The Fabulous Fuji X owners thread

I had a road trip to Wales with a few guys in my local Mini Owners Club last weekend. These were taken on the way back in the Elan Valley.
Untitled by Steve Jelly, on Flickr


Untitled by Steve Jelly, on Flickr

When we came past this hairpin I could see this photo in my head. We use 2 way radios in the cars, so I told the others to stop, got the camera out and then shot each of the 3 cars as they came back up the hill. The landscape, sky (yes we actually got blue sky on the last day) and the road all came together.

The Elan Valley has to be one of the most wonderful landscapes I've seen in the UK, so my wife and I have decided to go back on our own.
 
Jelster said:
I had a road trip to Wales with a few guys in my local Mini Owners Club last weekend. These were taken on the way back in the Elan Valley.
Untitled by Steve Jelly, on Flickr


Untitled by Steve Jelly, on Flickr

When we came past this hairpin I could see this photo in my head. We use 2 way radios in the cars, so I told the others to stop, got the camera out and then shot each of the 3 cars as they came back up the hill. The landscape, sky (yes we actually got blue sky on the last day) and the road all came together.

The Elan Valley has to be one of the most wonderful landscapes I've seen in the UK, so my wife and I have decided to go back on our own.
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Great colours on that hairpin shot!

A friend of mine just came back from there, and now I want to go. The dam looks very photogenic... ;)
 
BacktotheFuji said:
Superb! Keep these coming :)
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macvisual said:
Love this style Ash, right up my street, fantastic!!!

Regards;
Pete
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Thank you chaps...

If you insist. Really liked this store facade, especially the way it reflected the old buildings around it.

v2


https://500px.com/photo/232274919/ahlens-by-ash-smith
 
EspressoJunkie said:
Had anyone here used the 56 1.2 and the 50 2?

How's the AF on the 56 (it's rumoured to be slow?) and is it sharp wide open?

I currently have the 50 F2 and it's fantastic, but I can't help lusting after a 56 and there's one in the classifieds at the moment.....
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The 56 is beautiful. But AF struggles in lower light and situations where backgrounds could confuse the AF (in the forest for example). I haven't given it a good run out on the X-T20 yet though. The 50/2 is very fast, obviously :)
 
Hey guys, how do you go about processing raf files? I read a lot about different possibilities but seems like a lot of work. I'm shooting landscapes mostly and oh boy switching from Sony is a real pain :/
 
Does anyone know if you can walk into 'Loxely Colour' (Glasgow) and order a print in-shop and wait for it being printed and take it away with you...?

All I need is one 7x5 colour print done, I live about 40mins away.

Thanks;
Peter
 
You can send it to them Peter then collect the same day. Not sure about taking it in but don't see why not.
 
Jelster said:
I had a road trip to Wales with a few guys in my local Mini Owners Club last weekend. These were taken on the way back in the Elan Valley.
Untitled by Steve Jelly, on Flickr


Untitled by Steve Jelly, on Flickr

When we came past this hairpin I could see this photo in my head. We use 2 way radios in the cars, so I told the others to stop, got the camera out and then shot each of the 3 cars as they came back up the hill. The landscape, sky (yes we actually got blue sky on the last day) and the road all came together.

The Elan Valley has to be one of the most wonderful landscapes I've seen in the UK, so my wife and I have decided to go back on our own.
Click to expand...

Excellent pics just love those Fuji colours (y) :fuji:
 
This might be worth a read ?
https://www.fujivsfuji.com/56mm-f1pt2-vs-apd/

Just my opinion but I would buy the R if it meets your needs.
As you lose phase detection with APD model and it’s noticeable as light levels drop but you can always use mf and focus peaking.
 
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Wookie123 said:
Hey guys, how do you go about processing raf files? I read a lot about different possibilities but seems like a lot of work. I'm shooting landscapes mostly and oh boy switching from Sony is a real pain :/
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What is the issue exactly? If you were happy with Sony then why did you switch? :thinking:
 
Cagey75 said:
What is the issue exactly? If you were happy with Sony then why did you switch? :thinking:
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I can't seem to get rid of haloes, the grass in landscapes looks very mushy, I guess it's a sharpening thing. I like riding the hype trains [emoji14]
 
Wookie123 said:
I can't seem to get rid of haloes, the grass in landscapes looks very mushy, I guess it's a sharpening thing. I like riding the hype trains [emoji14]
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You should have read through here first, some landscape specific photographers don't get on with Fuji files because of this "mushiness" - others don't even notice it as it only tends to happen on foliage in the distance - non important to street/sport/portraiture/event photographers. Have a look at irridient: http://www.iridientdigital.com/ There's a free trial on there, you can use it stand alone or as an add on in LR. It sharpens Fuji files much better than LR, but there's a catch, it sharpens the full image which may not suit certain photos.
 
Cagey75 said:
You should have read through here first, some landscape specific photographers don't get on with Fuji files because of this "mushiness" - others don't even notice it as it only tends to happen on foliage in the distance - non important to street/sport/portraiture/event photographers. Have a look at irridient: http://www.iridientdigital.com/ There's a free trial on there, you can use it stand alone or as an add on in LR. It sharpens Fuji files much better than LR, but there's a catch, it sharpens the full image which may not suit certain photos.
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Yeah I'm testing with the iridient plugin. It looks better just a bit. But still... Maybe I shouldn't be pixel peaking haha. Such a pain :/
 
Maybe post some examples, it might not be near as bad as you think, you might be over analyzing.
 
Wookie123 said:
Xt20
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Firstly Lightroom initially was poor with X-Trans files, it has improved considerably. Additionally Fuji R&D team worked with Adobe on the X-Trans3 RAF processing in order to maximise it's conversion potential, in time with the X-Pro2 release. I and many others find that Lightroom is very good with X-Trans3,

This history led to other RAW converters, plug-ins etc being developed for early X-Trans cameras. Some people swear by these and don't seem to to have moved on with regard to X-Trans3 and Lightroom.

That said X-Trans3 files are very sensitive to correct exposure, a poor original histogram will result in a poor image after correction. Native X-Trans3 images are also a lot sharper than previous X-Trans sensors, and don't need the Peter Bridgewood sharpening technique. So applying too much sharpening or clarity/structure will result in halos, you have to be gentle with these sliders!!!

In my experience, mushiness can be caused caused at the initial image, focus point in wrong place, slight movement of camera when taking the shot (remember the pixels are now quite small, so a micron of movement can have an effect), etc. I am as guilty of this as much as any other camera user.

Were your shots handheld or on a tripod? - if handheld, try again with a tripod.
 
Wookie123 said:
Yeah I'm testing with the iridient plugin. It looks better just a bit. But still... Maybe I shouldn't be pixel peaking haha. Such a pain :/
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For me I have never pixel peeped and never will, I only use LR6 Standalone and PSE15 I hardly ever sharpen in LR6 as I tend to use my Topaz Detail plugin and it works a treat.
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Firstly Lightroom initially was poor with X-Trans files, it has improved considerably. Additionally Fuji R&D team worked with Adobe on the X-Trans3 RAF processing in order to maximise it's conversion potential, in time with the X-Pro2 release. I and many others find that Lightroom is very good with X-Trans3,

This history led to other RAW converters, plug-ins etc being developed for early X-Trans cameras. Some people swear by these and don't seem to to have moved on with regard to X-Trans3 and Lightroom.

That said X-Trans3 files are very sensitive to correct exposure, a poor original histogram will result in a poor image after correction. Native X-Trans3 images are also a lot sharper than previous X-Trans sensors, and don't need the Peter Bridgewood sharpening technique. So applying too much sharpening or clarity/structure will result in halos, you have to be gentle with these sliders!!!

In my experience, mushiness can be caused caused at the initial image, focus point in wrong place, slight movement of camera when taking the shot (remember the pixels are now quite small, so a micron of movement can have an effect), etc. I am as guilty of this as much as any other camera user.

Were your shots handheld or on a tripod? - if handheld, try again with a tripod.
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Oh I totally agree that it all depends on my abilities as well and these are not amazing. On top of that, it was the first time I was using this camera. I don't quite understand the dr options etc (i.e. I was shooting at dr auto, but that increases the iso doesn't it so I'm losing dr, I wonder if it's better to shoot 200% dr vs iso 200 or iso L100). But if my abilities are the same using a6000 and I get better results, that's comparable isn't it? Better as in sharpness, the contrast and colour are so so much nicer to my eye.
 
Wookie123 said:
Oh I totally agree that it all depends on my abilities as well and these are not amazing. On top of that, it was the first time I was using this camera. I don't quite understand the dr options etc (i.e. I was shooting at dr auto, but that increases the iso doesn't it so I'm losing dr, I wonder if it's better to shoot 200% dr vs iso 200 or iso L100). But if my abilities are the same using a6000 and I get better results, that's comparable isn't it? Better as in sharpness, the contrast and colour are so so much nicer to my eye.
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The native base ISO is 200 - ISO100 is an extrapolated ISO so shoot at 200 for best IQ

Set DR on DR100 - effectively turning DR off.

RAW shooters typically set the camera to DR100% and perform the tone mapping of their shots later during RAW processing. DR100% provides a realistic live view and live histogram (WYSIWYG) since the firmware cannot simulate the JPEG results of extended DR settings (DR200% or DR400%).

@Wookie123 I'd be more than happy to look at the RAW orginal file, can you upload it anywhere where it can be donloaded?

 
Mr Perceptive said:
The native base ISO is 200 - ISO100 is an extrapolated ISO so shoot at 200 for best IQ

Set DR on DR100 - effectively turning DR off.

RAW shooters typically set the camera to DR100% and perform the tone mapping of their shots later during RAW processing. DR100% provides a realistic live view and live histogram (WYSIWYG) since the firmware cannot simulate the JPEG results of extended DR settings (DR200% or DR400%).

@Wookie123 I'd be more than happy to look at the RAW orginal file, can you upload it anywhere where it can be donloaded?
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Thanks! That's very nice of you. I will upload something after I get back home : ) Part of me is unhappy that I got on the hype train (especially that the A6000 is half price of XT20) but part of me thinks that it's just learning how to use it. And I started doing some street photography too, so maybe it's not going to be bad after all ; )
 
Wookie123 said:
Thanks! That's very nice of you. I will upload something after I get back home : ) Part of me is unhappy that I got on the hype train (especially that the A6000 is half price of XT20) but part of me thinks that it's just learning how to use it. And I started doing some street photography too, so maybe it's not going to be bad after all ; )
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I would be willing to bet that if you had taken the same shot with the same settings with the Sony, you'd experience same in this case. I think you just suffered a weird exposure effect. You're not going to even notice this at regular view - where most people will be viewing your images. The only ones who ever go 100%+ pixel peeping, are the photographers themselves - I do it too! Unless you're getting this in all your images, it's just an exposure thing that you need to keep an eye on. Street - you won't have any of this, your images will be crisp and sharp and you can push and pull process on XT20 files as much as with any high end camera. As Mr Perceptive suggests, make sure you set the camera to DR 100 or off ... I don't think anyone uses it higher.
 
Cagey75 said:
I'll just comment here on it, as I am no editing whizz, but in my experience this only happens when an over exposed image is pulled back a lot - was the sky over exposed? did you pull back highlights a lot? You might want to try a polarizing filter or ND grad for images like this to tame the sky a little.
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Hi,
Yes, I usually pull back the highlights. Here highlights must be -100 or so. That's what I used to do with my Sony and didn't see things like this. But again - I did it just as I would do with the Sony. I exposed the image for the foreground, maybe a bit lower because I knew I could pull back the highlights. For a good dynamic range I would blend the exposures, but with my Sony I found that I can just expose for maybe 1 stop higher than highlights and then pull it back in post plus put the shadows up. There would be no artifacts apart from mushiness of course in shadows from noise, but still I feel the sharpening looked better even in these conditions. I will upload two photos from Sony and Fuji, of course they're different, I don't have Sony anymore. But maybe it'll show what I mean.
 
Wookie123 said:
Thanks! That's very nice of you. I will upload something after I get back home : ) Part of me is unhappy that I got on the hype train (especially that the A6000 is half price of XT20) but part of me thinks that it's just learning how to use it. And I started doing some street photography too, so maybe it's not going to be bad after all ; )
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I think if you stick with the X-T20 you will get the hang of it and love it, as I thought I`d struggle when I switched from Canon to Fuji but have loved it since day one.
 
Wookie123 said:
Hi,
Yes, I usually pull back the highlights. Here highlights must be -100 or so. That's what I used to do with my Sony and didn't see things like this. But again - I did it just as I would do with the Sony. I exposed the image for the foreground, maybe a bit lower because I knew I could pull back the highlights. For a good dynamic range I would blend the exposures, but with my Sony I found that I can just expose for maybe 1 stop higher than highlights and then pull it back in post plus put the shadows up. There would be no artifacts apart from mushiness of course in shadows from noise, but still I feel the sharpening looked better even in these conditions. I will upload two photos from Sony and Fuji, of course they're different, I don't have Sony anymore. But maybe it'll show what I mean.
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Therein might lie the problem, the Fuji is 'very' sensitive to blown highlights, use the histogram. (Make sure the histogram is displayed in your EVF at all times!!) - TRy your camera on Average metering for landscape shots.

*** THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ***

With the Fuji work the other way, exposure for the brightest part of the image and then recover the shadows. I've posted this example before but here it is again!!

Original X-T2 (X-Trans3)

Example Exposure by David Yeoman, on Flickr

Same Image Shadow Recovery LR + a few other tweaks, but you get the idea!!

Example Recovery by David Yeoman, on Flickr
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Therein might lie the problem, the Fuji is 'very' sensitive to blown highlights, use the histogram. (Make sure the histogram is displayed in your EVF at all times!!) - TRy your camera on Average metering for landscape shots.

*** THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ***

With the Fuji work the other way, exposure for the brightest part of the image and then recover the shadows. I've posted this example before but here it is again!!

Original X-T2 (X-Trans3)

Example Exposure by David Yeoman, on Flickr

Same Image Shadow Recovery LR + a few other tweaks, but you get the idea!!

Example Recovery by David Yeoman, on Flickr
Click to expand...


Thanks!! I will try : )
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Sorry just noticed this was taken with X100F, so I've moved it to correct thread!

Fuji x100/S/T/F Owners Thread
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Was just about to like it :ROFLMAO:

A few randoms:

Scout watching out for Ophellia:
Weather check by Enticing Imagery, on Flickr

Our Emily off to school - shot with the Takumar 200mm F4, I was off focus a bit but I still like the image:
Go get learnt by Enticing Imagery, on Flickr

Another Moth hanging about, on the window this time for a bit of reflection:
Dark Moth by Enticing Imagery, on Flickr
 
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Wookie123 said:
Hi,
Yes, I usually pull back the highlights. Here highlights must be -100 or so. That's what I used to do with my Sony and didn't see things like this. But again - I did it just as I would do with the Sony. I exposed the image for the foreground, maybe a bit lower because I knew I could pull back the highlights. For a good dynamic range I would blend the exposures, but with my Sony I found that I can just expose for maybe 1 stop higher than highlights and then pull it back in post plus put the shadows up. There would be no artifacts apart from mushiness of course in shadows from noise, but still I feel the sharpening looked better even in these conditions. I will upload two photos from Sony and Fuji, of course they're different, I don't have Sony anymore. But maybe it'll show what I mean.
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OK, first of all bear in mind I use an X-T10, slightly different sensor from yours. But still something is not right here. Assuming you're properly exposed, I would suggest a Highlights setting of maybe -15 to -20 most of the time, assuming you're looking for a filmic-style highlight rolloff. Of course, every picture is different, but that's the ball park I would expect unless you're going for a Serge Ramelli type of look. It's not clear how you're exposing either, but @Mr Perceptive's advice is good, IMO. You'll probably find the Iridient plugin useful for landscape, but don't set the Sharpen too high (I use Low or None) because you can always add more later! In general, be sceptical of advice about exposure and PP that is not Fuji-specific. Bayer and X-Trans sensors are not the same. I'm not even sure the LR numbers mean the same things :). EVen with my humble X-10 I'm amazed how much shadow detail I can recover, but it may be worth bracketing your exposures for a while (say 1 stop plus and minus) until you get the hang of your new friend. When I moved on from Pentax, I wondered for quite a while about whether to buy the X-T10 or the A6000. In the end, it was the strength of the Fuji kit lens that partly won the day, but also the very obvious liking most Fuji togs have for their cameras. I'm sure if you stick with it, you'll get to like yours too! :)
 
dave.hallett said:
OK, first of all bear in mind I use an X-T10, slightly different sensor from yours. But still something is not right here. Assuming you're properly exposed, I would suggest a Highlights setting of maybe -15 to -20 most of the time, assuming you're looking for a filmic-style highlight rolloff. Of course, every picture is different, but that's the ball park I would expect unless you're going for a Serge Ramelli type of look. It's not clear how you're exposing either, but @Mr Perceptive's advice is good, IMO. You'll probably find the Iridient plugin useful for landscape, but don't set the Sharpen too high (I use Low or None) because you can always add more later! In general, be sceptical of advice about exposure and PP that is not Fuji-specific. Bayer and X-Trans sensors are not the same. I'm not even sure the LR numbers mean the same things :). EVen with my humble X-10 I'm amazed how much shadow detail I can recover, but it may be worth bracketing your exposures for a while (say 1 stop plus and minus) until you get the hang of your new friend. When I moved on from Pentax, I wondered for quite a while about whether to buy the X-T10 or the A6000. In the end, it was the strength of the Fuji kit lens that partly won the day, but also the very obvious liking most Fuji togs have for their cameras. I'm sure if you stick with it, you'll get to like yours too! :)
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Yeah, usually I bracket when I really want to have everything, but when I was using Sony I noticed most of the time I could just set my exposure somewhere in the middle and get most of the highlights back, no artifacts and bring the shadows quite a lot. Actually only now I see how Sony is getting lots of crap from youtubers and on specific forums but I think it has to be disregarded. The fact that this camera was released 4 years ago and nailed it like that is very impressive. I'll give the Fuji a some more chance though ; P
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Therein might lie the problem, the Fuji is 'very' sensitive to blown highlights, use the histogram. (Make sure the histogram is displayed in your EVF at all times!!) - TRy your camera on Average metering for landscape shots.

*** THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ***

With the Fuji work the other way, exposure for the brightest part of the image and then recover the shadows. I've posted this example before but here it is again!!

Original X-T2 (X-Trans3)

Example Exposure by David Yeoman, on Flickr

Same Image Shadow Recovery LR + a few other tweaks, but you get the idea!!

Example Recovery by David Yeoman, on Flickr
Click to expand...
Exactly this. The fuji is "isoless", so pushing shadows in post is no different to shooting higher iso with less exposure.
As others have said, trust the histogram, and if there is still clipping, then you'll need to bracket the shots.
 
Wookie123 said:
Yeah, usually I bracket when I really want to have everything, but when I was using Sony I noticed most of the time I could just set my exposure somewhere in the middle and get most of the highlights back, no artifacts and bring the shadows quite a lot. Actually only now I see how Sony is getting lots of crap from youtubers and on specific forums but I think it has to be disregarded. The fact that this camera was released 4 years ago and nailed it like that is very impressive. I'll give the Fuji a some more chance though ; P
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Yeah, there's a lot of stupid anti-Sony trash talk out there. I don't subscribe to that one bit. The A6000 is excellent value for money. I have the same experience with bracketing as you do - it's occasionally useful, but generally not needed. I'm only suggesting it as a safety measure while you get used to a new way of working. After a while you should be nailing the exposure, and that will be that, except in the most extreme conditions.
 
Like Dave, I am using an older model too, the X-T1 [4-5 years old at this stage] - the XT20 should be more capable in general.

I almost always under expose, the Fuji Raw files are great for pulling back negative exposure, it is always tougher the other way around, no matter the sensor used.
 
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Cagey75 said:
Like Dave, I am using an older model too, the X-T1 [4-5 years old at this stage] - the XT20 should be more capable in general.

I almost always under expose, the Fuji Raw files are great for pulling back negative exposure, it is always tougher the other way around, no matter the sensor used.
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I was struggling between X-T1 and X-T20, actually the most most thing I miss about my A6000 is a bigger EVF, which X-T1 has. I thought the touchscreen would be amazing, but actually I don't think I'll be using it at least before the update comes up where you can switch AF point while looking through the EVF. It's funny how specific tech has completely no meaning although on paper looks amazing.
 
Wookie123 said:
I was struggling between X-T1 and X-T20, actually the most most thing I miss about my A6000 is a bigger EVF, which X-T1 has. I thought the touchscreen would be amazing, but actually I don't think I'll be using it at least before the update comes up where you can switch AF point while looking through the EVF. It's funny how specific tech has completely no meaning although on paper looks amazing.
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I probably would have switched to an XT20 by now if there was a decent battery grip for it [the X-T2 is just a bit too much of a stretch for me atm and I know I'd want the pricier grip for it!] . I also do love the evf on the T-1. In general it is plenty good enough though, I love it with the battery grip attached, less worrying about running out, feels more solid yet still remains tidy, and the extra shutter button for portrait orientation
 
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Cagey75 said:
I probably would have switched to an XT20 by now if there was a decent battery grip for it [the X-T2 is just a bit too much of a stretch for me atm and I know I'd want the pricier grip for it!] . I also do love the evf on the T-1. In general it is plenty good enough though, I love it with the battery grip attached, less worrying about running out, feels more solid yet still remains tidy, and the extra shutter button for portrait orientation
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Ah man, coming from Sony, the battery is like heaven from me in Fuji, haha. A6000 had this thing where if you left the EVF sensor on, it would drain the battery even if the camera was off, haha. I had like 6 batteries in my backpack. It would sometimes go from 80% straight to 40%. I would turn it on after a while and it would go to 60%. No idea what was going on there.
 
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