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

[Le Chef]

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Try pressing the center of the 4-way controller. That changes what gets shown on the EVF and back display.

[jaapv]

Question:

How do I use the Histogram in the Viewfinder optimally to reduce noise in night shots?

 

On 8/21/2018 at 2:40 AM, jaapv said:

Determine your main subject, and watch the histogram. Specular highlights can blow out. That means that you aim the camera at the point that you want exposed optimally. Then turn the EV comp. wheel to get as full a histogram as possible, the "mountain" should be high and more or less in the middle. A spike squashed against the right represents your blown highlights. You must interpret whether you are going to accept them. In a night shot I usually do. Disregard a spike against the lefthand side, those are blocked shadows.

 

In Photoshop optimize sharpness and noise in ACR at 100% Use the alt/option key. Mask carefully.

When processing the image go to curves and pull up the middle of the curve to brighten the midtones. Click OK, go to curves again and apply linear contrast. 

When finished, go to sharpen, set amount to 20, radius to 50 and threshold to 1. Go to "edit" and fade sharpening by 100%.

This will increase "presence" without emphasizing noise.

 

 

[CEHansen]

I understand that I can use my M lenses in both Manual and Aperture modes. When using the Aperture mode do I have to set the f/stop on the lens AND in in the camera manually? It seems like the camera would have no other way of knowing what aperture has been selected. All my M lenses are non-coded. 

 

6 hours ago, dau said:

The camera does not have to know that in order to correctly expose the frame. It simply measures the light arriving on the sensor.

 

 

2 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Nor would I know of any way to set an M lens aperture on the camera. You can only turn the aperture ring on the lens. The camera will choose the shutter time.

 

[jaapv]

On 7/17/2019 at 6:38 AM, dawnbreeze said:

Hello guys..I'm such a newbie and this question is gonna be sounds strange. However, Can I mute the shutter sound of CL for both of mechanical and electronical one? I was trying to take interval shots and  I believe the shutter sound make a boost for battery draining. Please help!

 

Use the electronic shutter.

The mechanical shutter sound cannot be muted, as it is umm... mechanical.

 

On 7/17/2019 at 7:17 PM, lct said:

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

[jaapv]

15 minutes ago, lykaman said:

Seriously considering buying a CL & using the latest 28mm Elmarit M (with Leica adaptor) Do I set up the top plate buttons first or after setting up the Main Menu? The 28mm will in effect be around 40mm is that correct?   Regards,  L

The main menu offers options to customize the top buttons/wheels and the Fn button. Save as user profiles.   APS-c will add  about 50% to the equivalent focal length.

[jaapv]

On 10/29/2019 at 11:44 AM, Viv said:

Is there an adaptor to enable Fujinon X lenses to be used on the CL?

 

 

22 hours ago, Boojay said:

No - don't think it's possible The flange-sensor distance for Fuji X is less than for Leica M/L, so a Fuji X-mount lens to Leica M/L body adapter would have to have a negative-magnification optical component.

 

 

[geoffreyg]

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Wandering focus point - OK, I get how this happens with LCD viewing, and inadvertent touching of the screen. But its happening on my CL with EVF only selected, and focus assist (or whatever its called) turned off. Very odd.

And I guess the only way to reset this is to turn on the screen, turn on focus assist, reset the point and then turn everything back to as it was. Seems like something is odd here? 

Also, what is the different between EVF and EVF Extended? 

Thanks for any help here. 

Geoff

[danielfrimley]

10 hours ago, geoffreyg said:

Wandering focus point - OK, I get how this happens with LCD viewing, and inadvertent touching of the screen. But its happening on my CL with EVF only selected, and focus assist (or whatever its called) turned off. Very odd.

And I guess the only way to reset this is to turn on the screen, turn on focus assist, reset the point and then turn everything back to as it was. Seems like something is odd here? 

Also, what is the different between EVF and EVF Extended? 

Thanks for any help here. 

Geoff

I have those settings and wandering focus point - it's the D-pad that moves it, always to the bottom right for me, either banging against some body part or inadvertently clicking with my big mitts as I maneuver the camera around. I recenter by using the D-pad to drive it, click by click, back to the middle.

[albert]

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Posted 23 minutes ago

Please forgive my ignorance but I really need your help. I have had my CL for over one year. Love it. I finally just connected to WiFi💁  Now here is my question: I have firmware 1.0.    Should I upgrade? If so, Why ?  Finally, how do I do it if you really think I should. Thanking you all in advance. Al Gage.  (Albert)

[LocalHero1953]

If you have firmware 1.0, that sounds like the original version, which omitted quite a few useful functional improvements that have been added later, e.g. for managing the dials, more robust wifi. I always update firmware (M9, M240, SL, TL2, CL), and I haven't heard of any significant problems resulting from being an early upgrader.

You download the firmware from the Leica website, where all the instructions can be found - read them, they're simple enough. Additional things to remember: save your settings to a SD card first, and reload them after updating - use the tools to save and load in the CL menu.

[lct]

Yes suffice it to follow the attached instructions: 

Installation Instructions FW CL_3_1_EN.pdf

[Boojay]

 

Albert, Paul and LCT above have outlined and given the link, the instructions are easy enough to follow.  Read through a few times before starting.

If you click on the link, the first page tells you changes/improvements that come with the firmware upgrade, and the second page the process as I've copy and pasted below.  

Firmware update process

Copy the firmware file onto a SD Memory Card in its top level folder.

Make sure to turn off the power switch on the camera.

Insert the fully charged battery to the body. If the battery is not fully charged, the update process

screen will not appear.

Insert the SD Memory Card into the camera.

Choose MENU / Main Menu / Camera Information / Firmware

Press “Start Update” and confirm the start process.

The camera will guide you through the backup process of your personal settings.

Wait until this process is finished.

Restart your camera; do not remove the SD card.

Confirm the upload of your personal settings from the SD card.

Only thing I would add is that I format the card in the camera once all above is complete. Having said all that, if you are happy with the CL, don't feel any of the listed changes/improvements are necessary for you, then you are fine as is.

 

 

 

 

[hoppyman]

On 12/25/2017 at 9:33 AM, lct said:

Question:

I want to remove Self Timer from the functions of the Fn button but the camera says "active items cannot be deleted". Any idea?

 

Answer:

Set Drive Mode to any other option than "Single". Then Menu > Customize Control > FN Button, scroll down to Self Timer and set it to Off. It works. Choose again "Single" as Drive Mode if you wish so. 

I think that needs amending: That does not work  if Self Timer is the current ACTIVE selection by the FN button.
A longer press on the FN button will show you which functions can be selected there. You need to set another function as the active selection before you can remove Self Timer from the assigned functions  in the Customise Controls menu. I have to relearn this every time I update the firmware and lose my settings. I set my FN button to set ISO only.

[Le Chef]

On 2/16/2020 at 7:38 PM, hoppyman said:

I think that needs amending: That does not work  if Self Timer is the current ACTIVE selection by the FN button.
A longer press on the FN button will show you which functions can be selected there. You need to set another function as the active selection before you can remove Self Timer from the assigned functions  in the Customise Controls menu. I have to relearn this every time I update the firmware and lose my settings. I set my FN button to set ISO only.

Tried this today as I don’t use the self timer and don’t want it on the FN button. Didn’t work. What did I do wrong?

[Boojay]

9 hours ago, gteague said:

hopefully my questions become more refined and less silly as i get more familiar with using the cl. today i was playing with manual focus using the tl 23/2 although i will only use it if /af/ fails. in /mf/ mode with peaking and magnification focus assists turned on, it works as described in the manual without me having to hold down the shutter button. [and let me note that i hope whoever dictated that requirement sinks into the deepest firepits of hell.] anyway, all good and as described.

but if i'm in /af/ mode and manage to balance the shutter button halfway and turn the focus ring, the peaking works, but no magnification. i tried the two settings while in manual mode and set it on the maximum 6x position, but nothing on my part would convince the cl to magnify the image when using the focus ring in /af/ mode.

have i got a setting wrong or is there something else i should press? not that you can press anything while half-pressing the shutter button, you understand--it's chore enough to turn the focus ring without taking a shot.

tks, /guy

Magnification with TL or Native L mount AF lenses only works when in manual focus mode, peaking works in either.

[lct]

18 minutes ago, Le Chef said:

No. I have the latest firmware btw.

So do I...

[Le Chef]

I tried it again and added a new item to the FN list, made that active, and then it allowed me to delete “Self Timer”. It worked with all the profiles I created, so not sure whether adding an item made a difference, but I now have what I want under FN.

Thanks!

[geoffreyg]

Liking switching viewing from "auto" to "EVF" depending on the scene. So put the selection on the FN button. So when I hit that button, find it, select it... and then what? Whatever I do it just turns off and doesn't change. I think I'm missing something here!  Thanks for any help.... 

[cj3209]

Q:  Is there no way to lock the focus point?  I saw a previous question that you just have to move the D-pad and re-center.  A few of my shots were off because I didn't realize the focus point had moved!

thanks, in advance.

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[Le Chef]

38 minutes ago, cj3209 said:

Q:  Is there no way to lock the focus point?  I saw a previous question that you just have to move the D-pad and re-center.  A few of my shots were off because I didn't realize the focus point had moved!

thanks, in advance.

This is somewhat of a Holy Grail as a number of owners have asked for a solution from Leica that is preventative rather than merely curative. One could imagine that the simplest solution would be to have the focus point locked permanently at the center of the frame, and only if you chose to move it would you then select an option to do so. We wait for the next iteration of the OS or a new CL2...