What's Wrong with Fujifilm X-Raw Studio?

Let me demonstrate what I think is wrong with Fujifilm's free X-RAW Studio desktop RAW file conversion app.

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[joshua_david]

You're the only one to explain this in detail! Thank you so much!!

[MrRoRoWe]

Thanks for the video, I've only tried X Raw studio a few times and never got used to the needed workflow. Like the Fuji remote app, much of X Raw studio leaves me wondering how it's even supposed to work.

I did a lot of post processing in the past, now I try to get it right in camera. I shoot raw+jpg, stick to the JPGs in most cases, I only edit around 10 percent of my pics as raw in Capture One when I'm not happy with the (slightly edited) jpg.

[PierreBoismenu]

Thanks for this video!
After a few years of using and trying multiple editors I ended up with three:
DxO Photo lab
Camera Raw+Photoshop
Canon DPP

I used Capture One for a couple of years but, although I loved it, I was getting same results with DxO Photolab.
Interestingly enough, DxO works beautifully with Fujifilm raw files. And it supports the same film simulations than my X-T4.
Finally, a few words about Canon DPP. It's completely overlooked and discarded by almost everyone. But in my opinion it provides the best raw conversion for Canon files. And it's quite full of features. If you work to get things right on the camera DPP is all you need.
Fujifilm should look at what Canon is doing in this area :-)
Cheers.

[andrewdennes]

Thank you, Maarten, for your video about X-Raw Studio. I have used it only a couple of times, as I find it clunky and agree with all your comments.

I occasionally use Slkypix, but normally use Lightroom 5.2 (the Cloud version) to process images from my Fuji cameras, and have just started using DXO PureRAW 2 to create de-noised DNG files for onward processing in LR. I have previously found that sharpness and noise reduction of raw images taken on my old Nikon D40X have benefitted from being given the PureRAW treatment before post-processing in LR.

[marcusslade]

Being out and behind the camera is always my first preference. However, I do quite enjoy being in front of the screen and editing selected shots too. I think part of that is the excitement and anticipation of seeing on the bigger screen what you’ve captured in the field. I think also for hobbyists and enthusiasts that is a crucial marker for measuring one’s ongoing interest level…reminiscent of waiting for those rolls of Kodachrome 64 to come back in the mail from the developer. I’m a LR/PS user. The software too is so deep that I am constantly learning. I know there are other good ones too but I’ve never felt that switching away from LR would make me a better photographer. Thank you.

[LucioParodi]

Hi, I use Capture One on my Mac. And VSCO on my iPad. A big hug from Italy. Thanks for your very interesting videos. And for your calm and polite way of explaining your point of view. In a world full of screaming and howling people, it’s a great pleasure when a man can “meet” a gentleman. Have a nice day and beautiful light. Ciao!

[micksjoint]

I just came across this now. The only information out there that trouble-shooted why I couldn't make this work. I like the idea of just shooting RAW and working out a film sim later on. Takes the pressure off if you know what I mean. Thank you.

[LLIMEJIb]

Hey, Maarten!
You wrong about X RAW Studio. It's not RAW Editor, it's RAW Processor/converter!
X RAW Studio is very usefull if you like to play with film recipes and want to have picture like SOOC.
Camera can store only 7 recipes. X RAW Studio can store a lot! Sometimes I try to store about 80-90 recipes for testing. =) If you like and use more than 7 stored recipes in camera - you can shoot in RAW and than processing RAW with another film simulation in X RAW Studio! It's fantastic! Now I don't afraid to use wrong film recipe and spoil a shot.
If I want to processing RAW on camera with another settings - I can set another settings in camera and get JPG. But if I need multiple converts? I broke stick or D-pad while set right settings. X RAW Studio can convert multiple RAW files with same recipe.
There is no software with same function! X RAW Studio is unique!

[christianpetersen]

Hi Maarten, I am in the process of migrating from Lightroom to Capture 1 as LR produces ‘worming’ - small curved shapes in Fuji RAW files. C1 and Fuji have apparently collaborated to produce the best outcome from the X-Trans sensor so that might be the reason so many of your Fuji viewers use C1. The transition to C1 requires some learning from their extensive range of tutorials and if one can treat this as a fun process, the rewards seem worth it. C1, based in Copenhagen Denmark, is developing fast and has an interesting photographers’ perspective. Have you tried Fuji’s mobile phone app? It seems external software is very low on their priority list that I’m surprised they even bother with it. To me it’s better to not have these apps than to have them half-baked, diminishing Fuji’s otherwise excellent reputation for quality. Thanks again for your advert-free videos, they are such a refreshing change from everybody else’s. Best wishes, Christian.

[garethcallan]

Hi Maarten. If you conceive X-RAW Studio to be an equivalent to a RAW processing software, I think you're thinking about it wrong. Think of it more as an easier-to-use extension of the Camera's internal RAW processing engine. The concept here is "quick and easy trial" of a range of pre-saved 'Presets' or 'Recipes' to deploy the unique FijiFilm simulations that LR or C1 try to emulate. (Yes, you need to build these X-RAW custom recipies yourself beforehand!) I agree that intention is not clear, at all. But the underlying assumption for this tool is that the X-Trans Processor in your camera + Fujifilm colour science will give you a better starting point in terms of colour and tonality than you can achieve from traditional raw processors. On older models the film grain simulation isn't great - you leave that off, then crop, straighten and add grain to JPEG in Capture One etc.

With practise, you'll learn what works so all of this can actually be done in-camera.

So the point of X-RAW Studio is ultimately a training tool to help you shoot directly to JPEG in camera, in the field; so you spend less time fidding in post-processing later. That said, I always shoot JPEG + RAW so I have the RAW if I need it for the future, but I only keep RAWS of images I consider to be a keepable quality, not everything I shoot. A lot goes on the digital cutting room floor.

If you love spending time on C1 or LR doing lots of pixel peeping, sharpening, and noise reduction and technical image quality is your mantra - X-RAW studio has nothing to offer you.

[kstrohmeier]

Using the camera to process photos will always be limiting. If we are building a wish list I will add an ask for Fuji to add the ability to upload JPEG "recipes" created in X-Raw Studio to the older cameras. If you had connected an X-T4 you would have had this capability, but it is not available on the older X-T cameras. This might require firmware updates, but it would be a welcome nod to Fuji's loyal user base.

[cokeandtwirl]

Despite the frustrations and limitations of Fuji X Raw Studio it has one crucial feature for those like me that like to use Fuji recipes. Many older Fuji cameras (I have an X-T20j are unable to save white balance shift as part of a recipe - and white balance shift is an important part of many recipes. You can set up and save your recipes in Fuji X Raw Studio, complete with white balance shift settings - and save them with the appropriate name. Then just take your images in raw and come to X Raw Studio to get a jpeg using whichever recipe (or try multiple recipes) you want. I take my jpegs into my iPad photos app to do further editing as I find there are enough options there to get the finished photo I’m after. Of course this isn’t a ‘professional' way of doing things but then I am not a professional and I get great enjoyment from this simple work flow.

[kamilpotato]

Dxo photolab 5 for initial edit, lens correction and best noise correction. After that I export it as dng file and finish in luminar ai or neo.

[wayneschlegel]

Hi Maarten, not only the X-Raw Studio software is crappy but also the "Cam Remote" app on iOS. I thought nobody could do worse than Nikon with their "Snapbridge", but meanwhile I think that is really a great piece of app engineering compared to Fuji´s "Cam Remote".

[nueng]

Thank you for the video.
I have a X-T30 ii and couldn’t access the photos. What I had to do was to remove the sd card. While leaving the camera connected, connect the sd card to the computer separate.

[aredt]

I enjoy both exposing and processing. Probably because I always take a picture with the editing process in mind. I have always thought of it like a part of creating the image.

[dodgy]

Always used LrC + Ps and loved it. After that migrated to Affinity Apps for eases of integration with their other Affinity Apps on Mac OS + iOS also to get away from subscriptions. I note that Affinity Photo doesn’t seem to get a mention and I can’t understand why. After this was swayed by reviews to add C1 which I think is the excellent. Unfortunately too many apps now and associated learning curves have spoilt productivity a little . Your video gets everything right as far as this software is concerned so will give it a miss. Leaving LrC etc. proved to be detrimental in terms of overall organisation so I now need counselling ;-). - I will continue with Affinity as that is where I have most time invested. Reality is they all do a pretty good job from what I can see apart from overall organisation which is most definitely the domain of Lr / LrC in my humble opinion. Keep up the excellent work!

[marronijoesowieso]

Its usefull to play around with recipes, you can easily switch between your 7 different custom settings. But it can cause problems if you want to convert images taken with an older firmware.

[pablo]

What can I do to make my camera appear in the source images folder? Please help.

[zhengzhaopei]

Thank you! I was just wondering why i couldn't see the SD card in the source image folders.