M11-D User Profiles, Crop, and Visoflex Qs

[Loplop]

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As some who read the M11 Freeze thread know, I recently purchased an M11 and have been plagued by freeze issues. The store I purchased it from has been great, and I am returning it to buy a new M11.  As they don’t have any other used M11, I will have to buy new—so I will need to choose M11-P or M11-D. 

I have made use of User Profiles on the M11, which has been nice; I configure #1 for personal work, #2 for people, #3 for sports, and #4 for monochrome.  I have found this useful, as it limits my time in menus, and provides predictable starting points for situations I’m often in. I do not believe the M11-D has access to user profiles on the app, correct?  If not, does anyone know if Leica is considering implementing them on the D?  I think they would be even MORE useful on the D than the P!  Especially nice if one could select between them with a button press combo on camera without the app.  

Another feature I have made use of is the crop mode. With the 60MP sensor I’ve been playing around with using a 28 like a 28/35/50 (1x, 1.3x, 1.8x). I have it configured to the back wheel on button press, such that a press of that wheel and I cycle through the crop modes. I mostly shoot with the setting (“extended” I think?) that has Live View off unless you have the Visoflex on and your eye to the EVF as I don’t like the distraction of the rear screen, and for whatever reason Leica only allows crop mode when the Live View is on; this is a bummer because I can easily crop to 1.3x and then adjust frame lines with the convenient lever on the front of the camera.  If you turn LV off, the crop is cancelled. Anyway, in practice, I just flip LV on and compose with the viewfinder, which works fine. 

I suspect the M11-D will not allow crop to be assigned to the back wheel press due to this design decision from Leica, is that correct?  Is it also not possible, though, if one has the Visoflex installed?

Does anyone know if the back ISO wheel is weather sealed?

I am leaning towards the D as I really don’t use my rear screen much. In some situations where photos are more “critical” I think I’d be fine with using the Fotos app for a quick review—transfer is surprisingly fast, even with full 60MP files. 

I do wish there was something more “special” about the -D, though, than just the ISO wheel. Like a special finish or my favorite camera config black paint on brass  It does feel a little weird to pay more money and lose the expensive screen including fancy sapphire glass, and of course buttons and such. 

[Smudgerer]

I personally think that the mindset in ownership of a Leica "D" is to expect, even desire, that there are few options in regard to the operation of the camera available, anyone who has come from many years of using a film M before digital raised it's ugly head would I believe understand this. I do applaud Leica for coming out with the D models, same goes for the Monochroms, but for me the D's should be as simple as possible, as per' the film M's. The photographer should be more responsible for stuff like exposure, focus, framing and not rely too much, or at all, on increasingly emerging camera electronics to make those decisions for you. I can understand why people want something like Fotos with the newer 10/11's/Q's/SL's, but I do not like relying on such external devices at all, even the Leica Viso' EVF, in fact with a Leica "D" I think it's clutter........Having said that, so far I'm happy with the M11-D, and now it's set-up in the way I want it, ( I think ), I hope never to have to use Foto's again.

[Loplop]

I’m of the manual focus and film age, and have used film for more years than digital. I suppose I just have a different approach and mindset, which I don’t think makes it “lesser” as you are implying.

I’m essentially trying to determine how Leica has structured working with an operating system that was designed to have a screen-based UX, and can I have the creative control (or at least the portions of the creative control I desire) over the image making process that one can have with the standard M11-P.  I do no post-processing on a computer, and change settings in camera to reflect “film choice.”  

That’s my choice, and it’s very much like I shoot film.  The actual flow of shooting for me is to turn off the rear screen and I never use image review.  I focus on aperture for DoF, shutter speed for motion, and exposure and composition.  That seems to fit well with the -D.

I thought of another question: how is lens detection handled?  I have lenses from the 1940s through today. How would the D approach coded and non-coded lenses, and mixing them while shooting?  And does the camera apply mandatory corrections or does one have control over automated corrections? 

[hdmesa]

The D works just like the P: even with Lens Detection off, attaching a 6-bit coded lens activates Lens Detection. The next uncoded lens will default to the last used manual M profile you had selected. That's fine if it's the same lens you were using before you attached the 6-bit coded lens, but if not, you have to open FOTOS and select the correct M lens profile or turn Lens Detection back off. One alternative would be to manually code all your uncoded lenses. There are separate threads on how to use templates and paint markers to do that.

But given you have a mix of coded and uncoded lenses, you depend on user profiles, and you like the digital crop modes, I highly recommend the M11-P over the M11-D. User profiles or digital crop modes will not likely be added to the D. Lens Detection will be unlikely to change as well unless Leica changes it for all M11 variants.

[Smudgerer]

I concur with hdmesa.......I think the M11-P would suit your needs better over the M11-D.

[Loplop]

I apologize I was unclear in my original post: I’m not asking for opinions on -P vs -D. I am asking specific questions so I can use my own experience to guide my decision.  

@hdmesathat answers my question, thank you. I wasn’t aware that lens detection and manual lens selection was available in fotos, and I’m fine with the manner in which lens detection works on the M11 series. In practice, I rarely ever carry more than 2 lenses, so it’s worked fine for me on the M11.  And as I can turn it off in fotos, that gives me creative control for when I want stronger vignetting, for example.   I just re-read the manual, and I see it’s clearly laid out there, my mistake for missing it.

Can anyone with the -D confirm whether Focus Assist is configurable?  The manual states “optional” which based upon the wording I believe to mean “mandatory if you have the Visoflex attached.”

I assume from the lack of mention of crop modes in the manual that it is not available in Fotos on the -D. 

I personally think using a single lens w/ability to crop use the frame line lever for framing, as well as user profiles to automate settings combinations for shooting situations or personal “film styles,” is very minimalist and in keeping with a workflow that keeps one focused on exposure, composition, and timing. And that seems to be a -D specialty. But what do I know.  

[hdmesa]

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21 minutes ago, Loplop said:

I apologize I was unclear in my original post: I’m not asking for opinions on -P vs -D...

You got bonus advice 🫣 because you literally describe the M11 or M11-P with regard to the settings for which you have an affinity.

If you want to shoot simply, the D will be rewarding. I fear buying the D with the hopes that features will be added may be less so.

Regarding the Visoflex 2, I don't have one at the moment to test it. But there are no focus assist setting in the FOTOS camera settings menu, at least not without the Visoflex 2 attached. Maybe someone who has the Visoflex 2 with the D can enlighten.

[Derbyshire Man]

When you attach the visoflex 2, the action is the same on M11M/P/D if focus assist is on the view is magnified, however the degree of magnification is controllable via the rear wheel while viewing, so you scroll through no mag, medium mag and full mag. It is memorised until the photographer changes the setting again using the thumbwheel.

I don't use it much on any of the cameras but find it easiest to have it turned on but be scrolled out to full view, ie no mag at all.

[Loplop]

16 minutes ago, hdmesa said:If you want to shoot simply, the D will be rewarding. I fear buying the D with the hopes that features will be added may be less so.

That is very reasonable. I agree. 

10 minutes ago, Derbyshire Man said:

When you attach the visoflex 2, the action is the same on M11M/P/D if focus assist is on the view is magnified, however the degree of magnification is controllable via the rear wheel while viewing, so you scroll through no mag, medium mag and full mag. It is memorised until the photographer changes the setting again using the thumbwheel.

I don't use it much on any of the cameras but find it easiest to have it turned on but be scrolled out to full view, ie no mag at all.

Perfect, that is good behavior!  Thank you. 

[hdmesa]

1 hour ago, Derbyshire Man said:

When you attach the visoflex 2, the action is the same on M11M/P/D if focus assist is on the view is magnified, however the degree of magnification is controllable via the rear wheel while viewing, so you scroll through no mag, medium mag and full mag. It is memorised until the photographer changes the setting again using the thumbwheel.

I don't use it much on any of the cameras but find it easiest to have it turned on but be scrolled out to full view, ie no mag at all.

Interesting, I didn’t realize one could defeat the auto zoom by changing the magnification level all the way out and leaving it there. Thanks.

[setuporg]

Now I need to figure out how to get rid of the damn focus peaking in the Visoflex and we’ll be golden.

[hdmesa]

2 hours ago, setuporg said:

Now I need to figure out how to get rid of the damn focus peaking in the Visoflex and we’ll be golden.

I see, so you want to change the focus peaking from red to gold. Got it 😂

[elmars]

Am 7.10.2024 um 14:22 schrieb Loplop:

I do not believe the M11-D has access to user profiles on the app, correct?

Correct.

Am 7.10.2024 um 14:22 schrieb Loplop:

If not, does anyone know if Leica is considering implementing them on the D?

Many of us would hope so.

Am 7.10.2024 um 14:22 schrieb Loplop:

I suspect the M11-D will not allow crop to be assigned to the back wheel press due to this design decision from Leica, is that correct?  Is it also not possible, though, if one has the Visoflex installed?

Both correct.