X-E5 image processing

[a lucky shot]

The raw and STD Jpeg images brought into Affinity Photo and Pixelmator Pro look contrasty, especially in the shadows and need a lot of sharpening.

The DR is 100, and to my eye the highlights blow out way too easily.

Could anyone recommend better setup or editing software that could give me a look closer to what I would see out of a Nikon? Not trying to start a brand war here, just trying to make this camera work for me better.

 

[Greybeard2023]

The raw and STD Jpeg images brought into Affinity Photo and Pixelmator Pro look contrasty, especially in the shadows and need a lot of sharpening.

The DR is 100, and to my eye the highlights blow out way too easily.

Could anyone recommend better setup or editing software that could give me a look closer to what I would see out of a Nikon? Not trying to start a brand war here, just trying to make this camera work for me better.

If the highlights blow away perhaps its your exposure rather than the editing software

 

[a_c_skinner]

Yes, highlights are about exposure. Set it to autobracket lavishly and see what you get.

 

[a lucky shot]

Yes, bracketing will give me the highlights I expect with ever more plugged-up shadows

 

[Erik Baumgartner]

Some examples that illustrate the issue would be helpful here.

Use the highlight warning blinking to avoid clipping highlights. Adjust exposure for important highlights just below blinking for the best signal to noise ratio/best shadow detail.

If the exposure is sufficient, overly dark and/or contrasty shadows are a processing problem, both for SOOC jpegs (which can be addressed with less contrasty film sims and/or a negative shadows setting) or RAW files. I’m not familiar with your editor, but the same goes for that - less contrasty profile/film sim, black point adjustment, shadow curve adjustment.

 

[a_c_skinner]

Well thems the breaks, as a former prime minister once said. The X-E5 has a decent dynamic range, comparable with other modern cameras, so from that point of view it will more or less exactly mirror (sorry) other cameras.

Edit: Looked it up. Below 800 ISO the new Fuji sensor is pretty much the same as the Nikon Z6III, above 800 the Nikon has a stop more DR.

--
Andrew Skinner

 

[Erik Baumgartner]

Yes, bracketing will give me the highlights I expect with ever more plugged-up shadows

The best shadows are obtained with the greatest possible exposure without clipping any important highlight detail - DR100, exposure compensation, and the highlight warning blinkies is typically the best way to go here, no bracketing required.