Coding vs Manual Lens Selection

[Overgaard]

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I have to admit defeat for self-coding

 

Kip

 

 

That' a good line. Could be used in a film one day

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[ho_co]

Kip--Call Allendale for the answers to your questions.

 

Depending on the lens and parts availability, coding may be done in the US. (My 75 was coded here, though someone else's was sent to Solms.)

 

There's a fixed charge. Leica can tell you what it is ($150 as I recall).

 

How long it takes depends on the situation when your lens arrives. One of mine came back in 9 days; another took two weeks; another a month. Leica can give you an estimate based on current status.

 

 

DAG can also code your lenses. Ask him for price and timing.

 

 

... the archival pigment ink ... "beads" on the shiny surface of the lens mount... I can't count how many layers I must have put on.... Then, after completion, I got a very strange result--I placed my Summicron 35mm f/2 ASPH on the M9 and it reported a 35mm f/4 had been mounted! ...

You applied so much extra ink that it soaked into the lens and cost you two stops.

[kipdent]

Kip--Call Allendale for the answers to your questions.

 

Depending on the lens and parts availability, coding may be done in the US. (My 75 was coded here, though someone else's was sent to Solms.)

 

There's a fixed charge. Leica can tell you what it is ($150 as I recall).

 

How long it takes depends on the situation when your lens arrives. One of mine came back in 9 days; another took two weeks; another a month. Leica can give you an estimate based on current status.

 

 

DAG can also code your lenses. Ask him for price and timing.

 

 

 

You applied so much extra ink that it soaked into the lens and cost you two stops.

 

Thank you, ho_co! And your two stop comment has me LOL!

 

Kip

[digitalfx]

I was quoted $175 for coding only from N.J., they said they would provide a separate quote to fine tune the focus on my 35mm Summilux to f1.4

[russell]

An extra advantage with lens coding is that the fee for coding in fact includes a CLA of the lens, including fine tune to digital focusing (which is more critical than film was).

 

I'm not sure this is the case. When I sent in my lens (mailed from Amsterdam so maybe it was a Dutch thing) Leica specifically told me the price for coding did not include a CLA or a fine tuning.

[250swb]

I'm a dentist............ I also used the Micron 02 pigment pen ....................

 

Paint is the thing that works with the M9, not permanent marker pens that worked OK with the M8, and if you can find a pen that works... as you say, it wears off.

 

But if you can get the pen coding to work just a couple of times repeatably you can use the marks to grind the mount yourself, which considering you are a dentist should be like a walk in the park. Fill the grooves you make with black paint and you won't need to send the lens to Leica.

 

Steve

[adan]

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I'm not sure this is the case. When I sent in my lens (mailed from Amsterdam so maybe it was a Dutch thing) Leica specifically told me the price for coding did not include a CLA or a fine tuning.

 

Probably a question of terminology. Leica has to check the collimation of the lens before changing the mount, and then after changing the mount, to make sure they have not fouled up the focus alignment in making the swap.

 

They won't fine-tune it to be BETTER than it was when sent in (except for an extra charge) - they do make sure they have not made it any WORSE.

 

There may be some "incidental" cleaning done, if grime or dust or grease is fouling the screw heads or otherwise has to be removed to accomplish the swap. And, of course, one does get a shiny new bayonet.

[Bob Gosford]

A call for help form Australia...

I've had my M9 for a week and love it but am confused when I go to manually enter the lens type/length etc.

My 35mm v4 'cron vignettes w/out it is OK b/c there is only one manual listing for non ASPH 35 f2s.

But with my 50mm f2 'cron there are two "50 f/2" listings, one with the item # "11817" the other with item #s "11819, 11825 & 11816".

Similarly for my 28mm f2.8 Elmarit - there are two listings for 28mm f2.8s - "11804 & 11809".

Anyone have any idea how I can work out which of my lenses match which of these "item numbers"?

I've looked long & hard on the web elsewhere and here and found no references to "item numbers" and have found, contrary to the note in the Instructions for the M9, that the item number is not engraved on any of my lenses.

And if I decide to get my lenses coded, any tips on who can do it (best/cheapest) in Australia would be much appreciated...

[adan]

Bob - if you can give us the first 3 digits in the serial numbers of your 50 and 28, then I'm sure someone here can cross-reference those with date of manufacture and thus to catalog number.

 

e.g. 325xxxx or 299xxxx

 

Alternatively, shoot one picture each with each of the manual menu selections, and then open those pictures in Lightroom or any program that reads the EXIF - the full name and model of the lens is written into the EXIF (e.g. "Leica Tele-Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 (II)") and that roman numeral at the end helps distinguish one 28 or 50 version from another.

 

You don't even need to use the "right" lens - just so long as the camera is told to output the four possibilities in the menu in four pictures.

[hoppyman]

Bob the item numbers are engraved on the more recent lenses but not the earlier ones.

One very comprehensive guide is the Leica Pocket book which you should be able to get from Amazon for example. But if you share the start of your serial numbers we will be able to provide the numbers for you, I never really undrstand why people want to keep back part of their serial number, that is, what that is meant to do but whatever makes sense to you. In any event, send me a PM with your numbers if you like and I'll match against the books for you. As far as getting your lenses coded, Adeal do not do it locally but you can return your lenses via your dealer to them and then they send to Solms. You can easily send them to Solms directly. I can give you the contact details if you like. Last time I looked I think they were quoting something like 140EUR per lens. I'm not aware of anyone doing coding here.

I'm in Brissie. Welcome to the Aussie M9 mafia. Do be sure to report your purchase to the M9 delivery register thread, also run by an Aussie here.

[hoppyman]

Bob to start you off:

Summicron model number 11817 refers to the version 3 of the lens made from 1969-79

Serial number range #2,269,251-2,915,800

The other three numbers are all version Four (the current one made from 1979). Some had a focus tab and after that was dropped they have an extendable lens hood. Does that help you identify it? Serial #2,909,101 and up.

I really doubt if you would see an discernible difference in the corrections from the coding, only different lens name in the EXIF.

 

 

28 Elmarit 11804 from 1979-1993 is version 3 Ser # 2,977,551 - on

11809 from 1992 is the last non-ASPH. version and has a focus tab Ser #3,585,865 on.

I think the ASPH. one was only ever sold coded and so it is not on your menu (like anything else from that point on).

In my opinion worth having them coded at some point just to avoid the aggravation of forgetting to reset the menu when you swap around . As far as actual image correction the 28s are definitely worth setting or having coded.

All info from the very useful Leica Pocket Book. I have the 7th edition. I think that is the last one.