Leica CL CL FAQ ... "How do I do such and such?"

[vikasmg]

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Question:
 
Does anyone know of a 4/3 or Micro-4/3 to M or L (or R) adapter?  There are plenty of M to 4/3 or Mirco-4/3 adapters (to use your M glass on the many 4/3, Micro-4/3 cameras); but I can’t find adapters that allow you to go the other way (i.e., use the many 4/3 or Micro-4/3 lenses on an M, L or R Leica camera).  I have some nice 4/3 lenses that I’d love to use on my Leica CL or R cameras, but can’t for lack of an adapter.

Answer:
 
The image circle on 4/3 and micro 4/3 is smaller than for APS-C (such as Leica CL) or for 35mm (such as Leica R).  So these lenses can't be used.  I think the lens-to-sensor distance is also smaller, adding another problem.
 
- Vikas
 

Addition: by Jaapv

 

The register distances are 17.00 and 17.25 mm respectively, so there is no adapter possible either way.

[helged]

Question:
In auto focus mode, auto focus with L-lenses is done by half-pressing the release button. Can auto focus be set to other buttons?


Answer:
No.

 

Edited April 22, 2018 by jaapv

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[nspur]

Question:

 

What would be the best way to connect an Android Leica CL app to the Leica CL?

 

Answer:

 

by Tobers

 

You can do it in 2 ways:

 

1) Make the CL set up a wifi hotspot and get your phone to connect to that hotspot then launch the app.
2) Make the CL join an existing wifi network (like your home one) and have your phone also connected to the same network. Run the app and they should find each other.

 

Option 1) is usually more reliable for me as some wifi networks don’t play well with option 2).
 

Edited April 22, 2018 by jaapv

[pebbles]

Question:

 

Is the touchscreen 'live; while taking pics ? In other words can you accidentally alter settings while concentrating on the photo.?

 

Answer:
by Scott Kirkpatrick

 

There are a half dozen auto focusing modes (spot, area, face, ...) and two of them use touch input (touch to focus, and touch to focus with the shot immediately happening). You can only be in one of those modes at a time. So if you are focusing with the spot, the screen ignores your touches, regardless of whether or not you are holding the shutter half-pressed.

 

Addition:
by Jaapv

 

But the direction buttons will stay active in single or spot mode, so it is possible to dislocate the focusing area by accidentally pressing those.

[lct]

Question:
 

I just bought a 40mm Summicron which I am going to use on the CL. However the lens does not appear on the list of M lenses that comes up on the CL menu.any suggestions other than just ignoring the lens input.

 

 

Answer:

Indeed your 40/2 is not an M lens but a Summicron-C made specifically for the Leica (film) CL.
You may wish to use it as an "Unknown lens" on the digital CL as it doesn't need any correction.
Alternatively you may choose a Lens profile in the main menu. The closer profile would be "35 f/2 11310/11311"

Edited April 19, 2018 by jaapv

[jaapv]

Question:

 

I am using a third party lens on an adapter, but the right-wheel image magnification does not work.

 

Answer:

 

The wheel will work if you use the Leica L-M adapter.

You can then use an adapter to the M mount and the CL will register your lens as "unknown" and activate

right wheel image magnification. If you use a third-party adapter directly on the L mount it will not and you will have to use the arrow buttons.

[scott kirkpatrick]

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Question:

 

 

When shooting with strobes and manual M lenses stopped down the image in the EVF is dark. How can I turn off exposure preview, so I can just manual focus with magnification more easily with a brighter view?

Also, in the auto ISO settings there'a a min. shutter speed that reads 1/f,1/2f,1/3f and 1/4f. What do they correspond to?

 

Answer:

 

You now have two options for exposure preview.  If you are using flash and want to see what you are shooting, choose manual mode and set preview for PAS (which means not in manual).  The default is PASM, in which the viewfinder shows what the exposure will be but doesn't know that you have flash connected.

 

1/2, 2/f etc don't work unless the camera knows f.  If you use a Leica manual lens profile, then the camera knows the lens focal length, f.  But if you don't get the profile set, or leave the lens unidentified, those options should be greyed out.

[jaapv]

Question:

 

Hi,
with a manual lens, the CL set in M or A, how to choose the base speed according to the focal length?
1x, 2x or 3x?

 

 

Answer:

 

There is no answer. That depends entirely on the steadiness of your hands, shooting technique and movement of the subject. 

[jaapv]

Question:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you transfer RAW images by WiFi to Lightroom? I keep getting JPGs only

 

 

 

Answer:

 

 

 

I use my iPad Pro 13in to process RAW/DNG files from my SL and CL all the time. It’s very much suited for this purpose and the workflow is very satisfying. I use for posting pics to IG, Flickr or LUF, not more serious printing projects of course.

 

I use two methods for transferring DNGs to the iPad. In both cases, the DNG ends up in my Photos on the iPad.

 

1. A very simple one, if I only care to transfer a file or two is using the Leica SL/CL app. The transfer over the wireless connection is slow so more than a couple of files in DNG is a bit of a pain. In the settings of the app you need to specify what format file to transfer (DNG, or jpg) as otherwise jpg will be the default.

 

2. A fast and convenient way is to use the SD adapter connected to the iPad directly. This method is very fast. It transfers DNGs as well.

 

I process the DNGs on the iPad Pro using Lightroom CC. It’s free, no subscription is required if you don’t need or plan to sync the LR catalog on the iPad with your other catalog in the cloud and desktop. It ‘matches’ my ‘normal’ processing workflow pretty close on the MacBook so this is pretty straightforward. LR CC on iPad has many export options, saving to Photos app is one of course, or direct transfer to other services.

 

Strangely, although you can transfer both JPEG and DNG via the iOS app over wifi, albeit as others have said, quite slowly, you can only transfer JPEG's via the web network connection to a PC/Mac.

[jaapv]

This thread is a service thread meant only for questions and answers about operating the CL.

It is supposed to expand to a FAQ thread.

 

It is not meant for (bug) reports, complaints, discussion etc..

 

Such posts will either be deleted  or moved elsewhere without notice.

 

Please post your questions  in the following form:

 

Question:

Does the CL come in a gold-plated version?

 

 

And your answers like this:

 

Answer:

 At special request at a surcharge of 32.500 $

 

 

 

A moderator will merge the posts in due course.

Please do not change the font , the color or the font size from default.

 

 

I have just spent over half an hour removing  42 posts and cleaning up 12 others. Please use the method described.

[scott kirkpatrick]

Question:

 

is there a way to swap the wheels? 

Stefan

 

Answer:

 

 

That's a very frequent request, and widely supported.  Maybe soon, but not yet.

 

 

Edit:

by Jaapv

 

The latest firmware update has implemented wheel swap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by jaapv
update

[rbaron]

Question:

 

Can the Leica EVF2 electronic viewfinder be used on the CL?

 

Answer:

 

No.

[endmarks]

Question:

 

I am exploring the option of doing some time-lapse with the CL but it has no open shutter/open bulb mode. According to Leica there is a way to get a :30 second exposure time but I can't find it in the menu. I understand I need to be in manual mode. Anyone know where to access this?

 

Answer:

 

By Grahamhoey

 

Just set to shutter priority and move the left wheel to 30 seconds or the shutter time you want.

Edited June 5, 2018 by jaapv

[jaapv]

How do I swap the wheels? ... I'm trying to get Aperture on the left wheel and Shutter on the right... My wheels appear to have a mind of their own... What's the secret?

 

 

Firmware v2.0, MENU -> pg 4 Customize Control -> Wheel Assignment

 

I have only adapted lenses so no options exist to allow assigning Aperture to a wheel. With a native lens, which wheel is assigned to aperture depends on the mode. In my case, I can only swap Magnification/Exposure Compensation from wheel to wheel in Aperture Priority, and Magnification/Shutter Speed in Manual exposure mode. 

 

 

Thank you for leading me to Wheel Assignment... I managed to assign Aperture to the left wheel, but the settings for the right wheel are greyed out.

 

John

 

 

In each mode, there are two things for the wheels to do.  When you assign one of them to the left wheel, the other goes to the right wheel 

 

 

In case someone reading this is wondering -- the new customize controls option in firmware 2.0 lets you decide, for each of the four program modes, what function is accomplished by TURNING the left and right wheels.  Pushing the button in the center of each wheel is different, and the same as in firmware 1.0, except for the (not very useful) lock function now achieved with a long press on the left wheel button.

 

 

I upgraded to the most recent firmware on my CL. This may be a silly question but with the past firmware I was able to use the left wheel to,change between Aperture and Shutter priority.

How do I change the mode with the new firmware . How do I get out of auto mode

 

Thanks

 

 

For a mode change, keep the press on the left top button short.  Holding the button down for > 1 sec will put you into the lock/unlock action.

.

[Learner]

Question:

 

I can't get tap / gesture control to work... see p. 19 of the manual, right side.

 

Has Firmware 2.0 nullified this function and replaced it with pressing the button within the left setting-wheel ... as Scott states immediately above?

Edited July 29, 2018 by Learner

[ramarren]

Question:

 

I can't get tap / gesture control to work... see p. 19 of the manual, right side.

 

Has Firmware 2.0 nullified this function and replaced it with pressing the button within the left setting-wheel ... as Scott states immediately above?

 

 

Answer: 

 

- Move one of the control wheels to bring up the display of the lock/unlock buttons on the touch screen.

- Press and hold the one you want to lock or unlock for two seconds.

- The indicator will light in the bottom center of the screen. 

- If you locked a wheel, the next time you bring up the display of the buttons, the locked one will show a locked icon.

 

notes: 

 

I tested this in firmware v2.0 with a Leica R lens fitted, so I presume it works with all native and adapted lenses. 

 

The "lock both wheels" shortcut supplied by firmware v2.0 works independently of the individual wheel lock. In other words, if you have one wheel locked, then lock both wheels with the left button long-press, when you unlock both wheels again with the left button long press, the one previously locked with the touchscreen control will still be locked. 

 

I don't know whether touching the screen with native lenses will bring up the buttons because I don't have any native lenses, but it won't with either M or R lenses, I presume because autofocus is disabled. Touchscreen controls in image review for quick-zooming focus check (double tap) and moving from image to image (slide) work fine with non-native lenses by simply touching the screen. 

[ramarren]

Question:

 

 

I'm in Manual mode... When I move either wheel I am presented with A (aperture) on the left and S (shutter) on the right.

 

If I switch to other shooting modes, I get other wheel / icon combos, but no mode triggers the lock symbols.

 

Answer:

With adapted R or M lenses, both A and M exposure modes work the same for me: The icons appear, pressing and holding one of them for two seconds elicits the lock/unlock indicator. I don't know why it wouldn't do the same on your camera.

 

Your display in Manual mode indicates you're using a native lens. I can't make any tests with a native lens because I don't own one, but the basic operation of the soft buttons should be the same. Perhaps you're not holding them long enough ...

 

I find the timing to use these controls is a little fussy. I haven't used them often, but can see where it would be useful to in some shooting circumstances

 

 

Addition:

 

You are correct... the duration of the press on the left button seems to be key:

 

-- short press (a tap) enables change of shooting mode via left wheel

 

-- long press changes locked to unlocked and vice versa.

Sorry, I think you are slightly confused, or I was unclear. I was speaking of the duration of your 'press' on the soft button on the screen for individual well lock/unlock operation, NOT the duration of the press on the physical left wheel button for total lock/unlock of both wheels together.

 

The gesture control for individual wheel lock works as I stated above, with firmware 2.0, and as described in the instruction manual.

[Stonewall Brigade]

Question:

 

On my CL when in Aperture Priority mode, the top "right" wheel currently adjusts the f/stop (desirable for my shooting style), while the top "left" wheel adjusts the EV exposure value by + or - (undesirable, as I inadvertently and frequently change it without knowing).  How do I turn off the EV compensation that is currently assigned, or, select a different feature to be controlled by the top left wheel?

 

Answer:

 

Go to "Main Menu", then select "Wheel Lock in Live View", see "Right Wheel" & "Left Wheel" options (marked "on" by default), and select "off" for "Right Wheel".

(Amazing what you can learn by reading the Manual to answer your own question).

Edited August 11, 2018 by jaapv

[Stonewall Brigade]

Question:

by Hector_George

 

 

I never use the self timer function, so, which is the most useful function that I can assign to the FN button and how can I do that?
Of course, I want to maintain the delete function of the button.

 
Answer:

 

first, go to Main Menu
select Customize Control
select FN Button
select up 8 items that you may desire to use to "on"
 
then press and hold the FN button on the left side of the camera screen
you will then see your 8 choices on the screen
scroll down to the one you want to use
and lock in your desired FN button choice

Edited August 11, 2018 by jaapv

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[jaapv]

Question:

 

How do user profiles work?

 

 

 

 

Answer:

 

By RAMARRAN

 

Pages 76-77 describe how to manage user profiles. Pages 78-79 describe how to reset the camera both globally and in more specific ways.


Most of page 76-77 is a bit of verbose overkill describing how to operate the user profile management functions.


The concept is very simple:

Presume you have configured the camera to work the way you want it to. That's what's meant by the first bullet: "Set the desired functions in the menu." By "menu" they mean all the settings you've made on all the menu pages and/or with buttons and dials (which are simply alternative ways to set parameters listed in the menu).

When you use the SAVE AS PROFILE function in USER PROFILES > MANAGE PROFILES, you are presented with a list of six possible memory slots that you can store whatever your camera setup configuration is into. Select which one you want to use, press the right arrow, use the left arrow to select YES, and press the center button on the four-way pad. The complete configuration of the camera is stored into that location.

Having the profile saved is only partially useful... If you used the first slot and only the first slot, you know you can always find that set of settings by choosing to use the first slot. But if you have more than one configuration that you want to save, it's really necessary to name them so you know which is which easily. This is what you use the RENAME PROFILE function to do: set names for your profiles. For instance, I've defined three ... two of mine are my standard setup of the entire camera which differ only by which lens profile I use for my R28 and R50 lenses. So these two profiles I've named "28Std" and "50Std". I have a third profile which contains the configuration I use for copying negatives, which means it sets the lens profile for my R60Macro lens, focus assist on, a Kelvin fixed color temperature, and a few other details. This is named "COPYNEG". The other profile slots are unused at present and have not been named. This is what the little soft touchscreen keyboard is meant to do: let you type a profile name into the camera. It's pretty simple.

Now that you have user profiles defined and named, it is very very useful to be able to store the user profiles somewhere other than just in the camera's internal memory ... just in case you need to reset the camera for a firmware update or some bug that popped up. You use the EXPORT PROFILES function to do that. Calling that function, selecting YES, and pressing the center button on the four-way pad saves the user profiles you've created and named to a file on your memory card. It saves all of the slots, whether there's anything stored in them or not.

So now, presuming that you have set up your user profiles, named them, and exported the list onto a memory card, lets say something catastrophic happens (like someone managed to squirt some nasty acid into the body at the moment you happened to have the lens off and destroyed the sensor). Or perhaps you like your CL so much that you decide that it would nice to have a second one and you would like it to be configured in exactly the same way as your first one. That's what the IMPORT PROFILES function is for: insert a memory card that has had user profiles written to it into the new body, elect the IMPORT PROFILES function, and viola!: all your user profiles and camera configurations are now available on the new body just like on your first body.

Using a user profile:

It's as simple as going to the User Profiles menu and picking the one you want by name, once you have set them up. I use the profiles 28Std and 50Std as shortcuts to get to my standard configuration and switch the lens profile between my two most used lenses (... since I don't own any native lenses, and R lenses require their profiles be manually selected except if you use the R Adapter L with R-system ROM lenses). If I use another R or M lens, and have been using either of 28 or 50 standard profiles, I use the lens profiles command to pick the lens I've switched to. In the course of shooting, I've often changed a setting here and there. When I'm done with whatever I was doing, I usually re-fit the 28 or 50 lens, then just pick the user profile to get back to my known, standard setup in order that the camera is ready for the next time I pick it up without my having to think about it again.


When I find myself making the same configuration change all the time to one of the standard camera configurations I use, I re-save the profile with the new settings into the appropriate slot. Like, for instance, with the 28mm lens I tend to use focus assist more than with the 50mm lens ... so I've now set up that option to be the default on the 28mm lens in the user profile, and re-exported the user profiles so that it will be reloaded if the need arises that I need to reload the profiles.


Other people use the profiles for other purposes. Once you understand the concepts of user profiles and start using them, it's easy to see ways that they might prove useful ... but there is absolutely no reason to "have to" use user profiles at all. It is convenient if you have at least one created that reflects the camera customized for your use so that you have a configuration conveniently ready to import and use when a firmware update is released, saving you from having to go through all the menu options and reconfigure the camera from the defaults.


I think most users of the CL, SL, T/TL Leicas occasionally share their personal settings and user profile ideas. I've certainly seen a few threads like that in the SL forum, and contributed my settings there. That said, the CL is a somewhat simpler camera with fewer customizations and controls to configure, so I don't know how many people will poke into a thread, or for how many posts they're persist with it. So, if you want to use user profiles more extensively than just making one to save your personal defaults, it's up to you to decide what to do with the idea of a thread around the topic. I've already described how I use them, at present, and what my rationale is. If you're using native lenses, well, using the profiles as a shortcut to choose lens profile configuration isn't important since the camera sets that automatically ... other uses likely have more meaningful purposes.


- G aka "ramarren"