Leica M (Typ 240) Instruction Manual

LEICA M

Anleitung / Instructions

Leica Camera AG I Oskar-Barnack-Straße 11 I 35606 SOLMS I DEUTSCHLAND

Telefon +49 (0) 6442-208-0 I Telefax +49 (0) 6442-208-333 I www.leica-camera.com

93 455 II/13/GX/ D

27 28

4 3

13 12 11

10a 10

14a 10c

10b 16

16a

17 15

19 38

LEICA M

Instructions

129

FOREWORD

Dear Customer, Leica would like to thank you for purchasing the Leica M and congratulate you on your choice. With this unique digital view and rangeﬁnder camera, you have made an excellent choice. We wish you a great deal of pleasure and success using your new Leica M. In order to make best use of all the opportunities oﬀered by this high performance camera, we recommend that you ﬁrst read these instructions.

Notes:

•Leica is constantly working on developing and optimizing the Leica M. As many functions on digital cameras are controlled by software, improvements and extensions to the range of functions may need to be installed on the camera at a later date. To do this, Leica releases what are known as ﬁrmware updates at irregular intervals. The cameras always have the latest ﬁrmware version when shipped, and you can also download it easily from our home page and install it on your camera. If you register as an owner on the Leica Camera home page, you will receive a newsletter informing you when a new ﬁrmware update is available. Further information on registration and ﬁrmware updates for your Leica M, as well as any amendments and additions to the details provided in the manual, can be found in the "Owners' Login" area at: https://owners.leica-camera.com You can tell whether your camera is running the latest ﬁrmware version by selecting see p. 154, 246).

•Before using your Leica M for the ﬁrst time, please check that the accessories supplied are complete.

Firmware in the main menu (page 5, SETUP ,

130

This is a Class B product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for Interference from Information Technology Equipment (VCCI). If this is used near a radio or television receiver in a domestic environment, it may cause radio interference. Install and use the equipment according to the instruction manual.

FCC Note: (U. S. only)

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guar antee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment oﬀ and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•Reorientorrelocatethereceivingantenna.

•Increasetheseparationbetweentheequipmentandreceiver.

•Connecttheequipmentintoanoutletonacircuit

which the receiver is connected.

•Consultthedealeroranexperiencedradio/TVtechnicianforhelp.

provide reasonable protection against harmful interfer

diﬀerent from that to

ence in a

FCC Caution:

To assure continued compliance, follow the attached installation instructions and use only shielded inter face cables with ferrite core when connecting to com put er or peripheral devices. Any changes or modiﬁcations not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

Trade Name: LEICA Model No.: LEICA M (Typ 240) Responsible party/ Support contact: Leica Camera Inc. 1 Pearl Count, Unit A Allendale, New Jersey 07401 Tel.: +1 201 995 0051 Fax: +1 201 995 1684 technicalinfo@leicacamerausa.com

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003

LEICA M (Typ 240)

Tested To Comply With FCC Standards

131

FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE

CONTENTS

Foreword ...........................................................................................130

Warning messages ........................................................................... 134

Legal information .............................................................................. 134

Disposal of electrical and electronic equipment ..................................135

Designation of parts ...........................................................................136

Quick guide....................................................................................... 138

Detailed guide ....................................................................................140

Preparations ....................................................................................140

Attaching the carrying strap ..........................................................140

Charging the battery .....................................................................141

Replacing the battery and memory card ........................................144

Leica M lenses .............................................................................147

Attaching the lens .....................................................................149

Detaching the lens ....................................................................149

The most important settings / controls ..........................................150

Turning the camera on and oﬀ ......................................................150

The shutter release .......................................................................151

Serial exposures ........................................................................152

Shutter speed dial ........................................................................153

Menu control ................................................................................154

Presets ..............................................................................................158

Basic camera settings .....................................................................158

Menu language .............................................................................158

Date and time...............................................................................158

Automatic power oﬀ .....................................................................160

Signal tones .................................................................................161

Basic picture settings ......................................................................162

Turninglens type identiﬁcation on and oﬀ ......................................162

Compression rate/ﬁle format .......................................................163

Resolution ....................................................................................163

White balance...............................................................................165

ISO sensitivity ...............................................................................167

Picture properties / Contrast, sharpness, color saturation ...........169

Film styles ................................................................................... 170

Working color space .....................................................................170

Bright line view and range ﬁnder ...................................................171

The monitor ..................................................................................173

Live view mode ............................................................................174

132

Range measurement .....................................................................175

With the optical range ﬁnder .....................................................175

With the monitor in live view mode ............................................177

By identifying in focus subject details in the monitor ..................178

Turning the exposure meter on/oﬀ ...............................................179

Exposure metering methods ........................................................180

Exposure modes ...........................................................................182

Aperture priority ........................................................................182

Exposure lock .........................................................................183

Exposure compensation ..........................................................184

Automatic bracketing .................................................................186

Manual exposure setting ............................................................188

The B setting / The T function ...................................................188

Values above and below the metering range .................................189

Flash mode ..................................................................................190

Additional functions.........................................................................196

Video clips ...................................................................................196

Sound recording ...........................................................................197

Taking photographs with the self-timer ..........................................198

Marking image ﬁles for copyright protection .................................198

Recording the shooting location using GPS ...................................198

Spirit level ...................................................................................201

User / application speciﬁc proﬁles ..............................................201

Resetting all custom settings ........................................................203

Additional functions.........................................................................216

Folder management ......................................................................216

Formatting the memory card .........................................................218

Transferring data to a computer ....................................................219

Adobe

Photoshop® Lightroom® ..................................................222

Leica Image Shuttle

...................................................................222

Working with DNG raw data ..........................................................222

Installing ﬁrmware updates ...........................................................223

Miscellaneous ...................................................................................224

Leica M system accessories ............................................................224

Spare parts .....................................................................................227

Safety and care instructions ...............................................................228

General precautionary measures .....................................................228

Care instructions .............................................................................230

Cleaning the sensor / dust detection ..............................................234

Storage ...........................................................................................236

Malfunctions and their resolution .......................................................236

Appendix ...........................................................................................238

Displays ..........................................................................................238

Menu options ..................................................................................246

Index .................................................................................................248

Review mode...................................................................................204

Technical data .................................................................................. 250

Leica addresses ................................................................................254

133

The CE identiﬁcation of our products documents compliance with the fundamental requirements of the valid EU directives.

WARNING MESSAGES

•Modern electronic elements react sensitively to electrostatic discharge. As people can easily pick up charges of tens of thousands of volts, by walking on synthetic carpets for example, a discharge can occur when you touch your Leica M, particularly if it is placed on a conductive surface. If only the camera housing is aﬀected, this discharge is harmless to the electronics. However, despite built-in safety circuits, the outer contacts, such as the battery or rear panel contacts, should not be touched if at all possible for safety reasons.

•For any cleaning of the contacts, do not use an optical micro-ﬁber cloth (synthetic); use a cotton or linen cloth instead. Before touching the contacts, you can make sure you discharge any electrostatic charge by deliberately touching a heating or water pipe (conductive, earthed material). You can also avoid soiling and oxidization of the contacts by storing your Leica M in a dry place with the lens or bayonet cover ﬁtted.

•You should use only the recommended accessories to prevent faults, short circuits or electric shock.

•Do not attempt to remove parts of the body (covers); specialist repairs can be carried out only at authorized service centers.

LEGAL INFORMATION

•Please ensure that you observe copyright laws. The recording and publication of pre-recorded media such as tapes, CDs, or other published or broadcast material may contravene copyright laws.

•This also applies to all of the software supplied.

•The SD, HDMI, and USB logos are registered trademarks.

•Other names, company or product names referred to in this

manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of the relevant companies.

134

DISPOSAL OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

(Applies within the EU, and for other European countries with segregated waste collection systems)

This device contains electrical and/or electronic components and should therefore not be disposed of in general household waste. Instead it should be disposed of at a recycling collection point provided by the local authority. This costs you nothing. If the device itself contains replaceable (rechargeable) batteries, these must be removed ﬁrst and, if necessary, also be disposed of in line with the relevant regulations. You local authority or waste disposal authority, or the shop where you bought this device, can provide you with further information on this issue.

135

DESIGNATION OF PARTS

Figures in the front and rear cover pages

Front view

1. Lens release button

2. Eyes for carrying strap

3. Focusing button

4. Range ﬁnder viewing window

5. Brightness sensor

6. Viewﬁnder viewing window

7. Self-timer LED

8. Bottom cover locking point

Leica M lenses with viewﬁnder attachment cover the brightness sensor.

Information about functions with these and other lenses can be found in the "Displays / In the viewﬁnder", p. 238, and "Leica M lenses, p. 147 sections.

Top view

9. Microphone

10. Fixed ring with

a. Index for range setting b. Depth of ﬁeld scale and c. Red index button for changing lenses

11. Aperture setting ring

12. White index point for aperture setting

13. Lens hood

14. Focusing ring with

a. Recessed grip

15. Main switch with detent positions for

–

OFF (camera turned oﬀ)

–

S (single pictures)

–

C (continuous pictures)

–

(self-timer)

16. Shutter release with

a. Thread for cable release

17. Video shutter release

18. Time setting dial with detent positions for

–

A for automatic shutter speed control

– Shutter speeds –

B (long-time exposure)

–

Flash sync speed (1/

- 8s (inc. intermediate values)

4000

180

19. Flash unit shoe

136

Rear view

20.

SET button

– For calling up the picture parameters menu – For calling up sub-menus the menu system – For applying settings/functions selected in sub-menus

21.

MENU button for calling up and exiting the main menu and

sub-menus

22.

ISO button for calling up the sensitivity setting

23.

DELETE button for selecting the delete function

24.

PL AY button

– For activating (continuous) review mode – To return to full-screen display

25.

LV button for turning live view mode on and oﬀ

26. Viewﬁnder window

27. Socket for external electronic viewﬁnder / microphone adapter (cover removed)

28. Brightness sensor for monitor

29. Setting dial

– For navigating in the menus – For setting the selected menu options / functions – For setting an exposure compensation value – For enlarging/reducing pictures viewed – For scrolling through the picture memory

30. Direction pad

– For navigating in the menus – For setting the selected menu options / functions – For scrolling through the picture memory

31.

INFO button

– For displaying picture settings/data – For displaying picture data during picture review – For applying settings

32. Speaker

33. LED for indicating picture mode / recording data

34. Monitor

Bottom view

(with bottom cover ﬁtted)

35. Locking toggle for bottom cover

36. Tripod thread A ¼, DIN 4503 (¼")

37. Bottom cover

(with bottom cover removed)

38. Socket for multifunction M hand grip

39. Memory card slot

40. Battery compartment

41. Battery locking slider

Available as accessory, see p. 226

137

QUICK GUIDE

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

– Camera – Battery – Memory card (not supplied) – Charger and mains cable

138

PREPARATIONS

1. Charge the battery (see p. 141)

2. Insert the battery (see p. 144)

3. Insert the memory card (see p. 146)

4. Turn on the camera (see p. 150)

5. Set the menu language (see p. 158)

6. Set the date and time (see p. 158)

7. Format the memory card, if necessary (see p. 218)

VIEWING PICTURES

The camera is preset to display the last picture automatically for a short time (see p. 204). You can turn on review mode (for an unlimited period) at any time using the To view diﬀerent pictures, press left or right on the direction pad (see p. 210). To enlarge the picture turn the setting dial to the right (see p. 211).

PL AY button (see p. 204).

TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS

8. Attach the lens (see p. 149)

9. Set the shutter speed dial to A (see p. 153)

10. Set the subject focus (see p. 174)

11. Turn on the camera (see p. 150)

12. Turn on exposure metering (see p. 151)

13. Correct the exposure, if necessary (see p. 182)

14. Release the shutter (see p. 151)

Note:

For details of how to shoot videos, see p. 196

DELETING PICTURES

Press the DELETE button and follow the instructions in the monitor (see p. 212).

139

DETAILED GUIDE

PREPARATIONS

ATTACHING THE CARRYING STRAP

140

CHARGING THE BATTERY The Leica M is powered by a lithium ion battery.

•The green LED marked CHARGE starts ﬂ ashing to conﬁ rm that

charging is in progress. As soon as the battery has charged to at

least

/5 of its capacity, the yellow LED marked 80% also lights up. When the battery if fully charged, the green LED also changes from ﬂ ashing to continuously lit.

Note:

The

80% LED lights up after around 2 hours due to the charging

characteristics.

The charger should then be disconnected from the mains. There is therefore no risk of overcharging.

(in live view / Classic mode)

141

Attention:

•Only the battery type speciﬁed and described in this manual (order no. 14 499), or battery types speciﬁed and described by Leica Camera AG, may be used in this camera.

•These batteries may only be used in the units for which they are designed and may only be charged exactly as described below.

•Using this battery contrary to the instructions and using nonspeciﬁed battery types can result in an explosion under certain circumstances.

•The batteries may not be exposed to heat, sunlight, humidity or moisture for long periods. Likewise, the batteries may not be placed in a microwave oven or a high pressure container as this results in a risk of ﬁre or explosion.

•A safety valve in the battery guarantees that any excess pressure caused by improper handling is discharged safely.

•Only the charger speciﬁed and described in this manual (order no. 14 494) is to be used. The use of other chargers not approved by Leica Camera AG can cause damage to the batteries and, in extreme cases, can cause serious or life-threatening injuries.

•The charger supplied should be used exclusively for charging this battery type. Do not attempt to use it for other purposes.

•The car charging cable supplied may never be connected while the charger is connected to the mains.

•Ensure that the mains outlet used for charging is freely accessible.

•The battery and charger may not be opened. Repairs may only be

carried out by authorized workshops.

142

Notes:

•The battery should be charged before the Leica M is used for the ﬁrst time.

•The battery must have a temperature of 10°-30°C to be charged (otherwise the charger will not turn on, or will turn oﬀ again).

•Lithium ion batteries can be charged at any time, regardless of their current charge level. If a battery is only partly discharged when charging starts, it is charged to full capacity faster.

•The batteries warm up during the charging process. This is normal and not a malfunction.

•If the two LEDs on the charger ﬂash rapidly (> 2Hz) after starting charging, this indicates a charging error (e.g. maximum charging time exceeded, voltages or temperatures outside the permitted ranges, or short circuit). In this case, disconnect the charger from the mains and remove the battery. Ensure that the above temperature conditions are met and then restart the charging process. If the problem persists, please contact your dealer, the Leica oﬃce in your country or Leica Camera AG.

•A new battery only reaches its full capacity after it has been fully charged and – by use in the camera - discharged again 2 or 3 times. This discharge procedure should be repeated every 25 cycles. To maximize the life of the battery, it should not be exposed to extremely high or low temperatures (e. g. in a stationary vehicle in summer or winter) for long periods.

•Even when used in optimum conditions, every battery has a limited service life. After several hundred charging cycles, this becomes noticeable as the operating times get signiﬁcantly shorter.

•The battery should be replaced after a maximum of four years, as its performance deteriorates and reliable operation can no longer be guaranteed, particularly in cold conditions.

•Defective batteries should be disposed of in line with the applicable regulations (see p. 231).

•The replaceable battery provides power to a back-up battery which is permanently ﬁtted in the camera. This back-up battery retains the set date and time for up to 2 months. If this back-up battery becomes discharged it must be recharged by inserting the replaceable main battery. Once the replaceable battery has been inserted, the full capacity of the back-up battery is recovered after about a few days. This process does not require the camera to be turned on.

143

REPLACING THE BATTERY AND MEMORY CARD Set the main switch (1.18) to

OFF.

Important:

Do not open the bottom cover or remove the memory card or battery whilst the red LED (33) at the bottom right of the monitor (34) is ﬂ ashing, indicating picture recording and/or data saving to the card. Otherwise the unsaved (or not completely saved) picture data may be lost.

Removing the bottom cover

Inserting the battery

Removing the battery

144

Charge level displays

In picture mode, the battery charge level is displayed in the monitor (34) by pressing the

INFO button (31).

Notes:

•Remove the battery if you will not be using the camera for a long period of time.

•A maximum of 2 months after the capacity of a battery left in the camera is exhausted (see also the last note under “Charging the battery”, p. 141), the date and time need to be re-entered.

•As the battery capacity deteriorates or if using an older battery, depending on the function being used warning messages and displays may appear and functions may be restricted or blocked.

Compatible memory cards The Leica M saves the pictures on an SD (secure digital), SDHC (high

capacity), or SDXC (eXtended capacity) card. SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards are available from various suppliers and with diﬀ erent capacities and read/write speeds. Particularly those with high capacities and read/write speeds allow data to be recorded and retrieved very quickly. The cards have a write protection switch, which can be used to prevent unintentional storage and deletion of pictures. This switch takes the form of a slider on the non-beveled side of the card; in the lower position, marked LOCK, the data on the card is protected.

Note:

Do not touch the memory card contacts.

145

Inserting the memory card

Removing the memory card

Notes:

•The range of SD/SDHC/SDXC cards is too large for Leica Camera AG to be able to completely test all available types for compatibility and quality. Although using other card types is not likely to damage the camera or the card, some "no name" cards do not comply with the SD/SDHC/SDXC standards, and Leica Camera AG is unable to provide any guarantee that they will function correctly.

•Video recordings in particular require a high write speed.

•If the memory card cannot be inserted, check that it is aligned

correctly.

•If you remove the bottom cover or take out the memory card when the camera is turned on, the monitor displays the corresponding warning messages instead of the normal displays:

–

Attention Bottom cover removed

– Attention No card inserted.

•As electromagnetic ﬁ elds, electrostatic charge, and defects on the camera or the card can lead to damage or loss of the data on the memory card, we recommend that you also transfer the data to a computer and save it there (see p. 220).

•For the same reason, it is recommended that the card is always stored in its antistatic cover.

146

LEICA M LENSES Generally speaking, most Leica M lenses can be used on the Leica M.

Details on the small number of exceptions and restrictions can be found in the following notes. They can be used regardless of the lens features, and whether it does or does not have 6-bit coding in the bayonet. Even without this additional feature, i.e. when using Leica M lenses without identiﬁ cation, the Leica M will deliver excellent pictures in most situations. To ensure optimum picture quality in these situations, we recommend entering the lens type (see p. 162).

Important:

•Cannot be used:

– Hologon 15mm f/8 – Summicron 50mm f/2 with close up. – Elmar 90mm f/4 with retractable tube (manufactured from

1954-1968)

– Some versions of the Summilux-M 35mm f/4 (not aspherical,

manufactured from 1961-1995, Made in Canada) cannot be ﬁ tted to the Leica M or will not focus to inﬁ nity. The Leica Customer Care department can modify these lenses so that they can be used on the Leica M.

•Can be used but with a risk of damaging the camera or lens:

Lenses with retractable tube can only be used with the tube extended, i.e. their tube must never be retracted into the Leica M. This is not the case with the current Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4, as its tube does not protrude into the camera body even when retracted. It can therefore be used without any restrictions.

147

•Can be used with restrictions Despite the high precision of the rangeﬁnder on the Leica M, exact focusing with 135mm lenses with an open aperture cannot be guaranteed due to the very low depth of ﬁeld. Therefore, stopping down by at least 2 stops is recommended. By contrast, live view mode (see p. 173) on the Leica M and the various setting facilities allow unrestricted use of this lens.

Notes:

•The Leica Customer Care department can upgrade many Leica M lenses with 6-bit coding (for address, see p. 254).

•In addition to Leica M lenses with and without coding using the Leica M adapter available as an accessory (see p. 224), Leica R lenses can also be used on the Leica M.

•Can be used but are excluded from

Classic exposure metering (see

p. 180)

– Super-Angulon-M 21mm f/4 – Super-Angulon-M 21mm f/3.4 – Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 with serial nos. before 2 314 921.

148

Attaching the lens

Detaching the lens

1. Turn oﬀ the camera

2. Hold the lens by the ﬁ xed ring (10).

3. Align the red index button (10b) on the lens with the release button (1) on the camera housing

4. In this position, insert the lens.

5. Turn the lens slightly to the right, and you will hear and feel it click into place.

1. Turn oﬀ the camera

2. Hold the lens by the ﬁ xed ring (10).

3. Press down the release button (1) on the camera body.

4. Turn the lens to the left until its red index button (10b) is aligned with the release button.

5. Remove the lens.

Notes:

•Generally: To protect the Leica M against ingress of dust etc. into

the interior of the camera, it is important always to have a lens or a cover ﬁ tted to the camera body.

•For the same reason, when changing lenses work quickly and in an

environment that is as dust-free as possible.

•Camera or lens rear covers should not be stored in your trouser

pocket as they attract dust that can get into the camera when they are ﬁ tted.

149

THE MOST IMPORTANT SETTINGS / CONTROLS

TURNING THE CAMERA ON AND OFF

15 16

c. C - Continuous series

A series of pictures are taken for as long as the shutter release is held down and the capacity of the memory card used and the internal buﬀ er memory is suﬃ cient (see "Replacing the memory card", p. 144). The ﬁ rst 8 pictures are taken in rapid succession, subsequent pictures with a reduced frequency.

- Self-timer

Pressing the shutter release starts the set delay time (see p.

198), then the picture is taken.

TURNING ON After turning on, i.e. after setting one of the three functions

S, C or ,

the LED (33) lights up brieﬂ y and the displays in the viewﬁ nder appear (see p. 238).

The Leica M is turned on and oﬀ using the main switch (15). This is below the shutter release (16) and is a lever with four detent positions:

OFF – Camera turned oﬀ

S – Single picture

Pressing the shutter release takes a single picture regardless of how long it is held down for.

Note:

After turning on, the camera is ready to use after approx. 1s.

TURNING OFF Even if the main switch is not set to

OFF the camera is automatically

turned oﬀ if an automatic power oﬀ time has been set in the menu (

Auto P ower Off , see p. 160), and none of the controls are used in

this time.

150

Note:

If the camera is out of use for an extended period or is stored in a case, always turn it oﬀ at the main switch. This prevents any power consumption, including that which continues to occur in standby mode after the exposure meter is turned oﬀ automatically and the display is extinguished. This also prevents pictures from being taken accidentally.

THE SHUTTER RELEASE

The shutter release button (16) has two pressure points:

1. Pressing down to the 1st pressure point – activates exposure metering and the viewﬁnder display – saves the metered exposure value in aperture priority mode,

i.e. the shutter speed determined by the camera (for more details, refer to the “Metering memory lock” section on p.

183).

– restarts a self-timer delay time that is already in progress (see

p. 198)

If the shutter release button is kept at this pressure point, the displays remain visible, or if the camera had previously been set to review mode, it switches back into picture mode. If the camera was previously in standby mode (see p. 150), it is reactivated and the display is turned on. If you let go of the shutter release button, the metering system and the displays remain activated for around a further 12s (for more details, refer to the sections under “Exposure metering” on p. 180).

Note:

The shutter release button remains blocked

– if the internal buﬀer memory is (temporarily) full, e.g. after a series

of ≥8 pictures, or

– if the memory card inserted and the internal buﬀer memory are

(temporarily) full, or

– if the battery has exceeded its performance limits (capacity,

temperature, age)

2. Pressing the shutter release button all the way down takes the picture or starts a preselected self-timer delay time. The data is then transferred to the memory card.

The shutter release button has a standard thread (16) for a cable release.

151

Notes:

•If review mode (see "Review mode", p. 204) or menu control (see p. 154) was previously active, tapping the shutter release button immediately switches to picture mode.

•To avoid blurring, the shutter release should be pressed gently – not jerkily, until the shutter is released with a soft click.

•The shutter release button can be pressed to take one or more individual pictures while a video recording is in progress. Details of video recordings and the video shutter release (17) can be found on p.196.

Serial exposures

On the Leica M, you can not only take single pictures - by setting the main switch (15) to ( the main switch to (

S [single]) - but also series of pictures, by setting

C [continuous]), e.g. to capture sequences of

movement in several stages. Apart from operation of the shutter release (16), series of pictures are taken in the same way as single pictures: A series of pictures is taken for as long as you hold down the shutter release (provided that the memory card has suﬃ cient capacity). If you only press it brieﬂ y, the camera continues to take single pictures.

A maximum of around 3 frames per second can be produced. At least the ﬁ rst 8 of these are taken in rapid succession, after which the image frequency is reduced slightly.

Notes:

•The speciﬁ ed picture frequency and the maximum possible number of pictures in a series relate to a standard setting –

JPEG fine format. The frequency and number may be lower when

ISO 200 and

using diﬀ erent settings or depending on the memory card used.

•Regardless of how many pictures are taken in a series, in both review modes (see p. 204) the last picture in the series or the last picture in the series stored on the card - if not all pictures in the series have been transferred from the camera's buﬀ er memory to the card at this point - is displayed ﬁ rst.

152

SHUTTER SPEED DIAL

The exposure modes are selected using the shutter speed dial (18) on the Leica M,

– Aperture priority mode by selecting the

A position marked in red

(see p. 182),

– Manual mode by selecting a shutter speed of

4000

s to 8s,

(intermediate values in ½ step positions are also available), and

– the shortest possible sync speed for ﬂ ash mode - marked with the

symbol - of 1/

–

B for long exposures (see p. 188).

s (see p. 191), and

180

The Leica M shutter speed dial has no stop, i.e. it can be turned in either direction from any position. It detents at all marked positions and at the intermediate values. Values between the detent positions cannot be used. More details on setting the correct exposure can be found in the sections under „Exposure metering” starting on p. 179.

153

MENU CONTROL

Many settings on the Leica M are controlled using two separate menus (see p. 246/247).

MAIN MENU

The main menu is made up of 34 options. It is divided into 3 function groups:

–

CAMERA (basic camera settings - page 1)

–

IMAGE (picture settings - page 2)

–

SETUP (supplementary functions – pages 3-5)

PICTURE PARAMETERS MENU

The picture parameters menu is made up of 8 options. In addition to basic picture settings, it contains two options relating to exposure metering and control and one that can be used to create and call up user proﬁles. The split into two menus and the grouping in the main menu allows what experience has shown to be the most frequently used options to be called up and set quickly and easily. When the camera is turned on, an overview of the relevant settings and step-by-step instructions for setting these options can be viewed in the monitor (34). Settings are made in the same way in both menus, the diﬀerences are only in calling up and exiting them.

154

Setting the menu functions

1. The main menu is called up using the picture parameters menu using the

•The ﬁrst =

CAMERA- page containing the ﬁrst six options then

MENU button (21) and the

SET button (20).

appears in the main menu, and all options in the picture parameters menu. The active option when a page is selected is always the last one to be changed.

Note:

The picture parameters menu is only accessible when the camera is in picture mode.

155

2. You can select the relevant option either using the setting dial (29; turn right = down in menu, turn left = up in menu) or the direction pad (30; press up or down).

Notes:

•Using the setting dial is normally not only more convenient but also signiﬁcantly faster.

•Some options, such as

GPS and Format SD card, as well as some

sub-menu options, can only be called up in certain situations. Further explanations can be found in the relevant sections.

•This is indicated by the lettering in the corresponding lines being grayed out.

3. You can select the relevant sub-menus with both the

and the

INFO button (31) or by pressing right on the direction

pad.

•The displays in the header change: The associated function group is shown in black on the left ( in the main menu, always

SET in the picture parameters

CAMERA , IMAGE or SETUP

menu), with the selected menu option in white on the right. The sub-menus usually consist of diﬀerent numbers of function options, which can be directly selected in the next step. In some cases, there is also a scale for setting values, or the sub-menus consist of secondary entries for which function options can be selected in turn.

156

SET button

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