out skin tones. This is quite useful in low light situations when red is often underexposed.

Green is my least used filter and I’ll only use it in certain scenarios where the exposure would make sense.

All in all, I’d recommend monochrome for anyone looking for a standard black and white profile with the flexibility to experiment.

Acros

You may have heard of Acros before. That’s because Fujifilm actually has a film stock named acros. It was once discontinued and brought back due to its popularity. Well, fujifilm also has a film simulation called acros. It’s shockingly close to the actual film, and it just so happens to be my favorite black and white profile.

Acros is a strong, bold, grainy, and dramatic film simulation. It’s well suited for those who wish to place a bit of epicness onto their photos. With bright highlights and dark shadows you can easily drift into thinking every photo you take is straight out of a newspaper.

I personally love using acros solely for composition. This is because when shooting in black and white, you are more focused on lighting and composition, rather than color. This gives me more interesting photos and less distractions.

Another interesting aspect is that fujifilm has implemented a grain structure to the film simulation. So naturally, where there are more shadows you’ll get more grain and vice versa. This allows the simulation to behave more closely to film compared to monchrome which is stated to have a more even layout of grain. Actual film is likely going to be more randomized and natural, but this is a great step forward for digital.

I’d recommend acros for anyone looking for a dramatic, contrasty, and bold black and white film simulation.

Eterna

Up till now I’ve only mentioned the film simulations I use for photography. Interestingly, each film simulation can also be used for video. Thus, you can add any custom profile to your video to give it that same look. I’ve yet to experiment with this however, due to one reason. Eterna.

Eterna is a film simulation that was intended for video. You can take photos with it but in my opinion, it’s flatness leaves a lot to be desired. This is because eterna is a profile somewhere in-between f-log and a standard color profile.

For those that don’t know, f-log is a flat profile used in video to record in lower saturation and contrast. This allows editors the flexibility to color grade and add all sorts of details in post. Think of eterna as a partial f-log. Eterna retains some color and contrast to be used as is, yet has some flatness to it to provide room for editing. This is a perfect starting point for beginners who are learning to color grade. Similarly, it is a great tool for professionals alike who don’t need anything as extreme as f-log.

Worried about losing dynamic range? Don’t. Fujifilm cameras with eterna (generally the newer models) allow one to increase dynamic range up to “400” which will give you more than enough room for editing.

This is my ideal video profile because of its versatility and flexibility. You can peek at samples of eterna via the videos on my channel.

All in all, the film simulation you choose to use depends on your eye and the vision you have for photography. We each see the world differently and thus have different preferences.

If you’re just beginning to acquaint yourself with film simulations, I’d recommend to try as many as you can until you can firmly pick out your favorites. Then have at it.

That’s it from me - thanks for reading and happy shooting!