Fuji X-Ploits; X-Trans Sensor and Capture One Pro; Part III

X-T1 File converted to a 16-bit TIFF and edited in Lightroom CC 2015 (click to enlarge)

This is the third installment of my experiments in using Phase One's Capture One Pro (C1P) image editing software with my Fujifilm X-T1 files.  You can find the first two posts here and here. 

My overall goal is to determine whether or not It would be worthwhile to use C1P as an additional RAW converter, and as an additional step in my processing workflow for my Fujifilm X-Trans files. A collateral benefit might also be to assess how conversions look with my Nikon D810 as well as my Olympus E-M1 image files. Currently, I am pleased with the RAW conversions of the Nikon and Olympus files with Lightroom, but could C1P produce even better RAW conversions?

I began my experimentation determining if the RAW conversions for my Fujifilm image files are better than those using Lightroom.  In my judgment they clearly are better with C1P in two ways.  Fine details are rendered without artificial content being created and there is almost no "mush," as I have called it, in the fine green foliage.  Second, I also like the way C1P renders the color palate.  Very pleasing to me.


 Now, for step two, I'm looking at the "best settings" for my images in C1P even though I understand there can't be a single set of "best settings" for all images.  I guess what I'm looking to establish are best "default" settings that will be a good starting point for all images I decide to convert in C1P.  Additionally, I'm trying to determine, a) whether or not to just convert the files with Capture One Pro's default settings, then import the files back into Lightroom and do all the rest of my editing there or, or b) fully edit my files in C1P, then import the finished files back into Lightroom.

I've read about and tried Thomas Fitzgerald's default settings, which can be found on his blog here.  I think he has some very good settings that could be used successfully by anyone.  I appreciate and thank him for sharing them.  However, I need to see what best works for me.  I would recommend reading his blog posts and experience with C1P + X-Trans sensor files.

What I have tried so far is this; I have kept most of the default settings as is, but have decided that the Luminance noise reduction can be set to 0 instead of the default 50, as did Fitzgerald. I don't think any noise reduction is necessary for my X-T1 files.  If one or two files need some reduction, I can try reducing the noise in C1P or later in Lightroom.  At some point in time I will see which works better, but first I have to make some very high ISO images.  I normally don't make many of those in my normal photography.

I have also decided to keep the white balance "as shot" instead of changing it unless there is some sort of gross error.  Any minor tweaks can be made later in Lightroom.

My more important experiments have been centered around the sharpening sliders.  The default for C1P is 140.  Fitzgerald thinks, for his work, that reducing that to a default of 100 works best for his images.  However, I've also experimented with setting it higher (around 200) and as well as setting it at zero.

At this point, the question I posed to myself was this, "What differences in the final image will I see if I add no sharpening in C1P, Fitzgerald's 100 level sharpening in C1P, the default sharpening in C1P (140) or a higher level of default sharpening in C1P (200), then edit the TIFF in Lightroom?"

I then processed the same image file in C1P using these four sharpening settings. I exported the four files each as a 16-bit TIFF, then imported all four into Lightroom.  Once in Lightroom, I then edited the files as I would  RAW files to make them look the best I could (to my taste), which included adding some additional capture sharpening to some of the images.

Again, the question I am attempting to answer is, "does it make a difference to not sharpen the file at all in C1P, then apply full sharpening to the TIFF file in Lightroom, apply a very small amount of sharpening in C1P, then add a bit more sharpening in Lightroom, apply default sharpening in C1P, evaluate the image file in Lightroom to ascertain if it needs any more sharpening applied or apply full sharping in C1P before converting, then editing in Lightroom with no additional sharpening?

Here is what I found.

Overall, when I finished my editing process, all four images looked very good at the full screen level on my 24" calibrated monitor.  They all had excellent detail and quality.  Of course, with the image that had no sharpening applied, I had to apply quite a bit of capture sharpening in Lightroom (to taste).  That additional application of secondary sharpening in Lightroom was reduced with each image that received proportionately more sharpening in C1P.  

Overall, I think all four methods can be used successfully.  I'm not discounting that a mega pixel peeper won't find some differences, but as a practical matter, when looking at the images even at 100% (which we know at that level most minor differences won't be seen in a print anyway), they can be made to look almost identical.  Almost.

I did see two differences in my test images.  First, when looking at the images at 100%, I could see a slight white line around dark/light edges in the images that had sharpening applied in C1P.  I didn't see that "halo" in the image that had no sharpening applied in C1P but was sharpened exclusively in Lightroom.  However, the images sharpened first in C1P had slightly more distinguishing detail than the one with no sharpening applied.  The one with the C1P set at 200 had the most minute detail visible.  But you really have to look hard to see it.  Again, at normal viewing distances and sizes, they look pretty much all the same.

Further testing allowed me to match the fine detail in all images when I increased the Detail slider in Lightroom.

This experiment was only on two images.  I will probably look at additional ones.  But for now, I plan on not applying any sharpening in C1P before creating the TIFF and importing into Lightroom.  I think it is just a tiny bit better (and faster) than the other three methods, since the difference in detail is so small and the absence of the white "halo" is more important to me at this point.  But I'm really splitting hairs here.

My next step will be looking at determining whether or not to do any image editing in C1P and just convert the RAW file to a 16-bit TIFF versus fully editing in C1P, then just importing a finished image into Lightroom.  

Step four will be experimenting with the best methodology, for me at least, of incorporating C1P into my current digital imaging processing, if I choose to go that route.  Look for my next post for information on these last two issues..

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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