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M8 Shutter Actuation Count

mbarzegar

By mbarzegar
in Leica M8 / Leica M8.2

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SJP

SJP

Posted
Posted (edited)

Nice, I have just checked and indeed we have a hidden menu (this works on M8 classic):

 

Turn the camera on.

Press the right arrow key 4 times.

Press the left arrow key 3 times.

Press the right arrow key 1 more time.

Press the info button.

 

=> list of various items:

Firmware info

Calib info

Body debug data

Production Test

Sensor Test

Display Check

EEPROM Check

Hardware ID's

BF status On/Off

Two Channel Corr. Off

 

Turn camera off to exit.

 

Anyone know what, if anything, you can do with this? Probably best left alone.

Are there any other hidden menu's? Like a hard reset would be useful.

Presumably there is a service manual describing this stuff somewhere on internet.

 

Anyway proceed at your peril. If your camera dies on you don't blame the messenger.

Edited by SJP
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  • 1 month later...
cbretteville

cbretteville

Posted
Posted (edited)
This is most useful and unexpected.

But how do people find out about this sort of thing?

Another question: does a firmware update reset the frame numbering to zero?

 

Neil, no updating the firmware does not reset the frame numbering. As for finding out, someone knows because they need to and tell someone that tells someone that tells...

 

Carl

Edited by cbretteville
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cbretteville

cbretteville

Posted
Posted

Thanks for posting this LCT, I heard rumors a couple of years ago of this existing but didn't know the key sequence, then forgot about it.

 

It works on my upgraded M8 too.

 

As with the ImageUniqueID the number in the Body debug data/num exposures count does not reflect a replaced shutter. In fact I'll vager a beer on the number being shown here being the source for what is stored in the ImageUniqueID tag in the exif block.

 

This info actually confirms a lot of the research I did in 2007 and presented in my metadata paper. That feels OK. Had I known that trick while doing the research I could probably have done it in less than half the time, but it wouldn't have been quite as much fun....

 

Carl

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Erik Gunst Lund

Erik Gunst Lund

Posted
Posted (edited)
On the m8.2 I have I:

 

Turn the camera on.

Press the right arrow key 4 times.

Press the left arrow key 3 times.

Press the right arrow key 1 more time.

Press the info button.

Scroll down to body debug data.

Press Set.

Scroll down to NUMEXPOSURES.

 

Turn camera off to exit........

 

Great Easter Egg! Thanks for sharing :)

 

Confirmed working on my M8u with latest firmware.

 

Who can supply a guide to all the 'tools' in this menu?

Edited by Erik Gunst Lund
Forgot to ask for ref.
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X-Paula

X-Paula

Posted
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I will try to shed some light on the service menus on the M8 and M8.2 (they are almost identical, the M9 and M220 are similar as well, but not the M240). They are used regularly for diagnoses and for assuring a repair went ok. Select a service function by pressing SET. The rest of the camera does not know the service mode is activated and carries on as usual with light metering, preparing for data capture, etc.

 

 

Firmware Info

Names and compilation/build dates of on-board software. There are module dates for the boot loader FSL (RedBoot, loads first to load the other modules, should be from June 30, 2006), the main CPU (Intel PXA270, sw should be ver 2.014, May 30, 2011), the Blackfin BF-561 DSP (sw should be ver 2.60R, Jan 16, 2008), and the NEC/Renesas M16C/60 micro controller (sw should be ver 2.205, Dec 4, 2009), but not for the user interface (GUI) or the look-up table (LUTS). The most frequently updated one is the main CPU software module.

Last on the screen will be your serial number. It should match the number on the accessory shoe, else there is a mismatch between chassis and main board. They are always aligned when changing a main board.

Exit by pressing the shutter release gently.

 

 

Calib Info

Calibration of the D/A-converters for the CCD.

 

 

 

Body Debug Data

(Scroll up and down with arrow buttons)

BVIntern shows the light value as seen through the lens and BVExtern as seen by the small light sensor on the front (the blue dot) seeing about the same as a 35 mm lens. Raw is the D/A readout and normal is the calculated normalised EV value.

Temperature is the temp protection D/A readout from the CCD board and normal is the calculated normalised value.

Battery state is the charge level 0-4 (also shown graphical on the top plate).

Main switch is the position of the switch around the shutter release: Off, Single, Continous (yes, American spelling), and SelfTimer.

Exposure mode: read from the shutter speed dial: Auto, Bulb, Manual, Simple (M8.2 only, we call it Stupid).

Body exposure time: read from the shutter speed dial: from 1/4000 to 6. Auto and Simple are read as 1/4000. There is a bug in that it forgets to update this for Bulb.

BodyAperture is the software’s guess on the lens aperture based on BVIntern and BVExtern. Fails sometimes, occasionally miserably. The M8 cannot know but tries to infer the current aperture from difference in light through lens and outside of lens. Of course prone to errors. The guess will stay within the f-stop boundaries of an identified lens. Coded as a logarithmic scale with f/1.0 as 0 and then an increment of 1 for each stop, for example f/2.8 is 3. Measured to nearest half stop, so f/0.95 is still 0. Interpreting software should know that a newer Noctilux is max f/0.95, not f/1.0.

FlashPresent is the detection of a Leica flash.

LensCode is a value derived from the lens type and the 6-bit code of the lens (from 000001 to 111110). The 6-bit code is read from left to right looking at the lens from behind. The 6-bit code 000000 is reserved for a non-coded lens and 111111 for future extensions so there are 62 possible encodings. The coding is white=0 and black=1, this way uncoded lenses with a blank bayonet becomes 000000 in case lens detection is left on. The LensCode consists of the LensType and the 6-bit code. The LensType for Leica M lenses is 01 if detected and 00 if undetected (=old Leica or other manufacturer). The LensCode is the 6-bit code shifted two positions left and the LensType added. Example: TriElmar MATE 28-35-50 is 6-bit=101010 of type Leica=01. Shift two positions left and add 00000001 yields 10101001. Read this as binary to obtain 169 as the LensCode.

Note: If Lens detection + IV/UR is On, the LensCode 65 (Tri-Elmar WATE 16-18-21) brings up the focal length selection dialogue even in diagnostic mode due to it being implemented in the software as an interrupt upon lens mounting, not as part of the normal lens code interpretation software function.

Also note: In the EXIF MakerNote data, LensType is replaced by FrameLines (00-11).

ReleaseSwitch is the state of the shutter release button. Four states possible: Idle, Active, Store, Release. (If you try Release, it will actually record an image…)

You find the most popular entry here, NumExposures = number of pictures taken.

Last is the conversion ratio (BVSlope) between the D/A readout (of BVIntern) and the normalised value. This is calibrated individually to match the body. For example, if BVSlope = 36.50 and BVIntern Raw = 350 yields a normalised EV value of 0.50, then Raw = 600 yields 0.50 + (600-350)/36.50 = 7.35 rounded to the nearest quarter = 7.25. (Real numbers are shown in German, using ‘,’ instead of ‘.’ for the decimal point).

Exit Body Debug Data by pressing SET.

 

 

Production Test

Here you can test all the switches on the body. The red LED will blink constantly. In the VF, all display segments flash in a dual pattern. Pressing buttons will be echoed on the graphic of the body on the display. 6 back buttons, 4 directional buttons. The thumbwheel will be seen as an arrow up or down depending on the direction rotated. The power switch will display its state (same as in Body Debug Data: Off, Single, Continous, SelfTimer). The shutter speed dial will display its state (same as in Body Debug Data: Auto, Bulb, Simple (M8.2 only), or manual which shows as M plus the speed). The shutter release is shown in colour for the four states possible: Idle=green, Active=orange, Store=red, Release=disappears. (If you press to Release, it will not record an image here.) The SD card detection switch is displayed as a white “card” below the directional pad if a card is inserted. The bottom lid switch is displayed as an extra underlining under the graphic of the body if the lid is in place. Finally, you find the test of the landscape/portrait switch which shows as a white square in the graphic “screen” showing one of its three positions together with a funny sound.

Exit by power off.

 

 

Sensor test

Initially displays the LensCode (explained above), the name of the lens (in German spelling: “Objektiv Name”) and its lens data and Leica parts number (but “Uncoded” in English if LensType=00 such as Zeiss, Voigtlander and uncoded Leica) plus the BodyAperture from Body Debug Data. For example “Objektiv Name: 4/16-18-21 11626” or “Objektiv Name: 2.0/50; 11819/11825/11826/11816”. Inconsistent, some with half-stop after focal length, some not. Some with decimal f-stop, some not. Do not run this test.

Exit by pressing SET.

 

 

Display test

Tests all pixels on the LCD screen. Cycles through 6 screens by pressing the left and right arrow buttons. White, black, red, green, blue, white with frame.

Exit by pressing the shutter release.

 

 

EEPROM check

Performs a test of the EEPROM on entry. Writes a test data pattern, reads the data, compares the data read to what was written. Displays a green square for each successful step, a red square for a failed step. Overwrites essential data in memory. You should exit by power off, not by pressing the release button to take a picture.

 

 

Hardware IDs

CCD ID: 0 = Kodak KAF-10500 CCD, the only one used in M8 / M8.2.

CCD Board ID: There are three CCD board versions, 0-2, all introduced during M8. No change for M8.2.

Control board ID: Only one version = 0.

M16C ID: Only one flash memory version = 0.

Exit by pressing the shutter release.

 

 

BF Status On/Off

Toggles showing the Blackfin DSP operation status on the display or not. Shows read/write operations at the top and the auto white balance plus exposure value at the bottom of the screen. Shows the read/write operations of the color channels in real time as an image is processed after the shutter closes. Bars grow from left to right as each image completes. They are in blue if the read/write goes on without interruption and in red if there is an error (for example due to overruns or processor congestion). This mode remains active until set off.

No exiting as this is a toggle switch.

 

 

Two Channel Corr. Off (On)

The CCD readout can be made in different ways/modes yielding different levels of noise and/or risk of banding. There is a correction function to minimise the effect without reducing speed. which is normally activated. This function toggles the correction on and off by pressing SET. I’m sorry there is very little documentation on this, not used during service. If I find out more, I will edit this post.

 

 

Finally, note that the service menu is called up by the INFO button that normally starts the guide function in the Stupid (sorry, meant Simple) mode. When these two collide, the service menu takes precedence due to its implementation overriding the button interpretation function.

 

 

 

Hope this does help. Play at your own risk.

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Jerren

Jerren

Posted
Posted

Will I be beheaded if I question who exactly X-Paula is? That was a heck of a first post... Perhaps a Leica insider of some sort? Any other secrets you can share with us?

 

I know I am risking my life by asking such questions. If I disappear, please tell my family I love them. And if they disappear....Well we know X-Paula is really connected lol.

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PhilippeP

PhilippeP

Posted
Posted
On the m8.2 I have I:

 

Turn the camera on.

Press the right arrow key 4 times.

Press the left arrow key 3 times.

Press the right arrow key 1 more time.

Press the info button.

Scroll down to body debug data.

Press Set.

Scroll down to NUMEXPOSURES.

 

Turn camera off to exit........

 

It works on my M8 as well - Thanks

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Guest

Guest

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Posted

On our last Leica user meeting at Karlsruhe we asked one another, if there might be a similar hidden program for all other digital Leicas than M8 and M8.2.

As Leica won't give us an answer are there any suggestions?

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