Just purchased a Fuji S5. Will be here in a couple of weeks.

I currently shoot RAW, but want to wean myself off of this. So I plan to start with Raw+jpeg.

Current workflow uses LR and CS2. In browsing dpreview there are allot of negative posts regarding the s5 raw and LR/ACR. Supposedly less detail and noisier than Fuji's Hyperutility.

I was wondering if any of you have had this experience? Good or bad?

Given my wife and I shoot weddings mostly, I'm not interested in the much slower hyperutility. However, dpreview makes it sound like LR/ACR is big step down in IQ.

Regards...mark.

I have Lightroom, Photoshop CS3 Extended and Fuji's Hyper-Utility V3. I have found that the Hyper-Utility works the best to "process" my RAW files. I have found that when I have the dynamic range set to auto, I'm able to adjust it up in Hyper-Utility. Fuji calls it 100% to 400%. I have seen that it is able to bring back detail that would not have been captured on a JPG for the lighting conditions and the way that I would have the camera set up originally.

After processing in HU V3, I bring the JPG files into Lightroom. I use Photoshop to touch up any details that the images may need that can't be done in the other programs. I have tried to bring RAW images into LR and HU V3 and feel that the images just look better out of Hyper-Utility. I was impressed how it handled the image and the extra control that isn't available in Lightroom. Hope that helps you out.

Larry

I know a few Fuji users and they all agree that HUV does a better job. LR/ACR have the same code base, so both will get pretty much the same look as each other.

Ok, that was helpful. Thanks for the replies.

markwh2:

I currently shoot RAW, but want to wean myself off of this. So I plan to start with Raw+jpeg.

Regards...mark.

Hi Mark,

I cannot address the questions you posed, but I am wondering why you are "weaning" yourself off RAW? I am not looking to start a new RAW-JPEG battle, but I am curious about your experiences and why you arre willing to give away so much data.

sorry for the late reply. I need to check these forums more frequently.

To address your question, why weaning myself from RAW. 3 reasons, in order of priority. First, larger file size will cause me to spend more time in all stages of the workflow, primarily in the select/crop/color/exposure correct stages. 2nd is the cost of the storage. 3rd is, I should be a good enough photographer to get the exposure close enough so jpeg works.

Note the above are my perceptions, as I have yet to shoot a wedding using the S5, with it's huge raw files.

Item 1 above is the most important. I really want to cut down the time I spend fixing photo's and spend that time enhancing them or out shooting more.

I would like to get to the point where I can shoot jpeg in more controlled lighting situations, studio and the formals. I expect to shoot raw for the candids and probably the outside weddings.