Disappointment in Leica M Monochrom Digital Camera

[Skaperen]

If they are having filesystem issues on the card (I know FAT filesystems are cranky this large), then divide the card up into 4 partitions and cut over to the next partition when the previous one is done.

Great solution. Except you've now broken every image importing program that imports from devices which identify themselves as mass storage devices (all of them I think). An easier solution would be to pay the licence fees and implement FAT32.

The 4 partition media will show up as 4 devices in Windows. I've already done that years ago. You just have to do the import action from all 4.

What do you think they are using for media larger than 4GB now? Something other than FAT32?

 

[rexbobcat]

Wow. what a english centric attitude.... It has nothing to do with their reputation but simply the name they chose according to their locale. Companies do it all the time....

The English language itself borrows and butchers words from all sorts of languages. A coworker of mine knows several languages (german, english, hindi that I recall) and has an interest in languages. She always said that English is one of the most confusing languages to learn as an adult because the numerous exceptions to the rules and fill the language with misspelling.

You seem to have hard on for Leica for some unknown reason.

This is off-topic, but if she thinks English is confusing has she looked at Chinese? It has NO reference what-so-ever to any other language other than Chinese. I was considering it as a minor until I came to my senses.

Why don't you just buy two cards? Is it really that hard to keep up with two different cards? I carry over 150 GB of cards in my bag spread over about 13 different cards varying in size. I've yet to lose a card in over 2 years. And even then, replacing an 8 or 16 GB card is much less expensive than replacing a 32 or 64 GB card.

 

[Garbz]

What do you think they are using for media larger than 4GB now? Something other than FAT32?

But you miss the point. The programs don't allow parallel import, you can't just insert the memory card and start working. Many programs also work on a "Last Import" system when editing which also breaks workflows (unless you're already using multiple memory cards ). Basically importing becomes a rigmarole.

The solution is simple. Implement it properly. FAT32 has a max supported partition size of 2TB and no it doesn't get grumpy with large sizes. It gets grumpy with deep directory trees and insanely high file count but that's not an issue on digital cameras. It has a max supported file size of 4GB, but even a D800 has a while to go before it needs to worry about that. There is a 32GB limit for partition size formatting removable media in Windows XP only which is circumvented by downloading one of the millions of other formatting programs available on the net.

 

[DiskoJoe]

This is a kind of camera I would like to see. It's expensive, but, it's Leica. And they get to leave out the 'e' in the name. I'm sure some people will call it the "mono" and some might just call it "mo" or "mo pixels".

The disappointment is that it is limited to 32 GB per card using SDHC. The M9 and M9-P also are limited to SDHC though the specs at B&H don't actually say 32GB max in these cases.

32GB might be adequate for most users in 2012. But pros (I'm not one, so I'm guessing) need more. 2013 needs more. 2014 needs even more. Leica seriously needs to get an upgrade to SDXC rolling ASAP. If they are having filesystem issues on the card (I know FAT filesystems are cranky this large), then divide the card up into 4 partitions and cut over to the next partition when the previous one is done.

I'm curious what the exact pixel geometry is. Maybe 5184x3456 ?

This is a niche camera. Nuff said.

 

[Skaperen]

What do you think they are using for media larger than 4GB now? Something other than FAT32?

But you miss the point. The programs don't allow parallel import, you can't just insert the memory card and start working. Many programs also work on a "Last Import" system when editing which also breaks workflows (unless you're already using multiple memory cards ). Basically importing becomes a rigmarole.

The solution is simple. Implement it properly. FAT32 has a max supported partition size of 2TB and no it doesn't get grumpy with large sizes. It gets grumpy with deep directory trees and insanely high file count but that's not an issue on digital cameras. It has a max supported file size of 4GB, but even a D800 has a while to go before it needs to worry about that. There is a 32GB limit for partition size formatting removable media in Windows XP only which is circumvented by downloading one of the millions of other formatting programs available on the net.

What I read is that FAT16 has a max VOLUME size of 4GB (4 partitions thereof allowing up to 16GB per card, or go with GPT for more than that ... though Windows might not support it). Not being a Windows user I can't verify it. But that's what I have read on the internet (can it be trusted?).

So it should already be FAT32. So licensing FAT32 is not an issue to go from SDHC to SDXC. Also, according to Wikipedia, SDHC cards are shipped with FAT32 formatting. So I'll stay with my opinion that Leica should have gone with SDXC (released over 3 years ago). I expect that of a high end company. I expect that for cameras that are considered "multi decade keepers".

 

[belial]

I think the main point os most photographers prefer to carry smaller cards and carry more of them so your eggs aren't all in one basket if that basket breaks (which isnt even uncommon). Therefore no support for hdxc doesn't even effect very many shooters at all

 

[usayit]

I think the main point os most photographers prefer to carry smaller cards and carry more of them so your eggs aren't all in one basket if that basket breaks (which isnt even uncommon). Therefore no support for hdxc doesn't even effect very many shooters at all

yup .. that and how can one expect a camera from 2009 to support sdxc when sdxc itself was announced shortly after the m9 was released. Leica has long running production cycles.... M9, M9P, and MM are all the essentially the same camera.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

This thread topic is full of pure win