Fuji S5 Pro post-processing comparisons (love Cameras, hate Computers (software))

Please see (at the end) that I have edited the following response:

Even DXO's recent new fancy PhotoLab has done away with the wondrous Super CCD handling *see here: https://support.dxo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013374528-What-is-DxO-PhotoLab-Will-there-be-a-DxO-OpticsPro-12-

• The support of RAW file for Fuji S3, S5, and S100FS (Super CCD) is no longer ensured in DxO PhotoLab (Super CCD RAW is no longer supported, to avoid the maintenance of 2 different RAW engines, so that we can be more flexible and faster for our future development.); however JPEG is still supported

But while reading up on available function RAW File processors that are able to cater to the decade old Fuji S5 Pro all roads seem to point to Hyper Utility? My goodness, the only way to install the application, let alone use it, is to run it in XP/Vista Compatibility Mode. I would rather just find one program that gets the job done and, well, follow through and really get down to enjoying this Camera.

This is why I hate computers! The follow images, 2 from each, darktable, RawTherapee and Hyper Utility...

Darktable, in-camera White Balance (software rendered)

DarkTable (same as above, White Balance manually set)

RawTherapee, in-camera White Balance (software rendered)

RawTherapee (same as above, White Balance manually set)

Hyper Utility (as all of the above, post-processed, mainly Curve (Tone))

Hyper Utility... mainly "as-is" (didn't shoot RAW+jpeg as I was limited on Memory Card). I say mainly "as-is" as it is not exactly SOOC

So... I would say Hyper Utility really does have "that certain look" to it.

What an amazing Camera, Super CCD, Film-like rendition. No need for extra "bells and whistles". While the rest of the world fast forwards at blind speed into the unknown chasing the next latest and greatest I for one am staying put and seeing what the good old days were all about. And in that respect, those good days are not old days, they're now days.

Yr obdnt srvnt possesses a Fujifilm S3 Pro, which is based on an earlier iteration of the Nikon crop-sensor body, but shares the Super CCD sensor and 99% of the functionality (and quirks) of the later S5 Pro. I have set the S3 Pro to generate .RAF files very sparingly because: (1) the S3 Pro makes fabulous .jpg files, especially of human faces, and (2) the 2006-era hardware and software are very slow to write to the Compact Flash memory card.

I do not have a copy of Hyper Utility. Rather than share with you images that I have converted from S3 Pro-generated .RAF files using other software, a more useful would be for you to make available, through Dropbox or similar, the .RAF file that was the starting point for the conversions above, which would allow some of us see how the RAW converters that we have used would do with your .RAF file.

EDIT: I had opened your original post yesterday, and left my computer for almost an entire day before I composed my reply. After posting, I saw that others have replied and that you already have made the .RAF file available on Dropbox. Carry on 😀, as I play with your .RAF file.