X-Trans V
Golden Hour Amber
For the last hour of light and the people in it.
Short answer
This recipe softens Nostalgic Neg further with Clarity −2 and Sharpness −1, then warms it slightly with a red white balance shift. It is built for late afternoon sun, warm interiors and photographs of people you know.
Camera settings
| Film simulation | Nostalgic Neg. |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Range | DR200 |
| Highlight | -1 |
| Shadow | 0 |
| Colour | +1 |
| Colour Chrome Effect | Strong |
| Colour Chrome FX Blue | Weak |
| White Balance | Auto |
| WB Shift | R +1 / B -1 |
| Sharpness | -1 |
| High ISO NR | -3 |
| Clarity | -2 |
| Grain Effect | Weak, Large |
| ISO | Auto up to 3200 |
| Exposure Compensation | +1/3 |
Nostalgic Neg already puts amber in the highlights. This recipe leans into that and takes away every hard edge, so the picture looks like something that has been in a drawer for twenty years rather than something taken this afternoon.
The softness is the point
Clarity −2 is doing most of the work. Negative clarity softens midtone contrast without blurring detail, which is what gives a print that slightly hazy quality. Combined with Sharpness −1, faces stop looking clinical.
Grain Weak, Large suits soft profiles. Large grain on a hard, contrasty look reads as noise. On this one it reads as film stock.
Watch the light
This recipe needs warm light to work. In blue overcast or deep shade the amber has nothing to sit on and the result looks muddy. Cap ISO at 3200 for the same reason: past that, noise starts competing with the softness the recipe is built around.
Highlight −1 holds back the sun itself. Late light is bright and directional, and Nostalgic Neg has a gentle roll-off but not an infinite one.
Works on
Common questions
Why cap ISO at 3200?
The whole look depends on smooth, soft tonality. Above 3200 the sensor’s own noise starts to break that up in a way the grain setting cannot mask.
Does this work for landscapes?
In warm light, yes, especially with water or stone. In green forest it goes yellow and unpleasant.
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Last updated August 31, 2026