Alternative to Leica Foto App?

[NOERML]

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I really tried to use the offical Leica app, even though I don't understand why I need to pay for the app. Rumor has it, I already paid quite some for the camera..but whatever.
I wouldn't even mind the quite high price tag for a simple app if it worked.

But there are so many clitches that it's just a nightmare to work. My worst problems
- for some reason the wrong tap on the phone changes all focus mode settings.

- the connection between camera and phone is often...well lost or lagging. So you only get a blury picture

- you often can't click the trigger on the phone...until you triggered manualy on the camera

- the bluetooth connection is getting lost randomly. And then you can'T reconnect. YOu have to reset both camera and phone to make it work again. This happens mostly with pictures and not so much with video. Takes about 10 minutes and 3 grey hairs to do that. 

god, how I hate this app.

Any viable alternatives?

Edited June 8, 2020 by NOERML

[lykaman]

6 minutes ago, NOERML said:

I really tried to use the offical Leica app, even though I don't understand why I need to pay for the app. Rumor has it, I already paid quite some for the camera..but whatever.
I wouldn't even mind the quite high price tag for a simple app if it worked.

But there are so many clitches that it's just a nightmare to work. My worst problems
- for some reason the wrong tap on the phone changes all focus mode settings.

- the connection between camera and phone is often...well lost or lagging. So you only get a blury picture

- you often can't click the trigger on the phone...until you triggered manualy on the camera

- the bluetooth connection is getting lost randomly. And then you can'T reconnect. YOu have to reset both camera and phone to make it work again. This happens mostly with pictures and not so much with video. Takes about 10 minutes and 3 grey hairs to do that. 

god, how I hate this app.

Any viable alternatives?

After lots of trouble with the initial App, when the update came along, I deleted the old App and did a clean ReInstall, in addition I cleared all the previous Wi-Fi & BT settings on my camera.. I rebooted both camera & iPhone.. then  I reset the Wi-Fi & BT settings on the camera.. Since then, mostly everything works ok, connection sometimes takes 2 goes.. I only use FOTOS for image transfers, but the other bits n pieces do work.. L

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[jaapv]

I think that getting the paid version offers little advantage for most users. I suspect that the major part of the fee are license costs from Adobe. 

[scott kirkpatrick]

When things get really snarled, for example when BlueTooth is OFF and you can't seem to get it to turn on again, it's obviously time to clean house.  So you delete the camera from Fotos, or even erase Fotos and download a clean copy.  You can even do a camera reset, which asks if you want all wifi and bluetooth settings cleared.  But that's not enough.  There is a list of mobiles that the camera knows to respond to, and you have to go to Fotos/delete and pull up that list to remove them, since if they are still present on either side of the connections, problems may continue.  My iOS version of Fotos gives a helpful hint when this has to be cleared, but Android has no idea what is wrong... 

[NOERML]

Am 8.6.2020 um 16:19 schrieb scott kirkpatrick:

When things get really snarled, for example when BlueTooth is OFF and you can't seem to get it to turn on again, it's obviously time to clean house.  So you delete the camera from Fotos, or even erase Fotos and download a clean copy.  You can even do a camera reset, which asks if you want all wifi and bluetooth settings cleared.  But that's not enough.  There is a list of mobiles that the camera knows to respond to, and you have to go to Fotos/delete and pull up that list to remove them, since if they are still present on either side of the connections, problems may continue.  My iOS version of Fotos gives a helpful hint when this has to be cleared, but Android has no idea what is wrong... 

Sadly, I am on an Android system. The only thing i get is to reset bluetooth - funnily enough this is after it detected the Camera. Which probably worked via magic, because bluetooth supposedly needs to be "switched on"

That being said..it's attrocious ;/ Who ever thought that "inteligent" autofocus mode change was a think photographers needed? I meticously do the settings, and then I tap on the screen for focus and it changes to "body/face" detection...because.... why not! And then I reset things..and I tap again,..and this time I end up with field...because...let's keep things interesting and who needs spot focus anyway! And by the time I am ready to take the picture I loose connection.

[NOERML]

Am 8.6.2020 um 11:34 schrieb jaapv:

I think that getting the paid version offers little advantage for most users. I suspect that the major part of the fee are license costs from Adobe. 

Well, I wanted to use it for video as well and this is a paid feature. As the backscreen of the SL2 is not movable, I actually felt that this is quite the smart solution - if only it would work.

[scott kirkpatrick]

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On 6/8/2020 at 12:34 PM, jaapv said:

I think that getting the paid version offers little advantage for most users. I suspect that the major part of the fee are license costs from Adobe. 

Access to Lightroom doesn't interest me, and I am not convinced that it has been done in a way that would be effective in speeding up processing images from events.  But the paid version does include a critical improvement in the drive menu items, so I am tempted to sign on and try it, now that the charge is deferred for the first year of use, and I can cancel before it hits.  To use video you have to have the shutter button both start and stop the video.  That can't be too hard, but I need to see it to believe that it has been accomplished.  If the "Pro" version can do that, perhaps it can also take multiple shots at various rates, and even trigger a delayed shot.  None of those things work in the free version.

[thinkscientist]

@scott kirkpatrick can you please explain what you mean the charge is deferred for the first year of use, i just signed up and had to pay through apple 2 days ago. 

[scott kirkpatrick]

I misread the messages . It said you have a week before you need to pay for a year.  I hoped it said you have a year before you have to pay. Nope. I suppose I could do some experiments and cancel in less than a week.

[rramesh]

It's not good for any vendor's image to have an app in the AppStore with a 1 star rating. 

[jaapv]

On 6/11/2020 at 6:18 AM, scott kirkpatrick said:

Access to Lightroom doesn't interest me, and I am not convinced that it has been done in a way that would be effective in speeding up processing images from events.  But the paid version does include a critical improvement in the drive menu items, so I am tempted to sign on and try it, now that the charge is deferred for the first year of use, and I can cancel before it hits.  To use video you have to have the shutter button both start and stop the video.  That can't be too hard, but I need to see it to believe that it has been accomplished.  If the "Pro" version can do that, perhaps it can also take multiple shots at various rates, and even trigger a delayed shot.  None of those things work in the free version.

Lightroom access is practical, I find. Opening the  image in LR Mobile (you don't need FOTOS  pro for that, the only thing it does is automating the import in LRM) brings your camera photostream, including the Leica library, directly into the cloud, allowing you to open it on LR in your computer/laptop at any location and develop the images directly in LR or PS.