Best resourse for learning the Menu system and camera controls.

[sarkleshark]

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Hi, I find the instruction manuel lacking.  Any suggestions as to where to find info on the settings and menu system of the SL?

thanks.

[ramarren]

The Leica instruction manual has all the information you need in it, although it's not laid out especially well and a bit terse on explanations. There aren't any other resources available as yet, other than asking questions here.

 

I suggest going to the back sections first and looking at the menu descriptions and default settings. Then read the chapters on each area of functionality and, if you have your camera already, work with it on the camera for a little bit until you get the concept of the settings. 

 

By and large, most users have had a short learning/orientation period with the camera to get the basics down and after that it all comes pretty easy. The biggest thing to get into your head is the nature of the control buttons: nearly all the control buttons have two functions. First is the short press function, which is permanent and not changeable. Second is the long press function, which is assignable. Once you 'get' that, most other stuff comes pretty quickly.

 

Once you have the camera configured to your preference, menu use drops by quite a lot. I haven't really changed much in my SL setup since January 2016. 

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[250swb]

Hi, I find the instruction manuel lacking.  Any suggestions as to where to find info on the settings and menu system of the SL?

thanks.

 

Take the camera and instruction book into the TV room, find a channel with an unchallenging film, rest your legs on the coffee table, and play with all the camera settings and menu's. Within an hour and you'll have found everything you need, and if you don't need it there isn't much point in knowing how it works. It's the same principle as 'learning Photoshop', people get a manual that tells them the eight or nine things they need to know but buried in amongst a million things they don't need to know, so mostly a waste of time.

[helged]

You may also find it convenient to store a few user profiles as you learn the system (up to 4 user profiles can be stored). In this way, you have back-ups of working settings if/when you get lost. I remember that step-wise updates of the user profiles helped me a lot in the early days. And as ramarren and 250swb says, you will quickly get acquainted to the most essential menu settings, so the initial trial-and-fail/hit phase will be short. And use this forum when you are stuck!

Edited May 30, 2017 by helged

[antigallican]

You may also find it convenient to store a few user profiles as you learn the system (up to 4 user profiles can be stored). In this way, you have back-ups of working settings if/when you get lost. I remember that step-wise updates of the user profiles helped me a lot in the early days. And as ramarren and 250swb says, you will quickly get acquainted to the most essential menu settings, so the initial trial-and-fail/hit phase will be short. And use this forum when you are stuck!

The bit in red is great advice. I got the settings in a terrible muddle once - just going back to a 'user' gives you a reliable starting point.

[thighslapper]

1. Ignore anything except what you know you will need for everyday use.... stick to the absolute basics.

 

2. Work out which functions you will change most often and decide which buttons to assign them to in Customise Control ...... and then stick with it so it becomes second nature .... there is a thread with some suggestions if you search for it. Basically most assign WB, ISO, Drive Mode, Exp Compensation, Exp Metering, OIS, Load Profile etc. or similar. Spending some time playing with this part of the menu and making some sensible choices will save endless irritation later.

 

3. Assign a very limited list of anything else to the favourites menu so you can access them quickly. 

 

4. Set Auto ISO limits, auto review time, auto off, storage options for CD cards,  AF options, make sure you have the right Photo file format and JPG settings. 

 

5. Assign this as a Base Profile in the Save Profiles menu as suggested above. SAVE IT TO THE SD CARD ! 

 

6. Have a think about what other profiles you would commonly use ...... Manual Focus lenses, HDR/Bracketed shots, Tripod, Complete Manual control ..... etc etc. Bear in mind these profiles will save EVERYTHING set on the camera at the time you name and save it, so be careful what you alter. 

 

7. Once you have set these up you will only very rarely have to access the full SL menu anyway, so spending time reading the manual (which is too long to memorise and written in Leica Speak which at times is a bit ambiguous) is probably not required. 

 

I think you will find that most SL users here will have done all the above within the first week of having the camera and hardly changed any settings since. 

 

A word of caution ....... only assign rarely used functions to the second silver button on top of the camera ..... if at all. They are hard to access with camera to your eye ......  it is easy to press the wrong one and you will be stuck in video mode wondering why you can't take any photos. I have a number of videos of my feet with a lot of swearing on them as a result .....

Edited May 30, 2017 by thighslapper

[frame-it]

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Interestingly there are 2 PDF's for the user manual..once from late 2016 and a newer one from this year

[sarkleshark]

THanks, Thanks.Thanks!!!