Tips on lens coding

[carcam]

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Hi, what adapter did you use with your Voigtlander?

 

Thanks, Steve

 

OT- sorry but why is Voigtlander abbreviated "CV"?

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[Guest guy_mancuso]

Cosina Voightlander

[sisoje]

I got my Biogon 21 to code as a WATE just about first time today. Thought I was cooking with gas and then went on to the Biogon 35. I have now spent the rest of the day and I cannot get it to code as anything. Put the 21 back on and WATE 21 appears. Tried template and dot marking. Looked at various peoples photos of their coded lenses and scaled them with a digital calliper. Used same method for both and filled in screw holes with Tippex - one works; one doesn't - it beats me and I think I give up.

 

Wilson

 

This is begginig to look like a dark comedy.

Now, I need somebody to tell me it's not a Leica's fault that so many people (on this forum) are going crazy over this "self coding"(me included, ...).

The suits at Leica should really think about a mental health of all of us (M8 users) and put a damn think in the camera menu... And put "Sharpie Inc." out of business....

[gerasdoc]

I have successfully hand coded a TE, 28 cron, 35 cron, 24 f2.8, mem 90, and macro adapter. Some took longer than others. I have had the best luck using landmarks on the mount (screws, etc) and measuring absolute distances to determine orientation. There is definitely some luck involved when you get it quickly. The template is hard to use because it's difficult to have be stationary.

[carcam]

Cosina Voightlander

 

Thanks Guy - master of Leica wisdom. Where would I be without you... although my wallet would be much thicker.

[LJL]

I have successfully hand coded a TE, 28 cron, 35 cron, 24 f2.8, mem 90, and macro adapter. Some took longer than others. I have had the best luck using landmarks on the mount (screws, etc) and measuring absolute distances to determine orientation. There is definitely some luck involved when you get it quickly. The template is hard to use because it's difficult to have be stationary.

 

I was having the same problems with getting the marks to line up properly with the sensor diodes. I finally decided to mark the outer rim of the lens mount on the M8 body with a marker to indicate where the sensors are. Then I mount any of the uncoded lenses onto the body to its lock postion. From there I proceed to mark the edge of the lens mount ring on the lens to correspond to the positions from the camera body. Remove the lens and apply the marks to it as appropriate. Seems to work better for me, as I too was having a devil of a time using the template or other methods. I need it dirt simple

 

LJ

[hammam]

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I was having the same problems with getting the marks to line up properly with the sensor diodes. I finally decided to mark the outer rim of the lens mount on the M8 body with a marker to indicate where the sensors are. Then I mount any of the uncoded lenses onto the body to its lock postion. From there I proceed to mark the edge of the lens mount ring on the lens to correspond to the positions from the camera body. Remove the lens and apply the marks to it as appropriate. Seems to work better for me, as I too was having a devil of a time using the template or other methods. I need it dirt simple

 

LJ

 

Thanks, LJ, it works. The lens mount rim method works! I just coded my 35 Cron and, lo and behold, the info on the camera says 35, and the cyan drift has disappeared. I used a «Fine point permanent marker» by Bic. Let's hope the marks will stand the rigors of mounting and dismounting the lens.

 

I still strongly feel Leica should implement a selection of lens data via the menu, though.

[hammam]

Okay, I may have rejoiced a bit too soon. After the almost immediate success with the 35 Summicron, I'm unable to code either the C/V 21/4 or the C/V 28/1.9. Any other tips for the Voigtlander lenses? Thanks.

[wlaidlaw]

Olivier,

 

Switch on, set coding to on or on + UV/IR, then switch off. On again, then push the finder lever to the far right (28/90mm position) and give a half press of the shutter. I have to do this the first time after switch on to get my Biogon 21 to show up coding. After this unless I have selected the appropriate WATE length on the menu, if I push the lever right I get 18mm and left to the 24/35 position, I get 16mm; in the centre I get 21mm - amazing. I think this is what Bill Gates used to call a "feature" but useful nonetheless. You have to push the lever right ever time after switch on to wake up coding. I am told on my Biogon 21, fitting a 28mm bayonet flange cures this. I don't know what adapter you have on your CV15.

 

Wilson

[hammam]

Thank you, Wilson. I tried, but nothing works. Why did I get it at the first try with the 35 and failed at all other attempts wih different focal lenghts (Leica and C/V) is beyond me.

 

I give up.

 

So, thanks Leica, now I am definitely stuck with my two favorite lenses rendered unusable lest I get a stinking cyan drift or a stinking magenta cast. Or unless I buy a $1500 coded 28 Elmarit asph. and a $3,500 coded 21 Elmarit asph. Plus the «Leica filters». Nice proposition. No thanks.

[scho]

Okay, I may have rejoiced a bit too soon. After the almost immediate success with the 35 Summicron, I'm unable to code either the C/V 21/4 or the C/V 28/1.9. Any other tips for the Voigtlander lenses? Thanks.

The CV 21/4 and CV 28/1.9 need to be in the old leitz 9 cm LTM mounts to provide a codable surface. So far I have only been able to obtain one 9 cm LTM mount (they disappeared from the market pretty quickly). I coded that one initially for my CV 21/4 using the code for the 21 elmarit ASPH, but now I have recoded as a WATE so I can use it for both my 21 and 15. I haven't coded my 28/1.9 yet and may not bother as the cyan drift seems to rather insignificant using a B+W 486.

[ylshih]

I've tried using the template of Bob Blakley, after that I've used the method with markings on a piece of tape (like Mike Prevette showed in his pictures in the proof of concept).

 

That template was helpful, but somehow ended up a bit off. I printed it out to an plastic sheet and it was undersize and slightly rotated. So I measured the mount dimensions and sensor angles and redrew a template last night and it worked well for me. I coded 5 lenses and got all 5 on the first try (very cool to see it work on a Tri-Elmar).

 

The template I created is attached as a JPG. It is set for 300 dpi and if it is printed correctly, should overlay directly on the M8 mount so that the lens index slot at 9 o'clock and the lens mount screw at 6 o'clock falls on the slot and circle marked on the template ring respectively. The sensor should then fall exactly within the pie shaped segment outlined at about 4 to 5 o'clock. If this alignment is correct, then it can be flipped to use on the lens (after cutting out the central area).

 

You can just use it as a visual guide, or make two templates and cut out alternating ID positions to make a mark through the cutout. The radial lines extend to the edge of the lens mount so you can also mark the edge of the mount instead if you want.

 

Hope this helps.

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