Leica Fotos stopped working with Firmware 3.0?

[Peter Gallagher]

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I have owned a Q2 for only a few weeks. When I first bought it (firmware 2.0) it connected to Fotos (on iPhone) but seemed limited so I didn't use it.

Since then, I have discovered that Fotos is really the only option (other than the 'self-timer') for a tripod-release since there is no way to connect a physical cable. I need tripod-release for focus bracketing (great depth of field).

But when I tried (again) to connect the camera, Fotos would find the camera, seem briefly to connect and then loses the connection before any controls appear on my iPhone screen. I've tried many times and with several approaches. I've set the camera to AF since this may be a pre-condition. But Fotos doesn't connect in either AF or MF.

Has anyone else had a similar problem occur since upgrading the firmware to V 3.0?

 

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[PhotoCruiser]

I had to remove the stored Q2 and add the same Q2 as a new Q2  to make ti work, but i have Android.
Chris

[iRandom]

I too had to remove the exiting Q2 from the camera list in the Fotos app and re-add it. Unfortunately, it seems like this is a common requirement for each new FW or Fotos update. Like most things in Fotos,  it seems like it affects some users and not others.

[FKarmeyer]

Habe auch ein Verbindungsproblem: Klappt erst immer beim wenigstens zweiten Mal.

[Peter Gallagher]

Thank you for your suggestions. Yes, I had removed the earlier 'profile' in the Pairing menu: it did not help. Each time I try to connect it makes a new profile but that doesn't seem to help.

May I just clarify that you have successfully used Fotos after upgrading to firmware 3.0? I'd like to eliminate this as a problem.

 

[PhotoCruiser]

vor 13 Stunden schrieb Peter Gallagher:

May I just clarify that you have successfully used Fotos after upgrading to firmware 3.0?

Yes i did.
I made some test shots and downloaded them to my phone, worked flawless and the new small size is reasonable fast.
Geotagging works now but i did not tested remot trigger and the other features.

BUT: I have Android not a IPhone, but you may borrow one and make a test if it works on Android just to see if the camera is OK.

Chris

Edited November 11, 2020 by PhotoCruiser

[iRandom]

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16 hours ago, Peter Gallagher said:

May I just clarify that you have successfully used Fotos after upgrading to firmware 3.0? I'd like to eliminate this as a problem.

Yes. I updated to the latest Fotos when it came out. Then I updated to FW 3.0 and tried to do the pairing. The Bluetooth option on the camera was off and not selectable until I removed the  Q2 from Fotos and re-added it. I was then able to connect, view photos on the camera and control the camera. I also confirmed that a photo I took from the camera (not via the remote) shows the GPS icon. I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max running the latest production iOS.

Edited November 11, 2020 by iRandom

[Peter Gallagher]

Thank you. It's clear that firmware 3.0 is not the issue. But I don't know now, what might be causing the camera to drop the WIFI connection. I've tried with different devices (iPhone 12, iPad) and have reset the camera a couple  of times. I've deleted the camera from Fotos and deleted the pairing profiles from them camera... nothing seems to make it work. Frustrating!

[wda]

Have you sought help from Customer Support at Leica in your country?

[Peter Gallagher]

I have emailed Leica (global?) support and await a reply.

[PhotoCruiser]

There is some users in the german part of this forum who have the same problem,
but it seems that it's a Apple problem as all i know having problems use Apple products (IPhone or IPad).

Apple OS'es are very well made, nice to see but if you have problems like this it turns out a nightmare to solve.

However, i don't understand why Leica made this odd WiFi and the Blutooth system and i guess that the problem is exactly there.
Leica wanted probably WiFi to have greater speed to download the photos, but i think that this should have been seperated.
Leica Fotos as Bluetooth for remote control and GPS Tagging while the download by another, separate WiFi connection

I have a lot of blutooth devices, scales, bbq thermometers, other phones, tv, OBD dongles, mouse, etc, etc and there is never a problem.

I am sure Leica will provide soon al fix for that (if the figure out where the problem is as it seems that it does not affect all IPhones/IPads)

Chris

 

[Peter Gallagher]

Thanks Chris. Leica (global) support asked me for details but has not given me any advice, explanation (yet).

I suspect you're right about Apple's WIFI implementation being the problem (since the camera connects to the iPhone 8) and I'm a bit puzzled by the odd combination of Bluetooth and WIFI in the app, too. I suspect it's because the Camera can't initiate a WIFI server unless it's 'awake'. So Fotos uses the low-power, always on, Bluetooth connection to wake it up, prompt it to set up the WIFI server and allow the phone to connect using a broader-bandwidth protocol (TCP/IP).

I'll let you know if I hear more from Leica.

 

[Peter Gallagher]

I believe I have (partly) resolved this issue. 

The problem of no connection between Fotos 2.2.3 on my iPhone 12 Pro and my Q2 is related to my use of the Cloudflare “Warp” DNS (1.1.1.1) app that works, on the iPhone, by implementing a VPN connection (encrypted) to the Cloudflare DNS servers at https://1.1.1.1. It runs in the background on the iPhone and is visible in a 'widget' in the screen to the 'left' of the Home screen.

When I turn off the Cloudflare DNS connection using the App, my iPhone finds and connects to the Camera WIFI network and the Fotos App appears to work as expected (downloading images and as a remote controller for the camera).

Of course, I would prefer NOT to defeat the Cloudflare App because it offers me a fast and secure/encrypted DNS connection that is valuable for a variety of security reasons as well as for the unmatched speed of the Cloudflare DNS.

The Cloudflare APP does allow the user to specify a WIFI network for which the service will be ‘paused’. Unfortunately, when I list the name of the camera WIFI network — “Leica Q2-xxxxxxx” — as a WIFI network for which the service should be ‘paused’, I still cannot make a connection between Fotos and the Camera.

IN SUMMARY: I have found I can successfully connect to my Q2 from Fotos on my iPhone but only if I turn off the Cloudflare DNS app.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

[lstreet]

On 11/11/2020 at 11:05 AM, iRandom said:

Yes. I updated to the latest Fotos when it came out. Then I updated to FW 3.0 and tried to do the pairing. The Bluetooth option on the camera was off and not selectable until I removed the  Q2 from Fotos and re-added it. I was then able to connect, view photos on the camera and control the camera. I also confirmed that a photo I took from the camera (not via the remote) shows the GPS icon. I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max running the latest production iOS.

I have upgraded to 3.0 and successfully dealt with the Fotos and Bluetooth connection using my Q2 and iPhoneX.  It all seems to work.  If I take a picture using Fotos to fire the exposure then the GPS data is added to the EXIF of the picture file and it shows up in Lightroom.  But when I do not use the app to take a picture but instead I use the camera shutter button to take the picture and the GPS symbol shows up in the viewfinder then the EXIF of that picture does not contain any GPS data when I import it into Lightroom.  Fotos is the last app I used but it is not in Remote mode.   I have given all the iPhone location approvals for Fotos and it works when the app is used to take the picture so I cannot figure out what else to do.

So my question to all of you is:  has anybody gotten the GPS coordinates into the file EXIF and had the GPS data show up in Lightroom while taking the picture WITHOUT using the app to fire the exposure in Remote mode?  If you have done that then please tell me how you did it.

Your help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Larry

[Gerhard G.]

Hi, I think I found the problem. At least this was my problem.

When connecting with Fotos App (Android) to Q2 it seems to work but the connection is terminated as soon it is established.

This has to do with retrieving the images from SD card. On my SDK card I still had the firmware files and a settings file,

which are not images. I think the camera struggles with these files.

After formatting the SD card I can connect again.

[lstreet]

4 hours ago, Gerhard G. said:

Hi, I think I found the problem. At least this was my problem.

When connecting with Fotos App (Android) to Q2 it seems to work but the connection is terminated as soon it is established.

This has to do with retrieving the images from SD card. On my SDK card I still had the firmware files and a settings file,

which are not images. I think the camera struggles with these files.

After formatting the SD card I can connect again.

Does GPS continue to record in the image files when you disconnect WiFi and use the camera without Fotos?

[Gerhard G.]

hi, your GPS questions should better be moved to a separate topic IMO, because it has nothing to do with the original question.

But yes, it works for me. The coordinates get stored in the images after disconnect, what I didn't even expect.
But after power cycling the camera the info is lost.

[bat1959]

I cannot connect at all, I've tried numerous times.

Android Version 2.2.1 installed on a Galaxy s20+

Camera firmware V3.0

SD card formatted.

Camera Bluetooth on, Remote wake up on

Pair with Leica Fotos enabled

 

Mobile Blue tooth is on

Leica Camera is one of my paired devices

Leica Q2 selected and Camera found

When connect selected

Looking for camera then Could not connect to camera!!!!

I've tried the 2 on screen suggestions:

1. How to enable Bluetooth pairing on the camera

2. Restart bluetooth

 

Is there anyone out there who has the same problem?

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by bat1959

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[scott kirkpatrick]

I don't have a Q2, but with Fotos 2.2.1 and Android 10 on a year-old Moto G(8) I can't connect to an SL2.  The SL2, like the Q2, manages the connection first over BlueTooth.  I can connect to the SL2 with an older phone and an earlier version of Android, and with the new phone, new Android, I have no trouble connecting to an M10.  The M10 uses WiFi only. I hear from Leica support that Android 10 and BlueTooth does have a problem, and they are working on it but it will take a while before they deal with it.

Edited November 29, 2020 by scott kirkpatrick

[bat1959]

Thanks.

I sorted it out this weekend.

In the Q2 FOTOS page delete your current phone, and enable remote wake up and start your setup again.

Once set up you don't need to go into the FOTOS page again on the camera.

Just go into your phone's app and select your camera, voila