3FR files.

[SrMi]

When it comes to the relationship between 3FR and FFF files, I use a simple consideration: I can create FFF from 3FR, but not viceversa, so I only keep the 3FR files in a Lightroom Catalog and, for the images I plan to edit and release, I create the intermediate FFF file, do some minor corrections in Phocus, export to TIFF, 16bit, Source color space, then add the TIFF to the Lightroom catalog ready for future processing in LR/PS and delete the FFF file (since I can always recreate it on demand if necessary).

This workflow seems pretty optimal because most of the steps (eg reimporting the TIFF file in LR) is automated and does not require human intervention, while I can preserve the optimal IQ delivered by using Phocus to process the original raw files, but, since I keep the original raw data, I can take advantage of potential future software improvements in the 3FR to FFF conversion.

Why do you need 3FR files when you have FFF? LrC handles FFF files as well as 3FR files. 3FR to FFF conversion does not alter the original data. The data is only losslessly compressed (FFF also allows Phocus instructions to be stored).

[fcarucci]

Why do you need 3FR files when you have FFF? LrC handles FFF files as well as 3FR files. 3FR to FFF conversion does not alter the original data. The data is only losslessly compressed (FFF also allows Phocus instructions to be stored).

I'm sure it's totally fine to keep the FFFs instead, it's just one less step for me to import the 3FR from the camera into LR and only convert the (few) images I want to work on. When I'm in the studio and I shoot tethered, I import the FFFs for example, because that's what I end up in the "Capture Folder" within Phocus, so I import that one which doesn't need the camera. I try to optimize for the workflow and for making sure all my images are backed up automatically without any manual intervention.

I might tweak the workflow though and end up keeping only FFFs though, you make some good points.

[o2mpx]

Caveating being a X2D newbie, if all I'm looking for is a basic starting point, where XCD lens corrections are applied, and whatever, if any, special color magic Hasselblad has, before doing edits on color, brightness, keystone etc, would the workflow be:

Phocus import 3FR and convert to 3FF then, export 3FF to TIFF and use Luminar Neo or other editors to make final edits?

Just to be clear, if 3FF is exported to DNG to begin final edits, the "foundational" components such as lens corrections, Hasselblad color etc, will be not be there to start so TIFF is the only way despite large file size.

Thanks for any comments.

[JCM-Photos]

Phocus is able to do 90% of all edits with the best possible image quality, inclusive 2 different RAW engines with very different moods, keystoning, color grading, special color profiles building, the best lens corrections for All Hasselblad optics including V system, H system, X-Pan, layers with masks, dodge and burn, B&W conversion, adding vignettes etc.

One of the only points where Phocus does a bad job is despoting. (3FR files are discarded, edited fff files are archived)

After the Phocus job I export a 16 bit Prophoto RGB TIFF that goes in Affinity Photo (or Photoshop, GIMP) that are the only softwares that can do all possible jobs, I do in it mainly despoting, removal of unwanted details...

For some special jobs there are Topaz denoising, ... Helicon Phocus for stacking, panorama software...

edited 16 bit TIFF's are also archived.

For books or zines the final files go to Affinity Publisher

For printing it's Epson Print Layout that has the best performance with Epson printers

That's my workflow

[tenmangu81]

Luminar Neo doesn't seem to me the best processing software if you want to keep "natural" colours.
The two possibilities are:
1) As stated by JCM, process your files as far as possible with Phocus, which preserves colours and applies the best lens corrections, then finish the job with Photoshop or Affinity.
2) Import your .3FR files and export them as .fff without any processing, then open the .fff files within Lightroom, which preserves the colours but doesn't apply as extensive lens corrections as does Phocus. And finish the job with Photoshop for better local corrections, when needed.

DNG files exported by Phocus are definitely not the good way to proceed, as they don't keep original colours nor lens corrections when opening with an other software, and TIFF files are not as flexible as RAW as far as basic adjustments are concerned.

[JCM-Photos]

Phocus is quite magical with lens corrections, especially with X-Pan lenses that don't perform that great without but come out very good after Phocus processing.

Zeiss V lenses that have a bit of chromatic aberrations (wide angles) are really fully corrected in Phocus, leaving that special incredible Hasselblad Zeiss mood, a bit less surgical as XCD lenses and a lot of details.

[JCM-Photos]

The problem not seeing 3FR thumbnails seems to be specific to certain Mac computers ?

I have really no problem seeing them on my Windows 10 machines (a HP desktop and a MSI laptop), and even on the iPad with the DJI CoPilot HDD I use when travelling (Hasselblad SD card backup on the CoPilot)

The main problem for me is that even on an HDD wired to the iPad X1D and 3FR files are not compatible with Phocus mobile 2, but they are with Affinity for iPad 😉

[o2mpx]

A viable option seems to be take a more mobile vs desktop workflow.

Import 3FR files into Phocus Mobile 2 on iPad Pro, which I still don't know upon import, do lens corrections and color get applied automatically, or one has to explicitly check the options, and then:

Output to TIFF for other editing programs - or

Finish all edits natively on Phocus Mobile 2 - seems there's quite a bit of editing functionalities - and then output in jpeg, or TIFF.

Ideally would prefer being able to output also to PNG but that doesn't seem to be there.

Plan to study up on Phocus Mobile 2 and see if I can change workflow from desktop on Mac, to an iPad.

Perhaps it's time to be converting to mobile; certainly can lighten up travel gear not having to carry a MacBook Pro.

[JCM-Photos]

3FR files edited in mobile 2 store all editing steps done in mobile 2 and when importing in phocus desktop as fff you have the option of taking account of the mobile 2 editing or nor not simply by ticking a box.

In my opinion mobile 2 editing is just a rough approach for immediate web publishing as it has way less functions and possibilities than Phocus desktop. So mobile 2 editing can be an intermediate step, but not the final step in raw editing Hasselblad files.

[o2mpx]

JCM-Photos is absolutely right Mobile 2 is an interim step.

Tried it and found it's missing keystone and geometric adjustments which is mandatory for my wide angle shots. Additionally would want to apply gps data.

Looks like I'll need to use Phocus on desktop as the editor for perspective adjustments and output to TIFF or jpeg but still have no solution for ingesting gps from a logger, nor having 1 file type for storage since prior to the X2D, all files were shot with Leica on DNGs.

Perhaps I can find a file converter for TIFFs into DNG that would retain color and other Hasselblad file qualities.

Thinking this through, welcome any suggestions on how to have 1 common workflow that can be used for both Leica and Hasselblad setups.

[JCM-Photos]

I too shoot Leica and Hassy, for Leica I simply use  C1 in place of Phocus and proceed the same way in Affinity with TIFF's.

I work in C1 with sessions and in order to simplify the asset management I use for my Hasselblad files a folders structure analog to  C1 sessions (without any data base like C1 does it).

[tenmangu81]

Thinking this through, welcome any suggestions on how to have 1 common workflow that can be used for both Leica and Hasselblad setups.

Adobe softwares, maybe.... It is not the perfect solution, but almost.

[o2mpx]

I under-estimated the change needed in the workflow adding Hasselblad to complement existing Leica setup.

Approach was to minimize edits so from Leica DNG's from M or SL, GeoTag Photos gps data taken while shooting would be combined, culling done in ApolloOne, before running through DXO Pure Raw, along with those taken with iPhone, all DNG's imported into PhotoLibrary for edits with Apple Photos/Luminar Leo, subsequently shared through iCloud albums with friends.

Now with 3FR's, import into Phocus Desktop for export into 3FF's, culling can be done with ApolloOne as it reads 3FF's fine - but to include gps data, and subsequent import into Apple PhotoLibrary for edits/sharing, 3FF's need to be exported into DNG's - with the major downside, as I understand it, not having lens correction or HNCS benefits since those are not retained when 3FF's are exported to DNG's.

Haven't dug into the difference b/t a native 3FF containing lens corrections + HNCS + Phocus edits vs 3FF exported to DNG + DXO Pure Raw + Apple/Luminar Leo.

[tenmangu81]

Looks to me very, very complicated !!

[o2mpx]

Indeed, there are moments that perhaps all I need is a Q2...