Traditional or modern control layout Part 2 Worked examples

Toilet as architecture

 

In the following comparisons, I will use two cameras, the Panasonic GH3 representing the Modern layout and the Fuji X-T1 representing the hybrid/traditional layout.

Heading the previous post is a photo of a small kestrel in flight. At the moment this little raptor glided over my head I had been about to make landscape photos with a telephoto zoom lens. The camera was set to Aperture Priority Mode. My Task was to switch from Aperture Priority auto exposure to Shutter Priority auto exposure and set a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec, which my previous experience had informed me is about right for birds in flight. Completion of the task requires actions.

Panasonic GH3

 
GH3: With this camera I was able to carry out the required actions while continuing to look through the viewfinder. The actions are

* Shift grip with right hand to apply right thumb and index finger to the Mode Dial.

* Turn Mode Dial one notch from A to S. See confirmation of setting in viewfinder. I had previously set the shutter speed to 1/1000 sec so this was automatically recalled.

* Return right hand to normal operating position and take the picture.

Fuji X-T1. Photo courtesy of Digital Photography Review  dpreview.com
Some people have said they really like this camera but as Michael Reichmann said on his Luminous Landscape site "be careful what you wish for". 

X-T1: I guess with a lot of practice an experienced user might be able to perform the required actions while looking through the viewfinder but I suspect most will lower the camera so they can see what they are doing. Actions required depend on the lens mounted. The Fuji X lens system is a bit complicated. Some lenses (mostly primes) have a clicking aperture ring with marked stops, some (generally variable aperture zooms) have an aperture ring with no marked stops and a third type (budget models) have no aperture ring at all. Let's assume we have a variable aperture zoom with an aperture ring. The required actions are:

* Release grip on the camera/lens with the left hand.

* With the left hand, locate the little slider switch on the upper left side (as viewed by the user) of the lens barrel and move this to the red A position.

* Take the weight of the camera/lens with the left hand, shift grip with the right hand and move the right index finger and thumb onto the Shutter Speed Dial.

* Turn the dial off the red A position around to 1/1000 position.

* Return the right hand to normal operating position.

* Return the camera to eye level and take the picture.

Comment You can see that the GH3 completes this task with less actions, most of which are less complex and with fewer support actions being required.

Here is another task example: Change ISO setting.

GH3: The required actions can be carried out while looking through the viewfinder and without having to shift grip with either hand.

* Move the right index finger back from the shutter button onto the ISO button (with a little practice the ISO button is easily distinguished from the buttons on either side). Press the ISO button.

* Change ISO setting with either the front or rear control dial (depending on user selected function settings for the dials)

* Take the photo.

X-T1: It might be possible for the experienced user to complete the required actions while looking through the viewfinder but I suspect most will prefer to lower the camera to see the ISO dial.

* Release grip on the camera/lens with the left hand.

* Grip the ISO dial with the index finger and thumb of the left hand and turn the dial to the required setting.

* Return left hand to the normal holding position.

* Take the photo.

Comment Again you can see the modern UI allows the task to be completed with less actions, most of them less complex, with fewer support actions required.

I could go on for ages detailing the actions required to complete each and every task of operating the camera but I suspect this would become tedious. The same result comes up every time. I think the point is made.

Conclusion A well designed modern UI allows the user to carry out the tasks of operating a camera more quickly and efficiently than is possible with a hybrid traditional UI.

By the way.... The Fuji X-T1 is one of the more coherently designed cameras with hybrid traditional UI. Some are much worse to the point of being ergonomically chaotic. Check out the Nikon Df.................This thing is like an ergonomic train wreck with miscellaneous cluttered user interface modules scattered about incoherently. Some have functions which operate at odds with others. Very strange...............