m8 firmware update....when?

[sprokitt]

I saw rumors that the next (and possibly last) M8 firmware update would be in May, but so far not so much.
Any word on when its coming and what the improvements / changes will be?

In case someone from leica is reading, my wish list is:

1 manual lens coding
2 easier exposure compensation
3 faster iso setting

 

[swoop]

omg, this is the third post on this this month. You "heard" there was going to be an update? Where, in Solms? Because that's the only place where hearing such a statement would matter. Otherwise, what was wishful thinking, turned into speculation and that has turned into "Hey Leica where the hell is that update?"

There is no update. And if there ever will be one it will get here when it gets here. And an update honestly can't offer anything more than a few interface changes. And that really doesn't make sense this late in the game. The M8 is what it is. It's done. Why change the interface on a camera almost 4 years old when everyone is comfortable with its layout. Exposure compensation and ISO selection were annoying when the camera was two months old. But I've gotten pretty used to it and it is second nature now. And the manual lens coding would be nice. But I don't know if it's going to happen.

I don't think Leica even writes these things. I think they have some other company creating the firmware for the digital M's. And if Leica is paying some other company to do this. I'd rather they focus on M9 updates rather than trying to eek out little interface updates from a camera that works perfectly fine.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I am thinking never.

 

[Clancycoop]

Like swoop said, any such rumors are fueled by posts just like this. I don't know of any companies who update their product's firmware more than about 3 years after release, especially not with anything more than essential updates.

 

[ramosa]

yea, i'm not expecting it ... but--sure--would like it.

 

[eleskin]

Lens selection would be fine for me and is not much to ask for.

 

[jbr]

So now our only hope is that a hacker disassembles the code and publishes it, so everyone can do his own programming ;-)...

 

[Bill Blackwell]

I am thinking never.

I would have to agree. Unfortunately, at this point, it doesn't make sense for Leica to expend any further energy on the M8/M8.2.

 

[mikenic]

The Discreet Advance / Continuous shutter combo coding error that was introduced in the last update is reason enough for a revisit IMHO.

Not a new feature maybe; but it's time it was fixed. 😡

 

[sfokevin]

No further update for the M8 means that any future 6 Bit lens release will be incompatible...

What a perpetual PITA...

 

[Symeon]

Leica never worked backwards. No more updates for M8, no more 6bit optics.

 

[Alberti]

I agree with sfokevin. Well, as a new lens is being released on the market, the corresponding codes have to be distributed.
Because the software is not modularized, this implies a new complete release every time a change is made in the products.
And along the way some nice goodies can be added in - I prefer to see that as an advertisement.
alberti

 

[jlindstrom]

Let me repeat my post from LUF here as well:

Well, I took the bull by the horns and mailed Stefan Daniel about the M8 firmware update. He said that there's no date he can reliably commit to, but assured that it's in Leicas intention to keep the M8 firmware up to date regarding compability and reliability.

I find his answer reassuring in the sense that I interpret it the way we'll see updates in the future for at least new 6-bit codes. Also it means that necessary bugs will be ironed out in the future as well. I think this a fair bit more than many other vendors do regarding supporting end of production gear.

So let's just hang back and wait for the news. The update will be ready when it's ready. Don't expect anything major, but rest assured we're not forgotten

//Juha

 

[Roger Hicks]

Leica never worked backwards. No more updates for M8, no more 6bit optics.

Not like keeping screw lenses compatible with M, then?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Not like keeping screw lenses compatible with M, then?

Cheers,

R.

All absolutes are absolutely dumb.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

The Discreet Advance / Continuous shutter combo coding error that was introduced in the last update is reason enough for a revisit IMHO.

What coding error was that? I've never used that combo (I can't think of a reason why...it's like wanting to shoot color with Tri-X, but what do I know).

 

[jlindstrom]

Not quite sure, but I think he meant this combo shouldn't be possible. Say something like if you're in continuos mode, the menu option for discreet advance is grayed out. And if you have discreet action enabled but switch to continuos mode, the discreet advance is automatically canceled.

//Juha

 

[CameraQuest]

I saw rumors that the next (and possibly last) M8 firmware update would be in May, but so far not so much.
Any word on when its coming and what the improvements / changes will be?

In case someone from leica is reading, my wish list is:

1 manual lens coding
2 easier exposure compensation
3 faster iso setting

My guess is never.

M9 software is much improved over the 8.2 and is a major reason of M9 popularity.

M8 updated software would likely mean reduced M9 sales -- not a good idea from Leica's standpoint.

Stephen

 

[Ben Z]

My guess is never.

M9 software is much improved over the 8.2 and is a major reason of M9 popularity.

M8 updated software would likely mean reduced M9 sales -- not a good idea from Leica's standpoint.

Stephen

The latest M8 firmware works at least as well as the M9's respectively, and I think the majority of folks would agree the major reasons of M9 popularity are (not necessarily in order) it's full-frame, and doesn't need lens-mounted IR filters. Neither one can be done with a firmware update for the M8, so it's doubtful that any update would impact M9 sales to any degree. Leica might be able to put some better noise-reduction algorithms into the M8 firmware, but it can't do that much because the sensor is the limiting factor. Proof of that is the only-moderate improvement in high ISO noise with the M9. Adding the lens-ID menu to the M8 would be a nice thing, but other than for goofing around with a few infrequently-used lenses now and then, it's very cumbersome compared to just coding the lenses, which is not hard to do.

Where I think Leica might get into a sticky mess is when they release new lenses, especially wide angles, if they choose not to make those codes available for the M8 (cyan drift correction algorithms). The net result will be to show customers that the M9 and future models will also most likely not be supported for lenses released after the discontinuation of the bodies.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

thanks, jlindstrom!