Fujifilm X100VI Video Settings: Frame Rate, Shutter, Focus, Audio

For most beginners, a good Fujifilm X100VI video setup is 4K at 30 frames per second or lower, a shutter speed about double your frame rate, and AF-C focus with face detection turned on. You set resolution and frame rate in MOVIE SETTING > MOVIE MODE and focus behavior in MOVIE SETTING > MOVIE AF MODE, and you can add a microphone through the camera's 2.5mm input.

What you are working with

The X100VI has a fixed 23mm f/2 lens and a 40.2-megapixel sensor. A fixed lens stays on the camera all the time, a bit like wearing the same pair of glasses every day. PetaPixel reports that Fujifilm added IBIS rated at six stops.

Digital Camera World calls the X100VI a fantastic photography camera that can also shoot very nice video when needed. That is a kind way to think about it. It is a photo camera first, and a few simple settings help it make lovely video too.

Step 1: Pick your resolution and frame rate

Fujifilm's quick start guide says the first thing to decide is resolution and frame rate, and you find both in MOVIE SETTING > MOVIE MODE.

Resolution is how much detail each frame holds. Think of a jigsaw puzzle: more pieces make a sharper picture, but the box gets heavier. Frame rate is how many pictures the camera takes every second, like the pages in a flip book. More pages per second make motion look smoother.

Resolution options

One more word before the table. A crop is like looking at a room through a paper towel tube: you see less of it.

Option	What the research says	Good for
6.2K (6240×3510)	Large loss of view, per PetaPixel	Reframing on a 4K timeline, per CineD
4K up to 30fps	No crop, per PetaPixel	Everyday filming
4K at 60fps	Large loss of view, per PetaPixel	Smooth motion
Full HD (1080p)	A good balance of quality and storage size, per Fujifilm	Long recordings and smaller files
Full HD High Speed Rec	Up to 240p for slow motion	Big, dreamy slow motion

For a first setup, 4K at 30 frames or lower is a gentle place to start, because PetaPixel reports it keeps the full view of the lens. CineD adds a detail: in HQ mode, the camera crops video by 1.23x no matter which resolution you choose, which makes the 23mm lens act close to a 30mm lens. The two reviews describe the crop a little differently, so glance at your screen after you change modes. If the picture suddenly looks zoomed in, that is the crop, not a mistake on your part.

Frame rate options

Fujifilm's spec sheet lists these normal frame rates: 59.94P, 50P, 29.97P, 25P, 24P and 23.98P. For slow motion, the High Speed Rec rates are 240P, 200P, 120P and 100P. The quick start guide says the 240p option lives in 1080p, through MOVIE SETTING and HIGH SPEED REC. The spec sheet lists High Speed Rec in both Full HD 17:9 and Full HD 16:9 shapes.

Fujifilm's guide explains that footage at 59.94p or 50p records motion more smoothly, and when you play it back at 30fps or 25fps in editing, it turns into smooth slow motion.

• Talking, travel and everyday clips: choose 23.98p, 24p, 25p or 29.97p, then keep it the same for the whole project.
• Kids, pets, sports and anything quick: choose 59.94p or 50p so you can slow it down later.
• Very slow motion: turn on High Speed Rec in 1080p.

Keep your rates in matching families: 59.94p pairs with a 30fps timeline, and 50p pairs with 25fps. Mixing families is a common first slip, and once you know about it, it is easy to avoid next time.

Memory card and file quality

PetaPixel reports that the X100VI keeps the same UHS-I SD card slot as the model before it. CineD says that slot limits video to 200Mbps, with 10-bit color and 4:2:2 color sampling in H.264 and H.265. PetaPixel adds that ProRes is not recorded inside the camera because the slower SD slot cannot handle that much data.

Data rate is like the width of a garden hose: a wider hose moves more water each second. 10-bit color is like a bigger crayon box with more in-between shades. CineD says 200Mbps still looks great for many purposes. Fujifilm keeps a memory card compatibility list on its website, so check your card there before an important day.

PetaPixel notes the camera records F-Log and F-Log2 for wide dynamic range. CineD describes F-Log2 as the choice for maximum dynamic range and color correction afterward. Log footage is made to be colored later, so it is fine to save it for when you feel comfortable editing.

Step 2: Set your shutter speed

Shutter speed works like a door opening and closing. A slow door lets in lots of light and blurs moving things. A quick door lets in less light and freezes them in place.

Fujifilm's quick start guide gives a simple rule: pick a shutter speed roughly double your frame rate, so each frame is exposed for half the time. Its example is 24fps with a shutter speed of 1/48 or 1/50 sec.

Frame rate	Shutter speed to aim for
23.98p or 24p	1/50 sec, Fujifilm's own example
25p	About 1/50 sec
29.97p	About 1/60 sec
50p	About 1/100 sec
59.94p	About 1/120 sec, or the nearest setting

Every row after the first uses the same doubling rule from Fujifilm's guide. The spec sheet also notes that for some settings you cannot choose a shutter speed slower than the frame rate. If the camera will not let you go slower, it is protecting your video, and you have not broken anything.

The dials on top

Digital Camera World describes two dials on top of the camera: one for exposure compensation and one for shutter speed. You lift and twist the shutter speed dial to change ISO, and you turn the ring on the lens to change aperture. Every dial has an auto setting, and you can mix manual and auto to shoot in aperture priority or shutter priority.

Aperture is like the pupil of your eye: it opens wide in the dark and gets small in bright sun. ISO is like a volume knob for brightness. Turn it up a lot and the picture gets grainy, and Photography Blog's stills testing found visible noise at the highest ISO settings.

Here is a calm way to step out of full auto. Set the shutter speed dial using the table above, leave ISO on auto, and choose your aperture with the lens ring. You only have one setting to think about at a time while you learn.

Bright days and the ND filter

On a sunny day, a slow shutter like 1/50 can let in more light than you want. An ND filter is sunglasses for your lens. CineD notes the X100VI has a built-in ND filter with only two positions, on and off, and the reviewer sometimes screwed on an extra ND filter in strong outdoor light. CineD also points out that the lens uses an inner thread, so you need a special adapter ring before you can attach filters.

A note on rolling shutter

PetaPixel warns that the relatively slow-reading sensor causes rolling shutter issues. Picture the sensor reading the image from top to bottom, the way you read a page. If something rushes past before it finishes, straight lines can lean or wobble. Moving the camera slowly and smoothly is a simple way to keep this gentle. PetaPixel even suggests that videographers who dislike rolling shutter and cropped video might look for the older X100V instead.

Step 3: Set up focus for video

Fujifilm's guide says to switch to AF-C with the Focus Mode selector, and the X100VI will keep adjusting focus as you film. The selector sits on the left side of the camera. AF-C is like a friend who keeps pointing a flashlight at whoever is talking.

Turn on Face or Subject Detection

With Face Detection or Subject Detection on, the camera tracks people or subjects around the frame. You turn either one on in the AF/MF SETTING menu, and you can add it to the Q Menu for quick access. Digital Camera World lists faces, eyes, animals, birds and vehicles among the subjects the X100VI recognizes.

Choose a Movie AF Mode

You find these in MOVIE SETTING > MOVIE AF MODE.

Mode	What it does, per Fujifilm	Try it when
MULTI	Uses the whole frame and focuses on the closest object	The closest thing is your subject
AREA	Lets you be more selective	You want focus on one chosen spot
WIDE/TRACKING	Locks onto a subject and tracks it through the whole frame	Your subject moves around

Manual focus

To focus by hand, put the Focus Mode selector on M, then open the AF/MF SETTING menu. Fujifilm says the X100VI offers all kinds of aids to help you get sharp manual focus. Manual focus is a nice choice when your subject stays still, like a coffee cup on a table.

What reviewers say about the autofocus

In PetaPixel's review, the writer tracked people walking toward, across and away from the camera without issue, but also said the lens is loud and you can hear it working. Digital Camera World's reviewer described the autofocus as very quick and very silent, and said it held focus as the subject moved around the frame in continuous mode. Because the two reviews hear it differently, record a short test clip and listen back before an important shoot.

Use the electronic viewfinder or the screen

The EVF shows you exactly what the camera sees. PetaPixel found IBIS and autofocus slightly worse in the optical viewfinder mode. CineD adds that you cannot switch between the EVF and the LCD after you press record, because the last one you chose stays locked. Choose your screen first, then press record.

Step 4: Get clean audio

Fujifilm's spec sheet lists a 2.5mm microphone / shutter release input and a hot shoe. Check the plug on your microphone before you buy anything, because a plug that does not match will need an adapter.

For headphones, Fujifilm says the USB-C port can work as a headphone jack with a USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter cable that supports analog audio.

Reviewers are honest about this part. PetaPixel says the dongles make holding the camera while recording decent audio a real pain. CineD's review says the audio terminals could be better.

• Mount a small microphone on the hot shoe.
• Record ten seconds, then play it back with headphones.
• Tidy the adapter cables so they do not tug on the ports while you hold the camera.
• Since PetaPixel could hear the lens working, a microphone pointed at your subject can help keep their voice in front.

Step 5: Stabilization, battery and zoom

Stabilization

Before testing it, PetaPixel said it looked forward to trying IBIS in video, as it should help smooth camera moves. CineD wished the IBIS performance were better and noted this is the first X100 camera to have it. Hold the camera close to your body and walk slowly, and the IBIS has an easier job.

Battery

PetaPixel reports that video drained the battery more than photos, and that its video director needed two and a half batteries to get through a day of filming. Bring spare batteries and switch the camera off between takes.

Digital zoom

Photography Blog reports up to 2x digital zoom with little to no loss in resolution when recording 4K. Digital Camera World says the control ring on the lens handles digital zoom by default.

A simple starting recipe

Setting	Start here
Resolution	4K, set in MOVIE SETTING > MOVIE MODE
Frame rate	23.98p, 24p or 29.97p for everyday, 59.94p for action
Shutter speed	About double the frame rate
ISO	Auto while you learn
Focus Mode selector	AF-C
Movie AF Mode	WIDE/TRACKING
Face or Subject Detection	On
Screen	EVF or LCD, chosen before you press record
Audio	External mic in the 2.5mm input

If a clip comes out too bright, too dark or a little soft, that is useful information. Change one setting, record again, and compare. That is how every good shooter learns.

Is the X100VI a good video camera?

Digital Camera World calls the fixed lens the most limiting factor for video and suggests the X-S20 or X-H2 if video is your priority. CineD titled its review "A Capable Camera for Video". If you mostly take photos and want lovely clips along the way, these settings give you a steady start.

For the photo side of this camera, read Best Fujifilm Camera Settings for Beginners. If you are comparing bodies, the Sony A6700 Video Settings for Total Beginners guide walks through the same steps on a different camera. For more plain-English setup guides, sign up for the theCamera.School newsletter.