Locking exposure/focus with half pressed shutter button

[ths]

I recently started using the X-T1 and have found that the behavior of half pressing the shutter is not the same as other cameras I have used (mainly Canon). I mainly use Aperture Priority, use the AF-L button to lock focus (lock while pressing) and then half press the shutter to lock the exposure, recompose and shoot. This works fine for one shot but as soon as I half release the shutter button (i.e. maintaining the half pressed position ready to take another shot) the camera reacquires exposure based on the centre point. I would expect that maintaining the half pressed shutter would lock down focus and exposure completely so that I can take subsequent shots on exactly the same settings. I've tried using the AE-L button for exposure and the half pressed shutter for focus but the same problem happens: after the first shot, when I try to take another, the camera tries to reacquire FOCUS based on the centre point. I'm using spot metering but the same happens in Multi metering mode.

I've tried different options in the menu and have searched around forums for solutions but have not found anything yet. Does anyone have a solution to this or is this just the way all Fuji X cameras behave?

[RichardCFrost]

On Page 81 of the manual (online) it says...

AE/AF-LOCK MODE

If AE & AF ON WHEN PRESSING is selected, exposure and/or focus will lock while the AE-L or AF-L button is pressed. If AE & AF ON/OFF SWITCH is selected, exposure and/or focus will lock when the AE-L or AF-L button is pressed and remains locked until the button is pressed again.

Happy to RTFM for you, even though I am not an X-T1 user.

It pretty much says the same on Page 67 too. I suspect, therefore, that you want to select AE & AF ON>OFF SWITCH if this is a problem for you.

[ths]

Thanks for the reply - I have tried this but it isn't quite what I'm after. Your suggestion is certainly one way to do it but I've found it to be quite slow to lock, unlock and relock the AE & AF-L buttons. This may just be something I need to adapt to, but I was wondering if there was a way to set it so that it behaved like my other previous cameras where I'd use AF-L to focus (and keep it pressed down to lock) and the shutter half pressed to lock exposure.

While this is certainly possibly with the X-T1, it only works ONCE(!) because after taking the first shot the camera then tries to reacquire exposure even though I am still half pressing the shutter. On all other cameras I have used half pressing the shutter locks down all your current settings for all subsequent shots until you let go of the shutter fully.

Is there even a way to configure how the shutter button works?! Or is that not something that can be customized?

[jeremyclarke]

AFAIK you've bumped into one of the "quirky" aspects of the Fuji cameras, namely that keeping the shutter "half-pressed" after taking a shot is effectively impossible. Sure you can keep your finger in place, but the camera will ignore it, and when you push the shutter down again the effect will be the same as if you'd let go completely and then mashed the shutter down to force AF+release.

The solution is to give up on half-pressing completely when you're doing whatever delicate work it is that made you realize this failure in the camera. Instead you can use the delightful (I'm being sincere here, I find it fun) manual focus and/or manual exposure mode to get what you want. Put the camera in M focus mode, then use the AF-L to "back button autofocus". At that point you have a truly locked focus as well as a quick way to focus on something else when you need to. As a bonus you'll also get a faster shutter release since it won't be doing any AF when you press the shutter button.

That should cover AF lock to at least be less finicky/delicate than constantly lock/unlocking it. In terms of exposure locking I never really use it so I don't have experience. Why not just use manual exposure when it gets that delicate?

[ths]

Yeah, I was beginning to think this was something unique to Fuji, thanks for confirming! I guess I'll have to adopt some new techniques now...which is OK, I knew when getting this camera that I was going to have to change some aspects of my shooting style having been with Canon for so long.

I do use Manual mode most of the time but my normal practice has been to use Aperture Priority (along with the method I described above) in changing situations. I'll learn new methods though!

Cheers!

[PAC]

Looking up to find answer, although some loooong time later.

I have discovered the answer - at last.

This lift in exposure seems to be cased by having the dynamic rage set to auto. When this is set to a fixed value, say 200%, the exposure remains as it was. The most likely explanation is that the ISO originally was at a default 100 or 200, but this was boosted to 400 to compensate for the dynamic range increase.

So to be able to have proper control over exposure and a consitent viewfinder image my suggestion is to set the dynamic range to a fixed value.

[Keith Turbo]

Good tip PAC! 

FWIW: I’ve noticed that when I lock the exposure using the shutter button, I then lose the ability to do anything further with focusing in the software - no focus peaking or zoom in with viewfinder. It’s not ideal, but it’s worth it to me so that I can quickly sample lighting and recompose.