Ricoh GR III Recipes: My Recipe for the Kodak Tri-X 400 Look

Starting Point: The Analog Comparison

For my test, I shot Kodak Tri-X 400 film with my analog Canon camera using a 40mm lens. I then photographed the same scenes with the Ricoh GR III X, accounting for the crop factor. Comparing the two allowed me to optimize the Ricoh’s settings to get as close as possible to the Tri-X 400 look.

My Recipe for the Kodak Tri-X 400Look

I believe the Ricoh GR III offers the best black-and-white profiles – even Fuji can’t match it. After hours of testing, I found that the following settings produced the best results for this Ricoh GR III Recipe:

• Profil: BW (Monotone)
• High/Low Key Adj: +1
• Contrast: +3
• Contrast (Hightlights): -4
• Contrast (Shadows): -2
• Sharpness: -4
• Toning: --
• Filter Effect: 2
• Shading: +1
• Clarity: +3
• Grain Effect: 3
• White Balance: K: 2500 K | Color-Shift: G14:B14
• WB Fine-tuning: Off
• AWB in Tungsten: Low
• Peripheral Illum. Corr.: On
• D-Range Corretion: Hightlight Correction: On
• D-Range Corretion: Shadow Correction: Medium
• Noise Reduction: Off
• Exposure Compensation: +0.3 to +1.0 (Usually +0.7)

The Grain: Two Approaches

One defining characteristic of the Tri-X look is the grain, which adds depth and texture to the images. There are two ways to achieve this:

1. Authentic Grain with Lightroom:
   To closely replicate the irregular and textured grain of Tri-X 400, I used the following settings in Lightroom:

   • Grain Amount: 75
   • Grain Size: 35
   • Roughness: 100

   These settings complement the camera’s output beautifully and create a result that closely resembles the analog original.

2. Directly from the Ricoh:
   If you’d rather avoid post-processing, this Ricoh GR III Recipe lets the camera produce great results on its own. My recommendation: set ISO to 6400 and Grain Effect to High. While the grain is more uniform than the analog version, it still delivers a convincing look – no additional editing required.

A Note on Analog and Digital Differences

It’s important to note that many variables influence the classic Tri-X look, such as the developer used and the digitization process. These factors significantly impact the film’s final appearance. For this reason, comparisons between analog and digital Tri-X should be viewed with some flexibility.

Nonetheless, this recipe demonstrates how close the Ricoh can come to capturing this iconic aesthetic.

Examples

Here are a few examples comparing the Ricoh GR III Recipe to the analog Kodak Tri-X 400. These side-by-side shots showcase how close the digital look comes to capturing the essence of the iconic film. Grain was added to the images in Lightroom, as the grain from the Ricoh GR III X is too fine.

Examples using the grain from the Ricoh GR III X

Here’s an example using the grain directly from the Ricoh GR III X.