Using Black & White Bracketing

There is more than one way for your camera to convert an image to black & white, but how are you supposed to know which is best before you begin making images? Cover all your bases with black & white film simulation bracketing – here’s how.

Each of the black & white Film Simulation modes on your X Series camera can also be set to one of three color filter modes, which affects how each color in the scene is translated into a shade of gray.

• MONOCHROME+Ye or ACROS+Ye simulates the effect of a yellow filter in front of the camera’s lens, darkening blue skies a little to make clouds stand out.
• MONOCHROME+R or ACROS+R simulates the effect of a red filter in front of the camera’s lens, dramatically darkening blue skies for a dark and moody look.
• MONOCHROME+G or ACROS+G simulates the effect of a green filter in front of the camera’s lens, brightening up foliage and giving skin a blemish-free appearance.

• Color original
• No filter

• ACROS+G
• ACROS+R
• ACROS+Ye

These are only some of the uses that colored filters effects have, though. Often, you need to actually experiment with different settings to see which best suits a scene. But what if you only have one opportunity to grab an image and you can’t simply try again with slightly different camera settings?

Film Simulation bracketing effectively lets you photograph with three different black & white settings at once, so you can capture the moment in slightly different ways.

Setting up Film Simulation Mode Bracketing

To set up Film Simulation mode bracketing on your own camera, first switch on bracketing, then program the black & white effects you want to use.

• Press MENU OK and scroll to the SHOOTING SETTING menu tab.
• Select FILM SELECTION BKT.
• Assign a MONOCHROME or ACROS Film Simulation mode to each of the FILM 1, FILM 2, and FILM 3 slots.
• Half-press the shutter release button to go back to shooting mode.
• Now select bracketing from the DRIVE menu – this varies from camera to camera, so consult your user manual if you’re unsure how to access this feature.

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With these settings, your camera will create three JPEG or RAW files each time you make a picture, one for each Film Simulation mode you have selected.

Of course, this approach can also be used for those instances when you don’t know whether to photograph in color or black & white. Just set one of the Film Simulation bracketing options to a color setting and another to black & white. Then you can create without worrying.

Your Next Steps

• CHALLENGE With your camera set to photograph three different black & white Film Simulation modes, take a trip out and photograph a favorite landscape. What do you notice about the differences between the bracketed exposures? Post your favorite image to social media with the hashtag #MyFujifilmLegacy and #blackandwhite. You can also submit your work here for a chance to be featured on our social media channels. 
• LEARN Download our booklet See the World in Black and White with FUJIFILM X Series

Header image © David Kingham