Pogue Review of the Leica T

[stevelap]

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I really hope the T will be able to create an ad-hoc network or join an ad-hoc network (like the iPhone's built in hotspot) in the near future. Otherwise the use of the T app is really pretty limited... Lets wait for the final firmware...

 

Exactly. I would hope for and expect this support in release firmware, or a subsequent update.

[jaapv]

Not strange at all. As an engineer working in this field, I would be impressed by Leica making apps that communicate without establishing any network connection. That would be a world first.

What I meant all along is the way my car's remote control works - create a closed network between the iPhone and the car WiFi (obviously annoyingly making communication with my home network impossible) and not be dependent on an existing network..

[peterv]

So let me get this straight, when you're out in the field without an existing wifi network, you need to bring:

 

- a generator to produce the necessary juice + fuel and cables

- a router + cables

- a laptop to set up a local network + cables

 

Then, you can tranfer < 2 mb jpgs

 

If you want to use your iOS device to remote trigger the camera, you need to bring all the above, install the App, and you're good to go.

 

Great!

 

Sound like Leica all right Just kidding, of course.

 

But seriously, the mere fact that after 4 (four!) pages there's still no definitive answer makes you wonder ... How hard can it be? I guess young Jip was right on page 1, Leica needs to hire a software team. And by the way, this is not a German vs Japanese thing. Just look at the software possibilities Arnold & Richter is churning out. Very complicated top notch and useful stuff.

[Guest volker_m]

What I meant all along is the way my car's remote control works - create a closed network between the iPhone and the car WiFi

 

The "simple" option between two devices would have been the ad hoc mode, which is obviously not supported by Leica T.

 

The only possible workaround that I mentioned above: the recent iOS devices can create a "personal hotspot", similar to your car. From the camera's perspective, we then have a WiFi network that the camera can connect to.

 

Obviously, this enables connection between the camera and the internet, but the question is: can the app access the WiFi devices that are in that "personal hotspot" network? This might be worth a try.

[TEBnewyork]

The wifi issue is one where it would be nice if someone who was a tester could speak with Leica and get full clarity with

 

beta functionality

first cameras to ship functionality

and if it technically can be rectified in future firmware or it it is a hardware limitation.

 

Will be a bummer if I needed to change my phone contract for this....adding tethering I need to drop my unlimited data plan...

[thighslapper]

Drones (such as the DJI Phantom) and GoPro (or similar) cameras use boosted Wi-fi with Android/Apple apps on phones to control video/pics and live video feed up to 300m ...... and by definition this is away from any computer based wi-fi network ......

 

....... so all of this is already being done ...... and at less than the cost of the T (you can get a flight ready Phantom 2 for under 1000gbp)

[Guest volker_m]

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Drones (such as the DJI Phantom) and GoPro (or similar) cameras use boosted Wi-fi with Android/Apple apps on phones to control video/pics and live video feed up to 300m ...... and by definition this is away from any computer based wi-fi network ......

 

Correct. These devices act as the WiFi access point, so they don't require an existing WiFi network. This is what Leica should have built into the camera as well.

[StevenWithAVee]

Not strange at all. As an engineer working in this field, I would be impressed by Leica making apps that communicate without establishing any network connection. That would be a world first.

 

I can use my Canon remote app to control my camera while out in the field, without any existing network. Just the connection between the two devices. I don't think it is a world first.

 

I think this is what people are trying to understand. Personally, I could care less about transferring images to my phone. But I want to be able to remotely control the camera with the app. I think that is what the app is for. But what good is that feature if I can only do it at home or at Starbucks?

 

And yes it is strange that we are now at 5 pages in the thread without a clear answer! Hopefully when people start getting the cameras next week we will all find out.

[jmr]

And yes it is strange that we are now at 5 pages in the thread without a clear answer!

 

There have been clear answers - it's just that it's not what many people expect, or want to hear

[Jeffry Abt]

Personally, I could care less about transferring images to my phone.

 

Transferring images to my IPhone means nothing to me as well. But, that being, said my 30 year old children are constantly moving images from their phone to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. They would like the ability to get the T's images to their phone in an easy and speedy fashion.

[jmahto]

There have been clear answers - it's just that it's not what many people expect, or want to hear

 

I guess, the real question being asked is why it is not possible to connect to iphone away from starbucks in the wild... or a better question is will this be possible in firmware updates in the future?

 

I can see that it is useful to more techno savvy, modern gadget loving folks.

[sfage]

The CameraStoreTV guys could not get the wifi to work in the field either, however they ended up concluding that they quite enjoyed using the camera (despite it's many quirks). I think this echos most of the reviews I've read (from bloggers to member here).

 

I should go in to the Camera Store and ask Chris what he "really" thinks of that machine.

 

"lulz".

 

[mjh]

The only possible workaround that I mentioned above: the recent iOS devices can create a "personal hotspot", similar to your car. From the camera's perspective, we then have a WiFi network that the camera can connect to.

Yes, this should work as it would allow the camera to use infrastructure mode, with the iPhone acting as a WiFi router. You could do the same with any Mac (but then there is still the issue of the missing OS X app). So strictly speaking you don’t need an existing network as you can set up your own on the fly. Still ad-hoc mode would be a much simpler solution so this is a curious omission (which might get rectified in the future).

[mjh]

And yes it is strange that we are now at 5 pages in the thread without a clear answer!

The manual is quite explicit about the T only supporting infrastructure mode. To quote from the technical data (page 219):

 

WLAN Complies with IEEE 802.11b/g/n standard (standard WLAN protocol), channel 1-11, encryption method: WiFi-compatible WPA™ / WPA2™, access method: Infrastructure operation

[TEBnewyork]

 

I can see that it is useful to more techno savvy, modern gadget loving folks.

 

What about folks who just need an old fashioned cable release....the app is supposed to be a remote for shutter release.

[peterv]

The manual is quite explicit about the T only supporting infrastructure mode. To quote from the technical data (page 219):

 

My mac says only WEP can be used, when setting up a network. Does that work the same as WPA?

[mjh]

My mac says only WEP can be used, when setting up a network. Does that work the same as WPA?

WEP offers no real security so in that sense it isn’t like WPA at all. But when you are out in the wilderness and in need of a WiFi network, this would be the least of your concerns I suppose.

[pico]

What about folks who just need an old fashioned cable release....the app is supposed to be a remote for shutter release.

 

http://www.binoculars-uk.co.uk/acatalog/CABLERELEASECOMPACTS.gif

[Guest volker_m]

I can use my Canon remote app to control my camera while out in the field, without any existing network. Just the connection between the two devices. I don't think it is a world first.

 

Jaap was expecting that the app doesn't require any (WiFi) connection. That's wrong. All these apps require some sort of underlying connection channel (WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, ...) to be established first, before the app can talk to your camera.

 

If your Canon camera internally provides the WiFi access point functionality, like some other WiFi-enabled cameras do, you can connect to that anywhere. No need for other access points in that case. The camera itself acts as the access point and the iPhone connects to that network created by the camera, as it would connect to other access points.

 

However, the Leica T does not have that feature, and requires some external access point that it (the camera) and the iPhone both can connect to. We have to see if the workaround with the iPhone itself acting as an access point (in personal hotspot mode) enables communication between the app and the local WiFi network created by the iPhone in that mode.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[jaapv]

:confused:That was certainly not what I was expecting, I was expecting it to work within its own closed network.

Anyway, let's look at the bright side, at least this system avoids the constant irritation of having to choose between the connections Phone-camera and your main network Hmmm...