Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/07/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Too late Nathan! I've already updated my firmware... Saludos Lluis El 10/07/2010, a las 13:40, Nathan Wajsman escribi?: > Firmware, blah. Here is exciting product development news, announced > by Leica on Facebook recently: > > Leica sera pr?sent au Mans Classic du 9 au 11 juillet 2010. 450 > voitures n?es de 1923 ? 1979 s?affronteront sur ce circuit > l?gendaire, et plus de 8.000 v?hicules viendront du monde entier > pour cette concentration, admir?es par plus de 120.000 spectateurs? > Leica y tient une boutique dans l?espace Village et vendra une s?rie > limit?e ? 50 exemplaires du Leica X1 avec un ?tui marron patin?. > > For some reason they posted it in French, probably since they are > hyping their presence at an event in Le Mans. That X1 in a special > case must take pictures vastly superior to the run-of-the-mill > cameras... > > Nathan > > Nathan Wajsman > Alicante, Spain > http://www.frozenlight.eu > http://www.greatpix.eu > http://www.nathanfoto.com > PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws > Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog > > YNWA > > > > > > On Jul 10, 2010, at 12:03 PM, Dennis wrote: > >> Hi Frank, >> >> I think this is a good idea. Charging for upgrade firmware is a >> reasonable support solution for Leica. In the past Leica has >> provided custom upgrades to bodies on an individual basis and I see >> firmware as no different. Of course the upgrade is not customized >> to an individual's specification but designed to provide a >> functionality with broad appeal. This is somewhat akin to adding >> slow shutter speeds to the II series Leicas thus upgrading them to >> the III series.Not to mention finder upgrades for M series. >> >> In order to ensure each upgrade is paid a buyer should receive >> firmware that it tied to their camera's serial number. Nothing is >> unbreakable but by using encryption it can be made difficult enough >> that typical buyer is not going to be able to give away, or use, >> copies on other cameras. >> >> I took a look at the M8 2.005 firmware file, m8-2_005.upd, and >> it's 4,899 KB, sort of an odd number. If it's a complete image then >> it implies about 4MB of flash in the camera. If incomplete, i.e. >> unused memory space not filled, then the flash could be quite a bit >> more. >> >> As to making your camera a doorstop by installing a bad firmware >> it's unlikely as most firmware designs will have a firmware loader >> in flash that is not overwritten when installing firmware. >> >> It's not uncommon for manufacturers to disallow downleveling, i.e. >> installing an older level of firmware. No doubt there is a way to >> downlevel, but only the manufacturer, and hackers, will know how to >> do this. >> >> It's my impression that most camera firmware hacks are simply >> turning on features that already exist in the firmware. These hacks >> do not require detail knowledge of the hardware nor significant >> reverse engineering of firmware. >> >> I am sure that Leica learned a lot with the M8 firmware and made a >> decision to improve the design for the M9, make it more modular, >> easier to maintain, etc. Good firmware is expensive and I hope >> Leica has made the M9 firmware modular and abstracted hardware >> detail such that it's a solid base for future digital M cameras. >> >> Dennis >> >> >> >> red735i at earthlink.net wrote: >>> The orginal statement on M8 having a lens menu like the M9....had >>> it as not possible...... >>> Not possible and too $$$ are totally different things..... >>> >>> One is a management decision not to supprt your customer base, the >>> other is a technical evaluation of feasibility. >>> >>> I do not understand why this kind of FW could not be a chargeable >>> fee.... If they can get $175 for a $16 battery, why not $100-300 >>> for a FW update with some meat in it? Say a few thousand folk did >>> the update at $300 each, that would pay for the SW inveestment... >>> the code is already written ( for the M9), it just need to be put >>> into the M8 space, and then tested. It is not that expensive to >>> do this.... >>> >>> Your fears over FW hacking..... Both the M8 and M9 code is >>> accessible.... and comparisons can be made. >>> BUT, successful hacking is not done by amateurs, but by people >>> that write code for a living. >>> I am not suggesting that some Physicican/Lawyer/Indian Chief >>> decide to hack code on his M8..... >>> >>> Frank >>> >>> >>> >>>> Leica Camera said that it would be too expensive to implement >>>> after the fact >>>> and was only possible with the M9 due to writing the new firmware >>>> from >>>> scratch. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information