Kodak Ektar 100 [X-Trans III/IV] film simulation recipe

Intro

When I first got the Fujifilm X-Pro2, one of the first few film simulation recipes I tried was the Kodak Ektar 100. The main reason was I had already shot a few of rolls of Kodak Ektar 100, had them developed and printed in 4x6. I had also got the rolls scanned in low resolution as it was quite expensive at the time. Scanning my old negatives in high resolution has been on my all time to-do list for almost forever. Unfortunately at the time of writing this, my scans were on a CD and I have no way to retrieve them. But I had the prints for reference as to how the film would look.

The Kodak Ektar 100 is not exactly inexpensive, on the contrary it is in the range of slide films. This is why I was keen to have a go at this film simulation and see how it fares.

A man taking a photograph of a building. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
The Kodak Ektar 100 film

Kodak Ektar 100 is a color negative film that was first introduced in 2008. Kodak designed the film to offer the finest grain and sharpest images of any color negative film available on the market. In fact, it is advertised as having the "World's finest-grain color negative film". And it is true.

The film is known for its high resolution and balanced colors, therefore making it a popular choice for professional and amateur photographers alike. However, the Kodak Ektar 100 is also great for landscapes or commercial work where resolution and color accuracy are important. 

I first thought the "world's finest grain" was an exaggeration, a kind of marketing chest-thumping. But, boy, was I surprised when I saw my prints. The film grain is indeed so fine that when it has been exposed perfectly in the right light, it does look like a modern day digital image (I base this from several examples I found on Flickr).

The Kodak Ektar 100 film properties

The film's unique characteristics are a result of Kodak's use of "advanced emulsion" technology. Ektar 100 has a nominal sensitivity of ISO 100, which means that it is well-suited for outdoor photography in good light.

Firstly, due to its low sensitivity and supremely fine grain, the Ektar 100 can produce extremely sharp images. Secondly, the film  has a wide exposure latitude, which allows us to capture detail in both highlights and shadows. However, the shadows do show a slight bluish-indigo color shift even in properly exposed image, more so if under exposed.

A tram in Vienna. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)

The film's colors are vibrant and yet with a neutral color balance. The saturation in reds is especially noticeable as the reds look deep and rich and yet not over the top so as to clip the channel. Ektar 100 is also known for its excellent contrast, which helps to bring out details and textures in images.

The film's archival properties are also noteworthy. Kodak Ektar 100 has a reputation for being one of the most stable color negative films available, with excellent resistance to fading and color shifts over time.

In my experience, it did well with long exposures, normal exposures, portraits and slight over exposure. The colors and contrast look very nice.  The film does not like underexposure (but the data sheet does mention it). The film did well in its best lighting conditions that is outdoors in good light, it did well during sunsets as well. It doesn't look that good in low, artificial light. 

Tubs of ice-cream containers at an ice-cream shop. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
The Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation

This recipe is based on the Fuji's Astia film simulation and the recipe is by Fuji X Weekly (an absolute smashing repository of film simulations for all Fujifilm sensors). This particular recipe is for the X-Trans 3 and 4 sensors, so it worked well with my X-Pro2.

Film Simulation:  Astia
Dynamic Range:  DR-Auto

Grain Effect:  Off
White Balance:  Auto, +3 Red & -2 Blue

Highlight:  +1
Shadow:  +3
Color:  +4
Sharpening:  +1

Noise Reduction:  -3

ISO:  up to 6400
Exposure Compensation:  0 to +1/3

 

Examples

Below are some examples of this particular film simulation. We can see that the simulation works really well on sunny scenes the best as it brings out the colors & contrasts quite nicely. Cloudy images are decent too. Most colors (esp reds) look really beautiful and is close to how it looks on film. The greens looks deep yet not over saturated with a nice contrast.

However, I don't think the simulation works well for indoor or artificial lighting as there is a strong cast. It should be possible to alter this by changing the WB setting from Daylight to Auto (or even Ambience Priority in later models). But then it beats the point of shooting JPEGs if I have to extensively adjust the colors in post.

(move the mouse over the images to pause the slideshow)

A tram carriage on tracks in Bratislava. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
A couple walking down a cobbled street in Bratislava. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
A red car parked in front of a building painted in shades of red and pink. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
A man sitting next to his bicycle near a river bank watching a sunset. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
A man ponders while sitting on a bench under a tree. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
An old man peering at his phone while a tram passes behind him. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
Empty wine bottle kept on wall along with a used plastic cup. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
A man studying a menu of a restaurant. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
Empty beer bottles on a table of an outdoor cafe. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
An empty beer can kept on a ledge in front of a wall. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
A red bus traveling in front of some colorful buildings. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
Reflection of a man walking in a pool of water in Bratislava. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
A man photographing a statue. (Shot on Fujifilm X-Pro2 using Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe)
Summary

Overall, I'm quite happy with the recipe although this recipe does tend to lean towards the warmer side compared to actual film. So instead of WB on Auto, dialling in the right color temperature could yield better results. The recipe also has more clarity, saturation and contrasts compared to actual film and this can be dialled down as well but I liked the resulting look. I found the greens to be fairly close to the film, the manner in which it looks contrasty and yet slightly muted.

On bright days, the recipe replicates the colors and contrasts quite well compared to the film. This is also true for cloudy conditions or when in areas without direct sunlight. I did not like the recipe after dark and in artificial light as it becomes a bit too warm.

In the end, this Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation recipe almost always delivers impressive images that still shows many signs of an analog photo.  

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.

You are welcome to check other film simulations I've listed on this site with photographs. Kodachrome 64 and my own custom recipe Salted Caramel.

You can also check Fuji X Weekly website, which is one of the best repositories for film simulations recipes for Fujifilm cameras.

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