P: Improved Fuji X-Trans Support?

[pinkypunk35]

Is Fuji X-Trans support being worked on?I appreciate that the support is better now than it was, but the reality is that Lightroom is still a long way behind other RAW developers, all of which are less well funded and with smaller teams working on the software.Lightroom has been the leader in RAW processing an image cataloging as far back as I can recall; but with the Fuji X-Trans files many people I know are leaving Adobe Lightroom for one of the many other developers, all of which are producing far better results than Adobe Lightroom.Ones I have personally tested are as follows: Iridient DeveloperPhoto NinjaLightZoneCapture OneApertureSilkyPixRaw TherapeeIridient is very good, and this is a piece of software made by a single man.My question is, if he can get it right, why can't Adobe? They have been leaders in innovation for many years but it seems in some areas now they are falling behind - I have never seen so many people leave a major developer for smaller independent ones, but to Fuji users (both enthusiasts and professionals) it's a pretty simple decision when you compare results.So all I'd like to know is if my patience sticking with Lightroom is justified, and whether a solution is being worked on - or will always be worked on. Or is it a case that the users wanting such a change are not enough to support such work.

[pinkypunk35]

What did you replace with?

[Lodimup]

Don't come to Fuji. At least not now. I just sold mine. They have good lenses but they've been recycling the same sensors since 3 years ago.

[Darius_K_]

Yes, I woud rather switch the software than the camera system. It's cheaper and easier.

[pinkypunk35]

Marat, don't let Adobe stop you from enjoying Fuji cameras, you can shoot Jpeg they are superb and come in a variety of film simulations that no raw editor can match.

For critical raw processing there are many options and all of them better than lightroom. Try apple photos, photo ninja, iridient developer, capture one, raw therapy

[t.linn]

A good strategy. Just say "no" to their rental scheme.

[Darius_K_]

I think the same way.

[pinkypunk35]

I think what you can take from the lack of comment from Adobe is basically "we don't give a sh!t". 10 months and no reply, no acknowledgement on what is an official Adobe to consumer forum speaks volumes. I can't think of any other brands where 100+ complaints would go unheeded for that length of time.

Personally, I have given up. I said I would give them until LR6 and I did.

I will continue to use LR5, the software I once paid for but will not be investing in Adobe products from here on in.

Much like their Creative Cloud service; Adobe have ZERO commercial interest in upgrading and improving their software because all the people that are tied in are forced to keep using it, regardless of features and bugs, because if those users stop paying their rental fee the software becomes deactivated. They have a constant revenue stream regardless of what software they develop.

Go back a couple of years and Adobe knew that unless they addressed bugs and improved their software nobody would upgrade, and no upgrades used to + no money so these little bugs were addressed. Not any more.

So, much like my standalone Creative Suite CS6, I plan on using Lightroom 5 for non-important work and will use one of the other RAW developers such as Capture 1 or Iridient for professional and print work - I have no intention of ever upgrading.

[Lodimup]

Depends on what you shoot. There're really small lenses to choose from like loxia. If you shoot anything fast paced. Better keep your dslrs for now.

[pinkypunk35]

Don't really see the point of the a7 with the slow focus and large lens footprint you'd be better off with a dslr from nikon.

[Lodimup]

LR6 is faster for me(6core@4.3ghz, GTX970, 16gb ram) in most functions except start up time.

I did the opposite to you. Just ditched my XT1. I recon XTrans sensors are more trouble than benefit. Plus, they've been recycling the same sensor since xpro1. That's 2012!

Other raw converters do indeed give better results for xtrans but they're no match for what LR can do with conventional sensors.

I'm moving to Sony A7ii. It's not that much bigger than XT1. Brand new A7 is now $1000, too.

[Lodimup]

I don't get why can't Adobe guys just shoot their own pictures. They have worked with Fuji in the past. Surely, they must have fuji cameras in house.

[BoomeArt]

Well, if my client know that I shared her picture, she will kill me. But I will do this nevertheless, because I still hope, that Adobe will improve the demozaic.
So the RAF can be downloaded here http://www.mediafire.com/download/rbl...

[pinkypunk35]

Yes please. Lots of Adobe guys ask for them but not many people willing to share them.

[BoomeArt]

You mean to upload a RAF file and to give a link here?

[pinkypunk35]

Care to post the RAW file? The hair shows a lot of improvement in Irridient Developer.

[Lodimup]

Seems that you're replying my comment. Read carefully. "Adobe's FujiX raw conversion is broken"

In simpler English so you can understand: Adobe's raw conversion method is bad.

Don't act like a fuji fanboy here, please.

[pinkypunk35]

Fuji isn't that small as to not be of any value to Adobe - it's growing and so is mirrorless; so it's a good opportunity for Adobe to show some reward to it's many loyal Nikon and Fuji professionals who are now migrating to mirrorless.

if Adobe were ignoring this problem due to percentage of users it's be very short sighted.

My guess is that they simply aren't competent enough to produce better results. It's not a question of time or money when RAW developers run by 1 man teams are producing better results than a company valued at 36 billion dollars.

[pinkypunk35]

The fact a half-baked consumer product renders photos 20x better than Lightroom is exactly the point everyone is making on this board. Lightroom is poor.

[pinkypunk35]

Have you actually clicked on the photo? If you have and still can't see the difference you really do need glasses; I know that is often used a humorous quip but in this case it's a serious recommendation.

[dougryan]

Let's keep things serious, eh? Photos is the last thing a photographer should use for processing. It should only be used for iCloud sharing, and iOS editing, at most. Also, I see zero difference in those two images, aside from the exposure.

[pinkypunk35]

The point is, Steve, one guy has managed to figure out how to get good results yet one of the most wealthy software developers in the world has failed to even match them. That is the issue.

[Francinera]

Hey Steve,

Isn't this exactly the type of reasoning that validates the lack of interest the company displays?

I usually don't react to comments but I own a Fuji (unlike you) and spent a lot of money on it, I am also currently spending a fair amount of money on my Adobe subscription every month.

The least you could do is support us in our quest. Hopefully, when you do buy a new camera, LR will support it adequatly. If you don't get the support you need, will you still be this accomodating?

[ssprengel]

I would suggest you form your own company, hire your own engineers and create an algorithm that works better, that is not based on any public domain/free licensing software methods, tout it on the blogs, and either sell or give away your software for free to Fuji users, while keeping the algorithms secret, and get enough attention that Adobe has interest and then sell your company or at least it's intellectual property to them.

Maybe that's what the Iridient guy is doing and the negotiations are about how much, and the market share of Fuji users that will buy LR because of the better conversion hasn't been large enough for Adobe to bite, or maybe they have and are keeping the information under raps until the LR6 launch. I have no idea.

[BoomeArt]

Steve Sprengel, the fuji-fun community in Russia got the letter from Fujifilm Russia where it is rote that Fuji gave to Adobe all necessary data, all algorithms of demozaic, film simulations etc. But the only thing Adobe did - is included only film simulation to its RAW converters. Nothing else.
And if you are saying that Fuji owners have lack of support, I can guess, that you know nothing about Fuji. Personally I have correspondence with Fuji support and get all answers very fast. Fuji make new firmware updates much often than Canon/Nikon. Fuji confess bugs if they exist and fix it immediately. So I can give more examples how Nikon rejected and reacted to AF issue with D800, light leak in D750 or Canon fix light leak in 5D Mk III with rubber tape :)

In any case, here is forum of Adobe, here are users of Fuji and Adobe production and we want and have the right to get answers will this problem be fixed or we are free to solve it in another way.

[hillrg]

All pretty pathetic reasons Steve. It is sad to watch a company like Adobe steadily go downhill.