Two dials flank the hot shoe. On the right, the mode dial decides who controls exposure. On the left, the film simulation dial decides how the photograph looks. Between them they set most of what your camera is doing at any moment.
mode dial: 12 stops film sim dial: 12 positions 2 command dials
The mode dial, position by position
| Position | Official description | When a beginner uses it |
|---|---|---|
| AUTO | “The camera automatically optimizes settings to the scene.” | Day one, and handing the camera to someone else |
| P | “Aperture and shutter speed can be adjusted using program shift.” | Walking around when you want speed over control |
| S | Shutter priority | Motion: freezing it or blurring it deliberately |
| A | Aperture priority | Your default mode for almost everything |
| M | “Select for full control over camera settings.” | Consistent light, tripods, long exposures, flash |
| C1-C4 | “Take pictures using previously-stored settings.” | Once you have recipes you return to |
| FILTER | “Take photos with filter effects.” | Play, not craft |
| Movie | “Record movies.” | Deliberate video |
| Vlog | “Record movies at settings suitable for vlogs.” | Talking to camera; the shutter button starts and stops recording here |
The film simulation dial, and its one trap
Eight named simulations sit on the dial — PROVIA/STANDARD, Velvia/VIVID, ASTIA/SOFT, CLASSIC CHROME, REALA ACE, CLASSIC Neg., NOSTALGIC Neg. and ACROS — plus FS1, FS2, FS3 (three slots you assign yourself) and C.
The C position trap
The following only work when the dial is set to C: the FILM SIMULATION menu item, the film simulation entry in the Q menu, any function button assigned to film simulation, and the film simulation stored inside a saved custom setting. Park the dial on C if you intend to control the look from menus, custom banks or the Q menu — otherwise the dial silently overrules all of them.
One more detail: at the ACROS position, the coloured filter (yellow, red or green) is chosen in IMAGE QUALITY SETTING > FILM SIMULATION DIAL SETTING, not on the dial itself. FS1 to FS3 also hold separate assignments for stills and for movies.
What is missing, and why it matters
Three absences to plan around
- No D-pad. Navigation is the focus stick plus the touchscreen.
- No ISO button and no exposure compensation dial. Both are reached with the command dials or the Q menu. Tutorials filmed on an X-T30 will not match your camera here.
- No focus mode switch. AF-S, AF-C and MF live in the menu — put FOCUS MODE in the Q menu on day one.
The rest of the top plate: the shutter button sits on the grip shoulder with the ON/OFF collar around it, and it is threaded for a traditional cable release. The hot shoe between the two dials takes a flash or a microphone and syncs as fast as 1/180 s. The front and rear command dials do different jobs in different modes — aperture, shutter, exposure compensation — and both are reassignable at SET UP > BUTTON/DIAL SETTING > COMMAND DIAL SETTING.
Assignment: dial drill
Without looking at the screen, set the camera to A mode, then S, then M, then back to A, using touch alone. Then set the film simulation dial to CLASSIC CHROME, then ACROS, then C. Thirty seconds a day for a week and you will stop looking down at the camera — which is the difference between reacting to a moment and missing it.