Close to JPEG quality from RFC/PS6

[FTLS]

Hello,

I've been playing around with RFC lately and decided to challenge myself to getting the same look as the X-Pro1 review JPEG file using the raw file from the review. I copied the JPEG here for comparison. I'm not very good at this and was just playing around but thought if we worked at it together we could zero in on the settings.

Here is the JPEG file untouched:

and here is my processed file:

Please feel free to scrutinize my results to help improve them.

I got this result using RFC starting from defaults when loading the raw file and applying a preset (USER TASTE) that I created with the following settings:

Contrast set to 'A little strong contrast'

Color set to 'Memory Color 1'

Sharpness all sliders set to zero

Noise Reduction sliders False color ctrl (100), Noise reduction (0), Noise Canceller (6), Noise Cancel (50) and Geometric NR (0)

Finally, the Demosaic sliders at zero. I also played with the Fine Color Control (yellow, green and purple) to match up the colors a little more, but didn't really get that perfect.

I output a full size TIFF file with NO sharpening (sliders in dialog box at zero) and then imported the file into Photoshop 6. All I did in PS6 was the do an Unsharp mask with settings Amount (100), Radius (1.0) and Threshold (3).

Saved as JPEG and uploaded. Let me know what you think.

I like a lot about the RFC conversion but it just can't seem to get the resolution that the camera can get from the file, this is visible in the star and in the feathers as well as many other fine details. It is the best I've achieved so far. I tried to avoid false detail from artifacts.

 

[Zardoz]

Colors are quite different, as evident in the shadowed and lit portions of the color charts and anywhere there's red. Your version looks a touch softer (may be down to sharpening/contrast differences). There's significantly more moire in the lady's face, which is already a weak point of the original JPEG (especially given Fuji's moire claims). Your version also has a slight magenta cast.

 

[FTLS]

Thanks for your input. I wasn't really paying much attention to the colors, but once you mentioned the cast I see it easily. The default blue color was much too dark and saturated compared the the other image. I can't figure out how to lighten up the blue without affecting the white.

I've noticed the yellow blotchiness on the face many times before but it is definitely worse than the average on this image. Also, the 'resolution' of the lines, such as in the face and in the feathers is not as good as the JPEG but very similar to many other 16mp images I looked at. I'm looking for suggestions to increase the resolution with the tools I've got, but I'll take color tips as well.

 

[FTLS]

Sorry, I'm new to this and don't know how to edit the image in the first post. I tried to make the colors a little better (still not perfect, color was not the point) and tried uploading to my gallery instead. Is this the correct way to be able to replace the image as people suggest improvements?




demosaic in RFC and sharpened in PS6

 

[FTLS]

Well, using the gallery doesn't seem to work either. In any case, here's my last edit, using smart sharped, remove guassian blur 100% radius 0.7. Seems to be a better fit than unsharp mask. I will stop posting until I learn how to use the tools. Please feel free to make your suggestions though.

 

[Collie Camp]

Hi,

some Fuji expert wrote that using Colormode "V4 compatible" and "Portraitcolor 2" pretty much hits the colors of Fujis Standard Provia JPG.

Which I found to be correct. For Filmmode "Astia" I recommend "V4 campatible" and "Color 1".

regards!

 

[FTLS]

Thanks for the color tip, Collie Camp. I can't find the colormode parameter but Portraitcolor 2 was much closer to the original rendition. Have you read any demoniac tips to get the best results? I am now getting about the same resolution as Fuji's JPEG, but the camera processing is just so 'clean' by comparison. I get as many veins in the feathers but mine are sort of pixelated by comparison to the smooth results Fuji creates.

 

[nixda]

FTLS wrote:

I've noticed the yellow blotchiness on the face many times before but it is definitely worse than the average on this image.

For what it's worth, the yellow cast/pattern/blotchiness is also visible in images taken with some other cameras. Compare the area here and check out the two faces. Particularly compare to the NEX-7. I don't think it's anything related to the X-Trans sensor, but more a general problem with the content perhaps.

 

[Zardoz]

It's moire.

 

[nixda]

Zardoz wrote:

It's moire.

That's what I thought, but then it has got to be some sort of 'super-moire' as the stripes can be pretty broad and far apart.

 

[Charuteiro]

FTLS wrote:

I've been playing around with RFC lately and decided to challenge myself to getting the same look as the X-Pro1 review JPEG file using the raw file from the review. I

Here's a link to a similar exercise with OOC JPEGs and their RAF files from X Pro1 and X-E1:

==> OOC vs. RFC-EX

Clique an album link, then slideshow, full screen and play. Use arrow keys to toggle and compare images.

 

[Collie Camp]

To set SilkyPix to color mode "v4 compatible" you have to click the left icon for color and down there a more detailed choice appears where you can change color to natural and v4.

I use pure detail sharpening set to edge 50 detail 25 borders 0 and in the hidden demosaic tab demosaic to 100 - for RAF in ISO 200.

 

[Charuteiro]

Collie Camp wrote:

To set SilkyPix to color mode "v4 compatible" you have to click the left icon for color and down there a more detailed choice appears where you can change color to natural and v4.

I use pure detail sharpening set to edge 50 detail 25 borders 0 and in the hidden demosaic tab demosaic to 100 - for RAF in ISO 200.

SP-DSP5 has a new colour feature called Colour - Profile.

SP-DSP5 Manual:

"Color profiles include "V4 compatible," "Natural," "Neutral," "Monochrome" and "JPEG/TIFF."

V4 compatible is the Silkypix Version 4 colour profile. This Colour Profile feature is not available in RFC-EX which is Silkypix Version 3.

==> Colour Profile

 

[Collie Camp]

Ah...that's right, I have got SP5 so I didn't install RFC...then the color should be good with Portaitcolor 2.

 

[FTLS]

Thanks, that explains the missing colormode. Thanks to everyone with tips. I'm still playing around with the demosaic options and just don't like the 'dirty' output from RFC, the fine detail just isn't as smooth as the OOC. I even prefer the LR4 output better which has a loss of detail but what detail does show up is smooth, and I find that the smoothness gives a more pleasing image, moreso than a little extra resolution.