Louis Posted December 24, 2014 Share #1 Posted December 24, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Many have already complained and I would like to add my voice, once again, to whoever is listening in Leica or Panasonic: Your Manual and Menu SUCK! For a simple question we have to jump several times forward and backward and still not find any answer!... I had many cameras before, but have never seen such a mess! This camera is wonderful and offers great features, but it is impossible to learn anything with a manual that has been written by people with no common sens!... What a mess! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 24, 2014 Posted December 24, 2014 Hi Louis, Take a look here 109 - Manual and Menu!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jdlaing Posted December 24, 2014 Share #2 Posted December 24, 2014 Many have already complained and I would like to add my voice, once again, to whoever is listening in Leica or Panasonic: Your Manual and Menu SUCK! For a simple question we have to jump several times forward and backward and still not find any answer!... I had many cameras before, but have never seen such a mess! This camera is wonderful and offers great features, but it is impossible to learn anything with a manual that has been written by people with no common sens!... What a mess! This is what happens when Panasonic gets their little fingers in the mix. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Chef Posted December 24, 2014 Share #3 Posted December 24, 2014 If your brand name is on it then you make sure it's up to scratch. Shame on Leica for slacking off and not maintaining their high quality standards! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted December 25, 2014 Share #4 Posted December 25, 2014 Just for info, the LX100 has two manuals, "Basic Operating Instructions" (96 pages) and "Operating Instructions for advanced features" (332 pages). By comparison, the DL109 has one manual of 150 pages only if i'm not wrong I don't find the Pana manuals more complicated than others but i use them as pdf files so the lack of alphabetic index is not a problem really. Good thing is one can export the Pana manuals as Word files and extract pages from them as pdf files if need be, which is impossible with the Leica manual seemingly. FWIW Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted December 25, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted December 25, 2014 This is what happens when Panasonic gets their little fingers in the mix. I gave up reading the useless so called “Manual”!... All I am hoping now is to see someone writing a “109 for Dummies”! I am sure he/she would make a much better job!... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted December 25, 2014 Share #6 Posted December 25, 2014 You may try to download this and stick a red dot to it if need be . 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayewing Posted December 25, 2014 Share #7 Posted December 25, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Just for info, the LX100 has two manuals, "Basic Operating Instructions" (96 pages) and "Operating Instructions for advanced features" (332 pages).By comparison, the DL109 has one manual of 150 pages only if i'm not wrong... The Leica manual is 301 pages. I have not compared the manuals in detail but the Panasonic LX100 seems to have more sophisticated flash having wireless RC settings which the D-Lux lacks. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted December 25, 2014 Share #8 Posted December 25, 2014 Yes 301 pages sorry. The Leica manual looks very close to the full Panasonic anyway, which is hardly surprising per se. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted January 2, 2015 Share #9 Posted January 2, 2015 There's good news at hand. If anyone's familiar with Alexander S White's "Photographer's Guide to <insert model here>" series of camera instruction manuals, he's planning to release his version for the LX100 in January 2015 and will probably follow it up with one for the D-Lux (Typ 109) further details at this link. I've used his books for the D-Lux 2, D-Lux 4, and D-Lux 5 and they are a massive improvement on Leica's (and Panasonic's) manuals because they are written from a photographer's perspective. I highly recommend them, particularly in the case of the LX100 and the DL109, which I repeatedly find unfathomable, especially when you notice the camera doing something you don't want it to and then trying to find out how to stop it using the manual. For examples, the first time I turned my DL109 on I could hardly set anything and it took me quite a little time to discover that the little "A" button beside the appallingly placed on/off switch had been pressed and the camera was in Snapshot mode. Then for the first three weeks of owning my DL109 I had irritating horizontal and vertical cross-hairs across the LCD and EVF and I couldn't find out how to get rid of them. While looking for another feature I discovered that they're called Guide Lines and can be turned on or off using the Disp button. Pffft. Anyway, hopefully Alexander S White's help is at hand. Pete. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leica dream Posted January 2, 2015 Share #10 Posted January 2, 2015 I have downloaded the DL109 User Guide in anticipation of getting my camera. Reading through that lengthy tome it does seem to make sense for the basics but from all the comments above, application of the words to the instrument sounds like a challenge. Forewarned is......... Richard Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Chef Posted January 3, 2015 Share #11 Posted January 3, 2015 The manual for the 109 is easy enough to follow: the issue is interpretation, knowing which option to choose for a particular setting. That's the part that's inclear. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leica dream Posted January 3, 2015 Share #12 Posted January 3, 2015 Interesting item on Page 295.... When not using the camera....... ...."do not leave the camera in contact with rubber or plastic bags"...... It does say in contact with, not inside,.....any ideas? Richard Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Schick Posted January 5, 2015 Share #13 Posted January 5, 2015 Thankfully I've found the camera and menu system easy to navigate and familiar given I've used numerous Panasonic m43 cameras. I've not yet used the manual but have it as a pdf on my iPad just in case. I think I may have to read it if I ever try the WiFi though. If you have a question about how to do something, post it here and I'll try to help! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokin_ro Posted January 6, 2015 Share #14 Posted January 6, 2015 My favourite part about the camera was trying to work out why the flash wasn't working. Eventually found out it was because I had the camera in silent mode! Aside from that quirk am loving the camera. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterspoint Posted January 11, 2015 Share #15 Posted January 11, 2015 You can get the Panasonic ebook from ITunes - Whites site mentioned above gives links for getting the book. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share #16 Posted January 30, 2015 You can get the Panasonic ebook from ITunes - Whites site mentioned above gives links for getting the book. The book for LX100 is out and people who bought it seem to be very pleased. I am just wondering if the manual and the menu of LX100 and 109 are exactly the same? or, should I wait for 109 book?... If I can recall it right, the menu between previous DL and LX cameras were different! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted January 30, 2015 Share #17 Posted January 30, 2015 The book for LX100 is out and people who bought it seem to be very pleased. I am just wondering if the manual and the menu of LX100 and 109 are exactly the same? or, should I wait for 109 book?... If I can recall it right, the menu between previous DL and LX cameras were different! Wait for the 109 book. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted March 1, 2015 Share #18 Posted March 1, 2015 Just found this thread which shows I am not alone with obscure problems and solving. My problem was trying to match listed menu items with what my camera shows. For example, I have spent a long time trying to work out why the 9 o'clock position on the Control Dial did not show me the expected choice of AF Modes. Solution: PRESS THE 'A' BUTTON. So my next challenge is find how I can DISABLE the A button. It can be pressed all too easily when operating the ON/OFF switch. What thoughtlesss placing on the top plate! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Lei Lux Posted March 1, 2015 Share #19 Posted March 1, 2015 Just found this thread which shows I am not alone with obscure problems and solving. My problem was trying to match listed menu items with what my camera shows. For example, I have spent a long time trying to work out why the 9 o'clock position on the Control Dial did not show me the expected choice of AF Modes. Solution: PRESS THE 'A' BUTTON. So my next challenge is find how I can DISABLE the A button. It can be pressed all too easily when operating the ON/OFF switch. What thoughtlesss placing on the top plate! see instructions page 75. mike 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted March 1, 2015 Share #20 Posted March 1, 2015 (edited) The "A" button cannot be disabled AFAIK but it is possible to press and hold it instead of pressing it only. Works fine on my LX100. See attached page 75 of the Panasonic manual. Page 75 of yours should be exactly the same with different names ("A" instead of "iA" button, "snapshot" instead of "intelligent auto" mode). Hope this helps. Another difference is pages of the Pana manual are easy to copy, contrary to Leica's which are protected. Different mentality at work . Edit: Thanks to Mike for his confirmation above. Pana_manual_page_75.pdf Edited March 1, 2015 by lct 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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