This might also apply to the Fujifilm X-T5 or any older Fujifilm camera.
Fujifilm has been a little under the spotlight historically for its autofocus. I personally never had a problem with it unless I was using the older lenses in low light until I got the X100V. This camera just does not like the way that I like to shoot and I get pretty poor autofocus performance. The same can be said about the new X100VI, as this problem is with the lens more so than with the AF computer itself.
I’ve been messing around with all the different settings and modes and I finally have found something that’s working.
How I Like Using Autofocus – This Technique Doesn’t Work Well
I like to use AF-C with Zone boxes of different sizes that I move around with the focus joystick to isolate what I want the camera to look at. I also keep eye detection turned on in this mode.
On the Fujifilm cameras, the face and eye detection seem to favor what’s inside this box, but it will look at the whole frame as well.
On the X100F, I always just stuck with AF-S because AF-C was just too unreliable. With the X100V and now especially the X100VI, the eye and face detection is so much smarter, so it makes it tempting to use if you’re super careful with it in the AF-C mode.
But, the autofocus with the X100V is broken if you use it this way. That’s the simplest way to put it.
I wrote about it in my review and got some flack, but yeah, AF with zone boxes in continuous autofocus with eye detection is incredibly difficult to use, because the camera is constantly pulsing around looking for different things. You have to constantly watch it and time your shutter release to the movements where it’s on your subject.
I think what might be happening is the camera uses the zone boxes but then gets caught up with potential false positives in the background so pulses to the back to check. I dunno for sure, it’s very weird. The focus just will not stay in one spot.
What I Do Now Instead – The Best Focus Mode On The X100V & X100VI
Do you know how everyone rants and raves all the time about Sony’s real-time 3d tracking? Where it will track a subject, then switch eye and face, then back to the subject if they turn around. You know, the mode everyone hypes Sony over? Yeah, that one, Fujifilm and Canon cameras also do that and so does our little X100VI, and it turns out, it does it very well.
If you use the tracking mode in the X100V or X100VI with eye detection turned on, the AF is solid. It works. It’s not perfect, but it’s producing way better results than I was getting with the other focus modes.
Now, I personally don’t like using the tracking modes in any camera, because they often stick to the wrong objects or jump off the object and that’s annoying, but this is far better than what it was doing before and if it means getting consistent results, or better results I’m all for it.
If you want to shoot AF-C with eye and face detection this is pretty much the only way to get reliable performance out of the camera. But it’s more than reliable, it’s pretty good.
Try this out with your X-T5 or X100VI if you’re struggling with autofocus. It’s been working great for me since my X100V and it could clean up any focus issues you might be having too on these new cameras or when shooting with old lenses.
Here’s How You Set AF Tracking with Eye AF
First off go into your menu and turn on the face and eye detection.
I think by default your Q menu will have the different focus modes set, but mine doesn’t since I’ve changed mine to be a JPG shooting machine. So go into your menu and set your AF Mode to Wide/Tracking.
This gives you a little box, aim the box at your subject and the camera will track, switching to face and eye detection only if it sees in that zone. It won’t pull to the background or foreground looking for some random bush or stick in the sand that it thinks is a face. It pretty much stays guided to where your initial tracking zone is.
I don’t know why the zone boxes can’t work this way, but this is the workaround for now until Fujifilm can improve their autofocus algorithms with the other AF Modes.
Then of course be sure to tune your AF-C settings for your shooting situation.
If you guys were struggling to get great AF out of your X100V be sure to try this. I’m so happy I was just messing around with the different focus options yesterday and stumbled upon this mode I never liked using.
Coloring These Photos
I’ve done something different with these samples compared to my last article where I was using the different JPG recipes.
For these, I shot some JPG recipes, and some modifications of the FujiXWeekly recipes, but then I applied my Lightroom Presets on top of it to double up the effect.
It gave it a bit more of a film feel since my preset is pretty good about rolling off the highlights and lifting the blacks, and most importantly they have better tonal curves than what you can get with the in-camera shadow and highlight controls with the Fujifilm cameras.
I was thinking, it would be cool if Fujifilm would allow us to upload our own custom-made curves as Nikon does. That would allow us to really change up the looks.
These looks were mostly based on a Kodachrome style that uses a Classic Chrome with a WB shift of +2 Red -5 Blue. And a Superia look which uses Classic Neg and a WB shift of +3 Red and +1 Blue. Then I mess around with the shadows, highlights, and clarity depending on the scene.
For more information about this camera check out the full Fuji X100V Review.
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Forgot to add, enjoyable post. I’ll most certainly try this
I was really disappointed with the AF on the X100V. I had hoped the new lens was going to make things better.
It’s a real juxtaposition to the AF of my Z6, ironically given how much flack the AF gets.
I’ve been torn with the idea of selling my Z and X100V and consolidating to an XT3. I struggle with the size of the Z primes compared to the Fuji lenses I used to shoot with. The quality of them is fantastic though.
As an owner of both systems what are your thoughts?
It’s a struggle I deal with on a regular basis. If Fujifilm made some high quality, weather sealed, f1.2 or even f1.4 primes, or like f2 zooms, I would have been all in and never looked back. But they haven’t, and I need some nice lenses for low light that can take being rained on. So I kinda need to stick with a full frame system for now. Nikon is the most interesting for me. Actually they were the first ones to do the affordable weather sealed f1.8 lenses, so that’s kind of why I’ve been so excited about the system.
Fujifilm is more of my fun mess around for the “cool look” system these days. I’ve been shooting a lot on my X-T2 with cheap prime lenses from China. There is a look I can get with Fujifilm I can’t get with any other brand, so I will always keep something of theirs especially since I’ve been shooting with them since the X-T1.
Maybe ditch the X100V, find a used X-T3 and start messing around with some cheap lenses and keep the Nikon? I donno. I mostly shoot X100V or Z6, unless I’m reviewing lenses.
I can’t imagine Fujifilm not fixing the AF problems with the X100V. It seems straight up broken, but I’m glad the AF tracking mode at least is working well for now. Then there is also the issue of them not giving us Classic Neg in the X-T3, or Color Chrome Blue which is super annoying. The camera only got 1.5 years of Kaizen and is now discontinued.
Also there are some pancake lenses on the Nikon roadmap so that makes things tough.
I really like how small the small Fujifilm cameras are though, and you have so many options and ways to probably keep both systems for cheap X-T3, X-E3, X-T30. And now that 35mm f2 XC lens is super cheap as well.
Thanks for taking the time to reply so thoroughly (as usual). It’s comforting to know you face this dilemma too!
Part of why I moved is because I started to look at the Fuji 1.4 primes but I was bothered by the compromises on weather resistance and AF. I live in the UK, it rains a lot! I also felt their primes were a little lacklustre and their red badge 16-55 was bigger than the Nikon 24-70 F4.
I think Nikon’s choice to create top-end 1.8 lenses is unusual compared to DSLR days. Canon seems to be focused heavily on their 1.2 primes which are just crazy for anything I’d ever need. Can I ask if you ever considered pushing heavier with your Sony system and their primes (I know you own this too)? Looking on Camersize their 1.8 primes are modest compared to Z.
re selling the X100V for an X-T3 – how much difference do you find the size when the 23mm f2 lens is mounted? I’ve looked online but it’s difficult to visualise. I did think it wouldn’t have Classic Neg which is becoming one of my favourite simulations alongside Chrome. I’m frustrated with Fuji seemingly reducing the Kaizen philosophy on their bodies. There’s no technological reason why they couldn’t add it to the X-T3.
It sounds like you’d consider selling the X100V for a smaller Fuji camera then?
My other angle has been to wait and see for the X-T40 but I can’t even imagine if that will even be released given they claim the X-T3 and X-T4 will work alongside each other.
Regarding X100V vs X-T3 + XF 23/2: no it doesn’t compare. The X100V is much smaller and easier to pocket (X-T3 takes up a lot more space than you may expect due to that viewfinder hump) and a completely different experience. Realistically you aren’t going to find another Fuji smaller than the X100V other than X70/XF10 or maybe X-E3+XF27 pancake.
As an owner of X-T3 I’m also quite disappointed with how Fuji treated this supposed flagship as well, and the fact that the Z6 which was released around the same time just received yet another firmware update today is just more insult to the wound. I hope I will be proven wrong soon though.
@PkmX care to weigh in on my predicament? Ie considering moving back to X-T3? Thanks for joining the conversation 😊
@darrenhaken:disqus For reference I own both the X-T3 and X100V, and to me they serve different purposes. The X100V is the take-everywhere camera and I have no intention in swapping it with another compact (Q2/RX1RII are too expensive for me, GRIII has no WR and I like 35mm more).
The X-T3 is for more serious work and I don’t mind using larger lenses on it (my favorite setup is the X100V + X-T3/XF56, so I get the classic 35/85 combo without needing to change lenses, but I also have the XF 16-55 and adapted 135L on it), but I’m open to changing it to something better especially regarding to weather sealing (Fuji’s f/1.2-1.4 line up being non-WR is becoming a soar point) and animal eye AF (it’s funny since I photograph a lot more dogs than people, and Fuji is like the last major manufacturer without some sort of animal eye AF).
I guess it doesn’t really answer your question, but just how I see they complement each other rather than as replacement.
That’s still a really helpful answer. It’s how I treat my X100V and Nikon Z.
My X100V comes everywhere with me and friends and family don’t mind photos being taken at all. I use it for street work when I want 35mm (it’s my favourite focal length).
Z I use sometimes for street when I want 50mm. I also use the zoom a lot when travelling for it’s versatility.
I’m not sure what will happen with the X-T40. Fujifilm did something very weird with the X-T4 in that they upgraded the camera with the same sensor. Likely it’s all the stuff they wanted to put in the X-T3 but couldn’t get the tech ready in time. When the X-H1 came out they talked about trying to make a smaller IBIS, bigger battery etc and they just rolled it out asap, called it an X-T4 instead of an X-H2 so they can lead the next generation of launches with the X-H series.
So I think we won’t get updates to the rest of the cameras until the new sensor. I’m thinking there will be an X-H2 and it will be 8k, and that will be their new “flagship” camera. And then they maybe will keep a separate size sensor for the X-T5 etc. Something like that. Or, the X-H2 will have a quad bayer sensor and will be able to operate in low and high res modes. Because throwing in a 32-40MP sensor in an APS-C camera will piss people off. I say 30-40 because it depends if they go 4k UHD or if they go 4K DCI. I doubt they’ll go DCI.
So their line up is all screwy right now and we just have to wait to see how they fix it. They definitely need to keep smaller lighter cameras like the X-T3.
Like right now the X-T4 with the 16-55mm f2.8 is actually heavier ( 655g + 526g) than a Nikon Z6 and the equivalent 24-70mm f4 (585g + 500g). That’s a bit of a problem for me.
Of course Nikon will never be able to match those little primes Fujifim has since they’ll always be able to use thinner barrels on the lenses because they’re working with a smaller circle of projecting. The 35mm f2 is very small. Very fun to use, but it’s a bit clinical as they say.
I don’t have the lens with me today, it’s at my place in Japan. But the X-T2 camera with the 35mm f2 is about this size. This is a photo using the Pergear 50mm f1.8. A very similar size if you take of the lens hood here.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/768a589998702b2cae36ab66831afc282e0e43368562f3035cacbbcde681bd1c.jpg
Logically aligning across the lineup behind the X-H2 makes total sense. However, the last launch of the X-H1 didn’t seem the most logical!
Looking at the photo, the X-T2 and lens don’t appear to be much different in size. Is that fair to say?
Yep. The T2 which is the same size as the T3 pretty much is just going to be a little taller, the grip comes out a bit more, and lens pops out more. But it’s not a massive difference, just all around a little bigger. Especially if you use the UV filter on the X100. The experience is fairly similar especially if you go with the pancake. You’re trading the OVF for the EVF. The T3 is a bit heavier with the lenses attached. That probably makes the biggest difference.
I’ve never really used the OVF, do you use it much? I started photography through mirrorless about 8 years ago with m43, I’ve always had an EVF!
I almost never use the OVF as I’m probably way too accustomed to the WYSIWYG nature of the EVF. I used to complain about the hybrid VF as the older X100’s had an annoying ~0.5 second EVF switching time when bringing the camera to eye level, and for a long time I was hoping for an EVF-only model to eliminate this problem. The X100V, as a rarely-mentioned feature, now always keeps the previously used viewfinder up so there is virtually no delay when looking into the EVF, so these days I don’t really care much about the viewfinder anymore.
Hi Alik,
I tried your suggestions but also with wide/tracking mode the eye af override the small box and it focus on faces/eyes over all the frame, if present.
For me when I had it that way it would still constantly glitch out and hunt on the background.
Helpful article, thanks. I would say that, as a Sony and Fujifilm photographer, even Fujifilm’s best (the X-H2S) doesn’t come close to Sony for any kind of AF tracking including eye and face detect. In fact, it doesn’t even match older models like the A6500 and A7III.
So when you say: “…everyone rants and raves all the time about Sony’s real-time 3d tracking? Where it will track a subject, then switch eye and face, then back to the subject if they turn around. … Fujifilm and Canon cameras also do that and so does our little X100VI, and it turns out, it does it very well,” that’s not really accurate. Canon, yes. Fujifilm, not so well.
And you sort of acknowledge this when you said: “I personally don’t like using the tracking modes in any camera, because they often stick to the wrong objects or jump off the object.” Because, whilst this is true for Fujifilm, it really isn’t at all for Sony.
The fact is that, even after so many years of trying and telling us how great their new AF systems are, Fujifilm’s AF is actually still pretty rubbish. For me, it’s the only thing holding the cameras back. For many, it’s not a big deal, but as an events and documentary photographer it’s the only thing stopping me fully committing to the brand.
The copy in this article is from when the X100V came out so it’s old, I need to update it. Back then it was tricky talking about AF because it really depends on which generation of camera. For years most reviewers would usually test the Sony A1 or A9II then say “Sony has the best AF” Then everyone would run out and by the A7III which was ok, maybe only as good as a Nikon Z6II, better in some ways, worse in other. I had the Sony A7rIII, as the last regular Sony camera I shot on. So that was probably worse with the A7III which contributes to my bias. I never used the tracking modes on that camera, just because they weren’t that good and actually kind of annoying to use (worse than my Z6). I remember it being kind of annoying how you had to engage it. The new Sony cameras yeah, you just let Jesus take the wheel.
But back then, we also had this problem where everyone always only compared the Sony flagship bodies to mid level Nikon or Fujifilm bodies so it was never really a fair argument and people ended up with distorted perspectives on how good their midlevel Sony camera was.
Today all the Sony cameras have the amazing AF tracking, so that’s sort of a mute point, but also so does Nikon, Canon.
But your right, Fujifilm does still does have the least consistency and it seems like it does get confused, especially on this X100VI. I definitely got more keepers on my original Nikon Z6 or even A7rIII even though this X100VI has very smart tracking.
But it’s weird, I notice the tracking boxes are a lot better today on the new Fujifilm cameras, and usually very accurate, in simple situations, but the camera still likes to do its own thing. Like the focus box will be on the eye, and the X100VI will still focus on the background, and the X100VI is still the worst modern Fujifilm camera in terms of focusing because of that slow lens.
So all the tricks in this article that were written for the X100V seem to be still relevant for the X100VI. I still need to set up focus limiters to keep the camera from having its background bias. Maybe one day Fujifilm will get their, but you’re right, there is something in their algorithm that just struggles prioritizing the important subjects. Sony, Nikon and Canon have figured this out. I haven’t shot too much on the X-H2s so I can’t comment on that. I shot a lot on the GFX100 II, but was mostly just shooting portraits where it was awesome, but I was also using adapted Contax lenses so I had to take it slow anyway.