M8 Feature Options

[Guest guy_mancuso]

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Well here is what i captured so far andmy hope is to send this off to Germany and maybe we can get some answers on the FAQ that is going up on the Leica web page. This is what i captured on the response thread. If there is something I missed or don't like the idea on the process of like the ISO/EV option letme know. To me that is fast easy and confirms it but i am not the final say on how it should be done. Your thoughts and idea's . This is a feature set optional thread. Fixes are all well known alreadybut not forgotten

 

1. Lens selection option "in menu"

 

 

2. Optional 16 Bit setting. Knowing this will slow down camera buffer and less storge space OR adopt 10-bit non-linear encoding by default. Non-linear encoding for storing purposes a great idea

 

3. Full name of lens in EFIX data sample 50mm summilux 1.4 as it is read by the coding

 

4. EV/ISO option with 1st satge release meter on than up and down arrows for EV and left and right for ISO with 2nd stage half shutter confirmation. Also a 1 second flashing in VF of both

settings. They also stay that way until user changes it

 

5. B&W preview without JPG files in the card. Moreover, in order to get B&W previews you are forced to change the type of pictures (DNG --> DNG + JPG). I would like to have a more direct access to color vs. B&W mode.

 

6. To code the camera so changing lenses causes an LED to blink if the lens is NOT coded, until you go to the lens menu, or hit a button to cancel the warning.

 

7. 15mm F4, 24mm 1.4 or F 2 , 28 1.4 ( some really fast wide angles )and than a line of lenses like the 28 2.8 that will be less costs like a 75 2.8 , 90 2.8

[stunsworth]

I'd prefer number 4 to be the wheel at the back. But either way if such a change was made I'd only want it to be activated when the shutter was half pressed in order to prevent accidental change.

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[Guest guy_mancuso]

Steve i made a small change while you were writing yours 1stage press activates the meter (normal) but you are able to make EV/ISO than confirm settings with 2nd stage release confirmation. The wheel can work but need to activate EV or ISO first

[rosuna]

2. Optional 16 Bit setting. Knowing this will slow down camera buffer and less storge space

 

It isn't necessary. I would adopt 10-bit non-linear encoding by default. Non-linear encoding for storing purposes is a great idea.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

I put them both down:D

[hankg]

This looks good. But I would amend the last entry to include one either 24 or 28 f/1.4 digital only lens (to keep size and cost at a less then astronomical level) that is at the same level as the current 50/1.4 ASPH. A true benchmark lens for the M8.

 

This might be contentious so why not have a poll?

 

A 24/1.4 along with the current 50/1.4 would make a dream M8 kit. It would be great if the 24 could come in at the same price point and size as the 50 because of a reduced image circle.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

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Got it

[Guest sirvine]

I would kill for on-the-fly exposure compensation and ISO. There is nothing worse than pressing set, then arrow buttons, then set again. Half the time I fail to make the change because I'm on the shutter button too fast.

 

Epson R-D1 got that feature right.

[george +]

It isn't necessary. I would adopt 10-bit non-linear encoding by default. Non-linear encoding for storing purposes is a great idea.

 

Guy, many thanks for your good efforts. I am not at all against optional 8 and 16 bit encoding. They are both implementable though the cost of the 16 bit thing may be high in storage. But please let us not embarass ourselves with this ten bits per pixel request. (See the other thread about this.)

 

And before we ask for this; have we seen examples that prove the inadequacy of the Leica encoding? For that matter, ugh, have those who complain read and understand how Leica does the eightbittrick?

[rosuna]

1, is a good idea, and I think it is necessary, but it is also dangerous (erroneous manual selection).

 

3, is easy to implement and very useful.

 

4, is dangerous too, because you need to remember your actual setting or confirm it, and the M8 don't show it directly. I would feel uncomfortable using this feature, but it is a good option as an alternative to the more secure LCD menu. I doubt Leica will implement this in any case.

 

5, is a great idea, but I suppose something must be written into the DNG file, and I don't know if applications like Aperture or Lightroom will preserve the B&W instruction of the DNGs.

 

7, I think Leica hasn't problems with the M lines of lenses at this moment. All lenses are great and the line is very complete. Actually they will be thinking on the R line... The R line is the problem now (if they ship a R10 camera next year, as is expected).

[wparsonsgisnet]

... A 24/1.4 along with the current 50/1.4 would make a dream M8 kit..

 

Outrageous! Who would say something like that?

 

What he said! ! ! I'm all over it.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

4 Would the flashing EV/comp and ISO flashing in the viewfinder help here . They have the shutter lCD just use that area for a quick hey buddy your EV is 2/3 plus or ISO 1250 from you last setting change.

 

George my head hurts on the 10 bit linear thing. You guys decide on that one. i think personally 16 bits option and call it a day. i could care less about storage space on a card since we can use 4gb cards that is still 200 RAW 16 bit images on a card but buffer will slow down

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Ruben i m going by popular demand on number 1 ,I personally don't agree but that is me. Find a way to code the lens even with a screw in the way you can fill that in and paint over it. I came up with at least 6 ways to get around this one in another thread

[larry]

If Leica decides to implement these changes, that's fine with me. I only ask that my Porsche not be turned into a dump truck in the pursuit of "versatility." (Some like fruit analogies, I like car analogies.)

 

Larry

[Bill W]

Guy,

If you are looking for more than just firmware fixes, I would say get rid of the "protect" button and replace it with a user defined button. Actually this could be done now if we had the software, who cares what the button is named. Most users do not use the protect button.

[hankg]

1, is a good idea, and I think it is necessary, but it is also dangerous (erroneous manual selection).

 

 

7, I think Leica hasn't problems with the M lines of lenses at this moment. All lenses are great and the line is very complete. Actually they will be thinking on the R line... The R line is the problem now (if they ship a R10 camera next year, as is expected).

As to 1. it's no more dangerous then any other selectable option. You make a mistake you risk screwing up your shot. For those not comfortable with that don't use the option. I can understand Leica not wanting to field 100 tech support calls from users who forgot to reset the lens code and can't figure out what's wrong with their images. But the use of this feature would be optional and could automatically reset when the camera is switched off or maybe even when a lens is changed.

 

2. I'll repeat what I said in another thread:

 

The line is very complete only if you think what has been available to film users in the way of lens selection in the most used focal lengths is not needed by digital users. Sure one can make do with 2.8 but Leica's claim to fame is in the territory of F/2 - 1.4 an area not available to digital users in the focal lengths they use most. Would film users be content if Leica discontinued all the faster then 2.8 28's and 35's?

 

The M8 is not a 24x36 camera. So some small adjustments need to made to provide M8 users with the same choices as film users.

[scott kirkpatrick]

George my head hurts on the 10 bit linear thing. You guys decide on that one. i think personally 16 bits option and call it a day. i could care less about storage space on a card since we can use 4gb cards that is still 200 RAW 16 bit images on a card but buffer will slow down

 

Guy you are absolutely right. I've spent too much time looking at ugly software for ugly ideas to want to be associated with the 10 bit proposal, which doesn't seem to be fully understood by its advocates. 16 bit does the job, and there should be faster electronics in the M8 than in the DMR to cover some of the performance hit. If not, I can wait. I put that one way below lens access from the menu (yes, I forget sometimes, but I take the blame when that happens) and still further below quicker access to ISO and exposure correction.

 

A poll with a very short list of features for a popularity contest would sort this out. Express the poll in terms of the results desired, not how to do them. That's not our job.

 

scott

[reddawn]

Hi

 

I don't know, when I see threads like these where we're egging Leica to add this and that feature, I think, shouldn't Leica be focused on fixing or finding out the source of the sudden death syndrome rather than trying to add fancy new fangled features? Am I missing something?

 

I think reliability of the camera is key here - buying a M8 shouldn't be a game of Russian roulette where you won't quite know what u're going to get - a working M8 or an M8 that will work for a while, then die on the user for unknown reasons, requiring a long trip to Germany....

[scott kirkpatrick]

 

I don't know, when I see threads like these where we're egging Leica to add this and that feature, I think, shouldn't Leica be focused on fixing or finding out the source of the sudden death syndrome rather than trying to add fancy new fangled features? Am I missing something?

 

Nope. It's been said several times. Reliability first, new features after (but soon after).

 

scott

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[hankg]

A poll with a very short list of features for a popularity contest would sort this out. Express the poll in terms of the results desired, not how to do them. That's not our job.

 

scott

 

I second that. Photographers should give feedback on the sort of features that would improve camera usability or performance from the perspective of a photographer using the camera in the field. Whether the features are doable/practical or how they should be implemented from an engineering perspective is a subject way outside the scope of this forum.