Pen F Profiles with DXO FilmPack 5

Last Update: 7th Aug 2021

Introduction

Ever wondered what it's like to work with Fuji film simulations on your Olympus camera? Do you like to have more flexibility or are you happy with the standard camera adjustments, like sharpness, saturation, and the WB sliders? With the Olympus Pen-F and E-P7, it's possible to create Color and Monochrome Profiles in the camera.

For example, I was curious about these film simulations in Fuji cameras, so I tried the Fuji XT-10. The Fuji simulations are interesting and they are fun to use. The downside, it's not possible to fine-tune these profiles. You literally end up with the same look as any other Fuji photographer. The benefit of using Fuji film simulations, these are complex profiles and ready to use.

It is possible to create similarly complex film simulations in WorkSpace because the Color Creator in WorkSpace allows the photographer to set the saturation, hue, and brightness. With the Pen-F and the E-P7, it's only possible to adjust saturation with the Color Creator. 

See this article for more on Enhanced Raw files...

This article describes a unique method to create your own color profiles. I created different color cards with DxO FilmPak 5, and each of these color cards represents a different film simulation. Included is a standard "neutral" color card with no film look.

Probably the most important piece of advice I could pass on is to allow yourself lots of time. If you are new to creative color concepts, allow yourself lots of time and practice. It literally took me months of studying, practicing, going back to articles I read before, and to keep trying. The same is true for WorkSpace. It's a remarkable piece of software once you master it. I can only encourage readers to keep on studying my article and to keep on practicing. It's so much fun when you win...

Why create Fuji or Kodak film simulations for the Pen F?

DxO claims that..... "DxO FilmPack 5, faithfully applies legendary color-negatives, black and white film presets or slide film presets for digital images."

FilmPack 5 has different Kodak, Agfa, and Fuji film presets. The user can further modify these presets and save them as personalized profiles. If you asked me, I personally prefer working with FilmPack 5. The only reason I develop my own "scaled-down" Pen F profiles is the fun aspect and to have my own profiles when I am out photographing.

How to Create your own Profiles?

The secret with the Pen F is to know that you cannot simulate a film look as accurately as you would with DxO FimPack 5 or WorkSpace. Always use the raw + jpeg option on your camera so that you have the ability to edit your "Enhanced Raw" files in WorkSpace.

Further down in this article I created 5 image groups. Each group has a set of images with a master (neutral) on the left and a film simulation on the right. The process of creating your own profiles is simple. As you studying the film simulation, adjust the master until they look the same.

The final group of images is the same film simulations but now they are applied to a Spider Color Checker. You can download the master (neutral) color checker and the different film simulations here. I matched the colors on the Color Checker to colors on the Color Creator in WS. See my WS how-to page for more info on the V1.5 update and the new color additions.

Olympus WorkSpace

DxO film simulation and master color card opened in WorkSpace

To create your own profiles, open both the film simulation and the master copy in WorkSpace. The film simulation is your master and your aim is to apply the colors in the film simulation to the master copy with the WS color creator. This really is an advanced method of creating profiles and requires lots of practice. See the steps below and see if they work for you:-

• Before adjusting the master, study the 2 templates. Summarize all the differences
• Identify the dominant colors or any specific look like pastel and write it all down
• The numbers on the color card correspond with the numbers on the color creator
• It works well to start with RGB colors, followed by CMY colors, then adjust the rest
• List the steps and color sequence you think you need to follow when creating the profile
• These first few steps are important because its a process you develop and improve on
• Start with RGB colors adjusting saturation, hue & luminance, then CMY and others
• Adjust small steps at a time, finish one color before moving to the next
• Some colors have more than one number - it takes a little more time to master
• Make regular breaks - after 15 minutes they all look the same...
• The final step is to test your profiles and to compare them with the profile images
• I strongly recommend you get DXO Filmpack 5. These are still the best profiles

The best way to develop your own profiles is practice. As I listed above starting with RGB colors is one way of progressing when building your profiles. Another method that works well is, follow the above steps analyzing and prepping your new profile. Instead of starting with RGB colors, follow these steps:-

• Select "All Colors" on the creator and test if a "global" saturation change is required
• Deselect the "All Colors" and target individual colors following the next 3 steps below
• Next target all the single-digit colors and adjust them (Example is the colors marked "1")
• Next adjust colors with double numbers, where one of the numbers were one of the above
• You will see very few numbers are left to adjust after following the above sequence
• Testing and fine-tuning your new profile is critical - this takes time and patients

Keep in mind the Color Creator in WorkSpace is more powerful than the Color Creator in your Pen F. You will typically build separate profiles, one for WorkSpace using the 3 color profile options Hue, Saturation, and Brightness, and a separately simplified profile for the Pen F using only saturation.

Color Profile in WorkSpace

As said, it is a little more challenging to create profiles for the Pen F because the Pen F color profile will mainly have saturation changes. Think of combining the color creator with curves and contrast adjustments, or in special cases fine-tune the camera WB sliders to get a final look. I mostly develop my Pen F profiles with WorkSpace. When done, I enter the profile manually into my Pen F.

I keep a list of all my profiles information on my mobile phone. For more information on how to save your Pen F profiles to your PC, see my WorkSpace, how-to page (Technique #7).

The image below is from this Olympus website.

Image pulled from the web with Exif data of the profile used

See my Creative Color series Part 6, discussing how to work with color in WorkSpace. You could also consider downloading a test version of DxO FilmPack 5.

Use the master color checker to copy Fuji profiles or any other profiles you like to use as inspiration. Always have a separate master copy ready and use a "working" master to photograph or apply software profiles as inspiration when creating new profiles.

Images Group 1

Images Group 2

Images Group 3

Images Group 4

Color Checker Group

A tribute to the Olympus EM1,2 and Panasonic GH5...

Last Updated:- 2nd September 2023

The Olympus E-M1 II/III and the Panasonic GH5 are excellent cameras. Both are diverse and complex cameras with many configuration options to enable different photography and videography styles. One cannot really say one is better than the other, the choice for one or the other will depend on the application and customer needs. The same applies to micro-four-thirds cameras...

The E-M1 II photos were photographed with the GH5 and Leica 25mm F1.4 Lens, and the GH5 with the Olympus E-M1 II and the same 25mm lens. I edited the raw files with DXO Photolab 3.

Mirrorless Camera Trends, and AF techniques

Last Update: 28th July 2020

One of the previous CEOs of Olympus said during an interview in 2019 that Olympus differentiates itself from other brands with the following:-

1. MFT compactness, functionality, IQ, lens offer (See "Break Free" campaign)
2. IBIS - In-camera Image Stabilisation, not invented but perfected by Olympus
3. Olympus decided to focus on photography, functionality, and creative features
4. Unique and comprehensive lens offer / Diverse supply of M43 add-on options 

I have always enjoyed my different MFT cameras as I would any other brand or camera. I also value the smaller camera bag and/or my benefits with IBIS. It's great to go out with my Olympus f1.8 primes and to have the confidence that when I return my images will be sharp.

When we look at the different camera manufacturers today, we see that they all have a strong engineering history. It's no problem for them to plan, design, and engineer great cameras. They are all well-represented on social media, and they know how to launch new products.

We see that it's becoming more difficult for manufacturers to differentiate their products. Some used sensor size as a differentiator, promising better image quality, but as technology and software (firmware) improved the size aspect of sensors became less. See this article.

Others developed increasingly complex Auto Focus algorithms, but again as competitors catch up they quickly lose their advantage. The same is true for IBIS, high-resolution images, video, and a host of other complex and often interesting features. It's like camera manufacturers are in this constant catching-up race and make you think you watching a Formula 1 racing scenario.

We see another interesting trend happening with Leica and Fuji. Leica successfully associated their "German Quality" label with top IQ and their Leica cameras while Fuji developed a unique analog camera experience offering excellent image quality and creative features.

We basically have 3 mirrorless trends:-

1. Engineering and Technology (Some brands, each focussing on specification)
2. M43 cameras (Mix of video & creative features, size, IBIS, and  lens offer)
3. Focusing on Unique Camera look and feel, quality, and IQ (Leica and Fuji)

If you were allowed to be part of an MFT working group, how would you describe current MFT strengths and what do you like to see in the future?

Here are some ideas of current strengths and how to improve:-

1. Compactness, IBIS, and Lens offer - this is important and a big win for MFT
2. Longer Product life cycles, and regular Firmware Updates, show customer loyalty
3. Training is important for MFT photographers - Photo walks, social media, web
4. Propose different camera/lens combos - used and new - Focus on applications
5. Different Camera/Lens configurations to help us grow from Hobby to Pro level
6. Unique Olympus functions and how to improve/master all these functions
7. The Lost Opportunity - The Pen-F Creative Concept, Profiles, and Community
8. Integration with other Olympus products - Cameras, Voice Recorders, and Video
9. Expand WorkSpace connectivity, Phone/iPad Apps, Social Media, sharing Profiles
10. How to improve IQ, expand ISO functionality, AF training, improve the histogram

In 2019 Olympus made a formal listing of M43 strengths

Before we continue, see the illustration below. We all know that perspective is important. We often see the things people talk about most are not really what photographers want or need. For example, it is only when you hiking with heavy gear that people will think about weight? The list below shows what people talk about 20% of the time and the 80% you seldom see on forums.

A Different Perspective

Olympus compact camera/lens offer. The older Olympus "Break Free" slogan is "Up to half the size and weight". This is huge and welcomed by many Olympus photographers The concern we have, is Olympus shifting too much to Pro Range lenses. Pro lenses are canceling any size or weight benefits Olympus had and could even destroy the Break Free message.

Olympus In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS).  Did Olympus focus too much on marketing IBIS? They should have protected the Olympus "IBIS" brand label by quantifying the effectiveness of IBIS with an International standard. Anyone can add some kind of sensor stabilization, call it IBIS, and people will associate it with the effectiveness of the Olympus IBIS solution. All competitors that use "IBIS" in their product brochures, benefit from the research and development from Olympus.

EM5 MKII with 45mm f1,8 lens - f7.1, 1/320, ISO100 (Edit in Photoshop & Fuji Provia in DXO FilmPack 5)

As with any product, getting top results requires owners to first master the product. Sounds so basic? The same is true for M43 cameras. It needs a different style and lots of practice to prepare for using small sensor cameras on the job or photo walk.

This is especially true for photographers migrating from film 35mm SLR cameras to APC sensors or from full-frame DSLR cameras to M43 cameras. Using your M43 camera like you did your old full-frame DSLR, will not necessarily result in the best experience. For example, see how the presenter below explains how to use the ISO and in-body stabilization (IBIS) strategically.

The difference with older SLR Film cameras is, that modern photographers think of things like ISO and IBIS when setting the exposure. With older SLR cameras photographers made more effort to select the right focus points and talk about things like hyperfocal length. The reason is, that older lenses are less capable and the older AF systems were not as good as modern systems.

Studying product reviews and camera forums, one quickly thinks all cameras should have hybrid AF systems with Phase and Contrast Detection. We need more computing power, more advanced AF, and AI algorithms, and we wonder why the differences with old SLR cameras. Does this mean we do not need to consider hyperfocal distancing techniques? 

Why discuss camera focusing techniques? Simply because almost everything from here onwards will reference back to what focusing technique you select with your camera.

Different subjects or photography applications require different ways of using your camera autofocus. Wedding photographers will use their AF differently from sports or landscape photographers.

Let's study landscape, street, or residential photography. If your aim is sharp front-to-back images, things like DOF (Depth of Field) and hyper-focal length are important. For example, have a look at the OptimumCS-Pro App. To help you see the benefits of this App, go study this page. At the bottom of this page, you will find a list of 5 additional articles.

As you saw, the OptimumCS-Pro app has an interesting concept. Let's explore a little more. This concept also highlights a unique Micro Four-Thirds strength and has the potential to change the way you use your camera.

The image below was not edited or manipulated with Photoshop. I have reset the camera and only changed things like the focus frame, jpeg+raw option, and what was displayed on the screen. The jpeg output settings are default settings. I resized the image for the web.

Olympus OMD EM1 II with 17mm f1.8: ISO200, f5, 1/320