FujiFilm X100VI Raw (.RAF) files

[Rogier]

Before the camera was officially announced I put down a downpayment at my local camera store in Aachen Germany (www.preim.de) to make sure would have the camera on time before our upcoming vacation.

I had sold my Ricoh GR and Ricoh GRIIIx because I barely used them. Nothing wrong with these cameras they just weren't the right tool for me. Many years ago I had the 1st generation X100 and liked the camera a lot but it had a bug where it would lock up for a long time before I could take the next picture.

Much sooner than expected I received a call from the store that my camera had arrived. Jumped in the car, crossed the border and within 30 minutes I was in the store. It was a bit of a hard swallow to be confronted with the price (unknown when I ordered) as they wanted Euro 1800 for the camera.... Still way less then a Leica M while it has a similar feel and satisfaction taking pictures.

I stil have a lot to learn about all the options in the various menus.

First experiences:

• Great build quality
• .RAF files can only be opened with the Fuji Raw Studio software*
• RAW fake converter EX 3.0 powered by Silkypix (ughhh) can't open the .RAF files
• Pixelmator can't open the files (yet)
• Adobe RAW converter has no problems converting to DMG files
• The Fuji App on my smartphone links via Bluetooth to the camera and live updates the GPS coordinates to the camera

Fuji RAW Studio software only works well with the camera connected to the computer. This unlocks the the option to apply the various film emulations and reapply various camera settings afterwards before exporting to: JPEG - HEIF - TIFF 8 & 16 bit.

Here is a link to my Google Drive where you can download a few files to play with:

FujiFilm X100vi RAW - Google Drive

drive.google.com

Image 94 + 98 should have the GPS coordinates.

 

[JohnGellings]

Adobe will update Lightroom etc for the camera soon. It’s always that way with new Fuji cameras.

 

[splitimageview]

Latest Capture One (16.3.6.6) will open the RAF files.

Affinity Photo also will, and the version I have (1.10.8) is not new, the latest is 2.4.

 

[Richard G]

Congratulations on being the early RFF adopter. Bold strategy, painful price, soon forgotten. It looks to be a terrific camera. Post a picture.

 

[JohnWolf]

Congratulations on getting one. That’s about $2K USD. Is that the normal price there or with a scarcity premium?

I love this series, but the GR even more. Over my years of consistent GR use I’ve ordered each X100 model, but always sent them back, preferring to stick with the GR. But they're both amazing in their own ways.

The raw files open for me in LR Classic. The 40 MP shows; they are quite detailed.

John

 

[Rogier]

Here is a quick snapshot from around the corner. Applied the Velvia 100 "Film" color profile. No further edits applied.Full size jpg to big to upload here

 

[Archiver]

Congratulations on your new camera! The excitement of getting the call, then driving across the border to pick up the camera, almost like a spy movie!

Is Silkypix still awful? I tried it many years ago and the output was dreadful, as was the interface.

 

[Rogier]

Congratulations on your new camera! The excitement of getting the call, then driving across the border to pick up the camera, almost like a spy movie!

Is Silkypix still awful? I tried it many years ago and the output was dreadful, as was the interface.

Yes Silkypix is terrible, I am not even bothering to get it to work.

It’s a bit inconvenient to have to connect the camera to use the Fuji Camera RAW software. I think they should solve this with a license not like this. But it allows to experiment with the various film emulations and save custom profiles. This will help me to learn what film emulations I like best so I scan skip the RAW processing and to straight to jpeg.

 

[Rogier]

Congratulations on your new camera! The excitement of getting the call, then driving across the border to pick up the camera, almost like a spy movie!

Is Silkypix still awful? I tried it many years ago and the output was dreadful, as was the interface.

We live int he most southern tail of the Netherlands wedged in between Belgium and Germany.
I can easily go the the Market in Maastricht, cross the border into Belgium for less expensive gas and amazing chocolate (pralines) and do some shopping in Aachen Germany before lunch 🙂

 

[Rogier]

Congratulations on getting one. That’s about $2K USD. Is that the normal price there or with a scarcity premium?

I love this series, but the GR even more. Over my years of consistent GR use I’ve ordered each X100 model, but always sent them back, preferring to stick with the GR. But they're both amazing in their own ways.

The raw files open for me in LR Classic. The 40 MP shows; they are quite detailed.

John

I don’t know if its a scarcity premium price. Last year in december they had a new X100V in stock and offered it a a normal price. They told me they do not do price gauging. They told me that I could buy the camera and sold it with a big profit if I wanted to (true).

 

[shawn]

Yes Silkypix is terrible, I am not even bothering to get it to work.

It’s a bit inconvenient to have to connect the camera to use the Fuji Camera RAW software. I think they should solve this with a license not like this. But it allows to experiment with the various film emulations and save custom profiles. This will help me to learn what film emulations I like best so I scan skip the RAW processing and to straight to jpeg.

The reason you have to connect the camera is the camera is doing the raw processing. That way the results are exactly the same using the Fuji JPEG engine with those same settings.

 

[Rogier]

The reason you have to connect the camera is the camera is doing the raw processing. That way the results are exactly the same using the Fuji JPEG engine with those same settings.

Yeah I read that, still I think its a clumsy solution, they could easily write the software to be installed on a computer (Mac/PC) and if licensing was a problem there are many ways to solve this problem.
Also Despite having a MB 14" with M3 processor and the original USB cable its still quite sluggish to work with.

 

[shawn]

They did that, that is what the Raw File Converter is. That may not yet support the VI though.

Fuji X Raw Studio came about as people wanted a quicker way to convert RAW files using the in camera processing and tools.

 

[Rogier]

OK after about 1 ½ weeks of trying to decipher the manual and watch many useful YouTube videos I figured out most of this camera. There are quite a few gotcha's in the menu. Once you figure it out it makes kind of sense but until then it's quite a frustrating experience passing by the one sub - sub - menu option I am looking for (setting the iQ menu...).
Either way it has kept me busy and I learned a lot ;-)
Also there is an entire world of influences out there promoting their film profile. I tried a bunch. At the end I did a "Nuke & Pave" by restoring the camera to factory settings and do a clean setup with the knowledge gained of the past 10 days.
1100 test exposures later I am finally ready to start thinking about photography and not about how to use the damn camera ;-)

 

[splitimageview]

Yes, Fuji is not good at menu design. 🙂

What's frustrating for me, being in the computer industry most of my career, is that digital camera UI is still mired back in the 80s MS-DOS era...

 

[Rogier]

Yes, Fuji is not good at menu design. 🙂

What's frustrating for me, being in the computer industry most of my career, is that digital camera UI is still mired back in the 80s MS-DOS era...

Hmm yes on there other hand we don' need a bloated heavy UI. Unless Apple gets into the game by cooperating with camera mfg' to combine their chips with UI and display with large sensors and lens mount...

What I wish Fuji would do is to have the camera UI on the computer so you can use the computer to setup the menu and then sync these settings to the camera.

 

[splitimageview]

A modern UI (along with a menu system for those that prefer that) would result in increased market share for whichever manufacturer makes that move first.

We are in year 25 since the first pro DSLR, and 17 since the first smartphone, so perhaps it will never happen.

 

[Rogier]

Have been taking the camera out to take some pictures in Monschau Germany