Leica T (Type 701) review – Touchscreen operation
With virtually no physical controls on the Leica T (Type 701), most settings are changed using the touchscreen’s virtual menu system. At first glance these appear to be basic settings, but they are actually fully customisable. By pressing the on-screen settings button, the main menu opens to reveal a series of simple on-screen buttons. These control features such as the AF or shooting mode, or the colour setting in use. Initially, I thought the camera was missing a number of key settings, but a quick press of the ‘+’ button reveals a further set of buttons that can be added to the menu. In fact, it is possible to customise the menu buttons so you can decide which settings you want and the order in which you want them. Holding down one of the on-screen buttons allows it to be dragged to a new position on the screen, so you can place the settings used most frequently to a premium spot.
Changing the settings is straightforward. Some of the buttons, such as the AF mode, can be altered with a simple tap, such as switching from AF to manual focus, and then it is tapped again to switch back. The same applies to image resolution. There are five image resolutions, from 16.3 million pixels to 1.8 million pixels. Pressing the on-screen button cycles through each setting.
Other buttons, such as the colour mode, reveal an on-screen menu when pressed. You simply press the required setting, such as vivid or black & white high contrast.
Up to three user profiles can also be created. These allow the on-screen custom menu layouts to be saved, so if more than one person is using the camera each can call up his or her own set-up menu. Alternatively, different profiles can be used for different styles of photography.
When it comes to playing back images you have taken, I won’t reveal here how you do this, as it will spoil the fun, but it is actually straightforward – if you know how to do it…
