5 Frames with a Fujifilm X-T5 – Back to Basics Naturally

I recently bought a new digital camera, a Fujifilm X-T5 and while setting it up on and began to wonder about all the different automatic options. I have never really liked Autofocus, it’s convenient but can be annoying, if like me you use one focus point but want to focus on something not taken in by that point, either by moving the camera and pressing a button or making a change on the touchscreen. So, I thought, why not try manual focus, I focus my Hasselblad with a plain screen with no problems, damn it, I focus some cameras by guesstimating, I figured that the EVF on the X-T5 should be good enough to focus with, and it was.

Having gone down this rabbit hole it occurred to me that I could also use the EFV to judge exposure, so I set the sensitivity to 400asa and aperture and shutter to manual and off I went. This felt very natural to me having been taking photos for nearly 50 years, focus set the shutter and aperture till it looks ok to the meter or my best guess and press the button. I’m sure others have tried this before so I can’t claim to have made a great discovery, I just wanted to share what has been for me a new perspective on digital photography.

Why not just stick to the cameras auto functions? With focus this makes me think about what I am focusing on and move that focus point without taking my eye off the subject. I don’t use the electronic focus aids built into the camera because they are too intrusive and obscure my view. As for exposure I like being able to quickly see what changing the exposure will make and adjust accordingly, I tend to set the shutter speed and ASA and then work with the aperture to get the results I want. I leave the auto white balance alone, shoot JPEG and pick a film simulation that suits me.

Is it better or easier? I’m not sure on either, but it feels very natural to me and feels like I have much more control, no need to use the exposure compensation dial and I now tend to take more than one picture at different exposures, like old fashioned bracketing. One other advantage is that I should be able to switch between camera brands without too much relearning. This of course works best with mirrorless cameras, or ones with hybrid viewfinders.

One thing that annoys me is that modern lenses don’t often come with focus markings, I have confidently guesstimated focus on many cameras and would be happy to try the same on a digital. If anyone else has tried this or wants to try I would love to hear there thoughts
All photos were shot with a Fujifilm X-T5 set at 400 ASA using classic -chrome

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