Fuji Struggling to get my XT2 set up right

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I don't have the means to work with Fuji RAW (begining to think I should have bought another Nikon and worked on the software I already had) so I can only shoot jpegs - but the shadows are blocking up solid. True, that means the highlights are held well, but I could do with opening up the shadows more - any tips please? I have read the manual, several times and sat with it and the camera trying to work out the menus. I am not brilliant at working through that kind of stuff, because I can't remember things like that and I still struggle to find things in the menu. I have to refer to the book to find out how to get to some things that are quite basic. It doesn't seem to be logical to me where things are stored (I don't care how easy YOU find it ! I don't, because I am not you. Mobile phones are even worse. )

So, how can I tweek my shadows without just over exposing everything please? At time of capture, I should say - I don't want to be fiddling with an entire shoot after the fact.
 
Have you tried the Q button and looked in the quick menu? There should be shadow and highlight controls in there by default. You can adjust them both easily that way.
 
I don't have the means to work with Fuji RAW (begining to think I should have bought another Nikon and worked on the software I already had) so I can only shoot jpegs - but the shadows are blocking up solid. True, that means the highlights are held well, but I could do with opening up the shadows more - any tips please? I have read the manual, several times and sat with it and the camera trying to work out the menus. I am not brilliant at working through that kind of stuff, because I can't remember things like that and I still struggle to find things in the menu. I have to refer to the book to find out how to get to some things that are quite basic. It doesn't seem to be logical to me where things are stored (I don't care how easy YOU find it ! I don't, because I am not you. Mobile phones are even worse. )

So, how can I tweek my shadows without just over exposing everything please? At time of capture, I should say - I don't want to be fiddling with an entire shoot after the fact.
You might find some help here. I posted a small guide on how to change the settings.
X-T2 ACROS issues
 
It must be me, but I was confused by the time I read your second picture about the Q menu..... it is very complicated. I need to read it a few times slowly I think before I will understand the instructions, but thanks for pointing me to them. I will take some time to read through them and try to do what it says.
 
Have you tried the Q button and looked in the quick menu? There should be shadow and highlight controls in there by default. You can adjust them both easily that way.

What sort of results do they give - the numbers are meaningless without some idea of what they refer to.
EG - moving the highlights to -2, does that prevent them from being bright and crisp, or does it just reduce them a bit? Is it -2 stops, or just a figure on the scale?
Likewise for the shadows. Presumably to open them up a bit I need a + setting?
 
What sort of results do they give - the numbers are meaningless without some idea of what they refer to.
EG - moving the highlights to -2, does that prevent them from being bright and crisp, or does it just reduce them a bit? Is it -2 stops, or just a figure on the scale?
Likewise for the shadows. Presumably to open them up a bit I need a + setting?
No, for shadow higher numbers means you are making them darker (increase the shadow)
 
Thanks guys - I'll find the shadows setting and readjust, because it sounds like I have misunderstood the numbering system. Now to work out how to get to that menu again!
 
Looking at the back of the XT2, there's a little "Q" button just past the top right corner of the LCD. Hit that sucker, navigate around to the Shadows tile using the joystick, and I think on my XT1 I can adjust by rolling the little black dial under my pointer finger, below the shutter button.
 
Thanks - I wondered how I got that window with all the blocks init, when I was trying to move the focus point! I hadn't seen the Q button, despite spending hours with the book in my hands and the camera on the table in front of me.
I shall go and do it now. -2 to start with.
 
I've managed to get it to -2....that wasn't obvious either. The lit up bit kept jumping around the screen. Eventually I discovered how to change the figures, but I can't remember what it was now. I'll do some pictures this week and give some feed back - dull and gloomy here at the moment. Not much incentive, and I have some shelves to put up.
 
You can adjust Shadows (S-Tone), Highlights (H-Tone), Color, Sharpness (Sharp), Noise Reduction (NR), and Grain. Except for grain, you can select 0 or +/- 4 for each value. And pick your film simulation before you shoot. All of these should be in the Quick Menu QR or if you prefer, you can add them to the new MyMenu so when you hit the Menu button, they come up first. If you go to the screen settings submenu and set Preview Pic. Effect to ON, you will see the effects of your adjustments in live view before you shoot and as you change them. This also includes Exposure, White Balance, etc. There is also a Preview Exp/WB setting that allows you to see the results of exposure only or exposure and WB in manual mode.

You can also shoot RAW if you want and use the in-camera RAW converter to create any jpegs you want before you download anything. Just enter Preview, select a RAW image and press the Q Button. Make the adjustments you want and press Q again. If you like what you see, hit Menu/OK to save the jpeg or if not, hit Disp/Back to return to the editing parameters. You can also download RFC2 from the Fuji Website, that will you allow to edit RAW files on your computer. It is an older version of SilkyPix that will just work on Fuji RAFs and Jpegs.
 
WOW, that is an excellent and very helpful reply - thank you.

It goes to show, this camera is far more capable than I am. I shall try and get the RAW or Silky to work on my computer too - it is just all this extra that I wasn't expecting. To other people it was obvious, but they probably understand how computers and stuff works.
 
I meant to ask; is the software you use with your Nikon RAW files the free software that Nikon provides or did you buy something? Also, if your having a difficult time with the X-T2 because the manual looks like it was written by a bunch of third graders. You may want to take a look at Rico Pfirstinger's X-T2 book. You can get a kindle edition from Amazon to keep on your smartphone or tablet for reference. Or you can go to FujiRUMORS where they usually have a discount code to get the book from the publishers website. There may be one around here also. Once you get your X-T2 set up for your shooting style, the ooc jpegs are fantastic and you may not even want to mess with RAFs.
 
I meant to ask; is the software you use with your Nikon RAW files the free software that Nikon provides
Yes. The NX2 that came with the D3.
or did you buy something? Also, if your having a difficult time with the X-T2 because the manual looks like it was written by a bunch of third graders. You may want to take a look at Rico Pfirstinger's X-T2 book. You can get a kindle edition from Amazon to keep on your smartphone or tablet for reference.
Tablet, smartphone!!! hahahahah. I haven't got past texting on anything yet. I have a Samsung S4 that was given to me, but it still only does phone calls and texts with me at the helm - I have absolutely no idea how to use it for anything else, it is totally wasted on me and so complicated I am rather daunted by it. I'll buy the paper book and read it. :bravo-009:
Or you can go to FujiRUMORS where they usually have a discount code to get the book from the publishers website. There may be one around here also. Once you get your X-T2 set up for your shooting style, the ooc jpegs are fantastic and you may not even want to mess with RAFs.
That would be fantastic, if I can.

Thanks for all that - i will go and buy the book, it can be a Christmas present.(y)
 
Not sure if it was on here, but someone told me how to get to the menu where you can adjust the 'curves' as in highlight and shadow settings...BRILLIANT. My shadows don't block up now. The numbers are back to front to what I would have expected..... -2 to me, means darker! Getting some half decent shots now I have turned the knob in the right direction.

We went for a Sunday morning walk before a pub lunch so I took the camera to practise with it, focus practise and exposure practise. I even gave the camera to Anna to get a picture of me and the dogs (she wanted one, because she only has one picture of me!)
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DSCF0100.JPG
 
Not found the film modes yet though - the Acros one would be good. Do you have to shoot in RAW and then turn it into Acros, or can you shoot straight to Acros? I don't understand quite what the manual says.
 
That same Q Menu (which has its own dedicated Q button on the back) has two icons to pay attention to for that:

1. An icon for what mode you're shooting in -- as in, JPG Only (with I believe 3 different sizes to choose from), RAW + JPG, or RAW Only. No matter what, though, the camera creates at least a LITTLE jpg for every shot, so it has something to display on the rear LCD / in the viewfinder when you're reviewing pics in-camera.

2. An icon for the film simulation mode. This goes through the Velvia, Astia, Classic Chrome, B&W choices, etc.

- Shooting JPG-Only means when you hit the shutter button, the camera makes a RAW file, and then renders you a jpg according to your settings (film sim, shadows, highlights, etc), then trashes the RAW file.

- Shooting RAW Only means it makes a RAW file, and makes a very small jpg according to those settings, but it isn't something you can download from your card, it's embedded in the RAW file. Putting your SD card into your computer, you'd only see a list of RAW files. No JPGs.

- Shooting RAW+FINE means the camera creates a RAW file, then creates a JPG according to your selections, and saves both files to the card. When you review and scroll through them in-camera, you only see the jpgs, but if you then hit the Menu button, it will give you choices to re-develop the RAW file into another jpg with whatever settings you want, which will create a new JPG at the end of the list with the next sequential file number. Example: You shoot 10 pictures in RAW+FINE mode, which are stored on your card as RAWS and JPGs numbered 1000 through 1010. Looking at 1008, you think "I'd rather have this in b&w." You hit Menu, and go through the steps to re-render it as a b&w jpg. The camera shows you a preview, you like it, you hit "ok" to finalize it. Now the camera card has 11 jpgs on it, with the one you just made being 1011.
 
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