Leica SL App Remote

[Ken Abrahams]

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I tested the remote function on the SL app recently in preparation for a shot I had in mind. It seemed to work via the SL WLAN from a distance of 7 meters. Satisfied that I could complete the shot that I had in mind involving a moving train, I set up the tripod on location, low beside the track. The train was due in twenty minutes from setting up and I was standing about three meters away behind the regulatory distance and access to rail property. Just as the train was approaching the WLAN signal dropped out and I lost contact with the camera.

 

Does anyone know whether I need to turn off Power save function or keep contact with the camera via the app by taking a few frames while waiting for the shot to "arrive"? I will give the shot another go soon but it would be handy to know if the SL remote times out or whether atmospherics affect the function. What could I do to avoid this happening again?

 

Ken  

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[brill64]

frustrating! however, try again & as you say, i would definitely suggest turning power save on both your camera & your phone to "off" for this kind of shot. one or other timing out would drop the signal. use the SL cable remote for absolute certainty.

[pop]

That happened to me with the Leica C and my cell phone. It turned out that it was the phone which dropped the connection because it was short on power. Keeping a WLAN connection up and running for any amount of time uses more power than most people realize.

[LocalHero1953]

The SL app overrides the power save function on the camera, IIRC. The phone power save setting is not overridden, but I found in testing that even if the phone went blank, the wifi link was not lost, and on phone wake-up the connection was there and usable.

 

That said, I found the wifi connection a bit fragile at 7m - I guess it depends on interference, other signals etc. (I've found other cameras no different - OMD EM5-ii for example). I would have expected 3m to be OK though.

 

Speculating on a basis of zero real knowledge: could the approach of a train (and its own power and comms systems) result in increased signals emitted from the train or track that could interfere with your signal?

[Ken Abrahams]

Thanks for the replies. I don't think the train comms interfered Paul because the same thing occurred at the beach for a sunset shot and I was within a metre of the camera at all times. Its a great app and usually works well especially with long exposures where I can change the shutter speeds on the app for multiple frames, with ease.  I have created profile on my phones wifi and that seemed to help instead of trying to use the code for connection. After the recent update to the SL, I think the connection to the app improved over a distance.  I am thinking of getting the iPhone 7 Plus so I will have a bigger screen to view images. 

 

Cheers

Ken

[steppenw0lf]

Where I live most/all trains are electrified - and there is a lot of electric noise coming from a passing e-locomotive (I was once working close to a station and the old screens needed special shielding against that). Especially when starting and stopping - which is maybe not the case here.

So what kind of train is it in your case ? 

 

You could use an iPad which I do (no idea if this will improve the situation).

You could use interval shooting (e.g. 1 picture every second, or maybe more) for the several minutes you expect the train - start it when the train is still 500m away.

[Ken Abrahams]

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The trains are locomotives, the Indian Pacific hauls passengers across Australia. Once beyond the public electrified system there are no overhead wires but I would imagine there are lots of signals including two way in the area. Placing the tripod and camera down near the tracks at an old unused platform might be considered trespassing but I really want to get that low and wide angle shot for something different. I will give it another go soon, it may have been a random thing with interference. Perhaps another persons phone or camera trying to access the wlan?

 

Something interesting occurred while I was in a very isolated location a few months back using the camera WLAN and app. There wasnt any wifi for 80 miles but while I was connected to the app, I noticed afterwards that I received a facebook message from my Dad at the time I was connected to the camera.

 

cheers

K    

[pop]

You can test your rig and your setup, of course, without there being any trains. Make so many rehearsals until you're sure you have all parameters under control. From your initial description, I'd think that waiting for twenty minutes with the WLAN active might be the killer. 

[Waterden]

When the camera is linked to the remote control app on, for example, an iPad, does this disable the evf? This is the case with the Sony Play Memories app when used to remotely control the A7R II and means you cannot manually focus the camera while it is connected unless you try to do so via either the view on the app or on the rear LCD. Neither of these views are accurate enough. AF may be a different matter but I manually focus my cameras, so this disability, at least on the Sony, renders the app useless for me.

[Ingo]

It's a pity but the SL-App blocks the SL completely and you cannot control anything on the body during the connection. 

I've already requested some changes of the app but didn't get any response from Leica. 

[Waterden]

That's hopeless, then, for the landscape photographer using manual focus and desiring remote control to avoid camera shake. The only alternatives are using the self-timer or buying Leica's own cable remote controller which is priced egregiously high.

[John Black]

It's a pity but the SL-App blocks the SL completely and you cannot control anything on the body during the connection. 

 

I've already requested some changes of the app but didn't get any response from Leica. 

 

 

I'm trying the app right now and have full control over the SL via the SL body while it's attached to the iOS app.  If I make changes via the SL itself, the iOS app displays a message "Camera operation is in progress".  Or, I can control the camera from the app.  I'm ping-ponging back and forth between them.  Tried AF on both, manual focus on the camera, image review, EVF zooming...

 

The SL and iOS app (running on a iPad Air) attached via our home WiFi network (not an adhoc network), so I don't know if that matters or not.  SL is running firmware 3.0.  The app version looks to 2.0; installed on an iPad Air.  There are a couple of things I wish I could do via the app -

 

1)  Would like to see a live histogram (on the iPad)

2)  Double-tap the iPad to enter a 100% magnified view

 

#2 is possible if magnified via the camera's button - that change is echoed on the iPad.  So partially do-able, just not remotely via the iPad.  If I toggle to live histo on the SL, that is NOT visible /echoed to the iPad.

[Waterden]

That sounds better. If the EVF can be used while the camera and iPad are connected to each other then it means one can focus manually using the EVF and then use the app to release the shutter. Just what I need. You can't do this with the Sony.

[Vieri]

Hello Ken,

 

I think you solved it (perhaps inadvertently ) when you stopped using the code. Creating a WLAN in the phone and keeping the phone from going to sleep has been the solution for me. I regularly use the app at 3-4 meters without any problem and without any connection dropping. Hope this helps, best

 

Vieri

[Ingo]

I'm trying the app right now and have full control over the SL via the SL body while it's attached to the iOS app.  If I make changes via the SL itself, the iOS app displays a message "Camera operation is in progress".  Or, I can control the camera from the app.  I'm ping-ponging back and forth between them.  Tried AF on both, manual focus on the camera, image review, EVF zooming...

 

The SL and iOS app (running on a iPad Air) attached via our home WiFi network (not an adhoc network), so I don't know if that matters or not.  SL is running firmware 3.0.  The app version looks to 2.0; installed on an iPad Air.  There are a couple of things I wish I could do via the app -

 

1)  Would like to see a live histogram (on the iPad)

2)  Double-tap the iPad to enter a 100% magnified view

 

#2 is possible if magnified via the camera's button - that change is echoed on the iPad.  So partially do-able, just not remotely via the iPad.  If I toggle to live histo on the SL, that is NOT visible /echoed to the iPad.

Please ignore my post. I mixed it up with another topic. Sorry.