IN FOCUS is a series of articles where we ask some of the UK X-Photographers to give us advice, provide insight into their photography and share some of their favourite images of all time. In this blog, we asked our photographers what their favourite Fujifilm camera features are and why.
1. Tilting LCD screen
Elli Cassidy
“It’s simple, but it’s the tilting screen on the X-T2. I love the multi-way in which it moves and it’s a great upgrade from the X-T1. I use it throughout my sessions to achieve great overhead shots without having to stand on steps or a box to stand over my baby clients. It enables me to work so much more safely too!”
Chris Upton
“When ‘flip out’ screens were introduced on cameras a few years ago they were regarded as a gimmick. However this is one feature that would always be high on my list of “wanted camera specs”. Being able to use the camera low to the ground really adds some dynamism to your compositions without the hassle of actually having to lie on the ground to look through the viewfinder.”
2. Exposure Preview
Damien Lovegrove
“I love being able to preview exposure when in Manual Mode. I’ve even assigned this mode to one of the front function buttons on my GFX 50S. When I’m shooting on location with flash, I always start with that function selected. I set my background exposure by judging the shadow density on screen with my eyes and then I toggle the function off for the shoot. This way I get the best of both worlds, being able to see what I’m doing and still having fine visual control of the lighting contrast.”
3. Metering
Kevin Mullins
“I adore the metering capabilities of the Fujifilm cameras. I use spot metering a lot because I want the camera to do as much of the work as possible. Using spot metering can really make a difference with an image where light and shadow are features of the shot. In the photo below, I have spot metered for the bride’s face and, as there was directional sunlight on her (from a sky light in the church roof), the camera has ‘emphasised’ the lighter area of the image which has made it a far more dramatic shot.”
4. Wi-Fi Connectivity
Ben Cherry
“I’m now so used to all the features of the Fujifilm cameras that I take them for granted, for example I have customised all of the buttons, which has made it quicker to switch from a portrait set up to an action variant. But I think the single biggest thing that changed for me and my work was the ability to wirelessly send photos straight from the camera to my phone, enabling me to instantly share an image. Whether this is with a client or to social media, it has proved extremely helpful!”
5. Panorama Mode
Chris Weston
“The camera is a box of tools, that’s what technology has given us. A recent discovery on the X-T2 is the Panoramic shooting mode. I love this function. In combination with a telephoto lens, it enables me to make images that create a sense of place without the subject becoming lost. I used it on a recent assignment in the Great Bear Rainforest, in Canada. Shooting in the Great Bear is all about the location and this function really allowed me to make the most of it.”
6. Focus Peak Highlight
Mark Gilligan
“One of the questions I am often asked on my workshops is, ‘how do you ensure that you are in focus throughout the image?’ Apart from calculating the hyper focal and selecting the right focus point, I use the Focus Peak Highlight feature in the menu. I personally utilise the red setting but for those of you who are colour blind the white works just the same. It also allows you to see if you have selected the correct point, and moving it gives you an instant view of all that will be sharp. In this image the foreground naturally has to be sharp but so does the top of the peak as there is a lone walker, right at the very top of the peak, that has to be acceptably in focus too.”
7. Electronic Level & Framing Guidelines
Saraya Cortaville
“There are a couple of viewfinder options on the FUJIFILM XT-2 and the XT-20 that I find particularly useful and use in my everyday shooting. The Electronic Level displays a virtual horizon line (in custom settings) which allows me to compose and level my images accurately. I also use the Grid 9 framing guideline option and the 325 Focus Points, these enable me to frame my subjects in a more considered and more dynamic way.”
Do you agree with our X-Photographers or is there a feature on the X Series which you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments below!
More from the X-Photographers
X-Photographers are the official Fujifilm ambassadors. To find out more about the global X-Photographers, visit fujifilm-x.com/photographers.
Please note that not all features listed in this article are available on every camera. Visit Fujifilm-x.com to find out more about the specification of each model. For more information on how to use any of your camera’s features, please refer to the owners’ manuals which can be found here: http://www.fujifilm.com/support/digital_cameras/manuals/
when will we have a tethering connection to Capture One Pro and alike?
Interesting that focus peaking has been chosen over the depth of field scale display. As a landscape photographer I have found the latter to be the single best feature of all the FujiFilm X Series cameras, from the X-E1 to the X-Pro 2, that I have used. It is always a ‘eureka’ moment for clients on my workshops when they realise they no longer have to guess where a ‘third of the way in’ is to focus. Although I find the focus peaking useful I use it as a back-up to the depth of field scale set to pixel mode.
When it comes to DOF, I completely agree. I love that scale. I do find focus peaking is invaluable but for a different reason. My X-T2 doesn’t always nail focus on creatures with fur or feathers. Focus peaking immediately lets me know if my focus is off so I can tweak it.
More photographers should be aware of their horizon. I see far too many images ruined by skewed horizons – a simple fix both before and after.
Well Chris and Carol, you could say that. But I would state that it depends on style and genre. Take the images by war photographer Jan Grarup. He almost always have skewed horizons. And it works 😉 So why should he change it?
I totally agree with Saraya Cortaville: the mentioned features are very useful!
je ne comprends pas très bien l’Anglais, sorry
Had my XT2 for nearly two years and I am still finding new things it can do with it and the latest software upgrade for focus bracketing is fantastic .Oh and virtual horizon is perfect on landscape,only found this a few months back!!
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the amazing feedback about the new addition of Focus Bracketing. We hope this article helped you discover even more features available on your X-T2!
Kind regards,
Samara
Been shooting Fuji for just on 5 years now. Agree with the Panorama option for travel shots. Just have to add that Face Detection is amazing when you are shooting street shots in a rush and have no time to get focus point right.