Photo Ninja uses the same Dcraw backbone architecture as Iridient. This sharpening technique lowers the learning curve when it comes to making the best of the methods available.
It uses the open source RAW decoding program Dcraw as a backbone and supports over 550 RAW image formats. There is a new version 3 beta out right now with exciting features added like a clarity slider and an ‘Iridient Reveal’ sharpening method.
This RAW software gives you total control over your digital pictures, yet still provides easy drag and drop batch conversion.
Iridient Developer is a powerful RAW image conversion application designed and optimized specifically for Mac OS X. Especially when it comes to sharpening methods and noise reduction, both offer different flavours with extensive customisability of settings. You might have heard about PhotoNinja and Iridient Developer, two independent RAW developer applications that can, at times, render superior results than Lightroom. Third party RAW developers ideally suited for X-Trans II files Long exposure sharpened in Iridient with some highlight recovery
There are a few blogs out there explaining how to setup sharpening in Lightroom for Fuji files, Google it, as I don’t want just to copy and paste other people’s work. Since Lightroom is mostly used for processing RAW from Bayer sensors (where this is often not needed, or at least differently), the usual sharpening methods and settings don’t work for RAF files. You should see sharpening with these files as an essential step in your processing workflow. When it comes to X-Trans files, much has improved in the last six months since Adobe have been working closely with Fujifilm and you can now even dial-in Fuji’s in-camera film emulations for RAW files.īecause of the architecture of the X-Trans sensor (and the way this information is stored), additional sharpening is needed in order to ‘pull’ these images into focus.
Let’s face it, they are the industry standard, support new cameras more quickly and do a decent job for most RAW formats from other brands. But I missed the flexibility of Lightroom, not to mention that my images from other cameras were still being handled by Lightroom. I started looking for another RAW developer and went for Capture One, which absolute did a far better jab at decoding the Fuji RAW files. When I bought my first X-Trans sensor camera (the Fuji X100S), I believe these RAW files were not even supported, and when they finally were, they looked very soft with strange colour anomalies. Other significant advantages for me are that you can easily use third party plug-ins, edit in Photoshop straight from the application itself and that Lightroom has the most straightforward export options. I’ve personally been using Adobe Lightroom for years, as it is not just a RAW developer, but also one of the easiest ways of building and maintaining your image library on your desktop computer. And indeed, Jpeg’s straight out of the camera look stunning, but the RAW files can often look soft in comparison, especially if you’ve based your image workflow around Adobe’s Lightroom application. The X-Trans CMOS II sensor array lets the sensor capture unfiltered light from the lens, achieving excellent resolution. These filters are used in conventional systems to inhibit moiré at the expense of resolution. The Fuji X-Trans CMOS II sensor incorporates an original colour filter array with an extremely random pattern, eliminating the need for an optical low-pass filter (OLPF). The JPEGs won't be added to the Quick Collection (or any other collection) automaticly, so don't worry to delete one of the converted JPEGs.Third party RAW developers for Fuji X-TRANS files in Lightroom Introduction Go to the Quick Collection and delete every file in it or delete every selected file if you didn't use the Quick Collection. Drink some coffe, read a book, take a walk and shoot more RAW files. Write Keywords as Lightroom Hierarchy: ceckĬlick "Add" on the bottom left to save the settings as a preset, so you don't have to enter them again the next time. If you use a collection it works with multible folders at once.Ĭlick "Export" an enter the following settings: Of course this only works in a single folder. But then it's VERY important that you don't (accidently) unselect any of them.
You could also just select the photos without adding them to any collection. Of course a plugin for this task would still be the best.Īdd the photos you want to convert to the (empty!) Quick Collection and select them all.