A warning about the peculiar ergonomics of the X-H2S

robert1955 wrote:

Truman Prevatt wrote:

forest dream wrote:

Truman Prevatt wrote:

The traditional Fuji dials and knobs really don't allow full customization. They will lie to you when you look at them if the manual setting can be overridden by S/W presets. The Q menu - is primarily only for Jpeg.

Agree. Major issue of Fuji retro dial is didn't show actual figure if override by software preset/command dials.

These kind of hard coded dials (regardless retro / PASM) easy solve via E-Ink dials.

E-Ink dials :

• Consumer can customize own dials mark/function.
• When auto mode, E-Ink display actual figure instead of "A".

The problem with a hard coded PSAM dial is it also limits how one uses quickly modifies the settings.

Consumer also can't rename mark in hard coded PASM dial.

The dial is great if someone has a fixed number of presets of the camera that they use all the time. That it is fixed on a dial - opens the UI up to the same constraints of the traditional UI. In reality why is there a need for a Q menu if you have presets?

From what I have seen from the H2S manual is the UI will work wonderful for people that have a fixed number of presets for most of their work and they can switch between them quickly. But I have to tell you I like the Leica UI is much better to use than what I am seeing from the Fuji PSAM.

Agree.

But that is just for me. Bottom line - no UI is perfect and it will not be totally comparable to the way everyone wants to work. Fuji UI - a work in progress.

Best benefits from E-Ink dials : allow consumer configure own dials. Different photographer had vary need.

E-ink would help solve some issues. It could eliminate the confliction between S/W changeable parameters dials. There is clearly communication between the dials to the S/W as the parameters are changed on most Fuji cameras by changing a dial. There is just no communications in the other direction. However, unless the E-ink dials were continuously powered - one could not determine the state of the parameter with the camera off. If they were always powered - a draw of power for no reason. Plus one for fixed dials. Secondly and the hard dials with indented and painted numbers are much easier to read - especially at varying angles. The contrast is higher. While that might not seem like an issue to you young whipper snappers it can be an issue with we old geezers who have to use enlarged bolded fonts on our smart phones.

If the E-ink dials only showed the current setting - that would solve the issue with visibility. However, it wouldn't show all the options.

Personally the more I use my Q2 the more I think Leica merged the PSAM approach with the dial approach in an effective and usable way. I don't know how that would scale up to much more functionality with a camera like the XH2S. Of course such a UI would be a departure to the Fuji UI today and I just can't imagine the whining, whaling and gnashing of teeth with such a change.

My view is on a camera like the XPro and XE - the current marked electromechanical dials is the best UI for what the cameras do well. For something like the XH the PSAM dial with fully programmable configurations is the best way to go. For the XT - I won't buy one so don't really care. However, if one tries to mix the two - then conflictions will be an issue.

The power usage of e-ink in e-readers is very small and those screens are much bigger. Whether it can be done economically is another matter. And whether it would be accepted in the current camera market, which seems dominated by the not so young….

E-ink has advantages and disadvantages - like everything.  I find I much rather read off my iPad than a Kindle.  The Kindle is great in some settings but outdoors the contrast can be marginal and one would want a dial to be readable from all angles in all lighting conditions.  A good friend was at MIT during the development of E-ink.  It was designed to be "electronic paper."  It is at its best in a moderate and consistent lighting environment like indoors. It is designed to minimize eye strain which means that the contrast is lower than other displays like an iPad.  For what it is designed to do it does it very well.

The lighting conditions where etched painted numbers stand out are those where the E-ink would be weak.  I'm not saying it would not be a good idea for Fuji to try in on a camera - but we see the reaction as Fuji dared to release a PSAM camera from a large portion of the peanut gallery, didn't we.  And I think you are right many of the Fuji users are only a few steps from assisted living.  

Those that would be most accepting of such dials are probably those not using Fujifilm cameras.  As far as economics, there is development cost which is one time but given it is not just the dials but the interface support and S/W interfaces - it might be more extensive than one first thinks.  Then there is the issue of reliability.  How well does it hold up from long exposures to UV for example.