Fujifilm X-Trans color filter array: moiré control design as claimed by the manufacturer

Official Design Goals of X-Trans

Fujifilm introduced X-Trans CMOS as a low-periodicity color filter array designed to control moiré and achieve high resolution without using an optical low-pass filter. This is the manufacturer's statement of design goals and should not be rewritten to imply that moiré never occurs in any situation.〔G-XTRANS-01〕

Array Layout and Color Interpolation

Fujifilm explains that the X-Trans array arranges RGB pixels on every horizontal and vertical line for high-frequency image color interpolation; the manufacturer also uses X-Trans CMOS 5 HS as an example to relate the array design to moiré and false color control.〔G-XTRANS-02〕〔G-XTRANS-03〕

How the Manufacturer Compares to Bayer Arrays

Fujifilm's page describes the traditional Bayer pattern as containing two colors per line, listing moiré as one of its image quality issues. This page is part of Fujifilm's introduction to its own technology and cannot substitute for controlled real-world comparisons between different cameras, lenses, subject textures, and processing software.〔G-XTRANS-04〕

RAW Decoder Comparisons Are Not Covered in This Article

Existing evidence cannot prove the superiority or inferiority of X-Trans decoding in Lightroom, Capture One, or other RAW software, nor can it prove that textures such as leaves or grass will definitely show or not show the so-called "worm-like pattern." When comparing processing results, the same RAF file, identical output, and viewing magnification should be used for side-by-side checks, and reproducible test methods should be recorded separately.