M8 Dead After 1.102 Firmware Update

[endustry]

Well, my M8 is now dead after having been updated to 1.102. I followed the firmware update instructions to the letter. The process seemed to go fine. The update completed and the M8 told me to turn the camera off. I did. I turned it back on. Nada.

If I remove the battery and reinsert it, I can get the meter to work and the shot counter turns on but shows the wrong number of remaining photos. The meter works but the LCD is dead, all menu buttons are dead. Shutter is dead.

Battery is fine (I tried two) and I also tried two SD cards -- both of which have worked with the camera in the past. It's just dead.

Can I resolve this by reverting to firmware 1.92? Does anyone have a copy they can email me?

[Gabriel M.A.]

I have a copy of 1.09 and 1.092.

I think you should revise what you did while updating the firmware. I've used my M8 with firmware 1.102 without an issue.

The problem, of course, is that you can't revert to 1.092 if your M8 is "dead". :(

Hmmm...

[Peter Klein]

Endustry: Two things you can try.

1) Random multiple button presses. This has restored operation for some people.

2) Turn the camera on, take out the battery, and leave it on for several days. This drains the internal backup battery, eventually shutting *everything* down. Then reinsert the battery, and try again.

There have been instances where people have sent the camera back to Solms, and it works perfectly once it gets there (essentially because the internal battery drained in transit). So give the above a chance first.

If that doesn't work, or it does, but the problem recurs several times, you need to send the camera back to Solms. Perhaps if you complain to your dealer you can get a loaner, or they'll swap you for a new camera so you don't have to wait weeks for repair.

No, it shouldn't be like this, but sometimes it is.

[EDIT]: Oh, and once you get it working, I would try reloading the firmware. With a freshly charged battery.

--Peter

[Gabriel M.A.]

Perhaps if you complain to your dealer you can get a loaner
OK, I'm done laughing (not at you). I tried that, no dice. My M8 is on its way to NJ/Solms. No replacement, no loaner (for unrelated issue). Who was your dealer, btw?

[Joe Mondello]

Geez Aaron, that completely sucks.

I did the firmware upgrade literally the day I got the camera (which was pretty close to the day 1.102 was released) and if anything, my camera is more stable (jumpy menus gone, etc).

Really sorry to hear this.

[endustry]

Thanks for emailing me 1.92, Gabriel. Too bad the M8 won't recognize anything. Blargh.

Today has been a mixed blessing. I finally received my WATE today (I sold my Canon gear to get the dough) but now my M8 is toast. Luckily I've been all about film lately so I'll still be able to motor around with my analog M and try out the WATE on Velvia.

[Keith]

Bad luck ... sorry to hear it!

I did the current firmware upgrade on mine the other day and I was as nervous as all hell, convinced in my mind that something like that would happen to mine ... Oz is such a long long way from Solms!

By the way the camera has improved noticably in stability and I noticed an IR/UV setting came up in the new lens menu! :)

[endustry]

Well...good news after all. After leaving the battery out all day and replacing it, the M8 is back from the dead!

[Gabriel M.A.]

That's still scary, any way you cut it. Braaaaaiiiiins!

So is it working with the 1.102 firmware, or did you go back to 1.092?

[endustry]

It's actually running 1.102. Still not sure what made it go into zombie mode. There's a large Haitian community a mile or so north of me and I'm thinkin' I may need to start consulting a good old-fashioned Witch Doctor instead of Leica technical support from now on. Rise! Rise!

[usccharles]

mine has frozen on me a couple times since the 1.102 firmware as well. the camera's remaining-pictures counter goes all screwy on me at times and my camera just freezes without turning off, expecially when i'm using the heliar 15mm. then i have to take the battery out and reinsert and things are working normal again.

i wish there was someway to completely reset the camera to factory settings so i can re-update the firmware again from a clean slate.

another funky thing i've noticed with the 1.102 update on my camera: the photo counter resets itself when i change the SD card. happened to me about 4 times already. tried downloading two cards into one folder in my computer and i get a conflict because some of the files have the same file numbers. very irritating...

all in all, none of these things bother me too much because the camera is still wonderful and takes great photos, but the stability issues with the software really need a cleaning over, hopefully by the next firmware update or something.

LEICA LETS PUT A SYSTEM RESET BUTTON IN THE MENU!

[TS ISAAC]

There is a RESET button in the main menu for any custom menu settings you may have defined. It appears just before the SENSOR CLEANING selection. You can also refer to page 115 in the manual for a description. maybe that is not the broad sweeping reset you are looking for, but it may have an effect.

[Keith]

I was surprised when I went to upgrade to 1.102 that the camera told me there wasn't enough charge in the battery to complete the action ... it was half full according to the indicator. The upgrade must need a lot of oomph! :)

[usccharles]

There is a RESET button in the main menu for any custom menu settings you may have defined. It appears just before the SENSOR CLEANING selection. You can also refer to page 115 in the manual for a description. maybe that is not the broad sweeping reset you are looking for, but it may have an effect.

i tried this reset. its just a reset for all the presets, i.e. contrast, saturation, etc settings. its not a full reset. a full reset would be nice. even my computer needs a full reset once in a while :p

[TS ISAAC]

Yes, I know it is for User Exposure Settings only, but software sometimes performs in ways that we as users cannot predict, and you might give it a go as a simple option. You can always reset your User Settings again.

You might also try to reinstall the firmware once more, if you dare.

I found improvements after my 1.102 upgrade installation, no more rapid menu scrolling for example. I have noticed however, that occasionally I am completely missing a single RAW file, when recording RAW + JPEG Fine, simultaneously.

[rxmd]

What's a WATE?

[sam_m]

wide-angle-tri-elmar, i think.

[endustry]

Here are some shots taken with my new WATE on my very-much-alive M8. No UV/IR filter was used. Lens detection was ON. The EXIF data for each shot says it was taken at 18mm but I can't vouch for that.

[raid]

You guys are brave indeed. I am not ready to go digital. Good luck with your M8 adventures. I hope that remaining bugs can be removed.

Raid

[Joe Mondello]

The DNGs are so much better than JPGs from the M8 (R-D1 as well). The DNG version looks much better.

[ywenz]

The German Leica M8 seems to be as reliable as a German car

[Joe Mondello]

The German Leica M8 seems to be as reliable as a German car


OUCH!

I sure hope that proves to be an exaggeration!

Maybe as *temperamental* ;-)

[endustry]

Mine went kaput...again.

[endustry]

Oh, no, wait, it's working again now!

[amateriat]

The German Leica M8 seems to be as reliable as a German car By that I presume you mean contemporary German car, in which case I have to sadly agree. (There was a Daimler-Chrysler joke in the wings here, but it's not tweaked for prime-time yet.)


- Barrett

[goodtimes]

I tried to update the last 1.102. but my M8 just does not react to it. I mean, when I turn it on with the Firmware in the SD Card, no auto load of the program happens; it's just like a normal turnon. The Camera is working but still with the previous Firmware.
Any clues ?
Thanks

[neelin]

I tried to update the last 1.102. but my M8 just does not react to it. I mean, when I turn it on with the Firmware in the SD Card, no auto load of the program happens; it's just like a normal turnon. The Camera is working but still with the previous Firmware.
Any clues ?
Thanks
I assume you mean 1.201

Make sure the *.upd file is in the highest (root) directory.
The only other thing when you display the directory in your file handling program will be the folder DCIM & the *.upd file.

r

[goodtimes]

Thanks for your help. At the end it was the extraction program from my computer which did not work. I first downloaded one from the web, used it to unzip and it worked with the M8:)