Lightroom's highlight recovery for X-Trans files?

[David Sutton]

I really need to try a third raw converter for X-Trans files to check this, but I don't want to install Silkypix and learn how to use it. Lazy, I know.
So I'm just wondering if anyone else has noticed this behaviour. I hope I explain it well enough.
I have some files from both the X-E2 and X-T1 where there are specular highlights. When the highlight recovery slider is set to zero in LR there is no clipping showing. When I move the slider to the left, the red clipping suddenly appears and only then diminishes as the slider is moved further. On one file where I have a definite gap on the right side of the histogram, when I move the slider to the left the histogram moves to the right initially and then only to the left when the slider is moved more.
PhotoNinja shows these files to have much more clipping than LR and is probably more accurate in this regard, but I doubt I should make much of that as the processing is probably quite different.
As an aside, I loaded these files back into the camera and the histogram shows quite a clear gap on the right with no blinkies, so I must get into the menu and see if I can set these cameras up to give a more accurate histogram. Some work for tomorrow.
David

Edit: I opened both LR and PN (pre-release version 1.2.3b) conversions of these in Photoshop and I think the raw processing is simply too different to do any valid comparisons of the way highlight recovery works in the two programs.
The clipping is mainly in the red channel. Blast and botheration! Fuji doesn't have separate rgb histograms yet. I still think I can get a more accurate histogram by fiddling the settings.
One thing at least. Once the file goes to Photshop from LR the clipping is actually not as bad as I thought and can be corrected fairly simply.

FYI, I'm trying to set up LR to give a competitive demosaicing of X-Trans files (compared to PhotoNinja) by sending a flatter and minimally sharpened file to Photoshop and then doing a two step sharpening with Topaz Detail and then PhotoKit.

[Manoli]

I can't reproduce the behaviour you describe in relation to the red channel / highlight behaviour but have done a quick test on a 'perfectly' exposed outdoor portrait shot – full histogram, no over/underexposure, all settings at zero in Lightroom.

I use Iridient Developer as my other raw converter (not PN). When opening the same .raf file in ID I get very substantial overexposure warnings in the lighter skin tones and up (needs highlight recovery 10) which I don't get in LR. Not sure how this relates to the behaviour you describe but certainly seems anomalous.

In short, I'm not sure the problem is with the Fuji histograms, rather the way LR reads/interprets highlights.

FYI, I'm trying to set up LR to give a competitive demosaicing of X-Trans files (compared to PhotoNinja) by sending a flatter and minimally sharpened file to Photoshop and then doing a two step sharpening with Topaz Detail and then PhotoKit.

Personally, for x-trans files, I've settled on using LR as both my 'control centre' and for 'rough and ready' raw conversions, then a final conversion in ID with R-L sharpening - with Topaz Detail/Clarity afterwards.

[Denis de Gannes]

Lightroom introduced, auto highlight recovery when the Process version 2012 was introduced in LR version 4. There are numerous posts that discuss the issue. One of them is posted for your info.
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/947356

[Manoli]

Thanks for the link, Denis.

[David Sutton]

Thanks for the replies and link Denis and Manoli.
FYI if you don't already have it, Open Directly will send a raw file straight to an external editor without creating a copy. It's free for single image use, though I'll make a donation.

[Manoli]

FYI if you don't already have it, Open Directly will send a raw file straight to an external editor ..

Didn't want to add another topic to my previous post but I couldn't do without it ! Makes using alternative raw processors a piece of cake - ( John, I hope you're reading this !)

[David Sutton]

Just a short follow up on setting up the X-T1 menu to get a more accurate histogram...
Highlight tone to +2 has has made the biggest difference.
Followed by Dynamic range to 100 and Film simulation to Astia/soft.
Where there are subjects in bright sun or specular highlights I am dropping the exposure 3/4 stop until we get 3 channel histograms.
PN seems to be giving more accurate highlight clipping warnings and the conversion to a tiff is better in terms of where the brightest luminosity values are sitting. But I wouldn't hesitate to use LR for less demanding files.

[zobeleye]

<FYI if you don't already have it, Open Directly will send a raw file straight to an external editor ..>

or you can just drag the file out of the library module and drop it onto the application icon,you want to edit it in...but only if you're not in full screen mode.
if you're on a mac, of course

[john beardsworth]

Didn't want to add another topic to my previous post but I couldn't do without it ! Makes using alternative raw processors a piece of cake - ( John, I hope you're reading this !)

Belatedly - thanks