Fuji X-T1 Image Quality Issues - Help Needed

Matt-P

Matt-P

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Matt
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I've been encouraged by the love on the forum for the X-System and finally gave in to get an X-T1 and see what all the fuss was about. I've only had the camera a week so appreciate these are probably beginner errors, but I've been disappointed by the JPG quality I've been getting. It basically looks like things have been put through a watercolour filter - weird.

Attached are a couple of snapshots on auto settings from a day at the zoo yesterday - was with my son and loads of crowds so no attempt here at photographic masterpieces, just a couple of snaps for him to look at the animals at home later. I've put a full picture then 100% crops below.

What a giraffe should look like:

DSCF1645.jpg by Matt, on Flickr

DSCF1645-2.jpg by Matt, on Flickr

What another one looked like:

DSCF1657.jpg by Matt, on Flickr

DSCF1657-2.jpg by Matt, on Flickr

DSCF1657-3.jpg by Matt, on Flickr


Hopefully you can see the effect I mean. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the watercolour effect? Are there better image settings than the standard ones I've been using? Or do I just have to lower my expectations with this system?
 
People have complained about this effect produced by the Xtrans sensor forever. Try RAW but it still happens afaik, performance has improved a lot in Lightroom 5 though. Could try using Capture 1, Iridient and Photo ninja.
 
I use Lightroom for most of my processing so that could take a change. Settings for the JPGs are:

Fine
Auto dynamic range
Standard Film Simulation
Colour 0
Sharpness 0
Hightlight Tone 0
Shadow Tone 0
Noise Reduction 0
Long Exposure NR On
Lens modulation Optimiser On

Cheers, Matt
 
Matt-P said:
I use Lightroom for most of my processing so that could take a change. Settings for the JPGs are:

Fine
Auto dynamic range
Standard Film Simulation
Colour 0
Sharpness 0
Hightlight Tone 0
Shadow Tone 0
Noise Reduction 0
Long Exposure NR On
Lens modulation Optimiser On

Cheers, Matt
Click to expand...

Turn down noise reduction as low as possible.
 
I've heard of this phenomenon but to be honest i've never experienced with any of my X cameras. I too use Lightroom.
 
Thanks for the tips so far. I'll try some JPG & Raw and see what difference I can pull out of the Raw files, I'll drop that noise reduction as well.
 
Matt-P said:
Thanks for the tips so far. I'll try some JPG & Raw and see what difference I can pull out of the Raw files, I'll drop that noise reduction as well.
Click to expand...
I've never heard of Irident, is it freeware ?
 
Had a quick look at their website, it looks good, have you used it ? Is it worth £69 though ?
 
You don't say which lens or settings you're using, and the 2nd image is clearly out of focus. Anyway, for when you have nailed focus, you can safely turn the NR down to -2 which helps massively with bringing out the fine details. Go easy on the sharpening though, it's a bit aggressive and tends to make things look worse.

The advice to stay away from Adobe is good - This was the sharpest I could get from LR5, which is close to Fuji but at the expense of noise and detail. It may be a bit smeary from Fuji, but just look how bad it could have been! (Fuji settings for this were NR -2, Sharpness +1)
DSXT9971.jpg DSXT9971-2.jpg
 
Looking at the EXIF from Flickr for first photo it's below. Not sure the 18-135 is the best Fuji lens?? but very convenient, have you got another lens to try and see if it's a lens problem. Myself, I alway liked the JPEG's SOOC and they were better I thought, than when I made the change back to the Nikon D750.

Alan Clogwyn said:
You don't say which lens or settings you're using, and the 2nd image is clearly out of focus. Anyway, for when you have nailed focus, you can safely turn the NR down to -2 which helps massively with bringing out the fine details. Go easy on the sharpening though, it's a bit aggressive and tends to make things look worse.

The advice to stay away from Adobe is good - This was the sharpest I could get from LR5, which is close to Fuji but at the expense of noise and detail. It may be a bit smeary from Fuji, but just look how bad it could have been! (Fuji settings for this were NR -2, Sharpness +1)
View attachment 44823 View attachment 44824
Click to expand...

  • XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR
  • ƒ/8.0
  • 88.2 mm
  • 1/350
  • 400
 
The Flickr images are very very lo res, upload a full size file if poss.
I always shot jpeg when i had an X-T1 and never produced an image anywhere near as bad as the ones above, it almost looks like there is an image size issue setting on the camera ?
 
Thanks for the additional comments.

Sorry, should have made myself clearer in the first post. I'm happy with the quality of the first one given it was just a quick snap, the second taken in the same enclosure moments earlier is the funny looking one to me. In each case the full giraffe picture is the original shot and the hide and head photos are 100% crops from it.
 
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