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Using the Fujifilm X100T
by Rico Pfirstinger
Talk to Rico (open forum for questions & feedback)
Fuji X Secrets Workshops – Rico’s Flickr Sets
The Fujifilm X-E2: Beyond the Manual (use coupon XPERT40 for a 40% discount)
Rico’s X100T Sample Images – X100T Specs
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As the Fujifilm X100T is about to become available all over the world, I think this is a good time to share my first impressions with this classic, modern camera. I was able to evaluate a pre-production model for several weeks, going through a few revisions of beta firmware in the process.
Same, Same, But Different
The X100T uses the same 16.3 MP X-Trans II sensor and 23mm (35mm full-frame equivalent) lens as its predecessor, the X100S. Despite that, it often feels like a different camera—in a good sense. How’s that even possible? It appears that Fujifilm kept what made the X100 and X100S popular (and also quite unique), so the DNA remains intact. On the other hand, there is a plethora of enhancements affecting both hardware and firmware. They all seem to share one common goal: to make the camera more accessible and user-friendly, to make sure that the camera doesn’t get in the way between you and your photography, and to be a genuine pleasure to work with.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
B(u)y the Books
Before we go into the details (there will be plenty to discuss), let me thank all of you who kindly bought my ebook in the X-E2. It’s also been a pleasure to read your encouraging feedback. I know that many of you have wondered if or when an X-T1 edition of the ebook will become available, so here’s your answer: An X-T1 ebook is on its way for an early 2015 release in German and English. Obviously, I want to incorporate the latest firmware additions that Fuji has promised us for X-mas, and in order to do so, I need to spend some time with the new firmware when it is finally available.
I am currently evaluating firmware 2.00 in my black X-T1, which appears to be the standard firmware of the brand-new X-T1GS, featuring a silent electronic shutter with a maximum shutter speed of 1/32000s, the new Classic Chrome film simulation and several other enhancements. However, the “real deal” will be the next firmware revision (probably 3.00) in December.
Classic Chrome SOOC (straight-out-of-camera = no external post-processing) JPEG taken with a Fujifilm X-T1 (firmware 2.00) and a pre-production copy of the upcoming XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR zoom lens at 140 mm and f/2.8. Click on the image for larger sizes.
In case you haven’t yet downloaded The Fujifilm X-E2: Beyond the Manual but are contemplating doing so, make sure you browse through my free reading samples first. I am basically giving away a third of the eBook to make sure that you don’t have to take my word for it. I don’t want to disappoint you, so don’t buy it blindly.
Due to the similarities of most X-series cameras, the eBook isn’t only useful to X-E2 users, but also to those using the X-T1 or other models, including the new X30 and X100T. If you decide to buy it, please get it here to receive it DRM-free in three different formats: PDF, iBook and Kindle. Saving the best for last, you will also get a 40% discount by entering coupon code XPERT40, lowering the total price to about ten dollars. That’s ten cents for each of the 100 topics I am discussing in the book.
X100T with TCL-X100 teleconverter at f/2 – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
There’s also a very well-made book on the X100S by famous Fuji X-Photographer Kevin Mullins. It’s titled Fujifilm X100S: From Snapshots to Great Shots. If you are new to the X100S (or X100T) and want to get more serious with your photography, this book will set you on the right track.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
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What’s Up?
According to Fuji, the T in the X100T stands for Third Generation, Traditional, True, Top or Travel. I am not making this up. Personally, I think after the X100S, the marketing people simply used the letter in the alphabet that came next.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
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Targeting professional photographers and photo enthusiasts as well as existing users of the X100S (which will be discontinued), the X100T needs to offer more than a half-hearted facelift in order to be successful. While Fuji claims that the X100 series is unique and without real competition in the premium compact camera segment, there’s still the matter of cannibalization. After all, why would anyone buy a brand-new and rather expensive X100T when they can also get a new or used X100S with the same lens and sensor at a lower price?
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
At first glance, the answer isn’t obvious. The X100S and X100T look very much alike, they use the same batteries, and accessories (like lens hoods, wide / tele conversion lenses, carrying cases or the new optional hand grip with a built-in Arca Swiss tripod plate) remain compatible throughout all three X100 models.
Right from the start, the Japan-made X100T is available in either black or silver. The main body is made of die-cast magnesium and the dials on top are milled from aluminum.
Body Building
Looks can be deceiving, as the X100T actually offers plenty of improvements over its predecessor. Let’s start with changes Fuji made to the body exterior:
As you can see comparing the two images above, the X100T features a less glossy shutter button, a silver Fn button (in the camera’s silver edition) and an enlarged exposure compensation (EC) dial that encompasses ± 3 EV (as opposed to ± 2 EV in the X100S) and offers more resistance when it’s turned. Even better, the EC dial now also works in manual exposure mode when Auto-ISO is active.
The EVF/OVF switch has changed from a one-directional to a two-directional lever in order to accommodate the new electronic rangefinder (ERF) function of the improved hybrid viewfinder. We’ll discuss this feature later in more detail.
The revamped aperture ring is now turning in 1/3 EV stops (compared to full stops in the X100S) and the texture of the manual focus ring has been improved. In playback mode, the manual focus ring now also serves as a second command dial and lets you quickly browse through your images.
The layout and shape of the control buttons on the left side of the camera’s back have been changed to fit a larger 3-inch LCD display with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a much-improved resolution of 1040K dots (X100S: 2.8-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio with only 460K dots). Sadly, the LCD display isn’t tiltable like the display in the new X30.
There have been some changes to the right side of the back, as well. The sub-command dial has been replaced by a 4-way selector switch similar to the X-E2, while the primary “rocker” command dial of the X100S is now a proper thumb-wheel similar to the one in most other X-series cameras. The DRIVE button has been relocated to be reachable with the right thumb, and each selector key now also serves as a customizable function (Fn) button, comfortably expanding their number from a single Fn key in the X100S to seven custom Fn buttons in the X100T.
There’s also a larger port door that covers a Micro USB port (that also serves as an RR-90 remote control input), an HDMI output and a 2.5 mm microphone input that can moonlight as a Canon Rebel-style remote control input that’s compatible with dozens of tethered or radio-driven aftermarket remote control devices. If you don’t want to use an external interval triggering device, you can utilize the camera’s built-in intervalometer that lets you specify the number of and the interval between the shots the camera is supposed to record.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
Like the X-T1 and X30, the X100T features wifi remote control by downloading an app to your Android or iOS device. This free remote control app also offers image transfer from the X100T to your smartphone or tablet, and there is a wifi option to print directly from the camera to a Fuji Instax SP-1 printer.
Leading the Charge
In-camera battery charging via USB is another new feature, but an external battery charger is still supplied, so you can basically charge two batteries at once. USB charging means that you can recharge the camera’s battery not only with USB wall-chargers (like the one for your smartphone or tablet), but also directly with your laptop, with USB outlets in cars or planes and with mobile USB batteries that can recharge the camera multiple times in case you plan to stay in remote areas without electricity.
You can also operate the camera in playback and shooting mode while it is charging via USB, and according to Fuji, the battery life indicator has been improved to be more accurate.
X100T with TCL-X100 teleconverter – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
Inside Job
Of course, the improvements of the user interface don’t stop on the outside. Just like the X30, the X100T also features a renewed graphical user interface: Information overlays have become more transparent and less obtrusive. They obscure less of the scene, and they do not obstruct image corners. Like the X-T1 and X30, the 2.36 Mdot electronic viewfinder (EVF) of the X100T offers different views depending on wether you hold the camera in landscape (horizontal) or portrait (upright) orientation. Sadly, this feature doesn’t extend to the LCD display on the camera’s back.
The X100T’s revamped EVF user interface in landscape and portrait orientation. The electronic level, live histogram and grid options are missing in this simulated illustration.
Fn button functions like Macro On/Off or Preview Pic. Effect On/Off are now simple toggles and don’t open a cumbersome menu.
You can assign one of the following 27 functions to any of the camera’s seven Fn buttons:
Advanced Filter (transparent menu)
Multiple Exposure On/Off (toggle)
Macro On/Off (toggle)
Preview Depth of Field (toggle)
ISO (transparent menu, now also includes three Auto-ISO configurations: AUTO1, AUTO2 and AUTO3)
Self-Timer (transparent menu)
Image Size (transparent menu)
Image Quality (transparent menu)
Dynamic Range (transparent menu)
Film Simulation (transparent menu)
White Balance (transparent menu)
ND Filter On/Off (toggle)
Photometry (transparent menu for selecting a metering mode)
AF Mode (transparent menu)
Focus Area
Corrected AF Frame On/Off (toggle)
Flash Mode (transparent menu)
Flash Exposure Compensation (± 2EV, transparent menu)
Select Custom Setting (C1-C7, transparent menu)
Movie (record on/off button)
Face Detection On/Off (toggle)
Preview Pic. Effect On/Off (toggle, to turn the new Natural Live View function on or off)
High Performance Mode On/Off (toggle)
RAW On/Off (toggle)
Wireless Communication
Conversion Lens (toggle, to select one of three lens options)
Shutter Type (toggle, to select one of three shutter options: mechanical shutter [MS], electronic shutter [ES] and MS+ES)
As you can see, there’s plenty to choose from. The new transparent Fn menus are quite useful, as they display a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) live view of the scene, so you can immediately see any changes as you browse through the different menu options. This is particularly helpful when choosing a white balance preset or manually setting the dynamic range.
Like the X30, the X100T now offers a full dynamic range simulation on its EVF and LCD displays, which also extends to the live histogram. So manually selecting either DR100%, DR200% (one stop of extra highlight dynamic range) or DR400% (two stops of extra highlight dynamic range) is immediately affecting the live view and the live histogram, simulating the resulting JPEG image.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
The Quick menu (Q button) gives quick access to 16 frequently used functions. It is now user-customizable, so you can assign one of the following 29 functions to any of the 16 blocks of the 4×4 matrix:
Select Custom Setting (C1-C7)
ISO
Dynamic Range
White Balance
Noise Reduction
Image Size
Image Quality
Film Simulation
Highlight Tone
Shadow Tone
Color
Sharpness
Self-Timer
Face Detection
Photometry
AF Mode
Flash Mode
Flash Exposure Compensation
MF Assist
Movie Mode
Movie ISO
Mic Level Adjustment
Silent Mode
EVF/LCD Brightness
EVF/LCD Color
Advanced Filter
Conversion Lens
Shutter Type
ND Filter
Sadly, there is currently no option to make the Quick menu or main shooting menu transparent in order to immediately see the effect of any changes on the live view image.
Walk On the Bright Side…
Another user interface improvement is the camera’s automatic brightness control for the EVF. Instead of manually adjusting the EVF brightness to different surrounding light conditions, this option always provides a view with optimal brightness and contrast. Unfortunately, this feature is not available for the LCD display.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
You can now separately adjust the color saturation of the EVF and LCD displays to better match them to each other and your personal viewing habits. Additionally, the new Natural Live View feature (aka Preview Pic. Effect Off) ignores film simulations and JPEG settings and thus provides a “natural” live view image–with maximum dynamic range (DR400%) in the highlights and boosted shadows–that pretty much simulates an optical viewfinder (or how our eyes would see a scene).
This SOOC JPEG was shot with factory settings and Provia film simulation at DR100%. The WYSIWYG live view in the EVF or LCD provided an accurate preview of the final image, but this can also make it difficult to see what’s going on in the dark foreground. Click on the image for larger sizes.
This Lightroom version (based on the RAW file of the same image) simulates what the new Natural Live View can do for you when you are composing a high-contrast scene. Instead of providing a WYSIWYG preview, shadows are boosted and the highlight dynamic range is increased by two stops. This means that you don’t have to turn to the OVF to see what’s actually going on in those dark areas. Click on the image for larger sizes.
…and the Dark Side
The electronic live view’s display lag has been drastically reduced, although Fuji didn’t provide a hard number, so it may be a little bit slower than the 0.005s display lag of the X-E2, X-T1 and X30. Of course, you can always switch to the optical viewfinder (OVF) with zero lag. More importantly, the camera’s fluid EVF display frame-rate of 55 fps (frames per second) is now available down to a light level of 1.6 EV (as opposed to 5.6 EV in the X100S). This makes shooting in poor light much easier.
X100T with TCL-X100 – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome).
Click on the image for larger sizes and additional information.
Going Hybrid
Friends of Fuji’s unique hybrid viewfinder technology will be quite happy with the new X100T, as it features not only an increased bright frame area that covers 92% of the actual image (90% in the X100S), but also a real-time parallax correction in manual focus (MF) mode. This means that when you are manually focusing a scene in the optical viewfinder (OVF), the position of the bright frame and of the focus area indicator are automatically adjusted according to the set distance.
But how is it even possible to manually focus in the OVF? This is where the magic of the new electronic rangefinder (ERF) comes into play. The ERF is basically a modern, digital re-imagination of a traditional optical rangefinder (as found in Leica’s M series). The ERF displays an enlarged view of the current focus area in the bottom-right corner of the OVF. This EVF crop of the active focus area is an accurate representation of the exposure, and it can be further magnified by pressing the command dial in order to better fine-tune manual focusing. The ERF also supports the camera’s manual focus aids (focus peaking and Digital Split Screen), both of which can be combined with the magnification option for maximum focusing accuracy.
This simulated image illustrates the workings of the electronic rangefinder in the X100T’s optical viewfinder: The region covered by the active focus area (in MF or AF mode) is electronically displayed as an EVF crop in the bottom-right corner of the OVF. This way, users can check the correct exposure and focus while they are looking through the OVF.
The electronic rangefinder is also available in the X100T’s autofocus (AF) modes, where it can help determine if the selected focus area actually covers the part of the image that’s supposed to be in focus. It’s basically a real-time WYSIWYG focus and exposure check when you are shooting with the OVF.
Run, Fuji, Run!
Like the X30, the X100T is a very responsive camera, so it’s recommended to utilize fast SD memory cards with a nominal write speed of 90 MB/s or better. According to Fuji, the shutter lag is only 0.01 seconds, with a shooting interval of 0.5 seconds. This means that when you take a picture in single-shot mode, the camera is ready to take another one after 0.5 seconds.
The X100T’s hybrid autofocus system combines standard contrast detection autofocus (CDAF) with the faster phase detection autofocus (PDAF) method. However, PDAF is only available in the nine central (out of a total of 49) autofocus frames. This comes as no surprise, of course, since the X100T uses the same X-Trans II sensor as its predecessor.
However, AF algorithms have been improved since the X100S. I have learned that the algorithms in the X100T are actually more advanced than those in the X-T1, but that these improvements will quietly sneak into X-T1 with the upcoming firmware upgrade.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
A major improvement of the X100T over the X100S is the addition of predictive AF tracking with the PDAF system. This means that the camera’s autofocus can follow an object that’s quickly moving towards or away from the camera, as long as the object is covered by the selected AF frame.
The X100T is able to perform predictive AF tracking at burst rates of 3 or 6 fps, but its frame buffer is so ridiculously small that the burst performance collapses after only 6 or 7 FINE+RAW exposures (basically after just one second of burst shooting at 6 fps) and is then depending on the write speed of the memory card. With my 95 MB/s SanDisk Extreme Pro card, I could achieve a continuous burst rate of about 1.4 fps after the camera’s buffer was full.
X100T with TCL-X100 at f/2, predictive PDAF tracking with 3 fps – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
Focus On Focus
Faster AF and predictive AF tracking aren’t the only improvements to the autofocus system. Basically, the X100T features the same AF settings and options as the X-T1, like setting the autofocus to either Focus or Release priority. I tend to use the Focus priority option for both AF-S and AF-C, as it makes sure that the camera will only take a shot when there’s an autofocus confirmation. I don’t want to waste the small frame buffer by filling it with out-of-focus pictures.
Using the AF-Lock (autofocus lock) function has become easier, too. Like in the X-T1 and X30, pressing the AF-Lock button now first takes a new AF measurement and then locks it. That’s in line with how the AE-Lock (exposure lock) feature has always worked in Fuji’s cameras, so this is a remedy for a long-standing user interface inconsistency between AF-Lock and AE-Lock.
X100T with TCL-X100 – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
In previous models, Instant-AF / One-Touch-AF (pressing the AF-L button to autofocus in MF mode) used to work only with CDAF. In the X100T, Instant-AF also supports the faster PDAF if one of the nine central autofocus frames is selected. Speaking of manual focus: The size of the selected AF frame can now also be changed in MF mode (there are five size options for each of the 49 AF frames) in order to make Instant-AF more versatile and effective.
In case you need to quickly change the position of the active AF frame, there’s now a vital option to perform this function directly with the four selector keys, without a prior push of the AF button. Of course, this means that the number of available Fn buttons is reduced from seven to three.
There’s also a new multi-point AF-S option that will automatically spread green autofocus confirmation frames over all parts of the scene that are in focus.
Spot exposure metering can now be coupled with the position and size of the active AF frame. This option has been high on the wish list of many users. Luckily, Fuji has listened.
Face Off
The X100T also features face detection. It works pretty well, but its most crucial benefit comes to light when it fails! How’s that? Well, in previous X camera models, failed face detection meant that the camera would always default to the central AF frame. Obviously, this was quite impractical. In the X100T, when face detection fails, the camera’s AF will fall back to the user-selected AF frame and its selected size. So you can now use face detection and—just in case in case it fails—still place a small AF frame on one of the eyes of your subject.
X100T with TCL-X100 – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
Please don’t forget that face detection isn’t just a focusing mode, it’s also an exposure metering mode—basically a derivate of multi metering that concentrates on the part of the image where a face has been detected. This means that when face detection suddenly fails while you take a series of portrait shots, the exposure metering of the scene can change. This isn’t an issue for me, as I shoot almost all of my images in manual exposure mode, so my exposure isn’t affected by metering changes. However, if you use face detection in concert with one of the camera’s auto exposure (AE) modes, you might want to keep this tidbit in mind.
Make It Quick
The X100T’s mechanical leaf shutter is almost silent, but there’s a catch: Shot wide-open at f/2, the maximum shutter speed is limited to 1/1000s (as opposed to 1/4000s when the lens is stopped down to f/8). Obviously, 1/1000s isn’t always sufficient when shooting in bright light. That’s why all X100 series cameras feature a built-in ND filter that takes 3 stops of light away when it is activated.
With the X100T’s new electronic shutter setting, the ND filter may no longer be required in such situations. Using the electronic shutter, maximum shutter speed increases up to 1/32000s at all aperture settings, and since there are no moving parts, its operation is completely silent.
That said, the electronic shutter has some issues of its own: Due to its nature as a rolling shutter, it can’t be used with flash photography, and it also shouldn’t be used with fast moving objects as they can look distorted in the final image. This is also why AF-C object tracking in burst mode isn’t available when the electronic shutter is active.
X100T with electronic shutter at 1/32000s and f/2 – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome).
Click on the image for larger sizes and additional information.
The electronic shutter is a tool for quite specific tasks, such as wide-open portrait shots (for maximum subject/background separation) in bright light. It is by no means a one-fits-all solution, but it is an elegant way to beat the leaf shutter’s 1/1000s open aperture limit. The “elegance” part is provided by the MS+ES setting which combines the mechanical with the electronic shutter. As soon as the mechanical shutter breaches a technical limit, the electronic shutter automatically takes over. This makes MS+ES a convenient standard setting. Just make sure to set the camera back to MS if you want to use a flash or shoot some action.
Of course, the electronic shutter and the ND filter can also be combined. Together, they can absorb up to 8 stops of light when shooting at f/2.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
At the Movies
Video recording has been improved, with full manual control over aperture and shutter speed during recording. ISO can be set manually or automatically, and you can pick one of the camera’s eleven film simulations to add a certain style to your recording. It’s possible to record full-HD with frame rates of either 60, 50, 30, 25 or 24 fps.
X100T – Lightroom 5.6.
Click on the image for larger sizes.
Autofocus and manual focusing are both available during recording. However, focus peaking isn’t possible during movie recording, only before you press the record button. On a more innovative note, it’s now possible to record movies using the optical viewfinder.
Up Close
Using the fixed 23 mm F2 lens of the X100 series wide-open at close distances is generally not recommended due to increasing softness at decreasing focus distances, although the resulting dreamy effect can be used deliberately:
X100T, f/2 – Lightroom 5.6.
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X100T, f/2.8 – Lightroom 5.6 (Astia).
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Stopping the lens down a bit more restores nice sharpness and detail at close range:
X100T, f/4 – Lightroom 5.6.
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With a minimum focus distance of about 4 inches, you can get pretty cozy with your subjects:
X100T, f/11 – Lightroom 5.6.
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ISOless Sensor
Like all X cameras, the sensor in the X100T is of the “ISOless” kind. This means that at higher ISO settings, it doesn’t make a visible quality difference whether the necessary signal amplification of the recorded image information occurs in the camera before the RAW file is generated, or later when the RAW file is processed. Boosting the image data to the required ISO setting later during RAW processing has the distinct advantage that the digital push can be performed selectively, amplifying the shadows and midtones more than the highlights, hence increasing the dynamic range of the result.
This is exactly how the DR function works. At DR200%, the highlights are pushed 1 stop less than the shadows, resulting in an image (JPEG) with highlights that have been less exposed (amplified) then the shadows and midtones, hence extending the highlight dynamic range by 1 EV. At DR400%, the difference between highlight and shadow/midtone amplification is 2 stops, practically extending the highlight dynamic range of the result by 2 EV.
In the X100T, you can now actually see the effect of your DR settings in the live view of the electronic viewfinder, and you can also see in realtime how they affect the live histogram. This means that the shooting process becomes even more intuitive. You can now simply expose your shadows and midtones “to taste”, then add DR200% or DR400% as necessary to recover or mitigate any blown highlights. To facilitate this, I like to add the DR function to one of the X100T’s seven Fn buttons.
I do not recommend using the DR-Auto setting in the X100T, because the camera cannot (yet) read your mind. For example, it’s possible that you want to expose to the highlights and appreciate strong contrast, like in the following example that was shot with the camera’s factory settings and DR100%:
X100T – SOOC JPEG, DR100% (Provia).
Click on the image for larger sizes and additional information.
If you change your mind later, you can recover information that appears lost in the shadows by pushing the shadows up using an external RAW converter. Thanks to the ISOless sensor, this will usually yield very good results. In our example, I used Lightroom to perform a selective push of the lower black area:
X100T – Lightroom 5.6 (Provia).
Click on the image for larger sizes and additional information.
Of course, there are instances when a higher ISO setting is required, anyway. For example, in order to realize the following handheld shot at 1/30s and f/3.2, an ISO setting of 800 was necessary. So why not manually set DR400% to protect as many highlights as possible? I had nothing to lose, because if the result had turned out too soft in the highlights, I could always have re-processed it at a lower DR setting (DR200% or DR100%) with the camera’s built-in RAW converter. Doing so is just a matter of a few seconds.
X100T – SOOC JPEG, DR400% (Astia).
Click on the image for larger sizes and additional information.
The nature of the ISOless sensor also means that classic ETTR is only effective at the camera’s base ISO of 200. ETTR means “expose to the right”, and in its classic form it’s used as a technique to overexpose a scene and later adjust the exposure back down to its appropriate (lower) level during RAW processing. This method is particularly popular with Canon shooters, because Canon is pretty much the only major camera maker that isn’t using ISOless sensor technology in their APS-C and full-frame cameras.
As a Fuji shooter, thanks to the ISOless sensor, classic ETTR is only effective at base ISO (that’s ISO 200 in the X100T). Of course, the camera’s image quality (IQ) is very good at base ISO, so in most cases there won’t be much to gain from classic ETTR in terms of any visible IQ improvement.
Let’s look at an example. To begin with, you have to find a subject with limited dynamic range that you can actually overexpose at base ISO without blowing critical highlights in the RAW file. Here’s one:
X100T – Lightroom 5.6, uncorrected classic ETTR exposure (Pro Neg. Hi).
Click on the image for larger sizes.
In this example, I overexposed the midtones and highlights to a level that destroyed the late-afternoon mood of the scene. The shadows look great, but the rest is just too bright and flat due to my rich exposure at base ISO. However, in this exposure everything (that is the full tonal range of the scene) still fits on the sensor without blowing critical highlights, so I went with it to capture as much light as possible. Rule of thumb: the more photons (aka light) you can capture, the better. Just make sure not to blow critical highlights. Here, the critical part of the scene is the white ferry, so this is where I had to make sure not to breach the sensor’s saturation limit. Basically, this is a matter of experience and observing the live histogram, that’s why I am quite happy that Fuji isn’t changing the sensor with each new model. As a rough rule of thumb one might say that you can expose the sensor (and hence the RAW file) about 0.4 EV richer than the in-camera JPEG at factory settings would allow.
Processing the above shot in Lightroom allowed me to reduce its overall exposure by at least one stop (using the Exposure slider) while keeping the dark tones largely as they were by pushing the Shadows slider to the right:
X100T – Lightroom 5.6, corrected classic ETTR exposure (Pro Neg. Hi).
Click on the image for larger sizes.
This corrected (darkened) version better preserves the intended mood, and the texture in the white parts of the ferry is now clearly visible.
Start Your Engine!
Much has been written about Fujifilm’s JPEG engine. It is the part of the camera that turns the RAW data of a shot into a JPEG image we can actually look at. Sadly, this involves some common misunderstandings.
For example, let’s take a look at the neverending dynamic range discussion: As many of you know, the folks at Digital Photography Review provide dynamic range measurements for most of the cameras they review. Here are their findings for the X100S, and there’s no reason to believe that the results for the X100T will be different.
It’s important to understand that these dynamic range charts have very little to do with the actual dynamic range of the camera’s sensor or hardware. Instead, these charts illustrate the tonal range of the camera’s JPEG processing for different film simulation modes and DR settings. Please note that more dynamic range doesn’t mean that images are better-looking. Quite to the contrary! That’s why Fujifilm has actually decreased the JPEG dynamic range of its standard Provia film simulation in the shadow areas when they made the transition from the EXR I engine of the X100, X-E1 and X-Pro1 to the EXR II engine that was introduced in the X100S.
DPR’s Andy Westlake himself asked for this change in his review of the original X10o in May 2011. Quote: “The default Provia color mode isn’t our favorite, due mainly to its rather low-contrast tone curve and somewhat open shadows, which means the images lack a little ‘punch’.” So here you have it: Folks (including professional reviewers) love JPEGs with “a little punch”. So Fuji listened, and now Provia is a favorite, albeit one with less dynamic range in shadow areas:
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Provia, factory settings).
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In order to increase the shadow dynamic range of a straight-out-of-camera JPEG, you can either use a different film simulation (Pro Neg. Std is less contrasty than all other film modes) or decrease the Shadow Tone setting of the X100T’s JPEG engine. Here’s how the Provia shot looks like with Shadow Tone -2:
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Provia, Shadow Tone -2).
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Here’s the same shot with a different look thanks to the X100T’s new Classic Chrome film simulation:
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome, Shadow Tone -2).
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As you can see, dynamic range and overall look of SOOC JPEGs have little to do with the dynamic range of the camera hardware. This is particularly the case with ISOless sensors, because they allow camera manufacturers to manipulate the tonal range in a quite flexible fashion—before and after the RAW file is generated.
Designing the shadow and highlight clipping points of a JPEG engine that’s supposed to deliver pleasing (“punchy”) straight-out-of-camera JPEGs is a tricky issue, because a one-fits-all solution for all tastes and subjects doesn’t exist. As good as Fuji’s JPEG engine is (especially compared to the pathetic efforts of some competitors), it’s still always a compromise.
Since we have already discussed the shadows, let’s also take a quick look at the highlight limit of the JPEG engine’s dynamic range. This sample illustrates how bright highlights in the sky are clipped at Provia factory settings:
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Provia).
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Processing the RAW file with Lightroom’s Fuji-approved Provia preset (moving the Highlights slider all the way to the left) leads to the following result:
X100T – Lightroom 5.6 (Provia).
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Obviously, the RAW file contains more highlight dynamic range that the built-in JPEG engine is willing to extract. Of course, using the DR function could have extended the highlight dynamic range of the shot by one or two stops, but at the expense of image quality in the darker parts. As photographers, it’s our task to determine whether highlights or shadows/midtones are more important to a scene—and to expose accordingly. Luckily, the X100T can already show us the results in its live view before we take the shot. What we see is what we get. However, we can always extract a little bit more highlight dynamic range and boost shadows by subjecting the RAW file to an external workflow with software like Lightroom or Iridient Developer.
Here’s a practical example of a shot that required external processing of the RAW file in order to retrieve more highlight tones:
X100T with TCL-X100 – SOOC JPEG (Pro Neg. Std).
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X100T with TCL-X100 – Lightroom 5.6.
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One of the more advanced features of Fujifilm’s current JPEG engine is its so-called Lens Modulation Optimizer (LMO). In the X100T, the LMO is not an option—it is always on. This means that the JPEG engine will always use the LMO to mitigate diffraction that occurs with smaller aperture openings, typically starting at f/9 and higher. Here’s an example shot taken with the X100T’s maximum aperture setting of f/16 and manually set hyperfocal distance:
X100T – SOOC JPEG, f/16 (Provia).
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Fujifilm’s engineers are proud of their film heritage and put film simulations at the very heart of what distinguishes their cameras from competing offerings. In Fujifilm’s ideal world, photographers would only utilize an X camera’s JPEG engine or built-in RAW converter (which are just two different names for the same thing).
Of course, there is no ideal world, and many users do not care about the JPEG engine or “Fuji Colors”. However, those who do will appreciate that the X100T features a brand-new film simulation: Classic Chrome. Introduced in the X30, Classic Chrome will soon arrive in the X-T1, and it might also come to older X camera models like the X100S.
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome).
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Classic Chrome is supposed to remind us of the golden age of LIFE magazine photography. Its distinct look appeals to me for a variety applications, from landscapes to portraits.
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome).
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X100T – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome).
Click on the image for larger sizes and additional information.
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome).
Click on the image for larger sizes and additional information.
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome).
Click on the image for larger sizes and additional information.
Each of Fuji’s currently six color film simulations radiates a distinct look. Luckily, you don’t have to decide on one of them before you take a picture, as you can always change your film simulation settings later with the camera’s internal RAW converter. The same convenience applies to all the other JPEG parameters, such as Shadow Tone, Highlight Tone, Color, Sharpness or Noise Reduction. You can also change the white balance with one of the provided presets or to a Kelvin value. So instead of obsessing about JPEG settings before taking a shot, you can focus on the subject.
You can use the built-in RAW converter to try out different settings in order to determine which one better suits your needs or meets your taste. For example, here are three versions of the same shot—one was processed with Classic Chrome, one with Velvia and one with Monochrome + Red Filter:
X100T – SOOC JPEG (Classic Chrome).
Clic