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M240 FW


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So I get an email from Leica this morning saying the updated FW is now available. As usual Windows can't open the file and even though I have downloaded from Leica site there is a communication problem. I swear this happens every damn time they do an update. I think since the M8 came out I've been able to successfully download to the camera one time (okay maybe twice). The only reason I'm even interested in this FW update is that I have had a problem with the LV being slow to implement.

 

On the other topic of startup time - I've never had a problem, certainly not with the M-P. Personally, I find obsessing about startup time to be a tempest in a teapot.

 

As to battery life - the M-P is so much better than the CCD cameras it's not even funny. I don't even need a second battery.

My dos centavos.

 

 

Format your SD card

Do NOT open the file

Copy the file to your SD card

Put the card into the camera

Hold the INFO button whilst switching it on

Leave the camera to do its own thing for a minute or five.

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We don't need startup time that fast. It's not the rangefinder style of use. If you need speed other cameras will suit you better for machine gun style.

 

I think it is a little self indulgent to lump “we” into your specific comments, we are all different, you know? 

 

I do wish the camera were a bit faster to wake up and or start up, but mostly so I can make anticipated pre-exposure adjustments like white balance or ISO setting. Personally I have found I have nailed every shot I have wanted to get and some were mere seconds away from happening. I rarely chimp so even with me keeping the camera on most of the time and tapping the shutter as I sense incoming action, I get impressive battery life, close to 2,000 shots per charge. In actual use I find this camera as fast as any I use and I use a lot ( D810, D750, film M’s, hasselblad, Mamyia RF, etc ).

 

I don’t think FW updates are going to make the camera faster though…because that is the computer, not the camera, so things I would love to see faster such as image review time, write time, redraw time on zoom into image, it’s not likely to happen and will have to wait until the next M varietal. 

 

So in part this becomes a thread about what some folks want from the existing camera that likely won’t appear until the next. Things that need fixing are always a different matter such as lockups it would appear, although I have had only one since owning the camera and that was with a Lexar card, certainly not the highly recommended Sandisk 64GB / 90mbs.

 

I’d love to be able to see some of the stuff I cited above and a few more like the ability to bias the AWB to be warmer / cooler and the ability to adjust the color tint on the LCD screen. We can all want, I prefer to shoot photos that push my own and the camera’s limits in the meantime. 

 

I did do a nice mod to the ergonomics though, I find the camera simply too thick for it’s other dimensions so I took the liberty of applying some Griptac to the thumb rest area, it’s made a noticeable improvement to the overall handling of the camera physically and does not get hung up on things like the “Thumbs Up” does. 

 

My FW update went smooth, for what that is worth.

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Format your SD card
Do NOT open the file
Copy the file to your SD card
Put the card into the camera
Hold the INFO button whilst switching it on
Leave the camera to do its own thing for a minute or five.

 

Yes: takes a long time. Leica should also tell you when you can stop holding in the INFO button  :(  (all worked fine though).

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Yes, I can adapt. But I don't want to. I want a responsive camera similar to the analog M cameras of the last 60 years.

 

Fully agreed.

I can adapt by having the camera ready and turning the sleep time out to around 10 minutes, but why should I expect less than the best standard possible? I mean this is Leica.

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Must be another urban myth (..busted) but I thought all Texan's appreciate a fast starting shooter........?

This Texan does not care about start-up time.I have never given the M's start-up time a second thought. Fire power is what matters! I want higher ISO. The next M will have that!

I'm waiting. Texans can be patient! Remember the Alamo! The Runaway Scrape! We will get you at San Jacinto!

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If you choose that style of photography you need to have a camera ready. Simple. Missing a shot is human error not a camera error.

 

I never turn off my cameras.

The problem with the M is it takes forever also to wake up from sleep mode, wait time comparable to a power-on.

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I don’t think FW updates are going to make the camera faster though…because that is the computer, not the camera.

 

The Leica Maestro "computer" is basically the same Expeed chip at the heart of the Nikon D700 (startup time 120 milliseconds, and one of the fastest camera, even today).

 

You underestimate how much a good firmware makes a difference.

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I never turn off my cameras.

The problem with the M is it takes forever also to wake up from sleep mode, wait time comparable to a power-on.

 

Interesting, my wake up is less than a second, time to on is about 1.5" with a Sandisk 64GB Extreme Pro 90mb/s. I can certainly work around that timeframe.

 

Would not have had a clue the processor is the same as the D700, still don't think the FW will affect the speed much. 

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Did the firmware update. It took 2 minutes and 45 seconds... I haven't noticed any functional differences/improvements in live view, or anything else for that matter.

 

FWIW, I disabled the sleep function within the first or second day owning the camera. Inevitably I'll forget to half press the shutter release as I bring the camera up for a photo and will miss the shot... Coming from Canon DSLRs where everything was always ready, I never gave any thought to wake from sleep delays, so it's not my habit to treat the M any differently. Works fine for me. I always carry a couple extra batteries anyway. I really doubt Leica will put a lot of future effort into refining the M240, with it now nearly 3 years old. I expect future FW to mostly update compatibility with future products like lenses and flashes. But I sure would like them to figure out the random lock-up problem. 

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Interesting, my wake up is less than a second [...]

 

Is your camera an M240? If so, it was not asleep yet i suspect. Wakeup and startup times were the same when i measured them last year e.g. 1.7 second with your Sandisk 64GB card provided it is new or formatted once in a while with SD Formatter.

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Did the firmware update. It took 2 minutes and 45 seconds... I haven't noticed any functional differences/improvements in live view, or anything else for that matter.

 

FWIW, I disabled the sleep function within the first or second day owning the camera. Inevitably I'll forget to half press the shutter release as I bring the camera up for a photo and will miss the shot... Coming from Canon DSLRs where everything was always ready, I never gave any thought to wake from sleep delays, so it's not my habit to treat the M any differently. Works fine for me. I always carry a couple extra batteries anyway. I really doubt Leica will put a lot of future effort into refining the M240, with it now nearly 3 years old. I expect future FW to mostly update compatibility with future products like lenses and flashes. But I sure would like them to figure out the random lock-up problem. 

Well, they say that this firmware eliminated some bugs that caused occasional lockups.

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Reporting back on perceived improvement in responsiveness of performance with LV and EVF.  A case of wishful thinking I'm afraid... no discernible difference with the two bodies side by side, one with earlier FW and the other with the latest.  HOWEVER, if the occasional hang is solved, then I can live with the rest.  Whatever the cavils, the M is my go to camera from 90% of use (personal and professional). The DSLRs only come out when I need a long zoom.

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The Leica Maestro "computer" is basically the same Expeed chip at the heart of the Nikon D700 (startup time 120 milliseconds, and one of the fastest camera, even today).

 

You underestimate how much a good firmware makes a difference.

 

 

These guys measured 0.4 seconds, but you make a good point.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D700/D700A6.HTM

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