Internal memory full

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Not affecting m y 3 M11 cameras yet. M11, M11M and M11-P (safari). I use the internal memory exclusively, unless I need a backup.

No problems so far, even with the latest firmware. Hopefully it stays that way.

Gordon

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[lct]

I would be glad to help but i never got this problem under any firmware so far. My M11 is not connected though, which could explain why.

[Tuan Anh]

19 minutes ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

Not affecting m y 3 M11 cameras yet. M11, M11M and M11-P (safari). I use the internal memory exclusively, unless I need a backup.

No problems so far, even with the latest firmware. Hopefully it stays that way.

Gordon

Guess the problem is related with FOTOS app.I use FOTOS quite often because sometimes i just need few photos for online sharing.I am not a kind of man who waits until the end of the day to use SD card reader to get photos during daytime shooting.

Mobile device is my thing.I wonder if you use FOTOS app or another method to get your photos ?

[FlashGordonPhotography]

9 hours ago, Tuan Anh said:

Guess the problem is related with FOTOS app.I use FOTOS quite often because sometimes i just need few photos for online sharing.I am not a kind of man who waits until the end of the day to use SD card reader to get photos during daytime shooting.

Mobile device is my thing.I wonder if you use FOTOS app or another method to get your photos ?

I use the Fotos app while travelling to share images with family, but not at home, generally. But I travel a lot. 3-4 times per year. But I don’t generally download and/or process images on a iPad or phone. It’s for quick shares and remote shooting only. Mostly, I connect to my Mac and download the files. I only ever format the memory in camera using the camera menu (I don’t have an M11-D which requires Fotos to format the card). I NEVER delete images or format from either Fotos or my computer. When a computer/device deletes images it creates a hidden recycle bin, which the camera doesn’t know how to deal with. You could use SD formatter via a computer but I don’t see the point. I just format in camera.

If I were having memory problems I’d connect the camera and empty the recycle bin. Then I’d format the storage using SD formatter and then disconnect the camera and format again using the camera menu (you may have to take a shot to allow the last step.

The only time I use an SD card is either with my M11 (smaller internal memory) on a photo trip, or with the others *if* I want a redundant backup. Mostly there’s no card in any of my M’s. Now I have upgraded to the M11 Safari I won’t need a card at all in either of my M11’s. I lost use internal memory exclusively in my Hasselblads.

Gordon

[Tuan Anh]

I use either ways to format internal memory.My Leica is 11-P so i can format on the camera.

I treat the camera as a camera phone replacement since phone cam quality is too bad (my phone is ip15 pro).That’s why i use FOTOS app alot.If FOTOS app bugs the cam’s memory.It’s also Leica’s fault.I mostly shoot JPEG for online sharing,DNG file size is too big.

[RQ44]

I will keep saying it again and again and again. This sort of technical sloppiness is totally unacceptable for a premium priced camera such as the M11.  I don’t care what anyone on this forum says about that their M11 doesn’t have any issues and they’re happy. It is about the fact that this camera is listed at such a very high price and yet the research and development from a software standpoint is extremely poor and amateur. I do not own such a camera principally because I’m not willing to spend all that money for something that is not considered 100% reliable. If I did purchase an M 11 and it had all these issues of the system locking up and memory cards not saving properly and all these other lock up issues I would be looking down the path of pursuing Leica with a class action lawsuit.

 

in the industry I am involved in this sort of software design and programming is a liability issue. Let’s all be thankful Leica doesn’t manufacture life-support systems.

[Guest]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

18 minutes ago, RQ44 said:

I will keep saying it again and again and again. This sort of technical sloppiness is totally unacceptable for a premium priced camera such as the M11.....

You're quite correct, and the issue is made worse by Leica not acknowledging when bugs exist and not telling us when they are fixed.

I managed an embedded FW team until recently, and comprehensive information on bug fixes was always included in Release Notes. This wasn't viewed as an embarrassment or weakness, but as a way of showing our customers that we were serious about fixing the issues.

However, the M11 takes wonderful photos and is a joy to use, so it's not all bad. 

Edited June 4 by Corius

[SrMi]

22 minutes ago, RQ44 said:

I will keep saying it again and again and again. This sort of technical sloppiness is totally unacceptable for a premium priced camera such as the M11.  I don’t care what anyone on this forum says about that their M11 doesn’t have any issues and they’re happy. It is about the fact that this camera is listed at such a very high price and yet the research and development from a software standpoint is extremely poor and amateur. I do not own such a camera principally because I’m not willing to spend all that money for something that is not considered 100% reliable. If I did purchase an M 11 and it had all these issues of the system locking up and memory cards not saving properly and all these other lock up issues I would be looking down the path of pursuing Leica with a class action lawsuit.

 

in the industry I am involved in this sort of software design and programming is a liability issue. Let’s all be thankful Leica doesn’t manufacture life-support systems.

There are no 100% reliable consumer devices, no cameras, no consumer computers, and no smartphones. That said, M11 should have been more reliable but it never hampered my photography experience. On the other hand, I do consider myself a lucky guy 😁.

[RMF]

4 hours ago, Corius said:

I managed an embedded FW team until recently, and comprehensive information on bug fixes was always included in Release Notes. This wasn't viewed as an embarrassment or weakness, but as a way of showing our customers that we were serious about fixing the issues.

Exactly! Been saying this since the first M11 FW update came out… we need detailed release notes: what is fixed, what is yet to be fixed, and full transparency. It’s really just proper software practice.

[lct]

Release notes promoting transparency? Must come from politicians

 

[pgh]

7 hours ago, RMF said:

Exactly! Been saying this since the first M11 FW update came out… we need detailed release notes: what is fixed, what is yet to be fixed, and full transparency. It’s really just proper software practice.

This is Leica you’re talking about. May as well ask them for a 50% valued customer discount while you’re at it. 

[Derbyshire Man]

13 hours ago, RMF said:

Exactly! Been saying this since the first M11 FW update came out… we need detailed release notes: what is fixed, what is yet to be fixed, and full transparency. It’s really just proper software practice.

The dev team feels under-resourced. I've got some synths and there it's often one person doing all the coding for multiple products. But these are small manufacturers on a comparative shoe string. Leica is a company with a decent turnover and profit ratio, it doesn't feel like it's fully got to grips with the fact that an enormous part of a digital camera is the firmware and seems happy with good enough/not falling over daily before moving on to the next project. There must be enough profit coming in to fund a dev team properly and the issues (albeit *largely* solved) with the M11 line are nothing short of reputational, any read of youtube and fora and you'll see the M11 being dismissed as unreliable. If this was a mechanical part of one of the bodies failing repeatedly  I strongly suspect that the Wetzlar boardroom would be taking it more seriously than cameras crashing, having memory failure/making images irretrievable, Q series where a side swipe no-one wants puts it unexpectedly into video mode with calls to remove ignored. Yet both have an identical risk of tarnishing the brand and reducing the resale value for the purchasers/owners.

It's not just the bugs which exist(ed) it's also the broader function, for example my Canon r5m2 switches on essentially instantly, it wakes from sleep instantly. There is no difference in what it needs to do yet in comparison it's an eon before my M body is ready to go. Similarly if needed I can mash the shutter button on single shot on my Fujis and canon and get double or triple the frame rate. I can't imagine any reason for this other than some ages old design mistake that could be corrected but there isn't the resource (or determination) to go back and fix.

I love the products, I wouldn't want to be without them, I'd not wish to drive people away from what overall is a great experience but it's galling that it feels they could be significantly better with a bit more Kaizen!

[Tuan Anh]

I’m attempting to use the camera without touching the FOTOS app for a week to see how it goes. I took some good photos and want to share them with my friend ASAP. But the steps: turning off the camera, taking out the battery, removing the SD card, inserting it into a card reader and then searching for the photos I just took,are really bugging me.

FOTOS is really convenient, and if I don’t get any more “internal memory full” prompts again. Maybe FOTOS is at fault.

[Peter49]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb Derbyshire Man:

There must be enough profit coming in to fund a dev team properly and the issues (albeit *largely* solved) with the M11 line are nothing short of reputational, any read of youtube and fora and you'll see the M11 being dismissed as unreliable. If this was a mechanical part of one of the bodies failing repeatedly  I strongly suspect that the Wetzlar boardroom would be taking it more seriously than cameras crashing, having memory failure/making images irretrievable, Q series where a side swipe no-one wants puts it unexpectedly into video mode with calls to remove ignored. Yet both have an identical risk of tarnishing the brand and reducing the resale value for the purchasers/owners.

I fully understand and share your observations. The passion for the brand is strong — and rightly so, as Leica has created some of the most iconic and beautifully designed cameras in the world. But that brand also comes with a responsibility: to maintain not only design excellence, but reliability and transparency in the digital age.

It’s no secret that Leica communicates very selectively. Mistakes or shortcomings are rarely, if ever, acknowledged publicly. In fact, even constructive and balanced criticism sometimes disappears — as was the case with a very respectful video by Mike Kroner, which was later withdrawn after Wetzlar contacted him directly (he said). One gets the impression that the brand image must be protected at all costs — even when that means ignoring or minimizing real-world problems.

From a user’s perspective, that’s frustrating. I use Leica because I love the experience. But for paid jobs? I almost exclusively rely on Canon. It works. It’s fast. It’s robust. And above all, Canon communicates openly, fixes problems quickly, and offers repair turnaround times that are a fraction of what you might expect from Wetzlar.

You’re absolutely right: today, firmware is the camera. A beautiful body and legendary lens don’t help if it crashes, corrupts files, or lags in ways that competitors solved years ago. And the issues surrounding the M11 — especially in its early lifecycle — weren’t just minor bugs. They were serious enough to shake user confidence and harm the brand’s reputation in ways Leica seems hesitant to even acknowledge.

Your mention of the Canon R5 II is spot on. Instant wake-up, near-instant operation, and high responsiveness are simply what professionals and enthusiasts expect now — not as a bonus, but as a baseline.

This isn’t about bashing Leica. Quite the opposite. It’s because we care about the brand that these points matter. With just a bit more investment in firmware development and post-release support — and a mindset of continuous improvement — Leica could offer not just great experiences, but truly flawless tools. That’s a goal worth aiming for.

[Peter49]

vor 15 Stunden schrieb lct:

Release notes promoting transparency? Must come from politicians

 

Absolutely. Leica has something that most brands can only dream of: deeply loyal users who are emotionally invested in the product. That trust is an incredible asset — but it also comes with expectations. At this price point, people don’t just buy a tool, they buy into a philosophy. And that philosophy includes the hope that excellence isn't just skin deep.

Releasing proper firmware changelogs or bug fix notes shouldn’t be revolutionary — it should be standard. But with Leica, transparency often feels like a rare guest.

Release notes promoting transparency? Must come from politicians 😄
At least they pretend to keep us informed!

In all seriousness: users don’t expect perfection, but we do expect clarity. Silence only fuels speculation. Leica has the opportunity to lead not only in design, but also in how a premium brand can stay honest, humble, and committed to long-term excellence. That kind of Kaizen isn’t just technical — it’s cultural.

[lct]

5 hours ago, Peter49 said:

In all seriousness: users don’t expect perfection, but we do expect clarity. Silence only fuels speculation. Leica has the opportunity to lead not only in design, but also in how a premium brand can stay honest, humble, and committed to long-term excellence. That kind of Kaizen isn’t just technical — it’s cultural.

Transparency is à la mode 😉 Why not suggesting this new culture to Leica? So far as i can remember they always preferred keeping secret their secrets, rightly so coming from such a famous company IMHO but it is a matter of culture as you say 😎

[RQ44]

On 6/4/2025 at 10:39 PM, Corius said:

You're quite correct, and the issue is made worse by Leica not acknowledging when bugs exist and not telling us when they are fixed.

I managed an embedded FW team until recently, and comprehensive information on bug fixes was always included in Release Notes. This wasn't viewed as an embarrassment or weakness, but as a way of showing our customers that we were serious about fixing the issues.

However, the M11 takes wonderful photos and is a joy to use, so it's not all bad. 

The M11 does take wonderful photos and it is IMO a superb camera and Yes, the fact Leica shows they are correcting issues gives one a sense of dedicated support............But, Leica, before releasing a model, run it through it's paces, not through the hands of Youtube influencers. Test the camera for a good year, out in the field with Leica employees, test every memory card with the unit, fill up the internal memory countless times and see what happens. This may sound rude but, here in Australia the M11 safari sells for $16,000. There is no way that the camera is composed of even $8000 worth of parts. So if we are to pay this and the camera doesn't contain materials of an extreme value then I ask, what is the top price for? No, it's not for the hands on, hand made excuse, that ' hand made ' sales pitch is now a meme on the internet. I would expect that price tag to correlate to some serious advanced research and testing in all aspects of day to day use. This is to Leica, because they have employees who lurk these forums. Leica, put better research and development teams to work and give us cameras that don't have these issues. In all my years of photography, I have worked with Sony, Canon, Fuji and Lumix cameras from the basic to the high calibre highticket models and to this day, not one of these cameras has failed let alone frozen or locked up, nor have they ever had SD card compatibility issues, never, and they were significantly cheaper than Leica.

Edited June 6 by RQ44

[lct]

Reminds me of what Ferrari was said about a couple decades ago. These are not mainstream companies. Better be aware of this reality before dealing with these famous and expensive brands.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Derbyshire Man]

5 hours ago, lct said:

Reminds me of what Ferrari was said about a couple decades ago. These are not mainstream companies. Better be aware of this reality before dealing with these famous and expensive brands.

That’s rather letting them off the hook. I can sort of understand it with Ferrari, what they are doing is usually extreme in terms of engineering, with many more parts and lower volume of production. These things are not true for Leica. They’re not taking the firmware seriously enough, they are not investing enough.

[Smogg]

1 hour ago, Derbyshire Man said:

That’s rather letting them off the hook. I can sort of understand it with Ferrari, what they are doing is usually extreme in terms of engineering, with many more parts and lower volume of production. These things are not true for Leica. They’re not taking the firmware seriously enough, they are not investing enough.

Leica M is not about software/firmware and color science (the colors of different models are noticeably different and the developers don't care), but exclusively about ergonomics, premium quality of materials and quality of optics. Some users accept this, some don't.