Can Iridient X-Transformer Help Sharpen Up and Extract Detail From Very Wide Angle Lenses When Shot Wide Open?

This is the image I made of the Norfolk, Virginia waterfront from Portsmouth, Virginia. (click to enlarge)
Fujifilm X-T2, 10-24mm f/4 lens @ 10mm; 1/1700th sec. @ f/4; ISO 200

Over the weekend I was out just wandering looking for something to photograph.  It has been about 90 F (30 C), really humid and has rained here at some point everyday for more than the past two weeks.  I needed to get out and get my photographic juices flowing and improve my overall disposition.  I had my Fujifilm X-T2 and lenses with me, wasn't find much of interest to photograph so I thought I would do an impromptu test with the goal of better understanding the benefits of Iridient X-Transformer.  

A few months ago, I sold my Fujifilm 10-24mm f/4 lens to a good friend who was getting ready to travel to Europe for several weeks.  After asking my advice, she bought an X-H1 (she has been a die hard Canon shooter since she started in photography 15 years or more ago) and a couple of lenses but I told her she probably needed something very wide angle in order to capture the narrow streets, fountains and insides of old buildings, cathedrals, etc.  So she talked me into selling her my 10-24.  Immediately, I had regrets but since I told her I would sell it to her, I followed through.  After several weeks, I decided I needed another copy of the 10-24 and found one at a decent price on eBay.  By the way, she fell in love with her Fuji gear!

I normally don't buy any used gear unless it is in excellent condition or better.  This lens was listed as being in excellent condition.  However, I found out upon delivery, it was in good or average condition at best.  I could deal with an "average" condition lens if it performed as is should, but not for the price I paid.  I tested it thoroughly and was satisfied that the lens performed as it should.  When I emailed the seller and told him that I felt misled about the lens' condition, he agreed to refund a significant portion of my payment, which then satisfied me.  Of all of the many, many things I have bought over the past many years on eBay, this was the first item not described correctly.  Back to my point....

Since really wide angle lenses are notorious for not being very sharp at the extreme edges and corners even when stopped down, I wanted to see if Iridient X-Transformer could help sharpen up and bring out more detail in the edges of my Fujifilm files shot with this lens.  I was in Portsmouth, Virginia and made some images of the Norfolk, Virginia waterfront on the opposite side of the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River.  I made images at every aperture for comparison.

The least sharp of the group of images were at f/4 (wide open) and at f/22, all the way stopped down.  This is what one would expect.  The images here are all at f/4.

When comparing the image files converted in Lightroom Classic and Iridient-X Transformer, the differences in the center are visible at 100% on my monitor but are not huge.  I can pick out some extra detail but I wouldn't go out of my way to add X-Transformer to my workflow for just this additional center detail in a cityscape image such as this.  X-Transformer does make a bigger difference in the center when you have a landscape image with a lot of foliage.  However, the edges show, to me, significant differences in sharpness and fine detail.  That goes for not only these image files shot at f/4 but for all apertures.  My conclusion is that X-Transformer is well worth using if you want to extract the best image quality from your Fujifilm files, especially with the edges of extremely wide angle lenses.

Right edge at approximately 100%; file converted with Iridient X-Transformer (click to enlarge)
Look at the detail in the cranes, the ship and the name painted on the floating dry dock for comparison
with the image below.

Right edge at approximately 100%; file converted with Iridient Lightroom Classic (click to enlarge)

Left edge; Iridient file (click to enlarge)
I can clearly read the name "Nauticus" on the building above the red banner.

Left edge; Lightroom file (click to enlarge)

Center; Iridient-X-Transformer conversion (click to enlarge)

Center; Lightroom Classic conversion (click to enlarge)

After conversion, I edited the files identically in Lightroom.  The settings on all the files shown here are identical except for sharpening.  Since I employ sharpening in X-Transformer, subsequently I add little or none to the files in Lightroom in final editing.  The differences in color are due to the differences in interpretation of the two RAW converters.  Also, there is a perceptible amount of noise in the X-Transformer conversions.  I found that when applying sharpening in that program a little noise is generated when extracting the extra detail.  I didn't add a bit of noise reduction in this example, but I certainly would do so if I were posting the images for display.  

Just thought you might be interested.  I'm always trying to better understand my gear and what it will do and what it won't do.  I don't like surprises.

As I've stated many times, I wish the folks at Adobe would improve the RAW conversion algorithms for Fujifilm X-Trans files.  If a one-man show such as the developer who owns Iridient can do it, certainly Adobe has the capability.

Just to wrap this up, below is what my final image would look like.

19mm; 1/400th sec. @ f/8; ISO 200

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Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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