Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | Fuji Forum | Join Upload & Sell

Archive 2017 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

molson
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

Interesting look into the different compression algorithms used by Fuji, Nikon, and Sony...

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2017/20171222_1538-SonyA7R_III-raw-file-format-quality-loss.html

While graphs are obviously not the same thing as viewing actual photos, the graphical difference in the data recorded is quite shocking to me.

Dec 27, 2017 at 12:38 PM

engardeknave
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

And still, having performed numerous tests, I've never been able to see any difference between compressed and uncompressed Sony files.

Has anyone posted a demonstration of any visible difference?

Dec 27, 2017 at 12:49 PM

DannyBurkPhoto
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

Lloyd is one of the few who claims to see a difference. I've tried, and I can't. (Speaking of my A7RII)

Dec 27, 2017 at 01:00 PM

Steve Spencer
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

engardeknave wrote:
And still, having performed numerous tests, I've never been able to see any difference between compressed and uncompressed Sony files.

Has anyone posted a demonstration of any visible difference?

Actually Fred posted some examples in the Sony thread when the issues were first raised. The only problem he was able to document was with long thin light sources--star trails are a great example.

Dec 27, 2017 at 05:52 PM

Trek_of_Joy
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

Sorry to go OT a bit, but I've noticed the Sony compression issue a few times with the a7rII - its always night cityscapes with lights - instead of nice starbursts from streetlamps, you get a pixelated mess. When shooting at night I use uncompressed raw, otherwise I always use compressed.

Dec 27, 2017 at 06:07 PM

molson
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

I guess it does help explain why the GFX files look so much better than those from the Sony cameras, beyond the megapixel difference.

Dec 27, 2017 at 06:41 PM

Fierylakes
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

engardeknave wrote:
And still, having performed numerous tests, I've never been able to see any difference between compressed and uncompressed Sony files.

Has anyone posted a demonstration of any visible difference?

Try photographing a dark coloured lamp, boost the shadows moderately and look closely at the transition from lightbulb to near black. The compressed files will show a strange pattern around the edge whilst the uncompressed files do not. Same goes for dark window frames against a bright exterior.

Mar 06, 2018 at 08:43 AM

johnctharp
Online
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

molson wrote:
I guess it does help explain why the GFX files look so much better than those from the Sony cameras, beyond the megapixel difference.

This should be the same with Nikon and Pentax using the 24MP and 36MP sensors, and even Canon Powershot cameras with the 1" Sony Exmors...

That Sony has not yet switched to a lossless compression format is a bit mind boggling and shows a continued deference to their consumer electronics focus over a focus on photography. Hopefully their next round of cameras (A9 II, A7 IV) will see them catch up with the rest of the industry so their customers don't have to use the performance-compromised uncompressed stopgap.

Mar 07, 2018 at 04:07 PM

ediblestarfish
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

Fierylakes wrote:
Try photographing a dark coloured lamp, boost the shadows moderately and look closely at the transition from lightbulb to near black. The compressed files will show a strange pattern around the edge whilst the uncompressed files do not. Same goes for dark window frames against a bright exterior.

Oh my gosh, I wondered why that happened to my A7R2 files! I had all these awful large squares everywhere in subtle gradients (especially shadows) and I couldn't figure out why.

Mar 07, 2018 at 04:27 PM

gdanmitchell
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

I can’t prove that there is absolutely no difference between regular and compressed Fujifilm RAW, but when I got my first camera that provided the option I was skeptical that compressed would be as good. I did a bunch of test images and I couldn’t really see any significant (if any at all) difference, and I’ve been using the compressed format all the time since then.

I may try one of the torture tests described above to see if I can find a difference now.

Dan

Mar 07, 2018 at 05:02 PM

ediblestarfish
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

I've never had an issue with Fuji compressed since it is lossless, most likely. I'm not sure if it slows down the camera using it, but 20-30 MB files compared to 70-80 MB is a nice convenience when working on a computer with limited space.

Mar 07, 2018 at 05:14 PM

rfkiii
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

gdanmitchell wrote:
I can’t prove that there is absolutely no difference between regular and compressed Fujifilm RAW, but when I got my first camera that provided the option I was skeptical that compressed would be as good. I did a bunch of test images and I couldn’t really see any significant (if any at all) difference, and I’ve been using the compressed format all the time since then.

I may try one of the torture tests described above to see if I can find a difference now.

Dan

Canon doesn't even give the user an uncompressed option. No need to. I always use lossless compression when the choice exists.

However, I think Sony had some issues with their A7r RAWs which keeps them in headlights of scrutiny to this day. It also prompted the company to provide uncompressed versions (which presents a different problem for some).

Mar 13, 2018 at 06:24 AM

rfkiii
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

ediblestarfish wrote:
I've never had an issue with Fuji compressed since it is lossless, most likely.

You might have a look at the link in the OP. It's not even "most likely".

Mar 13, 2018 at 06:28 AM

terencepatrick
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · GFX Lossless Compressed Raw Files vs Sony/Nikon

engardeknave wrote:
And still, having performed numerous tests, I've never been able to see any difference between compressed and uncompressed Sony files.

Has anyone posted a demonstration of any visible difference?

I doing a shoot when I first got my A7R3 bodies and I noticed, for lack of better terms, loss of detail in backlit hair of a subject I was shooting when I was using compressed RAW. It was like the hair strands were being broken up in a blocky way, if that makes sense. I was shooting tethered in Capture One and my digitech pointed it out and we switched to uncompressed and it seemed to go away. Granted, we were photographing a person and I was handheld so the angles of the shot changed when we continued on with the shoot. Very anecdotal, I know, but it was enough to convince me to use uncompressed RAW when shooting assignment work.

Mar 17, 2018 at 12:49 AM


FM Forums \| Fuji Forum \| Join Upload & Sell

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.