Survey of Interest: Faster Adjustments for ISO, EV and WB

[sean_reid]

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There have been a couple of recent threads that have discussed the proposal I made, last fall, of firmware changes to the M8 which would allow one faster and better access to the camera's ISO, EV and WB controls.

 

For reasons I can't discuss, I had expected to see this implemented already in production level firmware. Since it hasn't yet been, Bill suggested that we start a survey thread.

 

Please respond *only* if you would value the changes described below. Please also indicate if you are a current or prospective M8 owner. The purpose of this thread is get some sense of how strong the interest is, among prospective and current M8 owners, in seeing these changes implemented.

 

*If this thread goes off topic, it will be of little use for me to forward to Leica. So, in consideration of the M8 owners who would like to see these changes, PLEASE (emphasis not shouting) do not take this thread off topic. It doesn't make sense for me to forward this thread to Leica unless its very much on topic. Naturally, their time is valuable, as ours is. Thank you.*

 

The full proposal, with illustrations, can be found in my first review of the Leica M8 which was published in September of 2006. It came after discussions with Leica which began in the summer of 2006. For the sake of this thread, I'll reproduce that section of the article below. Please note, however, that no information from Reid Reviews should be reproduced without permission. Thanks in advance for respecting that.

 

"...There are three controls a professional digital photographer often needs fast and direct access to that are not yet directly accessible on the M8.

 

1. Exposure Compensation

2. ISO level

3. White Balance

 

It was a good decision to make these all available as first-level menu items on the M8 via the "set" button. Access to them could be even faster and more direct, however, if the following changes were made:

 

I. Eliminate the necessity of pressing the "set" button once a given ISO, EV adjustment, etc. is selected. Instead, one should be able to confirm a setting by *either* pressing the "set" button *or* by lightly depressing the shutter button to return to photographing. Most pros working quickly will likely want to do the latter.

 

II. The photographer should also be allowed to optionally assign the "protect" button to a more useful function. Very few working photographers have the time to individually protect pictures on an SD card. In six years of working professionally with digital capture, I haven't once used the "protect" button on any camera. Instead, allow the photographer to *optionally* assign one of three setting functions to that button if he or she chooses. He or she could choose to assign that "protect" button so that it directly controls ISO, EV Compensation or White Balance. Again, once the selection is made, it could be confirmed by lightly pressing the shutter button.

 

III. The arrow keys on the control wheel could also be used to provided direct access for at least two digital settings. My thoughts:

 

A. When the LCD display is off, pressing the left arrow key could bring up the EV compensation menu.

 

B. When the LCD display is off, pressing the right arrow key could bring up the ISO menu.

 

With either A or B, the value itself would then be selected using the up/down arrow keys and then the selection could be confirmed simply by lightly pressing the shutter release. Ideally, those two buttons would be labelled as shown in my illustration but I realize that labelling them is likely impossible at this stage of production. Even if they are not labelled, however, photographers who need these functions will no doubt learn them quickly.

 

If you add the new functionality to the control wheel arrow keys, then the photographer could set up the camera so that he or she would have three quick access buttons for these important settings:

 

ISO: right arrow key

EV: left arrow key

WB: "protect" button

 

Allowing the photographer this flexibility (and speed) will make the M8 a better professional tool. So far, the control of these functions is the most common concern I'm hearing about the M8. Photojournalists, in particular, are understandably concerned about it and I'm sure that most photographers would welcome improved ergonomics with respect to these settings."

 

The ideas for this design were refined, over a year ago, in discussions with both photographers and Leica itself. The nature of the design makes accidental changes quite unlikely but intentional changes much faster. I'd love to see these improvements for my own work.

 

*Again, thanks in advance for staying right ON TOPIC (emphasis not shouting). How interested are you in this proposal? Are you a current or prospective M8 owner?*

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[wparsonsgisnet]

I would like these changes. I own an M8 since 12/13/06.

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[grdglass]

Yes to the changes. Current M8 owner.

 

Helene

[benkelley]

I am a current M8 owner, and would greatly appreciate all of the suggested changes... these issues are, in fact, my greatest complaints about workign quickly with the camera.

 

Ben

[larry]

Sean,

 

All of these suggestions make sense, particularly not having to confirm changes with a second set-button press after selecting shooting parameters. I currently own an M8.

 

Thanks,

 

Larry

[doubice]

Definitely. M8 owner since June 2007.

 

Jan

[simon_hughes]

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I absolutely agree that these changes are not only well thought out but necessary to give the same level of usability that most other professional digital cameras offer. I currently shoot with two M8 bodies.

[ady]

Sean,

great idea!

owner since 01 07

[canlogic]

Owner since Nov 2006 and waiting for these mods since first mentioned.

[Maggie_O]

I would find these changes extremely valuable in my day-to-day work with my M8.

[sean_reid]

Great. Please pass the word around so that any M8 owner (or prospective owner) who really would value these changes can weigh in. Numbers do matter in this case.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[Guest Walt]

Sean-

 

I would very much like to see these changes. They would provide very important improved function that would be very much in the Leica tradition of fast, elegant, simple operation. I have used M4's for 40 years, presently use two M8s and will shortly be purchasing a third M8.

 

Thank you for your and Leica's thoughtfulness on this very important matter.

 

Walt Odets

[andybarton]

I was going to suggest setting up a poll, but having read the number of "Yes to all three" posts, that would be a bit superfluous!

[argomazov]

Hi.

 

Sean, great ideas, and I would really like to see them implemented in a future firmware release.

 

I have owned an M8 since March 2007.

 

Cheers,

Luca

[prav66]

Count me in here.

 

M8 shooter since Feb '07. I use the M8 for weddings where there are lots of scenes dominated by all blacks or whites that really throw the meter off and one needs to make exposure compensation quickly. Using the menu to change settings is really tedious and completely impractical for on-the-fly and rapidly changing shots in these cases. It's something the Leica M7 can actually do faster for Auto-exposure adjustment than the M8 now does. Not to mention the Epson Rd-1, Zeiss Ikon, etc

 

Like Sean I don't know anyone who considers the 'Protect' option seriously useful. Little wonder even the most dumbed down auto-everything cameras that expect you are a bumbling beginner who can't be trusted to not accidentally delete the wrong picture rarely have it as a dedicated button.

 

Please Leica... give us back more direct and immediate control we rangefinder users expect and don't cripple the camera with layers deep menu dependence via LCD on such critical and frequently used settings.

[pthompson]

Emphatic yes! Current owner.

[stunsworth]

The ISO doesn't bother me as much as easy access to exposure compensation. Maybe even press the set button and use the wheel to change it. I'd like to make the change without takig the camera too far away from the eye.

 

Like Mark AWB doesn't really bother me. Yes I shoot using AWB, but it's simple to adjust in post processing if the camera gets a frame wrong.

[johnastovall]

Yes, most important are ISO and EV to me. WB is sort of no op since I never use it....

 

M8 owner.

[pemayeux]

I too would go along with these changes. Well thought out Sean.

 

M8 owner since Jan 10, 2007.

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[guywalder]

 

I. Eliminate the necessity of pressing the "set" button once a given ISO, EV adjustment, etc. is selected. Instead, one should be able to confirm a setting by *either* pressing the "set" button *or* by lightly depressing the shutter button to return to photographing. Most pros working quickly will likely want to do the latter.

 

II. The photographer should also be allowed to optionally assign the "protect" button to a more useful function. He or she could choose to assign that "protect" button so that it directly controls ISO, EV Compensation or White Balance.

 

III. The arrow keys on the control wheel could also be used to provided direct access for at least two digital settings. My thoughts:

 

A. When the LCD display is off, pressing the left arrow key could bring up the EV compensation menu.

 

B. When the LCD display is off, pressing the right arrow key could bring up the ISO menu.

 

Sean

 

my preferences:

 

I. No thanks, see below

 

II. Yes please (see below)

 

III. Maybe, but Only if the current use of the 'set' button is maintained.

 

The arrow buttons are the rear most part of the camera, they also have a somewhat lower spring force than the other buttons.

I DO NOT want to find that bringing the camera to my eye and taking a picture quickly results in an unintended reset of ISO and/or EV being incorporated in my picture due to the camera bumping against my hip. I already find my LCD gets turned on from time to time in this way, despite the stiffer, more recessed buttons involved, but at least settings do not currently change this way.

In case not already clear, I currently own an M8