Iridient Developer now with X-A1 support + Rico’s shootout update X-A1 vs X-M1

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Version 2.3 of Iridient Developer is available now! Brian told me that the latest version of his software:

“includes support for the Fujifilm X-A1 and also adds support for automatic chromatic aberration corrections based on RAW image information for almost all recent Fujifilm cameras (all the X-Trans models plus many others like the [shoplink 12885 ebay]XF1[/shoplink], X10, F900EXR, [shoplink 14383 ebay]HS50EXR[/shoplink], HS35EXR, SL1000, etc). This release fixes a Fuji related bug with DNG image converted from some of the EXR sensor models. Most all of the recent Fujifilm models now have all RAW lens corrections (distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting) enabled by default.”

The new version can be downloaded here.

The full release notes for this and all previous version are available here.

X-A1 vs X-M1 Shootout update

Rico didn’t lose any time and already updated his X-A1 vs X-M1 Shootout with the latest version of Iridient. Check it out on Flickr here. Feel free to leave a comment about what some call “the best X-Trans converter software” up to date.

cheers
Patrick

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Will and Louie testing a Fuji “top secret camera” (video). First (blurred) image of the X-E2?

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We can’t talk about it, but we are talking about it“! It seems that photographers Will and Louie are right now testing “a top secret Fuji camera” (X-E2?) in the streets of New Orleans… and they are impressed by it. They shared a 6 minute video about “how do you test shoot a camera BEFORE it’s released?“! Check it out here.

Thanks Raf for sharing your finding with Fujirumors… every help I get from FR-readers is very appreciated! Keep it up! You can contact me via email at fujirumor@gmail.com, facebook, twitter and also completely anonymously via rumor box.

all the best
Patrick

P.S.: Rico told me that he is preparing a first look for October 18th about “a new Fuji X-mount camera“. So stay tuned that on Fujirumors that day!

P.P.S.: pre-order the X-A1 now also at AmazonDE (via DR)

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XF 23mm: “Damn, another winner” (Patrick La Roque) + “The Trend Continues” (Riley Joseph)

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Fujinon XF 23mm

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1) “The balance, the size, the weight, the focusing, the build… Everything about this lens feels exactly right to me. Soul mates, baby. […] how does this 35mm compare to the X100s 35mm? Is this worth purchasing if you already own that camera? Is this worth switching to? Truth is there are and always will be compromises to be made. On the one hand you gain on speed (f1.4 vs f2) and you also gain on sharpness: the 23mm is seriously sharp wide open while the X100s is always a tad softer at f2 (although like everything else, this can be used as an advantage) BUT… You lose what the X100s is all about: size, stealth, total silence, sync speed. […] Unless I’m crazy, I think you’ll immediately understand what I mean. There’s something about this combo that quite simply gels. As I said in the first paragraph: damn. Another winner.” Read more about the Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 at laroquephoto here.

2) Riley Joseph shared via FR-twitter his review of the XF 23mm. Read it here: “The quality of Fuji optics are amazing. Especially for the price. Sometimes when I zoom in Lightroom to check focus it is unreal the detail the lens captures even wide open. That is the one big difference with the lens compared to the 23mm on the X100(s).. that it is sharper wide open.”

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X-A1 vs. X-M1: Photo Ninja Edition

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by Rico Pfirstinger

Talk to Rico (open forum for questions & feedback)Rico’s Flickr sets – X-A1 sample images set – X-M1 sample images set –  X-M1 vs. X-A1 shooutout set (private Flickr set, MUST use this link!)Original X-A1 & X-M1 shootout RAW files for download – Mastering the Fujifilm X-Pro1 reading samples (65 free pages) – Pre-order my very soon to be released NEW book: Mastering the Fujifilm X-E1 and X-Pro1

As expected, my little X-A1/X-M1 shootout has created some controversy over the weekend, at least among the pixel peeping crowd. Since neither the built-in RAW converters nor Adobe Lightroom are perfect choices for extracting maximum detail from a RAW file, it may be interesting to run our samples through alternative converters. Unfortunately, there’s still little RAW support for the X-A1, but Jim Christian of PictureCode was kind enough to create a special version of his widely discussed Photo Ninja converter.

Photo Ninja is a very interesting multi-platform RAW converter with powerful (and very smart) adaptive lighting, great noise reduction and, in its latest incarnation, preliminary X-Trans sensor support. Unlike Lightroom, Photo Ninja allows you to completely turn off luminance noise reduction, which is great for comparing different cameras and their sensors.

Photo Ninja Shootout Samples

Here’s our first image, rendered with Photo Ninja:

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** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

X-Trans VS Bayer: Round 2! Riflessifotografici, dpreview and Matt’s feedback (vote the polls)

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image courtesy: riflessifotografici

“[X-A1] users, likely coming from compact cameras, are used to vivid Jpegs, with little to no noise (it doesn’t matter if it’s washed out with a noise reduction algorithm) with high contrast and sharpened files.” Max Angeloni

X-A1

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_ _ _

Hey hey,

did you read the X-M1 vs X-A1 shootout of Rico Pfirstinger here? No? Then I recommend you to check it out and come back to this post later. It seems that we are just at the beginning of the X-Trans vs Bayer debate.

1) To compare the sensor performance we have to analyze the RAW images but also consider which RAW converter we use. As only LR5.2 supports the X-A1 until now, a real comparison using the same settings can only be made with the software of Adobe (which is honestly still not doing a great job with the X-Trans files. At the Ultimate Raw Converter Shootout of Rico for example, in both polls Iridient was better than Lightroom). But, what happens if you use for example Photo Ninja to process the X-Trans files?

2) It’s interesting to see also the different IQ of JPEG’s. In this case it’s all about the software and the different default settings Fuji chose to apply to the X-A1 and X-M1.

Now, I’ve found three more feedbacks about the X-Trans vs Bayer debate. The first comes from the well-known Italian review site Riflessifotografici, then there is an interesting forum thread at dpreview and finally Matt‘s Jpeg comparison (so in this case it has nothing to do with the sensor performance, but with the software engine). Read it all and vote the polls at the bottom of this post.

RIFLESSIFOTOGRAFICI

So let’s start with the first impressions of Max Angeloni (riflessifotografici) about the X-A1 here (English version). Max says that both, the X-Trans and the Bayer deliver great results, and that the X-A1 “has all the potential to be a best-seller in its segment“, but:

“I have to admit that I had hard times trying to put together all the impressions I got from the time spent with the camera. It’s always like that, one should use the camera for months, take thousands of shots and prints, to really understand the device and its behaviour. […] at a first glance, I really considered the possibility that this sensor could be even better than the hyped X-Trans from Fujifilm.

Reality is that I was wrong, and I just started to see this as soon as I started to push the camera to its limits, using it in the most difficult situations. […]

[X-A1] users, likely coming from compact cameras, are used to vivid Jpegs, with little to no noise (it doesn’t matter if it’s washed out with a noise reduction algorithm) with high contrast and sharpened files.

[…] People working or just shooting enough with one of the X-Trans cameras will recognize the differences between the sensors. […] Probably the X-A1 users won’t care about dynamic range, color depth, and so on…the camera has to provide sharp, vivid and popping jpeg, and that’s pretty much it…it doesn’t matter what it’s behind the lens, what’s inside the camera.

But hey, you can take awesome shots with both cameras, as Max shows you here (English version). Check it out and read more about the X-A1!

dpreview

Here is the second feedback. Until now only LR supports both, the X-A1 and X-M1 RAF files. But what if you process your images with, for example, Photo Ninja? A forum member at dpreview compared the X-E1 RAW’s (processed with PN) and X-A1 (processed with LR 5.2). Check this forum thread here.

image courtesy: inasir1971 at dpreview

Now, here are the results using only LR 5.2

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And now the results using Photo Ninja for the X-E1 and LR5.2 for the X-A1: “I have a far better result with X-E1 (Photo Ninja Raw converter ) With PN X-Trans have more fine details than Bayer. Finally.”

image courtesy: Fujix at dpreview

Photo Ninja vs Lightroom
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Matt’s JPEG comparison

Matt had the possibility to use the X-A1 in Singapore. Here are his impressions at youtube. He also made a comparison X-M1 vs X-E1 at youtube here… but as we know it’s “just” a jpeg comparison, so he doesn’t really compare the sensor performance. Anyway, Matt prefers by far the output of the X-E1.

You’ve checked it all? Then here are the polls.

enjoy your Sunday

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Should Fuji drop the 2/3 sensor X-series camera line?

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Which images was taken with the Fujinon XF35mmF1.4?

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X-A1

USA: AmazonUS (black in stock)/ eBay / BHphoto (blue in stock)/ Adorama (black in stock)/ Pictureline / DigitalRev EUROPE: AmazonUK (via DR) DigitalRev / eBay

X-M1

USA: AmazonUS (save $72 silver body + kit lens) / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline / [shoplink 17242 ebay]eBay[/shoplink] ($70 price drop) / DigitalRev EUROPE: eBay / DigitalRev / AmazonDE (via DR) / wexcamerasDE / AmazonUK (via DR) / PCHstore

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