The manual, an often forgotten but indispensable accessory needing an updated new “version"?

[milandro]

I don’t know about you, but I carry the camera manual with me in the camera bag. I consider it an essential “ accessory” that I would never go anywhere without.

 

 

There are many functions of the camera that I only ever use occasionally and which require being occasionally looked up in the manual.

 

True there are digital versions of the manual but, for me, nothing can replace a good old booklet which will be at hand every time I don’t know something.

 

Now that my X-T1 is about to get yet another major update of its functions I wonder whether a new version of the manual would be needed.

 

Even providing a downloadable pdf version wouldn’t replace the ease and comfort of the booklet.

 

I don’t even want it for free and I would pay a reasonable amount of money for it.

[FearTheXNoob]

I usually don't bother with the manual after having read it once. One of the reasons is that due to FW updates it is not up-to-date anyway. Another one is that I consider myself tech-savvy and usually get around very well without it. That being said, there are some hidden features and dependencies that I didn't figure out or forgot...

 

 

[milandro]

I am sure you know the acronym RTFM? 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTFM

 

This was created by years and years of questions originated by “problems” which find their origin in the fact that one either has never read the manual or has forgotten what the manual said about one particular thing.

 

Being the cameras what they are nowadays I doubt that anyone could have an intuitive knowledge of all their features let alone being able to to remember what was updated by subsequent versions of the firmware often producing improvements to features which one might have never used in the first place!

 

Anyway.

 

A new and improved version of the manual would give the people whom prefer disregarding the manual the possibility to disregard reading ( or buying) the new version too while giving the people whom seem to find the need of knowing what they are doing before they do it, the possibility to do so.

 

A win win situation!

[FearTheXNoob]

Of course I know RTFM - you did note the self irony in my post, did you?

 

The problem is that for years and years manufacturers have been writing manuals and told their users to RTFM. And for years and years users have been ignoring it, because it just doesn't answer their questions. Instead of complaining manufacturers should think hard how they can help users better than with manuals as they are right now...

[milandro]

Indeed Sir  , but as I wrote, even in case Fuji might be listening to my suggestion and provide those who, like me, want an up to date manual featuring all the new features that are not present in the older one, albeit merely for those who lack the qualities which allow you to do without such a poor mnemonical prosthesis, like a manual printed on good old fashioned paper, those like you who prefer ignoring reading such a poor instrument might equally be able to do so while those who would like one would be able to quench their thirst and be provided for their “ special needs" with one.

 

I understand that you want camera and any other technical equipment makers to be able to upload the instructions directly to your brain  ? ( ".... . Instead of complaining manufacturers should think hard how they can help users better than with manuals as they are right now....” ) and in that case I wonder where the socket to plug-in the communication might be located, although I do fear a certain natural location for it ( ).

 

 (Un)fortunately we are not yet there!

 

I suppose that one day, far, far away we will! When robots will do anything FOR us and/ or when humans will be Cyborg-ized by means of installing a micro-computer interfaced directly with our brains ( in that case will no longer need cameras because we will simply think of the images that we want to make and our brains will directly send the mental picture to anyone interested or not... but I digress! ).

 

I am afraid though that I may never live to see these wondrous things! 

 

 Meanwhile, for those of us who DO NEED a manual, which you obviously don’t need  , well, it will be nice to have one!

[Rieke]

 

There are many functions of the camera that I only ever use occasionally and which require being occasionally looked up in the manual.

 

True there are digital versions of the manual but, for me, nothing can replace a good old booklet which will be at hand every time I don’t know something.

 

Now that my X-T1 is about to get yet another major update of its functions I wonder whether a new version of the manual would be needed.

 

Even providing a downloadable pdf version wouldn’t replace the ease and comfort of the booklet.

 

I don’t even want it for free and I would pay a reasonable amount of money for it.

 

Hi milandro,

I appreciate what you are stating above, especially with regard to the fact that X-T1 will be "a new camera" after update 4.0!

Regarding the print version, I am actually and again studying flysurfer's (Rico Pfirstinger) German print version of "Die Fujifilm X-T1 - 111 Profitipps", always at hand. 

I hope, Rico will add his comments to the updated functions asap!

Regards Gert 

[FearTheXNoob]

I understand that you want camera and any other technical equipment makers to be able to upload the instructions directly to your brain  ? ( ".... . Instead of complaining manufacturers should think hard how they can help users better than with manuals as they are right now....” ) and in that case I wonder where the socket to plug-in the communication might be located, although I do fear a certain natural location for it ( ).

 

 (Un)fortunately we are not yet there!

 

I suppose that one day, far, far away we will! When robots will do anything FOR us and/ or when humans will be Cyborg-ized by means of installing a micro-computer interfaced directly with our brains ( in that case will no longer need cameras because we will simply think of the images that we want to make and our brains will directly send the mental picture to anyone interested or not... but I digress! ).

 

No, you're blowing my meaning out of proportions. I'm just saying that manufacturers need to do what they can so that their products can be understood without memorising a manual. It's called usability and is currently very important in almost all areas of IT. Just remember: Before the iPhone people rarely ever used internet on their phones, because it was too cumbersome and rewards were not fulfilling. Then Apple came along and changed all that. So instead of trying to teach people to use the manual for years and years without success it might be wiser to look for a better approach to educate people about a products capabilities - a more intuitive and fun approach. They will probably never cover everything and everyone, but almost everything would be better than manuals.

 

I'm also not against providing updated manuals for those who want o have them. As you said, if you'd pay for that service and it's profitable for companies: why not? But for the majority a new, better approach might be more reasonable...

[milandro]

I wrote something jocular and ironic. Despite the abundant use of emoji or emoticons I suppose that must have been lost in translation.

 

I don’t want an on line manual. I don’t use internet on the go and my impression is that, on the spot, when you need it, most people of my age ( which make up for the majority of the Fuji customers, methinks)  won’t do that either. Despite what many younger people might think, most folks in and around the world use their telephones mostly to phone.

 

I certainly don’t want to look up how to do (e.g.) bracketing on my not-so-smart-phone when I need to do it.

 

I’d rather have a paper booklet.

 

I don’t download music, I buy CD’s. I love to own a physical object and never enjoy things in their sole digital form (come to think of it, digital imagery is the only thing that I mostly handle in numeric form)

[FearTheXNoob]

Regarding the print version, I am actually and again studying flysurfer's (Rico Pfirstinger) German print version of "Die Fujifilm X-T1 - 111 Profitipps", always at hand. 

I hope, Rico will add his comments to the updated functions asap!

That's a good example. Rico's book is not structured as a manual (describing each button/feature separately), but his approach is more use-case centered. People usually need help when they have a certain problem, and the solution is rarely just one button, but most of the time a sum of multiple things users need to know. That's one reason why his book probably helps people more than a manufacturer's manual.

[FearTheXNoob]

I wrote something jocular and ironic. Despite the abundant use of emoji or emoticons I suppose that must have been lost in translation.

I noticed, but I'm not sure how much of you real opinion is hidden inside. So instead of continuing along that track (which would be kind of OT ), I tried to re-iterate my meaning.

[milandro]

Well, then perhaps it is useful to clarify that in the Oxford dictionary the word hyperbole means:  

 

hyperbole |hīˈpərbəlē| 

noun

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

[flysurfer]

For the X-T10, Fuji has reverted to printed manuals (also available as PDF download). That's a plus, I guess. The HTML manuals for the X30 and X100T (and their poor PDF versions) weren't that useful when working offline in the field.

[milandro]

I also own the paper version of the manual of the X-E1 and the X-10.

 

I like to see the manual of the NEW X-T1 when they will be delivered After the new firmware. I am sure that they will provide a new manual. I will be looking for a way to acquire one sometime down the line

[Vidalgo]

I would like to have a short printed version of the manual, without any kind of introductions and such obvious descriptions as "how to insert battery" etc.

Only pages that are worth to keep in field use. "How lock/unlock buttons" for example.

I believe the shortened manual can be a half of thickness/weight from the existing, so it will get much more chances to be putted into the bag.

[milandro]

Even less if you have it in one language only.

 

I suppose one could download the latest version and edit all the PDF’s leaving only the bare essentials?

 

The problem is that the bare essentials for you may not be the bare essentials for me, so I guess it is only possible if you make tour own version of the manual but given that this will be a fuss few will ever do that..

 

I will be rather content with a new version of the manual with all the new functions

 

Obviously I consider the manual an essential accessory otherwise I wouldn’t have started this thread. 

 

This is the manual.

 

http://www.fujifilm.com/support/digital_cameras/manuals/pdf/index/x/fujifilm_xt1_manual_en.pdf

 

this is the new features guide

 

http://www.fujifilm.com/support/digital_cameras/manuals/pdf/index/x/fujifilm_xt1_manual_04_en_es_ru_zhs.pdf

[bulldog]

A extra card slot so that one could install the PDF file on card and plug into the camera. Then enable us to read the PDF direct on the camera. I wonder, is this possible? It can’t be far away.

Until this happens an updated manual would be most useful.

[milandro]

You have that option already. If you really want to do that, the easiest thing would be to take pictures of the manual (page by page), that you can read without any conversion or software by simply calling them back on the screen, but even if the liquid crystal display (LCD) of the camera is rather large it would be still very inconvenient to read this way. 

 

Alternatively you could download the PDF’s above onto your phone or tablet and read from there ( and have the benefit of a search function) but then again you would need to take that with you at all times (which some people do!).