Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
p.1 #1Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
A while back I had asked about digital MF advice and long story short ended up with my 2nd GFX 100s as well as the Hasselblad X2D2. Historically I've not been great working with color and I've always felt a bit like I'm fighting with my color photos. It's part of what drove me to shooting black and white primarily.
I've now been shooting both cameras side by side for a couple of weeks now and I'm feeling like I'm really missing something on dialing in colors on the GFX. I tried the regular adobe color profile as well the cobalt standard. That still gave me colors that weren't accurate/ I matched the white balance to what the Hasselblad reported and the colors were still off (side note why hasn't Fuji fixed the AWB and why does it want to put so much tint on everything). Strangely the one thing that seems to work well in Lightroom is the Adaptive Color Profile.
I'd love to know if there's something you're doing with your GFX to get your white balance/colors dialed in? I feel like the adaptive color profile probably isn't something I can consistently rely on.
I've now been shooting both cameras side by side for a couple of weeks now and I'm feeling like I'm really missing something on dialing in colors on the GFX. I tried the regular adobe color profile as well the cobalt standard. That still gave me colors that weren't accurate/ I matched the white balance to what the Hasselblad reported and the colors were still off (side note why hasn't Fuji fixed the AWB and why does it want to put so much tint on everything). Strangely the one thing that seems to work well in Lightroom is the Adaptive Color Profile.
I'd love to know if there's something you're doing with your GFX to get your white balance/colors dialed in? I feel like the adaptive color profile probably isn't something I can consistently rely on.
Sep 14, 2026 at 01:09 PM
p.1 #2Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
I have to manually set WB for every single photo. Auto WB on GFX is the worst in any camera I've owned. 100% useless.
Sep 14, 2026 at 02:05 PM
p.1 #3Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
Makten wrote:
I have to manually set WB for every single photo. Auto WB on GFX is the worst in any camera I've owned. 100% useless.
How are you setting it manually are you choosing a preset like daylight?
I have to manually set WB for every single photo. Auto WB on GFX is the worst in any camera I've owned. 100% useless.
How are you setting it manually are you choosing a preset like daylight?
Sep 14, 2026 at 03:10 PM
p.1 #4Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
selahsean wrote:
...colors that weren't accurate..
How exactly are you doing the comparison? The Hassy says the WB of some point is x value (like 5250) and you set the GFX to that same value? Or what?
Either way, I doubt that you will be able to duplicate the colors of the Hassy using any other system. It isn't just a WB sets it all deal, and every brand, or even sensor or camera model, is going to shift certain colors certain ways.
...colors that weren't accurate..
How exactly are you doing the comparison? The Hassy says the WB of some point is x value (like 5250) and you set the GFX to that same value? Or what?
Either way, I doubt that you will be able to duplicate the colors of the Hassy using any other system. It isn't just a WB sets it all deal, and every brand, or even sensor or camera model, is going to shift certain colors certain ways.
Sep 14, 2026 at 06:04 PM
p.1 #5Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
@Makten already commented on the WB in a different previous post where he noted that the WB on his camera (GFX50S?) was too cold. This has been my experience with the GFX100S II as well.
I have tried correcting this, first by switching from WB Auto to WB Auto Ambience Priority, but this wasn't enough.
I am now using WB Auto Ambiance Priority with added WB shifts, R: +1 and B: -2
Independently, in one experiment, I determined WB with the help of the ColorChecker Classic illuminated by two softboxes, and it seems that the WB I am getting out of camera is now reasonably close to the "correct" WB. It is however slightly warmer, by about 100K, but I am o.k. with this.
Nevertheless, WB remains one of the top three settings (together with the Levels and Exposure, in Capture One) that I pay attention to right from the start when processing every raw file. The reason for this is that the "correct" WB may or may not be the best WB. In some cases, we may want to shift WB deliberately, to make an image "colder" or "warmer."
I have tried correcting this, first by switching from WB Auto to WB Auto Ambience Priority, but this wasn't enough.
I am now using WB Auto Ambiance Priority with added WB shifts, R: +1 and B: -2
Independently, in one experiment, I determined WB with the help of the ColorChecker Classic illuminated by two softboxes, and it seems that the WB I am getting out of camera is now reasonably close to the "correct" WB. It is however slightly warmer, by about 100K, but I am o.k. with this.
Nevertheless, WB remains one of the top three settings (together with the Levels and Exposure, in Capture One) that I pay attention to right from the start when processing every raw file. The reason for this is that the "correct" WB may or may not be the best WB. In some cases, we may want to shift WB deliberately, to make an image "colder" or "warmer."
Sep 14, 2026 at 07:27 PM
p.1 #6Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
RWNPhoto wrote:
selahsean wrote
...colors that weren't accurate..Either way, I doubt that you will be able to duplicate the colors of the Hassy using any other system. It isn't just a WB sets it all deal, and every brand, or even sensor or camera model, is going to shift certain colors certain ways.
Yeah I'm not trying to duplicate. The auto White Balance in particular is really bad and shooting the Hassy gave me an alternate reference point for white balance. Adjusting the white balance improved the situation but to my eyes the colors were still off. Too much blue in the greens, oranges were flat etc.
So far the only easy solution I've found is the adaptive color profile. That gave me a good starting point for further editing.
Sep 14, 2026 at 07:48 PM
p.1 #7Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
selahsean wrote:
How are you setting it manually are you choosing a preset like daylight?
I meant in post processing (C1 in my case). I just set it to taste, which is never what the camera chose.
Sometimes I set a certain value in the camera, such as 5500K (real daylight, not the 4500K Fuji ice cold "daylight").
I've tried compensating with the in-camera settings, but it just doesn't work. Suddenly the camera thinks it should add +20 of red, especially at dusk.
You can even see the WB fluctuating while looking in the viewfinder. One shot is perfect, the next is totally out of whack even though the scene and the light is exactly the same.
Makten wrote
I have to manually set WB for every single photo. Auto WB on GFX is the worst in any camera I've owned. 100% useless.I meant in post processing (C1 in my case). I just set it to taste, which is never what the camera chose.
Sometimes I set a certain value in the camera, such as 5500K (real daylight, not the 4500K Fuji ice cold "daylight").
I've tried compensating with the in-camera settings, but it just doesn't work. Suddenly the camera thinks it should add +20 of red, especially at dusk.
You can even see the WB fluctuating while looking in the viewfinder. One shot is perfect, the next is totally out of whack even though the scene and the light is exactly the same.
Sep 15, 2026 at 12:05 AM
p.1 #8Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
selahsean wrote:
RWNPhoto wrote
selahsean wrote
...colors that weren't accurate..Either way, I doubt that you will be able to duplicate the colors of the Hassy using any other system. It isn't just a WB sets it all deal, and every brand, or even sensor or camera model, is going to shift certain colors certain ways.
So far the only easy solution I've found is the adaptive color profile. That gave me a good starting point for further editing.
I doubt that wrong WB can be helped by a choice of a color profile. To me, this means that the color profile must be weird if it makes an obviously wrong WB look like "a good starting point for further editing."
Unless there's a reliable reference like a ColorChecker or a neutral grey patch, the only way to correct WB is by adjusting the two sliders to taste. Some apps, e.g. Capture One, offer auto-WB, but this is a hit-and-miss. I usually try this in Capture One anyways, and sometimes the result gives me an independent point to consider as an "independent opinion", but this auto-WB isn't a tool I can rely on. Thus, in most cases, when a correction is needed, this is done with the Temperature and Tint.
It is important to correct WB very early in the process, before any other corrections that can affect colors, e.g. the RGB curve or the Dehase tool.
While most modern camera users may have the expectation that WB must be "accurately" decided by their cameras (whatever that means in mixed light), I believe that WB is one of the creative tools, and it needs to be considered very early in processing.
Sep 15, 2026 at 06:43 AM
p.1 #9Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
Something else to note, that even if there are problems with the auto WB on the GFX bodies (sometimes more, and sometimes less apparent), the choice of a color profile is an independent problem, and the two problems shouldn't be mixed. A scientifically good color profile can produce colors that might look wrong. There's probably a considerable difference between "accurate" and pleasing colors. Think of the natural greens that too often may display a sickly yellowish tint in nature. I wouldn't like that in my photos. Another obvious example is the color of the sky that I may want to show no or less cyan.
A good color profile to me is a pleasing profile. Recently, I tried the Cobalt Spectre for Capture One, for my GFX100S II, and I didn't like that at all - the colors were totally not to my taste.
The bottom line, if there's a problem with the defaul color profile, this is a problem on its own, and one has to look for a different, pleasing profile. I would consider abandoning an application for a different one if there's no choice of a pleasing profile for my camera.
A good color profile to me is a pleasing profile. Recently, I tried the Cobalt Spectre for Capture One, for my GFX100S II, and I didn't like that at all - the colors were totally not to my taste.
The bottom line, if there's a problem with the defaul color profile, this is a problem on its own, and one has to look for a different, pleasing profile. I would consider abandoning an application for a different one if there's no choice of a pleasing profile for my camera.
Sep 15, 2026 at 07:07 AM
p.1 #10Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
If you shoot in RAW, using auto WB in camera is just for the lcd screen display. The file is not affected. There are many ways to adjust color in post. Color balance, temp, profiles, selective color, tint, curves layer, etc. Once you master these techniques, you can achieve the color you want.
Sep 15, 2026 at 08:26 AM
|
p.1 #11Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
Jeffrey wrote:
If you shoot in RAW, using auto WB in camera is just for the lcd screen display. The file is not affected. There are many ways to adjust color in post. Color balance, temp, profiles, selective color, tint, curves layer, etc. Once you master these techniques, you can achieve the color you want.
Yeah once we get to selective color and curves I feel like I'm a bit lost but also that I'm spending too much time editing and not enough time taking actual photos. I recognize from a technical perspective you can basically make colors do what you want but I don't find a lot of enjoyment in that process. I'm guessing this is why people likely create specific recipes or profiles for these cameras so that much of that adjustment is automated.
If you shoot in RAW, using auto WB in camera is just for the lcd screen display. The file is not affected. There are many ways to adjust color in post. Color balance, temp, profiles, selective color, tint, curves layer, etc. Once you master these techniques, you can achieve the color you want.
Yeah once we get to selective color and curves I feel like I'm a bit lost but also that I'm spending too much time editing and not enough time taking actual photos. I recognize from a technical perspective you can basically make colors do what you want but I don't find a lot of enjoyment in that process. I'm guessing this is why people likely create specific recipes or profiles for these cameras so that much of that adjustment is automated.
Sep 15, 2026 at 08:37 AM
p.1 #12Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
selahsean wrote:
Yeah once we get to selective color and curves I feel like I'm a bit lost but also that I'm spending too much time editing and not enough time taking actual photos. I recognize from a technical perspective you can basically make colors do what you want but I don't find a lot of enjoyment in that process. I'm guessing this is why people likely create specific recipes or profiles for these cameras so that much of that adjustment is automated.
I believe I know how you feel. You are not alone in trying to find a healthy balance between shooting and processing.
I also agree that a good profile can save time especially when it is used with some reasonable preset/style/recipe.
One thing you can try is a different raw processor. Try Capture One - I believe you can test it for free for one week. Who knows, maybe you should find a better profile there? Also the demosaicing algortims are different between different apps, and this can make a meaningful difference. I don't mean to say that Capture One is better than Lightroom - it is different, and some of the differences can be useful in different ways. I have been using DxO Photolab for years (and still have the latest version, PL10), but Capture One is a considerably better tool for my needs, although Photolab has better denoising and better masking than Capture One. Two years ago, I purchased a 12-month subscription for Lr and Ps, and that experience didn't make me continue with the subscription. We are all different and have different needs that can be better served by one application vs. another - it makes sense to try.
Jeffrey wrote
If you shoot in RAW, using auto WB in camera is just for the lcd screen display. The file is not affected. There are many ways to adjust color in post. Color balance, temp, profiles, selective color, tint, curves layer, etc. Once you master these techniques, you can achieve the color you want.I believe I know how you feel. You are not alone in trying to find a healthy balance between shooting and processing.
I also agree that a good profile can save time especially when it is used with some reasonable preset/style/recipe.
One thing you can try is a different raw processor. Try Capture One - I believe you can test it for free for one week. Who knows, maybe you should find a better profile there? Also the demosaicing algortims are different between different apps, and this can make a meaningful difference. I don't mean to say that Capture One is better than Lightroom - it is different, and some of the differences can be useful in different ways. I have been using DxO Photolab for years (and still have the latest version, PL10), but Capture One is a considerably better tool for my needs, although Photolab has better denoising and better masking than Capture One. Two years ago, I purchased a 12-month subscription for Lr and Ps, and that experience didn't make me continue with the subscription. We are all different and have different needs that can be better served by one application vs. another - it makes sense to try.
Sep 15, 2026 at 09:41 AM
p.1 #13Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
As the others have pointed out, the AWB is pretty much useless. I have pretty much given up on it on my GFX 100s, and batch set it manually in LR.
As far as color profiles go, the Adobe Standard/Color etc don't give me colors I like. If you want to stick with only LR, I like the the Astia simulation (for people) and the Classig Neg (sometimes) the most. If you don't mind spending extra money, I am quite partial to the Cobalt film simulations. I normally pick a particular "film stock" first, based on subject of the image, and what kind of look I want from it, and then set the white balance.
As far as color profiles go, the Adobe Standard/Color etc don't give me colors I like. If you want to stick with only LR, I like the the Astia simulation (for people) and the Classig Neg (sometimes) the most. If you don't mind spending extra money, I am quite partial to the Cobalt film simulations. I normally pick a particular "film stock" first, based on subject of the image, and what kind of look I want from it, and then set the white balance.
Sep 15, 2026 at 06:14 PM
p.1 #14Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
mranger211 wrote:
As the others have pointed out, the AWB is pretty much useless. I have pretty much given up on it on my GFX 100s, and batch set it manually in LR.
As far as color profiles go, the Adobe Standard/Color etc don't give me colors I like. If you want to stick with only LR, I like the the Astia simulation (for people) and the Classig Neg (sometimes) the most. If you don't mind spending extra money, I am quite partial to the Cobalt film simulations. I normally pick a particular "film stock" first, based on subject of the image, and...Show more →
Yeah I have the cobalt film sims and I like them but I'm curious if your process is just set AWB, Exposure then film sim? Are you doing anything else with color?
Sep 15, 2026 at 06:19 PM
p.1 #15Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
I don't do too much with the colors in LR, because I want to retouch the photos before I make the final color adjustments, in case I want some changes to the colors afterwards. So my workflow goes like this:
AWB in camera. In LR I pick the film simulation first, depending on the overall feel I think the images should have. Then I change the WB/esposure to taste in a photo that is representative of a particular scene, and copy the WB to the other photos of that scene. Then I make adjustments to the WB/exposure of the individual photos that I want to use, to give them a consistent look (if necessary). Very rarely do I make additional changes in LR.
All the other color adjustments are made with Photoshop layers. That way in can easily mask, or change the opacity of the adjustment layer.
I am sure there are better ways to do this, though.
AWB in camera. In LR I pick the film simulation first, depending on the overall feel I think the images should have. Then I change the WB/esposure to taste in a photo that is representative of a particular scene, and copy the WB to the other photos of that scene. Then I make adjustments to the WB/exposure of the individual photos that I want to use, to give them a consistent look (if necessary). Very rarely do I make additional changes in LR.
All the other color adjustments are made with Photoshop layers. That way in can easily mask, or change the opacity of the adjustment layer.
I am sure there are better ways to do this, though.
Sep 15, 2026 at 08:35 PM
p.1 #16Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
Here's some default GFX 50S II auto white balance for you... How is this even possible in a modern camera? It's so completely wrong that it's ridiculous. 
And yes, the image is crap, but that has nothing with the topic to do.
And yes, the image is crap, but that has nothing with the topic to do.
Sep 20, 2026 at 09:22 AM
p.1 #17Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
I don't know if its the upload or just not knowing the what the colors should be. But don't see an obvious problem other than 3800 seeming low. Maybe if you correct it to what it should be and reposted it, the point would be clear.
Sep 20, 2026 at 11:06 AM
p.1 #18Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
SGinNorcal wrote:
I don't know if its the upload or just not knowing the what the colors should be. But don't see an obvious problem other than 3800 seeming low. Maybe if you correct it to what it should be and reposted it, the point would be clear.
There is a very strong magenta cast due to the AWB "tint" being too far towards red. The camera often does that in low light for unknown reasons. Temp is OK in this particular example IMO.
Here it is with red at -1.6 instead, but the same temp. Edit: A bit more red would be fine too. But the previous example is just waaay off.
I don't know if its the upload or just not knowing the what the colors should be. But don't see an obvious problem other than 3800 seeming low. Maybe if you correct it to what it should be and reposted it, the point would be clear.
There is a very strong magenta cast due to the AWB "tint" being too far towards red. The camera often does that in low light for unknown reasons. Temp is OK in this particular example IMO.
Here it is with red at -1.6 instead, but the same temp. Edit: A bit more red would be fine too. But the previous example is just waaay off.
Sep 20, 2026 at 11:16 AM
RoamingScott
Offline
Activity
[X]
Details
p.1 #19Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
The bad AWB/magenta cast was a primary reason of mine for dumping GFX (and before that, Sony too). It was basically something I had to deal with for every file that wasn't taken in high noon, cloudless conditions. 50R, 100S, 100Sii...didn't matter, all woefully inaccurate.
I tell basically everyone shooting GFX to just hard set to 5100k with no shift and go from there in post.
I tell basically everyone shooting GFX to just hard set to 5100k with no shift and go from there in post.
Sep 20, 2026 at 12:04 PM
p.1 #20Fuji GFX AWB / Color Corrections / LR Adaptive Profiles
selahsean wrote:
Yeah once we get to selective color and curves I feel like I'm a bit lost but also that I'm spending too much time editing and not enough time taking actual photos. I recognize from a technical perspective you can basically make colors do what you want but I don't find a lot of enjoyment in that process. I'm guessing this is why people likely create specific recipes or profiles for these cameras so that much of that adjustment is automated.
Yes, everyone has different skills at post processing, but the basic needs are the same. After a little time, you will learn to use the tools I mentioned and then you will be able to get exactly what you want your image to look like instead of restricting your outcomes to a pre-determined canned adjustment that more then often is not the right thing for your image. There is NO one adjustment that will correct a camera's auto WB to be what you want every time. Every capture is made in different light with different reflectivity of the light by the subject. That is what color correction is about and why it is a most important part of developing your image. That's when the fun starts and your creativity reaches its potential. You should be spending the same time processing that you do shooting. Camera specific 'recipes' may randomly work better on some images than others but they are always just a starting point for a well executed process. You would benefit greatly from attending some workshops, studying some LR or PS courses or watching some good online videos about this. This information is very available from reputable pros, workshop companies and even directly from Adobe for free. It's not difficult and you will feel great to learn new techniques to make the color process a lot easier and creating images more to your liking.
Jeffrey wrote
If you shoot in RAW, using auto WB in camera is just for the lcd screen display. The file is not affected. There are many ways to adjust color in post. Color balance, temp, profiles, selective color, tint, curves layer, etc. Once you master these techniques, you can achieve the color you want.Yes, everyone has different skills at post processing, but the basic needs are the same. After a little time, you will learn to use the tools I mentioned and then you will be able to get exactly what you want your image to look like instead of restricting your outcomes to a pre-determined canned adjustment that more then often is not the right thing for your image. There is NO one adjustment that will correct a camera's auto WB to be what you want every time. Every capture is made in different light with different reflectivity of the light by the subject. That is what color correction is about and why it is a most important part of developing your image. That's when the fun starts and your creativity reaches its potential. You should be spending the same time processing that you do shooting. Camera specific 'recipes' may randomly work better on some images than others but they are always just a starting point for a well executed process. You would benefit greatly from attending some workshops, studying some LR or PS courses or watching some good online videos about this. This information is very available from reputable pros, workshop companies and even directly from Adobe for free. It's not difficult and you will feel great to learn new techniques to make the color process a lot easier and creating images more to your liking.
Sep 20, 2026 at 01:24 PM