Bring a panorama option to the M11

[jeri]

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Sixty megapixels allow a wide field of action for photographers. And the Leica M11 is a camera with excellent capabilities, which until now - about a year since it rolled into my hands - functions well, and I really have no complaints against it.

Which is now being the case, I looked for the panorama parameter in the camera menu, but even though I searched well I couldn't find it. And this is true, because we are talking about small things, and why should I disturb the genius of Leica, because even the late Henri Cartier-Bresson did not bother to take panoramas...

But kidding aside, I would be very happy if in the next firmware point of the Leica M11, Leica would allow us to have a built-in panoramic crop in the camera. As mentioned, I would be more than happy if I could choose between the different frameworks and relationships (says 1:3 and 1:4). And on this occasion, if anyone from Leica hears me, please add an option to control the Hue parameter and that's it.

*I am attaching a panoramic photo, which I took with an old Leica D-LUX 5, as it allows panoramic cropping.

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[maxpower]

Didn't the M10-P ASC version have the option for different ratios? But they never brought it to other M10 versions, so I don't really expect it to happen at this point – it would also only affect LiveView / EVF of course since the viewfinder framelines are physical. Of course no crime in asking.

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[jeri]

11 minutes ago, maxpower said:

Didn't the M10-P ASC version have the option for different ratios? But they never brought it to other M10 versions, so I don't really expect it to happen at this point – it would also only affect LiveView / EVF of course since the viewfinder framelines are physical. Of course no crime in asking.

It is not an impossible task for Leica to develop a virtual addition of frame lines or digital masks, which will be projected on the camera's viewing screen. And the same things about the VISOFLEX 2

[Kwesi]

55 minutes ago, jeri said:

It is not an impossible task for Leica to develop a virtual addition of frame lines or digital masks, which will be projected on the camera's viewing screen. And the same things about the VISOFLEX 2

Sounds easy enough for this to be implemented on the rear LCD  via live view and  visoflex , through the optical viewfinder, not so much

[pegelli]

I think this will be very hard to implement in the optical viewfinder.

Implementing something "narrower" than the standard 16:9 option that my M246 has in liveview should be relatively straight forward. What are the standard aspect ratios that the live view of the M11 can show?

On the other hand, I shoot quite a few "crop-o-rama's" and not having lines for that in the viewfinder or live view hasn't stopped me pre-visualising how I would crop the image in post processing.

[jeri]

I'm less concerned about the relevance of the OVF, especially since for this kind of mission I intend to use super wide-angle lenses. As mentioned, the other options are to carry panoramic film cameras, such as the Fuji GX617 Professional or the Hasselblad X-Pan. Both are expensive cameras, and their weight together with the Leica M11 and its lenses, makes this whole operation less convenient and worthwhile for me. I'm imagining Leica adding the panorama option so that with a finger press on the menu selector, I can win the option to turn my Leica M11 into a true X-Pan camera with all that implies. What's wrong with that...

[J S H]

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I agree completely. Having the option to select from a few predetermined panoramic ratios which would then display in the EVF with either frame lines or via simple cropping would be a good addition. However, if you enable the rule of thirds grid, you get something very similar. Just use the middle section of the grid to frame and compose. It ends up being about the same ratio as the Xpan frame. 

[jaapv]

Still, isn’t is easier and more precise to view and crop on the computer screen? 

[J S H]

Yes, the computer is how I would always fine tune if I were planning to crop to a panoramic format. However, there are some inherent advantages to seeing the framing as you compose, if only for general guidance. It can be tricky to compose very wide panoramic images, so having a point of reference is quite helpful, even if it is only the grid display in the EVF or on the rear screen.  

[jeri]

6 hours ago, jaapv said:

Still, isn’t is easier and more precise to view and crop on the computer screen? 

The photographic process begins with you viewing the image you intend to photograph with your eyes, and what is captured in them passes to your mind and your imagination. And from there it touches on the creative and technical aspect you choose to create your composition. Unfortunately, no cropping option in your processing software will give you all this goodness, which you get only through observation, which begins through the viewfinder or the viewing screen of the camera.

[jaapv]

It is called visualization. I don’t need framelines for that. 

[jeri]

20 minutes ago, jaapv said:

It is called visualization. I don’t need framelines for that. 

Well, why don't we take it one step further. And instead of visualization through processing software, we will directly ask Midjourney to produce the entire image for us.

[jaapv]

Visualization has nothing to do with postprocessing. It is creating the photograph in your mind before you take it. And as I said, I don’t need aids like framelines for that. 

[J S H]

Not to be disrespectful at all...but your viewpoint, if taken to its final conclusion, would eliminate the need for a viewfinder at all. Might as well shoot from the hip. In my experience, the more tools you have at your disposal, the better. 

[Photoworks]

On 8/12/2023 at 5:01 AM, Kwesi said:

Sounds easy enough for this to be implemented on the rear LCD  via live view and  visoflex , through the optical viewfinder, not so much

can gaffer tape be your solution? It would be a little fussy but it can give you an idea.

[jaapv]

On 8/13/2023 at 11:17 PM, J S H said:

Not to be disrespectful at all...but your viewpoint, if taken to its final conclusion, would eliminate the need for a viewfinder at all. Might as well shoot from the hip. In my experience, the more tools you have at your disposal, the better. 

You can always take a viewpoint ad absurdum. But yes, when doing long tele work I do like using the Olympus Dot Sight EE1 instead of a viewfinder. 

[pgh]

On 8/12/2023 at 6:28 PM, jaapv said:

It is called visualization. I don’t need framelines for that. 

I think this thread is about what the OP wants or needs. It's weird how some people seem to feel that everyone should work the way that they do, or that they work in the noble way, or whatever horseshit this implies. 

I don't even care about panos and I personally would rather crop in post, I am not the OP and I don't know how they work or what reasons they may have and far be it from me to lay some judgment on the validity of it simply based on how I prefer to work. 

[jaapv]

A thread is not a personal conversation ; it can be read by the whole world. Which means that any opinion pertaining to the subject can be expressed, which increases the value of the thread. Offering one’s personal way of working or alternatives cannot be read as expecting others to follow.

[pgh]

The idea that a quip about not needing frame lines for visualization adds value to the conversation is rich, even for a luxury goods forum. But I'm willing to be proven wrong. Perhaps the OP had never even considered just pretending the feature they want exists, and if they hadn't they can speak up to attest to that. 

I'm not implying that any opinion can't be expressed. Of course it can. But a silly one can be called as such - the idea that a silly opinion should elicit no response calling it such is silly as well.

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[jdlaing]

12 hours ago, jaapv said:

A thread is not a personal conversation ; it can be read by the whole world. Which means that any opinion pertaining to the subject can be expressed, which increases the value of the thread. Offering one’s personal way of working or alternatives cannot be read as expecting others to follow.

……….Should not be read as expecting others to follow. 😃