Your camera’s 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 a useful source of extra light when you need it, but it’s crucial to know how and when to use it in order to get the best results.
Flash Modes Explained
There are a number of flash modes, which can be accessed via the camera’s 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’ll 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.
- Auto – the camera automatically fires the flash when light levels drop low enough to require it.
- Forced flash – uses the flash all of the time, regardless of how dark it is.
- Suppressed flash – never uses the flash, even in dark conditions.
Auto mode is the most useful if you’re looking to just use the camera’s flash to help out in low-lighting conditions. If conditions are dark enough for the auto mode flash to kick in, then you’ll see a flash symbol in the viewfinder when you half-press the shutter release button.
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.
Flash Isn’t Just for Night Time
Although low-light conditions are when flash is most often used, it’s 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’s eyes, which gives them more sparkle and makes them look brighter.
Photo © Allan Higa
To do this, you’ll 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’s battery than usual, since more energy is required for each shot.
Removing Red Eye
Sometimes, using a flash that’s positioned so close to the camera’s lens can cause a phenomenon known as ‘red eye’, where light bounces directly off the subject’s retinas, causing them to glow bright red.
Thankfully this can be removed easily and automatically using your camera’s Red Eye Removal feature. How you switch this mode on will depend on which camera you have. Either:
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.
TIP: 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’ll have access to flash settings again.
Remember the Limitations, Too
It’s important to remember that, although your camera’s built-in flash can deliver great results, it’s built for portability and convenience, too, so there are limitations on what it can do. Being small in size, it’s not powerful enough to light up really big subjects or project light over vast distances – for that you’ll 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.
Your Next Steps
- CHALLENGE The next time you’re making pictures on a really sunny day, activate your camera’s flash and see what difference it makes to the look and feel of the pictures you’re getting. Post your favorites to social media with the hashtag #MyFujifilmLegacy and #flash. You can also submit your work here for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.
Header photo © John Haggerty