Several weeks back I stumbled on a review of Kodak Ektachrome E100 color reversal film (the current version), and I thought: That looks a lot like the Reala Ace film simulation. I took a guess at some settings, but didn’t put much effort into testing or refining them. I got busy with some other things (such as planning and preparing for a four-city photowalk tour), and neglected to do anything more. More recently, Fuji X Weekly reader Dan Allen messaged me with the same exact observation about Ektachrome E100 and Reala Ace, which made me revisit the project.
Dan actually captured some side-by-side photos with Ektachrome E100 and a Fujifilm camera using the Reala Ace film simulation; however, he couldn’t quite get it to match. Interestingly, the settings that he had come up with as the closest facsimile were quite similar to mine. It was thought that the particular scanner used likely played a role in the exact aesthetic of the Ektachrome images—one film can produce a variety of looks depending on how it was shot, developed, and printed, projected, or scanned, among other things. Being a slide film, E100 is inherently designed to be projected. While this Recipe isn’t an exact match to Dan’s Ektachrome slides (although it’s not terribly far off, either), it does share a lot of resemblance with some Ektachrome E100 images that can be found online.
Kodak introduced Ektachrome in 1946. I counted once, and there are over 40 different emulsions that have been called Ektachrome over the years, not including slight revisions or improvements to the same film. The “E” development process was invented for Ektachrome film… it began with E1; the E6 process that’s used today was introduced in 1977. Each different Ektachrome and development process produced a divergent look. Kodak discontinued Ektachrome in 2012, but in 2018 they brought back Ektachrome E100. Some have suggested that this new version is simply a revision of Ektachrome E100G, but I don’t believe that’s been verified—it may or may not be.
While Reala Ace can be made into a pretty close match to Kodak Ektachrome E100, there are some issues that prevent it from being even more accurate—I would love a +5 Color option, for instance. Skin tones aren’t perfect, either—it’s possible to improve that, but at the expense of other attributes. I also think DR-Auto would be a good option, but the camera doesn’t jump to DR200 quickly enough, in my opinion. This Recipe is not perfect, but after a lot of tries over the years, this is the most satisfied I’ve been with any of my attempts, and I think it’s convincing enough to be given the Ektachrome E100 name.
This is an App Patron Early-Access Recipe. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you have access to it right now. If not, no worries, as it will eventually be made available to everyone, once it is replaced by a new Early-Access Recipe. It is compatible with all fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50. I’m sure it can also be used on the latest GFX models; however, it will likely render slightly different (try it anyway).
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Ektachrome E100 Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-T50:
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Fujifilm X-T50 in black:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X-T50 in silver:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X-T50 in charcoal:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex
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