SL Firmware 4.0 update wishes

[MRJohn]

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Here we go again..., while the SL FW 3.0 update brought about some welcome improvements and loaded smoothly (thank you for that), there are a significant number of new feature or behaviour requests from the previous topic "SL Firmeware 3.0 update wishes" ignored in this major release. It is clear that Leica is not Santa Claus and hence not every wish can be accommodated, but some of these seem very useful (even if only on occasion or for a minority of users) and might also help the overall competitiveness and longevity of this innovative product line. So if you still feel strongly about something mentioned in the old thread, please list again (and number through). I start:

 

#1: in DNG + JPG photo file format, when the JPG settings are set to monochrome, the display shows a B&W image. Totally normal. However, sometimes I would like to see the color image instead. Hence it would be great if I could switch/toggle the display between color and B&W without changing the JPG settings (maybe program a button to do so). It might be rather straightforward to implement (in tracking mode the camera already switches to color while taking a monochrome JPG).

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[digitalfx]

Since the camera is actually playing back the jpeg image, this is not possible.

 

The camera isn't "switching to color" it's recording the full raw data. The B&W jpeg is processed in camera and recorded. This is the image that is used for playback.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[steppenw0lf]

Nr. 2: On/Off switch for LENR

Nr. 3: Make "zoom" for focusing with manual lenses "sticky". Meaning remember where "the focus point" last was and do not recenter when switching in/out of zoom.  (I know it is no focus point, but alas.)

Nr. 4: Use aperture guessing for adapted lenses (M, R, or whatever) and DISPLAY the value in the EVF (exactly as it was for the last 18 months)     (whatever the M10 users tell you, this is no M. First I thought how glad I am to own a SL, and not to have to follow the stupid ideas of M fans - how mistaken I was !!)

Edited June 4, 2017 by steppenw0lf

[MRJohn]

Since the camera is actually playing back the jpeg image, this is not possible.

 

The camera isn't "switching to color" it's recording the full raw data. The B&W jpeg is processed in camera and recorded. This is the image that is used for playback.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

what if you only record RAW and there is no jpg to play back from, isn't that a color representation?

[ramarren]

The on/off toggle for LENR would be very useful. 

 

I believe the ability to remember a focusing position depends on the AF system and the AF system is not engaged with adapted manual focus lenses. I don't know whether it can be engaged ... only the engineers who work on it can say that.

 

 

what if you only record RAW and there is no jpg to play back from, isn't that a color representation?

 

 

The embedded JpegFromRaw and PreviewImage contents in the DNG file are based on the camera's current JPEG settings, even if JPEG file output is disabled. 

Edited June 4, 2017 by ramarren

[deep_blue]

Nr. 5: make permanent exposure preview behaviour the same with fixed ISO-setting and AUTO-ISO [the exposure is only previewed correctly within the limits of the AUTO-ISO settings]

[scott kirkpatrick]

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I think in switching from exposure preview only on half press to exposure preview always on in PAS or in PASM we still miss some scenarios.  I'd prefer to see

 

Exposure preview   -- Always ON ( in PAS or in PASM) or on half-press only  (the old setting)  Yes, I suspect it takes two lines of menu space to do this.

 

And I'm still waiting to have file numbering that rolls over into a new directory when the numbers pass 9999 instead of 999.  The present system never uses one of the file number spaces.

 

scott

[Irakly Shanidze]

I would love to see a capability to turn NR off in video. I'd rather have DaVinci Resolve Studio take care of the noise above ISO800

[FlashGordonPhotography]

#7. Exposure preview. Add the function :Off> On Half Press> On: as a sub menu.

 

Gordon

 

p.s. +1 to all previous suggestions

Edited June 4, 2017 by FlashGordonPhotography

[Irakly Shanidze]

Also, I wonder if SL hardware is capable of recording 4K from the whole sensor width. It would be great to have the same feature as Sony a99-II has when it records from the whole sensor area and then down samples to Super35.

[MRJohn]

 

 

The embedded JpegFromRaw and PreviewImage contents in the DNG file are based on the camera's current JPEG settings, even if JPEG file output is disabled. 

 

Thanks, hm, so the EVF gets its reading from a live JPG computation? Which the camera does whether or not I ask for a JPG output? I did not know that. Still, there could be a workaround (also see my comment about tracking mode), I don't see why this should be technically impossible with such a fast camera. The alternative would be a mode where next to the RAW a color jpg (also used for EVF) and a b&w jpg would be written to card (now that they made the DNG 30% faster there is time for this ). 

Edited June 4, 2017 by MRJohn

[ramarren]

I think in switching from exposure preview only on half press to exposure preview always on in PAS or in PASM we still miss some scenarios.  I'd prefer to see

 

Exposure preview   -- Always ON ( in PAS or in PASM) or on half-press only  (the old setting)  Yes, I suspect it takes two lines of menu space to do this.

 

And I'm still waiting to have file numbering that rolls over into a new directory when the numbers pass 9999 instead of 999.  The present system never uses one of the file number spaces.

 

scott

 

 

Scott, I think exposure preview was always on in any auto exposure mode. It only showed a difference on the half press if you were at the limits of the exposure range for the mode you were in. They just renamed the option and added Manual exposure as far as I can tell. I see NO change in the working behavior of the camera when set to PAS. 

[ramarren]

Thanks, hm, so the EVF gets its reading from a live JPG computation? Which the camera does whether or not I ask for a JPG output? I did not know that. Still, there could be a workaround (also see my comment about tracking mode), I don't see why this should be technically impossible with such a fast camera. The alternative would be a mode where next to the RAW a color jpg (also used for EVF) and a b&w jpg would be written to card (now that they made the DNG 30% faster there is time for this ). 

 

I think an intriguing option would be to support what Olympus has had in all their FourThirds and Micro-FourThirds cameras since 2003: the ability to process a raw file to a JPEG on the fly, in camera, using the camera's JPEG settings. That would cover your needs as well as anyone else's. You could save space by capturing to DNG only and output either B&W or color JPEGs whenever you wanted. 

[Sandokan]

what if you only record RAW and there is no jpg to play back from, isn't that a color representation?

 

There is an embedded JPG in the RAW which I think is based on the JPG settings you have (I say this because when I import my files which have a B&W JPG setting, they first appear in Lightroom in B&W and only convert to colour when the full RAW file is imported). So if camera is set to B&W, then the recorded JPG in the RAW file is also B&W. 

 

PS - how about lunch soon? 

[Sandokan]

I would like the same changes since I have been asking since V1 of FW. 

 

 - focus peaking AND horizon on same Liveview screen 

 - focus magnification to stay in the same place between shots 

 

also

 - bring back the indicator of aperture (with non-SL lenses) in the viewfinder

Edited June 5, 2017 by Sandokan

[LD_50]

I'm surprised to see so many requests for the guessed aperture values in the display. I can't see these being useful in the viewfinder when the aperture is selected on the lens and the accuracy is not great.

 

In EXIF data I see some value as it gives a general idea but in real time I can see it on the lens.

[AZach]

+1 for

- focus peaking AND horizon on same Liveview screen

[Ingo]

Let us stop here and ask Leica for FW 3.1 with the suggested improvements in September. 

 

+ format card 1 and card 2 in one step. 

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[scott kirkpatrick]

I'm surprised to see so many requests for the guessed aperture values in the display. I can't see these being useful in the viewfinder when the aperture is selected on the lens and the accuracy is not great.

I frequently open to full aperture to focus accurately with manual (R or M) lenses.  Seeing the estimated f-stop reminds me to stop down again.

[su25]

Nr. 2: On/Off switch for LENR

Nr. 3: Make "zoom" for focusing with manual lenses "sticky". Meaning remember where "the focus point" last was and do not recenter when switching in/out of zoom.  (I know it is no focus point, but alas.)

Nr. 4: Use aperture guessing for adapted lenses (M, R, or whatever) and DISPLAY the value in the EVF (exactly as it was for the last 18 months)     (whatever the M10 users tell you, this is no M. First I thought how glad I am to own a SL, and not to have to follow the stupid ideas of M fans - how mistaken I was !!)

On/Off switch for LENR can be made available for DNG ONLY file format (IF Leica is worried that without LENR, jpg quality will get deteriorated). I am assuming that LENR will affect only jpg and not DNG. 

Edited June 5, 2017 by su25