Introduction

Purchasing a new camera is a gratifying experience and often very exciting. Over the last few years, there has been a considered move by many amateurs and professionals alike toward the compact mirrorless cameras. I have been excited by these moves that Fujifilm and other manufacturers are taking, and have appreciated the added dimension that using smaller, fast cameras has added to my photography.

Of course, the greatest thrill you get out of owning a new camera is through the photographs you produce. It’s how your new camera allows you to move your creative vision from your mind to the digital or print canvas. The camera is just the conduit, but it will help you fulfill that vision and make your investment in the camera worthwhile.

I’ve approached this book about the Fuji X100S with a clear objective in mind: I want to tell you more than just how to set a particular control on your camera. I want to share the reasons behind the settings, how I shoot, and why I choose particular configurations. As a result, hopefully you will get more out of this great little camera.

This book is not a comprehensive and exhaustive guide to every feature that the X100S offers—the Owner’s Manual covers that. Instead, I’ve focused my attention on the controls and features that I believe you get the most benefit out of understanding how I use them. Regardless of whether you are shooting portraits, travel, landscapes, or street photography, the words and images that I share in this book will help you gain confidence in how to make great images. Whether you are new to the X100S or upgrading from the X100, this book will provide you with a valuable context and understanding of the many features found in the X100S.

Before we get into the core of the book, I want to answer some common questions that I believe will help you make the most of what this book has to offer.

Q: What does this book cover that I won’t find in the Owner’s Manual?

A: The Fujifilm X100S Owner’s Manual provides concise information on how to enable or change a particular control or function, but it’s often lacking a sense of when and why you would want to use a specific feature. Though the manual may give some general examples of when you might want to use a certain metering mode over another, it isn’t really rooted in the kinds of images that people like you and me make regularly. This is what you will find in this book.

I’ve written this book based on my own personal journey with the X100S, so you’ll find a point of view and a voice that you won’t find in the Owner’s Manual. It’s the kind of information I’d disseminate if we were on a photo walk together. It’s important to remember that just because this is the way that I use the camera, it’s not necessarily going to be the way you use the camera. We are all different photographers and photography is very subjective. However, I think you’ll find that my discussion of the camera, its features, and how it impacts my photography will make the camera more accessible to you.

Q: Does the book cover every feature of the X100S?

A: Nearly, but it emphasizes the features and controls that will have the biggest impact on the quality of your photographs. I go into detail on what I consider to be the key features of the camera, and I also delve into controls that you may use only periodically to handle difficult or challenging shooting conditions.

As you use the camera more, you will use certain features over and over again, regardless of the subject focus of your image. These features are the ones that I help you to understand and eventually master. As you gain this understanding, the importance (or lack of importance) of other features will become clearer to you. So instead of somebody telling you what is best, you can make informed decisions on these controls based on your own images and what you need as a photographer.

Q: Should I read this book straight through or can I jump around?

A: You can do both, though it would probably be worth your while to at least read the first few chapters in order, especially if you are a new user of the X100S. As mentioned, this book is my own take on styles and shooting technique, so the chapters are written from a point of view that may provide you with fresh insight into an area you feel may be familiar or a control setting that you think you don’t need.

I would advise you to approach the book at a modest pace. I know you want to be out shooting, but the X100S is a camera with many features—and some quirks—so don’t pressure yourself to understand it in its entirety overnight.

Q: How important are the assignments at the end of each chapter?

A: The assignments are there for a reason: to clarify the theory. I’ve included them to empower you to put into practice the information you have learned in the chapter. You may not understand what you are reading in the chapter until you try it yourself.

Going out and shooting is what makes us all better photographers. Practicing with specific goals and assignments in mind provides us with the opportunity to learn our craft and make us better photographers.

Additionally, I’d love to see as many of your images as possible in the Flickr group dedicated to this book (flickr.com/groups/fujiX100S_fromsnapshotstogreatshots). I’ll be in there regularly and I hope to “meet” as many of you as possible!

Q: How can I make the most of this book and my camera?

A: Patience is a virtue, right? Impatience has likely produced more bad photography than any cheap camera or poorly produced manual. When I’m patient and think more about what I’m doing with my camera, I’m much more consistent with the images I’m producing. When I’m impatient and rushing them, the thing I do consistently is make mistakes.

The joy of photography comes from making photographs that complete my vision of the subject of the scene, and the moment. And I can do that repeatedly by knowing my instrument, practicing, and remembering to enjoy myself at the same time.

I hope this book helps you to discover that joy, too.