The World of FUJIFILM Film Simulation – Episode 4: PRO Neg.

Images courtesy Fujifilm. Left: PRO Neg. STD, Right : PRO Neg. Hi

PRO Neg. Fujifilm has published Episode 4 – “PRO Neg.” in their series of “episodes” on their unique Film Simulation modes. PRO Neg. (or “Professional Color Negative Film Mode”) simulates “NS160,” a color negative film used for professional studio portraiture.

It is a great mode to use for shooting portraits when desiring to emphasize skin tones. There are two PRO Neg. options:

PRO Neg.Std : Capture photos with soft gradations and exceptional skin tone description.
PRO Neg.Hi : Add a touch more tonal texture and color vibrancy to photo expression.

Here’s episode 4 (“PRO Neg.”) of the “The World of Film Simulation”:

The World of Film Simulation episode #4

The fourth episode is about “PRO Neg.”.

Perhaps it is the least commonly known film simulation and, given the special nature of its origins, it is an understandable story. It may be the “least commonly known”, but it does not mean that it is not being used. The film simulation has its usage just like other film simulations.

First let us talk about “PRO Neg. STD”. It simulates “NS160,” a professional color negative film for studio portraiture, printed on “FUJI COLOR Paper Professional MP.”

The tonality is very soft, and the skin tone appears very soft. The rich tonality reflects the lighting setting perfectly. If you just press the shutter button without thinking of the final output, then it will just produce a boring flat image. The film simulation is most effective when you have clear vision of the final output. The film simulation is great for studio portraiture where you have time to think about composition, lighting, pose, and expression.

“PRO Neg. Hi” has a harder tonality when compared with “PRO Neg STD,” but still maintains soft tonality to be used for portraiture. The film simulation is designed to be used for portraiture where the lighting isn’t set perfectly, like fashion photography, in which the lighting cannot follow models movement. Street and candid photography are other good examples for its usage. The film simulation enhances the shadow tone even with just a simple lighting setting.

The two film simulation complement each other. “PRO Neg. STD” is good for still subject and “PRO Neg. Hi” is good for active subject.

The first ever film simulation was introduced back in 2003 when the FinePix F700 featured “F-Chrome” color mode. The film simulation started with Chrome, a reversal film simulation. The original “PRO Neg.” film simulation followed soon after when S3Pro featured “F1” color mode in 2004. There was a strong demand from the wedding and portrait photographers that they wanted to shoot digital just the same way they shoot with “NS160” professional negative film. The “PRO Neg.” film simulation was created for the professional who wanted to use it in the professional field of work.

Here are all six of “The World of Film Simulation” episodes: