The Fuji X20 as a Street Camera…….and More

This is not a review, well, not a traditional review. These are my thoughts and findings on the Fuji X20.

With any camera that I use and hopefully end up keeping, I need certain things from it. The most important is…..the non intrusion, don’t bug me when I’m working, I’ll adjust you when I need to thing. Yeah, that’s a big sentence with a whole lot of meaning. The X20 is up to the chore. As my feelings respond to the street, so must my camera adjust to those feelings. I need to be able to change working settings without hassle.

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With the camera in Manual Focus, the focus scale is tricky. Do not pay attention to the DOF marks…they are so wrong. The actual focus mark is close. So, I set the focus indicator to 4′.   At f/4,… f/5.6,… f/8,… I get around 3′ or less to about infinity in very acceptable focus. Of course this is using 28mm. I may try DOF settings at other focal lengths but not for a spell. If anyone else has tested and has settings….I’d be glad to post them and give you credit.

I would also give you free copies of the free magazine.

The Auto Focus is very fast and accurate. From 28mm to 112mm, the focus is almost instantaneous. The AF Target Box is very easy to change size. This is very important to me as I change it to suite the light and movement.

Just click the control wheel up…then use the jog wheel to adjust size. Can’t get easier or better than this.

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The finder works very well and I tested it so that I know what it sees. It’s nice and now that I know how it works, I can forget about it. The screen is where it’s at…for any camera. Here’s a very cool thing. Sometimes I shoot chest shots. The camera is on a neck strap and hanging around my neck against my chest. The sensor turns off the screen and saves power because your shooting without the screen anyway. This is real nice to save power and also if your in a darker area, no light from the screen.

I go from neck strap to wrist strap in a flash. I use the Le Hook and that’s as fast as it gets.

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It’s Sunday morning… 0755 and I need more coffee and I have to mow the lawn. I’ll take the X20 with me cause it’s a great macro shooter also…..

to be continued…….

16 thoughts on “The Fuji X20 as a Street Camera…….and More”

  1. Don

    I tried so much to like the X20. The menus were intuitive, the handling was great. But … I couldn’t work out the correct settings. Returned it in 10 days. Maybe if Fuji fixes the NR engine that results in the mushy shots, I’ll try again.

    You have some lovely pics here though. Any preferred in camera settings? I know you shoot in RAW and then convert in LR, but how do you set up the camera?

    1. To be clear, I had the X10 for about 4 months. I used it in jpeg because I liked the camera so much. Then it just had to go because it couldn’t do raw.
      2 months and I still missed working with the X10. Then the Ghwads on Mt Fuji released the X20. I gotta say, it’s everything the X10 wanted to be.

      I do raw only. I have DR on auto.
      I use it a few ways.
      M mode and use Auto ISO. I use different high settings.
      Normally I keep 800 on the top. If light is hiding from me then I’ll go to 1600+.

      I never let any camera choose more then 1 setting.
      In A mode, I set ISO and I like around 250 till I need higher.

      I never use any jpeg modes.

      The AF is lightening fast and accurate.
      Nonetheless, I bugger things up by using MF.

      At 28mm…I set 4.0′ on the scale and I’m good at f4, 5.6, 8.
      Great for street. I think the issues are with the jpegs.
      I don’t see anything that bothers me in raw.

      If you get another X20…we can Skype or something.
      Don

  2. I liked your approach to the X20. Thanks. I also liked your b&w work. What software do you use for the nice effects? Thanks.

    1. Jim, thanks for the note. The X20 is an amazing camera. I shoot in RAW only and process in LR. In there I can apply the presets I make….
      don

    1. Edward,
      I find that shooting a camera in neutral positions always allows better processing in Light Room. I never use Noise Reduction and keep sharpening to norman or +1. I shoot RAW so that makes a difference but even in jpeg, the less amount of in camera processing will normally make it better in PP.

  3. Hi, I am new to X20. Can you please let me know how do you “set the focus indicator to 4′”?

    1. Sankar, put the camera in MF Mode. The 3 way toggle switch on camera front left. Then, rotate the rear dial and the focus will shift. When you get to near 4″, it takes a few heavy turns but it goes to 4″.
      Don

  4. I bought an X20 as soon as it came out,but I foolishly sold it a couple of months later…… in February I got one again /black one this time, and have not regretted it since.

    Great camera, beside my analog collection (Olympus XA, XA2,Trip 35, OM2n and OM20)

    Only gripe I have with it, it does not fit in my pants pocket like the XA’s, and having it dangling on a neck strap, badolier style, makes me feel too conspicuous and lugging a camera bag is tiring in hot weather.

    1. Frank, I also sold the X20 almost a year ago I missed that camera everyday until Olivier sent me one he wasn’t using. Nice of him…it’s an amazing camera and worthy of any user….
      don

    1. Grant, all my cameras are on wrist straps. I use a small fanny pack to transport the camera and essentials. If I use more than one I use a Newswear small that I had an insert put into.

    1. Awa, let me know what you want to know and if I know what you want to know I will tell you what I know that you want to know.
      don

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