Why are the X-Trans sensor based cameras so popular?

[--]

now it could be the software or workflow, but ya' know what? i dont care 'cause at this point in time, it just shouldnt be that hard.

Totally agree - but happy that others are obviously getting output from the Fujis that are pleasing to them.

 

[kshapero]

Love the native JPEG rendering. I rarely do any PPS. Love the ergonomics of the X-Pro1 with the Fuji Grip. Love the lenses. And I am still a happy film shooter for the last 40 some years.

 

[--]

Many may not want to RAW edit with anther software, I can understand that also, But, if they want to give the XTrans a fair shake...

I do that with X3F and ERF files - no problem. It would be very beneficial if long term users of the X-Trans sensors could make a small "cook book" on how to get great results with LR, Capture One etc.

 

[--]

I have one question for the OP: How many different cameras have you bought in the last 5 years? If more than two, you are comparing specs too much, and shooting too little.

All these cameras are fantastic. People are too hard to please, and trying to hard to find flaws. I have no clue what the "watercolor" effect is, and don't care to find out. I shoot my cameras and enjoy what they can do. I don't get the O'scopes and spectrum analyzers out to figure out what I don't like.

A lot. It keeps the economy ticking. What have you done for the economy?

 

[--]

Different photography platforms exist for a very good reason. Different people have different priorities. They work differently. Someone may spend hours getting a wet chemistry print just right but hate spending 15 minutes optimizing a raw file rendering, and vice-versa. Some people find Xtrans rendering useful, and some don’t. This seems normal to me.

Thanks for long detailed input. Curious as to how people work differently.

 

[--]

So the sensor is a problem?

Please tell me where is the problem?

Shot with the stone-old X-E1 in RAW and converted with the nasty Lightroom 5.4:


DSCF4560 von rainerduesmann auf Flickr

100% Crop:


Crop_-4560 von rainerduesmann auf Flickr

Look at the inside of the bezel. If you do not see the plasticity then (and I am neither sarcastic, snarky or ironic) wonderful for you.

 

[TKH]

Look at the inside of the bezel. If you do not see the plasticity then (and I am neither sarcastic, snarky or ironic) wonderful for you.

The inner bezel has a paper like structure.

200% crop


200%_Crop_-4560 von rainerduesmann auf Flickr

With a little fantasy i can see what you mean.

OK, a problem what you can see in 100% crop view, up to a viewing distance of perhaps 30 cm and a problem thats a little issue in 200% crops??

Are you kidding me? 😉

 

[--]

Not talking about the crop. I said I would not compare to Foveon sensors 😀

 

[Sparrow]

... you've not read the Commission's Plasticity Directive 2013/89/EU then?



.. 🙂

 

[macjim]

One method of work you could give a try which works well for myself, is to shoot in RAW (RAF) and after importing to Lightroom, export the image out to Iridient Developer where you make your first adjustments; yes, don't edit the image in Lightroom but in Iridient Developer. I have found it handles the file much better than Lightroom and it brings out much more detail, and it sharpens better too. Then after working in ID I save the edits on closing and it returns to Lightroom. As I prefer B&W I then export to Silver Efex Pro for conversion to B&W. See the video in the link for how to export/import to/from ID: http://blog.thomasfitzgeraldphotography.com/2014/05/iridient-developer-updated-important-features/ Another application that gets good result going by Thomas Fitzgerald is PhotoNinja. Again see the link for more information: http://blog.thomasfitzgeraldphotogr...highlight-recovery-latest-version-photoninja/ You can try out Iridient Developer and see if works for you.

 

[gavinlg]

So how do you sharpen them if I may ask?

For web use I do very minimal sharpening in LR (less than default), export with no export sharpening, and open the resulting file in photoshop and use 'smart sharpen' with a small radius. 99% of photos on my blog are from the x-pro1 and this approx sharpness method.

It may be that I just don't care enough about 100% details - to me they mean NOTHING. Not even in moderately large prints can you tell the difference between a d800 and a d800e in terms of resolution IMO. More important to me is the unquantifiable 'look' of the images. I like pastel colours, lots of contrast and soft skin tones. So for me, 'olympus colors' everyone raves about are kind of vile. The deep blue skies and thick gaudy colors aren't my thing. So this is all a very subjective thing.

 

[jsrockit]

Any camera with an APSC or larger sensor seems to work fine for my needs. It's all in the post processing for me... Any one of these sensors work just fine if you know how to pp and you don't overthink small technical concerns. However, to each his own. If you don't like the look, then don't use it... Just not sure what making a thread about this type of stuff accomplishes.

 

[Kwesi]

I think the main reason why people like the fuji X cameras is because of the way the files look out of the camera before post processing. The files are biased towards having open shadows with detail in the highlights. This Professional Grade portrait color neg look is very attractive to a lot of people. 90% of the time thats what I get from my XPro 1 and 35/1.4 combo.
90% of the time I get a Kodachrome look out of my M9.

I do wish FujiFilm would take a deep breath, slow down, and actually create an elegant and effective in-house solution to converting XTrans raw files. Firmware fixes are nice but...

 

[willie_901]

While I'm not in the market for one of these, I thank you for increasing my level of understanding.

...Mike

Mike,

I appreciate the feedback.

 

[Michael Markey]

I see that aswell as over size images we are being asked to endure political strap lines which are offensive and have nothing to do with photography.

 

[Kwesi]

Mike,

I appreciate the feedback.

MFunnel reminded me to say "thank you" also. I have learned quite a bit from you in the past.
You have a real knack at explaining technical stuff so lay people like me get it.

 

[goamules]

A lot. It keeps the economy ticking. What have you done for the economy?

Taught wetplate workshops, written articles for national magazines, moderated the Collodion.com website, started the Flickr Petzval group, researched, studied, and written about several antique lens designs, done wetplate demos, shot wetplates of a a local Yoga group twice for their website. Done photography chemistry reviews for Bostick and Sullivan, published several training courses....Um, I could go on and on. But this is just in the arena of photography.....I'm a busy man. What have you done again, besides buying cameras?

 

[--]

Taught wetplate workshops, written articles for national magazines, moderated the Collodion.com website, started the Flickr Petzval group, researched, studied, and written about several antique lens designs, done wetplate demos, shot wetplates of a a local Yoga group twice for their website. Done photography chemistry reviews for Bostick and Sullivan, published several training courses....Um, I could go on and on. But this is just in the arena of photography.....I'm a busy man. What have you done again, besides buying cameras?

Shot pictures 😀

 

[--]

I see that aswell as over size images we are being asked to endure political strap lines which are offensive and have nothing to do with photography.

Freedom of speech?

 

[--]

I do wish FujiFilm would take a deep breath, slow down, and actually create an elegant and effective in-house solution to converting XTrans raw files. Firmware fixes are nice but...

It would be indeed.