Twelve changes turn the X-M5 from a camera with factory defaults into a camera set up for a learning photographer. Work down the list once; you will not need to touch most of it again.
The list
| Setting | Set to | Because |
|---|---|---|
| IMAGE QUALITY | FINE+RAW | A finished file plus a safety net. |
| FOCUS MODE | AF-S | Focus once, lock, shoot. Predictable while you learn. |
| AF MODE | SINGLE POINT | You decide what is sharp, not the camera. |
| Focus point size | Middle (3rd or 4th of 6) | Small enough to be precise, big enough to acquire. |
| FACE/EYE DETECTION | FACE ON + EYE AUTO | Free accuracy on people, and it steps aside when there is no face. |
| TOUCH SCREEN MODE | AREA | Tap to move the focus point. This is the fastest control on the camera. |
| SHUTTER AF (AF-S) | ON | Half-press focuses, which is the reflex the rest of this course assumes. |
| RELEASE/FOCUS PRIORITY | FOCUS | Refuse to fire an out-of-focus frame rather than “getting the shot” blurred. |
| DYNAMIC RANGE | AUTO | Highlight protection when the scene needs it, without forcing ISO up unnecessarily. |
| HIGH ISO NR | -1 or -2 | Fujifilm’s default smears hair, foliage and fabric. Visible grain beats mush. |
| LONG EXPOSURE NR | ON | Only engages on genuinely long exposures, and fixes a tedious problem. |
| MF ASSIST | FOCUS PEAK HIGHLIGHT | Makes manual focus practical on a screen, with no magnification dance. |
Leave these alone for now
GRAIN EFFECT off. D RANGE PRIORITY off. PORTRAIT ENHANCER off. CLARITY 0. HIGHLIGHT and SHADOW TONE 0. COLOR 0. Each film simulation already contains a tone curve and a saturation character designed by someone who thought about it for a long time — start from their intent, then deviate on purpose.
Two extras worth setting while you are here
- Turn the histogram on in SCREEN SET-UP > DISP. CUSTOM SETTING, along with the highlight alert. With no viewfinder, the histogram is your most reliable exposure judge in bright light.
- COLOR CHROME EFFECT = WEAK. A near-free improvement on reds, autumn leaves and neon, subtle enough that it never reads as an effect.
When the whole list is in place, save it: IMAGE QUALITY SETTING > EDIT/SAVE CUSTOM SETTING stores the look-related half as a custom slot, so an experiment is never a one-way door.