Long live the M-D!

[pf4eva]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Got one from MPB for 2500GBP, strange thing is shutter sound feels slower than on my M-P 240. Is it like that on all of them?

https://youtube.com/shorts/bFr_L8sbs08?si=B1CY53c5DDhzzJde

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[a.noctilux]

18 hours ago, pf4eva said:

Got one from MPB for 2500GBP, strange thing is shutter sound feels slower than on my M-P 240. Is it like that on all of them?

https://youtube.com/shorts/bFr_L8sbs08?si=B1CY53c5DDhzzJde

I went to your youtube video, I hear the difference.

Not much, for me if the two M work like it should, I'd be happy.

...

How about real picture taking process ?

[pf4eva]

3 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

I went to your youtube video, I hear the difference.

Not much, for me if the two M work like it should, I'd be happy.

...

How about real picture taking process ?

Real pictures look fine. But Shutter sound sounds a bit weird, hence asking the question above, is it normal? Also I was under impression that 262 has quite shutter, but It is clearly not the case, if anything it is maybe even a bit louder

[Fred Miranda]

On 7/5/2024 at 9:34 AM, cyberguru said:

@a.noctilux Sorry to keep you hanging, I'm a long time listener and 1st time caller here.

I did send a new flashair sd card to Fred to try and test and  he was not able to get the connection to work on the M-D as well.  on a sad note he did tell me he was also having issues with the shutter on his M-D and will be sending it in to Leica.  The issues were prior to receiving the flashair.

I posted about this on Fred's site but with our M-D issues the thread has paused as well:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1858339/

I finally got my M-D back from Leica Germany. The issue was that the shutter dial was reporting incorrect shutter speeds, so it had to be recalibrated. No other issues with the camera. By the way, your Flashair SD works perfectly with it. Thank you!

[cyberguru]

15 hours ago, Fred Miranda said:

I finally got my M-D back from Leica Germany. The issue was that the shutter dial was reporting incorrect shutter speeds, so it had to be recalibrated. No other issues with the camera. By the way, your Flashair SD works perfectly with it. Thank you!

That's great news @Fred Miranda,  thanks for the update !

[Fred Miranda]

Here are some functions and tricks highlighted in the video, along with a few they missed for the Leica M-D:

I made this reference for me but it could be useful for those shooting with the M-D. (Likely 0.0000125% of the population)

1. Check Battery Percentage:
   - Turn the camera on, and the battery percentage will display immediately.
   - Half-pressing the shutter button makes the display disappear.

2. Update Firmware:
   - Remove the SD card and format it.
   - Load the firmware file onto the card.
   - Insert the card back into the camera.
   - Press and hold the function button while turning the camera on. The firmware update will start automatically, and "UP" will appear in the viewfinder.

3. Set Date and Time:
   - Set the camera to self-timer mode.
   - Press and hold the custom button for 12 seconds to enter date and time settings.
   - Use the custom button to cycle through year, month, day, hour, and minute.
   - Adjust the numbers using the rear dial.

4. Clean the Sensor:
   - Set the camera to self-timer mode.
   - Turn the camera on, press and hold the custom button, and then press the shutter button.
   - The shutter curtain will open, allowing you to clean the sensor.
   - Turn off the camera to close the shutter again (takes about 10 seconds).

5. Toggle Battery Percentage and Shot Count:
   - Press the custom button to switch between displaying the battery percentage and the number of shots remaining.

6. Use Exposure Compensation:
   - Set the camera to "A" (aperture priority) mode.
   - Press and hold the custom button, then use the rear dial to adjust exposure compensation as needed.

7. Check Exposure Compensation:
   - If exposure compensation is set, a blinking dot will appear on the left side of the shutter speed indicator in the viewfinder.
   - Half-press the shutter button to see the current compensation value.

8. Turn off manual metering: (This might not make sense for most. :-))
   - To stop seeing the manual metering “ > 0 < “, set the shutter to “B” mode. This disables the metering readout, letting you focus, estimate exposure, and compose without distractions. Note that the metering will come back once you choose a shutter speed other than “B”. At that point, just take the shot. If it’s off, so be it -- you’ll quickly learn to estimate exposure, much like shooting with a rangefinder that lacks internal metering.

If I’ve missed anything, feel free to let me know. BTW: Does anyone know how to reset the camera to factory default?

[Datsch]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

6 hours ago, Fred Miranda said:

Likely 0.0000125% of the population

Let’s see …. I make 1500 M-D owners, divided by 8.2 billion to be: 0.0000183% so yes that sounds about right, nice idea.

And thanks for the info — it makes the M-D sound more complicated than it really is in everyday use, but on the other hand you have put the entire manual on one page which is something jno other digital camera can do …

BTW, I sort of assumed that the M-D is always at factory default …. Though thinking about it you can’t reset the image numbering — though that simply cycles through every 10,000 shots, so at that moment it is exactly like factory-new as it will take L10000001.DNG as the next picture. 

[Fred Miranda]

This post might be a bit geeky, but I wanted to share my findings. If you want to get exactly 36 estimated shots when shooting with the Leica M-D Typ 262, you can use the formula below to partition the card.

Here’s how I did it with my 2GB card, but the same method can be applied to any card size using the formula:

For a 2GB card, the Leica M-D estimates 54 shots. Here’s how I calculated the partition size to make the camera estimate 36 shots instead:

Formula:

1) Find the average size per shot:
For my 2GB card, which gives 54 shots (note: a 1GB card gives 27 shots), the average size per shot can be calculated as follows:

Average size per shot = Total capacity divided by Number of shots
Average size per shot = 2,048MB divided by 54 shots = 37.92MB per shot

2) Calculate the partition size for 36 shots:
To get 36 shots on the card (estimated), we multiply the average size per shot by the number of shots:
Partition size = 36 x 37.92MB = 1,365MB

----------------

Steps to Set Up the Partition:

1) Fully erase your SD card:
In Terminal, run the following command to erase your SD card:

diskutil eraseDisk FAT32 "LEICA M-D" MBR /dev/diskx

(Replace diskx with your SD card’s partition number. In my case, it’s disk4, but you can find your own by running diskutil list.)

2) Partition the card with the desired size:
Use this command to create a partition with the required size of 1,365MB:

sudo diskutil partitionDisk /dev/diskx 2 MBR FAT32 "CameraData" 1365M FAT32 "UnusedExtra" R

(Again, replace diskx with your SD card's partition number. Also replace 1365 with your calculated partition size)

----------------

Final Result:

Now, when I insert the card into my Leica M-D, it shows exactly 36 shots remaining.

PS: You can apply this method to any SD card size. Whether it’s a 4GB, 8GB, or larger card, just use the formula above to calculate the partition size for the number of shots you want.

[NigelG]

I’m wondering/hoping that given the file sizes are averaged-out there’s a chance you get to squeak out that 37th frame from the “roll” sometimes 😉

[Datsch]

10 hours ago, Fred Miranda said:

If you want to get exactly 36 estimated shots

I like how your mind works! 

Those who don’t run linux will find their pc or mac also has partitioning options within format of course. 

Or a quick and dirty way to try this is to insert an empty 2GB card, fire off 18 shots of a nearby blank wall, and you are good to head out on your photo walk with 36 shots to play with … 

Edited December 16, 2024 by Datsch

[Datsch]

BTW, the images from my M-D for Welsh landscapes and rocks and flowers come in between 23 and 30 MB with an eyeballed average of about 27MB which times 36 gives 0.972GB which means 36 images might just squeak onto a 1 GB card?

(I know that a 1GB card does not hold exactly 1000MB BTW, or even 1024MB ….)

Of course it’s not easy to even find a 1GB card these days, but they do exist. And of course Leica will sell you one for £187 … and I’m not even joking, Leica Geosystems ruggedized SD card 😅 https://www.sccssurvey.co.uk/leica-msd1000-sd-memory-card-1gb.html

 

Edited December 16, 2024 by Datsch

[NigelG]

Amazon UK will do you two for a “tenner”…

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cloudisk-SD-Card-Flash-Memory/dp/B08Q3FD7B6/ref=sr_1_4?crid=BNEL7F1NXZYO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xqDaq43ZuEluPtoVYWvwaf86qHB5IjaRwguD9CoSO9vhc7_t5ljtUfB9fLIp4lJiGvEtZGb27dgrcLUnnkbNfbgMz68krIWrX-oWeO-4M2QPWne4ktGbxMygm_bgoBftSYFDzA6p5YuZpI4wXsrWYshlzeZbB37hXgl53SZDMewmP6jTBvxpWDjB3dut4Dnr24qjN6dDHa7HfXj7tTB27LTKMss_G5bWMSdV-9cmfXPajU-5Qx_OAbOy1xRbenHVHhO_Z07yDNiaKwZcAJ77sILr_zGXBdCvCz5VDO_oMQZXd34huKrNGz5yQROe7D5skCxysPK3-VaKTIeJQpaC3u1qhhS-sCji1wjAaXVcqCM.POaGlP6r15JzyLHkZrsNX4nx9oZZDyNZtCZLNnMdAtw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Sd%2Bcard&qid=1734355282&refinements=p_n_feature_browse-bin%3A411641031&rnid=411640031&s=computers&sprefix=sd%2Bcard%2Caps%2C85&sr=1-4&th=1

(Sorry I don’t remember how to get the short URL)

Edited December 16, 2024 by NigelG

[Datsch]

These secondhand ones on ebay would certainly hit the right note: 😄 

 

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!

[Fred Miranda]

3 hours ago, Datsch said:

BTW, the images from my M-D for Welsh landscapes and rocks and flowers come in between 23 and 30 MB with an eyeballed average of about 27MB which times 36 gives 0.972GB which means 36 images might just squeak onto a 1 GB card?

(I know that a 1GB card does not hold exactly 1000MB BTW, or even 1024MB ….)

Of course it’s not easy to even find a 1GB card these days, but they do exist. And of course Leica will sell you one for £187 … and I’m not even joking, Leica Geosystems ruggedized SD card 😅 https://www.sccssurvey.co.uk/leica-msd1000-sd-memory-card-1gb.html

 

That was my intention when I calculated this and purchased several 1GB cards. Unfortunately, the Leica M-D algorithm estimates 27 shots on a 1GB card and 54 shots on a 2GB card. While shooting, the number of shots available changes based on content and ISO settings, but I wanted to get 36 'exposures' as a start just for fun. Partitioning the cards was the closest solution I could find. I did this for two 2GB cards and one 8GB card. After a quick format (without removing the partition), the camera now always recognizes them as 36-exposure cards. This makes me think carefully before shooting, similar to using my MP.

[Fred Miranda]

2 hours ago, Datsch said:

These secondhand ones on ebay would certainly hit the right note: 😄 

 

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!

Indeed, it fits the theme! However, using such old SD cards is a bit risky in terms of card integrity. I really don’t want to lose images due to corruption. Buying new 4GB or 8GB cards and partitioning them could be more reliable and, surprisingly, cheaper!

[Fred Miranda]

I was thinking about this further, and it turns out this can be much simpler than the method above. Since we discovered that the Leica M-D needs to access only 1.35GB of your SD card to estimate 36 exposures, we can streamline the process.

All we need is 1 command line:

sudo diskutil eraseDisk FAT32 "SD CARD" MBR /dev/disk4 && sudo diskutil partitionDisk /dev/disk4 2 MBR FAT32 "LEICA M-D" 1350M FAT32 "UnusedExtra" R

That’s it! After running the command above, your Leica M-D will estimate 36 shots, no matter the size of your SD card. The only thing you need to check is the connected SD card drive number. In my case, it’s "disk4" but it could be different for you. To find out, just run this command:

diskutil list

You can even partition just that 1.35GB by running the command from time to time to help prevent fragmentation:

sudo diskutil eraseVolume FAT32 "LEICA M-D" /dev/disk4s1

Edited December 17, 2024 by Fred Miranda

[Fred Miranda]

I wrote: "You can even partition just that 1.35GB by running the command from time to time to help prevent fragmentation:"

But I meant: "You can even format just that 1.35GB by running the command from time to time to help prevent fragmentation"

[Anthony MD]

On 10/26/2018 at 5:47 AM, a.noctilux said:

😇 maybe not afterall.

Sorry, I'll change my mind in few days ... or not.

By now, I thougt I'll take time waiting for Monochrom M10-D, but if it never come waiting time may be too long.

In that "maybe-long waiting time", the M-D (262) value may drop significantly because of "old model M-D", and the trade in value may not be as interesting.

Doubt the MD 262 will drop in value unless it’s dropped…🥸

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Anthony MD]

On 10/26/2018 at 6:13 PM, a.noctilux said:

Thanks everybody ☺️.

I'll keep M-D 262 for years to come.

Half-day GAS passed.

And with it, I will use what I have now with pleasure again 😎.

My only digital camera…📷

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!

[Anthony MD]

On 10/29/2018 at 3:16 PM, ramarren said:

My M-D typ 262 is mine forever. They can bury me with the darn thing, I like it so much.

I've come to terms with the M10-D, which is a totally different camera, now. The utterly minimalistic, no configuration options meme that created the M Edition 60 and subsequently the M-D typ 262 is not the notion of the M10-D at all, as I've written about elsewhere. The M10-D is an M10-P full featured camera which has had the LCD and all the various control buttons needed to manipulate its options off-loaded to a smartphone app, presumably for the sake of improving the ergonomics by gaining back all that empty space on the back of the camera. It will be as easy to hold and use as the M-D, or an M film camera, and you use the app to do all the stuff that the litter of buttons and display do on the standard model. 

That's how I perceive it now, and I now think I'd prefer it as my 'next M' to the standard M10/M10-P for that ergonomic improvement. The advantage of having the EVF option nets the versatility I need (and that I paid for a CL body to have, after I sold my SL) to do macro and table top work with my R lenses and accessories. 

Whether I actually buy one or not ... That remains to be seen. And of course the first thing I do, if I do buy one, is remove that silly faux advance lever, or dysfunctional thumb rest, however you choose to consider it.

But the M-D stays regardless. I love this camera: it's my all-time favorite M.

My MD 262 is WIFI less, total simplicity…📷