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<\/p>\n<\/p>\nFocusing when you\u2019re making video is a different experience from focusing when you\u2019re making still images. However, there are plenty of options for you to try out \u2013 explore and practice to find out which works best for you.<\/p>\n
The way we focus when making video is slightly different to how we focus for a still photo. This is because, while still photos frame a single moment in time, videos record the passage of time. This means we may need to adjust focus during a video clip \u2013 as a subject moves in and around the frame, for instance.<\/p>\n
The way in which we set up our X Series cameras for video mode focusing reflects this difference, and there a few ways in which to go about it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The simplest and most straightforward approach to video AF is to use the camera\u2019s continuous AF mode to adjust the point of focus constantly as you film. Use the Focus Mode selector on the front of the camera to access AF-C mode; denoted with the letter C.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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A key difference here is the speed with which focusing takes place. When making still photos, the focusing system\u2019s priority is to find focus as quickly as possible, so that you can make an image. But with video, the priority is to focus more smoothly, so transitions from one place to another don\u2019t appear sudden or jerky. Professional movie crews actually use highly-trained \u201cfocus puller\u201d camera assistants to ensure smoothness and accuracy.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
You can set how slowly your camera shifts focus, and how quickly it recognizes a new subject, in the camera\u2019s menu system:<\/p>\n
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<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nVideo AF can operate in one of two ways, each with its own advantages.<\/p>\n
Put the camera into AF-S mode and it will act like it does when you\u2019re making stills:\u00a0a half press of the shutter release button will focus the camera (on the active AF area in Area mode; or where the camera thinks the main subject lies in Multi mode); and a following full press will start recording. Focus won\u2019t be adjusted at any point during filming, which means your subject will go out of focus if it moves towards or away from you.<\/p>\n
Single AF is useful less often than Continuous AF, but has its uses: when you want a person to get up and walk away while simultaneously falling out of focus, for example, or for simple interview situations where the subject stays in one place.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In the same way that Single AF mode lets you be more specific with focusing, Manual mode lets you be super precise, and also allows you to control exactly how fast or slow the rate of change is. In Manual focus mode (accessed via the Focus Mode selector on the front of the camera), you can be specific about where the camera will focus and be certain that there won\u2019t be any changes to that position.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s obviously harder to focus manually, so we\u2019ve built in a few features to make this easier. You can use whichever ones you find easiest. You\u2019ll find these in your camera\u2019s AF\/MF Setting menu (they also work in still photo mode).<\/p>\n
To make this feel more cinematic, many X Series cameras have a menu item under Button\/Dial Settings called Focus Ring Operation, where you can select Linear mode for the most predictable behavior.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This setting zooms in the display the moment you touch the manual focus ring on the lens, so you can see detail more clearly and focus more accurately. Access this from the AF\/MF SETTING > FOCUS CHECK menu. But it might be preferable to zoom in manually using a short press on the rear command wheel on most X Series cameras.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThis setting outlines areas of the scene that are in focus, using a color of your choosing. \u00a0Access this (and specify your color) from the AF\/MF SETTING > MF ASSIST menu. Choosing one of the (LOW) options is more selective.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThese digital versions of traditional focusing aids are available from the AF\/MF SETTING>MF ASSIST menu.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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There is no right or wrong way to focus when shooting video, but there are plenty of options available to you. Explore and practice to find out which works best for you.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Header image \u00a9 Jonathan Irish<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Focusing when you\u2019re making video is a different experience from focusing when you\u2019re making still images. However, there are plenty of options for you to try out \u2013 explore and practice to find out which works best for you. The way we focus when making video is slightly different to how we focus for a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"template":"","category":[2427,1202,2329,1251,565],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-127713","story","type-story","status-publish","hentry","category-articles-type-stories","category-category","category-tips-category-stories","category-type-stories","category-stories"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-02 11:21:11","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/127713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=127713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=127713"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=127713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}