Fuji X100v Image Quality

[Urbane]

Hi, this is my first post since getting my new Fuji X100v camera this Christmas.  Part of the issue is my own lack of knowledge but here goes.

My previous camera is a M4/3 Olympus with a 15MB sensor.  Typical raw output is 4,640 x 3422 equating to a file size of 13.9MB with the image measuring 13.257 inches by 9.92 inches.  Out of camera, DPI is set to 350.  Overall what one would expect.

My first raw uncompressed images with the X100v come out 6,246 x 4,170 and a file size of 57.2MB and measure 86.75 inches by 57.917 inches.  DPI is 72

So, the Fuji file size is 4 times as much with a sensor that is only 1.7 times as large. The physical dimensions are 6.5 times greater. This feels very odd and the few shots I have taken appear to be soft, not sharp although that may be down to my lack of familiarity with the camera.  I understand that DPI refers to print output settings and I'm looking at the images using Affinity Photo.

Where does the 72 DPI originate from and why the need for what seems like a dramatic resampling for print purposes?  

I'm sure the answer is simple but a trawl through several YouTube videos hasn't helped.

Thanks in advance

Urbane

 

[Herco]

Hi Urbane, the standard Large output file of the X100V should indeed measure 6240x4160 pixels. There are three settings determining the quality and format of the output file.

In the Image Quality Setting menu there's Image Size where you can set the combination of aspect ratio and resolution of the RAW file. Usually this is set to Large 3:2.

Then there's Image Size that determines whether you want a jpeg and/or raw file and what the quality of the jpeg will be: fine or normal. Usually this is set to Fine+RAW or only Fine if you only want jpegs. The 72 DPI as you describe only relates to the jpegs in Fine setting. It could be that Olympus has an ultra-fine setting (?).

If you keep raw files, you can decide how to store them: Compressed or Uncompressed. With Fuji. the compression is lossless so there's no loss of quality when you select Compressed. Most users select Compressed in order to save SD Card storage space.

A Compressed RAW file (or RAF as Fuji calls them) is around 28 MB in case of the 26Mp sensor in the X100V. An Uncompressed RAW file is easily twice that size. A JPEG out-of-camera is approx. 18 MB. My guess is that your Olympus was set to Compressed and each brand has it's own compression. Some are just more efficient than others.

Whether the X100V is produces soft images is difficult to assess from a distance. My experience is that you have to get used to how cameras actually autofocuses as well as the whole dynamics of holding the camera and pressing the shutter release button. The X100V should be capable of sharp images with only slight fall-off to the edges and corners (in contrast to it's predecessors). My advise would be to practice with the camera and try out the different AF settings. When you doubt the camera, put it on a tripod and in manual focus mode and set MF Assist to Peak (focus peaking). Then you can finetune focus manually on a specific subject. The final image should be very sharp that way. Make sure your aperture is small enough to get a sufficient depth of field for the entire subject (f5.6 or f8)

[Urbane]

Thank you Herco for taking the time to reply, much appreciated.  Prior to my post, I chose the aspect ratio 3:2, image size Raw, and uncompressed and these were the settings used for the dimensions in the post.  I haven't looked at jpeg yet but think that can wait.  As you suggest, I will use uncompressed for real world use.  Perhaps the problem is not being familiar with camera yet and probably the reason for the softness.

What still puzzles me is the DPI setting.  With the Olympus file, I determine the physical print size (usually 33cms x 24.75cms) in a 4:3 aspect ratio which is not much different to out-of-camera size and then reduce the DPI to 300 (approximately 15%) which is normal for printing.  The Fuji out-of-camera file by comparison is much larger as understood from your reply but for printing purposes, I would have to increase the DPI from 72 to 300, an increase of over 400% with the software resampling many, many pixels.  I hope I have made my issue clearer.  

Regards

 

Urbane

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[Herco]

10 hours ago, Urbane said:

As you suggest, I will use uncompressed for real world use.

Hi Urbane. I actually advice to use Compressed for real world use. It has no loss of quality and the files are reduced in size by 50%.

[Urbane]

2 minutes ago, Herco said:

Hi Urbane. I actually advice to use Compressed for real world use. It has no loss of quality and the files are reduced in size by 50%.

Yes, my mistake.   I plan to use Compressed.

[HeavyTeva]

Hi Urbane, 

A photo shot at 6246px x 4170 pixels is the same whether or not it is saved with a 72dpi or 300dpi. 

You can change the dpi without resampling by unclicking the Resample check box and entering the desired dpi.  This will have no effect on the file resolution - just the output.

Example:  For the Fuji 6246px x 4170px file at 72 dots per inch  (read pixels per inch)

-  6246px / (72 px/inch) = 86.75 inches  = 220.25 cm

- 4170px / (72 px/inch) =57.52 inches = 147.11 cm

If you change the dpi to 300, uncheck the Resample box the image resolution of 6246 x 4170 px will not change, only the size of the output.

-  6246px / (300 px/inch) = 20.82 inches  = 52.88 cm

- 4170px / (300 px/inch) =13.9 inches = 35.31 cm

Now, let's say you save the above image at 300dpi and send that image to a printer to print a 12in x 8in print at 300dpi, then the printer will use an internal algorithm to down sample from 20.82in x 13.9in to 12in x 8in. 

OR

You can take control of the down sample method by changing the resolution of the image in Affinity Pro (or whatever software you use) using the dialogue box in your previous post and changing the size of the image to 12in x 8in,  changing dpi to 300,  clicking the resample box and selecting the resample method / algorithm then saving the image.

Often, after resampling, you may find you have to sharpen the image slightly to get the best printed output - especially if you are upsampling.  Taking control of the process enables you to do this rather then relying on the printer.

 

[Urbane]

Thanks HeavyTeva,  much appreciated.  Now I understand - probably!

Edited February 2, 2022 by Urbane

[garfielldd]

I work in a photo studio, and I get to edit photos. The photos that are passed to me are taken using Sony a6000. It is much easier to work with 4240x2832 size pics than 6000x4000. I ask the photographer to do pics in a smaller size, so I have time to work on my side projects. I promote Instagram accounts for companies. I use https://create.vista.com/templates/instagram/ for editing images in a few clicks and for finding templates for Instagram posts.

[Sharkey4711]

This a confusing Q&A set of posts. 

Dpi - references the number of Dots per Inch used by a digital inkjet printer (although 72dpi was the standard used for computer displays) and consequentially used in digital photograph postings on the web.

Ppi (pixels per inch) is a defining unit for digital image sensing density of a cameras sensor and any digital out put of a digital lab after editing and file type for export.

Image sharpens is determined by the camera/user interface and possibly the subject. Everything else after the capture is down to editing/resampling/filesize and output presentation (print/digital display).

In other words if you capture a sharp image pretty much any change in that sharpness comes after capture - in editing. 

Affinity have insisted over the last few years that DPI & PPI are the same thing. You choose to go with that or not. Their default DPI/PPI is 72 when you open an image; personally I always reset this to 300 as I know my final export for print(inkjet) will be 300 DPI and I do not want to edit an image at 72PPI only to have to export after at a resampled 300PPI to match my printers output default setting.

I hope this has added to the confusion sufficiently to gat across the point I wish to make. Read the camera instructions, practice getting sharp subjects with default settings in camera and when you are consistently happy with what you see then you can think of the editing and all that stuff.

I recommend using "fine jpegs" for initial test shots and viewing on the best quality display you have or can afford with a basic bit of image viewing software eg: Photo on Mac/Windows ?.

Enter the worlds of settings and editing only when you can take a photograph worth the trouble or good enough to leave entirely alone.  Good luck. 

[djdubuque]

 

I picked up my X100V while in Thailand, does a great job.

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