Getting the exact edited look you like in-camera
I love Fujifilm. Anyone that has followed my work in recent years will have heard me raving about it as the ideal ecosystem for travel photographers. The compact size of cameras like the X100VI, stylized film simulations, the wonderful selection of small and sharp lenses: all of it is perfectly targeted at enthusiasts and global nomads looking to express their creativity and share the places they’ve seen. So why on earth did I sell all my Fujifilm gear and change systems?
For all of Fujifilm’s appealing aesthetics and features, there are a number of compromises that come with it, which can make things challenging for those of us who make our living with our cameras. First of all, the Fujifilm X-Series cameras are exclusively cropped sensors, which means less dynamic range, less subject separation (bokeh) and worse performance in low-light situations when compared to full-frame sensors. Although Fujifilm has done a lot to improve the autofocus in its cameras in the past two years, the phase-detect systems of other brands have proven to be notably faster and more reliable.
One thing that no one else could compete with, however, was Fujifilm’s highly-customizable film simulations, allowing you to get beautifully stylized images straight out of camera. Nikon and Ricoh have had stabs at it, but no one could top Fujifilm on this…until now.
When Panasonic announced the new Lumix S5 II, hybrid shooters were once again thrilled to be given such a feature-rich camera for such a competitive price. Alongside open gate video (being able to record from the full width and height of the sensor) and all-new autofocus system, Panasonic snuck in a little feature which got very little attention: Real Time LUTs.
A LUT (Look Up Table) is similar to a preset or filter which changes the colors and tones of an image.
