Buying your first camera is the most important photography decision you’ll ever make. Get it wrong, and it’ll make your photography life much harder and less enjoyable. You might end up having to buy another camera – or worse, you might give up photography altogether.
So let me impart a little wisdom, as somebody who’s used more than their fair share of imaging devices: make sure that your camera has this one physical feature. Well, I say one, I guess it’s technically two – a front and rear command dial.
That’s it. But believe me, a pair of knobbly little wheels in which to rest your thumb and forefinger will revolutionize your photography.
You see, as you get more into photography and begin to master the exposure triangle, you’ll find yourself turning to semi-manual or even fully manual shooting modes, and trust me, having two command dials will make altering these three variables infinitely easier.
On my Nikon camera, the front dial controls the aperture and the rear dial controls the shutter speed. I control my ISO by holding down the ISO button and scrolling the rear dial, while using the front command dial to toggle auto ISO on or off.
(If your camera doesn’t have a dedicated ISO button, you should be able to assign a custom button.)
Command dials get used for a wealth of other functions when holding different buttons, too. For example, when I hold my camera’s exposure bracketing button, the rear dial controls the number of bracketed shots, while the front dial controls the increment of stops between each shot.
These two physical controls enable you to perform a wealth of tasks without ever having to move your eye from the viewfinder.
My camera recommendations
So, which beginner cameras have dual command dials? Well, my top picks for Fujifilm would be the Fujifilm X-T30 III, the Fujifilm X-M5 and the Fujifilm X100VI.
Nikon fans can opt for the Nikon Zfc and the Nikon Z50 II. And If you're looking for an entry-level Micro Four Thirds camera, OM System has the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and Panasonic has the Lumix G97.
Canon is a tricky one, because it has a habit of only including one command dial on its lower-end cameras. Both the Canon EOS R100 and Canon EOS R50 only have one dial.
However, the Canon EOS RP is still available, boasts two command dials, and is one of the cheapest full-frame mirrorless cameras on the market. The Canon EOS R10 is the cheapest APS-C offering to feature two dials.
Sony is in a similar situation, but if you can find the Sony A7 III for a good price then you’ll have a full-frame camera you can grow with. And as a bit of an outlier, the Ricoh GR IV is an excellent example of a true compact camera with dual command dials.
And as always, make sure you head to a brick-and-mortar store or a trade show so that you can physically try out the cameras you’re most drawn to. If you’re a beginner photographer, you don’t have to worry about being locked into a system, so make sure you try out every manufacturer to see which one clicks.
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Want more of my ramblings? Manual exposure won’t make you a better photographer – want to get off auto? Do this instead. DON’T buy a camera just because of its specs. You must physically hold it first! And if you're working with a tight budget, here are the best cheap cameras.
