X-E4 command dial

Orangorill wrote:

So the rear dial is essential because, on a camera with dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, people assign two more dials to control shutter speed and exposure compensation? I figured people might be using them for film sims and ISO, but I think I'll echo that other user and say that if not bizarre, this is at least pretty niche.

This view does not distinguish between essential and desire. Is the rear dial essential in so much that one can achieve the same outcome by some other route? No.

Is it desirable because one can achieve the desired outcome faster by having two dials? Yes.

For those who desire to use aperture priority, wish to change aperture from shot to shot, chose to adjust exposure compensation frequently, I am one such person, sometimes use XC lenses (no aperture ring), and prefer the faster EC adjustment using the front dial (with the EC dial set to 'c') then yes, the rear dial to adjust aperture is desirable. I do not yet know what functions on the front dial the XE4 will accommodate or whether they will be customable, but if it mimics my XE3, which as SS, ISO and EC to which would be added AP (aperture priority) and one has to scroll around them to get to the desired function and then adjust it to the desired setting then this may be slower. We shall see when the manual is released.

So, yes, I desire a rear dial; I failure to understand why such a desire is bizarre (probably because my desire differs from yours). Given the number of views supporting a rear dial I question whether this is also a niche desire .

Maybe the question Fuji's designers asked themselves was this: How large is this group of people who prefer a Leica style minimalistic look, but at the same time feel they need a maximalist set of control options? Then they decided, probably not enormous.

None of us knows, I agree, but is there not an issue of ergonomics too? Is minimalism adversely impacting on ergonomics good? Sometimes, but not always.