Which Film Simulation is Best (and Worst) for Low Light Photography?

There is a misconception out there.

And the misconception is that Fujifilm film simulations are something good only for pure JPEG shooters. But that’s far from true.

When I photographed the wedding of my friend I did shoot everything in RAW (I explained which gear I used here), but when it was time to edit everything in Capture One 21, I did not waste any time with color grading the images. I just scrolled over the various film simulation options in Capture One, saw in real time which color gives me the best mood, clicked on that film simulation and that’s it. Done that, I started to edit the images to taste (except for the colors).

I’ve explained in this article which film simulations I’ve used most in my wedding editing (curiously a film simulation that I’ve rarely used until I’ve shot the wedding).

So that’s how I see it: also hardcore RAW shooters can take huge profits from Fujifilm film simulations.

But it is also true, that in many cases the JPEG output of Fujifilm cameras is that good, that you can skip the RAW editing right away.

It happened to me recently when I was in Ferrara with my family. I took my images in RAW+JPEG and when we were going home by train, I just used the internal RAW converter to try out some film simulations on certain pictures, stored them directly on the SD-card, and once home all I did was to load them into my computer, and that was it, my holiday images look great without any editing effort.

And here comes the connection to the video we share today.

If you are like me, and about 80%* of the images you keep are simply JPEG images (*thanks to the amazing Fujifilm JEPGs, with my previous gear I mostly edited the RAW files), then it might be of interest to know which film simulation works best in which context.

And Chris from Pal2Tech (one of the must follow channels for Fujifilm shooters) tested which film simulation works best (and worst) for low light photography (if you shoot in JPEG).

Chris’ video has been cross posted to petapixel here, where the conclusions is:

  1. Monochrome is much less noisy than ACROS at all higher ISO ranges. In going through my testing, it seems pretty conclusive that Fujifilm adds some additional grain and/or noise to ACROS to help give it that unique look. The problem is, at much higher ISO values, it can start to fall apart at bit. If you are planning on shooting with ACROS, I would not go above 3200 ISO. Also, I’d definitely make sure the grain setting on your camera is turned off.
  2. PROVIA, VELVIA, ASTIA, ETERNA, Pro Negative High and Sepia all performed well and had roughly the same good performance at higher ISO values. Of this group, PROVIA was the overall winner when you start pixel peeping at 300% or above.
  3. If you are shooting at ISO 3200 and above, I would avoid Bleach Bypass, ACROS, and Classic Negative. Once you go above ISO 6400, I would not use any of those three film sims if I wanted to keep my noise to a minimum.
  4. Most interesting of all were the winners. And they were Pro Negative Standard and ETERNA. If you are planning on shooting in low light at very high ISO values, you may want to give them a try. Both Pro Negative Standard and ETERNA gave me the overall best and consistent results.

And if you love Fujifilm colors, then… join our 100% pure Fujifilm Colors Group.

Panasonic Unveils 35MP Organic Super35 CMOS Sensor with Global Shutter and Great Dynamic Range

The organic sensor has reached a mythical status.

In fact, 8 year after the joint Panasonic and Fujifilm announcement, where the organic sensor was first unveiled to the masses with great optimism and claims of glorious performances and dynamic range, we haven’t seen anything coming to the market, expect for a camcorder prototype shown by Panasonic back in 2019.

Probably like many of you, I just stopped hoping that such a sensor would ever see the light of the day.

And yet, today we have to add another chapter to the organic sensor novel.

In fact, Panasonic has just announced the first 4k/8K Super35 global shutter organic CMOS sensor during the “4th 4K / 8K Video Technology Exhibition”

Here are Panasonic’s claims (google translated):

  • replaces the silicon photodiode that has been used as the light receiving part of the conventional CMOS sensor with an organic thin film that has a larger light absorption coefficient
  • wide dynamic range and global shutter
  • In a general back-illuminated CMOS sensor, if a high resolution and a wide dynamic range are realized, a global shutter cannot be installed, and if a global shutter is installed, the resolution and the dynamic range are reduced, which is a trade-off
  • The organic CMOS sensor has a dynamic range four times that of a general CMOS sensor
  • the global shutter also adjusts the voltage applied to the organic thin film to control the photoelectric conversion efficiency
  • technological development for practical use is making great progress
  • color reproducibility is high
  • As a next-generation technology for organic CMOS sensors, there is an ultra-WDR technology in which two sensitivity detection cells, a high-sensitivity cell and a high-saturation cell, are provided in one pixel.
  • With this, the dynamic range can be 100 times that of an organic CMOS sensor and 400 times that of a general CMOS sensor.

Well, we knew about all the dynamic range claims and the global shutter already. Today we got a bit more insights on how it works and especially one sentence revived my hopes after all these years:

technological development for practical use is making great progress

So let’s hope that we will soon see the first cameras with such a sensor and that they were able to sort out the main problems with this sensor: heat generation and battery drain.

Will this be the sensor of the Fujifilm X-H2?

I don’t know, but I don’t think so.

Maybe it will initially find its way into larger bodies of camcorders, which can handle heat generation better. At a later stage maybe also mirrorless cameras will feature this sensor.

Best Deal on Capture One 22

Save 20% plus additional 10% (with code FUJIRUMORS) by pre-upgrading to Capture One 22 now. No better deal will come to upgrade, not even at Black Friday. This is the best price.

The Organic Sensor Novel – A Summary:

  • June 2013: Fujifilm and Panasonic announced the organic sensor development
  • December 2014: Our sources told us here, that there is a crucial problem to be solved with the organic sensor: heat generation (and battery drain)
  • December 2014: Top Fujifilm Managers confirmed, that the organic sensor is “still well ahead of us.”
  • October 2015: 43rumors broke the rumor here, that it will still take a 2 or 3 years before the organic sensor will be ready for mass production.
  • February 2016: Panasonic announced that, along with Fujifilm, they are developing an organic sensor with global shutter and impressive 123dB (!!!) dynamic range.
  • February 2016: Fujifilm management says: “We don’t have any specific plans of incorporating an organic sensor into our products at the moment, but yes we are observing the progress of this technology. As of today, there would be No benefits to using an organic sensor. Our X-Trans III sensor is superior to the currently available organic sensor.”
  • February 2017: Panasonic announces the world’s first organic CMOS image sensor with electrically controllable near-infrared light sensitivity. However, unlike in previous press-releases, this time Fujifilm isn’t mentioned.
  • February 2017: Fujifilm Announces Development of World’s fastest Organic CMOS Circuit For Multi-bit flexible Temperature Sensor
  • August 2017: Development of Wide Dynamic Range and Global Shutter Technology for Organic Photoconductive Film Image Sensor (Panasonic)
  • Febraury 2018: Panasonic Announces 8K 36 Megapixel Global Shutter Organic Sensor… and Time To Stop Sony’s Sensor Hegemony
  • October 2018: Panasonic Says Organic Sensor Cooperation with Fujifilm Continues. Mass Production Will Take a Bit more Time
  • September 2019: Panasonic shows first Camcorder featuring 8K organic sensor

via digicame-info via monoist

DPRTV X Summit Reaction Video: Stacked APS-C sensor Dreams, GFX 50S II, X and GF Lens Roadmaps and More

Chris and Jordan from DRPreviewTV share their reactions to Fujifilm’s ‘X Summit 2021’ announcements: a new GFX 50S II medium format camera, new X-T30 II, new X-mount and GF-mount lenses, and a teaser for a new stacked APS-C sensor!

Here is a summary:

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BREAKING: One More and Never Rumored X Series Camera Coming 2021

Do you remember when I told you that there won’t be any more X series camera in 2021 and that the next X series camera to hit the market will be the Fujifilm X-H2?

Well, forget about it :).

According to our trusted sources, Fujifilm will launch one more X series camera in 2021.

The camera has never been rumored before (so it can’t be the Fujifilm X-H2).

The Fastest Growing Fujifilm Group

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Tamron for X Mount, FujiRumors First Wedding and GFX100S Experience, Big Error Fixed, 2021 Rumors Check – Top 10 July Posts

I am a man on a mission: making being a Fujifilm X and GFX shooter even more fun than it already is!

How?

Well, by keeping you guys informed, entertained and possibly even excited about all things Fujifilm X/GFX using this humble blog called FujiRumors.

I hope I was able to do that in July, but I will work even harder in August in trying to make a hot summer even hotter with lots of breaking news and rumors.

And now let’s take a look at what happened in July with the top 10 posts of the past month.

  1. Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VX D for Fujifilm X Mount Announced
  2. IT’S DONE! My First Wedding with Fujifilm X: Talking Gear, Film Simulations Love, What Worked Great (and What Not So)
  3. Voigtländer Nokton 35mmF1.2: Electronic Contacts, Full Specs, Press Release and Official Sneak Peek
  4. Fujifilm X-T4, X-Pro3 and X-E4 Firmware Flawed and Removed from Fujifilm’s Website
  5. Meet My Fujifilm GFX100S: What I Love, What I Hate and My First Firmware Request
  6. Fujifilm’s Biggest Error is Now Fixed (and Waiting for Sigma)
  7. The Non-Love Story between DPReview and the Fujinon XF50mmF1.0 Continues – Silver Award
  8. Fujifilm GFX50SMKII to Ship in September plus Rumored Specs/Price Recap
  9. Tamron Managers Interview: “Fujifilm’s Market is Sufficiently Large. We Plan more X Mount Lenses” and more Tamron 18-300 Images
  10. Mid 2021 Rumor Check: Fujifilm X-H2, GFX50SII, Future Lenses and More (with Reliability Ranking)

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The Resolution King Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR in Stock at BHphoto and Amazon

The Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 recently got Gold Award.

It is optically close to perfect, with sharpness being definitely its super-power. In fact, Fujifilm itself said that with this lens they did focus on resolution to make it fit for “future higher resolution cameras” (aka Fujifilm X-H2).

I know, some might say that lenses are more than just sharpness. And I get the point. I mean, I totally love my XF35mmF1.4, which probably isn’t the sharpest Fujinon X mount lens out there, but has an overall vibe in the images that some describe as “magical”, and indeed, it took some of my favorite images ever.

But if what you need is the ultimate sharpness, then look no further, as the Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 might just be what you were looking for.

Hold on a second… there was one thing I wanted to say.

Oh, right, the lens itself is now in stock at BHphoto here and AmazonUS here. Still backordered at Adorama here and Focuscamera here.

DPR Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 Review: Gold Award!

DPReview published their full field review of the brand new Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens.

It gets the Gold Award with a long list of Pros and a very short Cons list.

Fujifilm itself explained the lens itself is designed for higher resolutions than currently offered by Fujifilm, and the Fujifilm X-H2 comes to mind here.

You can read more down below.

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MEGA DEAL on Fujinon XF200mmF2 and More Coming also to USA (but It’s Ridiculous if You Ask Me)

The Mega Deals

Fujifilm Europe launched an absolutely stunning deal on the Fujinon XF200mmF2 with a €2,000 discount, as well as huge deals on other lenses.

I have been now told (thanks), that similar deals will start also in USA. The deals will include a massive rebate on the XF200mmF2, too.

I don’t know if also the Fujifilm X-T4 will be included, but the fact that there is a first $100 rebate popping up on the X-T4 body only, might indicate that the X-T4 will be included.

XF200mmF2 – Fit for Fujifilm X-H2

When Fujifilm developed the Fujinon XF200mmF2, they indication to engineers was simple: achieve best image quality, no matter what!

And I can tell you from my own experience with this lens, that you’ll get a ridiculous sharpness out of it. So now wonder it gets only 5 star ratings!

The XF200mmF2 is clearly underperforming on current Fujifilm cameras, and once the high resolution Fujifilm X-H2 drops on the market in 2022, it will finally unlock its full potential.

Considering the image quality and the fact that it comes with a newly designed 1.4x teleconverter, I always thought that 6K is actually a fair price for how it performs. And soon, with such a big rebate, I definitely call it a steal.

The Ridiculous Thing is…

Ok, so Fujifilm is going to drop a massive deal on the Fujinon XF200mmF2 all over the world.

But the ridiculous thing is that Fujifilm is launching a massive rebate on a lens, the XF200mmF2, that right now is mostly out of stock.

I mean, I’d understand if they’d launched a deal on a lens that is getting dust in the warehouses and they can’t get rid of. But adding a huge rebate on a lens that clearly is short on stock, well, I am afraid that will lead to biblical waiting times for those, who order it.

So, in any case, if you are interested in one, definitely order quickly as soon as the deals are available. At the moment there are some availabe at BHphoto here and one single sample at AmazonUS here.

EUROPE X/GFX DEALS

X Gear – ends June 30

GFX Gear – ends June 30

RUMOR: Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 R WR with 62mm Filter Size

March was a month full of exclusive and breaking rumors:

You guys tell me if you’d like to have a break from the rumors, otherwise I’ll just continue, ok?

No complaints? Ok, so let’s go ahead. :)

Today we talk about the upcoming Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 R WR, the only not yet released lens so far that we can find on the official Fujifilm roadmap (** list of non yet announced X mount lenses below).

Well, we have seen hands on images of the Fujinon XF18mmF1.4 R WR at the X summit of October 2020 here. FujiRumors has also taken the official XF18mmF1.4 sketches shared by Fujifilm and made a size comparison Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 and the XF23mm f/1.4, which you can see here.

From that size comparison, we saw that the size of the XF18mmF1.4 R WR is somewhere in between the one of the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 and the XF23mm f/1.4.

The additional information we got about the XF18mmF1.4 R WR is that it will have a 62mm filter size. As a reference, the XF16mmF1.4 R WR has a 67mm filter size, whereas the XF23mmF1.4 R has also a 62mm filter size.

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** FujiRumors has leaked two more lenses that will come, but are not yet included in the roadmap, the Fujinon XF150-600mm and the Fujinon XF33mmF1.4 R WR.

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The Rise of Selfie Screens, The Myth of Them Being Better for Video and About Pleasing Youtubers instead of Customers

2020 Trend

These days everybody is making its list of the best and worst gear 2020, as well as best and worst trends of 2020.

And it’s on the latter one, the “trends”, that I would like to focus on today.

Because it is clear: one of the hot trends in the photography industry is putting selfie screens on cameras.

And guys, we have to talk about it!

I Am NOT a Selfie Screen Hater

To be clear: I do not hate selfie screens.

And in fact, during the various COVID-19 lockdowns, I often have to teach online and record my lessons, and the selfie screen is a true blessing!

A fully articulating screen is not the photography-evil of our times. It still works fine, it’s still flexible, and I have rather rapidly learned to accept it on my Fujifilm X-T4, sometimes even to love it (especially during my online lessons).

So, if you are one of those, who loves the fully articulating screen, I get it. Maybe I don’t love it as much as you do, but I could totally accept a selfie screen on cameras like the future Fujifilm X-H2 for example.

But….

But it’s getting a bit out of control, with selfie screens just popping up on so many cameras, that we have to talk about it.

And why is this happening?

Tony Northrup
“Selfie Screen? Pleasing Youtubers is Higher Priority than Pleasing Customers”
Vs.
Jonas Rask
“I have no count as to how many shots I missed becauseof the Selfie Screen”

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