Note: funky indenting is correct as I am answering two posts at once ...
Andy Hewitt wrote:
Of course it hasn't, but I see the advice being given out as though there is only one setting that you should use on an EXR camera. I prefer to advocate offering a variety of settings, and advise trial and error by others.
What you see isn't necessarily what has been written, I have come to understand. Take the filters off and you will see that everyone says exactly the same thing. Practice and try settings to see what works for you. No one would disagree with such an axiomatic bit of advice.
Fair enough, I'm sure it's how I'm perceiving things, maybe it's just the threads I pick up on
seem to be like that, as I don't read every thread here.
What some of us
do recommend is a best set of
default settings. I realize that you dislike nuance, but there it is.
Default settings allow room for
changing settings and for
experimenting.
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com/2009/10/fuji-f70exr-how-to-shoot-it-mkii.html
Yes, I have read your article, but having tried out all of the settings on the X-S1, and previously the HS50, and also as a Lightroom 5 user, I can't agree with a lot of your comments on Raw shooting now. Perhaps that's at least one area that discounts my original comment about technology not mowing on. Adobe have made quite a few improvements I think (perhaps mostly since you wrote that article), and some even specifically for the Fuji cameras.
Coming down from DSLR I was keen to stick with Raw, I am used to processing them. But my combination of equipment and software does show that Raw L size is indeed very usable, and as I've said before, many of my JPEGs have ended up with blown highlights, not due to poor exposure, or lack of DR, but because of the nature of the JPEG processor in the camera (shown by comparing Raw+JPEG shots).
By the way ... I shoot one basic set of settings everywhere except for concerts. But that's just me. These settings are covered in the summary at the beginning of my article.
As it happens, I also use a default setting for most things, although I doubt it's the same as yours. However, I've also found the wonders of the 'C' settings, and have these set up so I can more easily switch between my favoured Raw L size DR100 mode, and the more popular Raw+JPEG M size DR400 mode - I also have the third one set up for moving object shots.
There is a middle ground.
Right there beside lifelong mediocrity
The EXR cameras, while far from one-trick ponies, have one outstanding feature: the ability to capture comparable to large sensor dynamic range within a camera that is either: small enough to put into a pocket, or, because of a small sensor size, can sport a lens with a large reach and comparatively large aperture into a portable package. Take away the dynamic range advantage, and the Fujifilm EXR compacts are pretty humdrum cameras for their generation, arguably bested by many other same-era compacts from other makers that are similarly priced. So the decision to purchase a Fujifilm EXR compact instead of a Sony compact or a Panasonic compact, or -- Lord help us -- a Canon compact pretty much is premised upon the idea that the dynamic range feature is the reason the user chose an EXR model of Fujifilm in the first place.
Yes, exactly. The EXR cameras are extremely good at one thing, but it happens to be the biggest weakness of small sensor cameras and that makes these sensors pretty special and well worth shooting if one happens to favour blue skies coming out, well, blue
Actually, I understood very little about the EXR system when I bought into Fuji last year, it was other factors that decided it for me. I was looking at zoom range, lens speed, Raw capability, and the biggest was manual zoom (although I was close to considering the Panasonic FZ200), along with the slightly larger sensor that the Fujis have.
To be honest, I see perfectly good images coming out, with all but a few settings (such as forcing DR400 in Raw mode at L Size and ISO100, which ends up with awful images), sky colours are great in my default settings, the latest Lightroom profiles seem to work very well, and you do have a lot of latitude for making adjustments anyway with the Raw images.
Now if the user is seeking advice on this forum how to tweak his or her EXR camera, it is reasonable to proceed to give advice that helps the user get the most of the dynamic range advantage that EXR cameras have. If this were an off-road vehicle forum, you would expect most of the advice to relate how to use the 4-wheel drive capability of a vehicle in adverse conditions rather than advice as to how to park the vehicle in a suburban shopping mall, don't you think?
Wow ... I feel really dull witted this evening as that entire paragraph eludes my powers of reason.
I get what he's saying, but it's the narrow minded approach that I've been talking about. It assumes the Fuji cameras are only good at one thing, which is clearly incorrect. Obviously there's good advice on how to use the EXR system, but even switching out of EXR modes, they seem quite capable cameras, and still the equal of anything else.
Likewise with the 4x4 analogy, quite clearly they're also good for other uses, including taking the kids to school
