Except for sky photos, this was my exact take as well. The sky was so much bluer on Fuji. If the choice is to spend a fortune on cameras and lenses or make 15-second minor color adjustments, I'll stick with Fuji for now. But it does make me Leicurious... :)
@@webdesign6776 Same here, doh! Fuji looked less punchy, Leica more so (sometimes too much), probably since they were side by side and so exaggerating each other a little. I'm not letting go of my x system just yet though!
Honestly. I can’t believe how easy that was to tell the difference. I thought I would have guessed wrong. But the Fuji has a slight haze, isn’t quite as sharp, Leica’s colors have more primary tones mixed in, and those reds... Leica’s reds are pretty obvious, plus the Leicas has more contrast. Not sure the difference is worth thousands, but there is definitely a difference.
@Br So yeah mechanical leica yes. Digital? 100% not. Plus fujifilm x-pro1/2/3 and xt-1/2 and the entire x100 series is made jn japan. While the buildquality of leica is amazing it is also not 4 times the price greater than a fujifilm. The red dot makes the price 3k more expensive than it should be. That being said, my leica m6 is still my favorite camera ever. Literally a 10/10
I'm a Fuji owner and liked all Leica pictures more. Contrast and sharpness was better as well. Something that you would expect though given the price difference.
Both cameras had beautiful colours, but I think the Fuji ones were slightly more natural. Nice comparison, would love to see an acros Vs Leica monochrome comparison.
While it did not matter in some shots, whenever I had a preference it was for C raw and B jpg, both Leica. This has in part to do with a preference for the color rendition, but I think a lens test would show that the Leica lens simply renders greater intra-tonal detail, as can be seen in gravel, door and concrete details, and so on. So what makes the difference to me is the apparent difference in the quality of the lens. If I am right, you would have to see more 3D pop in the Leica than the Fuji images if you converted them to b/w.
I went with Fuji on most JPEGs, while raw files where similar; I guess what I can conclude is that I am happy with my Fuji system and I can tame the Leica siren songs for now 😂
Thanks again for your considerable efforts. I am a long term amateur photographer. These days mostly x100f and then my Pentax K3, mostly black and white. I don’t use either of the editing suits you used in your video. I do have a little chuckle to myself when I watch a lots of TH-cam content about camera’s and colour. To my mind as soon as anyone says they choose one camera over another then explained how they just “tweeted” and image to do this or that makes there argument a bit limp. And I love the “Preset” sales idea(not!), where the image gains another life. The one you see that makes you take the image, the one your camera gives you, the one you remember when you view it later, then the one someone thinks they think is better when they haven’t see the image at all! In cycles, I take a lot of pictures, trash a lot of pictures and keep, probably too many pictures. I enjoy taking pictures, even if a lot were a waste of time. And am happy not to open that Pandora’s box, or go down the rabbit hole to start the, what if I just ...... my images. But I will keep watching interesting and informative videos that you and other talented people produce. Thanks again.
I use a Leica M10 and consistently picked out the Leica RAW and JPG blindly. Perhaps a a couple times I preferred the Fuji JPG. It’s probably not a surprise since I stare at Leica RAW in C1 Pro day in and day out. I love the colors Leica produce. I prefer RAW to get all the color gamut for the rich tonality in prints
Shit, I was constantly choosing leica raws :-) But I agree it does not matter at all, once you touch white balance or apply some preset all the difference is gone.
I’m exactly like you with a Leica itch. I use the “Fujicron” F2 lenses as they’re a bit Leicaish and, being primes, they slow me down so I think about and move to compose the shot - all part of the Leica philosophy and makes for a much better shot. I could see the deeper, cleaner, Leica colours in all of the comparisons, although there were a few that were very close. It convinced me that I would buy a Q2 for the for the colours except it has a 28mm not 35mm lens, or, a M10 + lenses except for the price and manual focus. It left me happy with my Fuji with just a very small increase in contrast, saturation and warmth on the Raw files. If the Japanese built a Leica it would be a Fuji. Excellent video, thanks.
First, let me say that I shoot with Fuji. Now to the results. I immediately noticed, that A is Fuji in Lightroom and B is Leica. Fuji sometimes has a greenish tint, while the reds from Leica lean a bit more towards magenta. What I didn't pay attention to are sharpness and dynamic range. But I confused C and D. For the JPGs, I knew that A must be Fuji (I didn't guess the profile), the other ones I ignored. Over all, Fuji wins. I prefer Fuji colors in Lightroom by far (11 F vs 5 L), however in C1 I prefer Leica (6 F vs 10 L), which is funny. When it comes to the JPGs, I prefer Fuji: 7 F Classic Chrome vs 5 F Provia vs only 3 L. So in the end, while you could make the images look exactly the same, you wouldn't do that and evidently so, Fuji is the better choice for me in terms of color. Before the Fuji, I had a Nikon and I didn't like those colors either, so even then it's Fuji. Now, colors are important but only one part of a camera, so in the end I would probably want to return to Nikon for other features (full frame, autofocus, ergonomics). Despite the great Leica lenses and the sensor of the M11, I don't think Leica is for me, since I sometimes enjoy shooting wildlife. Some other notes in no particular order. Fuji's reds look more washed out. Leica's contrast is way better.
Thanks for the comparison video. I had planned on performing a similar color image test between my Fuji X-Pro2 and my Leica M10 but the M10 rangefinders I bought were so defective that I was never able to conduct the test.
I shoot Fujifilm X-T2, and picked; B (Leica) over A (Fujifilm) every time in Lightroom. D (Fujifilm) 9 to C (Leica) 7 times in Capture One. C (Fujifilm Provia) over B (Leica) over A (Fuji CC) for JPEG's. Thoughts: 1: Thanks for validating my choice of C1 over Lightroom! 2: Fujifilm's Classic Chrome is a really distinct look, that works well for some subjects and for a unified portfolio, but not when mixed in random shots next to more normal color profiles like here. But in my opinion the real gems among Fuji's film simulations is Pro. Neg. High and good old Provia. Provia just always looks great no matter what the conditions, and Pro. Neg. High is just perfect for portraits.
Well, I don't care about Leica or Fuji "color science" - I'm shooting my Leicas with film … ;-) On a more serious note: Shooting film is much more affordable when it comes to Leica than doing it digital (had an M8 and an M9, but it's not the same as using analog Leicas). Raw was all over the place. What I did notice is that Lightroom from Raw was much more consistent and closer, while Capture One was more "all over the place" and much more different. Adobe did a good job in "evening out" differences in sensor technology, while Capture One has some really good conversions that look better than Adobe's - but from different cameras. Regarding JPEG, I was constantly liking C (Provia) most. I should shoot this film next (I already have a roll of 120 film lying around, but haven't shot it yet; used it a long time ago, and I liked it back then).
Raw: Very even for me. JPGs: Big preference for Fuji but the results are probably skewed by the fact that there were two Fuji versions and only one Leica. I’m a Fuji shooter, by the way.
Fuji Fanboy results: RAW 9 Fuji vs. 23 Leica (I already knew the ones I chose were Leica, they just look punchier and more "ready") JPEG: 7 Fuji vs 8 Leica OR 8 Fuji vs 7 Leica: Totally undecided on one Vespa shot that I noticed has the wrong kind of red, yet it was still my favourite, so I call it a tie.
I chose a mix of Fuji and Leica. Both are good and I have both systems. Fuji: X-T3 & X-T100, Leica: SL CL M9 X-U. RAW on Leica are most pleasing out of the box especially the M9 as long as there is good light. However, when I touch my RAWs, the differences disappear. What I love about Fuji is the Astia Film simulation. On the X-T3, I take the Highlights to -2 and Color to +3 and as long as the scene is not overly contrasty, I just keep the RAW for reference and take the JPEG straight out of the box. Saves me a lot of time post processing. When I need a no fuss camera for everyday use, I take the Fuji. When I need to slow down and be more deliberate, I take the Leica. Because the Fuji is so good for it’s pricepoint, I’m now debating myself whether I keep the Leica or go to GFX 50r instead.
In the raw test, there's hardly any difference between the two. The leica in some shots have a slightly more saturated look in the reds but it's not a lot. I'm happy that the xt3's raw color is clinically neutral and gives a lot of room during editing. On the Jpeg test, letter B(leica) is indeed great, natural skin tone and pleasing reds,browns BUT I also noticed that there's a bit of a warm push on everything. Letter C(provia) provides a more controlled saturation overall and is what I prefer to use. Andrew, thank you so much for doing these blind tests. Not many youtubers,especially those with big hat sponsorships are willing to do this because an A/B blind test is the ULTIMATE solution in comparing products devoid of any involuntary bias(think of a same cup of coffee,one drank at home,the other drank at starbucks,the coffee at SB will taste better because your brain involuntarily alters what you taste because of what your eyes see. It's called the McGurk effect and nobody is immune from it.). An A/B test is very bad news for companies that rely on brand name and influencer hype to sell their really expensive stuff *cough cough leica,apple* . I hope my brief observations help you in scratching that red dot itch. Also, I think comparing a leica monochrome vs. fuji bnw simulation would be a lopsided test in favor of the leica. Since the leica is a true monochrome sensor, it has more micro contrast than the fuji which sees color via a CFA that cuts light. Still,maybe in a blind test these differences may or may not be visible to the naked eye, only one way to find out lol.
But also in the RAW test Fuji is lacking sharpness very much. I own XT2 myself and I always want more sharpness straight out of the camera, but oh well.
My takeaway from this is that if you have an XT-3 don't sell it for a Leica and vice versa. The images were definitely different and I did like some more than others, but none sucked.
It probably isn't but getting to that conclusion purely on raw colors isn't a good idea :) There's more to those cameras than colors which can be easily changed.
In most cases I could pick out the Leica especially with the jpeg photos. However to me there are many other factors than the color philosophy to concern myself with. I think that Leica makes a fine photographic tool but I seriously doubt that it would help me to make better photographs. In many of those photos I actually prefer the Fuji versions. I have began experimenting more with different recipes in camera in order to get certain looks. I am very pleased with the results I am getting out of Fuji cameras.
They were all too close to determine a strong preference😁. For me it comes down to the camera features and how it feels in the hand, not to mention cost, etc. I still prefer Leica M manual focus over Fuji focus-by-wire. Peace!
I love my Fujifilm. A - 14 B - 12 C - 7 D - 9 A - 11 B - 6 C - 7 But interesting. I disliked using Chrome on my photos but I blindly picked almost 11 chromes. Well gotta try it when I shoot tomorrow.
On RAW it was basically a 50/50. And it was fun to see that when I prefered Fuji Raw in LR I also prefered it in C1 and Vice Versa in almost all pictures!? On Jpegs it was more Fuji It depended a lot with the subject. (skin tones, and which type of skin; Sky; Greens, etc) Great job with all the diversity of pictures!! You really deserved a lot more views/attention for all the work you do. One can really see so much work and passion. Happy Fuji XT3 user here. For landscapes I edit RAWs in C1 although I use the ICC+Curve from Fuji as a starting point. And I have that in mind when taking the picture. For "on the go, everyday, quick stuff I don't want to spend a night editing" things, JPEGs and have already spent quite a bit of time with the in camera settings for all situations. Really loving the fact that I have so much flexibility to change the looks straight out of camera... sometimes I even get surprised with things I would never do by myself (Velvia really surprises me sometimes). Soooo Leica no Leica ghost here regardless of the results from this test.
I'm a sucker for Classic Chrome and picked it out immediately when I saw the photos. I just love the tones of CC. I got 3 different Classic Chrome profiles on my X-T2. One 'default', one with colours +4 and strong added contrast and a last one with just a minor +1 and +2 in shadows and highlights just for a little extra pop in contrast. These are my profiles I use 90% of the time.
I had them right:) I did a test on Leica vs Sony a few years ago and I noticed that Leica has slightly darker red magenta and blue; green being pushed to extreme dark; while rendering yellow and cyan lighter. I adjust my Sony picture profile to reproduce the same Leica color straight out of camera. Also the blue in Leica’s sky has a bit of purple in it. I think the same conclusion can be found in this comparison between Leica and Fuji.
To me the RAWs were often so close that I just went with a slight preference at first glance. The results were heavily weighted to the Leica images. For JPEGS, 2/3 of my picks were Fuji Provia. That’s interesting to me since I frequently shoot Classic Chrome on my X100F and X-T30. this motivated me to try some comparison shots of my own.
Interesting. Though keep in mind nearly half of the shots were portraits, and would tend to scew toward portraits over classic chrome, since that what it was designed for
I know this video is a few years old, but it still was really enjoyable. I personally found myself going "I like B a touch more" and then immediately after saying "Oh but in Capture One, C was my favorite". Fuji wasn't without any wins, but it looks like Leica wins the RAW comparison for me overall. That being said, I flipped during the JPEG test. Fuji's Provia Sim gave my favorite result in almost every shot. I've been looking at an XPro2 for a few weeks now and am going to pick one up as an EDC camera. I would have probably overlooked Provia. Now I will 100% try it out for my own work. Thanks for the video 👍
Difference are really small I think. Nothing impossible to adjust in post. Sometimes more red, sometimes more green. Only one picture I noticed too much red or magenta on the face of the little girl, all the rest to me are pretty OK. Ps I enjoy the 16 1.4 but I would like to try a 18 1.4 on fuji.
RAW: my favorites are Leica&LR (14x); Fuji&C1 (10x) - the last is Fuji&LR (picked 1x only) JPG: my favorites are Leica Std. (7x); Fuji Provia (5x) My cameras are Fuji XE-1 and X-T2, and I chose to set to Velvia, ProNegHi, or Astia.
Nice. Thanks for the video mate. I have a feeling that Lightroom colours are pretty similar regardless of camera. Sometimes I’d like to go as far as saying using Lightroom is leaving a bigger mark than the cameras. I definitely felt the difference of the two cameras, and managed to guess correctly. Although I was really surprised at how minor the differences were in this test. I remember seeing Kai shooting Leica once, and I was shocked at how good the photos were. He rarely shoots great photos, lol.. but with the Leica he was brilliant. That one really left a long lasting “pro Leica” impression on me.
RAW: Leica 9 (4lightroom, 5 c1) Fuji 7 (4lightroom, 3c1). JPEG: Provia 7, Classic chrome 1, Leica standard 7. And I was sure that capture one together with classic chrome was the best. LOL.
wow! sweet blind test! I expected B to be Leica in the LR comparison and expected C to be the Fujifilm in the capture one comparison since I assumed the extra punch was what was drawing fujifilm shooters to capture one. Didn't expect Leica imho to outshine fuji in both software.
I prefer the reds and blues of Provia, Chrome and Leica were pretty close only the Leica had more magenta reds and more purple blues, chrome has that orange red and teal blue. You can see it best in skies and artificial red things. Maybe Pro Neg Hi would have a closer colour match to Leica especially on X-Trans III and up. For me personally: Provia Leica Chrome I still think Astia is better than all three though, so I'm saving me some money.
Wow, I'm a Fujifilm and Sony shooter but my pers. fav. based on my notes of this test just blew me away. 19 Leica vs. 13 Fuji RAW makes the Leica a clear winner for me. More pop and saturation in a good way. On the jpg side of things 10 Leica files beating up 5 Fujifilm jpg again speaks for itself. So Leica guys no snobs? Still, the price tag is making me shy off. Thank you for this interesting test.
Great video! My results were FUJI LIGHTROOM: 8 LEICA LIGHTROOM 7 LEICA CAPTURE ONE: 10 FUJI CAPTURE ONE: 6 (I left one comparison out because I couldn't tell the difference) CLASSIC CHROME: 1 LEICA: 8 PROVIA: 6 This was super interesting for me. As a new Fuji XT30 shooter, (who mostly shoots in Velvia) but I loved more Lecia images than I expected. Funny because at purchase time, I adored the Q. It's also interesting that out of the Fuji ones, I preferred more of the LR ones. Not what I expected as I was planning to move to Capture One soon. The difference was very subtle for me, the only shot that I thought was really far ahead was the shot @11:32. Super fun video which was super informative about my own preferences and workflow. Great job!
Wow. It’s hard to tell, but it seems like CaptureOne reduces the contrast a bit and possibly extends the dynamic range in the shot. Maybe that’s just the result of reducing contrast (shadows get lighter and highlights get darker). I think it’s clear that CaptureOne renders Fuji files much better with color and contrast. It seems like there is a hint of more magenta in the Fuji files and they are faintly cooler. There is a hint more of green in the Leica files and they are faintly warmer. Leica also creates a slightly more saturated image. However, this assessment reverses itself once we get to the first image of the girl in the white chair. So, I’m not convinced that the color rendering between cameras is dramatically different (aside from saturation). And what does it matter when we are shooting RAW and creating the look that we want anyways. The Leica lens might have a sharpness edge here. As far as the JPGs go, they are all great. This video totally killed my interest into exploring Leica. I respect the Leica and I think it’s an amazing camera system. I agree that it takes awesome images and has amazing glass. For me, I’ve grown accustomed to using different Fuji Film simulations for different shooting situations. I find that being able to do this helps me better see the shot. Even if I’m delivering color, I might switch to Acros if I feel that the colors are too distracting during the shot. I’ve also found that Classic Chrome is amazing when there is a lot of yellow in the frame (just a personal preference). I’d state that the Fuji system is simply more expressive due to its film simulations. Yes, the Leica is rad, and it delivers on simply creating bad ass images consistently with no fuss. I’m just even more assured that my xt3 is the best tool for how I like to work (at the moment). Fantastic video. Thanks for all the hard work. Much respect.
I have been following you for quite a long time and I love your videos and photography. Surprisingly, I managed to understand which photos were Leica and which were Fuji quite easily. Leica's photos have more saturated colors (especially blue) and more contrast both in RAWs and JPG. I think this make them the favorite choice for many people. As Fuji shooter I must admit that Leica colors are great but I am not convinced with skin tones that I think are more accurate with Fuji. Anyway great video! I just pretty sure you made confusion with some JPG photos (eg the bus pictures are A=Leica and B=CC)
First off, I rarely if ever comment on TH-cam videos, but I wanted too this time because I was very interested in these results. I've heard a lot about the "Leica colors" and was curious how I would react when seeing them compared to Fuji. For LR Raws I overwhelmingly preferred the Leica images(14/2), and for C1 I almost always preferred the Fuji (13/3). For Jpgs Fuji Provia narrowly won out(8/7), with Leica Taking a strong second and CC coming in way behind. So good to know I will be happy with either! One request though, when you do the monochrome video, could you include the monochrome profile as well as acros? My favorite BnW film sim is Mono+R with +2 Shadow strength. It compares quite nicely with Acros in my opinion. Keep up the good work and thanks for giving us great content!
i have both cameras, fuxi xpro2 and leica q, really don't know which one to use. I found fuji is better for inside shots, leica for outdoor shoting. Leica has magenta tendency and fuji is more consistent with color. For landscape i like leica more but for portrait in my case fuji is a little better. But difference is so subtle that better chosing the camera you like the most
I love the Fuji color more actually, you can spot Leica's red is just a little bit magenta tinted and more saturated (relatively speaking). However color isn't a big deal for me, since you can always grade them later if you hate them (which I ). I still maybe want a Leica Q just for the experience.
Well that saved me £3500. I thought the Fuji shots were a bit less contrasty, a bit warmer and less saturated than the Leica and overall looking more natural. I'll stick with my XT20 but the Leica 28mm /1.7 lens does seem quite tasty.
Happy to say that as soon as there was a piece of sky in the frame it was pretty easy to identify Classic Chrome, Provia and in consequence the Leica JPG. I personally prefer Classic Chrome but that might simply be because I myself am shooting it all the time... probably a hen and the egg thing... When it comes to the raw files I didn’t see much of a difference. I mean, of course there were differences but I probably wouldn’t have noticed them if I hadn’t seen the pictures side by side. Plus, the differences in framing and depth of field weigh way more heavy than the differences in raw color... but that’s just my opinion... Nice video, good job 👍
Great video. Im surprised how close they are. I have the same “Leica ghost” indside, but have to say I am happy to see that that Fuji colors are sooo great :-)
I love that you contribute to the greater community. I hate being critical in type, it doesn't reflect a tone, so by all means take this as a helpful tone. There is little reason to compare RAW files. Fuji shoot RAF raw files..leica shoot DNG raw files. They are just data, there is no image so to speak. Depending on what editor you use, the raw file will change depending on how the raw processor interprets that binary data. The Leica uses a bayer sensor, the fuji uses their propriety X-trans. Light room was always going to excel at interpreting a Bayer sensor and DNG file over a specific, unique sensor array. To this end, it is like comparing two different reading glasses at +1 magnification on two different people with two different eye sight levels. I appreciate very much you added a double blind by adding capture 1, but it only highlights my original claim. The difference in RAF raw from light room,/capture one were more evenish,..but when I view RAF through on1 raw/luminar and Capture one fuji pro..again you can see noticeable shifts, particularly with the colour's orange and blue. However in the jpegs, being a fuji user it was fairly straight forward for me to recognize the Fuji's..again it is in the blues and oranges. Fuji have had one person determine their colours for the last 50 years, and his 'signature' is in how blue and orange are rendered. Fuji narrow blue and green spectrum's and make the transition between the two have a large margin of a minty teal. The pet dog photos showcase what I am talking about the best. the dogs fur in the leica is overall the most even..whereas the fuji jpegs wash a lot more yellows and reds. yellow in the chrome/red in the provia. The back ground teal wall has more brightness and vibrancy in the fuji jpegs. If you shine light through a prism and get it to cast the light spectrum, and photograph it with each of the fuji jpegs, you can see how each film sim plays with colours and how it renders each spectrum. Proneg standard is the least altered and most muted...velvia is the most altered and saturated..however a lot of them all channel mix green/blue towards teal..and either suppress purple/violet and move them closer to blue, or move yellow/red closer to orange. Overall its a good comparison of brands, as fuji and leica have had a more open policy on colour over image I.Q alone..it does illustrate though, that depending on your preference, your editor of choice will make a big difference in retaining fidelity of image.
I fully agree, and a few people have gotten your final point: that your choice of raw processor matters, perhaps, more than your choice of brand's "color science" (unless you shoot JPG). I always hope people will get the point that when they shoot RAW, it's fairly arbitrary what system they use these days (when it comes to color), and arguing about whose color is best (again, when they shoot RAW) is a meaningless argument. But the comments show, instead, that people either feel validated or disconcerted by the results. In future videos, it might be a point worth driving home more, though I doubt it will matter for most people :)
@@AndrewGoodCamera I hear ya. The photographic community, particularly younger members (No insult to them, but an observation) Tend to forget that having good dynamic range is a good thing to have. Having nicely rendered colours and clean captured highlights and shadows is a nice thing to have. It is nice to have nice things...but its the image content that is important. Credible content remains credible.
Also worth noting that (in my experience anyway) even different Fuji lenses can give different colours. The same with contrast too - some give more contrast than others - and ultimately even this can affect perceived differences. But as an example, presets I create say for based on images I’ve shot with the XF16 f/1.4 don’t give the same look on images with others lenses. Am I just taking it too far now? 🤣
Nice!!! For Lightroom I chose all Leica, for capture one I chose all Fuji and for jpeg I didn't pick Leica at all! Guess my taste is what I already use! Fuji Classic Chrome and Capture One. I've had my eye on Leica cameras for a few months now, guess I'll stick to my X-T3 because that's what I prefer.
Oof, more itchy than before now. I only shoot Fuji nowadays but I'm surprised at just how much I apparently like those Leica RAWs, especially processed in Lightroom. JPEGs were pretty much evenly matched between the two brands. If I had the money I'd definitely get a digital M, but only _in addition to_ my Fujifilm gear. Can't beat the overall Fuji user experience IMO (more than any technical spec the reason I use these cameras).
The blues and reds look so much more vibrent on the leica’s! I wonder if you can get the same look with fuji? I think astia maybe a lot closer to leica colors?!
In RAW I chose Leica over Fuji, in JPEG I chose Fuji more often but it was close. I believe for the money you can achieve just as good quality with Fuji in post processing which to me does not justify the higher expense of Leica. Monochrome would be an interesting comparison, Leica M10 vs Fuji Acros. I really do love Fuji Acros.
Do the Acros vs a True Monochrome Camera. I believe you will definitely see more inner tonal detail in the Leica Monochrome. But this is a test I’ve been wanting to see for a long time . KEH you rock !
I thought the RAW files were very close, but constantly chose the Leica files. However on the jpegs I mostly preferred the Provia film simulation from Fuji. Thanks for the comparison, very interesting outcome. I think both are great options and it would be very difficult to differentiate one from the other in most cases
Hi Andrew - Your content continues to amaze me. Super interesting. I too have the Leica itch. I have identified the Leica CL and 23mm F2 Summicron which I can just about afford via the used market. May I ask some questions please ? Do you think the quality of the Leica Q lens influenced the clarity and colour perception of the images ? Have you used the Leica CL and 23mm F2 Summicron or do you know of anybody who has and what were their thoughts ? And finally ...... Am I right in assuming the CL is likely to carry that unique Leica colour signature ? Kind regards, Adam
I liked the slightly orange tinge to some of the Fuji colors. I think it looks more filmic. But, some of the time it was impossible to see a difference. For me I think about Leica a lot too. But this made me realize color wise I’m happy where I’m at.
I was confused even after finding out about the identity behind each letter. Anyway, what this tells me is that if I rely on the color science or any other technical feature of any brand to think that I'll be a better photographer then I am missing the point. What's important is the scenario where I want to be with that camera in my hands and what I will capture.
I chose Leica Lightroom 98% of the time for raw in LR and Fuji 50% of the time C1. I found that interesting because I shoot primarily Leica and I hate LR, I only use C1. At the same time, I've been seriously interested in Fuji for a while now which is how I found your channel. Debating on selling a Leica lens I don't use that can probably fund a whole fuji kit now.
WOW. i picked 10 Fuji, 3 Leica and the rest 50/50 (RAW only). I own Fuji GFX 50s and wanted a back up camera. Now i think Fuji X-Pro 3 is the one lol. Thank you for saving me money ;)
great video ! i hated my results ,i picked the leica both on RAW and on JPG. IMHO , by the end of the day Leica is superior but most of us cant really afford it.
I really appreciate this video I was wondering if I had just fallen for the Leica marketing but this test really made it clear to me which color science I prefer. I chose the Leica for both RAW (with both Lightroom and Capture One) and JPG. I was worried that I liked different cameras when switching between Lightroom and Capture One and was relieved to learn you switched sides for Capture One. I do wish I preferred the Fujifilm so I could save some money, alas that is not to be.
Very interesting. For it proves that Capture One is better than Lightroom when dealing with RAW files. ( I would love Capture One to have a cloud and iOS option. I would definitely move from lightroom to Capture One.) I found that discarding the Classic Chrome images was much easier than the rest. I have tried and tried to love that film simulation but always end up going back and re-editing it. I love my XT3 and although I no longer have a Leica camera, I do have Leica glass. The comparisons are extremely close and shows, we should concentrate more on taking pictures, rather than getting ate up on colour science and camera gear. An extremely good video. Well done.
Haven't watched this through yet, BUT adding an adapted solution via M-mount to Fuji X-Mount to the mix would get you to the most informed conclusion in the shortest period of time.
Not sure I can agree with that. Part of a brand's color philosophy has to do with lens coating. Putting a non Fuji lens on a Fuji device would sort of defeat the purpose.
I preferred Fuji in about 1/3 of the images, and Leica in about 2/3. Leica was the winner but it was pretty close. The images weren't on the screen long enough to really inspect closely so it was a "gut" reaction and truly most of the images were close enough in color that other factors (composition, facial expressions) probably influenced my choice as much as the actual color. I did not find a clear preference for Capture One, and I really expected that I would. I find I get better results with Capture One easier than with Lightroom.
Great video. I run both systems (MP240 and Xpro2) and I did my own analysis like this once. I genuinely liked the Leica files better in almost all cases. There’s a particular snap or clarity about them. I’m not sure if it’s the sensor, or the lenses....but it is there. The Fuji is my JPG machine and go-to if I think I need AF or high ISO. It IS a bit like picking a paint color for a wall at the store...we have all been there. Sit and stare at a row of similar paint colors...agonize over which we like better...but at the end of the day...just pick one and enjoy it. I’d be perfectly happy with the Fuji if I needed to. I’m some ways it’s a far more versatile camera than an M.
I've played the game and my results for the RAW files are: A (Fuji + Lightroom) = 11 B (Leica + Lightroom) = 5 C (Leica + Capture One) = 13 D (Fuji + Capture One) = 3 I am actually a Fuji X100T + Lightroom photographer, dreaming one day of Capture One + Leica (or Zeiss or Voigtländer... ;-)
I've been shooting Fuji since 2011 and use LR. In Fuji forums people swear by Capture One but I was surprised to find my results very similar to yours. A and C, I felt, were on the money. Interesting what blind tests actually reveal. Great exercise!
Raw: 22 Leica, 9 Fuji. JPEG: 10 Fuji, 5 Leica. For JPEG, I think having two Fuji choices compared to one Leica might throw off the average. Also having three choices next to each other may make a person choose differently (I took some psychology classes =D). Pretty surprised how I was consistently choosing Leica for RAW (subconsciously it's maybe that I have the same itch, but I prefer the Fuji price point, haha).
I knew which one was Leica immediately, but something that interested me more than the colors (colors can be changed, after all) was a certain sharpness to the image. Maybe I’m fanboying over the lens choice? In any case, I did prefer the fuji for portraits and people, definitely. For everything else I’d have to say the Leica looked better imo. In all, I would rather buy an xpro3, but I really wish it had a full frame sensor
Funny, I'm a photography enthusiast, and came across this video by typing "Leica vs Fuji" in Google...in almost every AB/CD, I picked A and D. Except for the fruit pictures. The Leica pics seemed artificially colored. Think along the lines of an OLED display vs LCD. Pretty interesting. It seems, to me, that the Fuji captures the essence of an object. For example, the red scooter looked like it had dust on it (probably from the reflection of the dirt around it) as did the....Ducati? I think it was a Duc. Pretty impressive.
On Lightroom raw it was 9 x B vs. 4 x A (on one I couldn't make my mind up) so a clear win for Leica, on Capture One it was a tie (7 each for C and D). On the JPEGs it was 3 x A (Fuji Chrome), 9 x B (Leica), 3 x C (Fuji Provia). The "reasoning" behind this was: The Leica colors are a bit brighter and slightly more saturated, nice for most subjects. But not for people, where the Leica pictures were reddish, and the Fujis more natural looking. -- So in the end it might be a case of choosing the right tool for the right job!
Thank you! At the end of the day it's all about personal preference but as much as I think nothing beats the M Monochrom when it comes to black and white, I think Fujifilm handles colors better than anybody else
Die-hard fuji x-t3 user. Leica basically beat Fuji 2 to 1 for raw files. Classic chrome had a slight edge on Leica, Provia took 2 votes. A new appreciation for Leica!
I own both Fuji and a Leica Q. In the blind test I like the Q pics best. In my own photo I prefer the Leica better as well, but was never sure since I didn’t take the same pics with both brands..
Thank you Andrew, this work is perfect! What I got is that I like Leica colors more (both raw and jpeg, not a big distance though) but what was revealed to me is that Classic Chrome will sweeten a bit my hunger for Leica colors. No doubt here. I liked Classic Chrome very much long before this test, the surprise is that having it on at least X100F Fujifilm camera would be enough to trick myself in having something similar to Leica. Actually, is what I secretly hoped for. Thank you again! So with such camera, I'll set on custom Classic Chrome with a bit of saturation. But for me, the depth of the image (probably Leica lenses) and fullframe look will add what I miss from APS-C sensors. 22 August.... my family was in vacation... I missed this one...
To me at least, the main difference is the focal falloff. Saturation and contrast can be tweaked to one's liking. Until I can afford to drop close to three grand on a stills camera, I'll be sticking with Fuji.
Now, I wonder how R glass on your Fuji would do? I have an old Samsung NX3000 and my Sony and use my R glass and on both sensors in Raw I feel I get "leica colors". I chose the Leica in every instance in your test, but agree, in Raw it's very tweakable to get super close. I know and respect Fuji for doing good JPG color profiles but have never liked them, especially compared to Leica JPG's. Great comparison! Of course I'm a glutton for punishment and still use my DP2 Merrill for color work, especially street portraits. Nothing beats Foveon in color, but you have to process them as the JPG's SOOC are meh.
Nice... As for Sony, Sony is more obsessed with "flush tint" and to appease the lighter coloured skin people tweak the red and yellow (Or some other similar combination) a wee bit up... some times this tweak give a painted effect, as is done on make up room... this "Sony effect" is not just confined to cameras, both still and videos but also to Sony Tvs, which are horrible to look at...
Wow...i have Leica M9s and Fuji X100 / x70s and I usually shoot Leica in RAW/Lightroom whilst Fuji I just shoot JPEG. And that's exactly what i preferred. I picked Leica in RAW both C1&Lightroom. And for JPEG, I prefer Provia and Classic Chrome. I guess I'm doing what I like already!
Having used the Leica Q, it was very obvious which ones were from the Leica. I've seen Fuji photos online, so it was obvious which ones were Fuji too, based on the slight fade and the tendency towards cyan, bluish greens and orangish reds while the Leica had somewhat truer colours with deep red and blues. The WB on the Leicas are cooler too. The other interesting bit is how good Capture One is. The raws processed in CO were closer but still differentiable and since the photos were simply switched, it was easier to tell. I'm quite keen on the Fuji now too, maybe with one lens. This is for exactly the reason you mentioned in the end, not to chase the trend in processing and try to photograph like using a film stock. Nice video. You should have more subs.
Unlike the canon vs fuji blind test where the raws I prefer a little more canon´s, and jpgs 99% fuji´s, in this test both, raws and jpgs, was 95% better for me leica. I will do the fuji/sony now :) Thanks for all your videos! really really good!
Great video, Andrew! And about that Monochrom.... what lens do you want? 😁
😃Maybe a 35mm?
Yes do the monochrome test
Oh snap!! I’m digging this 😄
Hell yeah!!!
@@vdaphotos did they do it asap.
Hi from there future
Damn, I basically choose the Leica pictures every time. However I still love my XT-3
Except for sky photos, this was my exact take as well. The sky was so much bluer on Fuji. If the choice is to spend a fortune on cameras and lenses or make 15-second minor color adjustments, I'll stick with Fuji for now. But it does make me Leicurious... :)
@@christopherbgriffith Yeah I was 90% Leica also, 100 % when it involved skintones Fuji was way to red on skintones.
@@webdesign6776 Same here, doh! Fuji looked less punchy, Leica more so (sometimes too much), probably since they were side by side and so exaggerating each other a little. I'm not letting go of my x system just yet though!
Shxt, me too and i just bought X-T4, am i making a huge mistake?!
@@webdesign6776 Same take for me. I guess one would have to tweak down the red saturation curve a few points and it's good.
Leica won for me (20/32) but I don't feel bad, I still love my X-T2 and my bank account.
Honestly. I can’t believe how easy that was to tell the difference. I thought I would have guessed wrong. But the Fuji has a slight haze, isn’t quite as sharp, Leica’s colors have more primary tones mixed in, and those reds... Leica’s reds are pretty obvious, plus the Leicas has more contrast. Not sure the difference is worth thousands, but there is definitely a difference.
@Br So yeah mechanical leica yes. Digital? 100% not. Plus fujifilm x-pro1/2/3 and xt-1/2 and the entire x100 series is made jn japan. While the buildquality of leica is amazing it is also not 4 times the price greater than a fujifilm. The red dot makes the price 3k more expensive than it should be. That being said, my leica m6 is still my favorite camera ever. Literally a 10/10
so:
Lightroom RAW: 11/16 Leica , 5/16 Fuji
Capture One RAW: 8/16 Leica , 8/16 Fuji
JPEG: 12/15 ClassicChrome , 3/15 Leica
still LOVE MY X-T3 !!!!
I'm a Fuji owner and liked all Leica pictures more. Contrast and sharpness was better as well. Something that you would expect though given the price difference.
Both cameras had beautiful colours, but I think the Fuji ones were slightly more natural. Nice comparison, would love to see an acros Vs Leica monochrome comparison.
Without looking at anything else, FUJI whites are whiter. More natural.
While it did not matter in some shots, whenever I had a preference it was for C raw and B jpg, both Leica. This has in part to do with a preference for the color rendition, but I think a lens test would show that the Leica lens simply renders greater intra-tonal detail, as can be seen in gravel, door and concrete details, and so on. So what makes the difference to me is the apparent difference in the quality of the lens. If I am right, you would have to see more 3D pop in the Leica than the Fuji images if you converted them to b/w.
I went with Fuji on most JPEGs, while raw files where similar; I guess what I can conclude is that I am happy with my Fuji system and I can tame the Leica siren songs for now 😂
Most of the time I couldn't tell the difference... I still using my xt-20 and have no intention to upgrade!
I think this also shows how much better Capture One is over Lightroom. The dog photo stands out to me as a good example of this.
Thanks again for your considerable efforts. I am a long term amateur photographer. These days mostly x100f and then my Pentax K3, mostly black and white. I don’t use either of the editing suits you used in your video. I do have a little chuckle to myself when I watch a lots of TH-cam content about camera’s and colour. To my mind as soon as anyone says they choose one camera over another then explained how they just “tweeted” and image to do this or that makes there argument a bit limp. And I love the “Preset” sales idea(not!), where the image gains another life. The one you see that makes you take the image, the one your camera gives you, the one you remember when you view it later, then the one someone thinks they think is better when they haven’t see the image at all!
In cycles, I take a lot of pictures, trash a lot of pictures and keep, probably too many pictures. I enjoy taking pictures, even if a lot were a waste of time. And am happy not to open that Pandora’s box, or go down the rabbit hole to start the, what if I just ...... my images. But I will keep watching interesting and informative videos that you and other talented people produce.
Thanks again.
I use a Leica M10 and consistently picked out the Leica RAW and JPG blindly. Perhaps a a couple times I preferred the Fuji JPG. It’s probably not a surprise since I stare at Leica RAW in C1 Pro day in and day out. I love the colors Leica produce. I prefer RAW to get all the color gamut for the rich tonality in prints
Shit, I was constantly choosing leica raws :-) But I agree it does not matter at all, once you touch white balance or apply some preset all the difference is gone.
The Leica Raw files had pinker skin tones, Fuji Greener. Look at Sean Tucker's video about how to tweak them to look identical
I can´t find it, can you post the link or the title for Sean Tucker's video please.
I’m exactly like you with a Leica itch. I use the “Fujicron” F2 lenses as they’re a bit Leicaish and, being primes, they slow me down so I think about and move to compose the shot - all part of the Leica philosophy and makes for a much better shot. I could see the deeper, cleaner, Leica colours in all of the comparisons, although there were a few that were very close. It convinced me that I would buy a Q2 for the for the colours except it has a 28mm not 35mm lens, or, a M10 + lenses except for the price and manual focus. It left me happy with my Fuji with just a very small increase in contrast, saturation and warmth on the Raw files.
If the Japanese built a Leica it would be a Fuji.
Excellent video, thanks.
First, let me say that I shoot with Fuji. Now to the results. I immediately noticed, that A is Fuji in Lightroom and B is Leica. Fuji sometimes has a greenish tint, while the reds from Leica lean a bit more towards magenta. What I didn't pay attention to are sharpness and dynamic range. But I confused C and D. For the JPGs, I knew that A must be Fuji (I didn't guess the profile), the other ones I ignored. Over all, Fuji wins. I prefer Fuji colors in Lightroom by far (11 F vs 5 L), however in C1 I prefer Leica (6 F vs 10 L), which is funny. When it comes to the JPGs, I prefer Fuji: 7 F Classic Chrome vs 5 F Provia vs only 3 L. So in the end, while you could make the images look exactly the same, you wouldn't do that and evidently so, Fuji is the better choice for me in terms of color. Before the Fuji, I had a Nikon and I didn't like those colors either, so even then it's Fuji. Now, colors are important but only one part of a camera, so in the end I would probably want to return to Nikon for other features (full frame, autofocus, ergonomics). Despite the great Leica lenses and the sensor of the M11, I don't think Leica is for me, since I sometimes enjoy shooting wildlife.
Some other notes in no particular order. Fuji's reds look more washed out. Leica's contrast is way better.
Thanks for the comparison video.
I had planned on performing a similar color image test between my Fuji X-Pro2 and my Leica M10 but the M10 rangefinders I bought were so defective that I was never able to conduct the test.
I shoot Fujifilm X-T2, and picked;
B (Leica) over A (Fujifilm) every time in Lightroom.
D (Fujifilm) 9 to C (Leica) 7 times in Capture One.
C (Fujifilm Provia) over B (Leica) over A (Fuji CC) for JPEG's.
Thoughts:
1: Thanks for validating my choice of C1 over Lightroom!
2: Fujifilm's Classic Chrome is a really distinct look, that works well for some subjects and for a unified portfolio, but not when mixed in random shots next to more normal color profiles like here. But in my opinion the real gems among Fuji's film simulations is Pro. Neg. High and good old Provia. Provia just always looks great no matter what the conditions, and Pro. Neg. High is just perfect for portraits.
Well, I don't care about Leica or Fuji "color science" - I'm shooting my Leicas with film … ;-)
On a more serious note: Shooting film is much more affordable when it comes to Leica than doing it digital (had an M8 and an M9, but it's not the same as using analog Leicas).
Raw was all over the place. What I did notice is that Lightroom from Raw was much more consistent and closer, while Capture One was more "all over the place" and much more different. Adobe did a good job in "evening out" differences in sensor technology, while Capture One has some really good conversions that look better than Adobe's - but from different cameras.
Regarding JPEG, I was constantly liking C (Provia) most. I should shoot this film next (I already have a roll of 120 film lying around, but haven't shot it yet; used it a long time ago, and I liked it back then).
Raw: Very even for me. JPGs: Big preference for Fuji but the results are probably skewed by the fact that there were two Fuji versions and only one Leica.
I’m a Fuji shooter, by the way.
Fuji Fanboy results:
RAW 9 Fuji vs. 23 Leica (I already knew the ones I chose were Leica, they just look punchier and more "ready")
JPEG: 7 Fuji vs 8 Leica OR 8 Fuji vs 7 Leica: Totally undecided on one Vespa shot that I noticed has the wrong kind of red, yet it was still my favourite, so I call it a tie.
I chose a mix of Fuji and Leica. Both are good and I have both systems. Fuji: X-T3 & X-T100, Leica: SL CL M9 X-U. RAW on Leica are most pleasing out of the box especially the M9 as long as there is good light. However, when I touch my RAWs, the differences disappear. What I love about Fuji is the Astia Film simulation. On the X-T3, I take the Highlights to -2 and Color to +3 and as long as the scene is not overly contrasty, I just keep the RAW for reference and take the JPEG straight out of the box. Saves me a lot of time post processing. When I need a no fuss camera for everyday use, I take the Fuji. When I need to slow down and be more deliberate, I take the Leica. Because the Fuji is so good for it’s pricepoint, I’m now debating myself whether I keep the Leica or go to GFX 50r instead.
In the raw test, there's hardly any difference between the two. The leica in some shots have a slightly more saturated look in the reds but it's not a lot. I'm happy that the xt3's raw color is clinically neutral and gives a lot of room during editing. On the Jpeg test, letter B(leica) is indeed great, natural skin tone and pleasing reds,browns BUT I also noticed that there's a bit of a warm push on everything. Letter C(provia) provides a more controlled saturation overall and is what I prefer to use.
Andrew, thank you so much for doing these blind tests. Not many youtubers,especially those with big hat sponsorships are willing to do this because an A/B blind test is the ULTIMATE solution in comparing products devoid of any involuntary bias(think of a same cup of coffee,one drank at home,the other drank at starbucks,the coffee at SB will taste better because your brain involuntarily alters what you taste because of what your eyes see. It's called the McGurk effect and nobody is immune from it.). An A/B test is very bad news for companies that rely on brand name and influencer hype to sell their really expensive stuff *cough cough leica,apple* . I hope my brief observations help you in scratching that red dot itch. Also, I think comparing a leica monochrome vs. fuji bnw simulation would be a lopsided test in favor of the leica. Since the leica is a true monochrome sensor, it has more micro contrast than the fuji which sees color via a CFA that cuts light. Still,maybe in a blind test these differences may or may not be visible to the naked eye, only one way to find out lol.
Exactly
Also, that's a good point regarding the monochrome test
But also in the RAW test Fuji is lacking sharpness very much. I own XT2 myself and I always want more sharpness straight out of the camera, but oh well.
My takeaway from this is that if you have an XT-3 don't sell it for a Leica and vice versa. The images were definitely different and I did like some more than others, but none sucked.
I had a dominate Leica vote. YET...it wasn't enough cause they are both beautiful. So comparing prices...Leica isn't worth it the price.
It probably isn't but getting to that conclusion purely on raw colors isn't a good idea :) There's more to those cameras than colors which can be easily changed.
In most cases I could pick out the Leica especially with the jpeg photos. However to me there are many other factors than the color philosophy to concern myself with. I think that Leica makes a fine photographic tool but I seriously doubt that it would help me to make better photographs. In many of those photos I actually prefer the Fuji versions. I have began experimenting more with different recipes in camera in order to get certain looks. I am very pleased with the results I am getting out of Fuji cameras.
You should compare SOOC images
instead of intrepretation of RAW software.
I did both
They were all too close to determine a strong preference😁. For me it comes down to the camera features and how it feels in the hand, not to mention cost, etc. I still prefer Leica M manual focus over Fuji focus-by-wire. Peace!
I love my Fujifilm.
A - 14
B - 12
C - 7
D - 9
A - 11
B - 6
C - 7
But interesting. I disliked using Chrome on my photos but I blindly picked almost 11 chromes. Well gotta try it when I shoot tomorrow.
RAW: 16 Leica Lightroom - 16 Fuji C1
JPG: 7 Leica - 8 Fuji
😄
On RAW it was basically a 50/50.
And it was fun to see that when I prefered Fuji Raw in LR I also prefered it in C1 and Vice Versa in almost all pictures!?
On Jpegs it was more Fuji
It depended a lot with the subject. (skin tones, and which type of skin; Sky; Greens, etc)
Great job with all the diversity of pictures!! You really deserved a lot more views/attention for all the work you do. One can really see so much work and passion.
Happy Fuji XT3 user here.
For landscapes I edit RAWs in C1 although I use the ICC+Curve from Fuji as a starting point. And I have that in mind when taking the picture.
For "on the go, everyday, quick stuff I don't want to spend a night editing" things, JPEGs and have already spent quite a bit of time with the in camera settings for all situations.
Really loving the fact that I have so much flexibility to change the looks straight out of camera... sometimes I even get surprised with things I would never do by myself (Velvia really surprises me sometimes).
Soooo Leica no Leica ghost here regardless of the results from this test.
I'm a sucker for Classic Chrome and picked it out immediately when I saw the photos. I just love the tones of CC. I got 3 different Classic Chrome profiles on my X-T2. One 'default', one with colours +4 and strong added contrast and a last one with just a minor +1 and +2 in shadows and highlights just for a little extra pop in contrast. These are my profiles I use 90% of the time.
I had them right:) I did a test on Leica vs Sony a few years ago and I noticed that Leica has slightly darker red magenta and blue; green being pushed to extreme dark; while rendering yellow and cyan lighter. I adjust my Sony picture profile to reproduce the same Leica color straight out of camera. Also the blue in Leica’s sky has a bit of purple in it. I think the same conclusion can be found in this comparison between Leica and Fuji.
I can say that from the jpg images, I really preferred the provia. Couldn't really make a clear choice when it came to the raw files though
To me the RAWs were often so close that I just went with a slight preference at first glance. The results were heavily weighted to the Leica images. For JPEGS, 2/3 of my picks were Fuji Provia. That’s interesting to me since I frequently shoot Classic Chrome on my X100F and X-T30. this motivated me to try some comparison shots of my own.
Interesting. Though keep in mind nearly half of the shots were portraits, and would tend to scew toward portraits over classic chrome, since that what it was designed for
I know this video is a few years old, but it still was really enjoyable.
I personally found myself going "I like B a touch more" and then immediately after saying "Oh but in Capture One, C was my favorite". Fuji wasn't without any wins, but it looks like Leica wins the RAW comparison for me overall.
That being said, I flipped during the JPEG test. Fuji's Provia Sim gave my favorite result in almost every shot. I've been looking at an XPro2 for a few weeks now and am going to pick one up as an EDC camera. I would have probably overlooked Provia. Now I will 100% try it out for my own work.
Thanks for the video 👍
Difference are really small I think. Nothing impossible to adjust in post. Sometimes more red, sometimes more green. Only one picture I noticed too much red or magenta on the face of the little girl, all the rest to me are pretty OK. Ps I enjoy the 16 1.4 but I would like to try a 18 1.4 on fuji.
I found in RaW, the Leica was a hands down winner - and I just sold my Q to buy a fuji pro II and a couple of lenses> UGH!
RAW: my favorites are Leica&LR (14x); Fuji&C1 (10x) - the last is Fuji&LR (picked 1x only)
JPG: my favorites are Leica Std. (7x); Fuji Provia (5x)
My cameras are Fuji XE-1 and X-T2, and I chose to set to Velvia, ProNegHi, or Astia.
Nice. Thanks for the video mate. I have a feeling that Lightroom colours are pretty similar regardless of camera. Sometimes I’d like to go as far as saying using Lightroom is leaving a bigger mark than the cameras.
I definitely felt the difference of the two cameras, and managed to guess correctly. Although I was really surprised at how minor the differences were in this test.
I remember seeing Kai shooting Leica once, and I was shocked at how good the photos were. He rarely shoots great photos, lol.. but with the Leica he was brilliant. That one really left a long lasting “pro Leica” impression on me.
I remember that episode w/ Kai. 😂
RAW: Leica 9 (4lightroom, 5 c1) Fuji 7 (4lightroom, 3c1).
JPEG: Provia 7, Classic chrome 1, Leica standard 7.
And I was sure that capture one together with classic chrome was the best. LOL.
wow! sweet blind test! I expected B to be Leica in the LR comparison and expected C to be the Fujifilm in the capture one comparison since I assumed the extra punch was what was drawing fujifilm shooters to capture one. Didn't expect Leica imho to outshine fuji in both software.
I prefer the reds and blues of Provia, Chrome and Leica were pretty close only the Leica had more magenta reds and more purple blues, chrome has that orange red and teal blue. You can see it best in skies and artificial red things. Maybe Pro Neg Hi would have a closer colour match to Leica especially on X-Trans III and up.
For me personally:
Provia
Leica
Chrome
I still think Astia is better than all three though, so I'm saving me some money.
Wow, I'm a Fujifilm and Sony shooter but my pers. fav. based on my notes of this test just blew me away. 19 Leica vs. 13 Fuji RAW makes the Leica a clear winner for me. More pop and saturation in a good way. On the jpg side of things 10 Leica files beating up 5 Fujifilm jpg again speaks for itself. So Leica guys no snobs? Still, the price tag is making me shy off. Thank you for this interesting test.
Great video! My results were
FUJI LIGHTROOM: 8
LEICA LIGHTROOM 7
LEICA CAPTURE ONE: 10
FUJI CAPTURE ONE: 6
(I left one comparison out because I couldn't tell the difference)
CLASSIC CHROME: 1
LEICA: 8
PROVIA: 6
This was super interesting for me. As a new Fuji XT30 shooter, (who mostly shoots in Velvia) but I loved more Lecia images than I expected. Funny because at purchase time, I adored the Q. It's also interesting that out of the Fuji ones, I preferred more of the LR ones. Not what I expected as I was planning to move to Capture One soon. The difference was very subtle for me, the only shot that I thought was really far ahead was the shot @11:32. Super fun video which was super informative about my own preferences and workflow. Great job!
Wow. It’s hard to tell, but it seems like CaptureOne reduces the contrast a bit and possibly extends the dynamic range in the shot. Maybe that’s just the result of reducing contrast (shadows get lighter and highlights get darker).
I think it’s clear that CaptureOne renders Fuji files much better with color and contrast.
It seems like there is a hint of more magenta in the Fuji files and they are faintly cooler. There is a hint more of green in the Leica files and they are faintly warmer. Leica also creates a slightly more saturated image.
However, this assessment reverses itself once we get to the first image of the girl in the white chair. So, I’m not convinced that the color rendering between cameras is dramatically different (aside from saturation). And what does it matter when we are shooting RAW and creating the look that we want anyways.
The Leica lens might have a sharpness edge here.
As far as the JPGs go, they are all great.
This video totally killed my interest into exploring Leica. I respect the Leica and I think it’s an amazing camera system. I agree that it takes awesome images and has amazing glass.
For me, I’ve grown accustomed to using different Fuji Film simulations for different shooting situations. I find that being able to do this helps me better see the shot. Even if I’m delivering color, I might switch to Acros if I feel that the colors are too distracting during the shot. I’ve also found that Classic Chrome is amazing when there is a lot of yellow in the frame (just a personal preference).
I’d state that the Fuji system is simply more expressive due to its film simulations. Yes, the Leica is rad, and it delivers on simply creating bad ass images consistently with no fuss. I’m just even more assured that my xt3 is the best tool for how I like to work (at the moment).
Fantastic video. Thanks for all the hard work. Much respect.
I'm so glad you were able to glean so many insights from the video. Super rewarding for me. Best of luck!
I have been following you for quite a long time and I love your videos and photography. Surprisingly, I managed to understand which photos were Leica and which were Fuji quite easily. Leica's photos have more saturated colors (especially blue) and more contrast both in RAWs and JPG. I think this make them the favorite choice for many people. As Fuji shooter I must admit that Leica colors are great but I am not convinced with skin tones that I think are more accurate with Fuji.
Anyway great video! I just pretty sure you made confusion with some JPG photos (eg the bus pictures are A=Leica and B=CC)
On the raw side of things it was a 50/50 for me, but JPEG I had a slight preference for fuji
First off, I rarely if ever comment on TH-cam videos, but I wanted too this time because I was very interested in these results. I've heard a lot about the "Leica colors" and was curious how I would react when seeing them compared to Fuji.
For LR Raws I overwhelmingly preferred the Leica images(14/2), and for C1 I almost always preferred the Fuji (13/3).
For Jpgs Fuji Provia narrowly won out(8/7), with Leica Taking a strong second and CC coming in way behind.
So good to know I will be happy with either!
One request though, when you do the monochrome video, could you include the monochrome profile as well as acros? My favorite BnW film sim is Mono+R with +2 Shadow strength. It compares quite nicely with Acros in my opinion.
Keep up the good work and thanks for giving us great content!
Thanks. Great suggestion
i have both cameras, fuxi xpro2 and leica q, really don't know which one to use. I found fuji is better for inside shots, leica for outdoor shoting. Leica has magenta tendency and fuji is more consistent with color. For landscape i like leica more but for portrait in my case fuji is a little better. But difference is so subtle that better chosing the camera you like the most
I love the Fuji color more actually, you can spot Leica's red is just a little bit magenta tinted and more saturated (relatively speaking). However color isn't a big deal for me, since you can always grade them later if you hate them (which I ).
I still maybe want a Leica Q just for the experience.
Well that saved me £3500. I thought the Fuji shots were a bit less contrasty, a bit warmer and less saturated than the Leica and overall looking more natural. I'll stick with my XT20 but the Leica 28mm /1.7 lens does seem quite tasty.
Happy to say that as soon as there was a piece of sky in the frame it was pretty easy to identify Classic Chrome, Provia and in consequence the Leica JPG. I personally prefer Classic Chrome but that might simply be because I myself am shooting it all the time... probably a hen and the egg thing... When it comes to the raw files I didn’t see much of a difference. I mean, of course there were differences but I probably wouldn’t have noticed them if I hadn’t seen the pictures side by side. Plus, the differences in framing and depth of field weigh way more heavy than the differences in raw color... but that’s just my opinion... Nice video, good job 👍
Scratching the itch is why I keep one around. You can only remember how frustrating it is (analogue side) for so long before the shiny itch returns.
Great video. Im surprised how close they are. I have the same “Leica ghost” indside, but have to say I am happy to see that that Fuji colors are sooo great :-)
I love that you contribute to the greater community. I hate being critical in type, it doesn't reflect a tone, so by all means take this as a helpful tone.
There is little reason to compare RAW files. Fuji shoot RAF raw files..leica shoot DNG raw files. They are just data, there is no image so to speak. Depending on what editor you use, the raw file will change depending on how the raw processor interprets that binary data. The Leica uses a bayer sensor, the fuji uses their propriety X-trans. Light room was always going to excel at interpreting a Bayer sensor and DNG file over a specific, unique sensor array. To this end, it is like comparing two different reading glasses at +1 magnification on two different people with two different eye sight levels. I appreciate very much you added a double blind by adding capture 1, but it only highlights my original claim. The difference in RAF raw from light room,/capture one were more evenish,..but when I view RAF through on1 raw/luminar and Capture one fuji pro..again you can see noticeable shifts, particularly with the colour's orange and blue.
However in the jpegs, being a fuji user it was fairly straight forward for me to recognize the Fuji's..again it is in the blues and oranges. Fuji have had one person determine their colours for the last 50 years, and his 'signature' is in how blue and orange are rendered. Fuji narrow blue and green spectrum's and make the transition between the two have a large margin of a minty teal. The pet dog photos showcase what I am talking about the best. the dogs fur in the leica is overall the most even..whereas the fuji jpegs wash a lot more yellows and reds. yellow in the chrome/red in the provia. The back ground teal wall has more brightness and vibrancy in the fuji jpegs.
If you shine light through a prism and get it to cast the light spectrum, and photograph it with each of the fuji jpegs, you can see how each film sim plays with colours and how it renders each spectrum. Proneg standard is the least altered and most muted...velvia is the most altered and saturated..however a lot of them all channel mix green/blue towards teal..and either suppress purple/violet and move them closer to blue, or move yellow/red closer to orange.
Overall its a good comparison of brands, as fuji and leica have had a more open policy on colour over image I.Q alone..it does illustrate though, that depending on your preference, your editor of choice will make a big difference in retaining fidelity of image.
I fully agree, and a few people have gotten your final point: that your choice of raw processor matters, perhaps, more than your choice of brand's "color science" (unless you shoot JPG). I always hope people will get the point that when they shoot RAW, it's fairly arbitrary what system they use these days (when it comes to color), and arguing about whose color is best (again, when they shoot RAW) is a meaningless argument. But the comments show, instead, that people either feel validated or disconcerted by the results. In future videos, it might be a point worth driving home more, though I doubt it will matter for most people :)
@@AndrewGoodCamera I hear ya. The photographic community, particularly younger members (No insult to them, but an observation) Tend to forget that having good dynamic range is a good thing to have. Having nicely rendered colours and clean captured highlights and shadows is a nice thing to have. It is nice to have nice things...but its the image content that is important. Credible content remains credible.
Also worth noting that (in my experience anyway) even different Fuji lenses can give different colours. The same with contrast too - some give more contrast than others - and ultimately even this can affect perceived differences. But as an example, presets I create say for based on images I’ve shot with the XF16 f/1.4 don’t give the same look on images with others lenses. Am I just taking it too far now? 🤣
Nice!!! For Lightroom I chose all Leica, for capture one I chose all Fuji and for jpeg I didn't pick Leica at all! Guess my taste is what I already use! Fuji Classic Chrome and Capture One. I've had my eye on Leica cameras for a few months now, guess I'll stick to my X-T3 because that's what I prefer.
Oof, more itchy than before now.
I only shoot Fuji nowadays but I'm surprised at just how much I apparently like those Leica RAWs, especially processed in Lightroom. JPEGs were pretty much evenly matched between the two brands.
If I had the money I'd definitely get a digital M, but only _in addition to_ my Fujifilm gear. Can't beat the overall Fuji user experience IMO (more than any technical spec the reason I use these cameras).
The blues and reds look so much more vibrent on the leica’s! I wonder if you can get the same look with fuji?
I think astia maybe a lot closer to leica colors?!
I'll admit I was surprised and actually liked Leica :) (Fuji user here) when it comes to RAW. JPEG? Fuji
In RAW I chose Leica over Fuji, in JPEG I chose Fuji more often but it was close. I believe for the money you can achieve just as good quality with Fuji in post processing which to me does not justify the higher expense of Leica. Monochrome would be an interesting comparison, Leica M10 vs Fuji Acros. I really do love Fuji Acros.
Do the Acros vs a True Monochrome Camera. I believe you will definitely see more inner tonal detail in the Leica Monochrome. But this is a test I’ve been wanting to see for a long time .
KEH you rock !
I thought the RAW files were very close, but constantly chose the Leica files. However on the jpegs I mostly preferred the Provia film simulation from Fuji. Thanks for the comparison, very interesting outcome. I think both are great options and it would be very difficult to differentiate one from the other in most cases
Same here.
Well... I preferred the Leica in damn near every single shot. This terrifies me as a Sony user that doesn't want to spend more money.
Hi Andrew - Your content continues to amaze me. Super interesting. I too have the Leica itch. I have identified the Leica CL and 23mm F2 Summicron which I can just about afford via the used market. May I ask some questions please ?
Do you think the quality of the Leica Q lens influenced the clarity and colour perception of the images ?
Have you used the Leica CL and 23mm F2 Summicron or do you know of anybody who has and what were their thoughts ?
And finally ...... Am I right in assuming the CL is likely to carry that unique Leica colour signature ?
Kind regards, Adam
They are very close, but I choose most from Fuji images. :-)
I liked the slightly orange tinge to some of the Fuji colors. I think it looks more filmic. But, some of the time it was impossible to see a difference. For me I think about Leica a lot too. But this made me realize color wise I’m happy where I’m at.
Honest question, if you were choosing between the Leica SL2 or the Hasselblad x1DII...which direction would you go?
I was confused even after finding out about the identity behind each letter. Anyway, what this tells me is that if I rely on the color science or any other technical feature of any brand to think that I'll be a better photographer then I am missing the point. What's important is the scenario where I want to be with that camera in my hands and what I will capture.
I chose Leica Lightroom 98% of the time for raw in LR and Fuji 50% of the time C1. I found that interesting because I shoot primarily Leica and I hate LR, I only use C1. At the same time, I've been seriously interested in Fuji for a while now which is how I found your channel. Debating on selling a Leica lens I don't use that can probably fund a whole fuji kit now.
WOW. i picked 10 Fuji, 3 Leica and the rest 50/50 (RAW only). I own Fuji GFX 50s and wanted a back up camera. Now i think Fuji X-Pro 3 is the one lol. Thank you for saving me money ;)
If you had to choose between xt1+23 f1.4 R for 800e and Leica Q for 2000,what would you pick?
great video ! i hated my results ,i picked the leica both on RAW and on JPG. IMHO , by the end of the day Leica is superior but most of us cant really afford it.
I really appreciate this video I was wondering if I had just fallen for the Leica marketing but this test really made it clear to me which color science I prefer. I chose the Leica for both RAW (with both Lightroom and Capture One) and JPG. I was worried that I liked different cameras when switching between Lightroom and Capture One and was relieved to learn you switched sides for Capture One.
I do wish I preferred the Fujifilm so I could save some money, alas that is not to be.
Very interesting. For it proves that Capture One is better than Lightroom when dealing with RAW files. ( I would love Capture One to have a cloud and iOS option. I would definitely move from lightroom to Capture One.) I found that discarding the Classic Chrome images was much easier than the rest. I have tried and tried to love that film simulation but always end up going back and re-editing it. I love my XT3 and although I no longer have a Leica camera, I do have Leica glass. The comparisons are extremely close and shows, we should concentrate more on taking pictures, rather than getting ate up on colour science and camera gear. An extremely good video. Well done.
Haven't watched this through yet, BUT adding an adapted solution via M-mount to Fuji X-Mount to the mix would get you to the most informed conclusion in the shortest period of time.
Not sure I can agree with that. Part of a brand's color philosophy has to do with lens coating. Putting a non Fuji lens on a Fuji device would sort of defeat the purpose.
I'm grabbing popcorn, what a fun topic! So thankful for you guys.
I preferred Fuji in about 1/3 of the images, and Leica in about 2/3. Leica was the winner but it was pretty close. The images weren't on the screen long enough to really inspect closely so it was a "gut" reaction and truly most of the images were close enough in color that other factors (composition, facial expressions) probably influenced my choice as much as the actual color. I did not find a clear preference for Capture One, and I really expected that I would. I find I get better results with Capture One easier than with Lightroom.
Great video. I run both systems (MP240 and Xpro2) and I did my own analysis like this once. I genuinely liked the Leica files better in almost all cases. There’s a particular snap or clarity about them. I’m not sure if it’s the sensor, or the lenses....but it is there. The Fuji is my JPG machine and go-to if I think I need AF or high ISO. It IS a bit like picking a paint color for a wall at the store...we have all been there. Sit and stare at a row of similar paint colors...agonize over which we like better...but at the end of the day...just pick one and enjoy it. I’d be perfectly happy with the Fuji if I needed to. I’m some ways it’s a far more versatile camera than an M.
I've played the game and my results for the RAW files are:
A (Fuji + Lightroom) = 11
B (Leica + Lightroom) = 5
C (Leica + Capture One) = 13
D (Fuji + Capture One) = 3
I am actually a Fuji X100T + Lightroom photographer, dreaming one day of Capture One + Leica (or Zeiss or Voigtländer... ;-)
I've been shooting Fuji since 2011 and use LR. In Fuji forums people swear by Capture One but I was surprised to find my results very similar to yours. A and C, I felt, were on the money. Interesting what blind tests actually reveal. Great exercise!
Raw: 22 Leica, 9 Fuji. JPEG: 10 Fuji, 5 Leica. For JPEG, I think having two Fuji choices compared to one Leica might throw off the average. Also having three choices next to each other may make a person choose differently (I took some psychology classes =D). Pretty surprised how I was consistently choosing Leica for RAW (subconsciously it's maybe that I have the same itch, but I prefer the Fuji price point, haha).
I knew which one was Leica immediately, but something that interested me more than the colors (colors can be changed, after all) was a certain sharpness to the image. Maybe I’m fanboying over the lens choice? In any case, I did prefer the fuji for portraits and people, definitely. For everything else I’d have to say the Leica looked better imo. In all, I would rather buy an xpro3, but I really wish it had a full frame sensor
I’ve selected Leica all the time. Maybe it’s the striking red or contrast. Thanks for a great video!
Fuji Rocks ! Like D. Jpeg on Fuji = More time to shoot, less time in post, game changer !
Funny, I'm a photography enthusiast, and came across this video by typing "Leica vs Fuji" in Google...in almost every AB/CD, I picked A and D. Except for the fruit pictures. The Leica pics seemed artificially colored. Think along the lines of an OLED display vs LCD. Pretty interesting. It seems, to me, that the Fuji captures the essence of an object. For example, the red scooter looked like it had dust on it (probably from the reflection of the dirt around it) as did the....Ducati? I think it was a Duc. Pretty impressive.
On Lightroom raw it was 9 x B vs. 4 x A (on one I couldn't make my mind up) so a clear win for Leica, on Capture One it was a tie (7 each for C and D). On the JPEGs it was 3 x A (Fuji Chrome), 9 x B (Leica), 3 x C (Fuji Provia). The "reasoning" behind this was: The Leica colors are a bit brighter and slightly more saturated, nice for most subjects. But not for people, where the Leica pictures were reddish, and the Fujis more natural looking. -- So in the end it might be a case of choosing the right tool for the right job!
Great analysis and conclusions
I found my preference was almost unanimous towards Fuji RAW in lightroom, however I tended more to Leica RAW in capture one....
Thank you! At the end of the day it's all about personal preference but as much as I think nothing beats the M Monochrom when it comes to black and white, I think Fujifilm handles colors better than anybody else
Die-hard fuji x-t3 user. Leica basically beat Fuji 2 to 1 for raw files. Classic chrome had a slight edge on Leica, Provia took 2 votes. A new appreciation for Leica!
I own both Fuji and a Leica Q. In the blind test I like the Q pics best. In my own photo I prefer the Leica better as well, but was never sure since I didn’t take the same pics with both brands..
Thank you Andrew, this work is perfect! What I got is that I like Leica colors more (both raw and jpeg, not a big distance though) but what was revealed to me is that Classic Chrome will sweeten a bit my hunger for Leica colors. No doubt here. I liked Classic Chrome very much long before this test, the surprise is that having it on at least X100F Fujifilm camera would be enough to trick myself in having something similar to Leica. Actually, is what I secretly hoped for. Thank you again! So with such camera, I'll set on custom Classic Chrome with a bit of saturation.
But for me, the depth of the image (probably Leica lenses) and fullframe look will add what I miss from APS-C sensors.
22 August.... my family was in vacation... I missed this one...
To me at least, the main difference is the focal falloff. Saturation and contrast can be tweaked to one's liking. Until I can afford to drop close to three grand on a stills camera, I'll be sticking with Fuji.
Now, I wonder how R glass on your Fuji would do? I have an old Samsung NX3000 and my Sony and use my R glass and on both sensors in Raw I feel I get "leica colors". I chose the Leica in every instance in your test, but agree, in Raw it's very tweakable to get super close. I know and respect Fuji for doing good JPG color profiles but have never liked them, especially compared to Leica JPG's. Great comparison! Of course I'm a glutton for punishment and still use my DP2 Merrill for color work, especially street portraits. Nothing beats Foveon in color, but you have to process them as the JPG's SOOC are meh.
Nice...
As for Sony, Sony is more obsessed with "flush tint" and to appease the lighter coloured skin people tweak the red and yellow (Or some other similar combination) a wee bit up... some times this tweak give a painted effect, as is done on make up room... this "Sony effect" is not just confined to cameras, both still and videos but also to Sony Tvs, which are horrible to look at...
Wow...i have Leica M9s and Fuji X100 / x70s and I usually shoot Leica in RAW/Lightroom whilst Fuji I just shoot JPEG. And that's exactly what i preferred. I picked Leica in RAW both C1&Lightroom. And for JPEG, I prefer Provia and Classic Chrome. I guess I'm doing what I like already!
Nice
Having used the Leica Q, it was very obvious which ones were from the Leica. I've seen Fuji photos online, so it was obvious which ones were Fuji too, based on the slight fade and the tendency towards cyan, bluish greens and orangish reds while the Leica had somewhat truer colours with deep red and blues. The WB on the Leicas are cooler too. The other interesting bit is how good Capture One is. The raws processed in CO were closer but still differentiable and since the photos were simply switched, it was easier to tell. I'm quite keen on the Fuji now too, maybe with one lens. This is for exactly the reason you mentioned in the end, not to chase the trend in processing and try to photograph like using a film stock. Nice video. You should have more subs.
Well, I thought RAW A was a Leica. I was like 100% convinced. Thanks again for great content, Andrew!
Unlike the canon vs fuji blind test where the raws I prefer a little more canon´s, and jpgs 99% fuji´s, in this test both, raws and jpgs, was 95% better for me leica. I will do the fuji/sony now :) Thanks for all your videos! really really good!