Agfa Optima film recipe for the X100

My last two posts have outlined the film recipes that I have programmed into the C1 and C2 slots of the Fujifilm X100. These will be the two styles I will probably use most often. So my C3 slot will be there as a more 'playful' option - something that I will probably play around with and swap out reasonably frequently? 

But to start with, at least, I have programmed in my Agfa Optima film recipe - a style that I really liked a lot when shooting on the X-E1 and X-E2.

Powerbox. Fujifilm X100. f8 @ 1/30th, ISO 250 - Agfa Optima film recipe

I love the colour palette of this recipe - it has a slightly more muted, pastel palette than my punchier E100SW recipe, and comes SOOC already looking quite 'filmic' (is that a word?). The colours aren't washed out or 'bleached' like some film looks try to be (is that really what most film looks like?), but have just the right amount of 'creaminess' to them. At least that's the feeling I get from this recipe - smooth, creamy colours.

Flax bloom. X100. f8 @ 1/50th, ISO 200

Agfa Optima 200 film recipe

Film base: Provia

Dynamic Range: 100

White Balance: Auto

White Balance Shift: +1R, -1B

Color: Low

Sharpness: Std

Highlight Tone: Soft

Shadow Tone: Hard

Noise Reduction: Low

ISO: Auto

Because of the vibe of this recipe, I usually use it with softer lighting, and it works well for landscapes or architecture. It's not so good for portraits as it does something a little 'funky' with skin colour. It's not unusable for portraits, but I would opt for the E100SW recipe if I was concentrating on taking photos with people in them (or better still Acros). But for landscapes and architecture, I love the look of this film recipe.

The photos in this post were all taken this evening (as I write this) as I wandered around my neighborhood. Nothing earth-shattering image wise, but I'm still getting used to using the X100 and figuring out how I want to shoot with it (and what film recipes I want to keep). And even though this was my fourth outing with the X100, the battery is still showing full power in the display (although I know it must be getting depleted by now?). As I said in my last post, I think this is helped by the way I'm shooting with the X100 - using the optical viewfinder and occasionally the lcd screen to compose rather than the evf. I've also decided to turn image review off as well, as it only annoys me when it pops up in the viewfinder, and isn't particularly accurate anyway.

Hill House. Fujifilm X100. f8 @ 1/50th, ISO 200 - Agfa Optima film recipe

Am I digging the fixed 35mm fov? I have to say that I am 'getting used to it', and must admit that the few times that I have taken the X100 on an outing I haven't felt frustrated or constrained. I've come back with images that tell the story of the trip, and that are distinctly different enough so as not to feel that they were all shot from the same position. I guess I'm 'zooming with my feet' like a 'real' photographer... (Yes, that was a joke. Kind of).

Treehouse. X100. f8 @ 1/90th, ISO 200

I really like the above shot - Treehouse. I've walked past this house a hundred times and always marveled at the massive lone tree on the front lawn. But I've never taken a photo of it. This is the sort of image you decide to take when you always have a camera with you. The X100 is so light and easy to carry, you hardly feel like you have it with you. There's no user-fatigue with this camera. And the lens is nice and sharp, especially since I'm using it mostly around f4 to f8.

Purple Explosion. Fujifilm X100. f8 @ 1/30th, ISO 200. Agfa Optima film recipe SOOC

As mentioned earlier, I really loved the look of the images from the X-E1 using my Agfa Optima film recipe. I love them just as much out of the X100. It's a 'keeper' for a different colour look, and I can see me using it quite a lot when travelling. But I also said at the beginning of this post that my C3 slot was going to be my 'fun' or experimental slot - so it may not always be programmed with this recipe. 

With my X-E1 and X-E2, I actually had more black and white recipes than colour programmed into the cameras, so next I will try my Kodak Tri-X film recipe for a more dramatic black and white look. Stay tuned....