I am a sucker for the little things. I love little bits of design that bring me everyday joy, and one of my favorite camera design flourishes is the beautifully engineered dual ISO/shutter speed dial on the X100 series (also the same design as the mode/shutter speed on an X-Pro).
As a long-time film shooter, I am a fan of manual dials in general – which is why I have swapped my day-to-day cameras from Canon to Fujifilm. However, with the release of the second camera with the new Film Simulation dial (the Fujifilm X-M5), it’s fair to say I’m concerned this is going to encroach on future versions of my beloved manual cameras – but there might be an easy solution.
If Fujifilm replicated its dual dial from the X100/X-Pro series on models like the X-T50 then what’s to be mad about? You gain a dial without losing one – plus how cool would the film canister icons for the different film simulations look, whizzing in and out of the little viewing window in the dial? It’s almost like a very analog version of what Fujifilm tried to do with the film simulation screen on the X-Pro3.
I am not hating on the Film Sim dial; I think it’s a neat way to get more people to try out different Film Simulations, and diving into the on-screen menus always takes me out of the photographic moment. Even with my passion for manual dials, if Fujifilm added a dual dial to the left-hand ISO dial on the next manual-focused X-T6, I wouldn’t be mad – but if we lost the ISO dial for a film simulation one, I might well be.
Realistically, I have no idea how pricey one of these dual dials is to manufacture. But from previous comments by a Fujifilm exec, it’s safe to say it’s a lot more expensive and complex than the cost of a regular old dial – so that might be prohibitive in Fujifilm actually making this happen. However, if it has already done the hard yards of design, engineering, and manufacture before, then perhaps it is easier now.
If the Film Simulation dial is here to stay then I hope Fujifilm considers this as a way that the dials – old and new – can live together harmoniously.
For more on the latest gear from Fujifilm check out our guides to the best Fujifilm camera and the best Fujifilm lenses.
