Leica M9 and M9-P Firmware Update Version 1.196 now Live!

July 24, 2012 Leica 18

Leica M9 and M9-P Firmware Update Version 1.196 now Live! 

Today Leica released new firmware for all M9 and M9-P owners! It seems they are still working on the SD Card issues that have plagues some users for a while as there are now more SD card improvements. Looks like they also added the new APO 50 Summicron to the lens detection and improved upon the power management. Overall a decent update. If you want to update your M9 to the latest and greatest, click here and then once you hit that page look to the right and click “UPDATES”.

Leica’s list of improvements this time around:

Further improvements of SD-Card compatibility.

Implementation of the Lens detection of the new APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH.

Improved power management.

The camera is now measuring battery stability internally. In case of weak battery stability, the camera switches off automatically.

Using old batteries could have lead to camera crashes and banding stripes under certain conditions with the previous firmware versions. Especially the usage of nearly 6 years old M8 batteries proved to be critical.

It is the nature of Li-ion batteries that the capacity weakens after a certain time.

We recommend replacing the batteries for the M8 and the M9 after 3 years at the latest. Heavy usage can even accelerate the aging process, and then batteries should be replaced earlier.

In case that the total amount of pictures, that can be taken with a certain battery, is significantly lower than before with Firmware 1.196, we recommend replacing this battery.

New batteries can be ordered at all Leica Dealers (Order Number 14464 )

Please be aware that your settings and your user profiles can be deleted after the firmware update. Please make a note of your settings and user profiles before you run the firmware update.

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18 Comments

  1. You are not supposed to unzip it. Just drag and copy the zipped file to the SD card. I updated my M9 over the weekend with my 2009 Mac book pro with no problems. There is a PDF of directions on the Leica website on the same page as the software download.

  2. I just installed the firmware update and everything was ok except that a few of the settings were grayed out and couldn’t be reset (sharpening, color saturation and contrast). Anyone have similar issues? Anyone know how to fix?
    Thanks,

    RK

    • Thats because the camera went to DNG only mode (RAW only). Set it to JPEG & RAW and you can change them. When it is only in RAW those settings mean nothing as they are only applied to the JPEG.

      • Steve, I can’t have the option to go to JPEG anymore…
        Wrote to Leica, waiting for an answer…

          • For what it is worth for others….I finally got the SET button to work again and bring up those parameters by reupdating the 1.196 software. Not sure what had happened but just redoing the update seems to have fixed it.

  3. I looked to the right and saw my colleague. Nowhere was “updates” to be found. But at least when I clicked her, she didn’t complain.

    JK

  4. I have Macs.
    I downloaded it but it can not be unzipped! Any Idea?
    Must be too new and it can be downloaded through the Windows only,…
    The Mac Version should be available in the next few Days, … who knows?

    • Here goes –

      1. Download the update from the Link Steve provided.
      2. Format your SD Card
      3. Drag the downloaded file and drop it on to the SD Card (Top Level of the Directory) so not in the DCIM folder.
      4. Put it back in your camera and turn it on, you will be asked on the display if you want to update the Firmware to 1.196, of course you do.
      5. When its finished it will prompt you to restart the camera, firmware installed.

      I’ve just done it as I’ve written this, all works fine.

      Cheers, Jason

  5. I downloaded to the card. After inserting it into the camera it asked if I wanted to update to 1.001. Has any one experienced a similar problem?

  6. I ALWAYS have trouble with updates on my Mac. Is there any help out there?

    Thanks….

    Glen

  7. Does that mean one needs to buy new batteries whenever the new firmware tells you to?

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