Thomas is a professional fine art photographer and writer specialising in photography related instructional books as well as travel writing and street photography.
All in Fuji X-Series
If you’ve been following his blog for a while You’ll know that I previously posted about wanting a 24-105 (in full frame terms) equivalent for Fuji for sometime. They previously previewed the 16-80mm lens a while ago and put it in the roadmap, but now they've officially announced the launch date and the full specs of it.
I’m happy to announce that I’ve finally finished my new Capture One guide for Fuji shooters. Called “Processing RAW files in Capture One 12” - snappy title, I know! - It is written to provide Fuji shooters with enough knowledge to get the best results when working with Fuji RAW files in Capture One. It’s not a complete manual for Capture One, and while you don’t need to be an advanced user, you need to know the basics.
I’ve covered this topic a few times before on the blog, but as there have been lots of changes recently, I figured it would be time for an update. First I will go through the more popular software, and offer my opinion on each as to how it pertains to Fuji processing. Then I will discuss my current workflow. [Updated for May 2019]
I’m really behind on this post, so apologies. I haven’t really been paying much attention to X-Transformer, as I haven’t been using it that much lately, so I missed the 1.5 update that came out in March. This update changes a couple of things in the software, but the most noticeable is that it adds some lossy compression options and changes the interface a little.
I’ve just released an updated version of my Fuji Jpeg book. This is a relatively minor update, and is focussed on fixing the language in some places, as well as updating the references mentioned in it to reflect things that have changed since the guide was first written, such as the arrival of newer Fuji cameras, changes to Lightroom etc. the new version number is 1.2, and you can find a complete list of changes below.
Do you still need to use X-Transformer? That’s the question that I’ve been getting asked pretty regularly since Adobe launched “Enhance Details” in Lightroom and Camera Raw. The answer might seem like it should be straight forward, but it’s actually a little complicated and it depends on a few factors.
I have just released a minor upgrade to my Fuji Lightroom Guide. The book entitled “Workflow and Settings For Processing Fuji X-Trans images in Lightroom” has been updated to take into account some of the more recent changes to Lightroom, including some of the different terminology and so on. It also adds mention of newer 26mp X-Trans cameras.
Ever since Fuji released its first X-Trans camera, and Adobe added support, many of us who have shot Fuji over the years have been unhappy with how Lightroom handles Fuji files. There are issues with the way it handles fine details, certain repeating textures and so called “worm artifacts”. People have been hoping that Adobe would eventually fix the problem, and turned to other solutions, such as Iridient X-Transformer. Others have switched away from Lightroom together to something like Capture One. Today, Adobe has released a new version of Lightroom which finally addresses the X-Trans issue. Well, sort of, as it’s probably not the solution that many were expecting.
Last week’s release of Capture One 12 is a significant update, and for Fuji Shooters the biggest news is probably the addition of Fuji’s film simulation modes. In this video I show you how to set them as well as a few related tips.
I’ve written a lot about sharpening Fuji files in various pieces of software, and in fact, I have a whole guide for Capture One with details and corresponding presets. However, for some, this may be still a little too complicated, so I wanted to give you just the absolute basics. This is particularly suitable for those who may be using Capture One Express but the advice works for both express and pro versions. I fact, this advice will really work with any file.
A little while ago I posted a video overview of the new “express” version of Capture One. That video generated a lot of interest, and I also got a lot of questions about the software. With that in mind I created a follow up video where I answered the most common questions.
While Fujifilm has a reputation for the quality of its lenses, when it comes to its primes, they may be good, but they are expensive. At the moment, while Fuji cameras are competitive, for those on a modest budget, it’s still pretty expensive to build up a collection of lenses. In some focal lengths the cheapest options are still really expensive.
With the launch of the new free version of Capture One for Fuji shooters, I figured a lot of people would be trying the software for the first time. The software can be a little confusing at first however, especially if you’re coming from Lightroom, and some of the features may be a little hidden or not work the way you think. With that in mind I created a video to give you an overview of how to use the software.
One of the questions that I get regularly from readers and viewers is: “what the difference is between Iridient X-Transformer and Iridient Developer?” If you are considering one of these for converting X-Trans files, it may be confusing for some people as to which one to choose, so here is what I hope will be a simple guide to deciding which software to use.
I’m busy working on a project at the moment, so I don’t have a lot of time to do a full write-up, but I did want to offer a few thoughts on the latest releases from Canon and Fuji. Canon launched its full-frame mirrorless system at an event in Hawaii yesterday, and today, Fuji announced the latest in its X-Series lineup, the X-T3.
A few people have been asking me for this, so I’ve finally managed to put together a bundle of my various X-Trans eBooks that deal with Lightroom. This is a three book bundle and included my original Lightroom processing guide, the X-Transformer guide and my Fuji Jpeg guide which also covers some Lightroom topics.
Despite the fact that Fuji’s X-Trans cameras have been out for several years now, and despite the fact that the issues with Lightroom are well known, there is still a surprising amount of misinformation being spread about this. What’s worse is that some of it comes from what you would think would be reliable sources. One of the most confusing issues surrounds what people call “worm artefacts”. Here is my attempt to set the record straight.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the one lens that I wished Fuji would make, which was a 16-70f/4. Well, today, Fuji announced their new lens roadmap, and on it is a new entry - a 16-80f/4 - which is even better than what I had hoped for!
