[X-Pro1] Film Simulation in RAW mode... Is it RAW or is it a simulation of film? Can it be both? - General Discussions on Fuji X Series Camera Forum - Fujifilm X-Pro1 X-E1 X100S X100 X20 X10 XF1 X-S1

PurestBlue

My understanding of RAW is that it is the raw sensor output, a measurement from each light receptacle on the sensor, saved in a file, and converted to an image by the software. I expect it to be unadulterated, untouched, 'virgin' if you will... if that is the case, why, if shooting only RAW, can I change the film simulation?

Only mention it because I was in a situation tonight where I thought Velvia might have been good if I were shooting film, and I used the quick menu to select Velvia - I've not got the image out of the camera yet and, well, I'm colour-blind so may not be the best judge whether a simulation has been applied.

On my previous cameras it's always been RAW+jpeg, but I much prefer to not have two shots the same, especially if I can re-create the jpeg from the RAW... what is the point?!

So, do I have a RAW image or do I have something with film simulation, and if it's the latter, couldn't I have created that from the RAW in software?

hdahl100

The LCD and EVF creates an image preview/review of the RAW-file with the jpg settings of your choice. What is imported to your computer is pure RAW though. On the x100 I shoot RAW with highlights and shadows set to "soft" and the quite neutral Provia as film simulation. This makes the jpg's look almost as boring as the RAW-file before "developing" it :)

Fredrik

RAW is a photo that hasn't been developed yet and simply consist of values of light that has been recorded by the sensor (in the case of the X100 this is 12-bit per pixel). It has to be somehow converted into RGB in order to become a photo that you can look at. This can be done through RAW converters or image viewers which know how to interpret the RAW file.

So, when you choose the film simulation "Velvia", this is the film simulation (or RAW converter's formula) used in order to present an image to you in the EVF and when playing back the images you have shot. It also creates a little thumbnail that is initially used inside of i.e. Lightroom. The camera needs to do this in order to let you know what you are shooting and what you have shot. Otherwise you would just see 12.37 million values of light, and that wouldn't help. The "Velvia" film simulation is not baked into the RAW file that is recorded to your memory card in any way.

Try changing the film simulation to "Monochrome" and you'll see the EVF turns grayscale. This however does not mean you are recording an only grayscale image if you are shooting RAW. However, if you are shooting JPG, all RAW data is discarded and there will be only a grayscale image. When a RAW shot with the "Monochrome" film simulation is imported into i.e. Lightroom or Photoshop the image will be in color and not in grayscale/monochrome. This is only because Lightroom supports X100/X-Pro1 RAW files and does a pretty decent job in showing you what it think that the photo should look like with its RGB conversion formula (it's not Velvia, it's not Astia it's ... Adobes own film simulation if you will – or more correctly, it's Adobes Camera RAW converter, ACR).

Since you have shot the monochrome photo in RAW, you can always enter the built-in RAW-processor software in-camera and change the film simulation into something else and then "develop" the photo into a JPG using other settings. The RAW file, however, will never be altered when doing this and will always remain as RAW data. This also applies to a number of other settings such as the tone of shadow and highlights. All of that can be changed after having shot the RAW photo.

PurestBlue

Fredrik said:
...when you choose the film simulation "Velvia", this is the film simulation (or RAW converter's formula) used in order to present an image to you in the EVF and when playing back the images you have shot ... film simulation is not baked into the RAW file that is recorded to your memory card in any way.

Cracking explanation Fredrik, thank you.

Hello Photographer!

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