![\"Learn](\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/vlcsnap-2020-03-19-16h36m39s397.jpg?width=1500&height=844\")
<\/p>\nMany X Series cameras come with a built-in flash that is either fixed in the body or pops up at the flick of a switch. It can be a useful source of extra light when you need it, but it\u2019s crucial to know how and when to use it in order to get the best results.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
There are a number of flash modes, which can be accessed via the camera\u2019s Quick Menu screen (press the Q button to access this) or its main menu under the lightning bolt icon. Some of these allow more advanced creative shooting (and we\u2019ll look at these later on in this series of tutorials), but there are three that govern the basic behavior of the built-in flash. To scroll through the modes in the Q Menu, simply navigate to the flash icon and then use the rear command dial to flick through the options.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Auto mode is the most useful if you\u2019re looking to just use the camera\u2019s flash to help out in low-lighting conditions. If conditions are dark enough for the auto mode flash to kick in, then you\u2019ll see a flash symbol in the viewfinder when you half-press the shutter release button.<\/p>\n
Suppressed flash is useful if you want to photograph a scene using only ambient light, which is a great way of recording the atmosphere. Just make sure to support your camera on a tripod or something solid to prevent camera shake while the shutter is open.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Although low-light conditions are when flash is most often used, it\u2019s equally useful in the daytime when there is actually enough light to make pictures without needing it. Flash can help you avoid silhouettes when photographing into the sun and can make colors more vivid compared to objects in the background. It also adds a little reflection (called a catchlight) to your subject\u2019s eyes, which gives them more sparkle and makes them look brighter.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Photo \u00a9 Allan Higa<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
To do this, you\u2019ll need to put your camera in forced flash mode to ensure it activates every time. Also, forced flash is extremely useful if your subject is wearing a hat, as the light fills in the shadow that is cast on their face. You can expect this to cause a bit more of a drain on the camera\u2019s battery than usual, since more energy is required for each shot.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Sometimes, using a flash that\u2019s positioned so close to the camera\u2019s lens can cause a phenomenon known as \u2018red eye\u2019, where light bounces directly off the subject\u2019s retinas, causing them to glow bright red.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Thankfully this can be removed easily and automatically using your camera\u2019s Red Eye Removal feature. How you switch this mode on will depend on which camera you have. Either:<\/p>\n
Press MENU OK and scroll to the lightning bolt icon (the FLASH SETTING menu) and ensure RED EYE REMOVAL is switched ON or, in other models, ensure FLASH + REMOVAL is selected. You can also access this through the Q Menu.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nTIP: If you are in any Continuous Shooting, bracketing or movie modes, flash functions will be grayed out. Switch to S for Single shot via the selector on the front of the camera and you\u2019ll have access to flash settings again.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to remember that, although your camera\u2019s built-in flash can deliver great results, it\u2019s built for portability and convenience, too, so there are limitations on what it can do. Being small in size, it\u2019s not powerful enough to light up really big subjects or project light over vast distances \u2013\u00a0for that you\u2019ll need an optional hot shoe flash. Try to stay between two to ten meters from your subject when using your built-in flash for proper exposure.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Header photo \u00a9 John Haggerty<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your camera\u2019s built-in flash can be super convenient when you need that little bit of extra light, but it can also be useful in other situations, too Many X Series cameras come with a built-in flash that is either fixed in the body or pops up at the flick of a switch. It can be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"template":"","category":[2427,1202,2329,1251,565],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-73213","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":[],"fujifilm_category_label":"Tips","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-27 21:24:44","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\/73213","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=73213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=73213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=73213"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=73213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}