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.

[ssprengel]

I included why it was removed for the benefit of other users.

I would expect Adobe doesn't comment, either because they are working on it and never talk about things they’re working on, or they’ve given up and don’t want to say that.

There may also be legal reasons why they can’t use code in the open-source or public domain that works better (dcraw and similar) without someone suing them for making money off of it when the license says it is free, so they have to invent some other conversion that is not the same but also as good, which may be difficult and depend on smart people's creativity.

It could also easily be that the engineers would love to make it work better, but aren't given the leeway to do so by the project managers and the attendant bureaucracy. Some sort of cost-benefit analysis and thousands of other tasks to work on that have a clearer benefit.

Personally I won’t buy a Fuji camera because of the lack of support.

[ssprengel]

It was removed due to references to illegal activities.

[t.linn]

Yes, it wasn't an official comment. I don't even remember exactly who made the comment. It was part of a broader conversation where he made it clear that if nothing is done it isn't because they are not aware of the issue.

[pinkypunk35]

This is the only Adobe feedback forum where they "officially" comment on known issues either through an acknowledgement, and explanation or a solution.

This, after 7 months, has been ignored completely even though we know it has been seen (the 4th most popular problem as of today).

[Ascccc]

I hope that option 2 is true.

[Francinera]

How does one do this?

[fleckintosh]

true word, bro!

[Ascccc]

Absolutely right! Image quality is the most important feature.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Thank you for sharing that with this community. It prompted me to download RawTherapee and wow, I knew the postings had shown an advantage but when you see your own images that you created realizing these results it made me realize how far off Lightroom needs to progress with the X-trans files. I feel a need to communicate this with other Fuji shooters and wag my finger at Adobe. I didn't know how much was being left on the table by Adobe.

[Larry J. Clark]

Yes. That makes sense. But it also requires a bit of corporate courage. Can you see them giving you two choices?

(a) Good
(b) Good Enough for Facebook

[t.linn]

LR offers an advantage no other product does in terms of its integration with PS. You can maintain a complete end-to-end non-destructive editing workflow by exporting from LR to PS as a smart object. That is aside from the issues of catalog management created by using different processors—not that it can't be done but what a hassle.

Now if one didn't use a managed catalog, didn't employ smart objects, and maintained master files as "developed" TIF files (for example), then switching between processors would be a trivial thing. There is nothing wrong with this workflow if it works for you but it is less sophisticated and less flexible than the former.

[Larry J. Clark]

I have over 220,000 image files on my main photo drive. The only thing I had to change for X-Trans files was the association for the RAW processor. When Photo Ninja is done, the image is instantly available in Photoshop. I understand that you can also do that with LR.

[pinkypunk35]

You have things backwards. Those that are really serious have invested many years and hours in the Adobe eco system of tools and they are the ones who have stayed with Lightroom hoping and waiting for improvements.

It;s the enthusiast with just a few thousand photos who is able to jump ship to pastures new; not the professionals who have large catalogues.

[pinkypunk35]

A simple acknowledgement would go a long way - but I started this thread 5 months ago and nothing. However it's building all the time so I still hope Adobe will reward our loyalty and patience with an acknowledgement.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I would appreciate a statement as well.

[diego_lythgoe]

can you provide an example?

[dirtyw65653863]

Yeah but Iridient was giving me a gigantic file. Much too big

[pinkypunk35]

Color Noise reduction was on very low, but I have revisited it just to be safe and turning it off made no difference.

[Ascccc]

Looks as if Color Noise Reduction was activated. Please check that. The X-Trans sensor usually does not need this but it makes colors look awful.

[diego_lythgoe]

This does not seem to relate to results I would normally get in LR. What settings have you used?

[pinkypunk35]

Best suggestion is to keep badgering Adobe to improve support to at least match their competitors.

[DdeGannes]

There is little doubt that both C1 and DxO latest upgrades have raised the quality level of raw processing software.
I am pretty sure Adobe has optimized the processing profiles for the Xtrans sensor with their Process V 2012, and guess that sometime soon Adobe will have to introduce a new Process version to match the competition.

[Ascccc]

Adobe has improved Xtrans support significantly in LR 5.6. You really need an update for proper support. You will also get the internal film simulations as camera profiles. LR 5.6 is not awful but not as good as C1 in detail rendition. I also have a Nikon D800 and one should not expect the same detail level from the Fuji because the D800 is a different beast.

[Ascccc]

Did you already get a feedback from Adobe in the meantime?

[pinkypunk35]

Wonder why they didn't ask me, the topic creator? Or why they didn't publicly ask everyone else participating in this forum? Or even the general X-Trans community. God knows there are enough forum posts, blog posts and examples on the web.

Contacting you secretly doesn't do much for customer confidence.

Surely it would be more beneficial if they asked the wider community for examples / files / feedback and made a statement as to whether it was an issue they were willing to work on or not.