A few "back in the game" & "new to X-T5" questions

[GrendelBear]

So it's been MANY years since I was very active in digital photography. The last time I took it at all seriously was back around 2005 or so, a few years after our first child was born. Once our second came along, the pace of being busy working and as a parent led to me just drifting away from the hobby. At the time I was using a Canon 20D and a variety of L series lenses.

I've been struggling lately and realized that I really need to get back into doing things I enjoy, so I did a little research and ordered a X-T5 and a XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II lens, as well as all of the odds and ends I'll need to get bak into things on the hardware side of the house.

That said, I have a few questions I'm hoping for some help with rather than doing a bunch more research up front.

1. How far along has the in-camera jpg processing come in the X-T5, and am I likely to want to shoot in RAW?

2. I used to use Capture One, but my last license was purchased way back in 2003! What are the "popular" workflows & apps that are popular for folks to use these days to get the large files off their phones? FWIW, I'll be using a MacBook Pro for all of my image editing.

3. On my old Canon gear I used to assign "exposure lock" to the half-pressed shutter button (so I could select the area in the frame I wanted to use for auto exposure), and autofocus to a programmable function button on the rear of the camera under my shooting hand thumb to activate / stop the focus motor. I liked this better than having both happen by using the half-pressed shutter. Is there a way in the menus to set up a similar configuration on the X-T5?

Anything else I need to know as I ease back into things? Thanks for any and all help - I'm looking forward to getting back involved with the photography community!

 

[Truman Prevatt]

So it's been MANY years since I was very active in digital photography. The last time I took it at all seriously was back around 2005 or so, a few years after our first child was born. Once our second came along, the pace of being busy working and as a parent led to me just drifting away from the hobby. At the time I was using a Canon 20D and a variety of L series lenses.

I've been struggling lately and realized that I really need to get back into doing things I enjoy, so I did a little research and ordered a X-T5 and a XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II lens, as well as all of the odds and ends I'll need to get bak into things on the hardware side of the house.

That said, I have a few questions I'm hoping for some help with rather than doing a bunch more research up front.

1. How far along has the in-camera jpg processing come in the X-T5, and am I likely to want to shoot in RAW?

2. I used to use Capture One, but my last license was purchased way back in 2003! What are the "popular" workflows & apps that are popular for folks to use these days to get the large files off their phones? FWIW, I'll be using a MacBook Pro for all of my image editing.

Welcome back. Fuji has come a long way since you were probably active. Fuji is up to 19 film simulations with a lot of flexibility of fine tuning to your taste. Fuji is a great option for shooting in camera jpegs as many do. An options is always shooting raw plus jpegs so that will give you the flexibility to go back to raw if you want.

Capture One is still a great option for Fuji. It has come a long way since 2003. I find that C1 works very well the Mac environment.

 

[GrendelBear]

Are there other workflows/software that are popular & competitive that I should consider?

Thanks for your input!

 

[GMacF]

There will likely be quite a bit of repetition as others start to weigh in.
I’ll just say, at this stage, that Fuji hands down produce the best JPGs on the market. So if it’s JPG shooting you’re after then you’ll not go wrong with Fuji.

You’ll get many differing opinions on the processing software front, everyone has their loyalties.
From a freebie point of view, Fuji’s own X-Raw studio is quite good for very basic processing of RAW images.

Frankly you’ll not go wrong with any of the major software packages. I currently use Adobe and am very happy with it. Capture One is great to but, similar to yourself, I’ve not renewed it in a good few years (2021 or so if I recall).

 

[vdubreeze]

The X-T5 is definitely a camera that you can choose to not shoot RAW except for those necessary or appropriate times. Out of the camera jpgs are excellent, though I found the settings for it very confusing, not intuitive. And way too many of size and resolution. I would think that having a third of them would be enough to cover its needs.

Coming from Pentax / Ricoh, where OOTC jpgs gradually went from terrible to good enough, where I basically had to shoot RAW always, the X-T5 is terrific there.

 

[Jeff Biscuits]

1. How far along has the in-camera jpg processing come in the X-T5, and am I likely to want to shoot in RAW?

If you want JPEGs then there are few cameras to beat it.

2. I used to use Capture One, but my last license was purchased way back in 2003! What are the "popular" workflows & apps that are popular for folks to use these days to get the large files off their phones? FWIW, I'll be using a MacBook Pro for all of my image editing.

I use Lightroom but I imagine pretty much anything will do. I take the card out of the camera and stick it in a card reader.

3. On my old Canon gear I used to assign "exposure lock" to the half-pressed shutter button (so I could select the area in the frame I wanted to use for auto exposure), and autofocus to a programmable function button on the rear of the camera under my shooting hand thumb to activate / stop the focus motor. I liked this better than having both happen by using the half-pressed shutter. Is there a way in the menus to set up a similar configuration on the X-T5?

Yes, absolutely. You can decouple AF from the shutter button in any focus mode, or you can flick the switch on the front to enter manual focus mode, where the shutter button will never activate the AF but you can still configure any button you like to “AF on”.

 

[jhorse]

So it's been MANY years since I was very active in digital photography. The last time I took it at all seriously was back around 2005 or so, a few years after our first child was born. Once our second came along, the pace of being busy working and as a parent led to me just drifting away from the hobby. At the time I was using a Canon 20D and a variety of L series lenses.

Welcome back. I too started my digital journey about the same time when I experimented with a Canon PowerShot S50 in 2003. Liked it so much that the following year, spontaneously at Heathrow en route to Canada, I bought a Nikon D70 + 18-70 lens and have not looked back since then.

I've been struggling lately and realized that I really need to get back into doing things I enjoy, so I did a little research and ordered a X-T5 and a XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II lens, as well as all of the odds and ends I'll need to get bak into things on the hardware side of the house.

Joined Fujiland in 2016 and currently use a XT5 + 16-55 Mk II too. My odds and ends include a leather half case, spare battery and Peak Design Slide Lite.

That said, I have a few questions I'm hoping for some help with rather than doing a bunch more research up front.

1. How far along has the in-camera jpg processing come in the X-T5, and am I likely to want to shoot in RAW?

Like so many people, I like the film sims and adjust them to taste in-camera so I can quickly share them. That said, more out of habit, I shoot RAW plus JPEG Fine and do post process some RAW images, particularly after a holiday or event to post on my Smugmug site.

2. I used to use Capture One, but my last license was purchased way back in 2003! What are the "popular" workflows & apps that are popular for folks to use these days to get the large files off their phones? FWIW, I'll be using a MacBook Pro for all of my image editing.

I also use Capture One. I am very satisfied with its ability to process Fuji RAF files easily and quickly. I have set it up so that my most used 12 tools are in the one Refine tab. I am less satisfied with its file management approach, but I cope.

3. On my old Canon gear I used to assign "exposure lock" to the half-pressed shutter button (so I could select the area in the frame I wanted to use for auto exposure), and autofocus to a programmable function button on the rear of the camera under my shooting hand thumb to activate / stop the focus motor. I liked this better than having both happen by using the half-pressed shutter. Is there a way in the menus to set up a similar configuration on the X-T5?

Yes, the AF-On button's behaviours are explained on Page 102 of the manual (you can download a PDF copy). I tend to half press on the shutter button to lock exposure and focus and recompose (again, more out of habit).

Anything else I need to know as I ease back into things? Thanks for any and all help - I'm looking forward to getting back involved with the photography community!

Anything else? Yes, welcome to Fujiland, go out enjoy yourself and show us some images!

Hope that helps.

 

[GrendelBear]

Thanks for your detailed answers!

I used to use Photoshop for detailed image work on RAW files, but I'm not sure where I'll land these days, or if I'll even bother with RAW. I'm considerably busier today than I was back then (part of my reason for falling out of the hobby) so in the beginning I plan to shoot RAW + JPG. I guess I'll see how I feel about the JPG quality once I start to shoot, but the reputation of the JPG files, and the color rendition in general, was a big part of choosing the camera...

I think a big part of my old workflow (not sure how valid it is today) was using Capture One to weed out the lousy shots before letting the files take up space on my computer. I assume that's still a valid concern, but now that I think about it, I have an iPhone and my iPad Pro too, so I guess I have some thinking to do about workflows and how those devices might be used? Any thoughts on how people approach this in these modern times of wireless bluetooth connectivity? Holy crap I feel old...

Also, an update - my gear has arrived (HUZZAH)! I have a few very immediate observations:

1. Would it have killed them to ship batteries charged? Both the one in the box and the spare I bought are basically dead. Oh well - looks like I can read the manual while they charge.

2. I just realized that the last time I used a camera I didn't wear glasses... DOH! So, what's the scoop with finding a way to see through the viewfinder now that I do (it's embarrassing that this had not even occurred to me, but here we are...). I wear reading glasses with a slight correction for astigmatism if it matters - any suggestions?

 

[GrendelBear]

Awesome - thank you!

 

[GrendelBear]

I think I understand, but is there a way to assign a button (thumb or near the shutter release) to perform AF while the button is depressed, and to leave the focus alone once the button is released? I just liked having separate controls to engage the AF and Auto Exposure only when specific (but separate) buttons were depressed.

I hope that makes sense!

Thank you!

 

[Bielers]

Thanks for your detailed answers!

I used to use Photoshop for detailed image work on RAW files, but I'm not sure where I'll land these days, or if I'll even bother with RAW. I'm considerably busier today than I was back then (part of my reason for falling out of the hobby) so in the beginning I plan to shoot RAW + JPG. I guess I'll see how I feel about the JPG quality once I start to shoot, but the reputation of the JPG files, and the color rendition in general, was a big part of choosing the camera...

I think a big part of my old workflow (not sure how valid it is today) was using Capture One to weed out the lousy shots before letting the files take up space on my computer. I assume that's still a valid concern, but now that I think about it, I have an iPhone and my iPad Pro too, so I guess I have some thinking to do about workflows and how those devices might be used? Any thoughts on how people approach this in these modern times of wireless bluetooth connectivity? Holy crap I feel old...

Also, an update - my gear has arrived (HUZZAH)! I have a few very immediate observations:

1. Would it have killed them to ship batteries charged? Both the one in the box and the spare I bought are basically dead. Oh well - looks like I can read the manual while they charge.

I'm not sure if I've ever bought a camera that arrived with charged batteries.

2. I just realized that the last time I used a camera I didn't wear glasses... DOH! So, what's the scoop with finding a way to see through the viewfinder now that I do (it's embarrassing that this had not even occurred to me, but here we are...). I wear reading glasses with a slight correction for astigmatism if it matters - any suggestions?

I'm not sure what attachments you can get for that. Are you able to adjust the diopter to compensate for you current eyesight?

 

[GrendelBear]

Thanks a bunch!

Looks like I have some experimenting to do to work out a control scheme that works for my brain & fingers!

How are you liking your 16-55? I'm wondering if I'll want to grab some primes or if this will scratch my itch? I'm also going to have to get my head around the 1.4x "translation" factor since I only have experience with full frame cameras going back to my days with film SLRs... Any other lens suggestions that are exceptional "bang for the buck"?

I bought Peak Design 6L sling that should be here in a few days. My old Tamrac bag seems giant and is obviously overkill at this point. Do you like the PD strap? I've been looking at this as well as a BlackRapid Metro sling, and even some wrist strap options but I can't decide how I'm going to want to carry this. The wrist loop seems like an option if I keep it in the sling when not in use. I'm not sure I'll want to do that though - I may want to keep it more at the ready but I'm a little concerned about trashing the screen if the camera flops around on a over-the- shoulder sling or strap. Lots has changed - decisions, decisions!

 

[jonikon]

I think I understand, but is there a way to assign a button (thumb or near the shutter release) to perform AF while the button is depressed, and to leave the focus alone once the button is released? I just liked having separate controls to engage the AF and Auto Exposure only when specific (but separate) buttons were depressed.

I hope that makes sense!

Thank you!

Welcome to the Fujifilm forum!

In addition to reading the manual regarding the AF On button you may also find the post bellow regarding back button focusing in manual focusing mode useful as well.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/67552482

 

[GrendelBear]

Yes, adjusting the diopter helped a bunch (having never had to use one before, I had forgotten that these are even a thing!) but I might look into shallower eye cups to see if I can get a little closer without having to smash by glasses into the rubber.

Thanks!

 

[jhorse]

Thanks a bunch!

Looks like I have some experimenting to do to work out a control scheme that works for my brain & fingers!

Yup, but is not that always the case when one acquires a new piece of tech. It's back to the old adage of RT*M! Also, Pal2Tech on YT is very helpful for Fuji camera settings.

Based on my shooting style and preferences, I tend to use aperture priority, I worked out the best ways of controlling my primary settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO and EC) and ensured that they were mapped to the most convenient controls, dials or buttons. Then I worked out my secondary settings, such as AF Modes, photometry, film sims, playback (mapped to Fn 2 so I can view an image in the EVF), etc, and mapped them to any unused Fn buttons (principally the D-Pad buttons; I have the touch screen off), and finally any tertiary functions I placed in the Q Menu/My Menu.

How are you liking your 16-55? I'm wondering if I'll want to grab some primes or if this will scratch my itch?

So far, I am enjoying the new 16-55f2.8 Mk II. It balances fine on my XT5, takes great images and has a useful focal range. The earlier day criticism, mine included, of the zooming motion being coarse is easing with use. I should add that I have a Fuji EBC Protector filter on the front of the lens for protection. They are expensive, but I reason that Fuji is likely to use similar quality glass in their filters as used in their lenses. In very unscientific testing with and without it on, I see no discernible image difference. When around kids, animals and sports equipment it provides peace of mind.

As for primes, that depends on your use case, such as for low light scenarios. I use a lot my 23f2; small. light, discreet and with decent IQ.

I'm also going to have to get my head around the 1.4x "translation" factor since I only have experience with full frame cameras going back to my days with film SLRs... Any other lens suggestions that are exceptional "bang for the buck"?

I think it is about x1.5, so I am used to converting 16 APS-C into 24/ 55 into 82 for FF equivalent, etc.

Other bang-for-buck lenses? I'd say if you have a requirement to reach longer than 55mm, then the XF70-300 is an outstanding lens (mine gets a lot of use for sport, wildlife and hiking). It is relatively small and light, excellent AF, not too expensive and with excellent image quality. Some people make a great case for the XF10-24, but I find 16mm is fine for me. Additionally, the fast primes 16, 18, 23, 33, 56, 90, etc) are compelling if you prefer to use primes over zooms.

I bought Peak Design 6L sling that should be here in a few days. My old Tamrac bag seems giant and is obviously overkill at this point. Do you like the PD strap? I've been looking at this as well as a BlackRapid Metro sling, and even some wrist strap options but I can't decide how I'm going to want to carry this. The wrist loop seems like an option if I keep it in the sling when not in use. I'm not sure I'll want to do that though - I may want to keep it more at the ready but I'm a little concerned about trashing the screen if the camera flops around on a over-the- shoulder sling or strap. Lots has changed - decisions, decisions!

I do like the PD Slide Lite. It is good quality, I can attach/detach it quickly and it is easily adjustable in length. Vis the screen, I have a screen proctor on it. Touch wood, no issues to date. I tend to carry my camera (if it is not in a bag), over one shoulder Sam Browne style where the strap is over my right shoulder and the camera positioned just forward of the left hip. In this manner it does not swing or bang around, but even if it did the screen has the protector on it, and it is ready for use.

Hope that helps.

 

[GrendelBear]

That definitely helps - thank you for taking the time!

I think I'll give that strap a try for sure.

Last question before getting back to RTFM (lol - but it's true, I really am!) are there any film simulation settings aside from the ones that come with the camera that you recommend?

 

[Meeces]

So it's been MANY years since I was very active in digital photography. The last time I took it at all seriously was back around 2005 or so, a few years after our first child was born. Once our second came along, the pace of being busy working and as a parent led to me just drifting away from the hobby. At the time I was using a Canon 20D and a variety of L series lenses.

I've been struggling lately and realized that I really need to get back into doing things I enjoy, so I did a little research and ordered a X-T5 and a XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II lens, as well as all of the odds and ends I'll need to get bak into things on the hardware side of the house.

That said, I have a few questions I'm hoping for some help with rather than doing a bunch more research up front.

1. How far along has the in-camera jpg processing come in the X-T5, and am I likely to want to shoot in RAW?

2. I used to use Capture One, but my last license was purchased way back in 2003! What are the "popular" workflows & apps that are popular for folks to use these days to get the large files off their phones? FWIW, I'll be using a MacBook Pro for all of my image editing.

3. On my old Canon gear I used to assign "exposure lock" to the half-pressed shutter button (so I could select the area in the frame I wanted to use for auto exposure), and autofocus to a programmable function button on the rear of the camera under my shooting hand thumb to activate / stop the focus motor. I liked this better than having both happen by using the half-pressed shutter. Is there a way in the menus to set up a similar configuration on the X-T5?

Anything else I need to know as I ease back into things? Thanks for any and all help - I'm looking forward to getting back involved with the photography community!

Welcome to Fuji. The .jpg engine deserves the reputation it has. If you want a bit more leeway than JPG, but not full RAW, possibly consider taking and/or processing .HEIF image quality. Usually have to still export jpeg, but I find it offers a bit more leeway with editing before export (and non-destructive).

For processing further, it sounds like you might be thinking of software that isn't quite as involved as Capture One/Photoshop. A couple that might be worth checking out-

Nitro App- designed by one of the original Apple Aperture software program engineers. Works as stand alone or plugin for Apple Photos on Mac/iPad/iPhone and syncing updates nicely. Bonus is I believe it still has the option for one time payment or subscription. gentlemencoders.com is the website (or app store). Updates have not cost extra either, and it has some of the baseline Fuji sim choices built-in to choose from.

I also use Photomator quite a bit (recently acquired by Apple). Photomator has a bigger/more in depth big brother program as well- Pixelmator - that is closer to Photoshop. Also available on all Apple devices. This one was also non-subscription at one time, although I'm not sure how that may have changed since Apple purchased them. Works as stand alone or plug in on Mac, but I think has to be stand alone only on iPad or iPhone.

To get images off my phone- not sure if you mean off the camera instead? I will use the fuji app for occasional transfer direct TO my iPhone, but generally use sd card reader.

Would check out this page of the manual for focus/exposure lock options-

https://fujifilm-dsc.com/en/manual/x-t5/menu_setup/button-dial_setting/ and scroll down.

I saw your later post asking about film simulation settings, and I'd suggest checking out film.recipes and fujixweekly websites for about a bazillion simulations. They each also have apps that are handy to have. I'd also check out Kevin Mullins online -former Fuji ambassador and wedding photographer, but has some very nice recipes as well. I've got my recipes/settings set up on the back button- push in and rotate to whatever 'set up' I want for the moment, but the button set up is certainly a mileage may vary.

Bonus on the film sims- you can program the 7 custom preset slots into your camera- then save to the Fuji app, and you can save almost unlimited sets. Then choose which set of 7 you want, and download that back to the camera.

For primes- maybe check out Viltrox 75mm if you want a little more reach to pair with the 16-55. It is big (it's f/1.2). The updated versions of Fuji specific primes have a very well deserved reputation for being stellar (18/33/56)- I have and love the 18 and 33. Maybe rent to try first, or see what focal lengths you use with the 16-55 more often that might benefit a prime to supplement.

Second the Pal2Tech suggestion for youtube helpful/how-to Fuji related stuff.

 

[jhorse]

That definitely helps - thank you for taking the time!

I think I'll give that strap a try for sure.

Last question before getting back to RTFM (lol - but it's true, I really am!) are there any film simulation settings aside from the ones that come with the camera that you recommend?

Vis film sim settings, Meeces has answered this question far better than I can (I liked his post). I tend to use Reala Ace on both my Fuji cameras, which was not in the XT5's original mix but added subsequently via a firmware update.

 

[Night Pixel]

Since you are new to Fujifilm and the X-T5 this video from Pal2Tech should help:





He has other helpful videos to get you going.

 

[GrendelBear]

So it's been MANY years since I was very active in digital photography. The last time I took it at all seriously was back around 2005 or so, a few years after our first child was born. Once our second came along, the pace of being busy working and as a parent led to me just drifting away from the hobby. At the time I was using a Canon 20D and a variety of L series lenses.

I've been struggling lately and realized that I really need to get back into doing things I enjoy, so I did a little research and ordered a X-T5 and a XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II lens, as well as all of the odds and ends I'll need to get bak into things on the hardware side of the house.

That said, I have a few questions I'm hoping for some help with rather than doing a bunch more research up front.

1. How far along has the in-camera jpg processing come in the X-T5, and am I likely to want to shoot in RAW?

2. I used to use Capture One, but my last license was purchased way back in 2003! What are the "popular" workflows & apps that are popular for folks to use these days to get the large files off their phones? FWIW, I'll be using a MacBook Pro for all of my image editing.

3. On my old Canon gear I used to assign "exposure lock" to the half-pressed shutter button (so I could select the area in the frame I wanted to use for auto exposure), and autofocus to a programmable function button on the rear of the camera under my shooting hand thumb to activate / stop the focus motor. I liked this better than having both happen by using the half-pressed shutter. Is there a way in the menus to set up a similar configuration on the X-T5?

Anything else I need to know as I ease back into things? Thanks for any and all help - I'm looking forward to getting back involved with the photography community!

Welcome to Fuji. The .jpg engine deserves the reputation it has. If you want a bit more leeway than JPG, but not full RAW, possibly consider taking and/or processing .HEIF image quality. Usually have to still export jpeg, but I find it offers a bit more leeway with editing before export (and non-destructive).

For processing further, it sounds like you might be thinking of software that isn't quite as involved as Capture One/Photoshop. A couple that might be worth checking out-

Nitro App- designed by one of the original Apple Aperture software program engineers. Works as stand alone or plugin for Apple Photos on Mac/iPad/iPhone and syncing updates nicely. Bonus is I believe it still has the option for one time payment or subscription. gentlemencoders.com is the website (or app store). Updates have not cost extra either, and it has some of the baseline Fuji sim choices built-in to choose from.

I also use Photomator quite a bit (recently acquired by Apple). Photomator has a bigger/more in depth big brother program as well- Pixelmator - that is closer to Photoshop. Also available on all Apple devices. This one was also non-subscription at one time, although I'm not sure how that may have changed since Apple purchased them. Works as stand alone or plug in on Mac, but I think has to be stand alone only on iPad or iPhone.

To get images off my phone- not sure if you mean off the camera instead? I will use the fuji app for occasional transfer direct TO my iPhone, but generally use sd card reader.

Would check out this page of the manual for focus/exposure lock options-

https://fujifilm-dsc.com/en/manual/x-t5/menu_setup/button-dial_setting/ and scroll down.

I saw your later post asking about film simulation settings, and I'd suggest checking out film.recipes and fujixweekly websites for about a bazillion simulations. They each also have apps that are handy to have. I'd also check out Kevin Mullins online -former Fuji ambassador and wedding photographer, but has some very nice recipes as well. I've got my recipes/settings set up on the back button- push in and rotate to whatever 'set up' I want for the moment, but the button set up is certainly a mileage may vary.

Bonus on the film sims- you can program the 7 custom preset slots into your camera- then save to the Fuji app, and you can save almost unlimited sets. Then choose which set of 7 you want, and download that back to the camera.

For primes- maybe check out Viltrox 75mm if you want a little more reach to pair with the 16-55. It is big (it's f/1.2). The updated versions of Fuji specific primes have a very well deserved reputation for being stellar (18/33/56)- I have and love the 18 and 33. Maybe rent to try first, or see what focal lengths you use with the 16-55 more often that might benefit a prime to supplement.

Second the Pal2Tech suggestion for youtube helpful/how-to Fuji related stuff.

Would you elaborate on how you have your camera set up to allow so many film recipe presets - I don't think I fully understand... I've already programmed all seven slots for custom recipes I found (mostly on the sites you recommend - THANKS!). I see where when I press my Q button on the back, it give me a grid of quick choices, and the top left one lets me use the thumb "wheel" to cycle through 8 options (A, and C1-C7). Is that what you mean when you mention putting your recipes/setups "on the back button"?

And I assume you mean the iPhone "XApp" Fuji offers when you mention saving/loading sets from the app???!!! That would be AWESOME, because I already feel like I wish I had room for more so that I can go experiment with them. I expect that I'll ultimately narrow down to a manageable number of favorites, but it would be very nice to not have to program in more to try while I'm "in the field"... I'll have to look at that to see how the loading to the camera is done...

Thanks for the GREAT tips - I really appreciate it!