The now standard three-button rear control layout of the CL was carried forward to the SL2 and Q2, but both these cameras received a revised menu system which features a quick-setting initial screen when the menu button is pressed. This layout has now found its way to the CL as part of the latest firmware update to the camera in the latest firmware 4.0 update.
I downloaded the update yesterday but haven’t yet had a chance to delve into the differences, although the quick settings screen is an obvious welcome improvement. Here is Leica’s overview of the update.
Sadly, Leica has not seen fit to tackle the notorious wayward focus point which responds in an over-sensitive manner to inadvertent nudges of the four-way pad. Repeatedly, Leica has refused to introduce the option to fix the focus point centrally as thousands of users have requested. I suppose, following this update, we will have to give up and make the best of it.
The status screen wants to have everything you need. But, is it really useful?
Or it makes even worse handling options.
Or can you switch to video mode accidentally not knowing how going on?
Or magically returning to default profile, exactly what you don’t want to.
Let’s see
The wandering follows. The status screen leaves the menu behind, but it doesn’t fill the holes in the sensor in many situations (mostly dark areas in low speed). Leica made deaf ears also to that. Perhaps I can upload a sample here.
If you have any samples and notes please send them to me
mike@macfilos.com
Thanks. I will
Done this morning. Just have to download the files,
The wandering focus point doesn’t pose a problem. It did until I turned off “touch focus.” The 4-way controller however isn’t a problem for me, maybe because of the way I hold it. The changes with the firmware update are great, especially the status screen. Touch it and immediately switch the modes. Great work.
Menu > focus point lock > toggle on. IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK…
Absolutely not, from a rational point of view. But Leica’s designers appear to have b(lock) about this. Fuji and other manufacturers did it years ago. Even Leica (reluctantly) did it with the joystick on the SL and SL2. But they failed miserably with the CL, the X models and, it has to be said with the Q2. For some reason, probably the way I hold it, the Q2 doesn’t bother me. But the CL certainly does. As Don Morley says previously, though, he thinks they might have done something to help but I haven’t yet had enough time with the new setup. Fingers crossed.
I remember the X113 had a fixed central focus point. Installing that into the CL would instantly make it a 20% better camera…
Really? I’d forgotten that. The X1/X2 did. have the ability to fix the focal point but I never owned the 113, although I did test it. Dave Seargeant should know about this. Back to point, though, why did they suddenly stop offering this!
Not sure what other people think but now that we received firmware 4.0 I am probably not expecting a CL2 anytime soon, certainly not in 2020… My guess would be that it is at least another 6-12 months away.
This latest firmware 4 seems to me to be a vast improvement, indeed with it I might finaly get to actually love my CL AND maybe I am imagining it, and Leica hasve noit made any claims for it, But I suspect the wandering focus point might also have been tamed somewhat so, thank you Leica it might even prove to have been worth the three year wait.
Interesting, Don, and if so I am happy to have been proved wrong. I am away at the moment with both the SL2 and CL, which I took along for those days when I don’t want to carry around such a big camera. I look forward to trying it.
Those are good news for CL users, guess, perhaps more future than what I thought. I downloaded it, thanks, but still didn’t installed it; no return, … ho hurry. But they seem good improvements. Sorry about the focus point, Mike.
Copyright, not a must but very good to have the option. Zoom will probably gift us with a low resolution insipid thing, but ok. Status screen will difficultly give me more satisfaction; not even using favorites, welcome though.
Apparently Leica have licensed the song “The Wanderer” sung by Dion as the little musical “trill” when the focal point moves of it’s own accord…
I guess this gives Leica something to do in FM v5.0
Perhaps in 2025?
I wish users had the option to turn off the Status screen, or the ability to either select the Status screen or the Favorites screen or both. I have everything I need on the Favorites screen and some things are not on the Status screen. With the Status screen it is an additional click to get to the Favorites screen. The other 3 updates mean nothing to me. Not a firmware upgrade that is essential or re-enforces “das Wesentliche” as far as I am concerned. I guess the good thing is really that there is a firmware upgrade. Leica would probably not be releasing this firmware upgrade if there was not going to be a CL2. That being said it probably does not bode well for the TL3…
The status screen is, for me, the best and most useful update. Any camera which doesn’t have such a feature (and I’m used to the Olympus Super Control Panel implementation) but does have pages of menu options and various buttons to twiddle to get to these settings is that bit less straightforward to use. I use mostly A mode, then M (with M mount lenses), and quick access to change settings in these is highly desirable. The other new features are an improvement, and anything that makes FOTOS easier is good.