Category Archives: Fujifilm X100

For those of you who might have picked up an X100 recently, I thought I’d share my settings.  I’ve had my X100 for about 10 months and feel fairly comfortable with how I’m using it and the results I’m getting from it.

Before I get into my settings, you should know that I’ve also had first hand experience with the sticking aperture blade issue.  Just for the record, the repair team in New Jersey was great to work with.  They replaced the lens assembly and since then I’ve had no issues with out of limit exposures since.   I think it’s safe to say, they’ve fixed it for me.

Back to my X100 settings.

First, I shoot aperture priority almost all the time.  I also like to stay wide open at f2.0 when I can.   The only caution shooting wide open is to make sure you can quickly access the neutral density setting which stops down enough to make it possible to shoot at this aperture in bright sun.  To do that, I set my function button on the top of the camera to allow me to do that quickly and easily.  To set it, go to to menu/set/Fn button and assign ND to it.  While you’re there assign the RAW button too.  I use my RAW button for quick access to my ISO setting.  I’ve tried most of the options but find that assigning ND and ISO to these handy buttons gives me the best bang for the buck.

For ISO, I try to limit myself to ISO 200 for outside work and I’ll go to ISO 800 for interiors.  I try to limit myself to these two ISO settings because I’ve learned to anticipate the results I can get from each of them.  You can set ISO auto control to allow automatic settings from a high to a low with a minimum shutter speed but I find I give up too much control to the camera making it harder to know what I might get in a final image.

I shoot RAW + JPEG fine.  I want both files.  The RAW gives me the digital negative with all the image info for archiving.  It renders a color image which I can use for post processing in color or use to export to Silver Efex Pro2  for black and white images.  I also use Lightroom but as of now, it doesn’t support auto settings for Fuji X100 RAW files.  But the JPEG file in the camera is imported to my Lightroom library and almost all the time is close enough to what I need.   What I need most of the time is black & white JPEGs so I set my X100 to render monochrome in the film simulation setting.  The best of both worlds.

I want a color file in RAW and very nice black & white images from the JPEG file.  I can also do some limited post processing of the JPEG file in Lightroom if I need to.  Note that there’s also some other black & white film simulation options if you’d prefer.  Monochrome with either a yellow, red, green or sepia filters.  Great options, pick one to suit your taste.  If you’re not into black & white, you can also pick color film simulations.  Most of the folks I know with an X10o who shoot in color prefer the standard setting but you can get some classic Fuji color with Velvia or Astia.

One of the more useful buttons for me is the AFL/AEL button on the back of the camera.  As you’ll see from my settings menu below, I use this to lock an exposure while I’m holding it down on a select area of the image I’m shooting independent of the shutter button.  I like this control.  I set exposure on the part of the image I want to use.  I can control and get some nice exposures by taking this control away from the shutter button when I need to.  I also make liberal use of the AE button on the left back side of the camera to go between spot and average metering.  I use these two options more often than the multi setting.

I also shoot through the electronic view finder much more often than the optical view finder.  I don’t know why, I just prefer the EVF and the information I get using it.

Before shooting there are some simple checks I always try to remember.  First, check with aperture setting I’m on.  Second, make sure I’m on aperture priority and third, make sure the exposure compensation dial is where I want it.  In addition, I make sure I’m at the ISO setting I need for the environment I’m shooting in.  I also carry a Whibal card with me all the time and use it often if the light is challenging in any way.  Using this handy little card which I keep in my wallet gives me consistently accurate color settings for my images.

Here are some of my other settings:

• Self Timer:  Off but I use the self timer for shots from my tripod.  Much easier than using the optional cable release which is also in my bag.
• ISO:  Generally at ISO 200 outside and ISO 800 inside but I will push ISO higher if needed, generally not higher than 3200.
• Dynamic Range:  Auto
• WB Shift: neutral
• Color: Mid
• Sharpness: Standard
• Highlight Tone: Standard
• Shadow Tone: Standard
• Noise Reduction: Standard
• AF Mode: Area
• Silent Mode: On
• Image Display: 1.5 second (for you chimpers–only if you really need to, otherwise off)
• Frame No.: Continuous
• Auto Power Off: 2 minutes
• OVF Power Save Mode:  Off
• Quick Start Mode: On
• Red Eye Removal: Off
• AF Illuminator: Off
• AE/AF Lock Mode: P
• AE/AF Lock Button: AE-L
• Focus Check: On
• Color Space: sRGB
• Long Exposure Noise Reduction:  On

I hope you find this useful.  Enjoy your X100, it’s a great little camera.  The more you get to know it the more control you’ll have and the images will astound you.

Thanks for reading!