Jump to content

Leica Fotos: An App for ALL WiFi Leica Cameras - Open Beta Test


Leon_B.

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

"the number of testers is limited but don't zoegern yourself" it tells me.  Does that mean I am too late to join?

 

(I am involved in an international conference that has to cap its admissions.  This year we sold our initial 1500 tickets in 90 seconds.  Limits are a problem.)

Link to post
Share on other sites

"the number of testers is limited but don't zoegern yourself" it tells me.  Does that mean I am too late to join?

 

(I am involved in an international conference that has to cap its admissions.  This year we sold our initial 1500 tickets in 90 seconds.  Limits are a problem.)

 

LOL, I wish I had this problem with my workshops :))))

Link to post
Share on other sites

LOL!

 

Well, I've messed myself up. There was no notice on the LeicaFOTOs app download that suggested I needed firmware 2.1 to use it, so I installed it and now I cannot use it. There's no way to install the new firmware because I don't have any way to download it onto an SD card with my iPhone or iPad. I won't be able to use the app until I get home as a result...

 

A PITA. I've sent a note in to Leica informing them of this kerfuffle. :D

However, I can still read the SD card for access to my photos with the Lightning to SD Card Adapter, so I'm still able to move photos from the CL to my iPad Pro for processing. :)

 

... and, given that I was a beta tester before, I was able to go into TestFlight on the iOS devices and reinstall a previous build that was compatible with CL fw v2.0. :D

Edited by ramarren
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi SonomaBear, did you received a redeem code in email after you signed up? I don't have anything in my email and don't know how to download this... Thanks!

 

Hello Steve et. al.

 

I received an email with a download link.

MY WARNING: do not download the TestFlight app directly from the iOS app store -- that version requires the use of a developer's code.

This beta test did it the right way:  send a link to invited testers that downloads just the beta test app.

 

I suspect that the TestFlight encapsulates the Leica iOS app to make a safety fire wall protecting the rest of your iPhone's integrity.

 

Your email with the link will be titled "Leica Camera AG has invited you to test "Leica FOTOS"" and comes from TestFlight <no_reply@email.apple.com>

FWIW my iPhone is updated to the very latest iOS and my Q is running version 3.0

Requirements:  The TestFlight app must be installed on your iOS device using 8.0 or later, or Apple TV using tvOS 9.0 or later.  Apple TV?  (I delinked the URL)

Link to post
Share on other sites

I just got the app started on my iPad.  I received an email as you described.  It took half a day to reach me. 

 

 Clicking on the link to testflight i got a code (on my laptop, where I do email).  With the iPad, I went to the AppStore and got testflight, redeemed with the provided code, and the app started up.  Connection to an M10 was more or less immediate.  You do have to wait for the wifi to wake up on the camera, but connection is possible once the barcode shows.  

 

The Android pathway (which I have used before) is different, but the app presents itself the same way.

 

My first feedback suggestion is that I would like to see the top and bottom info bars, especially the exposure information, when in Remote mode.  I'll send that to Leica from the test app, but first I have to enable email from the iPad.

Edited by scott kirkpatrick
Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hello Steve et. al.

 

I received an email with a download link.

MY WARNING: do not download the TestFlight app directly from the iOS app store -- that version requires the use of a developer's code.

This beta test did it the right way:  send a link to invited testers that downloads just the beta test app.

 

I suspect that the TestFlight encapsulates the Leica iOS app to make a safety fire wall protecting the rest of your iPhone's integrity.

 

Your email with the link will be titled "Leica Camera AG has invited you to test "Leica FOTOS"" and comes from TestFlight <no_reply@email.apple.com>

FWIW my iPhone is updated to the very latest iOS and my Q is running version 3.0

Requirements:  The TestFlight app must be installed on your iOS device using 8.0 or later, or Apple TV using tvOS 9.0 or later.  Apple TV?  (I delinked the URL)

 

Thank you so much!! I just got the test flight email, and somehow the first email I used for signing up did not have any reply, but the new email I used got an invite very soon. But nevertheless, the FOTOS app is great!! It's a lot easier to connect to the wifi now!!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi!

I got the code, and I downloaded TestFlight, and I also got FOTOS installed. However, when it came to add camera, I noticed that the Leica C is not an option. I have my CL that I can add, but that camera is currently in the US. For the next couple of weeks I'm in Mexico City with my M9 (no wi-fi) and my C as a backup. 

Is there a reason why the C is not an option? It has Wi-Fi. The Image Shuttle app has worked fine for me, but eventually when I get my CL added to FOTOS, I would prefer to be able to control my cameras from one app, versus two.

 

S

Link to post
Share on other sites

Downloaded the app (following the "invite" procedure). It seems to work pretty well with my Q. The only problem is the stability of the connection between the camera and the iPhone which seems to be quite "weak".

 

Not so quick to get the two connected especially after the first attempt.

 

The remote control seems to be working fine though. As expected it takes ages to download a DNG file but, hey, it is a 42mb beast...

Edited by faxao
Link to post
Share on other sites

It works with the CL and the respective firmware update. Doesn't seem to have tethering in the way you can actually use the camera normally and only have the files transferred. But maybe I need to explore it better.

Link to post
Share on other sites

No, I found that it connects and then shuts down .  Indications that the connection is refused appear both on the phone and on the camera LCD.  With earlier versions, this did not happen, so I assume the next release will fix this.

The support sent a mail today and mentioned, that the issue of connecting to the Leica SL will most probably be solved with and update next week. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Initial observations:

1)  Starting WiFi on the M10 is very slow.  

2)  Once you shut the camera off, you have to start up WiFi all over again.

3)  Once connected, you have to manually select the images for transfer, one at a time.  No select-all.

4)  Image transfer of DNG files is very slow, very power hungry, and if you shut down the camera or phone during the process, you have to start all over again.

5)  I averaged nearly 1% of battery life on the M10 per image transferred.  A slow day of shooting, 38 images, used 35% of the battery to take and transfer the images, and that is without using LiveView.

6)  No image adjustments were available in the application.

 

It's a step towards a useful tool, but still a long way to go.

 

Eric

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have used such apps on Leica cameras and also for other makes. They are nice in theory and OK to allow a smartphone to be used as a remote, but not very practical in practice for downloading at this stage. A work in progress I would think . Nothing beats using a direct link to a card reader. I wonder how professional photographers covering sports and other professional events manage to get photos to their editors quickly? I suspect that they use wireless linked reading devices off camera. 

 

Smartphones have no communications issues with photos they have taken, but the image size is generally much smaller.

 

William

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have used such apps on Leica cameras and also for other makes. They are nice in theory and OK to allow a smartphone to be used as a remote, but not very practical in practice for downloading at this stage. A work in progress I would think . Nothing beats using a direct link to a card reader. I wonder how professional photographers covering sports and other professional events manage to get photos to their editors quickly? I suspect that they use wireless linked reading devices off camera. 

 

Smartphones have no communications issues with photos they have taken, but the image size is generally much smaller.

 

William

I have read that sports shooters use runners to take the cards and run to where they can be read and uploaded, while the shooter keeps doing what he is there for, shooting.  Another reason to have two slots.

 

If I wanted to use this setup for rapid publication, I would shoot dng + medium sized jpegs and only upload the jpegs (the app can do that).  I'm seeing at least 30 sec per DNG upload time with the M10, which produces compressed DNGs.

 

I'm looking at the app for remote control, for example, when the camera is in a position where I can't easily reach it.  For this I would like to see more information exported.  The whole liveview data stream (seen on the VF20, for example) includes exposure estimates and histogram.  So far, Leica Fotos does not have these.

Link to post
Share on other sites

A friend of mine is a sports photographer so I just asked him what he does and this is his reply:

 

"It depends on the event. The Nikons all have wifi, so everything goes to an FTP server on my phone. Normally, I select and edit (crop, essentially) on the phone and then share the edited images to a Dropbox folder and the client picks them up from there. If I'm lucky enough to have somebody editing for me, I could go straight to a central FTP server, but I find it easier to keep to the same workflow and use Dropsync to copy everything to Dropbox."

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...