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What exactly is the cause for the discreet mode shutter recock problem?


Rus

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I know the problem has become well-known since several M9 firmware updates ago. As some ppl have mentioned, when this happens, pressing the shutter release button again usually forces the shutter to recock. Just wonder if anyone could perhaps explain what exactly are the new firmwares doing that causes this problem? Is it electrical?  :unsure:

 

Regards,

Rus

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Discreet mode will often choke when in continuous mode, and in my opinion, it should. It was a poorly conceived idea which was never fixed. I do not use C mode and find the M9 so perfect for my needs. I think others have, too.

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Discreet mode and continuous mode are indeed conflicting ideas... Personally I'd rather that the camera completely separates the shutter release and the recock movements into two steps of the operation in the first place, a bit like taking a photo and then wind the film advance lever I guess...  

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Version 1.176 was the last that had the reliable discreet mode. After that, a function to monitor battery condition was added, where the camera would not perform certain functions if the battery was deemed to be too weak. Other firmware changes included increased reliability when writing to the SD card, to avoid problems with certain cards. I think it all added up to a number of operations that took priority away from polling the shutter release to determine when the user let up on it. I kept my M9 at 1.176 and it has never had a problem when using with discreet mode, but my M Monochrom has the unreliable discreet function.

Edited by fiftyonepointsix
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Version 1.176 was the last that had the reliable discreet mode. After that, a function to monitor battery condition was added, where the camera would not perform certain functions if the battery was deemed to be too weak. Other firmware changes included increased reliability when writing to the SD card, to avoid problems with certain cards. I think it all added up to a number of operations that took priority away from polling the shutter release to determine when the user let up on it. I kept my M9 at 1.176 and it has never had a problem when using with discreet mode, but my M Monochrom has the unreliable discreet function.

If there is no difference in terms of image quality between 1.176 and later firmwares (including high iso performance), then I'll probably consider going back to 1.176 ~ Any thoughts guys?

Edited by Rus
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Version 1.176 was the last that had the reliable discreet mode. After that, a function to monitor battery condition was added, where the camera would not perform certain functions if the battery was deemed to be too weak. Other firmware changes included increased reliability when writing to the SD card, to avoid problems with certain cards. I think it all added up to a number of operations that took priority away from polling the shutter release to determine when the user let up on it. I kept my M9 at 1.176 and it has never had a problem when using with discreet mode, but my M Monochrom has the unreliable discreet function.

Those exactly mirror my findings regarding M9 and MM as well.

My M9 is absolutely stable since using 1.176 only without any issues at all (apparently some users do have issues with certain SD cards which can only be fixed by switching to different SD cards or upgrading to later compromised firmware versions).

 

My MM does sometimes choke on the discreet mode (I use exclusively discreet mode since the M8.2 and couldn't use these cameras without it - it is really the closest in operation coming to the rhythm of using a film body).

 

When the MM chokes up (it will take a much longer time to re-cock the shutter) there is only waiting it out but it does happen seldom.

 

I never once used continuous mode on a Leica M - it is so slow anyway and fills the buffer so fast that it is in any case entirely useless.

I find shooting in single mode and being able to time your shots working MUCH better then trying to spray with a Leica M.

 

I also appreciate that Leica allowed since the M9 to disable the self timer and continuous mode function from the mode dial and replace it with S mode functionality to simply make it into an ON / OFF switch (the way it should be as introduced first with the M7).

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If You get a new, corrosion improved sensor for Your M9, You get also a new firmware version 1.202). Older version don't work with this sensor. I tested the new sensor for Leica and asked for the discret mode bug. The product manager told me, they tried to reproduce it reliably, but they could not. So they gave up the search, because there were only few complaints.

 

Elmar

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I also appreciate that Leica allowed since the M9 to disable the self timer and continuous mode function from the mode dial and replace it with S mode functionality to simply make it into an ON / OFF switch (the way it should be as introduced first with the M7).

 

How exactly do you disable continuous mode function from the mode dial? I didn't know this was possible. 

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How exactly do you disable continuous mode function from the mode dial? I didn't know this was possible. 

Oh - I am sorry - this was misleading.

 

You can actually only disable the self timer (menu: self timer: "OFF") and it's position will be replaced with a normal single drive mode.

 

When I switch my M8.2/M9/MM on, I simply move the switch from "OFF" … all … the … way to self timer (having the camera in single drive mode).

 

This way I never ever end up in continuous mode (wreaking havoc with discreet mode or locking the camera up).

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  • 3 weeks later...

If You get a new, corrosion improved sensor for Your M9, You get also a new firmware version 1.202). Older version don't work with this sensor. I tested the new sensor for Leica and asked for the discret mode bug. The product manager told me, they tried to reproduce it reliably, but they could not. So they gave up the search, because there were only few complaints.

 

Elmar

 

1.204 is the firmware for the corrosion fixed sensor

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