Last week, I shared some of the images I captured on a trip to Cornwall. On my way home, I called at Wells in Somerset to photograph the wonderful Cathedral there. In a moment, I’ll share a couple of shots from inside the Cathedral, but first, I want to explain something about my processing.
Regular readers of this blog may be aware that I use DxO products to edit my RAW files, namely DxO PureRAW and DxO PhotoLab. I use the DxO Products because they do a great job of processing the Fuji XTrans RAW. But there is a limitation.
I like to apply the Softness Correction feature to my RAW files to achieve the best results. To do this, the software must have access to Lens Modules downloaded from DxO. This isn’t a problem if the camera lens you are using is supported, but if it isn’t, you can’t apply the correction. This isn’t too much of a problem if your lens is sharp, but the modules are also used to correct lens distortion.
Please remember this information as we look at the first image.
I captured this shot handheld using my Fuji XT5 at ISO3200. The exposure was 1/7 of a second using an aperture of f/5.6, which is testament to the XT5’s great stabilisation. But the lens I used wasn’t a Fuji lens; it was a Samyang 12mm. This manual focus lens has a limited connection to the camera body. The result is that the DxO software can’t recognise it, and it isn’t supported.
Initially, I was reluctant to use the Samyang lens (which, by the way, I think is amazing) because of the lack of DxO support. But after some consideration, I took a chance. Here are the steps in my amended workflow:
- Process the RAW file using DxO PureRAW 4. This cleans up the noise in the image and produces a good DNG file to work from in Lightroom.
- Apply optical lens corrections for the Samyang 12mm in Lightroom together with any other adjustments, but not sharpening.
- I export the DNG from Lightroom to Photoshop when I can apply Topaz Sharpen AI to correct the slight softness in the image. The Samyang is a super-sharp lens, in case you were wondering.
I then finish the image with any further editing I think is necessary.
Another example, also taken in Wells Cathedral, uses the Samyang 12mm lens.
This was also captured using the Fuji XT5 at ISO3200 for a 1/20-second exposure at f/5.6. Incidentally, f/5.6 is all I need for a full depth of field when I am focused on infinity. The RAW file was then processed using the workflow described above.
And let’s have one final example using the same camera and lens.
This was captured at ISO1600 with a handheld 1/7-second exposure. The RAW file was processed using the workflow described.
Datacolor & DxO Webinar No.1
Earlier this week, I delivered my first Colour Management webinar with Datacolor, a joint venture between Datacolor and DxO. I agreed to do this because I use and believe in the products from both companies.
I planned the Webinar to run for 40 minutes, but it ended up being a full hour. It was then followed by over an hour of questions and answers, at the end of which there were still hundreds of questions left. Wow!
We also hit the Webinar limit for attendees, so some people experienced difficulties. Fortunately, Datacolor has uploaded a recording of the presentation part of the Webinar to YouTube if you would like to watch it.
There’s a second Webinar scheduled for April 16th. If you would like to join me, you can register on the Datacolor website.
I hope you like this week’s photos, and have a great weekend.
The Lightweight Photographer 