How to access D-Lux 7 Flash menu settings?

[ironringer]

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Hello D-Lux 7 users - the very few who have used its little flash in unknown? modes:

I am learning how to use my D-Lux 7 (bought used, but not abused). I cannot find any combination of dial-button controls, or settings in its labyrinth of menus, that allows me to (a) USE its little flash accessory, and more important (b) to access the greyed-out Flash settings on page 2 of its Rec(ord) menu.

Question: What camera dial-button controls and menu settings will magically allow access to the Flash settings?

After further trials and failures, my above "can't use flash" is not quite true - I found by accident that if I push the little A (Automatic-Snapshot mode) button on top of the canes, the little flash symbol on the rear screen activated, and I was able to take pictures with the flash. However they are underexposed and dull. The D-Lux 7 instruction manual states that the flash can be controlled, using several Flash settings in the menu. But there is NO explanation of how to get into the Flash controls in the menu. Even with the flash ON and the camera in its (top button) A-Snapshot mode, the Flash menu is partly-activated, but only gives limited control = flash automatic on, or off. The other controls are still grey-inactive.

Most aggravating, and I will venture that no Leica factory user has ever successfully USED the D-Lux 7 flash with those invisible settings.

So my Question above is still valid - how do I use the D-Lux 7 flash? I can find no information or answers in this Forum, which leads me to think that very few people have ever used that flash, as the Leica manual states is possible.

Perplexed, Jim in snowy Montreal

 

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[NJDan]

Ironrigger,

It seems that most advanced settings are not available in the Automatic mode(s).

Move the aperture ring or shutter speed dial off the A setting (or both).  Make sure you press the “A” button and confirm the mode has changed to Aperture priority, shutter priority or Manual.  Then check to see if the settings are not greyed out and are available for you to use.

Best of Luck

Dan

[ironringer]

Thank you Dan and it seems logical that flash controls are not enabled in Automatic mode. I think I tried your suggestion, but could not see any flash ON enabled, or its controls - all greyed out. But I will try again. Regards and Happy Holidays

[NJDan]

Ironringer,

I’m sorry for the poor quality of the picture below, the size limitations of what you can post constrained how I could do this.

On the left, you can see my live view camera screen.  The mode is “S” ( shutter priority).  On the right, you can see that the flash settings are available to use.  The flash needs to be mounted and turned on for the settings to be available (not greyed out).

Other thoughts: the camera is used, but new to you, it’s advisable to reset to factory defaults.  I would also check to see if the firmware is up to date.  I think the most current firmware is 1.2.

As a reminder, what you ran into with adjusting settings while in Automatic modes will be true for lots of things.

Good Luck,

Dan

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[ironringer]

Thank you Dan and I will explore what is available for flash control in the Shutter mode. I think I had only tried the Aperture mode before.

Regards, Jim - visiting London and our first grandchild 😊

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[NJDan]

How great is that?

We spent Christmas Eve into Christmas morning in New York with 3 of ours, then hustled home to NJ to spend the rest of the day with our other grandchild.  Lots of hustle and bustle, but well worth it.  I hope you are having a great holiday with the family.

As I said in my posts, as long as the flash is mounted and turned on, the settings should be available in Manual mode, and both shutter and aperture priorities.

Enjoy,

Dan

[ironringer]

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Well, I tried both S and A modes and the flash control remains greyed out, and the flash doesn't work. It does work, with its limited non-adjusted strength, when I press the A-A+ button top to override and manual settings. I have a feeling some other weird setting is inhibiting the flash system, just like the "silent mode" inhibition which is the first thing I tried. I will visit a London UK Leica dealer (Red Dot) and maybe they have some knowledge, but I seriously doubt that many people have successfully used the flash the way the manual says works. Another Leica mystery, and I blame it on software and programmers who never actually TRY the code they write (a legacy of 25 years in project management). Happy Holidays, Jim (lived in Neptune City NJ in 1970-71).

[NJDan]

Jim,

Did you reset to default settings?

Me too…wrote code for 5 years and progressed up thru project management to IT Director.  43 years in IT.

Dan

[NJDan]

Jim

In addition to “silent mode”, electronic shutter also disables the flash.  Page 176 in PDF manual.

Page 203 covers resetting defaults which I believe would change both silent mode and electronic shutter back to the standard settings.

Good Luck,

Dan

[ironringer]

Thank you Dan for continuing to send suggestions. I finally found the factory Reset function(s) and said YES to them in sequence. I turned on the camera, with both aperture and shutter speed dials set to A-automatic, and the rear screen showed a P (program mode) at the upper left. Then I powered on the flash, opened the Menu-Rec-Flash, and voilà - there were the flash controls visible and active. As you predicted. The original owner must have set up a strange combination of settings (there was no user-custom set up) that inhibited the flash controls in the menu. My camera is at firmware level 2.0, the current level I believe.

Merci beaucoup for your assistance. Now this overly-complicated camera will be more useful with its flash working, with adjustable flash power (within its baby flash limit).

Next I may try using a Pentax AF160 flash on the D-Lux 7. It is small-lightweight and has a very low 6 volts DC at its terminals when charged, so it will not damage the electronics of Leica digital cameras. It is more powerful than the little D-Lux 7 flash and "automatic" so it should work well.

Happy Holidays, Jim visiting London

[ironringer]

And as for software, Dan - I never wrote code, having taken only one Fortran with Watfor course at university at the beginning of computer use by engineering students (batch cards punched on the 026 and 029, sent to the Big Blue machine at the Commerce building). But I could often "break" software by simply testing functions as a power network operator would use them. Caused great anguish to the backroom "twinky eaters" coders, when I filed copious variances for them to fix. I learned enough about C and C+ to watch them "fix" variances by creating more errors. They initially hated me coming to the factory at midnight to watch them work, but eventually realised that if they listened to my "don't do that, that breaks something else", they could minimise their rework. Fun nights with the coders half my age 😊.

[NJDan]

Jim,

Great news…enjoy!!

Dan