Beta Testers Wanted for new Leica T Firmware

[LUF Admin]

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Dear all,

 

Leica is working on a new firmware for the Leica T!

Following the success of Leica M firmware beta test in the forum, Leica would like to let forum members test the Leica T FW version too.

 

Therefore, we are now looking for interested Leica T owners!

 

Do you have a Leica T and would like to test the new firmware version in advance?

 

Write us a short eMail on: betatest@juergensen.net.

 

We can not promise that everyone will join the test, but we will try to let as many testers participate as we can serve useful!

 

Regards

Andreas

[jackperk]

Happy to take part. Let me know. Jack Perkins. AKA jackperk at mac dot com

Edited September 11, 2014 by pop
Please no eMail addresses in usable form

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[wda]

Andreas, I am afraid I cannot help you with the Leica T. However maybe, through your good connections, you might alert Leica to the willingness of several members to Beta test firmware updates for the Leica X Vario. You will have noted two current threads on this topic. Thank you.

[theoldman]

I'd be happy to throw my hat in the ring. My T is supported by a delightful 23/2 and a visoflex.

[spylaw4]

Just received this email in response to my email to Andreas re beta testing:

 

Hello,

 

thank you for your engagement to participate on the Leica T firmware beta test!

 

Leica has decided to publish the new firmware without an external beta test on the photokina 2014.

Therefore the Betatest is not applicable - for this time.

 

Leica has assured us that the next Leica T firmware will be tested in the Forum.

We store your data, so you will not have to apply again.

 

You will definitely be part of the tester team!

 

Now we are looking forward to the photokina and to the improvements of the new Leica T firmware.

 

Thank you for your support!

And please excuse the confusion

 

Best Regards from Bonn, Germany

Leon Baumgardt

 

A further email to Leon received a response that the new firmware is according to Leica to be released during Photokina - however I, and probably many others, with all due respect to Leon, will wait and see what actually happens. Haven't we been here before?

 

I will be delighted if it does happen though!

[tom0511]

Im am confident they will release it at Photokina, otherwise there will be too many questions.

I hope the new firmware will sped up the T. Allthough I already having fun with the T like

it is at the moment.

[alexander]

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Im am confident they will release it at Photokina, otherwise there will be too many questions.

I hope the new firmware will sped up the T. Allthough I already having fun with the T like

it is at the moment.

 

speed up and let you take DNG files in Wifi mode.....

[Don Morley]

Sorry Leica (and even more you owners of the NEWISH T) but please get your priorities right and start looking after we X-Vario owners a bit better because our cameras have been out for quite a long time now and yet our problems have been ignored. Please remember Mr Leica that many if not most of us also own M's and M9's etc and numerous lenses etc. I.E. WE ARE LONG STANDING HIGH SPENDING CUSTOMERS WHO WILL ONLY PUT UP WITH SO MUCH!

[papimuzo]

I'm wondering if the pre-release bashing seen - even in this forum - related to the XVario made it a dead product as soon as two years of production? It would be a pity if no firmware update appears rather soon for this very good camera. Nevertheless still hoping..

Happy pictures to all.

[papimuzo]

Nothing to say more than "Thanks" . Can't see what are the improvements because I'm travelling without the XV () but happy to recognize that Leica is still hearing their customers.

Happy day and pictures to all of you.

[joshjagdfeld]

Sign me up, too! Happy to help.

[johnloumiles]

When are we going to see the next FW update for the T? Really need them to give us full control over the video exposure. It's inexcusable that we are at the whim of the camera and what it thinks the correct exposure to be. Someone walks closely in front of the camera? The exposure jumps up immediately blowing out most of the scene you were just filming in! Bad bad bad.

[jaapv]

That appears to me to be quite normal behaviour for any exposure meter, changing the exposure when the reflected light from your subject changes. If one wants to avoid exposure variation in a video situation, one should fix the exposure by going manual.

I have no T, but are you saying you cannot do manual exposure in video mode?

[johnloumiles]

There is no way to manually set the video exposure on the T, X, Q and I'm going to assume the M although I haven't tested it. This all stems from a Leica software that doesn't show you exposure settings before the recording or after it starts. You may be able to manually set the aperture with M lenses but you never truly have control over the shutter speed or ISO. Use the X/T/Q in a poorly but directionally lit interior and set all the dials manually for the scene to be under exposed. You will notice the live view doesn't actually change along with the settings. It keeps its evenly exposed scene. It's only when you half press the shutter button that the camera stops down to your manual settings and you see the scene underexposed, normal stuff. Well this doesn't happen in video mode; use the exact underexposed settings then push the video button and the recording stays at the exact same exposure as live view. If you move the camera around the scene to the light source it will automatically start stopping down (probably via ISO values) even though you are in fully manual mode. The camera doesn't show you the video settings so you never really know what's going on.

 

The frustration of this is that you can't set the mood in the room like you can with photographs. If you are trying to shoot a scene with moving peopl forget about it, the exposure will move up and down depending how close they are to the lens. Most people say "Who cares, Leica has crap video anyway, this is a photo tool!" That's not necessarily true , the XVario is decent, the T is even better and the Q even better still. The T could be an interesting video option with all the different lenses it can take and the Q has the 28mm standard of many movie directors like Terrance Malick and Wes Anderson.

 

If there was a reason for this I would like to hear it. Leica NJ has confirmed this is not in my head, that there is no actual true manual video setting on the T. Is the new S going to have 4k video and then not let you change the settings? That would be funny.

 

I have no T, but are you saying you cannot do manual exposure in video mode?

Edited August 12, 2015 by johnloumiles

[jaapv]

At least on the M you can take it off Auto-Iso and have a fixed value. I have to look up the shutterspeed in Video.

[johnloumiles]

 

At least on the M you can take it off Auto-Iso and have a fixed value. I have to look up the shutterspeed in Video.

You might want to double check that because in the other 3 camera lines it seems like the ISO is the variable pushed or pulled if the camera determines the scene is under or overexposed even if a specific ISO is chosen. I say this because Shutter Speed in terms of video takes some time to master so I'd assume Leica (and most camera makers) take that variable away for ease of use. So if the SS is fixed and aperture is manually set on the lens it only leaves the ISO to play with. The X line the aperture changes as well even if set to a specific stop. You can adjust the exposure compensation but that's a small consolation because the camera will still move the exposure around if you move the camera or people move within the frame, so instead of keeping it at -2 EV you will see it fluctuate higher or lower depending on what's happening in the scene. Edited August 12, 2015 by johnloumiles