Fuji X-Trans and dcraw 9.19

[tomczak]

I understand that PWP 7.0.11 uses dcraw 9.19, which in turn uses some new, better way of demosaicking Fuji X-Trans sensors raw files. Would anyone know anything more about it (how it does it? is it any good?).

http://www.fujix-forum.com/index.php/to ... s-support/

[ksinkel]

Currently PWP supports bayer sensors only which means that it does not support the X-trans sensors.

Kiril

[den]

FYI ---

I did a comparison of dcraw9.17 and dcraw9.19 conversion of a X-Trans camera raw file here: http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/tutoria ... /index.htm if of interest.

v9.19's conversion [3-pass X-Trans interpolation] is significantly improved over v9.17 conversion
[Bilinear/VNG interpolation] but...

...NOTE: It is suggested that when DCRAW is used to convert X-Trans sensor raw files where the "3-pass X-Trans interpolation" is used, that dcraw options for lateral chromatic aberration reduction, wavelet luma noise reduction, 3x3 median blurring chroma noise reduction, and perhaps "fix badpixels" as well... ...be performed post-conversion on the 16-bit conversion tiff image with an external editor to avoid the introduction of 'artifacts'...

...i.e., do not use during dcraw9.19 conversion of X-Trans files, dcraw's CA, noise reduction, bluring, and possibly 'fix badpixels' options.

There is also an excerpt of dcraw's code for X-Trans sensor conversion for review [taken from v9.18 but is unchanged in v9.19]...

...den...

[den]

Extracted dcraw9.19 code annotations...

/* Frank Markesteijn's algorithm for Fuji X-Trans sensors */

/* Map a green hexagon around each non-green pixel and vice versa: */
/* Set green1 and green3 to the minimum and maximum allowed values: */
/* Interpolate green horizontally, vertically, and along both diagonals: */
/* Recalculate green from interpolated values of closer pixels: */
/* Interpolate red and blue values for solitary green pixels: */
/* Interpolate red for blue pixels and vice versa: */
/* Fill in red and blue for 2x2 blocks of green: */
/* Convert to CIELab and differentiate in all directions: */
/* Build homogeneity maps from the derivatives: */
/* Average the most homogenous pixels for the final result: */

...den...

[Charles2]

Going by casual judgment of results, I use Fuji's free Fuji Raw Converter (supplied by Silkypix). No advantage from dcraw observed.

Much as den suggests for dcraw, I use FRC to avoid clipping, which means keeping contrast low, and to get an approximate white balance, nothing else. Resist the urge to make the image look good. Export a TIFF file (in AdobeRGB if you have a suitable monitor).

The Fuji X cameras take many lenses with adapters and deliver fine images.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41790885@N ... hotostream

[tomczak]

Would it be naive to hope that PWP will natively support X-Trans RAWs at some point?

Cheers!

[Charles2]

Would it be naive to hope that PWP will natively support X-Trans RAWs at some point?!

Considering the market share of Fuji X-Trans cameras, yes. The Fuji XE-1 is the best camera of the half dozen I've used, for image quality and for photographer's comfortable control of the process of shooting. But that will not make them rivals of Canon and Nikon professional gear nor of smartphones.