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CAMERA

Fujifilm X-E1 - A Retro Camera That Inspires (Part 14)

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6/27/2013 3:40:43 PM

Raw

Raw and Raw conversion

Supplied software

The Fuji X-E1 transports with the 'FinePix CD' software disk, including:

·         MyFinePix Studio Ver 3.2 - A basic file viewer / manager (Windows only)

·         FinePix Viewer Ver 3.6 - A file viewer / manager (for Mac OS X 10.3-10.6)

·         RAW File Converter EX - A full-featured RAW converter based on SilkyPix

The X-E1 transports with its own customized, but fully functional version of SILKYPIX, named RAW File Converter EX. This is a flexible part of the software which includes a wide range of options and adjustments, and which has the ability to generate impressive results. Although it is not the easiest converter to grasp: its menu offers the impression of having been machine-translated, the available options are not arranged in the necessarily logical way, and the "Help" on the screen, although it is comprehensive, it's as ramped as you'll see (it tends to repeat what the options are, rather than explain how they mean). But if you are prepared to set the time and effort to understand it, then the results can be very worthwhile.

Once you have done in your way through the fairly strange terms (images are called "scenes", and parameter settings are stored in the 'cloakroom'), you will find a variety of tools to fight back the industry leaders such as Capture One or Adobe Camera Raw. This includes functions that you will not always find in the accompanying software, such as highlight recovery, lens aberration correction, and angle adjustment (here known as, somewhat obscurely, "Digital Shift").

SILKYPIX allows you to open a folder of images in thumbnail view, so you can easily see the images you want to work on. Double-clicking on an image (or "scene") offers a big screen for editing.

SILKYPIX allows you to open a folder of images in thumbnail view, so you can easily see the images you want to work on. Double-clicking on an image (or "scene") offers a big screen for editing.

The feature provides a comprehensive setup, but the lack of any meaningful documentation (and occasionally enigmatic menu options) means that it can take some time to really get comfortable and find your ways.

The feature provides a comprehensive setup, but the lack of any meaningful documentation (and occasionally enigmatic menu options) means that it can take some time to really get comfortable and find your ways.

Most options that have a variety of presets allow you to start getting good results without too much tweaking. Once you are comfortable with the options, you can save your favorite settings as additional presets to accelerate processing.

Most options that have a variety of presets allow you to start getting good results without too much tweaking. Once you are comfortable with the options, you can save your favorite settings as additional presets to accelerate processing.

There are many of tool palettes that can be brought up and dismissed by clicking on the icon at the bottom left of the window. Advanced features offered here include highlight recovery, lens and editing angles, and color tweaking.

There are many of tool palettes that can be brought up and dismissed by clicking on the icon at the bottom left of the window. Advanced features offered here include highlight recovery, lens and editing angles, and color tweaking.

The level of control is a bit overwhelming - for example, besides the White Balance tool on the left-hand toolbar, there is also a White Balance Adjustment palette. The two are non-interactive, which is likely to be confusing.

The level of control is a bit overwhelming - for example, besides the White Balance tool on the left-hand toolbar, there is also a White Balance Adjustment palette. The two are non-interactive, which is likely to be confusing.

And once you are actually customized with the software, there are a few tweak-level controls for functions such as noise reduction and sharpening. It's not the most accessible software, but very powerful once you understand it.

And once you are actually customized with the software, there are a few tweak-level controls for functions such as noise reduction and sharpening. It's not the most accessible software, but very powerful once you understand it.

RAW conversion

As usual we prefer to compare the provided conversion software, any RAW conversion software of the optional manufacturer and a couple of 3rd party RAW converter. In this case of the Fujifilm X-E1, we used the provided RAW File Converter EX, integrated Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 RC for Photoshop CS6, and Capture One Pro 7.0.2.

·         JPEG - Large/ Fine (default settings)

·         ACR - Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 7.4 RC (default settings)

·         Capture One Pro 7.0.2 (default settings)

·         RFC - RAW File Converter EX (default settings)

Sharpness and detail

Most cameras show differently more detail in RAW compared to their JPEG output, thanks to a combination of very strong noise reduction and unsubtle sharpening shows in the JPEG, but the demosaicing algorithm has managed to process the X-Trans sensor so far. The results are on the X-E1 and X-Pro1, the JPEG conversion in the camera pulls a large amount of detail out of the sensor data. All of the Adobe Camera Raw, Capture One Pro, and Raw File Converter EX struggled with detail, especially with detail in foliage.

The newest versions of ACR and Capture One are significantly better than their predecessors, which is currently confronting with the JPEG output of the X-E1. Between the two, Capture One Pro specially sharpens more obviously, while ARC shows things that are a little softer, creating a file with fewer sharpening objects, perhaps so that the photographers may have their own choices about the level of sharpening to apply. Fujifilm's own version of SilkyPix appears short without some custom tweaks, as you can see from the following crop, which is soft and gloomy.

JPEG (default setting, WB manual) ISO 200 studio scene 100% crop

JPEG (default setting, WB manual) ISO 200 studio scene 100% crop

Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 Release Candidate RAW -> JPEG (default settings, manual WB) ISO 200 studio scene 100% crop

Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 Release Candidate RAW -> JPEG (default settings, manual WB) ISO 200 studio scene 100% crop

Capture One Pro, (default settings, manual WB) ISO 200 studio scene 100% crop

Capture One Pro, (default settings, manual WB) ISO 200 studio scene 100% crop

RAW File Converter EX, (default settings, manual WB) ISO 200 studio scene 100% crop

RAW File Converter EX, (default settings, manual WB) ISO 200 studio scene 100% crop

Resolution

In the comparison of the high-contrast detail of a test ranking chart, the situation is a little different. The in-camera handling creates clear images which have absolutely no artifacts. The RAW converter is not able to provide higher resolution, and cannot really combine well to clean. Both ACR and Capture One create color artifacts, but the latest versions do better with detail; the photos of Capture One are again sharper than they are expected, leaving slight halos around high contrast areas. SilkyPix's default rendering is softer, but still shows some color errors, although faint.

JPEG from the camera

JPEG from the camera

RAW File Converter EX (RAW)

RAW File Converter EX (RAW)

Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 RC (RAW)

Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 RC (RAW)

Capture One Pro 7.0.2 (RAW)

Capture One Pro 7.0.2 (RAW)

Raw conversion artifacts

The unique feature of the X-E1 is, of course, the X-Trans CMOS sensor, with its non-Bayer color filter array. This requires a demosaicing algorithm approach that is completely different to create an image file from the sensor data and as a result, third-party Raw converters are unable to be easily to support the cameras.

Adobe Camera Raw had problem with the color bleeding where it should not. Having a close look at the Fujitsu and Rowney logos below, comparing the JPEG images to those that are translated with ACR 7.3. Even the blond hair covering over the robot body in the test shots turned into red and blue when it passed over the other colors. Adobe had minimal impact, though generally the sharpness of the image goes down; it is difficult to say that the two phenomena are related, but it is far to be able to correct the lack of sharp easily rather than it is color smudged.

JPEG, ACR 7.3 and ACR 7.4 RC

JPEG, ACR 7.3 and ACR 7.4 RC

Our studio test background reveals these bugs quite distinctly, but they are not clear in most real - life images. So, those who want the images built as accurately as possible will encourage the new efforts of Adobe and Phase One; the manufacturers seem to have successfully handled the challenges of demosaicing algorithm created by the X-Trans sensor.

See more detailed research of Adobe's new X-Trans tool, developed in ACR 7.4 Release Candidate in the "Adobe’s Fujifilm X-Trans sensor processing tested” story.

 

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