X RAW STUDIO, without the camera on the desk
Fujifilm's X RAW STUDIO is exact, because the camera does the work. That is also its catch: the camera has to be connected, and it can only use the films it has. RAF Film Lab renders the same films from the RAF alone, and can still hand a file to the camera when you want its render.
RAF Film Lab or X RAW STUDIO: which should you use?
Use X RAW STUDIO if you want the camera's exact render on a Windows or Mac computer and don't mind connecting the camera. Use RAF Film Lab to develop RAFs anywhere, including on iPad and iPhone, in films your camera never had, with a full editor on top.
| X RAW STUDIO | RAF Film Lab | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs the camera connected | Yes, over USB, for every develop | No. Camera render is optional |
| Film simulations | Only the ones that camera has | All 20, on any camera's RAF |
| Exact camera render | Yes, it is the camera's processor | Yes, when the camera is connected; otherwise about 2 ΔE from it |
| Recipe settings | All of the camera's RAW conversion settings | Film, Grain, Clarity, Dynamic Range, tone, Color Chrome and FX Blue, WB and shift |
| Masks, curves, local edits | No | Yes: subject, sky and people masks, brushes, curves, HSL, heal |
| Library and rating | Browse folders | Library with ratings, picks and Fast Cull, synced through iCloud |
| Platforms | Mac and Windows | Mac, iPad and iPhone |
| Price | Free | Free TestFlight beta |
Facts about X RAW STUDIO as we understand them in October 2026.
Why X RAW STUDIO needs the camera
X RAW STUDIO doesn't develop anything on your computer. It sends the RAF and your settings to the camera over USB, the camera's own image processor develops it, and the result comes back. That's why it matches the camera exactly, and why it can't work without the camera, or with a film the camera doesn't have.
So the camera has to be at your desk, switched on and in the right USB mode, and a body that shot the files has to be available. Every change waits for a round trip to the camera.
What RAF Film Lab does instead
RAF Film Lab reads the RAF with Apple's RAW engine and renders the film simulation itself. Each film was solved against X RAW STUDIO's own renders of 31 X100VI RAWs and lands at a median of about 2 ΔE from the camera's: Provia at 2.06, Classic Chrome and Reala Ace at 2.01. Every score.
Because it doesn't need the camera, it also doesn't need the film to be in the camera. An X-T3 RAF can be developed in Classic Neg, an X-T4 RAF in Reala Ace.
When you do want the camera's exact render, RAF Film Lab can send the RAF to a connected camera just as X RAW STUDIO does, on a Mac or a USB-C iPad. It can also read and write the camera's C1–C7 custom settings, and imports X RAW STUDIO's .FP1, .FP2 and .FP3 profiles as recipes.
Choose X RAW STUDIO if
- You work on Windows.
- You need the camera's exact output for every file.
- You only use the films your camera already has.
Choose RAF Film Lab if
- You want to develop RAFs on an iPad or iPhone, or away from the camera.
- You want films your camera never got.
- You want masks, curves and a library alongside the film simulations.
In RAF Film Lab: Develop in Film Lab · Develop in camera · Editor · Recipe Management
Questions
Can I use X RAW STUDIO without the camera?
No. It uses the camera's processor to develop each RAF, so the camera must be connected over USB. RAF Film Lab develops RAFs without the camera.
Does X RAW STUDIO work on iPad?
No. X RAW STUDIO is for Mac and Windows. RAF Film Lab runs on iPad and iPhone as well as Mac, and can use a connected camera from a USB-C iPad.
Can RAF Film Lab import my X RAW STUDIO profiles?
Yes. It reads .FP1, .FP2 and .FP3 profiles as recipes, and can export a recipe as an X RAW STUDIO profile.
Also compared: RAF Film Lab and Lightroom · RAF Film Lab and Capture One.
Try RAF Film Lab on your own RAFs.
RAF Film Lab is in beta on TestFlight for Mac, iPad and iPhone. Leave your email and Apple will send you an invite.