Leica Q Firmware 4.1

Film photograph of the Suffolk Marshes.  A river and walkway can be seen.  Along the banks of the river the reed beds can be seen.

If you updated your Leica Q to the new version 4 software then you might want to check Leica’s site. Version 4.1 is now out with lots of bug fixes.

Camera Menus

Red head model wearing a dress in a period room, she his lit from the window and is looking to our right.
Leica M10, 50mm Summilux-M 1.4 ASPH

Camera menus are a very personal thing. If you use a camera every day you soon learn your way around. A Nikon camera faced with a Canon will struggle at first and a Canon user with a Nikon.

Two camera manufacturers that have been far ahead of the pack with logical and simple structures have been Leica and Hasselblad.

Major updates always cause a little confusion and the latest v4 firmware for the Leica Q has standardised the menus across all there cameras now. With this update the Q now has the same menu system as the SL.

When Nikon released the Z9 with the new processor the menu system changed somewhat and all Nikons with that generation of processor have that menu system. The older Nikons still have the old menu system and switching between the two can cause a little confusion. I think I prefer Leicas idea of updating older cameras to match the latest. If you only have the one body I can see this causing a lot of confusion but for those of us with multiple bodies this would be very helpful.

Are Camera Specs irrelevant now

Blonde model in the studio.  Plain white background.  She is wearing a black dress with the back open and she is facing away from the camera.

The image above was taken fifteen years ago. I think with a 10 megapixel Nikon D200 with its cropped DX sensor.

A profile view of a woman with grey hair styled in a loose bun. She has a elegant neckline and appears contemplative, with her eyes closed and head tilted down.

The above image, a Nikon D800 with 36 megapixels, the first of the big megapixels cameras that started to dominate the market.

Young model in a green dress stood by an apple tree, holding an apple.
Leica M10

This one a 24 megapixel Leica M10.

Young blond model in shirt and jacket with arms crossed, looking down towards the camera position.  The background is a modern looking building.
Casey at Usher Art Gallery. Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S

Lastly a modern Nikon mirrorless at close to 50 Megapixels.

All of these images are good. Are the new ones a bit better, possibly but is that due to me becoming a better photographer, getting better at editing and processing digital images, or a better lens or camera. Maybe a bit of all of this, but these are all great images and all modern cameras are now very good. It’s now down to the photographer. I think the camera wars should be over, use what inspires you, use what feels good in the hand. But don’t argue that your camera is better than someone else’s. Whether an ancient Nikon D70 at 6 megapixels or the latest Sony A7R V at 61 Megapixels, you can get great images from either.

Energy Poverty

App showing energy flow in a home.  This shows solar energy going directly into an electric car providing free fuel.
Screenshot

For those of us with good incomes, we can afford to install solar, buy electric cars. Install systems like the Eddi which provides free hot water from the solar.

On a sunny day like some we have had this week we are getting free fuel and free hot water. For those who cannot afford such things they are stuck with higher energy costs and fossil fuels.

More needs to be done to allow more people to get the benefits of the switch to green tech. At least electric cars as they get more popular, the secondhand market grows and prices come down.

Leica Gray

Leica Product Page showing new product finish in grey for their cameras.

So last Thursday I posted no new products likely from Leica and then they announce a range of new colours; so I suppose I was kind of correct.

Topless redhead sat outdoors in an alcove. She has a pink skirt and her arms cover her breasts.
Leica M10, 50mm Summilux and Ivory Flame modeling

The new gray looks nice and it’s not unusual for Leica to release special colour releases. People critique Leica for their expensive special editions but they are a small company and releases like these help pay for product development and new releases.

No new Cameras from Leica this year

Young model in a green dress stood by an apple tree, holding an apple.
Leica M10

It seems we have reached update time for Sony and Canon with new releases over the last few months but a few rumour sites are going: what about Leica.

It seems nothing is expected this year from Leica but we while we have had the mid cycle refresh of the Leica M already with the Leica M11-P we have not had the P version of the Leica SL3 yet.

So if there is to be a release expect a P version of the SL.

The upgrade train

Young blond model sat on the grass in a graveyard.  She is wearing a sunhat and pretty print dress looking towards the camera.

I noticed a few comments that Leica apart from a few special editions will not be releasing any new models this year.

With the release of the recent Canon’s and Sony’s Nikon users are asking where are the new cameras.

Too many photographers seem stuck in upgrade cycles forever buying the latest gear, sometimes switching systems to the latest and most modern.

Model in corset and stockings laid on couch.
Leica M8 sample – Boudoir

But looking through my library is there really a difference between photographs I took over ten years ago to those I took in the last three years with my current cameras.

Not really. New cameras can make somethings easier, and a new camera can inspire you to go out and take pictures but essentially its you taking the shot.