Golden Light

Re-processing some old Canon raw files in Iridient Developer.

On the Straggle Lake. 

Thanks,
vkphoto

Fuji X-T1 raw file support is now available

The camera was announced just couple days ago and there are two programs that already can support X-T1 raw file conversion:
Iridient Developer 2.3.3

and LightZone 4.1.0 beta 6 (free)

My 'quick'n'dirty' comparison.

My Workflow for X-Trans RAW Processing

I was using Lightroom since its first iteration and it worked well with all my cameras and files. Until I acquired Fujifilm X-Pro1. I quickly realized that ACR demosaicing (Lightroom's raw de-coding engine, same as in CS/Photoshop) is not the best choice for x-trans raw files.
There are much better raw converters on the market, but Lightroom is still, arguably, the best digital asset management system. I was asking myself, how can I combine the power of LR asset management with the best demosaicing algorithms? After spending hours of testing of various configurations I finally came up with the workflow that works well for me and my x-trans raw files. I am using it for 4 months now and feel comfortable to share with you.

All logos are property of their respective owners.

I will illustrate my workflow using LR+Iridient Developer integration, albeit the same integration works well with Capture One Express,  Aperture or Photo Ninja. As the matter of fact I have all of them and they all are integrated into the same workflow.
Here is my setup and step by step instructions.

Holiday season discounts!

Capture One (both Express and Pro) are now support Fujifilm XE-2 and available at 30% discount, ==> link

My favourite raw developer, Iridient (also with XE-2 support), is on sale too (enter code: IRIDIENT9), ==> link

 "In celebration of Iridient Developer's nine year anniversay and a great year in 2013 I am happy to announce a rare sale on Iridient Developer! Get 29% off your purchase of Iridient Developer by using coupon code "Iridient9" now through Decomber 27"

I have no affiliation with PhaseOne or Iridient Digital, I just like both products and can recommend them to any Fuji X-trans user. My reviews are here, here and here. But as always, I encourage you to download trials, test and draw your own conclusion:)

Cheers!
vkphoto

Iridient Developer 2.2 (quick comparison)

Iridient Developer is arguably the best RAW converter  for Fuji X-Trans raw files. About a month ago I tested Iridient 2.1 and was really impressed. My review is here. The latest 2.2 update brought additional features, improvements and bug fixes for Fujifilm X.

New Features:
New, smoother "Soft Look" demosaic option for Fuji X-Trans models.
Added support for Fujifilm RAW daylight, cloudy and tungsten white balance presets for most recent models.
Added support for automatic RAW lens distortion and vignetting correction metadata for many Fujifilm models.
Support for Fujifilm X-M1
Improvements:
Modified tone curve and baseline exposure for Fujifilm X-Trans models to better match other software and camera JPEGs.
EXIF 2.3 lens model information should now be displayed in Preview window for many more camera models, including the Fuji X-Trans models.
Bug Fixes:
Fixed bug with "Soft Look" checkbox and the Fuji X-Trans cameras. Now, like with Bayer/Foveon RAW models this option enables an alternate, smoother demosaic (RAW interpolation) method.
Fixed ISO gain adjustment for Fuji X-Trans models at ISO 3200 and 6400.:
Full Release Notes  

I quickly compared Iridient 2.2 to Aperture 3.4. 5 and Lightroom 4.4

Iridient Developer 2.1.1 (with X-Trans support)

Iridient Developer is a powerful RAW image conversion application designed and optimized specifically for Mac OS X. On June 25th Iridient Digital introduced version 2.1.1. This release caught attention of many Fui X-Trans users because: “X-Pro1, X-E1, X20 and X100S now natively supported by new demosaic process in addition to existing support using Apple RAW libraries”

Almost immediately several bloggers compared Iridient to ACR 8.1 and posted their raving reviews on the net. Great, but we all know that ACR does less than a stellar demosaicing of x-trans raw files.

So I decided to compare Iriridient Developer 2.1.1 to Aperture 3.4.5 and Capture One Express 7.1.3, because, in my opinion, they both are excellent tools and handle RAF files way better than ACR 8.1.

Iridient interface is well thought, logical and easy to use. There are plenty of options and controls but what would be the best method/settings combination?