Fuji workflow complications

Used to Nikon, I`m finding a load of awkward issues working with Fuji.

 

I`ve just bought a X100F which I like, but it is becoming a nightmare to simply download and work with its raw (and jpg) files. Used to Nikon, Nikon Transfer worked to me like a charm, just plug the card reader and the download is done; all the images are automatically located and named and then shown in View NX. Editing was as far as a click with Capture NX 2. Fast and quite comfortable.

 

Now with Fuji, when I plug the card reader, the stupid Photos app (Macintosh) opens, blocking everything. No way I cannot avoid it. Of course, raw (RAF) files are not recognized, so it is unusable. Nikon apps used to work with most of my other`s JPG files, not the case with Fujifilm files. (I`m running OS X 10.11).

 

After asking Fuji`s staff, looks like the only option is to do it manually, create and name a folder, copy and paste. They don`t have a "default" viewing software (Finepix viewer is not provided anymore for this cameras) and the only raw developer they provide is such an ugly, obsolete version of "Silkypix". What a pain.

 

So I understand I have to live out of the Nikon`s "easy way of life", buying updated third party software (long ago I abandoned PS and Aperture in favor of Capture NX), maybe messing (at worst, hope not) with png conversions and so. I still shoot Nikon (and others), so I`d like to unify all my workflow if possible.

 

Somewhat disappointed with it, you know... for sure I got it wrong. Any advice?

Edited July 19, 2017 by jose_angel

The Fuji is not a Nikon. You have no reasonable expectation that Nikon software will work with it.

 

There is probably a way to de-select Apple Image Viewer as a default. Regardless, you can simply close (or ignore) the viewer and use Finder to copy your files from the memory card to a named directory. That has been my preferred work flow from the get-go. Once tucked away, I edit the images in software of my choice, mainly Lightroom and Photoshop. Aperture was a fine product, but probably couldn't compete with Adobe Lightroom.

It's very simple to stop Photos from opening, here's an explanation - How to Stop Photos Opening Automatically on Mac OS X when iPhone or Camera Connects This has nothing to do with Fuji, it has to do with the Mac.

 

However, given that all Raw formats are proprietary, it's not reasonable to expect Nikon software to work with Fuji Raw files.You either have to use third party software or Photos. If you want a workflow that just uses the Nikon software, sell the Fuji camera and buy a Nikon. Once again, none of this has to do with Fuji. It would be the same if you bought a Canon or Sony camera and expected the Nikon software to work with Raw files from them.

I'm using a Mac 10.11 and my Fuji RAFS open fine.

Ooops, my excuses, I explained it bad. I wanted to mean that I`m used to Nikon workflow, so I expected (wrongly) to find something similar with Fuji (that is, using a Fuji camera with some kind of Fuji software). I never thought that I could develop Fuji raw files using Nikon software.

 

I`m surprised Fuji doesn`t offer competent viewing and processing software. The camera surpassed my expectations, but I think they should offer (at least) some kind of transfering application, and any basic raw viewer as well. Just a rant.

 

The way you propose is perfectly fine, but I find it way far from the convenience of using the automated system offered with Nikon cameras

(I mean, transferring, viewing and editing software, for free).

 

Don, I can`t open mine. So I checked it, and I cannot find the X100F in the apple list of supported cameras. Hope to be wrong.

 

Spearhead, thank you. The system you linked only disable the app in a device per device basis. After several hours (OMG!), I found another way; "Image Capture" let to disable all apps, or to select another one for all downloads.

 

Ed, looks like yours is the way to go. Instead of "Preview", I`ve found another app in my Mac, "Image Capture" that also works. The problem with it (like with Preview or Photos) is that it`s impossible to identify the images shot in raw, unless shooting along with jpg ones (by comparing the names (!).

Fuji did offer such a suite once, but it seems to have completely vanished now as I'm looking for a copy too. They Fuji website has the upgrades for the package, but without the original (unobtanium) version that was bundled with the cameras you won't get it to load.

You need to have a photographic "Indiana Jones" find : "CD-ROM "Hyper-Utility Software HS-V3" or "Hyper-Utility Software HS- V3UP" can use this updater." Then install it so you can run the updater.

Good luck.

Lightroom working fine with my XE-1

Chazfenn, thanks for your input. I`ll have a look.

The Fuji rep advised me not to look for "older" apps which were clearly outdated; even so, I downloaded almost everything from the Fuji official site, searching for something usable... bad luck, only the raw converter worked on my computer (obscenely slow, btw). -All- other apps were unusable. Again, I`m running OS X v.10.11.6 on an Core 2 computer plenty of RAM, so nothing weird here.

Anyway, I`ll try to follow your suggestion.

Edited July 20, 2017 by jose_angel

Yes the older stuff is supposed to "make Windows 10 Unstable", but oddly enough the original software from my 8 year old FinePix S7000 works fine, but the "newer, mo beterer one" from my S9100 wont even load!

Sorry, I am no Mac user. FastStone Imageviewer works for my Fuji RAWs under Windows. - I haven't looked for anything under Linux yet. I honestly never minded creating target folders for manually started image downloads by hand. My only Fuji related wish would be the camera storing different files in different sub folders so I could just download and keep the usually quite decent JPEGs on my local drive and store the RAWs somewhere else.

One of the display options in Finder (OS) is sorting the files by name and type. All of the JPEG files are in a contiguous block, making it easy to select and move them to a sub directory. You can also do that in Lightroom. I keep the RAW files in the main folder, and derivative files, including in-camera JPEG, in subdirectories. It would be easy to do it the other way around, storing RAW files separately, but I consider them my digital "negatives".

 

You can also use the search function to highlight the file extension. That works better in File Explorer (PC) than Finder (OS), possibly since file extensions are not obligatory in the Mac as in the PC. You can set the default viewer in both Mac and PC, which opens the image file on a double-click. You can also view thumbnails in either system simply by selecting the file (one click).

 

Lightroom can display the top and all subdirectories at once, or only the selected directory. It's your choice.

 

I got tired of moving in-camera JPEGs and never using them, so I stopped taking them. I still make JPEGs using the RAW files, but only after editing with adjustments.

Fuji works great in light room. There's a switch that shuts off the auto opening of Photos when you plug in your card reader. In LR you have a couple of options of how to load directly off your card. However I make a folder, load the file into it and then copy it for my back-ups and move it to external drive and import from that.

While we're taking Fuji, I recently tried Iridiant Developer and for those curious, the RAF files from Iridiant Developer indeed do present a better RAF. The early on issue I'm having is how to get a feel for sharpening, I have amazing hits and some misses. Iridiant Developer at this juncture doesn't have all the tool that Lightroom does and is a ways behind, but to create a RAF and load into Lightroom as a Tiff to work with is quite enticing and more than that as I mentioned huge success in some cases. I'm working to make it about all cases.

You might try downloading Darktable (free download) and trying it out. It is capable of processing Fuji images.

GR

When a problem is good. Fuji jpegs so often are so good I can't equal a raw to jpeg as good and it makes me wonder if I'm on the right track in Lightroom. There are certain algorithms in Fuji cameras that produce amazing jpegs! Not good enough jpegs but I mean excellent images. Although sometimes not, but these jpegs are worth paying attention to as I will.

Well, I wonder if anyone other than me in the world waste such load of time at the computer trying to resolve a quite stupid and simple problem.

 

After this time, I have learned that I have a sum of issues related with my Mac computers, amongst others.

First of all, Apple force X100F users to upgrade to OS 10.12 "Sierra" to read X100F`s RAF files. I`m on 10.11 "El Capitan" with no possibility of upgrading my Intel Core 2 Duo laptop. Great.

Also, looks like X100F`s RAFs are mostly "welcomed" in uncompressed files (that is, more than 50Mb), so archives are too much big for say, "non-recent" computers. Compressed RAFs are not read by almost all (if not all) the software I have checked.

I have kept my main image working station (an "old" top powered IMac) running Snow Leopard, and it manage image files (say, up to aprox. 24Mp) like silk... no delays, fast, reliable. Of course I blocked all software upgrades to keep this computer working like a charm.

My other Macs have been upgraded to Apple recommendations, and it turned extremely slow, even with some crashes from time to time. I checked Apple have filled my HDs with "great", useless (to my taste) "features" (let it here), mostly bells and whistles, getting worst with each update. Thanks Apple, I know you need to sell new computers.

This way, the Fuji`s raw converter "by Silkypix" become exasperating. Same for other apps like Affinity and others. They are a big step back in fluency compared to my Snow Leopard station.

Funny, the great Nikon auto management software still work with "foreign files" on my OS 10.6 "Snow Leopard" (the mentioned iMac), while not on the 10.11.6 "El Capitan". Thanks again.

"Photos", "Preview", and another auto download facilities are either lacking capabilities or "exceeding" (?) them, with no good naming capabilities, and making lots of (silly to me) hidden archives here and there that insanely eat loads of space.

 

So at the end, I found my best (and only) way using the "Image Capture" facility on Mac, making the transfer manually. And to avoid a bigger mess, I`ll have to stop shooting raw (I`m with Ed, I`m used to work with Nikon raw files).

 

Don, thanks God I have to agree with you... after a couple hundred images, I have noticed to my pleasure that the X100F produce very nice jpeg images. Also, the 24Mp files are big enough to edit with reasonable good results to my needs, so for the time being I`ll shoot jpegs (somewhat frightened, maybe). With whatever, it`s quite a fun to shoot with this little camera. Love it.

Thank you all very much for your help.

Edited July 27, 2017 by jose_angel

I know that a superb jpeg is possible out of a Fuji camera. What I don't know is why it can clearly exceed a Raw I get out of lightroom. Meaning, I don't know under what conditions I'm getting a better jpeg than a RAW and why there are times when the RAW image from lightroom is better. There must be lighting atmospherics that are particular to get that great jpeg, or converse conditions in lighting that favor one to the other I just don't know how too identify the condition. Sounds like a person that is over thinking things, that may prove to be true, but until then I'm going with this.

Photos will fill an internal hard drive very quickly, depriving you of space needed for processing and scratch memory. Even in the field, I use an external hard drive (1 TB SSD) for temporary storage and processing, then transfer those files to a large server at home (and backup to BD discs). IMO, it is a poor choice to retain only JPEG files. While they may have the same number of pixels for cropping and printing, they have only 8 bit channel depth, which limits the amount of color, gamma and exposure latitude in subsequent adjustments. Since JPEG uses lossy compression, there are often artifacts in details which are visible when printing or viewing.

 

AFIK, Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is always up to date and works in both new and old computers. You can convert RAW files to DNG using ACR, which can be edited in nearly all older software and systems. I keep the originals too, in the earnest hope that I can use them directly in the future. DNG are RAW files, but without some of the enhancements the camera adds to the original. These features are contained in metadata, rather than the image itself, and can be duplicated in other ways.

 

It is hard to argue that camera JPEGs are better than RAW images, since their source is the RAW image.

Partly its because of Fuji's oddball pixel system. That "paired low & high sensitivity" arrangement extends the dynamic range a lot.

http://www.guillermoluijk.com/article/superccd/superccd.jpg