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Why No Firmware Updates?


miatadan

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I own the X-Vario and wonder why there is no firmware updates for the X-Vario to improve it.

 

There has been updates to the M (240 ) and even the X1...

 

- would love to use the improved Olympus VF-4 electronic viewfinder

- be nice to have bulb mode for long exposure

- improvements in focus issues

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I own the X-Vario and wonder why there is no firmware updates for the X-Vario to improve it.

 

There has been updates to the M (240 ) and even the X1...

 

- would love to use the improved Olympus VF-4 electronic viewfinder

- be nice to have bulb mode for long exposure

- improvements in focus issues

 

Partly because some things can be done whilst others cannot, but mainly because XVario owners, like those of the M9, Monochrom, M-E, M240, and S series cameras are obviously no longer a high priority to Leica once they have bought their camera.

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Partly because some things can be done whilst others cannot, but mainly because XVario owners, like those of the M9, Monochrom, M-E, M240, and S series cameras are obviously no longer a high priority to Leica once they have bought their camera.

 

I want a firmware update as well!! send 3 mails to LEICA..... no reaction....

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I own the X-Vario and wonder why there is no firmware updates for the X-Vario to improve it.

 

There has been updates to the M (240 ) and even the X1...

 

- would love to use the improved Olympus VF-4 electronic viewfinder

- be nice to have bulb mode for long exposure

- improvements in focus issues

 

Both the M240 and X1 are older cameras

Have patience

Note that the VF4 will never work as it needs a faster CPU

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This is an area that Leica really does need to improve!

 

Without a doubt they would sell more cameras if they had a renowned ongoing firmware update program like Ricoh.

 

It's a real selling point and to be supremely lax/ incompetent in this area, as they currently are, is incredibly boring, annoying, frustrating and just shows a complete lack of consideration for their paying customers. Many of whom are loyal to the brand...so reward/look after them.

 

It wouldn't be that expensive for them to make a turnaround here and would make many owners very happy.

 

Sadly I think Leica are very myopic in this regard and I don't expect change any time soon.

 

{moderated content}

Edited by erl
Offensive language implied
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Perfectly agreed with those who claim for an update.

I would like to add that this observed lack of care-taking of loyal customers seems rather new: the M8 received 10 (yes ten!!) updates, the M9 got itself 6 updates.

The M240 got one (1) ... the XVario not yet any one...:cool:

It seems that Leica is changing its commercial phylosophical line, not the one appreciated by their old customers.:(

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Why bother with updates given the company's apparent embrace of a quicker product cycle, as well as many clients' apparent embrace of "the latest model" - whatever it happens to be or do?

 

The very fact that a Leica model less than five years old, the M9 (never mind it's a great camera), now counts as prehistoric in many people's minds, says a lot.

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There is nothing fundamentaly wrong with the function of the XV ...... so why any rush to update a few niggly issues .......?

 

Leica is not a big company and I suspect the 'software division' consists of a few geeks in a cupboard somewhere......

 

The only 'must' for me is fixing the delay timer which has to be re-set EVERY time you use it ........ :mad:

 

There is a similar issue with bracketing on the M240 which is still not fixed over a year later .....

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There is nothing fundamentaly wrong with the function of the XV ...... so why any rush to update a few niggly issues .......?

 

Leica is not a big company and I suspect the 'software division' consists of a few geeks in a cupboard somewhere......

 

The only 'must' for me is fixing the delay timer which has to be re-set EVERY time you use it ........ :mad:

 

There is a similar issue with bracketing on the M240 which is still not fixed over a year later .....

 

I've been reading on this Forum for the past three months that Leica is 'working' on an X Vario firmware update. They sure take a long time….personally, I've given up waiting.

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I would like to add that this observed lack of care-taking of loyal customers seems rather new: the M8 received 10 (yes ten!!) updates, the M9 got itself 6 updates.

The M240 got one (1) ... the XVario not yet any one...:cool:

What a surprise: The older a camera model, the greater the number of firmware updates that were released over time. It could also be argued that the M8 was plagued by the greatest number of bugs (anyone remember the original AWB?), so firmware updates were pretty much a necessity. By comparison the X Vario is a relatively mature product, which is reflected by the fact that people are mostly asking for new features rather than bugfixes.

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What a surprise: The older a camera model, the greater the number of firmware updates that were released over time. It could also be argued that the M8 was plagued by the greatest number of bugs (anyone remember the original AWB?), so firmware updates were pretty much a necessity. By comparison the X Vario is a relatively mature product, which is reflected by the fact that people are mostly asking for new features rather than bugfixes.

 

There is obviously some truth in all of that, but are you saying that we should patiently await new firmware, or what?

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The M240 is NOT an older camera. Leica only cleared the delivery backlog in recent months.

 

The M240 was announced in September 2012 and steady deliveries started in Q1 2013.

The X-Vario was announced in June 2013 and deliveries started immediately

 

rgds

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I doubt the X2 will ever be getting any firmware updates, either. There are a couple of things I'd like to see change including a higher shutter speed option with auto ISO.

 

It would be pretty simple to do updates. But I think Leica is looking solely at the time/expense/logistics it takes to do updates. Unless it's an obvious bug and it compacts potential sales, then they don't seem too concerned to spend any extra money on firmware updates. If the camera is already sold and is working okay, then why bother. Arguably not a great attitude on their part but I guess that's just the way it is....

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As far as I know, the X-Vario inherited the, at least, two painpoints from the X2.

The pointless Auto ISO settings-ok one can easily live with that, and the impossibility to switch off the power saving mode, which is not acceptable in my eyes.

It disqualifies the Camera partly for Street photography as it is as a consequence simply too slow in various situations.

What really annoys me is the fact that this could be fixed so easily!

And that it was promised!

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The message I am getting from this thread is that there are some features of the X2 and X Vario that aren’t implemented in quite the way some owners wished they were. Maybe if Leica received lots of mails complaining about the same issues then they might be prompted to update the firmware; otherwise … why bother indeed?

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