Leica Updates M8 Firmware

Fluorescent Light shot - Jean on the job Originally uploaded by etrigan63

Leica has released firmware 1.201 for the M8 Digital Camera on their website. The new firmware addresses several issues not the least of which is Automatic White Balance (AWB). White Balance (for the uninitiated) is a measurement of the color temperature of the light being used to illuminate a scene being photographed. Color temperature is measured on the Kelvin scale (the one with Absolute Zero). Varying light sources have different color temperatures and the lower temperatures are in the red part of the spectrum (oddly referred to as warm light) and the higher temperatures are more in the blue part of the spectrum (again, counter intuitively referred to as cool light). A sensor in the digital camera takes a reading at the time of exposure and makes a guess as to what the correct white balance is. Sometimes it makes a good guess and sometimes it doesn't. The film equivalent to this was film type. If you were going to shoot outdoors, you selected daylight balanced film. If you were going to shoot in a studio (with studio lighting), you selected tungsten balanced film. One of the Leica M8's more known quirks was a white balance sensor that waffled more than John Kerry. Shots taken in the same lighting condition would have wildly varying white balance settings. Most photographers got around this by shoot in RAW mode (the native format of the camera sensor). With firmware 1.201, Leica has made some real strides to correct this glaring problem. The shot above was taken in fluorescent light, a very cool light that often gives M8's fits. The shot was stored in RAW mode and processed in Adobe Lightroom 1.3.1. No adjustments were made to white balance. The color (to my eye on my calibrated monitor) seems spot on. Another shot taken in daylight shows similar results. You can view that photo here. For Leica M8 owners, this firmware is a must-have item for your camera. It won't help you take better pictures, but you'll have to massage them much less to get them to look really good. The firmware can be downloaded from Leica's website.

Leica Rumors

A website in the UK has posted the following information about a rumored update/upgrade to the Leica M8:

NO NEW M9
LEICA M8 UPGRADE
Leica to announce that there will not be an M9 as previously thought. Instead they will offer an Upgrade on all existing M8 cameras with the following modifications:

1. New Sapphire Viewing Screen (Virtually unscratchable)
2. Max Shutter speed to 1/4000th
3. Quieter actuation of Shutter mechanism
4. New Firmware
5. 2 Year Warranty with Upgrade

This modification will be available from March 2008 and will be booked through Leica Germany's Website at a cost to the owner of 1200 Euros.

Leica sees the M8 as being an ongoing camera that can be modified throughout its lifetime.

I have sent out feelers to my contacts at Leica as to the veracity of this rumor. Other notables have done so as well. This rumor has spawned a lot of speculation on the Rangefinderforum and Leica User Forum websites. No press release has been issued by Leica.

The implications of this rumor, if true, are staggering. Leica will be the only camera maker willing to retrofit improvements to already purchased cameras extending the usefulness and warranty. 1200 Euros is not chump change (that's about $1800 USD - roughly the cost of a Nikon D300) but many Leica users have expressed a willingness to do so.

Is this just more Internet smoke and mirrors or does the site owner really have a scoop on his hands? With PMA starting January 31, 2008 we may not have long to wait to hear a response from Leica.

Stay tuned...

[UPDATE]
Several registered Leica M8 owners have received e-mail from Leica confirming this to be true. I have not received said e-mail, but have included a copy for your perusal:

Dear LEICA M8 customers,
The desire to own a digital camera manufactured by Leica, possessing the identical lifelong value retention associated with every Leica product, was brought to us by many of our customers. Leica Camera AG has now configured the LEICA M8 to meet this demand. With today’s newsletter, we would like to inform you exclusively and in advance of an outstanding innovation regarding your cherished LEICA M8.

Subjects
LEICA M8: An investment in the future
What does the first upgrade kit include?
How do I get the upgrade for my M8?
Firmware update 1.201 available

LEICA M8: An investment in the future

With the introduction of a perpetual upgrade program, every LEICA M8 will forever be a state-of-the-art digital camera. Today’s and tomorrow’s users will always be able to incorporate the latest refinements and developments in handling ease and technology. It is our aim to secure your investment in the LEICA M8 for the future. “While other digital cameras quickly become outdated and are replaced by newer models, our new concept extends the value retention and resistance to obsolescence embodied in the Leica ethos. Over time, we will gradually offer new product features and developments as upgrade options,” declares Steven K. Lee, CEO of Leica Camera AG. “Our customers can therefore still invest in the photographic tools they need without worrying that they will miss out on improvements and technological developments along the way.
This information will be presented during the PMA fair in Las Vegas, beginning January 31st.

What does the first upgrade kit include?

• Scratch-proof sapphire glass cover for the LCD monitor.
• Noise-optimized shutter with a fastest speed of 1/4000s.
• If so desired, the camera will be picked up at your home and sent directly back to you, without any intermediary stage in the process.
• Health-check and complete adjustment of the camera, testing all its functions.
• Installation of the newest relevant firmware.
• New factory warranty of two years covering the same conditions as for a new camera.

How do I get the upgrade for my M8?

• This offer applies exclusively to all registered M8 users.
• We will inform you shortly via e-mail when the website is updated with detailed information about the new M8 upgrade program, and will also inform you as soon as possible how to purchase the first upgrade certificates.
• The fact that you are registered as a M8 owner will give you guaranteed access to an exclusive online area where you will be able to purchase your upgrade certificate.
• Purchasing the upgrade certificates will be possible as of March 2008 - the actual upgrading will commence as of August 2008.
• The upgrades will be fulfilled in the same order as the upgrade certificates were purchased. It is therefore advisable to acquire the certificate as quickly as possible.

Firmware update 1.201 available

In keeping with the overall sustainability of the concept of the rangefinder camera system, Leica Camera AG is now offering all LEICA M8 users an updated version of the camera firmware, which can be downloaded free of charge from Friday, February 1st from our website. Among other things, the new firmware version contains new, substantially improved automatic white balance algorithms for natural color rendering in nearly all light conditions. We will send you special information via e-mail which contains a direct link as soon as we post the firmware update on our website.

We would feel very honored if you would be amongst the first to participate in our new program for the lifelong value retention of your M8.

Yours Sincerely,
The Leica internet team

With this announcement, Leica has effectively set the economic model for digital cameras on its ear. This clearly follows Leica's ideal that one does not buy a Leica, one invests in Leica.

Unified Threat Management for the Home

Home networks are becoming more and more sophisticated. It used to be that a home computer was setup in a central location in the home with multiple accounts and a single modem or DSL connection directly attached to the "family" computer. Multiple computers on a network were usually found in an office setting or an Internet cafe. Such is no longer the case. With ISPs pushing wireless enabled DSL firewall/routers, wireless enabled laptop sales on the rise, and Internet enabled appliances (gaming and kitchen varieties), home networks are now downright commonplace. I have seen many home developers include wiring new homes with CAT6e network cables for use in data and VOIP applications. Wiring closets and patch panels are now as much a part of the home as the walk-in closet and the roman tub. However, not much thought is put into securing these networks. This makes them more vulnerable to attack and (if used to VPN into office networks) becomes an attack vector into secure office networks. Hope is not lost. Unified Threat Management systems (UTMs) are used in enterprise settings to mitigate break-in attempts and keep the network secure. Such technology is available for the home network and the price is far less than you think. I have already reviewed one the products in this roundup: Untangle. The other two products to be covered are Astaro Secure Gateway (v7) and ComixWall 4.2. The first two are commercial UTMs that offer free (restricted license) versions for home use. The last one is a FOSS project that provides a totally free, unrestricted product. It is also the only one in the bunch that is 64-bit. Once I finish testing, I will be publishing my findings on PlanetX64. Stay tuned for more updates!