Focus Question, Selecting One of Three Sizes

[jpolatin]

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I recently purchased a used Leica Q and am enjoying learning how to use it. In looking at Leica's notes for Update 2.0 I noticed that the update was to include a way to select three sizes in the 1 field focus metering area, small, medium and large.  i cannot figure how to do that. I tried using Focus, AF Mode, 1 point but no luck. I also tried Exposure Metering but, again, no luck. The camera was already updated to version 3.1 when I bought it. I welcome any suggestions. Thanks.

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[nicci78]

in shooting mode : press delete button then use the right dial to set the desired size

Edited July 5, 2021 by nicci78

[jpolatin]

Thanks you so much for your prompt response. I never would have found this.

[KenBennett]

For others who have a Q2, the way to change the focus box size is to "long press" the LCD screen until two little red arrows show on the corners of the box, then use the thumb dial to change the size. 

 

I only wish the change was sticky, but it resets to the medium box when I shut down the camera. 

[ianforber]

Interesting. I have it set to the smallest size and it retains the setting after switching off. I have saved it as part of the user profile. Does that make a difference?

[Ranchhand]

When I set the smallest size for the focus box on my Q2, every time the camera is turned off, or times out, the focus box is back to medium size. If your user profile allows for it to remain in its smallest size I would really like it if you could tell me how to set the user profile as you state. Since I am now old (80), any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. In my former Q, as nicci78 said, it was simple to keep this setting; I would certainly appreciate it if Leica would allow this with the next firmware update. 
 

[KenBennett]

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I haven't tried user profiles yet, so I just set the focus box size to the smallest option and saved the User Profile. When I turned the camera off and back on, it was back to the medium box size. I did check and I am still in the same user profile. So I am not sure that's it. Like Ranchhand, I'd love for this setting to be sticky. 

Are you on a Q or Q2, Ian?

[ianforber]

9 hours ago, KenBennett said:

I haven't tried user profiles yet, so I just set the focus box size to the smallest option and saved the User Profile. When I turned the camera off and back on, it was back to the medium box size. I did check and I am still in the same user profile. So I am not sure that's it. Like Ranchhand, I'd love for this setting to be sticky. 

Are you on a Q or Q2, Ian?

 I have a Q2. I use several user profiles, some use the medium sized focus box, some the smallest box, some spot focusing. All are preserved and correct when I switch on and select whichever profile I want to use (General, B&W,Tripod, Macro etc). 

[ianforber]

13 hours ago, Ranchhand said:

When I set the smallest size for the focus box on my Q2, every time the camera is turned off, or times out, the focus box is back to medium size. If your user profile allows for it to remain in its smallest size I would really like it if you could tell me how to set the user profile as you state. Since I am now old (80), any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. In my former Q, as nicci78 said, it was simple to keep this setting; I would certainly appreciate it if Leica would allow this with the next firmware update. 
 

User profiles take a bit of effort to understand so don’t worry if it doesn’t come naturally. I’ll try to explain it, but it comes across as a bit complicated so if someone can do better, please shout and help out.

The basic idea is to set the camera up however you want it to be (eg DNG only, JPEG only, DNG/JPEG, metering style, focus mode - and size of box, colour or black and white, auto ISO or a specific ISO etc).

Once you are happy, got to the menu setting “User Profile” at the very top of page 3 of the menu and click on the centre button of the d-pad to take you into the next page. At the bottom of that page there’s an option “Manage Profiles”. Click the centre button again to go into the next page. At the top of that page is the option to “Save as Profile”. Use the centre button to click on that.

That page gives you the option to save how you have set the camera up - there are 6 User Profiles to select so you can set the camera up 6 different ways and save them as separate profiles. Choose one (eg User1) and click on the centre button. the final page asks you whether you want to save the settings - use the arrow button to highlight “Yes” and then press the centre button to lock it in. Job done!

If you step back one page to the “Manage Profiles” page, there is an option “Rename Profiles” that you can use to give a sensible name to the profile you have just saved, so just select “User1” and change the name to whatever makes sense to you.

If you never want to change settings, that should be sufficient. If you have a few to choose from, you can either delve into Page 3 of the menu system to choose the profile you want to use or, when you first press the “Menu” button on the camera there should be a little icon on the right hand side (second row up) that looks like a person with a little number in front of it (or an “S” if the camera is using the Standard (ie default) profile. If your fingers are deft enough, you can press that icon and it will bring up a line of numbered profile options - just press the one you want.

If that’s too hard, set User Profile up as one of your Favourites so that it appears on the menu screen that appears when you press the Menu button twice. That allows you select profile by the name you e given it rather than a number. 

Hope that helps

[Ranchhand]

Thank you for the help, Ian. Your help is greatly appreciated. I will be attempting to follow your instructions and try to get the profile set up so I can save the small focus box. 
 

[KenBennett]

Thank you, Ian. I went through the entire thing, saved a user profile with a small focus box and all my other settings. If I do that, and I use the menu to toggle back and forth between my user profile User1 and the Standard Profile, then the camera saves the small focus box and it works. But as soon as I turn off the camera, the focus box reverts to the Medium size when I turn it back on, even when I toggle back and forth between Standard and User1. So somehow the small focus box preference is not getting saved. Very odd. 

[ianforber]

Hmm, very odd. I’ll have another play tomorrow to see if there’s some hidden menu option that needs to be selected to allow the focus box to be saved. I suspect I’ve reached the limit of my knowledge though. 

[hdmesa]

 

On 7/6/2021 at 7:44 AM, KenBennett said:

For others who have a Q2, the way to change the focus box size is to "long press" the LCD screen until two little red arrows show on the corners of the box, then use the thumb dial to change the size. 

I only wish the change was sticky, but it resets to the medium box when I shut down the camera. 

This is awesome, thank you. I was able to set my focus box on my Q2 to the size I had been using on the original Q.

The focus box size change is sticky when I change the box size and power off and back on. You likely are using a custom user profile. If you want the new focus box size to stick, you need to save/overwrite your current profile after you've changed the focus box size.

Personally, I hate using the profiles for day-to-day use. I change my settings all the time and want them to be there the way I left them when I come back. Using profiles is like reading a book, but every time you come back to it, your bookmark has moved back to an old part of the story. I only use profiles for setting up types of photography – one profile for street, one for portraits, one for landscape, etc. That way I can quickly switch genres, then switch back to using no profile.

Canon gives users the option to auto-save changes to the custom profile in use (C1/C2/C3) – I do not believe Leica gives us that option.

Edited July 12, 2021 by hdmesa

[ianforber]

16 hours ago, KenBennett said:

Thank you, Ian. I went through the entire thing, saved a user profile with a small focus box and all my other settings. If I do that, and I use the menu to toggle back and forth between my user profile User1 and the Standard Profile, then the camera saves the small focus box and it works. But as soon as I turn off the camera, the focus box reverts to the Medium size when I turn it back on, even when I toggle back and forth between Standard and User1. So somehow the small focus box preference is not getting saved. Very odd. 

I’m stumped! I can’t think of a reason why your focus box size has changed when you toggle between profiles. Out of interest, if you choose another AF mode (eg spot focus) in your user profile does it revert back to field focus when turning the camera on/off?

[Nateseah]

New to the Q2 but has anyone resolved this item yet? I have the same situation where Im trying to get the small focus box to "stick" (i.e when I turn the camera on it reverts to the small box). I have tried to suggestion above to save/override the user profile after the box size has been changed but it still reverts to the medium box when the camera is turned on. Any help would be greatly appreciated if there is a workaround to this. Otherwise, amazing camera! 

[Fred Miranda]

On 11/14/2021 at 8:57 AM, Nateseah said:

New to the Q2 but has anyone resolved this item yet? I have the same situation where Im trying to get the small focus box to "stick" (i.e when I turn the camera on it reverts to the small box). I have tried to suggestion above to save/override the user profile after the box size has been changed but it still reverts to the medium box when the camera is turned on. Any help would be greatly appreciated if there is a workaround to this. Otherwise, amazing camera! 

Even with Firmware 5.0, Leica hasn't addressed this issued. The focusing point (Field) always goes back to the "medium size" instead of staying where you set it. So, every time you turn on the camera, you have to change it to the small or large size if you want that. Saving the small or large size as a custom setting doesn't work for me because it goes back to the medium size when I turn off the camera. It's not a huge issue, but it's definitely not ideal in my opinion.

[ianforber]

On 6/24/2023 at 3:36 AM, Fred Miranda said:

Even with Firmware 5.0, Leica hasn't addressed this issued. The focusing point (Field) always goes back to the "medium size" instead of staying where you set it. So, every time you turn on the camera, you have to change it to the small or large size if you want that. Saving the small or large size as a custom setting doesn't work for me because it goes back to the medium size when I turn off the camera. It's not a huge issue, but it's definitely not ideal in my opinion.

That’s frustrating. I’ve never had that problem. I always use one of my profiles and switching the camera on and off always retains the settings. It even retains the on-the-fly adjustments I’ve made to the user profile setting (albeit I’ve never changed the size of the focus field while out shooting). With two exceptions, all my profiles are EVF extended, smallest field focus, auto ISO (some with different max ISO) and aperture priority. I never use the default profile. I have the latest up to date profile. 

One exception is a macro profile, where I use spot focus and rear LCD. The other exception is a tripod profile with OIS disabled, rear LCD with the horizontal level capture assistance and manual ISO (assuming I remember to actually turn the camera ISO wheel off auto!). Again, no problem with these retaining their  settings when the camera is turned on and off. 

Are these similar to your settings? If not does using my sort of settings change the behaviours of the camera?