One of the major selling points of the Fujifilm camera line-up for me, were the film simulations on offer. They give users the ability to imitate classic film looks, without having to spend hours tweaking images in post-production.
I *hate* spending lots of time doing editing on my laptop – I try to get it all right in-camera as much as possible. However the default simulations that came with my X-T20 were a little bit lackluster, so when I saw some nice-looking images on instagram (in amongst all the promoted rubbish), I thought it was worth a try.
I downloaded Herzawg’s mega simulations pack, and dutifully programmed a few of them into my camera (not a sponsored post, this was just the first set of examples I really liked, and there was a sale on).
My X-T20 is an older model of Fujifilm camera, so annoyingly I can’t rename the simulations on the camera. I’m stuck with their default names, so I have a cheat sheet (little bit of paper I slid behind the flip-out screen, noting which film simulation does what).
Portra 800 in the frost
My first trip out was on new year’s eve 2025, to a frosty park behind my house. Not having to worry about fiddling too much with manual settings was pretty freeing, and it left me able to have a look around and appreciate the atmospheric morning air.
I was lucky to get pretty close to some wildlife too – my first ever sighting of a flock of Redwings, chattering in a hedge while eating berries. They were pretty skittish and kept flying further away, but after some creeping about with my longer zoom lens, I managed to get a couple of acceptable shots. Then on my way home I walked under a robin, singing its heart out in the sunshine – a great result for a casual photography walk!
The simulation I used was Portra 800, which gives muted colours in the blues, but more vibrant red and golds. I was pleased with the results – it made the frsot look more atmospheric, and really helped the robin pop.
Acros + Red filter in the Yorkshire Dales
My second outing with film simulations was on a family holiday in the Yorkshire Dales – a really gorgeous part of the UK that I’ve not visited before. The wild and hilly landscape wasn’t looking great in colour, due to the overcast skies. So I switched to a high-contrast black and white film simulation and gave that a try, from the garden of the cottage we stayed in.
It was another win for the XC 50-230mm lens – even though it’s a “budget” lens with no manual aperture control, it’s pretty sharp across the frame. I really like using a zoom lens for portrait shots of landscapes (like the hazy hills image below) – it adds a nice depth to landscapes.
We took a trip out to Aysgarth Falls too, which was really pretty – three sets of waterfalls close together and easy to walk between (ideal for a big family group). I didn’t take many shots here, as I switched to my Horizon S3 Pro instead, but I was happy enough with how the Acros film simulation performed here as well.
Sadly, the Horizon S3 Pro was up to its old tricks again, and chewed up the end of the roll of film I was shooting. This meant it snapped when I rewound it, and then I opened the back up, and fogged the whole damn thing. The risks of shooting film in temperamental old plastic cameras!
I’ll definitely be taking the X-T20 out more often – it’s so much more enjoyable to shoot, knowing I won’t have to do tons of faffing about on my laptop when I get home. Programming them directly into the camera is pretty handy too – means I could add new simulations while out and about, if needed.
If you have any favourite film simulation recipes, please do let me know!