With Newer-Model Cameras, Adobe Camera Raw Allows Distortion Correction, Color Fringing, Vignetting Corrections to be Controlled
Related: Adobe, Adobe Camera Raw, distortion, distortion correction, Fujifilm, Fujifilm GFX100S, Fujifilm medium format, Fujifilm mirrorless, lateral chromatic aberration, medium format, optics, vignetting
re: Adobe Camera Raw Mandatory Lens Corrections: How to Bypass by Changing Camera Name
A longstanding issue with some camera brands has been an unwanted forced application of lens corrections. Fujifilm is a major offender here, but a lot of other vendors do it also.
Fujifilm has in the past flagged (in EXIF) nearly all of its lenses as mandating distortion correction, vignetting and chromatic aberration correction, thus leaving the photographer stuck with no flexibility and all the downside:
- Vignetting can be a creative tool, so forcing it to be corrected suck.
- Distortion correction damages micro contrast and yet is not needed with many lenses and/or some captures.
- Chromatic aberration correction is often not needed as well, and carries with it the risk of making things worse (yes, it happens).
Accordingly, I am pleased to report that apparently the EXIF flags in raw files from the Fujifilm GFX100S no longer mandate these lens corrections. Instead, the photographer can selectively choose which corrections to use (they do default to full correction).
What I do not know is whether the Fujifilm GFX100 firmware has a similar change to match the GFX100S behavior. I am also deducing that it is not a change in Adobe Camera Raw (I wish it were because my older captures are still stuck with the forced correction).
UPDATE: I’ve confirmed with Adobe that this very welcome change applies to all brands for all new model cameras, but not to older model cameras (not quite clear on wether it means firmware or model eg whether GFX100 sees the improvement). Excluding prior models and older captures makes no technical sense to me, and I’ve requested that older files see a similar support (e.g., Fujifilm GFX100 files, Sony A7R IV and many more).
Below, the same 50/3.5 lens sample was used. The file from a year ago with the Fujifilm GFX100 mandates the lens corrections whereas a file from the GFX100S now makes all the corrections optional.
Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR on Fujifilm GFX100S in 2021
Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR on Fujifilm GFX100 in 2020
