I have recently read a post on the Fujifilm X Series page from a member wondering if people shoot manual mode. He said he didn’t want to run before he could walk and wondered if he should try the less scary settings or “shock horror, M” for manual mode. This blog is designed to encourage people. It outlines how to go manual on the Fujifilm X-T2.
My advice is to jump off the cliff and go manual!
I started on a camera many years ago that was not Fujifilm – an entry level which I struggled to go manual with. All the settings I found hard to change at the flick of a wheel. Most of the time the settings were hidden inside a menu. I was constantly on Av mode or Aperture priority. It worked well enough but it wasn’t fun.
Fujifilm’s life changing cameras | How to go manual on the Fujifilm X-T2
Several years ago my husband bought me a Fujifilm X-T1 and I found it so so easy to go straight to manual mode. I put this down to having two of the main settings on the top of the camera and one on the lens. All so easy to change with the twist of a manual and oh so retro and cool dial.
Anyway racing forward to 2019, I now own an X-T2. Haven’t quite updated to the X-T3 yet as I’m so happy with this camera. I have been shooting manual mode for several years and find this camera so fun to use. It has changed my life – I can honestly say that now photography excites me every day and most of that is down to the camera!
So here are my top tips for going manual!
Just do it.
I recommend you switch off from the “A” settings or any other settings on the top of the camera and on the lens. The X-T2 doesn’t have an ‘M’ symbol so once you turn everything off from A, you are on manual mode.
Don’t worry about ISO. | How to go manual on the Fujifilm X-T2
When I shoot manual I look at all three parts of the triangle that is often talked about in photography lessons: ISO, Aperture and Depth of Field (aka F stop) – however the setting I most often change is the ISO.
This photo below was taken in a dark bedroom on a dark dark day in winter. It was shot at 1600 ISO. I fixed slight noise (note the word slight) in camera and won a silver award at the NZIPP Iris awards 2016. Did the noise matter? Not really. It was taken at 1/125th second as the subjects were pretty still on the bed and not really moving.
Competition winning photos on a high ISO and fast shutter speed
These photos were taken in an extremely dark night in the Christchurch Botanic gardens, shot at ISO 6000. Here I didn’t try to remove the noise as it so dark that night and I liked the effect. Did the grain really matter? Not really, as these photos won a photo competition and received runner up. They stood out as they weren’t taken using a tripod, were taken handheld at a fast shutter speed to freeze movement rather than being a long exposure of a lake reflection like 80% of entries.
For shooting people. | How to go manual on the Fujifilm X-T2
I keep my camera on shutter speed 1/250th second to freeze any movement of the person. Or if I have jumping children or dancers up to 1/500th of a second or even faster.
My depth of field with a portrait lens (56mm F1.2) is often between F1.2 (where I push the envelope successfully with this lens) and F2.8. This gives a lovely blurry background and allows me to go faster with the shutter speed. These two settings are pretty much set in stone every time I do portraiture.
However, the ISO moves around. I will be at 200 ISO, the lowest ISO on the X-T2, if I’m in bright sunlight. Or, if I’m in the middle of a dark forest, I can be on up to 1600 ISO.
Yet another comment about ISO
To me, ISO doesn’t matter too much on the X-T2. There are certain cases where it is preferable to use a tripod or get better lighting. For example I wouldn’t try to take a beautiful wedding portrait in the complete dark and landscapes do look better without harsh grain. But most of the time a higher ISO is fine. In the days of film, high ISO and noticeable grain was an accepted part of film photography so why has it suddenly become a no no?
This dance photo was taken at sunset when the light is beautiful.
For shooting Landscapes | How to go manual on the Fujifilm X-T2
Again, manual mode is easy. For landscapes you generally want the whole subject in focus from front to back. This means setting your camera almost always on F11 if not slightly higher in some cases. You can set it lower but you risk losing the foreground to blur. Because you are set on F11 you almost always need a tripod to keep the camera steady.
Yes, you could use a high ISO, but when taking photos of landscapes you don’t have moving subjects and you are often taking the shot at dawn or dusk when the light is darker, so it just makes sense to use a longer shutter speed and keep your ISO on 200.
If you don’t have a tripod, rest your camera on a rock or fence post but please don’t knock it off! You will either be using a wide angle to capture the whole scene, or a zoom to get in close to a mountain or other piece of the landscape. Your shutter speed will vary and could be up to a second long.
Slow shutter speeds – oh no! | How to go manual on the Fujifilm X-T2
I personally have have trouble taking a landscape handheld for any shutter speed under 1/30th of a second. Some people can get something pretty good at 1/15th, but most people will wiggle and get a bit of blur. Please please please use a tripod most of the time. In saying that I often break that rule! LOL
This landscape of a mountain in Queenstown was NOT taken using a tripod. It was handheld. I was focusing on the rocks in the background and had the window reflection in the foreground also in focus due to being on F11. If I had waited to set up a tripod I would have missed the shot!
For shooting macros. | How to go manual on the Fujifilm X-T2
Again manual mode is best. When you move closer in to a subject you find your depth of field becomes shallower. You start to get only the tip of a petal in focus. Sometimes this looks cool, but most of the time you want to see more, it just isn’t enough. A good starting point is F16, ISO200, shutter speed around 1/125 (no less) and a tripod again. I have taken flower photos in the shade with ISO800, F5.6 and 1/125th second. You get a different effect with less in focus.
That is the joy of digital photography. I recommend trying four or five different settings and find what looks best. As long as the photo is in focus and not blurry, you can then break the rules that everyone teaches, such as always be on F16 for macro photography. Actually, blurring a photo of a flower on purpose for artistic effect is super awesome! Be brave!
Learn the basic rules – then break them! | How to go manual on the Fujifilm X-T2
I learnt years ago that there are basic rules for using your camera on a manual setting, BUT once you know the basic rules, you can break them to your heart’s content for creative masterpieces. I can now make a landscape focusing at F1.2 using an XF56mm portrait lens on one small piece of wave, and blurring everything else. Beautiful!
Getting creative
I recommend you try taking a blurry portrait of a person doing a high leap to get movement – putting your camera on a shutter speed of about 1/30th of a second. It gets exciting when I try taking a macro shot at F1.2 and just get one spike of a cactus in focus with everything else blurring out into creaminess.
If you need more information on the exposure triangle go to the Digital Photography School where they have a beginner’s lesson. It is where we all start. It is where I started years ago. Soon it will become natural to you!
My advice about manual mode is GO FOR IT!