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Leica Q Firmware 2.1 Wishlist


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Thanks Leica for listening to user feedback and making firmware 2.0 a great improvement upon an already fantastic system.

 

After using 2.0 for some time, I note the following desired improvements. This is also mentioned in a post by Bart van Hofwegen (http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/262884-leica-q-firmware-update-20-now-available/?p=3086526).

 

1) In EVF-extended mode, half-press shutter should turn on EVF (and turn off LCD) in preparation for shooting. This would remove the significant and noticeable delay of EVF activation by raising camera to eye level.

 

2) FN or ISO buttons should display info on LCD (in EVF-Auto or EVF-Extended modes), unless eye in on the viewfinder, in which case display should appear in EVF.

 

Please add your suggestions / comments for your 2.1 wish items.

 

-alex

 
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1) In EVF-extended mode, half-press shutter should turn on EVF (and turn off LCD) in preparation for shooting. This would remove the significant and noticeable delay of EVF activation by raising camera to eye level.

 

 

This would conflict with eye sensor and also this is not very logical.

 

EVF now has 2 modes:

- "EVF" which has EVF on permanently : no lag, no need to half press... its always on

- "EVF Extended" which uses eye sensor to activate EVF : saves battery but has small lag

 

You could then use "EVF" mode but unfortunately LCD screen is not activated when you press any button. Only EVF Extended can activate LCD screen, and it does only with PLAY and MENU.

 

What is really needed for BOTH modes is that any button that display something SHOULD turn the LCD on when the user is not looking through the viewfinder.

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I would like "track pad" AF like on my Panasonic GX8, which lets you use the LCD screen as a track pad to move the AF point around while your eye is up to the EVF.   Granted the DPad works okay, but its not as fast or fluid since you can't go diagonally with movements.

 

I would also like (again like my Panasonic GX8) the ability to have the camera set to face detect/multi-area AF, and then with a touch of the screen, change to one-point AF.  That way I can enjoy face detect for general walking around snapshots and if there is something specific I want to focus on, I just touch the screen and move the AF point to it.  Then with a touch of the center of the Dpad, the camera reverts back to face detect/multi AF

 

Last but not least, exposure comp in full manual mode using auto-ISO, much like Sony offers on the Alpha cameras and which proves very useful in many situations

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I believe this is very logical and would not conflict with eye sensor. Consider the following, in EVF-extended mode with the LCD already turned on:

 

a) Raise camera to eye level, EVF activates (LCD turns off), This has a noticeable delay. This is the current state of firmware 2.0. 

  or

b ) Half press shutter while raising camera to eye level. EVF already activated (LCD turned off) by the camera is raised to eye level. This is the wished-for scenario.

 

Note that EVF-only mode is not affected by this at all. The proposed change allows for use of EVF-extended mode, but also immediate viewing of EVF by means of activating the EVF with half-press shutter button.

 

-alex

 

This would conflict with eye sensor and also this is not very logical.

 

EVF now has 2 modes:

- "EVF" which has EVF on permanently : no lag, no need to half press... its always on

- "EVF Extended" which uses eye sensor to activate EVF : saves battery but has small lag

 

You could then use "EVF" mode but unfortunately LCD screen is not activated when you press any button. Only EVF Extended can activate LCD screen, and it does only with PLAY and MENU.

 

What is really needed for BOTH modes is that any button that display something SHOULD turn the LCD on when the user is not looking through the viewfinder.

Edited by rent
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Last but not least, exposure comp in full manual mode using auto-ISO, much like Sony offers on the Alpha cameras and which proves very useful in many situations

 

What you mean? Because there's already this feature. I've assigned the exp comp to the dial and when I'm in manual mode I can change the exposure via the dial (with 2.0 fw, with 1.1 you have to press fn before and then rotate the dial).

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I believe this is very logical and would not conflict with eye sensor. Consider the following, in EVF-extended mode with the LCD already turned on:

 

a) Raise camera to eye level, EVF activates (LCD turns off), This has a noticeable delay. This is the current state of firmware 2.0. 

  or

b ) Half press shutter while raising camera to eye level. EVF already activated (LCD turned off) by the camera is raised to eye level. This is the wished-for scenario.

 

Note that EVF-only mode is not affected by this at all. The proposed change allows for use of EVF-extended mode, but also immediate viewing of EVF by means of activating the EVF with half-press shutter button.

 

-alex

 

 

 

How does the camera know that you want to use the EVF?  I go back and forth quite a bit when shooting, I use the viewfinder more but I do use the LCD, sometimes I don't even look at either.  If I want to take a shot using the LCD, I'm going to push the shutter button half way to set the focus, not switch to the EVF.  If that just activates the EVF and turns off the LCB, I'm screwed.

Edited by stevieboy
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Awesome that you can now shoot for 120 seconds but please do not blank out the screen after 3-4 seconds (You can get it back with a shutter half press).

 

I want to see how many seconds I am using uninterrupted.

 

Please....... :-) 

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120 seconds sounds nice, but it works only for ISO 100 ! For ISO 800  you can only shoot 15 s, this is the same as with firmware 1.1, for higher ISO even shorter.

 

Please allow 120 s for higher ISO speed, ISO 100 has banding problem

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Stevie,

 

I was specifically talking about the EVF-extended mode, which I don't believe supports LCD shooting anyway (don't have it with me to confirm, I could be wrong). Through playing with it my understanding is that this mode is pretty much like EVF-only, but allows menu and playback on the LCD.

 

It is in this mode that I would like half-press shutter to turn off LCD and to activate the EVF in preparation for shooting.

 

For the scenario you describe, I think the auto switching EVF mode (the default mode) would suit you well.

 

-alex

 

How does the camera know that you want to use the EVF?  I go back and forth quite a bit when shooting, I use the viewfinder more but I do use the LCD, sometimes I don't even look at either.  If I want to take a shot using the LCD, I'm going to push the shutter button half way to set the focus, not switch to the EVF.  If that just activates the EVF and turns off the LCB, I'm screwed.

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This would conflict with eye sensor and also this is not very logical.

 

EVF now has 2 modes:

- "EVF" which has EVF on permanently : no lag, no need to half press... its always on

- "EVF Extended" which uses eye sensor to activate EVF : saves battery but has small lag

 

You could then use "EVF" mode but unfortunately LCD screen is not activated when you press any button. Only EVF Extended can activate LCD screen, and it does only with PLAY and MENU.

 

What is really needed for BOTH modes is that any button that display something SHOULD turn the LCD on when the user is not looking through the viewfinder.

 

I do not agree. If you want to be able to use either LCD or EVF, use auto mode. This activates the EVF with the eye sensor. For EVF exclusive shooters, both simply leaving on the EVF and not engaging LCD for menu, FN, ISO and playback is not an option. The delay in EVF extended when the EVF switches on on the eye sensor is annoying.

 

What is needed is a mode for EVF exclusive shooters that does the following:

  • In rest, both EVF and LCD are off. So is sensor readout. This saves battery and prevents sensor heating.
  • EVF is switched on on either half press of shutter release button or eye sensor.
  • EVF is switched off after a short delay when neither eye sensor or shutter release half press are seen.
  • LCD is switched on on PLAY, ISO, MENU and FN buttons unless the eye is on the EVF (sensor). This allows for ISO and FN programmed switching without taking your eye off the viewfinder.

I think this sums it up. "EVF extended" is halfway there and could be perfected as stated above. But please keep in mind that it was and should be meant for EVF shooters. Shooters who use both LCD and EVF during a session should use auto. Shooters who use LCD should use LCD mode. I do shoot LCD now and then and use the latter, simply to prevent the eye sensor to switch to EVF, as it does in auto. In fact, I hardly ever use auto mode because of that.

Edited by Bart van Hofwegen
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I suppose that the caption for this topic, "2.1 wishlist" implies that only minor changes to 2.0 are meant. If that is the case, I strongly forward the wish many others and myself have stated about improving EVF extended mode, See my previous post for a detailed summary.

 

If there are more major changes to be included, I have quite a few:

  1. Allow programming of the "record video" button functionality. (for me: press + thumb wheel: focus mode change and press + thumb wheel = set exposure bracketing)
  2. Allow entering custom names for user profiles.
  3. Allow more than 4 user profiles
  4. Allow full manual exposure control (and I mean nothing auto) in video mode. Without that, it is totally unusable.
  5. Allow video recording to be disabled completely through the menu. When disabled, omit the video preview screen when cycling live view preview options.

  6. Allow setting the longest exposure time before Auto ISO raises the ISO value. This is now a rather arbitrary 1/60. I find myself in situations in which 1/15 or longer would be nice.

There is one wish that I have for all my cameras and that no vendor seems to have understood, let alone implemented, and that is a true RAW data histogram. But this will remain nothing more than a dream, I fear.

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I do not agree. If you want to be able to use either LCD or EVF, use auto mode. This activates the EVF with the eye sensor. For EVF exclusive shooters, both simply leaving on the EVF and not engaging LCD for menu, FN, ISO and playback is not an option. The delay in EVF extended when the EVF switches on on the eye sensor is annoying.

 

What is needed is a mode for EVF exclusive shooters that does the following:

  • In rest, both EVF and LCD are off. So is sensor readout. This saves battery and prevents sensor heating.
  • EVF is switched on on either half press of shutter release button or eye sensor.
  • EVF is switched off after a short delay when neither eye sensor or shutter release half press are seen.
  • LCD is switched on on PLAY, ISO, MENU and FN buttons unless the eye is on the EVF (sensor). This allows for ISO and FN programmed switching without taking your eye off the viewfinder.

I think this sums it up. "EVF extended" is halfway there and could be perfected as stated above. But please keep in mind that it was and should be meant for EVF shooters. Shooters who use both LCD and EVF during a session should use auto. Shooters who use LCD should use LCD mode. I do shoot LCD now and then and use the latter, simply to prevent the eye sensor to switch to EVF, as it does in auto. In fact, I hardly ever use auto mode because of that.

 

 

We are talking about the same thing, the only difference is you ask for enabling the EVF when half pressing the shutter. Why not, it cannot hurt if done well.

 

The true problem of the new EVF Extended mode is that it only switch on LCD (when you are not looking through the viewfinder) with PLAY and MENU buttons, when it should also do it with other buttons that display something.

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I'm all for above requests, and I'll add another which is very important to me as a street photographer.

 

I'd like that a 1 second press on the ISO button open directly the Auto ISO setup so I could quickly change max speed/ISO.

As it is right now, I have to press MENU and scroll like hell to reach that page.

 

Also a direct access to AF modes (for example on the video button that I never use) would be great.

Edited by Voxen
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The true problem of the new EVF Extended mode is that it only switch on LCD (when you are not looking through the viewfinder) with PLAY and MENU buttons, when it should also do it with other buttons that display something.

 

Indeed, I second that completely! That would be the FN and ISO buttons for the current functionality. If at any point we get programmable behavior for the record video button, that one should be included as well.

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This is my list so far:

1. When disabled the video button should reset the AF point to center.

2. In EVF extended mode the menu button should bring up the live view mode. Long pressing the button should bring up the main menu. 

3. The Delete(AF size), FN and ISO buttons should bring up these settings on the LCD and not in the EVF when using EVF extended mode. 

4. The EVF should always be on in EVF extended mode, but the eye sensor could be activated when bringing up the AF size, ISO and function menus. That way it will accommodate every shooting style.

5. The Q app needs an update to transfer DNG only files to iOS devices.

6. The user profiles should store every setting, also the chosen EVF/LCD mode.

7. The Auto ISO shutter should allow for longer shutter speeds when the highest ISO chosen is reached. Now it just underexposes the image.

8. Face recognition should work in flexible AF mode, so that when a face is not detected it reverts to single AF point not multipoint.

Edited by Les100
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It is quite easy to forget which settings have been allocated to which User Profile. It would be very helpful if the title "User Profile" could be edited with a personal title so it would have more meaning to the owner

+1

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120 seconds sounds nice, but it works only for ISO 100 ! For ISO 800  you can only shoot 15 s, this is the same as with firmware 1.1, for higher ISO even shorter.

 

Please allow 120 s for higher ISO speed, ISO 100 has banding problem

 

Same for me, need to shot longer with iso 1600 / iso 3200

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