Using picture controls like film simulations

[vcxz]

If anyone else came from Fuji, one of the features I miss is film simulations. They add a unique look to the photos in a more sophisticated way than an Instagram filter. I enjoyed being able to quickly share SOOC JPGs while still having a stylized look.

There was the Nikon PC website that had some modifications based on the original picture controls like Standard, Vivid, Portrait, etc. but they were pretty limited.

On the new Z cameras, they have 20 picture controls that when I first saw them I thought they were a joke. Some of them made the entire picture blue or something.

But I realized there's a meter to dial down the effect. If you dial down the effect to ~20-50%, you can achieve something more like Fuji film simulations. I'm no expert and this is still a work in progress but here are some examples.




Standard as the control. Nikon colors SOOC seem very vibrant.




#18. Graphite: Effect level: 20%Contrast: +1Toning: Cyan 4




#7. SilenceEffect level: 40%Saturation: -1




#17. CharcoalEffect level: 20%Contrast: -3




#10. PureEffect level: 30%Contrast: -3Saturation: -3




#12. ToyEffect level: 50%Contrast: -3Saturation: -3





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Instagram: @vcxz_photos

 

[Asla]

Hi!

But you can load profiles to your Z camera from site https://nikonpc.com/

There are plenty of them. And if you want, you can tweak them in camera further...

A s l a


Road to north. Muonio, Finland (Kodak T-max 400 profile). Taken with Nikon CPA

 

[kamerakiri]

There was the Nikon PC website that had some modifications based on the original picture controls like Standard, Vivid, Portrait, etc. but they were pretty limited.

Is it nikonpc.com? They have a hundred or so profiles. Not limited at all. Don't go by the preview on that website. Those profiles perform much better when loaded into camera.

On the new Z cameras, they have 20 picture controls that when I first saw them I thought they were a joke. Some of them made the entire picture blue or something.

It is similar to Chrome Color Fx Blue in Fuji. Not that bad if toned down a bit.

But I realized there's a meter to dial down the effect. If you dial down the effect to ~20-50%, you can achieve something more like Fuji film simulations. I'm no expert and this is still a work in progress but here are some examples.

Fuji film simulations are far more limited compared to Nikon. Fuji just allows in camera tweaks to its film simulations. Not all of them are too different either. I feel Provia can be tweaked to achieve Astia and Pro Neg Std. Velvia and Classic Chrome stand out a bit. Classic Neg is useful sometimes. And that's about it(if you are not into B/W). I'll ignore art filters as they are not exactly color profiles.

Nikon has 26 profiles already built in!!! And you can add 9 custom ones that you can create straight from editing RAW images using Picture Control Utility 2. Basically a ready made RAW-JPEG engine.

All of these work for jpeg as well as video!

Nikon gives much greater control, far more options, many more modern profiles and yet fails to advertise any of it. I think part of the reason is that Zfc is probably the first camera that attracts JPEG type of shooters that are popular within the Fuji community. People who buy more professional bodies like Z6 and Z7 are not going around doing street photography with expensive and heavy Z glass.

I hope Nikon releases more interesting and small DX bodies in future so that people are attracted to JPEG style of shooting and explore the excellent degree of flexibility that Nikon Custom Picture Controls offer.

You can achieve most Fujifilm simulations on Nikon by loading custom profiles in camera, but you can't achieve Nikon colors on Fuji without fiddling around with RAW editing on a PC.

 

[Timo Vahala]

Of my custom Picture Control for slide film simulation. Frames added in post to enhance the illusion.













Timo

 

[PerL]

There was the Nikon PC website that had some modifications based on the original picture controls like Standard, Vivid, Portrait, etc. but they were pretty limited.

Is it nikonpc.com? They have a hundred or so profiles. Not limited at all. Don't go by the preview on that website. Those profiles perform much better when loaded into camera.

On the new Z cameras, they have 20 picture controls that when I first saw them I thought they were a joke. Some of them made the entire picture blue or something.

It is similar to Chrome Color Fx Blue in Fuji. Not that bad if toned down a bit.

But I realized there's a meter to dial down the effect. If you dial down the effect to ~20-50%, you can achieve something more like Fuji film simulations. I'm no expert and this is still a work in progress but here are some examples.

Fuji film simulations are far more limited compared to Nikon. Fuji just allows in camera tweaks to its film simulations. Not all of them are too different either. I feel Provia can be tweaked to achieve Astia and Pro Neg Std. Velvia and Classic Chrome stand out a bit. Classic Neg is useful sometimes. And that's about it(if you are not into B/W). I'll ignore art filters as they are not exactly color profiles.

Nikon has 26 profiles already built in!!! And you can add 9 custom ones that you can create straight from editing RAW images using Picture Control Utility 2. Basically a ready made RAW-JPEG engine.

All of these work for jpeg as well as video!

Nikon gives much greater control, far more options, many more modern profiles and yet fails to advertise any of it. I think part of the reason is that Zfc is probably the first camera that attracts JPEG type of shooters that are popular within the Fuji community. People who buy more professional bodies like Z6 and Z7 are not going around doing street photography with expensive and heavy Z glass.

I hope Nikon releases more interesting and small DX bodies in future so that people are attracted to JPEG style of shooting and explore the excellent degree of flexibility that Nikon Custom Picture Controls offer.

You can achieve most Fujifilm simulations on Nikon by loading custom profiles in camera, but you can't achieve Nikon colors on Fuji without fiddling around with RAW editing on a PC.

With the Zfc I really think Nikon should provide some picture controls that simulates classic films, "Kodacrome”, ”Tri-X”, ”Velvia”, etc. It would be great for the retro feeling and ease of use.

 

[Timo Vahala]

Yes! That would be a dream come true!

Timo

 

[Verkku]

There was the Nikon PC website that had some modifications based on the original picture controls like Standard, Vivid, Portrait, etc. but they were pretty limited.

Is it nikonpc.com? They have a hundred or so profiles. Not limited at all. Don't go by the preview on that website. Those profiles perform much better when loaded into camera.

thanks for the link!

On the new Z cameras, they have 20 picture controls that when I first saw them I thought they were a joke. Some of them made the entire picture blue or something.

It is similar to Chrome Color Fx Blue in Fuji. Not that bad if toned down a bit.

But I realized there's a meter to dial down the effect. If you dial down the effect to ~20-50%, you can achieve something more like Fuji film simulations. I'm no expert and this is still a work in progress but here are some examples.

Fuji film simulations are far more limited compared to Nikon. Fuji just allows in camera tweaks to its film simulations. Not all of them are too different either. I feel Provia can be tweaked to achieve Astia and Pro Neg Std. Velvia and Classic Chrome stand out a bit. Classic Neg is useful sometimes. And that's about it(if you are not into B/W). I'll ignore art filters as they are not exactly color profiles.

Nikon has 26 profiles already built in!!! And you can add 9 custom ones that you can create straight from editing RAW images using Picture Control Utility 2. Basically a ready made RAW-JPEG engine.

All of these work for jpeg as well as video!

Nikon gives much greater control, far more options, many more modern profiles and yet fails to advertise any of it. I think part of the reason is that Zfc is probably the first camera that attracts JPEG type of shooters that are popular within the Fuji community. People who buy more professional bodies like Z6 and Z7 are not going around doing street photography with expensive and heavy Z glass.

I hope Nikon releases more interesting and small DX bodies in future so that people are attracted to JPEG style of shooting and explore the excellent degree of flexibility that Nikon Custom Picture Controls offer.

You can achieve most Fujifilm simulations on Nikon by loading custom profiles in camera, but you can't achieve Nikon colors on Fuji without fiddling around with RAW editing on a PC.

 

[Asla]

With the Zfc I really think Nikon should provide some picture controls that simulates classic films, "Kodacrome”, ”Tri-X”, ”Velvia”, etc. It would be great for the retro feeling and ease of use.

Oh, but Nikon does: Look at my answer earlier this thread...

A s l a

 

[Timo Vahala]

Those are not Nikon's factory Picture Controls. They are created by users. You can upload your own there, if you like.

Timo

 

[CliveTJ]

There was the Nikon PC website that had some modifications based on the original picture controls like Standard, Vivid, Portrait, etc. but they were pretty limited.

Is it nikonpc.com? They have a hundred or so profiles. Not limited at all. Don't go by the preview on that website. Those profiles perform much better when loaded into camera.

On the new Z cameras, they have 20 picture controls that when I first saw them I thought they were a joke. Some of them made the entire picture blue or something.

It is similar to Chrome Color Fx Blue in Fuji. Not that bad if toned down a bit.

But I realized there's a meter to dial down the effect. If you dial down the effect to ~20-50%, you can achieve something more like Fuji film simulations. I'm no expert and this is still a work in progress but here are some examples.

Fuji film simulations are far more limited compared to Nikon. Fuji just allows in camera tweaks to its film simulations. Not all of them are too different either. I feel Provia can be tweaked to achieve Astia and Pro Neg Std. Velvia and Classic Chrome stand out a bit. Classic Neg is useful sometimes. And that's about it(if you are not into B/W). I'll ignore art filters as they are not exactly color profiles.

Nikon has 26 profiles already built in!!! And you can add 9 custom ones that you can create straight from editing RAW images using Picture Control Utility 2. Basically a ready made RAW-JPEG engine.

All of these work for jpeg as well as video!

Nikon gives much greater control, far more options, many more modern profiles and yet fails to advertise any of it. I think part of the reason is that Zfc is probably the first camera that attracts JPEG type of shooters that are popular within the Fuji community. People who buy more professional bodies like Z6 and Z7 are not going around doing street photography with expensive and heavy Z glass.

I hope Nikon releases more interesting and small DX bodies in future so that people are attracted to JPEG style of shooting and explore the excellent degree of flexibility that Nikon Custom Picture Controls offer.

You can achieve most Fujifilm simulations on Nikon by loading custom profiles in camera, but you can't achieve Nikon colors on Fuji without fiddling around with RAW editing on a PC.

With the Zfc I really think Nikon should provide some picture controls that simulates classic films, "Kodacrome”, ”Tri-X”, ”Velvia”, etc. It would be great for the retro feeling and ease of use.

Doesn’t the Zfc allow you to install these from the Nikon Picture Control site?

 

[PerL]

There was the Nikon PC website that had some modifications based on the original picture controls like Standard, Vivid, Portrait, etc. but they were pretty limited.

Is it nikonpc.com? They have a hundred or so profiles. Not limited at all. Don't go by the preview on that website. Those profiles perform much better when loaded into camera.

On the new Z cameras, they have 20 picture controls that when I first saw them I thought they were a joke. Some of them made the entire picture blue or something.

It is similar to Chrome Color Fx Blue in Fuji. Not that bad if toned down a bit.

But I realized there's a meter to dial down the effect. If you dial down the effect to ~20-50%, you can achieve something more like Fuji film simulations. I'm no expert and this is still a work in progress but here are some examples.

Fuji film simulations are far more limited compared to Nikon. Fuji just allows in camera tweaks to its film simulations. Not all of them are too different either. I feel Provia can be tweaked to achieve Astia and Pro Neg Std. Velvia and Classic Chrome stand out a bit. Classic Neg is useful sometimes. And that's about it(if you are not into B/W). I'll ignore art filters as they are not exactly color profiles.

Nikon has 26 profiles already built in!!! And you can add 9 custom ones that you can create straight from editing RAW images using Picture Control Utility 2. Basically a ready made RAW-JPEG engine.

All of these work for jpeg as well as video!

Nikon gives much greater control, far more options, many more modern profiles and yet fails to advertise any of it. I think part of the reason is that Zfc is probably the first camera that attracts JPEG type of shooters that are popular within the Fuji community. People who buy more professional bodies like Z6 and Z7 are not going around doing street photography with expensive and heavy Z glass.

I hope Nikon releases more interesting and small DX bodies in future so that people are attracted to JPEG style of shooting and explore the excellent degree of flexibility that Nikon Custom Picture Controls offer.

You can achieve most Fujifilm simulations on Nikon by loading custom profiles in camera, but you can't achieve Nikon colors on Fuji without fiddling around with RAW editing on a PC.

With the Zfc I really think Nikon should provide some picture controls that simulates classic films, "Kodacrome”, ”Tri-X”, ”Velvia”, etc. It would be great for the retro feeling and ease of use.

Doesn’t the Zfc allow you to install these from the Nikon Picture Control site?

I dont think they have simulations of classic films? Anyway, they should be pre installed in camera IMO.

 

[CliveTJ]

There was the Nikon PC website that had some modifications based on the original picture controls like Standard, Vivid, Portrait, etc. but they were pretty limited.

Is it nikonpc.com? They have a hundred or so profiles. Not limited at all. Don't go by the preview on that website. Those profiles perform much better when loaded into camera.

On the new Z cameras, they have 20 picture controls that when I first saw them I thought they were a joke. Some of them made the entire picture blue or something.

It is similar to Chrome Color Fx Blue in Fuji. Not that bad if toned down a bit.

But I realized there's a meter to dial down the effect. If you dial down the effect to ~20-50%, you can achieve something more like Fuji film simulations. I'm no expert and this is still a work in progress but here are some examples.

Fuji film simulations are far more limited compared to Nikon. Fuji just allows in camera tweaks to its film simulations. Not all of them are too different either. I feel Provia can be tweaked to achieve Astia and Pro Neg Std. Velvia and Classic Chrome stand out a bit. Classic Neg is useful sometimes. And that's about it(if you are not into B/W). I'll ignore art filters as they are not exactly color profiles.

Nikon has 26 profiles already built in!!! And you can add 9 custom ones that you can create straight from editing RAW images using Picture Control Utility 2. Basically a ready made RAW-JPEG engine.

All of these work for jpeg as well as video!

Nikon gives much greater control, far more options, many more modern profiles and yet fails to advertise any of it. I think part of the reason is that Zfc is probably the first camera that attracts JPEG type of shooters that are popular within the Fuji community. People who buy more professional bodies like Z6 and Z7 are not going around doing street photography with expensive and heavy Z glass.

I hope Nikon releases more interesting and small DX bodies in future so that people are attracted to JPEG style of shooting and explore the excellent degree of flexibility that Nikon Custom Picture Controls offer.

You can achieve most Fujifilm simulations on Nikon by loading custom profiles in camera, but you can't achieve Nikon colors on Fuji without fiddling around with RAW editing on a PC.

With the Zfc I really think Nikon should provide some picture controls that simulates classic films, "Kodacrome”, ”Tri-X”, ”Velvia”, etc. It would be great for the retro feeling and ease of use.

Doesn’t the Zfc allow you to install these from the Nikon Picture Control site?

I dont think they have simulations of classic films? Anyway, they should be pre installed in camera IMO.

They have the three mentioned above and about another 100 to 150, I’ve not counted them. It’s not much effort to load the ones you want. I don’t believe they are officially from Nikon but they do the job.

 

[mattviki]

You can install them in camera, instructions here .

 

[1_23_25]

Doesn’t the Zfc allow you to install these from the Nikon Picture Control site?

Yes.

Create folder called CUSTOMPC on your memory card and save the profiles in this folder.

Insert memory card back in to camera and insert the profiles via manage picture control option

 

[PerL]

You can install them in camera, instructions here .

Thanks. But it would be simpler if Nikon pre-cocked simulations of real classical films from the FM2-era, which the Zfc is a look-alike of, and had them pre-installed in camera, IMO.

 

[mattviki]

Well that is debatable... there are people that never saw or used film... or at least don't care about difference between them... also, I can imagine a situation where the internet community would ignite flame wars because of the similarity to fujifilm concept...or at least an endless war on profiles superiority...also, picture control is a Nikon own aproach to the topic and is already integrated in the workflow and in many cameras...change could break continuity...

 

[Stavrosf]

The use of specific film picture control, means that Nikon should ask permission and pay rights to companies like Kodak or Fujifilm. For Fujifilm, to use the same look as their films are free.

On the other hand it is not as simple as that. I used to push Tri-X eg to ISO800. Does this means that Nikon will create the PC to emulate the Tri-X grain the same way, depending on ISO used? And I was using different chemicals that were giving different results. In my opinion the use film simulations is a marketing trick, that some people love it, but for most not having them is not an issue. If you need a specific look to your photos, there are the tools to do it either in camera or in the post.

 

[bjzwaan]

Beautiful! Care to share that profile?

I use the Nikon picture control profiles a lot as I am a JPEG-only shooter. I have the video button set for selecting the picture control to quickly switch between them. I came from Fuji and loved the simulations too, but after discovery these from Nikon I did not look back!

All the best,

Bas

 

[Cetsix]

Great thread. I have been thinking about changing the portra to something that look like porta.

 

[Timo Vahala]

Beautiful! Care to share that profile?

I use the Nikon picture control profiles a lot as I am a JPEG-only shooter. I have the video button set for selecting the picture control to quickly switch between them. I came from Fuji and loved the simulations too, but after discovery these from Nikon I did not look back!

All the best,

Bas

Thanks! And yes, i can share that:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqKTVfEQKQ7cheQNCdB8KrwOwkLPgQ?e=V9Q4zn

Things i've learned when using my "simulations":

-Never use AWB. I set my WB at 6000K when shooting outdoors in daytime.

-Don't use ADL, it somehow breaks the "film effect".

-Expose to preserve highlights.

-Choose your targets carefully, "timeless" targets yields best results for film vibes.

-They do NOT work always! Available light plays huge role for good results.

Timo