Fujifilm Digital Film Emulation Profiles

Long before they started making some of the best digital cameras on the market, Fujifilm had a long and distinguished reputation for some of the best films on the market.

From color slide positive films to black and white negative films, names like Velvia, Provia, and Neopan denoted iconic films. Each had a distinctive look to it that suits some types of images more than others. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to use the naturally saturated Velvia slide film for flattering portraits, but it’s wonderful for landscapes. I was an avid user of the Velvia and Provia slide films back in the day, but it has been a while since I used them.

In moving to digital, that film heritage hasn’t been completely abandoned. Fujifilm’s cameras come with a range of built-in effects to replicate the look and feel of some of those films. If you’re shooting JPG, you can have these applied directly in the camera at the time you press the shutter. If you’re shooting RAW, it only affects the preview image that’s created in the RAW file but not the RAW image itself. But you can still apply them in Lightroom by using built-in camera profiles.

It’s worth emphasizing if you’re doing it in Lightroom Classic, these aren’t the same as filters or presets that you can buy that are intended to replicate certain films. While those have their place, these are different–they’re camera profiles that are handled quite differently in Lightroom. Unlike presets, camera profiles don’t alter any of the sliders in your develop settings, so you still have free rein over adjusting them however you want (or applying presets as well, for that matter). They’re also not the same things as color management color profiles (and the Adobe Standard I refer to below isn’t the same thing as AdobeRGB).

Color Profiles

Here are some side-by-side comparisons of what each of the camera profiles looks like compared to the baseline Adobe Standard camera profile that’s applied by default. As you can see, sometimes the difference is subtle.

The photos of the train were shot with a Fujifilm X100T. The shots of the Lincoln Memorial were shot with a Fujifilm X70.

Adobe Standard vs PROVIA/STANDARD

Adobe Standard vs Velvia/VIVID

Adobe Standard vs ASTIA/SOFT

Adobe Standard vs CLASSIC CHROME

Adobe Standard vs Pro Neg. Hi

Adobe Standard vs Pro Neg. Std

Black and White Profiles

The baseline I’m using for comparison here is still using the Adobe Standard camera profile, but I’ve clicked on the Black and White setting in the Basic treatment panel.

Adobe Standard vs MONOCHROME

Adobe Standard vs MONOCHROME+Ye(llow) FILTER

Adobe Standard vs MONOCHROME+R(ed) FILTER

Adobe Standard vs MONOCHROME+G(reen) FILTER

Which to Use?

There’s no right answer as to which to use. It’s entirely a matter of your vision and preference.

If you’re applying them in-camera to JPGs, you’re pretty much stuck with whatever you’ve selected in the camera’s settings.

If you’re shooting RAW, you have far more flexibility. The profile you have set in the camera will be applied to generating the preview image that’s embedded in the RAW file. So if you set it to monochrome, for example, when you play back those photos through the camera you’ll see it in monochrome. But it’s not actually applied to the underlying RAW file, so if those previews are regenerated–as they are when you reload photos in Lightroom, for example–it’ll be regenerated with whatever camera profile setting you have for that image in Lightroom. That means you’re not stuck with what you shot with, and it also means you can safely experiment with different profile settings in a completely non-destructive way that has no effect at all to the underlying file. You can also do it on an image by image basis more conveniently than changing camera settings between every shot.

Price & Availability of Fujifilm X-T3

You can find the X-T3 in various configurations, from body-only to kits with lenses.

Buy New

Check the current price and availability at:

• B&H Photo
• Adorama
• Amazon

Buy Used

Now that there are newer models out to replace it, you can often find good deals on used X-T3s. Stock levels of used gear are always in flux, but these places are well worth checking:

• B&H Photo
• KEH
• MPB

Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2023-05-31 at 16:36. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.