Classic Chrome vs Classic Neg: Refining my X100V
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I stopped at Manzanar National Historic site for an hour on my recent drive down US395; it's a stop that I make nearly every time I drive that stretch of highway. If you haven't seen this haunting place, you owe it to yourself to check it out if you're ever in the area.
I prefer to photograph this monument using the Classic Chrome film simulation. This time, however, I had my X100V with me and wanted to see how Classic Neg would be different. I don't have a lot of experience with this film simulation yet and want to change that as I think it has a lot of potential - if you use it correctly.
Classic Chrome vs Classic Neg
If you're not sure of the differences, you can read all about the film simulation differences in this post and even take a free film simulation course that I created.
I also wrote a dedicated article exploring the differences between Classic Chrome and Classic Neg here.
Classic Neg and Classic Chrome are both modeled after "vintage" (if you want to think of it that way) film stocks though neither of them has a real-life Fuji film counterpart. They both have subdued colors and strong contrast, making them a favorite for street and documentary-style photography. Classic Chrome is quite subdued with hints of cyan, while Classic Neg is a bit bolder with warmer hints of magenta.
Would the warmer, harsher Classic Neg be better for photographing this arid, hot place than the cooler Classic Chrome? Would it better project that mood? I used a documentary Classic Neg preset that I just created. And to show you the differences between Classic Chrome, I also processed these photos in X RAW Studio using my Classic Chrome preset, which are here with the Classic Neg photos.
Which one does a better job of representing this...concentration camp? (I know they were officially called "internment camps" to avoid association with places like Auschwitz, but by every definition, they were concentration camps). There is no right answer and I don't know if I'm sure yet. I'll need some more time with Classic Neg. I'll continue to refine this preset as I get some more shutter actuations with it. If you're in the same rut, you can also try Film Simulation Bracketing.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the buildings are currently locked up.
X100V Documentary Classic Chrome & Classic Neg presets
A note about these presets, these photos, and the X100V: I use different tone curves & color, so it's not a strict comparison of the two film simulations. You'll also see that the clouds are nearly blown out in some photos, even with DR AUTO set, which should have enabled DR200 in these scenes. Well, since it was a super-bright day in the desert, I lowered my ISO to 160 without giving it much thought. DR200 only works with a minimum ISO of 320. If you want to take advantage of this, don't set your ISO below 320 and use the built-in ND filter if you need a large aperture, or use the Electronic Shutter. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read this post to learn more about the Dynamic Range settings.
Classic Chrome
- DR: AUTO
- Grain: Weak Large
- Color Chrome: Off
- Color Chrome Blue: Weak
- WB: Auto, Shift 0
- Tone Curve: H +1, S 0
- Color: +2
- Sharpness: 0
- Noise Reduction: -2
- Clarity: +2
Classic Neg
- DR: AUTO
- Grain: Weak Large
- Color Chrome: Weak
- Color Chrome Blue: Off
- WB: Auto, Shift 0
- Tone Curve: H -1, S 0
- Color: -1
- Sharpness: 0
- Noise Reduction: -2
- Clarity: +2
The Classic Neg photos are the first in each pair, followed by Classic Chrome
Well? Which one does it for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts below, given the fact that photographers are their worst critics 🙂
I bought the X100v a few months back for a smaller carry around camera (I’m a primary Sony A7iii and A7riii shooter). I learned about the film simulations and the one they really caught my eye right out of the gate was the classic Neg sim. It’s definitely more punchy due to the contrast and it fits my shooting style. I recently used the classic chrome because so many people rave about that sim on YouTube, and I was impressed with the images straight out of camera. I think I will still use classic Neg for most of my shots but classic neg is no slouch. Great article!
Thanks Derron! Yes, Classic Chrome has been a favorite for a long time. I think that when more people get cameras with Classic Neg, since it's still fairly new, it will replace Chrome for many situations. I have found that Classic Neg definitely doesn't work for some situations, and the tone curve & colors are also more significantly affected by how much you push or pull the exposure. Unlike basic sims like Provia and Astia, this one requires a lot of experimentation to find the sweet spot.
Hey Derron -- might you have a setting for the classic neg sim, or classic chrome? A fellow shooter
I use on my x100t mostly classic chrome.
On my previus x100 i have been using Astia...I move from Nikon to Fuji in 2013.
Here is my slideshow from Florence shot with classic chrome:
https://youtu.be/mqWjF9DyenA
And here is trip from Istanbul with Astia:
Regards from Slovakia..
Karol
Classic chrome has long been a favorite for good reasons, and is great for travel. Thanks for sharing the photos!
Sorry here is link on Istanbul trip:
https://youtu.be/1A6Cdua-M_k
Karol
I would just let like to know which version of the sky color was what you saw in person?
Thanks,
Richard
Hi Richard, good question. The answer is neither, actually. In these photos, the Classic Neg has extra magenta in the sky, and the Classic Chrome has extra cyan in the sky. If anything it was closer to the Classic Neg but not as "warm" as these pictures indicate.
Very nicely done. I've been meaning to do a similar writeup as a recent convert to Classic Neg from Classic Chrome. I'm still trying to piece together why I like CNeg as much as I do; I honestly bought the X100V thinking CNeg was going to see as little use as Eterna does for my images.
But I've since found it to be incredibly versatile. And I love how different the character becomes with even slight exposure adjustments, especially in the sky.
Thanks Earl! Yes, CNEG was a surprise for sure. I can't wait to experiment with it some more to learn all its little quirks. I'll head over and see what you're up to with it!
Thanks for sharing this simulation comparison. I find myself going back and forth trying to decide which one I like better when I post process in Lightroom. I also spend quite some time editing highlights and shadows because I find that ooc jpg images have too much contrast for my liking so I will definitely play with the different settings you shared (tone curve and clarity) and hope I spend less time editing and more time shooting. I'm a new Fuji user so I still have a lot to learn 🙂
Anyway! Thanks again 🙂
Cheers
Barbara
Hi Barbara, thanks for the note!
I was having trouble with the contrast too, since I've always processed my photos to have a bit flatter toning, but after using these cameras for a while I've come to love contrast more. I've found myself exposing for the bright areas more and more, putting other areas of the photo deep into shadows. Funny how our tastes change with the equipment we use.
Thanks for your reply.
Indeed tastes change!! When I started shooting 20 years ago (just typing this I feel old!) I used to love contrast so much and now I like flatter images and when I look at those pictures I wonder what I was thinking of. Looking forward to seeing what will I like in 20 years time 🙂
i'm quite fond of the classic negative simulation but the look is pretty bold and probably not best suited to professional photography. i LOVE what classic negative does to greens and reds though - it changes the hue and saturation just enough to create a true vintage look. the look is perfectly demonstrated at this link:. https://fujifilm-x.com/en-sg/news/2019/1104_2666/
That begs the question, "what is professional photography"? Perfect color renditions? The trendy color grading techniques of the day? Professional photography is what you want it to be, and if you can build a niche using Classic Neg, don't let the market tell you otherwise 🙂
Great write up. Yeah, I think my main simulations I use are the classic chrome and and classic negative and of course acrose for bw. I’m still trying to dial in a couple of my own recipes. But basically have just been tweaking a couple that I like from FujiXWeekly while I get a hang of things. I’ve only had my X100V for a month. As far as digital, I had been shooting Canons for the past 15 years but am now a Fuji convert. It’s refreshing to get a punchy and interesting rendition straight out of camera and not having to endlessly tweak my images to get me the film look.
That's awesome to hear. Yes, FujiXWeekly has some great recipes but I've found the selection to be too overwhelming 🙂 Hopefully, you can sort through all of it and find one that suits you, or build your own from scratch!
Thank You very much for this. I learned a lot.
I'm brand new with 100V, and there's something about the way Fujifilm's tonality is.
Sometimes I miss Nikon's or Zeiss' strong colors, and I partly understand what Ken Rockwell thinks about the slightly muted colors from Fuji, where he says Nikon or Canon is better for everything, ...but people, , but at the same time there is something VERY charming about those pictures from Fuji.
My favorite in your photos is Classic Chrome, but I can see that certain things would dress classic neg. incredibly good, and something you can not get - at all - with Nikon or others (has 10 cameras).
The nice thing about Fujifilm cameras is the range of looks you can get with the different ways they can process the tones that the lens & sensor capture. Cheers!
The only difference I see is that the Neg has a slight magenta tint and a bit more contrast compared to the classic chrome.
Oh it's so much more than that! The highlight and shadow tones are handled differently and colors all over the tonal map are shifted in different hue & saturation directions. It just takes a lot of going out and shooting to really see what the differences are.
I love the blues in classic neg along with the deeper contrast which makes some images look sharper. In some the images the mountains in the background have more contrast adding to the story of the scene in a mountain surrounded area
Color can certainly do a lot for story - something I think is left out quite a bit. Thanks for sharing!