Leica Q3 / Q3 43 / Q3 Monochrom Firmware v4

[keithlaban.co.uk]

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17 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

 

Whatever firmware came out, however good it was, there would still be the same posts from those who don't read the manual, those who wanted something completely different, those who think something has changed from the previous version but hasn't, and those who just screw up the updating instructions. Plus all those who just want to talk about it.

The hard part is picking out the posts that are about genuine bugs.

I think this firmware is a great improvement; there are a few glitches, but nothing that would remotely make me want to go back, and a lot that makes my photography better easier.

I feel good for you.

[Gateway77]

I haven't gone through everything yet so don't really know what faults I may find - but the faster start up time and autofocus accuracy improvements would seem more than enough to warrant an upgrade to v.4  👍

[Timzear]

I have been following this thread since the Firmware 4.0 was released. I never install new firmware or operating systems (OS) until at least a week (sometimes a month) after its release.  Firmware 4.0 is a major update for the Q3 & therefore needs lots of pre-install research & preparation.  I have found this thread to be very useful.  Here are some other useful resources that I have found.

1. Q3 Monochrome Manual.... this has instructions for the new GUI etc... https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/pm-125307-Leica-Q3-Monochrom_Instructions_en.pdf
2. Math Photographer YouTube on the new Q3 GUI on the Q3M.... 
3. I hope that he & other YouTubers release how-to videos on the Firmware 4.0 over the next weeks.

Meanwhile, I note that having spent £5k on a Q3, I want to stay up-to-date with Leica firmware.  I am sure that Leica will fix the portrait view bug & some other issues in the New Year.  I might wait till Firmware 4.0.1.  But staying on 3.1.1 is not sustainable, as future versions of Firmware 4.0 might introduce new features such as an X-Pan (65:24) ratio or more "slots" to hold Leica Looks etc.

With regards to the "Favourites" menu going, this may not be necessary now with all the Leicons being touch buttons.... so much more is available directly from the Live View screen.  I might use one profile to put the more obscure settings such as perspective control or exposure bracketing or interval shooting all on one Control Panel (not sure if this is possible, without reading a manual).  

Given the new GUI is much more touch-screen orientated, I am wondering how uesable the "touch" buttons & swipes are.... do they work well OR do they become annoying with accidental touches.  

I am interested in the new AI detect modes, as I have not used much of this on my Q3 over the past 18 months, preferring to enjoy its manual "old-school" controls, rather than it being a computer camera like my Olympus OM-1.

I do appreciate that Leica is doing active firmware development.

[Tarekith]

Here’s a full video tutorial from Math Photographer on the v4 update:

 

[jamesthurley]

From my perspective this is the update I've been waiting for, and never really expected to happen: It lets me focus in almost the same way as on my Canon R5.

Previously face/eye detection would quickly become unusable if there were even a few people in the shot, jumping around from person to person, randomly jumping off the person I had selected, etc. I'd constantly have to revert back to normal tracking, or even to focus and recompose (which is hard with young kids!).

Now with "AF Mode: Tracking", and "AF Detect: Human" I can just put the cursor over the exact person I want to track, half press the shutter, and it tracks them. It's such a fast, stress free way to lock focus on a specific person compared to the previous system. And it seems sticky, switching from eye to face to body tracking intelligently as they move around, turn away, etc. I haven't actually tested this in a crowded room yet, but hopefully it performs just as well.

The only improvement I'd like now is, as per the Canon, if there isn't a human under the cursor it should automatically track it as an object instead. Currently you need to explicitly turn off Human detection or it just doesn't track at all. But I'd settle for being able to quickly toggle human tracking on/off with a single button press (rather than the three button presses it takes at the moment).

Well done Leica, this was a great christmas present!

[Cogito]

2 hours ago, Tarekith said:

Here’s a full video tutorial from Math Photographer on the v4 update:

 

Thanks. In the video, when he's about to load the new firmware on his Q3 43 I shouted at the screen, "Nooooo, don't do it yet"

[Pelu2010]

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Timelapse/ intervallometer ! Yeah ! 
 

there is one new feature in the intervallometer. 
if you want to end the Intervall you only need to press the center button. 
once pressed the menu promps and asks if you want to continue or end! And this menu used to disappear if the camera shot an image while you where trying to end the Intervall. If the Intervalls where short, there was no way you could stop the Intervall. 
so I am so happy that this was changed. 
Thanks to the dev team. 
I will now check if the intervalometer keeps skipping images which happened to me very often. 
I am very happy with these adjustments. 
 

Cheers 

[Pelu2010]

 

Hey DeV Team, 

so the BP-SCL4 does not have enough power to perform all the functions of the q3. 
But if I plug in a powerbank it should have enough ressource or? 
 

I think this massage should come up 1 time  and then we as user can select yes I understand the limitations, thank you very much. 
 

And we all live our life’s again. 
 

Maybe in future you (Leica) find a way that this limitation  is obsolete. I would appreciate this. 
 

Or make a callback of the slc4 for slc6 batteries. 
 

But printing this massage while I am taking images makes no sense. 
it takes away the fun of the firmware update. 
 

 

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[Oxfordian]

1 hour ago, Pelu2010 said:

 

 

Hey DeV Team, 

so the BP-SCL4 does not have enough power to perform all the functions of the q3. 
But if I plug in a powerbank it should have enough ressource or? 
 

I think this massage should come up 1 time  and then we as user can select yes I understand the limitations, thank you very much. 
 

And we all live our life’s again. 
 

Maybe in future you (Leica) find a way that this limitation  is obsolete. I would appreciate this. 
 

Or make a callback of the slc4 for slc6 batteries. 
 

But printing this massage while I am taking images makes no sense. 
it takes away the fun of the firmware update. 
 

 

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Did the Q3 come with a SCL4 battery at some point as mine came with the 6?

[LocalHero1953]

2 minutes ago, Oxfordian said:

Did the Q3 come with a SCL4 battery at some point as mine came with the 6?

No - I don’t think it ever did

[jjroroek]

idon't get any picturenumbers in review mode and also i dont see the estimate remaining number of pictures. does anybody  solved this?

[Pelu2010]

1 hour ago, LocalHero1953 said:

No - I don’t think it ever did

The Batteries where from my previous cameras, but also Q. 

[Pelu2010]

But the Q3 worked without the message 2,5 years, so it would be nice if the massage could disappear. 

[LocalHero1953]

I have one BP-SCL4 which I overlooked when I sold the SL2-S and Q2. I keep it for emergencies. I have 4 BP-SCL6.

[Markey]

Reading through this thread (I`ve not understood half of , or the need for , any of these enhancements.... my bad) I might go back to film  .

[PeterKelly]

I’m really on the fence on this update.

I haven’t installed it yet and may hold off until some of the bugs have been fixed or ignore it for as long as I can. Improved AF would be welcome but as I shoot the Q3 28 alongside my M cameras I really enjoyed the interface being similar.

Making it the same or similar to the SL system is moving in the wrong direction for me.

I am heading to Cuba in a couple of weeks on a photo trip which might be another reason to hold off. I haven’t heard of bricking issues during the update but I would hate to be the first…..

[coleica]

1 hour ago, PeterKelly said:

I’m really on the fence on this update.

I haven’t installed it yet and may hold off until some of the bugs have been fixed or ignore it for as long as I can. Improved AF would be welcome but as I shoot the Q3 28 alongside my M cameras I really enjoyed the interface being similar.

Making it the same or similar to the SL system is moving in the wrong direction for me.

I am heading to Cuba in a couple of weeks on a photo trip which might be another reason to hold off. I haven’t heard of bricking issues during the update but I would hate to be the first…..

I had a friend who was a software developer.  His advice was "never be among the first to install a piece of s/w whose version is x.00.  Odds are it will be buggy.  Unfortunately, I did not listen to him on Friday.  I would like to add "don't install s/w when it is released right before a big holiday/trip".  Don't know the European vacation habits, but I would not be surprised if Leica has the next couple of weeks off, and folks wanted to release the upgrade before the break.  

[Robert Ardinger]

3 hours ago, jjroroek said:

idon't get any picturenumbers in review mode

If "Info Profile" #4 is activated you should see the file name (number) and time taken in grey letters in the lower left hand corner of the played back image. 

Using the Q3 MONO downloaded manual as a guide to FW version 4, page 135 show the default sequence of the Info Displays.  

Although the 4 pictures do not say what number the Info Displays correspond to, the upper left picture with the caption "Info Bars" (inclosed in a grey box) is default Information Profile #1,

The upper right picture has the caption "Empty Info Profile" (no grey box) and is default information profile #2,

The bottom left picture has the caption "Info Bars", "Focus Peaking", "Histogram" (all in grey boxes) and is default information profile #3,

The last, bottom right picture has the caption "Info Bars" WITH a grey box and the words "File Information" NOT in a grey box.

As any of the options listed that are in grey boxes also correspond to user choices in setting up the Information Profiles and that the two items NOT in grey boxes are the default every thing is off and is not a actual choice that is turned off or on, and given that the other not-greyed-out item, "File Information" is not a choice that can be turned off or on.  I think it is only visible in playback/review mode if Info Profile #4 is active.

This is what I found to be how it works for me.  One can add or subtract at least most of the user choosable features of Info Profile #4 and as long as it is active the "File Information" will still show up.

ADD:  The Top/Bottom Info Bar choice does need to be "ON" for Info Profile #4 (I would think the "Dark Background" choice would also be OK) for the "File Information" to be seen.

(One might have to toggle between saved info profiles when in review mode if Info Profile #4 is not the default profile that is shown first)

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Edited 51 minutes ago by Robert Ardinger

[Robert Ardinger]

2 hours ago, jjroroek said:

i dont see the estimate remaining number of pictures. does anybody  solved this?

If you have "Top/Bottom" Info Bars selected to show (on) then the number of exposures left for the inserted SD card at the settings the camera is setup in will be at the lower right of the Bottom Info Bar.

#02 in the picture from the Q3 MONO User Guide.

(Info Bars are choices for "Info Profiles" under "Capture Assistants" in the menu)

 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[Daniel C.1975]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Pelu2010:

The Batteries where from my previous cameras, but also Q. 

Yep, I also bought two additional batteries for the Q2, I believe, sloppy 160 Euro each.

For what I do, I see no difference between the SCL4 and SCL6 battery in my daily use (despite the capacity of course). 
Hence, dear Leica, this is the single most annoying topic with this firmware-update and is spoiling a bit all the good. Fix it, please.

Edited 1 hour ago by Daniel C.1975