Technique
Camera Settings for Exposing Landscapes
● EXPAND YOUR DYNAMIC RANGE A key challenge when photographing landscapes is exposing them correctly. When creating backlit photos at sunrise or sunset in particular, the brightness of the sky and deep shadows cast by the features of the landscape lead to images with a lot of shadows and highlights. X Series cameras offer lots of ways to create images with more dynamic range, but the simplest option is to adjust the dynamic range setting. To do this, press MENU/OK and go to IMAGE QUALITY SETTING > DYNAMIC RANGE.
● HDR MODE A common way of creating images with more dynamic range is bracketing – that is, making multiple frames at different exposure values and combining them in post-production. X Series cameras can carry out this process automatically by using HDR mode. Access this setting by pressing the Drive button and selecting HDR, or by rotating the Drive dial to HDR. When you release the shutter, the camera will make three exposures in quick succession before automatically combining them. For best results, the camera needs to be kept stable and the subject shouldn’t be moving, so it’s a perfect fit for landscape photography. To adjust the amount of dynamic range, press MENU/OK and then go to SHOOTING SETTING > DRIVE SETTING > HDR MODE. You can pick between dynamic ranges of 200%, 400% and 800%. There’s also an HDR AUTO setting, which will automatically select a value depending on the scene, and HDR 800% +, which adjusts the camera settings for maximum variation in dynamic range.
Your camera will be set to 100% by default. Selecting 200% will add an extra stop of dynamic range, while 400% will add two additional stops. There’s also an AUTO setting, which can intuitively choose between 100% and 200% depending on what you’re photographing. Using the higher settings requires you to set ISO to either 200% or 400% of your camera’s base ISO. That’s because the function works by underexposing the image initially to preserve detail in the highlights, then boosting the exposure of shadows when processing the image.
24 FUJIFILM Focus Magazine
Summer 2025
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