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Accessing Menu to adjust time on broken LCD on M8


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My M8 LCD stopped showing anything. Leica Germany sent this back to me as it was not possible to fix as same to many other users have malfunction LCD display. (Also I was offered upgrade to M-P)

 

It still take great pictures, setting was still same to what i want it to be so i would still use it.
However, once it is back from attempt of repairing in Leica, time setting on camera was about 21 days and some hours off.

 

As I know many of user have damaged LCD, are there any way to access to menu and adjust time?

 

 

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My M8 LCD stopped showing anything. Leica Germany sent this back to me as it was not possible to fix as same to many other users have malfunction LCD display. (Also I was offered upgrade to M-P)

 

It still take great pictures, setting was still same to what i want it to be so i would still use it.

However, once it is back from attempt of repairing in Leica, time setting on camera was about 21 days and some hours off.

 

As I know many of user have damaged LCD, are there any way to access to menu and adjust time?

Hi

Welcome to the Forum.

 

If the settings are as you like...perhaps don't do any button dancing...could upset some vital setting.

What about... add user comment, other, in LR, and sync settings. "Broken screen. Real time of image capture is +21d xx min yy sec.". Note down the Real time, and image number on your watch, when you shoot the time calibration image. Change that sync time, each time daylight saving starts or ends. 

 

I think doing it in software will be easier than adjusting the camera. Think of your M8 as a film camera; you could still have a good camera..

cheers Dave S   :)

Edited by david strachan
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I don't have a M8 handy at the moment, BUT Lightroom has actually a very, very neat function to change the actual date and time of exposure for a range of photographs.

 

The trick is to simply photograph a watch with your camera when you start the day and shift all photographs thereafter by the time difference in Lightroom.

 

Here is how:

- mark all photographs you want to shift in the library view (on a Mac press "g" and then mark the photographs in question)

- click the Metadata menu in the menubar and select "Edit Capture Time…"

- in the menu use the shift time function and type in your time difference between the time shown in the exif data of the watch photo and the displayed time of the watch at that moment

 

This sounds very complicated in written form but is a piece of cake once you did it a few times.

You can do this to any photo at any time, BUT ATTENTION: it cannot be undone as all other Lightroom adjustments, because the new time of capture is written directly to the original file and once re-written, Lightroom (and any other software) can not guess what the original time of capture was.

You can "undo" it though by simply reversing the time shift with the same function.

 

I use this function in Lightroom when shooting digital images in another time zone when traveling - I never bother to adjust time from within the camera menu.

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Thanks, Erfahrener Benutzer. 

I tried it, and it just worked perfectly. i guess this is what i was looking for.

 

now, my M8 is like display less digital. so cool.

 

Thanks Dave S and Erfahrener Benutzer.

 

I think the button dance routine could be learnt, anticipating what should be seen on the screen.  Just not worth the endless experimentation.

Glad you picked up on the use as Film Camera.

 

You've still got your metering,  speeds and apertures.  (Hopefully it was set for JPG+DNG, 160 ISO.)

 

Maybe there is still life after death with a dead screen M8..... :p

Edited by david strachan
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I have not tethered the M8 to a computer in a long-time.

 

I need to check to remind myself what is possible to set from the computer.

Hi Lenshacker

 

That program was an early Capture One wasn't it??

I think it only ran on XP platform??

I'm not aware of any tether stuff for M8...would love to tether...I'm kinky like that.

 

All best Dave S :p

Edited by david strachan
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I'm thinking of "LEICA DIGITAL CAPTURE 1.0" that came with the camera. I have the CD at home- think I even know where it is...

 

I also have an older XP machine, and can see what happens on the WIN7 machine.

 

From the publisher's description:

 

"enables you to operate your LEICA M8 or LEICA M8.2 from a computer. You can release the LEICA M8 shutter, set functions in the picture parameters menu and save picture data directly on to the computer."

 

I don't know about setting time/date, need to look at it and will report back. It does seem usful for other parameters that you lose when not having the LCD. The last used XP laptop that I bought was $15.

Edited by Lenshacker
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We all might be onto something.

 

There are no more LCD screens available to fix broken screens...anywhere in the world it seems.  Leica declared this some time ago (I think about 2 years ago).

 

If the tether program could be resurrected....maybe USB and app on mobile phone???  Go Lenshaker...get that FORTRAN going.... :D

 

cheers Dave S

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I found the Leica Capture One CD, but have also seen it online as a free download.

 

The Software allows you to change the User Profile settings- ISO, EV, DNG/Jpeg, everything accessible from the "SET" mode on the camera.

 

It does not allow full menu access.

 

It allows the camera settings to be controlled under WIN7, but cannot transfer an image from the camera to the computer automatically. This function works under XP.

 

If you do the Button Dance below, you have a way to get shooting settings back to something reasonable.

 

When you turn the camera on and press "MENU", you get the Lens Detection selection.

 

Pressing the "UP" arrow 7 times gets you to DATE.

Press SET gets you to SETTING

Press SET gets you to YEAR

Press UP for HIGHER DOWN for LOWER

Press RIGHT for Month, and Right again for Date

 

Pressing the "UP" arrow 6 times gets you to TIME.

Press SET gets you to "setting"

Press SET gets you to Hour.

Press UP to raise, DOWN to lower.

Press RIGHT for MINUTES

 

 

NOW- the Time/Date functions available on the MENU are directly under the "SENSOR CLEANING" function. SO- you have a mechanical way to know if you went too far.

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I found the Leica Capture One CD, but have also seen it online as a free download.

 

The Software allows you to change the User Profile settings- ISO, EV, DNG/Jpeg, everything accessible from the "SET" mode on the camera.

 

It does not allow full menu access.

 

It allows the camera settings to be controlled under WIN7, but cannot transfer an image from the camera to the computer automatically. This function works under XP.

 

If you do the Button Dance below, you have a way to get shooting settings back to something reasonable.

 

When you turn the camera on and press "MENU", you get the Lens Detection selection.

 

Pressing the "UP" arrow 7 times gets you to DATE.

Press SET gets you to SETTING

Press SET gets you to YEAR

Press UP for HIGHER DOWN for LOWER

Press RIGHT for Month, and Right again for Date

 

Pressing the "UP" arrow 6 times gets you to TIME.

Press SET gets you to "setting"

Press SET gets you to Hour.

Press UP to raise, DOWN to lower.

Press RIGHT for MINUTES

 

 

NOW- the Time/Date functions available on the MENU are directly under the "SENSOR CLEANING" function. SO- you have a mechanical way to know if you went too far.

Good work Lenshacker.  Really great you found Leica Capture One.

 

Would you be so kind to check your two button dances above.  I get 6 up to get to Date.  And 5 ups to get to Time.

 

Thank Lenshacker.  Do you reckon we can work out a method to set Menu items???

cheers  Dave S

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I am running firmware 2.024,

 

(back to Lens Detection off) 24th Push

Save User Profile    23

Self Timer                 22

Auto-ISO                   21

Sharpening              20

Color Saturation      19

Contrast                    18

Monitor Brightness  17

histogram                 16

Picture Numbering  15

Auto Review            14

Auto Power Off        13

Flash Sync               12

Auto Slow Sync        11

Color Management  10

Reset                         9

Sensor Cleaning      8

Date                           7

Time                           6

Acoustic Signal         5

Language                  4

Format SD Card        3

Firmware                    2

Advance                    1

Lens Detection         < comes up here when turned on. Press Button to go up in this sequence, repeats itself on 24th press.

 

If my screen ever goes out, i will be happy to have done this! Always open to second set of eyes, and anyone noting differences between firmware versions. i will search around to see if anyone has done more software for setting the camera.

Edited by Lenshacker
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There were changes made in the M8 electronics boards during the production run; mine is a late M8, SN 319xxxx originall sold in Oct 2009.

 

I am thinking the firmware might configure itself differently?

 

the "Advance" is to select the shutter mode, I use mine on "Discrete".

 

The "Sensor Cleaning" should be a good way to determine how many menu selections are available if the screen is dead. On mine, it would be 8-UP, SET,  RIGHT (for YES), SET, then push the release to open the shutter. Turn camera off to end the cycle. Another function that you need to get to for using the camera. 

Edited by Lenshacker
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There were changes made in the M8 electronics boards during the production run; mine is a late M8, SN 319xxxx originall sold in Oct 2009.

 

I am thinking the firmware might configure itself differently?

 

the "Advance" is to select the shutter mode, I use mine on "Discrete".

 

The "Sensor Cleaning" should be a good way to determine how many menu selections are available if the screen is dead. On mine, it would be 8-UP, SET,  RIGHT (for YES), SET, then push the release to open the shutter. Turn camera off to end the cycle. Another function that you need to get to for using the camera. 

 

 

I remember that the Advance menu options only where available for M8.2 bodies or M8u bodies with the upgrades including some internals (presumable the shutter speed related PCB, reducing the fastest SS to 1/4000sec).

 

All earlier M8 bodies would not allow you to set different advance modes with the later firmware which introduced this feature to the M8 cameras prior to M8.2 introduction.

 

Regarding different Windows versions, it might be helpful to take into the experiment virtual machines.

You can run any Windows version within a VM on a Mac or PC without tinkering with installing Windows directly on a dedicated partition.

There is even software out there targeted to running Windows Games on Mac OS X WITHOUT even installing Windows.

These apps might even be able to run the Tethering software on a modern Mac OS X without installing Windows XP at all !?

 

It is good to know that you can set the camera to DNG without the LCD screen - this would be the very only setting absolutely mandatory to verify should the screen ever fail.

Another way to verify if DNG recording is active rather than JPG only is to use the top LCD frame counter (bless this fantastic feature on the M8 and I truly hope Leica will consider re-introducing this extremely helpful feature in a future digital M).

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It is good to know that you can set the camera to DNG without the LCD screen - this would be the very only setting absolutely mandatory to verify should the screen ever fail.

Can we do that yet guys?  Please advise how. 

cheers Dave S

Edited by david strachan
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Here is how to make sure DNG is set from the camera:

 

- set camera "on" (SD card must be inside, preferably a smaller card than 8GB)

 

[short discourse how to format card in camera:

- after setting the camera to "on":

- press "menu"

- press "up" "up" "up"

- press "set"

- press "right"

- press "set"

Your SD card is now formatted in camera and the top LCD should display a number of frames left.]

 

- check the number of frames left displayed in the top display - with a freshly formatted 8GB SD card, it will display:

 

734 when set to DNG only

999 when set to JPG fine

999 when set to JPG basic

544 when set to DNG+JPG fine

588 when set to DNG+JPG basic

 

If your camera does not display 734, indicating it is set to DNG only, here is how to set the camera's image quality:

 

After having the camera freshly set to "on":

- press "set"

- press "down" "down" "down"

- press "set"

 

You will now actively be inside the selection menu for image quality.

Whichever selection you will make and press "set" afterwards, will immediately result in the newly calculated "images left" in the top display.

The selection you made the last time will be highlighted when entering this menu, so you can repeat the selection over and over again until you arrive at the desired setting.

 

If in doubt, you can always exit the menu by pressing the shutter release button half way (or by restarting the camera with the on/off switch) and simply take a picture and check on a computer what kind of picture has been recorded.

 

So again in short:

 

- switch camera "on"

- check the top display for "frames left"

- press "set"

- press "down" "down""down"

- press "set"

- select with "up" or "down"

- press "set"

- check the top display for changes

 

repeat until desired "frames left" is displayed in top display

 

This is tested with an original Leica M8.2 on FW 2.014

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