Technique
Camera Settings for Wildlife Photography The vastness of the animal kingdom means there’s no one methodology for snapping every species. While no single combination of settings will suit every situation, several Fujifilm camera features are worth knowing. Autofocus Modern Fujifilm cameras feature Subject Detection AF. Animal mode recognises a range of wildlife, while Bird mode is optimised specifically for birds and insects. To activate Subject Detection, press MENU/OK and navigate to AF/MF SETTING > SUBJECT DETECTION SETTING, or find it in the Q Menu by default. For moving subjects,
Continuous Autofocus (AF- C) combined with Subject Detection offers the best chance of maintaining accurate focus as your subject changes position.
Continuous Shooting Wildlife photography can be a thankless task: hours, days, even weeks of prep may only result in a fraction of a second to take the perfect photo. To make the most of that moment, continuous shooting records a rapid sequence of images while you hold the shutter button. Maximum burst rates vary depending on whether you’re using the mechanical
or the electronic shutter. To change this, navigate to SHOOTING SETTING > SHUTTER TYPE. Just consider that the fastest electronic shutter modes may apply a slight crop.
Stabilisation Wildlife photographers often like to work handheld, allowing them to react quickly – though long focal lengths naturally magnify camera movements, making stabilisation valuable. Cameras equipped with in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) reduce camera shake, while many Fujinon telephoto
lenses also feature Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) for additional support. If your Fujifilm camera features IBIS, navigate to SHOOTING SETTING > IS MODE to ensure stabilisation is enabled.
Shutter Speed A fast shutter speed is one of the most important settings in wildlife photography. Exactly how fast depends on the subject – a sleeping lion will require different settings to a diving kingfisher, so be ready to experiment. Don’t hesitate to push your ISO up: a small increase
in noise is better than too much motion blur. Many photographers work in shutter priority or use fully manual exposure, giving direct control over shutter speed while adjusting any other exposure settings.
FUJIFILM Focus Magazine 15
September/October 2026
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