Iridient X Transformer uses the same demosaic processing algorithms found in Developer. Users have control over how images will be rendered, either with sharper details or a smoother result that helps control artifacts. Sharpening, lens corrections, and noise reduction parameters can also all be set. Should users then want to open the converted DNG files in Adobe Lightroom, metadata tags will instruct Lightroom to not apply further sharpening or noise reduction, as detailed by DPReview.
For many photographers, the difference in quality from one raw processor to the next may be negligible, but Windows users after the most control will appreciate that they have a new option in the RAW processing game. YouTube user Zed ProMedia has a good comparison between Adobe’s and Iridient’s processing of X-Trans RAW files from a Fujifilm X-T2, which you can watch below.
While the debate surrounding RAW processors is certainly not limited to any one brand of camera, third-party software has a harder time converting files from Fujifilm X Series models that use the company’s unique X-Trans sensors. The non-standard color filter array on these sensors adds complexity and requires different processing than sensors found in cameras from other manufacturers.
Fujifilm says the more complex pattern allows for the removal of the anti-aliasing filter from in front of the sensor — which increases sharpness — without taking the normal penalty of incurring additional aliasing, the false patterns that can show up when photographing fine detail.
The Windows beta of Iridient X Transformer is available for free demo, so photographers can try it out and compare results to Adobe Lightroom or other RAW processors. The demo is fully functional, but will add a watermark to all processed images (originals will, of course, be left untouched). It costs $30 to register the program, which will remove the watermarked outputs.
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