Do I want what I cannot have? Fujifilm colours on Panasonic

[melanie.ylang]

Okay, so obviously I do understand that I'm never going to get Fuji color simulations on any camera other than a Fujifilm. But...I don't really like Fujifilm cameras (except my little X30 small sensor compact, which I love)!! I do like my Panasonic GX9 and G85 cameras, but they don't have the film look in the JPEGs that I love.

One thing I particularly prefer is the cyan sky, as in this image (X30 with custom Classic Chrome film simulation recipe):

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...compared with the sky in this image (Panasonic):

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I only shoot JPEG (no, I won't change my mind), and process all my shots using Snapseed app, which has filmic looks available, but I prefer starting close to where I want to arrive.

Maybe it's unfair to ask, but do you have any ideas about how to nudge my skies in this less realistic-looking cyan direction that I prefer? I can see that sun direction makes a difference at times. I use a custom daylight white balance to warm up my JPEGs.

I still sit upon the fence and wonder, GAS bloating my fickle mind, should I give up on finding a Fujifilm ILC to love (most recently an X-T20, which feels horrible in my hands)? Should I give up on asking a golden marmoset to lay me a golden egg? Should I just shut up and concentrate on working with what I've got??

 

[DeeJayK]

Have you experimented with creating a custom Photo Style?

https://www.panasonic.com/uk/consum...-styles-for-beginners-and-advanced-users.html

- K

 

[Vermont3133]

Melanie, not sure what post processor you are using but both DXO4 and ON1 PhotoRaw have Fuji presets.....Astia, Provia and Velvia
And if you are hankering after a Fuji you could do worse than look at the XT2.
Very nice in the hand, great EVF etc.
I have had one for a few years now and see no need to upgrade to the 3 or 4 version.
Fuji lenses, though, can be problematic, particularly when compared to M43.
Not a huge selection and the really excellent ones are both big, heavy and expensive.
There is nothing like the 14-140 you have.
The best standard zoom is the 16-55 2.8. Great IQ but no stabilization and has earned the nickname, The Brick, for good reason.
Suggested, reasonably priced lenses would be the 25,35,50mm f/2 primes and the 18-50 and 50-200mm zooms.

 

[melanie.ylang]

Have you experimented with creating a custom Photo Style?

https://www.panasonic.com/uk/consum...-styles-for-beginners-and-advanced-users.html

- K

Thanks for the link, it was good to look over the different basic styles again. I have customised each of the styles, plus created a separate custom, but they're really not comparable to Fuji film simulations ?

 

[melanie.ylang]

Melanie, not sure what post processor you are using but both DXO4 and ON1 PhotoRaw have Fuji presets.....Astia, Provia and Velvia
And if you are hankering after a Fuji you could do worse than look at the XT2.
Very nice in the hand, great EVF etc.
I have had one for a few years now and see no need to upgrade to the 3 or 4 version.
Fuji lenses, though, can be problematic, particularly when compared to M43.
Not a huge selection and the really excellent ones are both big, heavy and expensive.
There is nothing like the 14-140 you have.
The best standard zoom is the 16-55 2.8. Great IQ but no stabilization and has earned the nickname, The Brick, for good reason.
Suggested, reasonably priced lenses would be the 25,35,50mm f/2 primes and the 18-50 and 50-200mm zooms.

As I mentioned, I only shoot JPEG and process with Snapseed app - I don't want to shoot RAW or process on a computer (that would require another laptop upgrade, and I loathe using the computer away from work). Do the programs you mentioned work with JPEGS?

Thanks for the lens suggestions. I've tried an XE1, XE2, XT1, XT100 and XT20 (also XT30 at camera store). Each time, I feel the handling is not as pleasant as any of the mu43 bodies I've used, and they feel oddly too lightweight, which is surprising! Conversely, I worry more about heavy lenses - the P 100-300 is absolutely the most I want to tote around.

The body I'm most interested in now, but which is still more than I'd pay second hand, is the XS10 with IBIS and DSLR style controls. As to lenses, being such a fan of the 14-140 MKII, I'm interested in the Fujifilm 18-135, which has mixed reviews. Given that I didn't like the highly-praised 18-55, I'm unlikely to like the longer zoom.

I'm quite curious about the f/2 lenses, which are reputedly small and sharp, compared with the beautiful-bokeh f/1.4 and 1.2 lenses.

Sigh. I regularly listen to The Fujicast podcast, and follow its Facebook group, so I'm constantly allowing myself to be bombarded with Fujitalk!

There's really no other brands or systems which interest me enough to poke the bear, and mu43 is the best all round compromise.

 

[Tili]

I use this preset a lot. Compared to my fuji it's not 100% perfect, but really close.
I wish there was a full set of fuji presets that worked like this.

https://seimeffects.com/2019/11/03/fuji-classic-negative-presets/

 

[John King]

Melanie, I don't like cyan skies, or over-saturated ones, like your second shot.

Olympus cameras have provision for both custom and camera wide white balance, which is a large part of what you want. Panasonic almost certainly has a similar adjustment.

The part that cannot be changed is the colour filter array. The CFA is one reason why I prefer Olympus cameras over most others.

 

[NoSeconds]

I've got a few presets I created in snapseed that I reckon can achieve close to that look...

I'll see if I can throw the QR code up in the forum...



Edit to add...


Try this one, if you apply it to a photo you can save it as a "look" or use the "view edits" option to alter each filter and play with it a bit before saving...

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[RichardC]

Why not compromise?

Shoot RAW+JPEG and leave yourself the option to plunge into image editing where a teal/orange or 2 strip look can be added later if you have a favourite image?

The thing with post processing RAW files is that you don't have to manually adjust everything, you can go the 'auto' route and then pick and choose the things that are your priority to manipulate, in this case colour.

At least save the important RAWS anyway - especially for work of your calibre. Our little cameras capture massive amounts of image data in the RAW format - only to dump the majority of it when saving out as JPEGS. Editing colour in a JPEG is pretty destructive.

 

[Vermont3133]

Melanie, the Fuji 18-135 has a solid reputation as a very ordinary lens. I've never tried it and I have a feint suspicion it gets bagged by the Fuji elite because of the 'super zoom' description.
My wife and I share a few Fuji lenses...she uses the 18-50 a lot and gets some great results.
I've tried a couple of the f/2 lenses without getting too excited.
Two lenses that I do really love are the 10-24 f/4 and the 50-140 f/2.8.....the latter falling into 'a bag of primes' category!
But they are both on the large size.
Perversely, it's my M43 gear that pick up first these days....GX85, PL15, Pana 45-175 and now, recently, the ridiculously small, light, cheap but good, 14-42mm ii

 

[NoSeconds]

Another one based of the first after playing with some of the adjustments... I didn't realise I had baked in some grain to the original Look. I usually move the grain slider to zero if I use the Grainy Film filter...

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[melanie.ylang]

I use this preset a lot. Compared to my fuji it's not 100% perfect, but really close.
I wish there was a full set of fuji presets that worked like this.

https://seimeffects.com/2019/11/03/fuji-classic-negative-presets/

Thank you - I see it should work with Lightroom mobile, so I may be able to try that option.

 

[melanie.ylang]

Melanie, I don't like cyan skies, or over-saturated ones, like your second shot.

Olympus cameras have provision for both custom and camera wide white balance, which is a large part of what you want. Panasonic almost certainly has a similar adjustment.

The part that cannot be changed is the colour filter array. The CFA is one reason why I prefer Olympus cameras over most others.

And I never enjoyed Olympus colours, when I shot Oly! So it's lucky we have options ?

 

[melanie.ylang]

I've got a few presets I created in snapseed that I reckon can achieve close to that look...

I'll see if I can throw the QR code up in the forum...



Edit to add...


Try this one, if you apply it to a photo you can save it as a "look" or use the "view edits" option to alter each filter and play with it a bit before saving...

View attachment 897096

That's very kind of you, thanks! Only...I have no idea how to use the QR code, any instructions please?

I have got a number of looks saved in Snapseed, which I only realised recently you can do - it's brilliant ?

 

[melanie.ylang]

Why not compromise?

Shoot RAW+JPEG and leave yourself the option to plunge into image editing where a teal/orange or 2 strip look can be added later if you have a favourite image?

The thing with post processing RAW files is that you don't have to manually adjust everything, you can go the 'auto' route and then pick and choose the things that are your priority to manipulate, in this case colour.

At least save the important RAWS anyway - especially for work of your calibre. Our little cameras capture massive amounts of image data in the RAW format - only to dump the majority of it when saving out as JPEGS. Editing colour in a JPEG is pretty destructive.

I think you just made me a nice compliment, thank you! ?

Honestly, I don't want RAW files taking up space on my cards or computer - I know people these days say storage is cheap, but I don't find it so. And, I don't have a good RAW editor on my laptop, or the desire to learn to edit that way. I don't mean to be surly, I just don't think that's a challenge I'd enjoy, even if I'd enjoy the results.

 

[melanie.ylang]

Melanie, the Fuji 18-135 has a solid reputation as a very ordinary lens. I've never tried it and I have a feint suspicion it gets bagged by the Fuji elite because of the 'super zoom' description.
My wife and I share a few Fuji lenses...she uses the 18-50 a lot and gets some great results.
I've tried a couple of the f/2 lenses without getting too excited.
Two lenses that I do really love are the 10-24 f/4 and the 50-140 f/2.8.....the latter falling into 'a bag of primes' category!
But they are both on the large size.
Perversely, it's my M43 gear that pick up first these days....GX85, PL15, Pana 45-175 and now, recently, the ridiculously small, light, cheap but good, 14-42mm ii

I'm guessing your bag'o'primes lenses are pretty heavy? Another of my big issues - probably the biggest, actually - with Fuji X cameras is the lack of stabilised bodies. I am too used to cushy mu43 bodies, hence thinking I'd need to go with XS10 (or XT4 / XH1, neither of which interest me).

 

[NoSeconds]

That's very kind of you, thanks! Only...I have no idea how to use the QR code, any instructions please?

I have got a number of looks saved in Snapseed, which I only realised recently you can do - it's brilliant ?

No worries, from the main Snapseed screen hit the little back arrow icon, next to the info icon and then tap on the QR Look button. You then get the option to create a QR look from you current photo edit in progress or scan a QR Look.

If you choose scan, it will open a little QR reader rectangle, align this over the QR code I posted on the forum and it will apply the presets to whatever photo you currently have open.

From there you can save the Look to your own Look collection or open the list of edits and play around with it before saving.

I have a heap of very specialised looks but I also like to keep a few general styles as a starting point that I can play with to fit specific scenes/subjects better...


I also highly recommend checking out all the tutorials located in the menu under the three little dots. There's heaps of good info in there...

 

[retiredfromlife]

I also highly recommend checking out all the tutorials located in the menu under the three little dots. There's heaps of good info in there...

I had no idea you could click on those little dots, I will watch those.

Are there any good youtube people who tutorials? Found a few people doing some but I did not gell to those as they were aimed at the younger set. [to me anyway]

Even though I purchased ON1 I find myself always going back to snapseed so I should try to learn more about it

 

[NoSeconds]

Are there any good youtube people who tutorials? Found a few people doing some but I did not gell to those as they were aimed at the younger set. [to me anyway]

I had some saved but they're on my work computer, about 1800km away atm...

 

[threeOh]

We know what you don’t want to do. What we don’t know is what you do. It might help if you provided your jpeg settings for, say, the GX9. I also shoot a GX9, for travel. Also shoot jpeg. I start with Vivid of all places (I’m not a vivid sort of guy) and tone it down.

But if you’re looking for a Classic Chrome look, you’re not going to find a solution in camera. You’re going to have to post process your way to it. Starting with raw helps. jpegs are not a free lunch. Compromises are necessary.