How I Use Aperture Priority on Fujifilm Cameras

I’ve used aperture priority on Fujifilm cameras since 2017 and it’s a mode that is so popular for a reason! Not everyone needs to shoot fully manual so I’m here to help you set up aperture priority on your camera!

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I’ve heard it said many a time that only shooting fully manual, with control over your ISO, shutter speed and aperture, makes you a ‘proper’ photographer. My response to that is to call bullsh*t! I’ve been shooting in aperture priority on Fujifilm cameras since 2017 and I would happily say that I’m a ‘proper photographer’ – if that even means anything. I simply say, use whatever settings makes you want to not put the camera down and whatever works for you.

I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this post, you have at least a basic level of photography knowledge in particular the exposure triangle and the relationship between ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture. If not, let me know and I’ll get on drafting another post starting with the basics.

I use aperture priority for all aspects of my photography; whether I’m travelling, shooting weddings or simply documenting daily life. There are exceptions of course (I’ll shoot fully manual when using flash) but this is the mode that I’ve used relentlessly since 2017.

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APERTURE PRIORITY ON FUJIFILM CAMERAS

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WHAT IS APERTURE PRIORITY?

With pretty much every DSLR / Mirrorless camera, you will have direct access to exposure settings via four modes – Program (P), Aperture Priority (A), Shutter Priority (S) and Manual (M). The Program mode is as close to fully automatic that you can get, with Aperture and Shutter Priority being semi-auto and manual being, well you guessed it, fully manual.

In terms of Aperture Priority, this is a semi-auto setting that lets the user control the setting that has the most direct impact upon the end result; depth of field. The camera essentially takes what aperture you’ve dialled in (whether we’re talking f/1.4 with a shallow depth of field or f/8 with almost everything in focus) and automatically sets the shutter speed and ISO (we’ll get on to this) creating the best exposure possible.

Choosing to use aperture priority allows you to focus solely on creative decisions in respect of depth of field and nailing focus without having to worry about everything else needed to get a perfectly exposed photo.

Also, whilst I’ve titled this page how I use aperture priority on Fujifilm cameras, the concept of aperture priority applies to all cameras so please don’t feel that you need to have a Fujifilm camera to take on board any of the information I’m sharing here.

HOW TO ACCESS APERTURE PRIORITY ON FUJIFILM CAMERAS?

Something I have always loved about Fujifilm’s lenses is the aperture ring which allows for a tactile connection to your camera in this semi-auto mode. I can, in an instant, check my current aperture or switch to a different aperture even when the camera is switched off.

However, to access aperture priority on Fujifilm cameras, you need to do a bit of setting up both practically speaking in terms of your dials and in the menus (which I’ll come onto).

Firstly, the lens. Pretty much every Fujifilm lens (and most third party lenses these days) have an aperture ring so you’ll want to make sure that it’s set to a number eg 1.4 rather than the ‘A’. Some lenses, like the Fujifilm 18-55mm have an aperture ring but no markers so look for a little switch and make sure it’s not on ‘A’. Simple.

Onto the Shutter Speed and ISO dials that are present on the Fujifilm X-T5 and most other Fujifilm cameras with some exceptions obviously. I have both dials set to ‘A’. This might seem ‘odd’ given that I bought into the Fujifilm X-T series and don’t use the top dials regularly. I’m strange I know but I love the ‘look’ – sorry. However, when the time comes that I need to quickly change settings, I can without a second glance.

That’s it. Your Fujifilm camera is now in aperture priority. Now let’s move onto the finer details to get the most out of this mode.

MINIMUM SHUTTER SPEED & AUTO-ISO

This is a completely underappreciated setting that, in my view, is crucial to getting great photos when using aperture priority. Within the ‘Shooting Setting’ menu is the ISO Auto Setting which gives you three different options to set-up dependent on the situation you find yourself in.

Firstly, I use the ISO Auto Setting to set the minimum shutter speed. When I let the camera control the shutter speed and ISO, it prioritises shutter speed first (keeping it as slow as possible) before raising the ISO. With this setting, you can tell the camera what the minimum shutter speed cut-off is before it should increase the ISO. Secondly, you can use the setting to tell the camera what the maximum ISO should be before going back to the beginning and overriding the minimum shutter speed setting.

A side note here, always be wary about either having your minimum shutter speed too low (as you don’t want blurry images – though with IBIS you’re more likely to get away it these days) or having your ISO too high (as this introduces grain and can degrade image quality). You’ll see from my settings though that I don’t really mind too much about ISO 12,800 as I still use these settings for low light photography where I still need a decent shutter speed.

Let’s have a look at exactly how I have this set up:

Auto 1 – Default ISO 125, Max ISO 12,800, Min Shutter Speed 1/200 (Perfect for day time)
Auto 2 – Default ISO 125, Max ISO 12,800, Min Shutter Speed 1/500 (Perfect for moving subjects)
Auto 3 – Default ISO 125, Max ISO 12,800, Min Shutter Speed Auto (Night)

To ensure quick adjustments on the fly, I’ve always assigned the left d-pad button to my Auto ISO settings. This certainly one of the big reasons why I couldn’t deal with a camera where Fujifilm have done away with the d-pad, I use it constantly.

EXPOSURE COMPENSATION

Along with changing the aperture directly on the lens, my second most used control is the exposure compensation dial. Well, I say dial, I don’t actually use that lovely purpose built dial. Again I’m sorry.

The exposure compensation essentially adjusts the overall brightness of the image and so I use this to correct an image in real-time (thanks to the beauty of the EVF and/or histogram). I set the dial to ‘C’ and have allocated the front dial on the X-T5 to adjust my exposure which means I can often adjust and shoot with one hand. There is no standard here as to how much compensation may be required; it all depends on the situation you find yourself in!

The other setting that’s pretty important in terms of exposure is the metering mode. I use Center-Weighted which means that the camera exposes either for the middle of the frame or around where your focus point is. I have my upper button on the d-pad set to adjust this as and when necessary.

MY MOST USED APERTURE SETTINGS

I primarily shoot prime lenses which tend to have more open apertures (lower number, more light, less in focus) which I love for subject separation, bokeh and their usefulness in lower light. I will very regularly therefore be shooting at f/1.4. This may lead to soft images in certain scenarios but nothing beats a perfectly focused image shot wide-open. However, it is not always possible or practical to shoot like this (especially in bright light) so I am more than happy to stop down to around f/4 which is often a lenses sweet spot – where you’re most likely to get a sharp, in-focus image but without completely wiping out any subject separation. f/4 is a good starting place for travel photography. I would say that 90% of the time I’m shooting between f/1.4 and f/4. If you truly want the sharpest possible image, I’d aim for around f/5.6 to f/8 but bear in mind that this will let less light in and the camera may reduce shutter speed and increase ISO in accordance with your Auto ISO settings above.

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