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Latest Fuji X-trans vs Bayer, has X-trans lost it already?

Started Jan 23, 2020 | Discussions thread
OP il_alexk Senior Member • Posts: 2,867
My final conclusion, you don't have to agree ;)
3

For the purpose of this discussion, Bayer sensor is used here in the sense of "Bayer sensor without or with a very week AA filter. It is also assumed that the rest is the same, number of Mpixels, the underlying manufacturing technology, same generation of Sny sensors, etc.

X-trans wins:

  • X-trans outresolves Bayer sensor without AA when you shoot patterns with very dense horizontal and vertical lines
  • Bayer generates moire in this area, it is easily fixable in PP, but the resolution does not match X-trans

Bayer without AA wins:

  • Bayer outperforms X-trans pretty much everywhere else - images are cleaner at high ISO and it resolves more details both at high and low ISO

Unproven:

  • There are some claims that X-trans handles green patterns better than Bayer, I I simply don't see it in the posted images.

Additionally, I've been shooting with cameras without AA for at least 5-6 years and do not see moire to be affecting than 1% of my photos. Fabric, skins, eye-lashes, bricks, whatever it is, the moire is either invisible or is fixed by color noise removal. It doesn't show up. But I must admit, I never shoot objects with B&W horizontal lines.

Conclusion:

Modern Bayer sensor technology is better for 99% of practical cases.I am happy to admit that X-trans will handle better the remaining 1% cases If your photography requires you to primarily shoot horizontal and vertical line, than this number can be higher for you.

So, answering my original question which started this discussion, Yes, for most practical cases X-trans has lost it's superiority to Bayer without AA.

It is really not clear why and if Fuji will keep X-trans cameras in their product line. I suspect the time of X-TXX and X-ProXX with Bayer sensors are not that far away.

PS.

There is nothing to worry about though, the great X-trans cameras that you have today will continue to take beautiful pictures, they will beat X-A5 in terms of AF, handling, quality of the EVF/OVF and will offer more SD-Card slots, etc.

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Cheers,
Alex

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