IWC Doppel Posted December 31, 2011 Share #1 Â Posted December 31, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Any views on the best value kits ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted December 31, 2011 Share #2  Posted December 31, 2011 I suggest making your own, here  BoPhoto.com: M8 coder - simple manual handcoding of M lenses  Coding kits work well with the M8, not so well with the M9. You can at least see if it is going to work for you, especially the never ending re-marking you need to do as it wears off (the later CV and Zeiss lenses have a rebate machined into the mount to allow permanent coding). It may be cheaper than going straight out and buying a coder kit especially if you subsequently decide to go for engraving the marks or changing mounting flanges.  Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeEvangelist Posted December 31, 2011 Share #3 Â Posted December 31, 2011 Coding kits work well with the M8, not so well with the M9 Â That's interesting. Why is there a difference between the two? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted December 31, 2011 Share #4 Â Posted December 31, 2011 My experience with the Match Technical coding kit was very positive. The template is small and accurate, and the marker pen supplied does an excellent job of lasting a relatively long time. Yes, the marks will wear on lenses that don't have a recess in the flange (like some of the Zeiss that I used) but it is easy to just "add" a little ink with the pen, without needing to use the template. One other thing I will say is that when I sold my Zeiss lenses the marks were easily removed with a little bit of alcohol and a cleaning rag. Â From my own experience I had no issues using hand coded lenses on the M8 or M9, other than needing to enhance the marks from time to time (several months) but your mileage may vary. I have heard of people having more difficulty in getting the M9 sensor to recognize hand coded lenses, but again I experienced no issues. I did get in the habit of pressing the "INFO" button after installing a new lens, just to make sure the the code was recognized. Â Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thighslapper Posted December 31, 2011 Share #5  Posted December 31, 2011 I would regard any method that just marks the plate as very temporary .... you need some form of recessed mark for longevity... and to be honest that's not too difficult except for the completely cack-handed.....  The basic sensor for 6 bit coding is very crude and you don't have to slavishly follow the nice rounded rectangles that Leica engraves in the plate.  The critical part is making the required parts of the sensor area of the plate suitably black and non-reflective. In fact the easiest ploy is to dremel out a continuous gutter and then completely coat it with flat black paint, then add the white bits.  The reflective areas for the sensor need only actually be relatively small white dots ..... the sensor is so sensitive that even a tiny reflective area is registered.... and getting these in the right place is then much easier than trying to exactly dremel individual precisely aligned recesses....  With some lenses such as the 50/1.4 you only need one black dot so there is no need to go excavating the other 5 and painting them white.... the polished mount is more than reflective enough to register...  My Perar 35 mk 11 codes perfectly with two 1.5mm dots scratched in paint on the recessed part of the mount left for coding..... as it worked I didn't see the point in trying to tidy it up and make it look nice.  If you want an exact facsimile of a six bit Leica mount I would pay to have it done .... if you just want the practical advantage of coding then there are easier ways of doing it..   Below the pic is the 6 bit template I use and saved as an A4 pdf document. I printed a page of these on Overhead Projector Transparency film on my laser printer to use as required ..... cut out the middles (outside part of the line as they are a tight fit) and the relevant slots with a craft knife. OHC film is stiff but flexible enough to be manouvered over the flanges and the template should align with most of the screws (if recent manufacture) and notch in the mount.  This works ok for me. I found some of the other downloadable templates didn't print the right size when I tried them..... If you want to try these I would test one first on a coded lens to make sure the alignment is ok.... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! leica 6 bit template.pdf Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! leica 6 bit template.pdf ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/169609-leica-6-bit-coding-kits/?do=findComment&comment=1885110'>More sharing options...
250swb Posted December 31, 2011 Share #6 Â Posted December 31, 2011 That's interesting. Why is there a difference between the two? Â It was reported that many of the marker the pens that worked with the M8's coding reader didn't work on the M9, that needs a more opaque black, paint for instance. Some pens do work for the M9 but the choice seems to be limited. Perhaps Leica were after the extra work of changing the mounts of un-coded lenses and hence the tweak. Either way, the more opaque it is the thicker it is and the quicker it wears off. Â Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayewing Posted December 31, 2011 Share #7 Â Posted December 31, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I found Bo Lorentzen's template easy to use. He will send you one for $6. A Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker works better than any other marker I tried. You can get them cheaply on eBay.The M9 is more fussy than the M8 so the marks have to be made really thick and black to work. It is easy to touch up the markings when required. Â If you do a lot of lens changing it makes sense to have frequently used lenses coded professionally. Sending to Solms is timeconsuming and expensive. In the UK Malcolm Taylor does a really neat job and his charges are very reasonable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted January 1, 2012 Share #8 Â Posted January 1, 2012 You don't really need that coder kit. I bought one and it's ok but doesn't seem to be perfectly aligned for me. Just get some masking tape and mark the sensors. Put another piece on the lens and line it up with the camera tape while on the camera .. transfer the marks to the lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted January 1, 2012 Share #9 Â Posted January 1, 2012 Also here's the codes: Leica M Lens Codes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobSkeoch Posted January 2, 2012 Share #10 Â Posted January 2, 2012 I have the Match Tech kit. I live in Burlington, Ontario. You can use it at my studio and mark your lenses. I'm not in all the time but drink my coffee with cream and sugar if you want to set something up. Â -Rob Skeoch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share #11  Posted January 2, 2012 Thanks for all the help guys  I am thinking either a coder kit from Match Tec or possibly better still find the details of Malcolm Taylor and get this done. I have 2 lenses coded and one (28mm Cron) uncoded so not lots of lenses to deal with, although I might try a 50 at some point which might be a Ziess or Voigt  I understand Leica is £100 plus per lens, I assume Malcom Taylor or similar might charge with permanent cut outs ?  By the way I am in Herts, UK and love coffee, so would be happy to return the favour of coffee (I have several espresso machines, bean roaster and grinders ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted January 2, 2012 Share #12  Posted January 2, 2012 I think you will find Leica charge considerably more than £100.  Malcolm Taylor is at  Upper Lye Farm, Aymestrey, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 9SZ Tel: 01568 770542  He has an email address but he never seems to check it, yet is always happy to chat on the phone. His work is top notch and goes well beyond camera repairs and servicing.  Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayewing Posted January 2, 2012 Share #13 Â Posted January 2, 2012 Malcolm Taylor does not make much use of computers. He always answers the phone himself and conversations with him are fascinating as he is an amazing source of knowledge on all things connected with Leica. He has quite a quick turnround time and he charges considerably less than Solms. You get a hand written invoice but he does take payment by credit card. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvaliquette Posted January 3, 2012 Share #14 Â Posted January 3, 2012 Who does professional (i.e.: permanent) lens coding in the US; and for what price? I am tired of manually coding my lenses on my M9, and then forgetting to re-code when changing lenses! Â Thanks. Â Guy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesk8752 Posted January 3, 2012 Share #15  Posted January 3, 2012 Who does professional (i.e.: permanent) lens coding in the US; and for what price? I am tired of manually coding my lenses on my M9, and then forgetting to re-code when changing lenses! Thanks.  Guy  Don Goldberg at DAG Camera Repair (dagcam@chorus.net) has coded almost a dozen lenses for me, and they look very neat and work perfectly. As I asked him to check and adjust them for precise focusing after reinstalling the coded flanges, I paid a bit more than his standard fee, which I believe is about $100. The only problem is that he sends the lens flanges out for milling and so his turnaround time can be a month or more. I'd suggest that you contact him to get an estimate of turnaround time and price - his phone number is 1-608-835-3342.  Regards, Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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