TL2 Am I Doing Something Wrong?

[TheOtherDon]

A few months back I bought a used (mint condition) TL2. I also have an M Type 262 so have a lot of M lenses. Part of the reason for buying the TL2 was so I could use my M lenses with it. First I bought a regular common Chinese M to L adapter (K&F Concepts). Sadly I found that adapter did not support focus magnification in the TL2. So now I bought the Leica M to L adapter specifically because I found out on-line that Leica's adapter was necessary to use the focus magnification feature. Needless to say the adapter is ridiculously priced but if that's what I need, well so be it.

The Leica adapter arrived today and guess what? The focus magnification feature still won't work. I'm supposed to be able to turn the left dial and that will magnify the EVF/Monitor image by X amount. It's not working. I have the latest version 1.5 firmware, have tried everything in the menu I can think of and it won't magnify. I spent US$450 plus shipping just to get that one feature and no cigar.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TheGerman]

See if the steps in this thread help (Post #5):

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/301142-focus-aid-magnification-on-tl2-with-m-adapter-l/

 

[TheOtherDon]

See if the steps in this thread help (Post #5):

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/301142-focus-aid-magnification-on-tl2-with-m-adapter-l/

Thank you for your response. For whatever reason that does not work with my TL2, and I too am running firmware 1.5. When I try to set the left dial function, as soon as I press the "focus aid" menu item the "set" option disappears leaving me no way to set that option. If I turn the camera off and back on the left dial menu returns to factory default, meaning "focus aid" never got "set." Frustrating to say the least.

 

[Bsivad2020]

See if the steps in this thread help (Post #5):

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/301142-focus-aid-magnification-on-tl2-with-m-adapter-l/

Thank you for your response. For whatever reason that does not work with my TL2, and I too am running firmware 1.5. When I try to set the left dial function, as soon as I press the "focus aid" menu item the "set" option disappears leaving me no way to set that option. If I turn the camera off and back on the left dial menu returns to factory default, meaning "focus aid" never got "set." Frustrating to say the least.

I have a Fotasy adapter on my T and can get magnification only with A, S and P modes, but not in M mode. I have found it pretty easy to focus with the Visoflex, but if I need to zoom in, I have to switch to A mode.

 

[TheOtherDon]

I'm thinking the firmware versions/difference between the T and the TL2 must have something to do with it.

I did finally get the Leica L-M adapter to work to show magnification. In the list (menu) of things I can program the left wheel to do must be limited to only 6 items or it cannot be "Set." More than 6 and no cigar.

 

[TheOtherDon]

I finally figured it all out. This is for anyone else dealing with what I had to, a new Leica T camera user wanting to use their M lenses on a T camera and expecting focus magnification to enable critical focus.

I was initially led to believe that I had to buy the Leica L-M converter, with its "smart" contacts, so the camera would know that a Leica M lens was attached and allow the left dial to be programmed to "Focus Aid." So I spent the US$450 plus shipping for the Leica adapter and that did not work. No left wheel focus magnification to be had.

Finally a person from another forum told me the secret. When programming the "Left Dial" one has only 6 total choices they can program the dial to do. There are more choices but only 6 can be programmed to get to "Set" being illuminated in the menu. No more. No less. 6 only! One of those choices must be "Focus Aid."

Once you you do that then turn the camera off and back on. The rear screen will show the two dials and what they are programmed to do. Touch the left dial and scroll to "Focus Aid" and press it on the rear screen. Now the left dial will give you focus magnification of, "OFF, 3X, or 6X" but the dial has to be turned to the right to pull up those choices.

As I subsequently found, you do not need the Leica US$450 adapter to get to the manual focus aid. Just follow my steps above and enjoy.

I hope this helps many many others who might find themselves in the same pickle I found myself in.

I love the TL2 Leica, and even more so now that I can easily reach critical manual focus with my M and R lenses.

 

[Andxej]

I sold the TL2 because I couldn't make focus magnification work. I think that is a good excuse to rebuy it...

Thank You very much for sharing the solution with us

best regards

Andrew