{"id":359570,"date":"2021-03-16T16:20:39","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T16:20:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/?post_type=learning-centre&p=359570"},"modified":"2024-04-15T17:02:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T16:02:51","slug":"how-gfx100-camera-gives-you-perfect-colours-and-tones","status":"publish","type":"learning-centre","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-gb\/learning-centre\/how-gfx100-camera-gives-you-perfect-colours-and-tones\/","title":{"rendered":"How GFX100\/GFX100S RAW Files Give Perfect Colours & Tones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

RAW files have been around for as long as digital imaging itself, but it\u2019s only in the last decade and a half that they\u2019ve risen to prominence for photographers. What\u2019s so good about them? Well, they allow more freedom when it comes to editing, giving loads of control to those who want it. They can make it easier to control lighting and colour, as well as improving the amount of detail that\u2019s visible in a picture by returning detail to blacked-out shadows and bleached highlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any camera worth its name should allow you to shoot in RAW, but FUJIFILM GFX100 has a trick up its sleeve that few other cameras can offer. It can record RAWs in 16-bit quality. Read on to find out why this is a benefit, and how to switch on 16-bit mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a RAW file?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a quick refresher, a RAW file is the pure image data that\u2019s taken directly from the camera\u2019s sensor. It\u2019s not processed in any way other than saving it to the memory card. In this way, all digital images start out as RAW files, but some are then converted into file formats such as JPEGs and TIFFs. And although JPEGs and TIFFs can still boast amazing quality, during the saving process, some information is always lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This information is lost either due to compression, or simply in fixing the data. So, whereas the flexible information in a RAW file would allow you to recover detail in highlights that seem to lack any, the fixed information in a TIFF or JPEG is far less useful in editing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drawbacks of RAW files are in the amount of space they take up on your card, and in the extra processing time and power that\u2019s required to edit them. Because RAW files are all different \u2013\u00a0even those from other FUJIFILM cameras \u2013 you can only display them via software that\u2019s designed to decode them. You\u2019ll need to convert them to JPEGs or something similar for them to be viewed in a regular way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\n
Photo \u00a9 Alison Conklin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How 16-bit RAWs Help You Do More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, we know RAWs are great for editing, but\u00a0how come 16-bit RAWs are better than others? Well, just as there are different levels of JPEG quality, RAWs come with different levels of quality, too. Some cameras can only provide 10-bit RAWs, but these still contain more information than JPEGs, which are 8-bit in terms of colour depth. Then there are 12- and 14-bit RAWs, which contain even more data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, that increased amount of data means more control and less chance of degrading image quality as you edit a picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is all down to the levels of colour that a 16-bit file can contain. An 8-bit file has 256 shades of red, green, and blue, combining to make over 16 million colours. A 12-bit RAW file can contain 4096 shades of red, green, and blue, contributing to a potential 68 billion colours. Raise the bar to 16-bit, and you\u2019re looking at 65,536 shades of red, green, and blue, and a potential 281 trillion colours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\n
Photo \u00a9 Justin Black<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why More Colours and Shades Are Useful<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, if your TV or monitor can only display an 8-bit or (in some cases) a 10-bit image, how do all the extra colours and shades offered by a 16-bit file make a difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is down to the way tones are manipulated as a file is edited. Say you increase the contrast in a picture, this means you\u2019re stretching the tonal range and, as the various levels of the colour are edited, they\u2019re pushed further apart. In files like 8-bit JPEGs, this means that banding appears, which can make smooth skies look uneven or add a blocky look to shadows. This look is also called \u2018posterisation\u2019 and it contributes to making pictures look unnatural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, if you have trillions of colours instead of millions or billions, you can stretch the tones more without the same banding and blocking appearing, allowing more freedom and scope in adjustments. So, with a 16-bit RAW file, you can expect to lift shadows and crush highlights without distorting the picture, keeping it looking clean and natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lets you make photos with backlit lighting much more confidently, as well as offsetting problems caused in other high-contrast scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\n
Photo \u00a9 Paul Von Rieter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Access 16-bit RAWs on Your GFX100 and GFX100S<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Switching to 16-bit RAW mode on GFX100 or GFX100S is easy. In the IMAGE QUALITY SETTING menu, find RAW RECORDING and scroll right. You\u2019ll now have options for RECORDING TYPE and OUTPUT DEPTH(bit). Head to OUTPUT DEPTH(bit) and set 16-bit. When you select 16-bit, you\u2019ll only be able to use it in the single-frame drive mode.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t