Non Leica lens compatibility with M8

[Ario Arioldi]

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I'm new to this forum and to Leica world (still waiting for my first M8).

Having understood that certain non Leica lens such as Nocton CV 35 1.2 are not fully compatible with M8 for mechanical reasons I would like to know from the owners of M8 if they have such an experience with other non Leica lens.

 

Ario

[LJL]

Ario,

Not sure what you mean by "not fully compatible with M8 for mechanical reasons". If you are meaning not coded, see some of the other threads for discussions on workarounds. I have the CV 35/1.2 Nokton and the CV50/1.5 Nokton and use both on my M8 without any issues at all. The 35/1.2 is very nice for low light indoor shooting. It takes a 52mm filter size (as does the 50/1.5) and images are impressive. I also use the Zeiss 25/2.8 Biogon T* ZM, and have no issues with it aside from having it call up the 28mm framelines in the M8. My workaround there is to pretty much use the entire viewfinder, which is a pretty close approximation of fild of view.

 

If you get a chance to read some of Sean Reid's articles on his subscription site, as well as several of his many postings here, I think you will find that some of the CV and Zeiss lenses perform excellently on the M8. They are definitely worth the look, and for their cost, they can be excellent deals. I still think the Leicas have some edges over the others, but in different places and for different looks. Just my opinion here, but I think others would tend to agree. You ask good questions, and there are good answers to be found. Good luck getting your M8. It is an incredible camera, even with some of the problems that are being fixed, worked on or worked around. I have not sent mine back to have it fixed yet, as I just hate giving it up for that long right now.

 

LJ

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[Jean LeBlanc]

I'm new to this forum and to Leica world (still waiting for my first M8).

Having understood that certain non Leica lens such as Nocton CV 35 1.2 are not fully compatible with M8 for mechanical reasons I would like to know from the owners of M8 if they have such an experience with other non Leica lens.

 

Ario

 

The problem is that the camera needs information from the lens mount in order to provide the correction for certain color casts that occur with certain lenses. If you have Leica lenses with the correct mount, the camera will automatically make those corrections. If you don't have a Leica lens, or if you have older Leica lenses that haven't been converted to the new mount, you'll need to make those corrections manually. If you're doing high volume work, that's going to slow you down. But if you regularly work with the same lens, you should be able to set up a quick routine for making the corrections. I wouldn't worry about it. If you have a CV lens you like, you should be very happy with it on the M8. I have the very fine 25mm CV which I intend to use with my M8, once I have my M8. ;-)

[Ario Arioldi]

I'm glad to learn that you are using the Nocton 35 1,2 successfully.

I'm not concerned with the 6 bit coding but I've recently seen on a M8 reiview that with this particular lens it is not possible to focus subjects at distances over 5 meters due to mechanical interference with the camera.

May be was just a defective lens.

 

Ario

[mike prevette]

I've also heard that infinity focus was difficult with the CV 35mm 1.2 Something about the ring around the rear element hitting a baffel inside the cavity of the M8. But It's the only lens I've heard of having issues. I happily use a few CV lenses on the M8 15mm, 28 1.9, and 40mm nokton. All pefrorm very well.

 

_mike

[stunsworth]

It was a review in Amateur Photographer that raised the issue I think. I've not heard of problems with other lenses.

[sean_reid]

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Just to clarify this information a little. The in-camera processing triggered by the lens codes corrects for vignetting as well as a certain degree of the cyan drift (red vignetting) that occurs specifically when one uses IR-cut filters with 35 mm and wider lenses on the M8. There's no issue, per se, with any "lens color casts". If one is not using IR cut filters, the primary advantage of the coding is to reduce vignetting although that often is not a problem with many lenses on the M8. It is possible to hand-code various lenses, see the "proof of concept" thread.

 

There are two small portrusions on the rear of the Nokton 35/1.2 that protect the rear element. At a focus distance of just under infinity, one of these portrusions hits a small tab within the M8 itself. That tab is one of two and my guess is that it is designed to protect the M8 from certain collapsible lenses (but, again, that's a guess and not official info.)

 

For B&W work, the corrections triggered by the lens coding are certainly not necessary. Working in color with the camera, however, is another matter.

 

Cheers,

[KJB]

Thx for this info. A bit dissapointing though as I was looking to purchase for my M8. Looks like I will have to go with the Leica equivalent

Just to clarify this information a little. The in-camera processing triggered by the lens codes corrects for vignetting as well as a certain degree of the cyan drift (red vignetting) that occurs specifically when one uses IR-cut filters with 35 mm and wider lenses on the M8. There's no issue, per se, with any "lens color casts". If one is not using IR cut filters, the primary advantage of the coding is to reduce vignetting although that often is not a problem with many lenses on the M8. It is possible to hand-code various lenses, see the "proof of concept" thread.

 

There are two small portrusions on the rear of the Nokton 35/1.2 that protect the rear element. At a focus distance of just under infinity, one of these portrusions hits a small tab within the M8 itself. That tab is one of two and my guess is that it is designed to protect the M8 from certain collapsible lenses (but, again, that's a guess and not official info.)

 

For B&W work, the corrections triggered by the lens coding are certainly not necessary. Working in color with the camera, however, is another matter.

 

Cheers,

[sean_reid]

Thx for this info. A bit dissapointing though as I was looking to purchase for my M8. Looks like I will have to go with the Leica equivalent

 

I know that several people are using it which means that part of the lens and the nub in the Leica are just wearing away at each other. I imagine that rub would create its own clearance over time.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[eronald]

And dumping metal fillings into the space with the shutter and sensor ? What a good idea

Maybe a friendly machine shop or a file could mod the lens - the Canon guys did this a lot.

 

Edmund

 

I know that several people are using it which means that part of the lens and the nub in the Leica are just wearing away at each other. I imagine that rub would create its own clearance over time.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[rvaubel]

I know that several people are using it which means that part of the lens and the nub in the Leica are just wearing away at each other. I imagine that rub would create its own clearance over time.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

 

Don't do this. I know because my 90mm/4 collapible rubbed a little bit. I thought I would just let it "wear in" which it did just fine. BUT, talk about dust on the sensor! I couldn't figure out why my RD1 seemed to be such a dust magnet when I used the 90mm

 

BTW that collapsible was on the RD1, not the M8. Don't try it on the M8

 

Rex