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Leica SL Firmware Suggestions


Peter Walker

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(Can I ask the moderators to please PIN this thread so it can stay active for a few months).

 

I thought I'd start a thread of firmware improvement suggestions for the Leica SL.  When we have sufficient content, we can send the list to Leica who might consider them for a future update.

 

With a little bit of self-imposed discipline, we might get a useful thread that can influence future firmware updates.

 

So, some ground rules for this thread:

1. Only firmware improvement suggestions please

2. Please don't debate each suggestion, filling the thread up with pros and cons (start a separate thread to debate a suggestion)

3. Explain the purpose or rationale behind the suggestion; why is it important

4. Please don't add little posts like "yes, I want that too".  Just click like if you agree with a suggestion

 

Regards

Peter

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Toggle option for AF-L and AE-L

 

The firmware currently has an option to set the five-way joystick press to various combinations of AF-L, AE-L, etc.   This function locks the chosen setting only when the joystick is pressed in.  As soon as it is released, the lock is released. 

 

It could be useful to have an additional option to make the AE-L / AF-L joystick press a “toggle” rather than a "hold": one press sets the lock, the next press unlocks the lock.  

 

When shooting an image where the exposure is not changing, you could spot meter from one place, press the AE-L toggle and lock in the exposure for all the next shots - until you release the lock by pressing the joystick again.  Switching off the camera and changing user profiles would also unlock the toggle.

 

Regards

Peter

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Exposure Settings in the User Profile

 

The User Profiles are a powerful way of moving quickly from one preferred shooting approach to another.  It’s great that it can be assigned to one of the customisable long-press buttons.

 

What would be nice addition would be to save the shutter-speed and aperture setting as part of the User Profile.

 

That way, you would have an easy way to bring the whole camera back to a known state.  For example, if one user profile was set to Aperture priority, setting f5.6 before saving the User Profile would save f5.6 in the profile.   When you’ve changed one or more settings and you just want to get back to known starting point, including the f-stop and shutter speed in the User Profile would help.

 

 

Regards

Peter

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Re-assign the Four Soft Buttons in Recording Mode.

 

Being able to change which function is assigned to which <short press> button would be helpful.

 

For example, some photographers like to have the Focus Magnification switch close to their right thump. Currently this feature is fixed to the Bottom Left button.  Moving it to top right position would make it easily accessible to the right thumb.  Being able to change the assignment of these buttons would help with camera handling for some users.

 

Regards

Peter

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When using Aperture or Time priority exposure mode and you're not in a setting mode, at least one of the top and rear dials has no function. With manual lenses (M and R) using A mode, neither dial has any function. This begs for two firmware options: 

 

- Option one allows you to swap which dial controls shutter and aperture functions. That will persist in all shooting modes where aperture and shutter setting is a direct action on the dials. 

 

- Option two allows you to assign the unused dial to 'Direct EV Compensation': just turn the dial and EV compensation is adjusted without having to enable EV compensation with a separate button press first. This is applicable in any mode where there is an unused dial, and is always the dial which is not assigned to the primary parameter in A or T mode. In Manual mode, EV Compensation requires the button press. 

 

These two options together would allow the SL to operate in the same manner as most of the other cameras I have used can operate with respect to EV Compensation. 

 

My other firmware request is what I consider to be a bug fix. In the SL, when you enable EV Compensation, it replaces the view of the live view histogram. So you get into this sequence when you use EV compensation of looking at the live histogram, enabling EV compensation, making an adjustment and committing to it, then checking the setting against the histogram when that view is restored. If you have it right, you move on to framing and exposure, otherwise you have to re-enable EV Compensation again and try another adjustment. Etc. Having the live histogram available while setting EV compensation makes it much more fluid and useful to set the correct exposure override when using exposure automation, and works much better if you provide a Direct EV Compensation capability. 

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An option to separate Focus Peaking from the Live Display cycle and map it to a single button press on any of the assignable buttons would be useful. It would then act more like magnification assist does: you don't have to interrupt which mode you're in to enable FP briefly and see if it is showing anything useful to you. 

 

Also, since I'm talking about FP, a setting to increase or decrease the "strength" (that is, the sensitivity of FP to an edge for highlighting) would make it more useful with a larger range of lenses. As it is, with longer lenses, FP often has no value because its sensitivity to what it considers an edge is too low to display anything. 

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1. Having Self Timer nested inside the Drive mode menu is a pain ...... there must be some way of accessing this directly and simply ...... currently I have a 'Timer' user preset profile to get round this

2. No way to easily set folder names (do YOU understand this bit of the instructions .....?) or set image numbering to a set point .... as in the M9/M240. ***

3. FP sensitivity ...... as above ....

4. Do something about the default BL Magnification position..... 

5. Do something about the joystick moving the focus point ...... either have a user set lock or have it require joystick press and move simultaneously ....... I am forever finding it moving inadvertently 

 

*** as with the Q, pressing reset on this menu increments the highest digit in the folder number by 1 ...... ie from L100 xxxx to L200 xxxx ...... etc ..... as I have multiple Leica cameras (some gone) I am now on L120 xxxx to avoid file duplication. 

there is also a bug in the Q firmware (and presumably SL as well) where when you get to Lx00 0999 the next number becomes Lx01 0001, not Lx00 1000 ........ or at least that's what happened with my Q ....

I assume it works ok if you don't fiddle with the folder numbering as no one else has flagged it up yet .....

Edited by thighslapper
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1. Position of Spot Metering, given by a circle in the VF, moves happily around when the joystick is randomly hit, which happens all of the time. Please add a lock mechanism!

2. Add a one-click/one-press option to zero out the Exposure Compensation.

 

Thanks.

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expand the profile names to more than 5 characters...I have to ask why is this limited in the first place? Seems silly to limit it to 5 characters

 ah...... this old chestnut ..... and why only 4 profiles ? ..... this has been moaned about since the M9 and Leica appear stone deaf with regard to this ....

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So far all I have is....

 

1. Add flash exposure compensation to the programable buttons.

 

2. Swap the play and focus magnify buttons or make the standard four buttons user programable. I have no idea how they thought the focus magnify should be where it is and that a photographer would prefer the play button to be always available at eye level????

 

3. In MF mode add the option to press the joystick to go to focus magnified display (also see point 2).

 

4. Add function to adjust focus peaking level. Mostly I can't even see it at all.

 

5. Add function to display both short and long press rear button functions when tapping one of the rear buttons. Would fix the issue of the buttons not being labeled.

 

6. Add function to have peaking available on all display screens. I use the levels and MF a lot and would love to have both displayed.

 

Gordon

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when GPS is switched off, the SL still records GPS-Data containing of "0"s - but this location still exists

(Gulf of Guinea)!

 

The new firmware 2.0 for S 007 corrects this bug, please do the same with SL's firmware!

 

http://leicarumors.com/2015/11/23/new-firmware-update-version-2-0-for-leica-s-typ-007-released.aspx/

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I'll add my voice: 

 

1) In MF mode I'd like to use the joystick to zoom in to check focus

 

2) Adjustable peaking. 

 

3) Adjustable sharpening in the EVF settings.  

 

4) Rec709 image when recording Log in video mode.  

 

5) When using an AF in manual I'd like to be able to see the focus measurements. 

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1. AE lock should lock until pressed again to unlock. It automatically unlocks after one shot. 

 

2. It's quick to wake up with auto focus lens.(1.5 seconds.) It is slow to wake up with manual lens on it. (4 seconds.) It also takes 8 seconds to wake up and review a photo.  

 

3 It should remember where the manual focus zoom spot is, rather then always returning to center. With the auto focus lens it remembers. With the spot metering it remembers. 

 

4. Focus peaking variable amounts.

 

5. Re-programmable Focus Zoom Button.

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The ability to restart numbering at any point ....... and change folder names direct on a computer would be nice ...... this was possible on the M9 and M240 ...... but that method doesn't work on the Q and SL ......

 

...... also the numbering bug exists with the SL as well ........ with folder numbering other than L100 the last 4 digits don't increment from LX00 0999 to LX00 1000 ...... they go to LX01 0001    :unsure:

Edited by thighslapper
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