Little known firmware feature

[Nick Rains]

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(Apologies in advance if you know this already...)

 

In an article about using the S2 as a travel camera I made the observation that I'd like to be able to operate the exposure compensation without taking my eye from the viewfinder when I'm in the auto-exposure modes.

 

Well, it seems that the latest firmware upgrade (1.0.1.8) added something that helps in this direction. If you trigger the exp comp menu (best accessed via a long-pressing a custom rear button such as the top right one), then rotating the control wheel not only selects the compensation amount on the rear LCD screen but now displays this in the viewfinder too. Furthermore, you don't need to confirm the setting by clicking the wheel anymore - a step I always felt was unnecessary.

 

So, with your eye to the viewfinder, it's now easy to long-press the rear button with your thumb to access the exp comp menu and then set the amount with the wheel. It's much quicker than before and I congratulate Leica for not only listening to feedback, but actually acting on it.

 

This feature does not appear in the instructions that come with the downloaded firmware files so I thought those S2 users out there might be interested to find this out. Thanks to Stephan Schulz at Leica for pointing this feature out to me and explaining how it works.

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[albertknappmd]

nice observation and excellent article in the Luminous Landscape. I used my in the Antarctic last January with no problems!

Albert :)

[glenerrolrd]

Very useful feature exactly what I was looking for.

 

However.....I use the rear AF/AE -L button for triggering the AF process....any other ideas to accomplish the same thing. I need to be able to adjust exposure compensation with my eye to the finder ....AND trigger the AF from the rear button.

 

Using the rear button took a while to learn for sports but now that I have it ...not changing .

[Nick Rains]

I use the top right menu button to access Exp Comp, the AF button next to the viewfinder cannot be customised AFAIK.

 

The option to allocate a custom function to this top right menu button was only added in FW V1.0.1.8, prior to that it was dedicated to the Image review function.

 

I can then use my thumb to long-press the menu button and access the Exp Comp, then my thumb on the wheel to set the amount.

[glenerrolrd]

Nick

 

Thanks that works perfectly for my needs !

[c6gowin]

I have always used the bottom right button for exposure compensation. In the past, I would simply long press the bottom right button and count the number of clicks on the thumbwheel to get the desired exposure compensation without removing my eye from the viewfinder. That method was previously necessary because it was not possible to assign a custom function to the top right button until this last firmware update. Old habits are hard to break, but the top right button would be more convenient for exposure compensation so I am switching to that one. I was unaware that the compensation amount was now visible in the viewfinder when making the change. Thank you Nick for pointing this hidden feature out to us.