SL3, SL2 & SL2-S: Firmware updates significantly expand the range of functions

[Photoworks]

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29 minutes ago, V23 said:

Would have like DNG on SD card only as an option as well. Not the end of the world (yet) ordered spare FC card just in case, your thoughts?

turn off JPG+DNG

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[Cronilux]

vor 9 Stunden schrieb LocalHero1953:

I used the SL2-S last night for a musical performance (chamber orchestra and soloists) - face recognition still jumped around randomly between different figures/faces, far too quickly to control. It was an extreme challenge, but I didn't notice any improvement. This is where I find the biggest weakness of Leica's  AF: stable identification of a figure/face in a group, allowing you to pick the one you want. At present the slightest head movement, perhaps to show the face in profile, and the camera decides there are better faces elsewhere.

May I ask which lenses you used? I tested the same behavior today with the SL35, Sigma DG DN 35/2, Sigma DG DN 24/2, LUMIX S50/1.8 and the Sigma DG DN 28-45/1.8 and all have definitely worked way better, than before the update.

Before the update I had a max keeper rate of 10-20%. Today and yesterday the keepers are between 60-80%. That’s not a coincidence.

I used AFC, People detection, medium sized focus field, 5 fps. Shutter speed at least 1/500th or faster. 

[hdmesa]

1 hour ago, V23 said:

Received my SL3 recently, before I obtain CF card I just use SD card to setup the camera, all was well to save DNG files on SD card. After the FW upgrade this is no longer possible, I get following message ‘Both cards have to be ready to write in Backup Mode’. There is no option to save DNG files on SD card (without CF card present), only JPG on SD. Would have like DNG on SD card only as an option as well. Not the end of the world (yet) ordered spare FC card just in case, your thoughts?

• Photo File Format > DNG
• Storage Options > [Standard]

This writes to CF if available and when full overflows to SD. If no CF card present, it should automatically write to the SD card.

With the new firmware, setting Storage Options to [Backup] will throw a warning if one of the cards are missing. 

Edited December 14, 2024 by hdmesa

[Cronilux]

vor 9 Stunden schrieb Luke_Miller:

I think what you experienced is typical with face-detect.  My Z8 does the same thing when multiple faces are in thge scene.  I use face detect only with single subjects or with multiple subjects when the background tends to capture focus.

No, it’s not. On Sony for example it will stick to one face and you can simply select others with arrow keys. That jumping around is surely an issue, but for me absolutely improved with the new firmware. 

[LocalHero1953]

7 hours ago, Cronilux said:

May I ask which lenses you used? I tested the same behavior today with the SL35, Sigma DG DN 35/2, Sigma DG DN 24/2, LUMIX S50/1.8 and the Sigma DG DN 28-45/1.8 and all have definitely worked way better, than before the update.

Before the update I had a max keeper rate of 10-20%. Today and yesterday the keepers are between 60-80%. That’s not a coincidence.

I used AFC, People detection, medium sized focus field, 5 fps. Shutter speed at least 1/500th or faster. 

24-90SL and 90-280SL.  But I never had a keeper rate (in focus accuracy/precision terms) as low as you. I have always hit focus at least 90% of the time. My problems have been as I described, which is pinning face recognition to the correct person in a busy scene. I mainly use iAF, and never continuous shooting. I switch between Face Recognition and Tracking with AF-L.

Edited December 15, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[Cronilux]

vor 8 Stunden schrieb LocalHero1953:

24-90SL and 90-280SL.  But I never had a keeper rate (in focus accuracy/precision terms) as low as you. I have always hit focus at least 90% of the time. My problems have been as I described, which is pinning face recognition to the correct person in a busy scene. I mainly use iAF, and never continuous shooting. I switch between Face Recognition and Tracking with AF-L.

I am quite sure you are talking about AFS and one shot. You never had a 90% keeper rate with AFC continuous shooting, while tracking a face and shooting 5fps.

[LocalHero1953]

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3 minutes ago, Cronilux said:

I am quite sure you are talking about AFS and one shot. You never had a 90% keeper rate with AFC continuous shooting, while tracking a face and shooting 5fps.

As I wrote, I never use continuous shooting, so you are correct. I use iAF, so it is a mixture of AFs and AFc, decided by the camera. For the rest, what you believe or not is up to you. I'm just passing on my experience.

Edited December 15, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[Pierre68]

Hi there. I never updated my SL2-S to the last firmware version because of the missing joystick magnification. Can I update to the latest version without loading the last version or do I have to update in two times (last version then latest version)?

Thanks

[SrMi]

16 minutes ago, Pierre68 said:

Hi there. I never updated my SL2-S to the last firmware version because of the missing joystick magnification. Can I update to the latest version without loading the last version or do I have to update in two times (last version then latest version)?

Thanks

You can skip intermediate updates and apply only the latest ones.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

22 hours ago, V23 said:

 

 

Received my SL3 recently, before I obtain CF card I just use SD card to setup the camera, all was well to save DNG files on SD card. After the FW upgrade this is no longer possible, I get following message ‘Both cards have to be ready to write in Backup Mode’. There is no option to save DNG files on SD card (without CF card present), only JPG on SD. Would have like DNG on SD card only as an option as well. Not the end of the world (yet) ordered spare FC card just in case, your thoughts?

PAge 5 of the menus. Storage Management>>>Storage options. Change the storage from the top to the middle option.

Gordon

[V23]

1 hour ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

PAge 5 of the menus. Storage Management>>>Storage options. Change the storage from the top to the middle option.

Gordon

Thank you, Gordon, Cheers from Sydney.

[Cronilux]

vor 16 Stunden schrieb LocalHero1953:

As I wrote, I never use continuous shooting, so you are correct. I use iAF, so it is a mixture of AFs and AFc, decided by the camera. For the rest, what you believe or not is up to you. I'm just passing on my experience.

Yes, so you are comparing apples and pears. With single shot I don’t have such a low keeper rate, but you’ll lose shots, since you have to acquire focus again. 

[CptSlevin]

I can confirm, that in iAF Leica SL2S in eye detection mode became more stickier in crowd environment (photo shoot of a conference), boxes used to jump around chaotically, now they stick and move around them with joystick

and became as accurate in eye af of single person, to my knowledge it is now on Canon R6 mark I level, which is excellent for SL2S CDAF

[Pierre68]

Hello everyone

I did the update and everything went fine: I see on Leica's web sit that there is an update for SL Lens. Does anyone knows what it does and ho to apply it?
Thanks in advance

Pierre

[helged]

2 hours ago, Pierre68 said:

Hello everyone

I did the update and everything went fine: I see on Leica's web sit that there is an update for SL Lens. Does anyone knows what it does and ho to apply it?
Thanks in advance

Pierre

Once you have updated your camera with the lates FW, the camera holds the SL-lens FW updates as well. So once you add an SL-lens to the body and the lens FW is not the latest one, the camera will start to update the lens. You will then get a message on the back screen that the lens is being updated. The update may take a minute or so. Once the update is done, you will be asked to switch the camera off and then on. 

It is a good habit to add your various SL-lenses to the body after a body FW update. This ensures you that your lenses have the latest FW.

[Photoworks]

4 hours ago, Pierre68 said:

Hello everyone

I did the update and everything went fine: I see on Leica's web sit that there is an update for SL Lens. Does anyone knows what it does and ho to apply it?
Thanks in advance

Pierre

boot the camera with each SL lens and it will check for updates

[SrMi]

21 minutes ago, Photoworks said:

boot the camera with each SL lens and it will check for updates

+1

IIRC, once you mount a lens that requires an update, the update is started automatically. If you plan to use specific lenses, it is always good to mount them once before use so that the update can be run and you are not stuck waiting for the update to complete.

[Photoworks]

6 minutes ago, SrMi said:

+1

IIRC, once you mount a lens that requires an update, the update is started automatically. If you plan to use specific lenses, it is always good to mount them once before use so that the update can be run and you are not stuck waiting for the update to complete.

I hope the SL3 firmware has been fixed on this,

I got a few times firmware lens updates in the middle of shooting all day with the SL APO lenses.

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Hallo,

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[Pierre68]

3 hours ago, helged said:

Once you have updated your camera with the lates FW, the camera holds the SL-lens FW updates as well. So once you add an SL-lens to the body and the lens FW is not the latest one, the camera will start to update the lens. You will then get a message on the back screen that the lens is being updated. The update may take a minute or so. Once the update is done, you will be asked to switch the camera off and then on. 

It is a good habit to add your various SL-lenses to the body after a body FW update. This ensures you that your lenses have the latest FW.

Thank you Helged and the others for the information. I will mount the lenses on the camera  to get them updated.

[Jonathan Levin]

My SL3 has latest firmware installed. The firmware for the lens is 3.0 for the 24-90. Is this the current FW?