Is Old Fuji Color Better? Or Even Different?

DarnGoodPhotos wrote:

Erik Baumgartner wrote:

DarnGoodPhotos wrote:

Erik Baumgartner wrote:

TheWhiteDog wrote:

I'm sure you're correct, but I've only had XTrans3(X-E3 and X-H1) I've read that the film simulations have been tweaked with every new processor giving the engineers more processing power to work with.

They have certainly expanded beyond the original simulations with the sophisticated grain simulation of Acros and new options like the new Color Chrome effect and Clarity etc., but the standard jpeg “color science” has remained remarkably consistent to my eye.

Provia has become cooler (bluer) over the years; I now use Astia instead of Provia as my default simulation.

Beyond that, the shadows have become heavier and blacker after the X-Trans1 cameras.

I agree about the shadows - at least with the X-Pro1, but I doesn’t seem to me as though Provia/Standard has changed - although the AUTO-WB may very well be cooler on the newer models (these examples were all pretty well matched for WB).
I shoot RAW, but I never found Astia to be good all purpose jpeg choice, it can look great with some images, but the blues are oversaturated and the greens are often too yellow for my liking.

I disagree.

Shooting with all three generations of sensors, Provia is slightly warmer on the X-Pro1.

Are you sure it isn’t just an AutoWB/exposure difference? It doesn’t look much different in these examples (although if one is warmer here, it is the X-Pro1). The X-E1, which is also 1st generation, looks more like the others.

If you are a Raw shooter it won't matter that much, but for people who shoot JOGs or don't like to spend much time processing the differences are more noticeable.

Of course, when people say they prefer the first gen cameras, they are often talking about color, noise, shadows, highlights, etc. so just focusing on color doesn't address everything that goes into "image quality".

All those things are represented in this comparison, not just color. I don’t any significant differences that an in-camera Jpeg settings tweak shouldn’t be able to iron out.

I haven’t  used any of these older cameras regularly, and I am primarily a RAW shooter, but if one desires the “look” of the early cameras, It doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to get there with a newer model, including with jpegs.