90mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M (1959-74) too old to code?

[mnsh]

I have this lovely old second hand lens which after my holiday I sent away for coding and cleaning (it was very grubby inside). It takes great pictures, and I have the UV/IR filter so clothes look OK. Reading the Carsten's Lens Coding document from this forum I thought (maybe incorrectly) that it could be coded, but it seems not. Has anyone else any experience with this lens?

One reason for getting it coded was to be consistent, as I sometimes forget to turn lens recognition on/off inbetween lenses. The handbook says this can cause a malfunction but in practice I've not noticed any. Have you?

Thanks

Matthew

[hdrmd]

I have a similar lens that I coded using Carsten's codes(for the 90mm F2.8). It works well. I use nail polish, with a toothpick as a brush. Regards. DR

[zuidema1]

You can use the lens uncoded. I do the same with my Tele-Elmarit 2.8/90 from 1978.
This lens is even 'recognized' by the camera despite its not being coded. I assume that activating the 28/90 frame lines without code makes the camera think its the 90 mm. You will have no issues when you leave 'lens recognition + UV/IR' on all the time. Happy shooting!

[lars_bergquist]

Lovely lens – the best of the 90mm lenses before the current Elmarit, and maybe the three-element Elmar. The front optical package unscrews and can be screwed into an OTZFO/16464 Universal Focusing Mount, making for a nice macro lens with a Visoflex II or III – and it does still focus to infinity! This was in fact the preferred closeup rig for Viso owners.

The old man from the Age of the Elmar

[lars_bergquist]

Originally Posted by mnsh

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One reason for getting it coded was to be consistent, as I sometimes forget to turn lens recognition on/off inbetween lenses. The handbook says this can cause a malfunction but in practice I've not noticed any. Have you?

Thanks

Matthew

No, your M8 will not lock up or burn if you do that. With an uncoded lens and an IR/UV filter I see no noticeable difference between 'on' and 'on-IR/UV'. Meaning that the camere simply won't apply the cyan compensation, and that is obviously all the 'malfunctioning' Granny Leica is worried about. But if you switch the recognition off completely, there will be no compensation for ordinary brightness vignetting. This of course is no issue with lenses of 50 mm or longer. So coding is simplynot an issue with such lenses (unless you are an EXIFist certified by the Church of Rome).

The old man from the Age of the Box Camera

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by zuidema1

You can use the lens uncoded. I do the same with my Tele-Elmarit 2.8/90 from 1978.
This lens is even 'recognized' by the camera despite its not being coded. I assume that activating the 28/90 frame lines without code makes the camera think its the 90 mm. You will have no issues when you leave 'lens recognition + UV/IR' on all the time. Happy shooting!

The cause is a screw that happens to be in the right place.

[mnsh]

Originally Posted by hdrmd

I have a similar lens that I coded using Carsten's codes(for the 90mm F2.8). It works well. I use nail polish, with a toothpick as a brush. Regards. DR

I did try with black marker pen and the paper template but the lens was not recognised. Perhaps my black marker was not black enough, nail polish would be blacker. Can try when it gets back.

Useful to know about the front coming off - there was an article about Visoflex in LFI Magazine 5/2007 it looks fun but as time is limited I will probably stick to my D-LUX2 for macro work - and pocket trips.

Matthew