Any chance of last M8 firmware upgrade?

[dougi]

What strikes me most about the M9 is why don't Leica offer the equivalent software changes in the M8/8.2?

I would be happy to remember to use the protect button as ISO.

I already use the 2S timer as a soft button because it reduces fingerpress reduced vibration.

Surely the feeble processor/memory has just enough left to enable the ISO80 'pull' and auto-bracketing and all the above?

If not, why not?

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

It would really help to put in the database with lenses as the M9 has. Then the lens coding is not necessary anymore.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[myM8yogi]

Yet another appeal to give a meaningful function to the "protect" button, or the "defect" button as I call it.

 

[user237428934]

I second this! It would be really, really nice if Leica could give us the manual lens selection. Personally, I don't care much about anything else but this would solve a pretty big pain in the ass.

Are there non-Leica-lenses in the M9 database? It would only make sense, if you could also choose third-party-lenses.

 

[noimmunity]

Let's raise the clamour for some response from Leica!!!

My favorites would be:
Manual selection of lenses.
User assignable value for "protect" button (either ISO or exp comp)

 

[Bobfrance]

I concur.
Also I wonder if it would it be possible to add the exposure compensation on the wheel?

 

[__hh]

We'd better not push our luck, Leica might do a Canon trick and turn the protect button into a "direct print" button 🙂

Seriously, I'd put my hand up for any on the two suggestions noimmunity has flagged.

 

[Richard Marks]

Well Leica are apparently keen to emphasise customer service around the M9 launch. Lets see how they respect M8 users. At the launch of the M8 leica did say that it was "timeless" and that its electronic upgrades would continue. I really do not see why not. It would ceratainly help those trying to sell M8's to buy M9's which would benefit them.

Another intersting point is that the premium price associated with used 6 bit coded lenses will now effectively be diminished.

Richard

 

[semordnilap]

The only 2 things I'd really like to see updated in the M8 firmware are the manual lens selection and the 0 sec option for the timer. Both are easy to add, especially the first because all of the information is already coded in–they just need to add a menu option for choosing the lens. It would be a shame if Leica didn't include it...!

 

[benmacphoto]

I would like the manual selection of lenses a long with switching the protect button to the ISO. Maybe give me the soft release in firmware update as well?

 

[rfrangefinder]

why would they bother? two possible reasons spring to mind from an economics point of view, and i've done no calculations to work out if either is viable:
1. charge a fee for it
2. continue to issue free firmware to avoid further accelerated depreciation of m8/2 line. such depreciation will put pressure on m9 new (actual, net of rebates) pricing i suspect, as it does in many fields from cars to watches

firmware upgrades for m8u were of low incremental cost when being engineered for the m8.2. i reckon the incremental costings will have changed when we're talking about reworking m9 firmware (reworking is the wrong word here, but hopefully you know what i mean)

 

[noimmunity]

A similar thread on the Leica Users Forum suggests, via indications from Leica reps, that Leica will not abandon M8 users and will eventually come out with a new firmware update.

I think it has to be an easy way for Leica to score points with its customer base and I cannot see how it could possibly eat into sales of the M9. If anything it would increase the resale value of the M8, making it easier for some users to upgrade.

 

[Ben Z]

I already use the 2S timer as a soft button because it reduces fingerpress reduced vibration.

Along the lines of finger press vibration...I was looking at pictures of the M9 top plate I think it was on Erwin's site...looks to me the shutter button is no longer threaded for a cable release. Confirmation? If so, is there an electronic remote/release?

 

[Robin Harrison]

I see real value in most of these enhacements.

Self timer assignment - I suffered a severe case of 'self-timer' syndrome at a wedding last weekend - I lost the best of the down-the-isle shots as a result.
Soft release - I was never convinced with the feel of the M8 release or the AE lock feel. I think I'd try yo use this all the time and move more to manual shutter speed selection (if it was good enough for pre-M7, it's good enough for me).
Exp comp - if I still find AE useful, this would be handy. I currently don't use exp comp at all (I leave it on -0.3) because it's too fiddly. But does the viewfinder display show what you've dialled in? On moving the dial, it should show exp arrow in direction of compensation, and amount in shutter speed display, just for 1 or 2 seconds.
Quick ISO change - Yes please. I've never even used that protect button.
Manual coding - Yes please (I bought a coding kit, then found out all my LTM-M adaptors don't have room for coding - doh).

Get on the case, Leica.

 

[ZeissFan]

For Leica's digital M users, there are some things that work in their favor. The company has a history of supporting and servicing discontinued products. You can send in an M2, and Leica will still service it.

I would be very surprised if Canon, for example, would service the Canon 7 rangefinder. Perhaps, they would, but they've shown a real disdain for looking backward. The Japanese industry offers 10 years of service after the discontinuation of a model, I think.

My second point is that unlike Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony and others, they have a relatively small number of products: M8, M8.2 and M9 -- and really just two, if you lump together the M8 and M8.2.

If you only have to support two products, it's much easier to correct issues through firmware than if you're Canon or Nikon, trying to pump out new P&S models every six months and new dSLRs every 18 months. So much effort goes into what's upcoming that the focus seems to quickly shift away from the current product, although I will concede that while some of Canon's products were current, it issued numerous firmware upgrades for some of them, including a few to undo previous upgrades that would render the camera unusable in certain circumstances.

 

[jaapv]

The short answer is - there is every chance of a firmware upgrade for the M8, if only to solve the continous-discreet lockup glitch. As Leica will support the M8 for a very long period into the future, there may be even more than one iteration coming. However, don't look for any extras to be added to future firmware versions. As far as that goes, the M8 and M8.2 are a done deal for Leica.

 

[peter_n]

To quote from David Farkas' blog: "Leica has finally implemented a manual lens selection option. This has been on the most-requested feature list for quite some time, and, with new firmware development, could finally be implemented on the M9. Apparently, retrofitting the M8 firmware with this option wasn't a practical possibility." (My italics)

http://dfarkas.blogspot.com/2009/09/leica-m9-review-shooting-in-wetzlar.html

 

[_goodtimez]

I am in good relationship with the Leica importer in Luxembourg and in the past I requested them to ask Leica if the Discreat function could be implemented in the M8 as is was existing in the M8-2. The boss phoned the chief of production for the M in front of me and a few weeks later the function was up and running.
All these guys are now very busy with the production of the M9, the S2 and the X1.
Let's wait a couple months and I will ask them to phone again and ask about the implementation of the lens coding into the M8.
I may not be the only guy on earth asking about these options but I can state for sure that the importer in Lux is very good friends of the production manager at Leica, that helps.
BTW the guys at Luxembourg are really cool. Pay them a visit if you are around. They are in Howald, a place which is easy to find and park.
Patience is the key

 

[darkspark]

I am in good relationship with the Leica importer in Luxembourg and in the past I requested them to ask Leica if the Discreat function could be implemented in the M8 as is was existing in the M8-2. The boss phoned the chief of production for the M in front of me and a few weeks later the function was up and running.
All these guys are now very busy with the production of the M9, the S2 and the X1.
Let's wait a couple months and I will ask them to phone again and ask about the implementation of the lens coding into the M8.
I may not be the only guy on earth asking about these options but I can state for sure that the importer in Lux is very good friends of the production manager at Leica, that helps.
BTW the guys at Luxembourg are really cool. Pay them a visit if you are around. They are in Howald, a place which is easy to find and park.
Patience is the key

That would be great! I too hope there will be new firmware and Leica won't just ignore us and just move on to only the M9.

 

[alifil]

Let's raise the clamour for some response from Leica!!!

My favorites would be:
Manual selection of lenses.
User assignable value for "protect" button (either ISO or exp comp)

Excellent idea, I would love exposure compensation!

I don't know if this is possible at all, but something that is rather annoying is that one cannot see shutterspeed when the camera is in manual-mode, I really need to see that, because the difference in handholdability between 1/8 and 1/4 is significant. In very lowlight situations I have to check the top of my camera all the time. Does anyone have a clue if that would be possible with a firmwareupdate?