The Leica SL3 bug that could delete people’s photos has been squashed. Leica has released a firmware fix, which is now available to SL3 owners.
Leica quickly became aware of the (rare) issue and promised a solution. About a week later, the fix has arrived. Leica SL3 firmware version 1.1.9 fixes the “Sporadic error that resulted in unnoticed overwriting of existing recordings if the camera was not properly turned off beforehand (e.g., during battery replacement in standby mode or after an unexpected software interruption).”
While the problem was partially the result of user error to some extent, the fix ensures that even if a user turns off the camera while it is still writing images or, worse yet, removes the battery, existing images will not be lost. As good practice, users should not remove their camera’s battery while it is powered on or performing operations, and a camera should not be turned off while it is writing images to the card. That said, one should not expect a camera to ever overwrite existing images, no matter what they do.
Leica SL3 owners can install firmware 1.1.9 in one of two ways. The first option, and by far the simplest, is to update the camera through the Leica FOTOS app for smartphones. The app should already have notified users of the available update.
The alternative method is to manually update through the SL3’s menu. This requires downloading the firmware update to a prepared SD memory card and manually installing the firmware on the camera. The complete details for this method are available on Leica’s website. There, users will find the firmware update download and a .PDF “release notes” document showing the step-by-step instructions for manually installing the firmware.
Beyond fixing the “sporadic error” with overwriting images, the 1.1.9 update also fixes other “errors in the firmware” and optimizes the connection between the SL3 and the Leica FOTOS smartphone application.
The Leica SL3, the “best high-res option” in the L-Mount system, is a powerful, highly capable camera, and now that this unfortunate bug has been squashed, photographers should be able to rest easy while using it. The 60-megeapixel full-frame Leica SL3 is available now for $6,995.
Image credits: Leica