Fujifilm X-T4 Compressed RAF files

[PatrickF]

Hi,

Firstly I've searched the forums and was unable to find a similar related thread but if there is one could someone kindly post a link?

Secondly looking down the list of supported Fujifilm cameras and at time of writing I see that the X-T4 isn't listed so what I'm about write about is probably the reason why I'm experiencing issues with the RAW files in Affinity Photo.

In the I.Q. menu of the X-T4 there's a submenu labelled 'RAW RECORDING' with a further sub-menu containing 3 options: UNCOMPRESS, LOSSLESS COMPRESSED AND COMPRESSED.

If I take a photograph using either UNCOMPRESSED OR LOSSLESS COMPRESSED open them in Affinity Photo no issues, however if I attempt to open the COMPRESSED version of the RAW file all I get is a file that's split 50/50 down the middle on one side it's totally black and on the other side it's totally white.

However, I don't experience this issue in either Adobe camera raw of Photoshop itself.

Has anyone experienced this if so is there a work around or should I simply avoid using the COMPRESSED option? It's no biggy but I thought I'd raise this for the benefit of people that aren't aware of this issue, particularly if you've taken quite a few images with the COMPRESSED option. For me personally I'll just avoid using the COMPRESSED setting.

I've attached the 3 images I've taken using the 3 settings listed above, images are labelled according to settings used.

 

[beat01]

Hallo PatikF

Dieses Problem habe ich auch zudem gibt es Rechts am Bildrand einen schwarzen Balken, den ich auf deine Fotos auch erkennen kann.
Leider ist dies nur bei den Fujifilm RAF Daten so und ich habe noch nicht herausgefordert wie ich den Balken ohne Auflösungsverlust verloren kann.
Ich habe da Affinity die Profil für Fujifilm bald Anpassen wird.

[kirkt]

@PatrickF - If, as I suspect, AP uses the libraw library for Serif raw processing, the current libraw library:

https://www.libraw.org/news/libraw-0-20-2-Release

supports the X-T4 for uncompressed and lossless compressed raw files only.  See the release notes to which I linked.

 

There probably is no compelling reason to use a lossy compressed raw format anyway, which is probably why 3rd party raw converters do not spend much effort supporting them.

Kirk

[PatrickF]

@beat01
I see what you mean regarding the black band that appears to the side of the image, I'd not notice this before, I re-opened all the RAF files in AP and reviewed them once more even the RAW file that doesn't have any compression suffers from this issue. I then opened the same files in Photoshop and I didn't see a black band on the right as it does in AP. The solution at the moment when using AP and X-T4 RAW (not sure if this is for all Fujifilm RAW) is to convert the files to another format, I've used this https://fujifilm-x.com/en-gb/support/download/software/raw-file-converter-ex-powered-by-silkypix/ I saved the files to tif and there's no black band when opened in AP, not ideal but it works and you'll always have the RAW file as back up.

@kirkt

Thanks for the information and I agree there's no reason really to use the lossy compressed format or at least not for me, I'm new to X-T4 and when I saw the options I though "ooh shiny!" however as I've mentioned above even the normal RAW files from the X-T4 aren't being process properly in AP, I also realised after I'd posted my original message that indeed it does state that there's support for uncompressed and lossless, sorry Serif my bad I missed that bit on your website, however in reality even those RAW/RAF files aren't being interpreted correctly hence the black band on the right of the image also as far as I can tell @beat01 is experiencing the same issue.

 

[walt.farrell]

The list of supported RAW formats for the Photo 1.9 beta lists:

Quote

Fuji X-T4 (uncompressed and lossless compressed only)  (new)

 

[PatrickF]

Hi walt.farrell,

So what you are saying is that the support is only for the 1.9 beta at the moment? My version of AP is 1.8.5.703?

Is that the reason why I'm seeing a black band down the right hand side of the RAW files when opened in AP?

I've attached two of the original files Uncompressed and Lossless Compressed named according, both files will open in AP however a black band appears on the right hand side.

Is this because the files aren't fully supported in my version of AP?

 

0001Uncompressed.RAF 0002LosslessCompressed.RAF

Edited January 6, 2021 by PatrickF

[walt.farrell]

If your camera is not in the supported camera list for 1.8 (as you stated above) then that is probably the reason you're getting the black bar.

1.9 has added support for that camera, but it's only in beta so far.

[Scriblerus]

Hi to all and thanks for your conversation !

I do have the same problem (see screenshot in attachment) and I was just wondering if when 1.9 will be release the problem will be fixed for previous files ?

Also, does the bêta is in public access if we want to try it ?

I'm taking advantage of this thread gathering X-T4 / AF owners to ask if you have issues opening HDR X-T4 files in AF ? And I'm not meaning HDR merging but the HDR created internally by the X-T4 ?

Thanks

[walt.farrell]

9 hours ago, Scriblerus said:

Also, does the bêta is in public access if we want to try it ?

Yes. Just look in the Photo Beta section of these forums: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/forum/61-affinity-photo-beta-forums/

(Please note the warning that the betas should be used for testing only.)

[PatrickF]

Hi Folks,

I've downloaded and installed the beta version 1.9.0.885 for Windows.

I found that this version opens RAF files uncompressed and lossless compressed also, the black bar on the right hand side that is an issue in Version 1.8.5.703 wasn't there.

There was a slight problem with the rendering, so I restarted my laptop and tried again, and again it happened the best way I can describe this is if you say open an image add a new layer colour it black and then turn the opacity down to about 80% this affected about a quarter of the image. However, when I clicked on the develop button it rendered the image with no issues at all,  by comparisons the lossless version didn't didn't display this affect.

On opening the uncompressed version again for a 3rd time, the rending issue wasn't present however I'm fully aware that this is a beta version but thought I'd add it here for the benefit of others, you may or may not experience these issues. 

I would say just to sit it tight until the the final stable release comes out, for me it's no deal breaker as there are ways around this as I mentioned in a earlier post.

Thanks to @walt.farrell for the heads up on this.

 

 

 

[kirkt]

@PatrickF Sounds like a Windows issue, perhaps.  I opened your uncompressed raw file in the current Mac beta, added a new layer filled with black and dropped the opacity and it renders in the document window as expected.

kirk