Best Focus Settings for Every Photography Style and Skill Level on The Fujifilm X-T5

SEO-friendly avec Focus Settings, Photography Style, Skill Level on the Fujifilm X-T5

After exploring every menu, control, and indicator related to focus on the Fujifilm X-T5, it’s time to put all that knowledge into practice.

This fifth and final article in the Focus Master Guide is all about helping you find the best focus settings for your photography style — whether you’re shooting fast-moving subjects, carefully composed portraits, or street scenes on the fly.

We’ll also look at how your experience level — from beginner to advanced — can influence which focus modes and features will work best for you.

Fujifilm gives you an incredibly powerful autofocus system, but also a complex one. The key is not just knowing what each setting does — it’s knowing when to use it, and why.

This guide will help you answer one of the most important questions X-T5 users face:
🧠 “What focus settings should I actually use out in the field?”

Let’s find out.

🔔 This post is the fifth and final installment in the 5-part series: the Focus Master Guide – Fujifilm X-T5.

This in-depth guide is designed to help you take full control of the powerful — and sometimes complex — focus system of the X-T5.

👉 For an overview of the full guide, check out the post:
https://jmplisson.substack.com/p/introducing-the-focus-master-guide

📩 As promised, the full 80+ pages PDF version of the Focus Master Guide will be sent to all current paid subscribers.
Future paid subscribers will also automatically receive the guide upon joining.

Table of Contents

1. Key Focus Settings You Should Know

2. Recommended Focus Settings by Photography Style

3. Recommended Focus Settings by Skill Level

Key Focus Settings You Should Know

Before diving into real-world setups, here’s a quick refresher on the core focus settings available on the Fujifilm X-T5. These are the building blocks you’ll combine and adjust to suit your photography style and skill level.

Each one plays a specific role in how your camera acquires, tracks, or confirms focus.

Focus Mode (AF-S, AF-C, MF)

Type : Setting, Control

Defines how focus is acquired: once (AF-S), continuously (AF-C), or manually (MF). Chosen using the front Focus Mode selector.

Detailed in Post #1, Post #3.

AF Mode (Single Point, Zone, Wide/Tracking)

Type : Setting

Controls how the camera selects the area within the frame where it focuses :

• Single Point: precise,

• Zone: flexible for moving subjects,

• Wide/Tracking: automatic subject detection and tracking.

Detailed in Post #2.

Face/Eye Detection

Type : Setting

Automatically detects and focuses on human faces and eyes. Especially useful for portraits.

Detailed in Post #2.

Subject Detection

Type : Setting

Tracks specific types of subjects (animals, birds, cars, etc.) when enabled — best used in AF-C with Wide or Zone AF.

Detailed in Post #2.

AF+MF

Type : Setting

Lets you fine-tune autofocus results manually — especially helpful in AF-S when you want to slightly adjust focus using the focus ring.

Detailed in Post #2.

Pre-AF

Type : Setting

Keeps the camera continuously searching for focus, even without pressing the shutter button. Can improve speed, but drains battery faster.

Detailed in Post #2.

AF-C Custom Settings

Type : Setting

Fine-tunes how the camera tracks subjects in AF-C mode. You can adjust for things like erratic movement or acceleration.

Detailed in Post #2.

Focus Area

Type : Setting

Lets you move and resize the focus area using the joystick or rear dial — essential for precision.

Detailed in Post #1.

Back Button Focus (AF-ON)

Type : Physical Control and Feature

Separates focus from the shutter button. Great for action or recomposition techniques. Often combined with AF-C.

Detailed in Post #3 and in the post Mastering BBF on the Fujifilm, published on Substack on March 14, 2025 — https://bit.ly/jmp-x-t5-AF-ON-BBF.

Touch Screen Mode

Type : Physical Control

Tap to focus, move the focus area, or trigger the shutter depending on your setup. Offers extra flexibility, especially when shooting from the LCD.

Detailed in Post #3.

Recommended Focus Settings by Photography Style

The Fujifilm X-T5 offers a wide range of focus settings — but that doesn’t mean you need to use all of them at once. The best configuration depends on what you’re shooting and how your subject behaves. Below are practical, battle-tested recommendations for popular photography styles.

Each setup lists the key focus-related settings to prioritize. You can fine-tune from there, but these are excellent starting points.

🧍‍♂️ Portraits (Posed or Candid)