Pogue Review of the Leica T

[rob_w]

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As for David Pogue, he is one of the best tech reviewers in the world. Simple, clear and usually spot-on with his judgements. I always enjoy reading him.

 

I would say he is less convincing once he gets into specialist areas -- like photography or audio. But even then his assessments are probably spot-on for the neutral user who is coming to those fields for the first time. For them, the A6000 etc. may well be a more sensible choice.

 

My only cavil with this review is his failure to acknowledge that the camera had pre-production firmware. Criticisms of speed and focus accuracy should be conditional under those circumstances.

 

Mind you DP Review did something similar last week when they were snarky about firmware 1.1 not containing any new features. It was meant to be the final release firmware as I understand it, so what were they on about?

[StevenWithAVee]

I am simply curious.... how many prospective T buyers will be interested in remote controlling the camera in the wild?

 

Trying to assess how crippled the camera is without ad-hoc Wifi feature.

 

My NEX6 has ad-hoc mode and I have used it only once inside my house and out of curiosity !!

 

(Note: the usage of transferring pic to smartphone in the wild doesn't count since we have a cheap/easy/faster solution).

 

I have this capability (ad-hoc mode) on my Canon 6D and I use it all the time! I've never used it to transfer files, but to control the camera remotely. In my house, outside of my house, in the woods, out in fields far far away from any wifi or cellular signal.

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[jmahto]

I have this capability (ad-hoc mode) on my Canon 6D and I use it all the time! I've never used it to transfer files, but to control the camera remotely. In my house, outside of my house, in the woods, out in fields far far away from any wifi or cellular signal.

 

What are you shooting?

[StevenWithAVee]

What are you shooting?

 

Landscape stuff. Some wildlife. And yes, self portraits(I'm the model I have most easy access to!). I do a lot of those in a variety of nature settings. Saves me from setting the self timer and then running into the scene...

[CaptZoom]

Image stabilization tends to increase the size of the camera/lens. I suspect adding a sensor cleaning mechanism also adds to the size. It could be that cost cutting we're amongst the reasons for not including I'm-camera image stabilization and sensor cleaning system, and it could also be that they were not included to keep the size of the camera body down.

 

I don't see how adding one type of wifi support is less expensive than the other (I'm assuming both systems use the same hardware but different codes- my assumption could well be false). I think Leica assumed a) every one has equal access to hotspot on mobile devices (reasonable since it seems us Americans are the only ones lagging in this), or their average target customer has no qualms paying for extra features on their mobile devices.

 

 

 

Possibly that was considered; but that would not make them prefer this system over the other.

 

 

Not sure which statement you are referencing.

[jonoslack]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that the "hotspot solution" is, in a trivial sense, a hack – it is not the way the camera and app are supposed to communicate. I find it hilarious that Jono, amongst others, are now suggesting that they prefer it like this.

 

HI Ian

Well, to be honest, I don't often need to use either - but now it's set up, the hotspot works really well - it doesn't need either an internet connection, or a phone connection - it remembers the password and just links up.

 

. . . . what's your problem?

 

 

Spent a beautiful week in March in Inverpolly - shot with a camera that had an adhoc connection. I used it all the time - I would transfer pictures to my IPAD and do some editing while waiting for the light to change or during lunch. It was great to have during that trip to look at the pictures on a larger screen.

 

 

Best,

 

Joan

 

I quite agree Joan - but unless your tariff precludes creating a hotspot, you can do it with a T too, and perfectly easily and effectively.

 

 

. . . . . . . . . . . .

 

I quite agree that the T should be able to use Ad Hoc Mode (where the camera creates the network). . . . but I still think the hotspot method works just as well.

[jonoslack]

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I have this capability (ad-hoc mode) on my Canon 6D and I use it all the time! I've never used it to transfer files, but to control the camera remotely. In my house, outside of my house, in the woods, out in fields far far away from any wifi or cellular signal.

 

Hi Steven

it works the same way using a hotspot . . . as long as your provider doesn't preclude it.

[pico]

I have made some disparaging comments about the software implementation of the T's networking.

 

Encouraged by background messages I have reconsidered.

 

My expressed view includes about fifty years of Leica use and thirty years of career experience in computer technology,

 

Now considering the target market for the T, I think the typical buyer could care less of the issue.

.

[peterv]

I think the typical buyer could care less of the issue.

 

I'm thinking in the exact opposite direction. The typical M owner that buys the T as back up, or as a 'fun camera' could care less about the connectivity problems.

 

But the target market is going to expect a flawless 'shoot and share' experience. In fact, that is what the design of the T emphasises and communicates to the prospect buyer, with it's smartphone-like looks and interface.

[jaapv]

Some may. But for a flawless shoot-and-share experience one needs a camera with a SIM card built in. That is the smartphone.

Shooting with a camera, transferring to a phone (no matter how smoothly tethered) and then sharing will always be clunky.

[peterv]

Some may. But for a flawless shoot-and-share experience one needs a camera with a SIM card built in. That is the smartphone.

 

Nope, a T that does what the target market expects would do just fine.

 

Shooting with a camera, transferring to a phone (no matter how smoothly tethered) and then sharing will always be clunky.

 

It does not have to be clunky.

[timde]

Some may. But for a flawless shoot-and-share experience one needs a camera with a SIM card built in. That is the smartphone.

Shooting with a camera, transferring to a phone (no matter how smoothly tethered) and then sharing will always be clunky.

 

Its worth looking at how Fuji does this, they start a network on the Camera and the Phone connects to that network. Its pretty good

 

[jaapv]

But you still need to operate two devices. Take the image on the camera, transfer to the phone and then send it from the phone. Why do that when you can take the image on the phone and send it straight away?

Edited May 31, 2014 by jaapv

[vikasmg]

Some may. But for a flawless shoot-and-share experience one needs a camera with a SIM card built in. That is the smartphone.

 

Shooting with a camera, transferring to a phone (no matter how smoothly tethered) and then sharing will always be clunky.

 

 

Which begs the question why not have a provision for SIM card. The cost and space overheads can't be that much. Some iPads have it, some non-Apple PCs have it, my Citroen Xantia some years ago had it before they came up with reliable Bluetooth.

[timde]

But you still need to operate two devices. Take the image on the camera, transfer to the phone and then send it from the phone. Why do that when you can take the image on the phone and send it straight away?

 

I would suggest that using a phone is a better way of doing this because the phone user can control the process to their needs - where they share, what "art filters" they apply, what comments and tags they attach to the image. The camera is for taking photos, do we really need Leica to implement _all_ that phone functionality that is constantly changing each few months. I think its asking too much of any camera maker (except those that also make phones) to provide such functions.

 

How I would like this to work it that I press a button on the Camera, which then sends the photo to my phone, which then places that photo in the "normal place". In doing this it could use Bluetooth (not NFC) to request the phone to connect to the Cameras WiFi, download the image, and then disconnect. Reason is to have the WiFI active only for a short time and save power and to avoid _all_ additional button clicks.

[peterv]

But you still need to operate two devices. Take the image on the camera, transfer to the phone and then send it from the phone. Why do that when you can take the image on the phone and send it straight away?

 

Because people want to take HQ images that they can PP later, but want to share immediately.

[thighslapper]

This discussion has got as far from photography as it is possible to get ......

 

I have 2 Eye-Fi Pro 2 cards that will automatically transfer photos to my phone (and ipad if I could be bothered to load and configure the app) ...... but apart from the novelty of doing it (and it works really well and miles quicker than transfers to my PC) I cannot find a use for it. Having the same facility in camera is no doubt going to be equally sparsely used.

 

Ditto with using a phone/ipad as a glorified remote/cable release ...... Am I really going to be taking photos of birds in the garden with a long lens on a T ??? .... which is the only use I can think of for me off-hand so I can get a bit closer......

 

Leica would have been better off leaving this out completely and just supplying a small radio remote to trigger the shutter ........

[pico]

[...] Ditto with using a phone/ipad as a glorified remote/cable release .....

 

Agreed that had WiFi not been included, it might have been okay with most people.

 

However, an advanced user might find WiFi and advanced software helpful. The software could include an intervalometer, and using detection via the iPhone (or whatever's) camera, trigger by subject motion or a preset distance. But I digress.

[pico]

I have 2 Eye-Fi Pro 2 cards that will automatically transfer photos to my phone (and ipad if I could be bothered

 

Eye-Fi does not include the T or 240, but they make this statement for the M9.

 

No known Eye-Fi X2 cards will work with this camera. Known Issues The

Leica M9 / M9 Titanium / M9-P is not compatible with Eye-Fi X2 Cards.

Eye-Fi has received reports that the Leica M9 may experience physical

damage to the SD card slot after inserting and ejecting an Eye-Fi Card.

An Eye-Fi Card should not be inserted into the Leica M9 because the

removal of the card may render the SD card slot inoperable thereafter.

 

How seriously should I take the manufacturer's warning?

Edited May 31, 2014 by pico

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[thighslapper]

Eye-Fi does not include the T or 240, but they make this statement for the M9.

 

How seriously should I take the manufacturer's warning?

 

I wouldn't bother to try because the all metal bottom plate makes the range ridiculously low anyway .....

 

No issues with the M or X-Vario so I assume the T wil be fine too.