scott kirkpatrick Posted February 9, 2009 Share #1 Posted February 9, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) There have been complaints that consecutive file numbering was lost after a firmware upgrade and after service or the hardware upgrades. Starting up with a partly used card that has the last numbered frame resets the firmware upgrade case, but I just got my oldest M8 back with the shutter upgrade, and that takes a more elaborate fix. The numbering goes to L999xxxx, where xxxx is unrelated to your previous frames, shot before the trip to Solms. The problem is that in the service center, they create a directory 999LEICA for testing, and that dominates whatever directories you were previously using. Previous fixes for this involved shooting a frame with "standard" numbering, and then relabelling things on the PC before continuing. Firmware 2.002 has a new trick for this. format card menu --> picture numbering --> set back now shoot one frame, and reset picture numbering --> continuous remove card and in the PC rename directory from 100LEICA to whatever (101LEICA in my case), then rename the one frame to next frame number that you want to use. Restore card to camera, check number in PLAY, and go out to shoot. Picture numbers should increase continuously, and the camera has forgotten all about the 999 directory. scott PS the unique ID increased by 70 shots while my camera was doing its shutter upgrade. Makes me think that they do not replace the whole shutter, only some parts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Hi scott kirkpatrick, Take a look here an old problem -- file numbering. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
carlmuck Posted February 10, 2009 Share #2 Posted February 10, 2009 PS the unique ID increased by 70 shots while my camera was doing its shutter upgrade. Makes me think that they do not replace the whole shutter, only some parts. I expect that the shutter activation counter is NOT kept on the shutter but in the firmware. I really doubt that they're playing around with parts of shutters in the upgrade... But that's just me. c. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterP Posted February 10, 2009 Share #3 Posted February 10, 2009 There have been complaints that consecutive file numbering was lost after a firmware upgrade and after service or the hardware upgrades. Starting up with a partly used card that has the last numbered frame resets the firmware upgrade case, but I just got my oldest M8 back with the shutter upgrade, and that takes a more elaborate fix. The numbering goes to L999xxxx, where xxxx is unrelated to your previous frames, shot before the trip to Solms. The problem is that in the service center, they create a directory 999LEICA for testing, and that dominates whatever directories you were previously using. Previous fixes for this involved shooting a frame with "standard" numbering, and then relabelling things on the PC before continuing. Firmware 2.002 has a new trick for this. format card menu --> picture numbering --> set back now shoot one frame, and reset picture numbering --> continuous remove card and in the PC rename directory from 100LEICA to whatever (101LEICA in my case), then rename the one frame to next frame number that you want to use. Restore card to camera, check number in PLAY, and go out to shoot. Picture numbers should increase continuously, and the camera has forgotten all about the 999 directory.. I did the same when my M8 came back from NJ, not a shutter upgrade just a repair. PeterP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott kirkpatrick Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share #4 Posted February 10, 2009 I expect that the shutter activation counter is NOT kept on the shutter but in the firmware. I really doubt that they're playing around with parts of shutters in the upgrade... But that's just me. c. You could be right, that the "unique id" is just a unique shot counter, to keep the frames distinct, and not a shutter activation counter. That means that to tell the age of an upgraded M8, you have to ask the owner, not just view the files. But there have been reports of the unique id being reset to zero during service. Another tiny mystery. Carl Bretteville tells me that the EXIF produced by an upgraded M8 is the same as the EXIF produced by an M8.2, but it can be distinguished from an unmodified M8. So I still wonder how the firmware decides to not allow discreet mode shutter. Apparently it doesn't show this state in the EXIF. scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted February 10, 2009 Share #5 Posted February 10, 2009 Scott, I seem to recall that there was earlier speculation that the shutter isn't exchanged. I don't remember the specifics, but I think the consensus was that the shutter was modified so that the firing spring wouldn't wind all the way, and that that also necessitated a couple parts change-outs. OTOH, I rather think the original shutter comes in fully assembled from Copal, so I'm not sure that someone would want to change out parts of it. Anyway, thanks for the file numbering tip! I'm no programmer, but as for discreet mode, I would think that probably has a different mechanical component as well. That is, the M8 had no need to know whether the finger had been lifted from the shutter release, so there's no sensor to do that. The M8.2 would have the extra whatever-it-is. (I'm sure Leica would have been happy to build that into the M8 for an upgrade charge if it were feasible. ) Since the "I'm still pressed, don't wind yet" component is missing, the software never gets the signal not to wind on. As for the menu, couldn't that be done during software installation? Something like "IF don't-wind-yet hardware present THEN install don't-wind-yet software/menu"? Just a thought. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott kirkpatrick Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share #6 Posted February 10, 2009 Scott, I seem to recall that there was earlier speculation that the shutter isn't exchanged. I don't remember the specifics, but I think the consensus was that the shutter was modified so that the firing spring wouldn't wind all the way, and that that also necessitated a couple parts change-outs. OTOH, I rather think the original shutter comes in fully assembled from Copal, so I'm not sure that someone would want to change out parts of it. Anyway, thanks for the file numbering tip! I'm no programmer, but as for discreet mode, I would think that probably has a different mechanical component as well. That is, the M8 had no need to know whether the finger had been lifted from the shutter release, so there's no sensor to do that. The M8.2 would have the extra whatever-it-is. (I'm sure Leica would have been happy to build that into the M8 for an upgrade charge if it were feasible. ) Since the "I'm still pressed, don't wind yet" component is missing, the software never gets the signal not to wind on. As for the menu, couldn't that be done during software installation? Something like "IF don't-wind-yet hardware present THEN install don't-wind-yet software/menu"? Just a thought. The camera always knows if you have kept the shutter half-pressed, because it initiates a new exposure measurement when you lift your finger and press it again. But the work order for an upgrade includes "new electronic components" and there is a secret code in the EXIF that says the components are there in an M8.u, just as in an M8.2. The old shutter seemed to have a mechanical lock which was noisy when released, and it seemed as if everything proceeded to completion without any other intervention. In the new shutter setup, if the recocking doesn't complete (in an M8.2) shutting the camera off and then on again, or removing and replacing the battery can clear it. This was not possible in the M8, so I suspect that the "new electronic components"are providing more signals from the shutter to the camera to manage it better. Because the same signals are probably available to the M8.u as to the M8.2, some of us believe (and Leica seems to admit) that discreet mode would work on the M8.u but was disabled in firmware. scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted February 10, 2009 Share #7 Posted February 10, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) You could be right, that the "unique id" is just a unique shot counter, to keep the frames distinct, and not a shutter activation counter. That means that to tell the age of an upgraded M8, you have to ask the owner, not just view the files. But there have been reports of the unique id being reset to zero during service. Another tiny mystery. Carl Bretteville tells me that the EXIF produced by an upgraded M8 is the same as the EXIF produced by an M8.2, but it can be distinguished from an unmodified M8. So I still wonder how the firmware decides to not allow discreet mode shutter. Apparently it doesn't show this state in the EXIF. scott Actually the Unique ID is a shutter activation counter. It increases with every opening and closing of the shutter, even when in Sensor Cleaning mode. It is not kept in any of the shutter electronic. The only way to reset it is to change out the part/parts the store the info. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted February 11, 2009 Share #8 Posted February 11, 2009 Scott-- Thanks for the correction. I was aware of the widespread assumption that an upgraded M8 was just a hobbled M8.2, but I hadn't seen the explanation. What I said above was admittedly made out of whole cloth, just an assumption that had sprung full-fledged from my over-stressed brain. What you say makes sense electronically and mechanically, but I still question it from the sales standpoint. I don't see the advantage of selling current customers an upgrade to an almost-M8.2 if a full upgrade is possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott kirkpatrick Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share #9 Posted February 11, 2009 What you say makes sense electronically and mechanically, but I still question it from the sales standpoint. I don't see the advantage of selling current customers an upgrade to an almost-M8.2 if a full upgrade is possible. I wish you still worked for Leica, preferably in Solms, not in sales. scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted February 11, 2009 Share #10 Posted February 11, 2009 Thank you, Scott, for the very nice compliment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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