Lens coding question and advice.

[Mark Pope]

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Hi I wonder whether anyone can help me? I've had my M8 for just over a month and I'm now thinking about getting lenses coded for it.

Am I right in thinking that lens coding has the greatest benefit with wide angle lenses, as the camera's firmware is programmed to correct for vignetting?

I have the following lenses:

15mm CV

21 CV

28 CV Nokton

75 CV Color heliar

 

35mm ASPH 'Cron

50mm 'Cron

90mm Elmarit.

 

I can't afford to get Milich adaptors AND do the all Leica lenses at the same time. So, of the list above, which in your views would be the 'top three' for coding (not withstanding people's personal preferences for focal lengths)?

 

I do have my IR/UV filters in 39 and 46mm - but so far, I haven't used them - I've seen a couple of problems with off colour synthetic fabric but nothing that really bothers me.

 

Any advice appreciated.

 

All the best

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[fotografr]

Since you can only have the codes applied to Leica lenses your best choice would be the 35 cron. It is less important for the longer lenses because the cyan edges aren't a problem with them.

[Mark Pope]

Hi Brent,

 

thanks for the advice. However, you can 'self-code' CV lenses using adaptors from John Milich (JLM on the forum).

 

All the best,

[Paul_S]

Mark,

Like you already mentioned, wide angles benefit most from coding. You're top 3 therefore could be the lenses with shortest focal distance. You can use Milich adapters to code CV screw mount lenses, as you are probably aware. Another way to look at it is to pick your three most used lenses. A third advise (am I confusing you ?) is to code the Leica lenses first and start using the filters with them (I believe E39 and E46 will fit to all your Leica lenses).

 

I prefer to use coding and filters and have the 15mm CV and the S'cron 35 and 50 with you in common. When using filters, with the 15 and 35mm, you sure need coding. Note that a E39 filter fits in the Milich lenshood for 15mm very nicely. Without the filter, the 15mm CV sure benefits from coding (removes vignetting).

Hope this helps.

[gravastar]

Mark, John can mill coding slots in most lens mounts if you carefully remove the mount first and send it to him. That includes those having a screw in the way of the coding. You would probably loose the warranty on any new lens though and you don't get the claimed Leica focus check after modification. If you want to go this way email John and ask for details. jm(at)milich(dot)com

 

Bob.

[dseelig]

the 15 really needs it to me more then any. the Milch adapter for the mount is nice. the cheapest wat to insert the filter is double sided tape just arouind the filter and insert into the hood. I cut out the excess tape with a razor blade. The wide angles are the ones that need coding the most. good Luck David

[lars_bergquist]

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Hi. Forget the 50, 75 and 90mm lenses. They work all right without the coding, even with filters. And don't you believe Leica's dire warnings about 'malfunctions' if you don't turn lens recognition off when you use uncoded lenses. They just want to cover their collective ass with bulletproof underpants. But I leave it on all the time.

 

BTW it is quite possible that the camera will recognize the 90mm lens in any case. It does that with mine, admittedly older models. Just take any picture with it and look in 'Info' what the EXIF data say.

 

Let Leica handle the 35mm. For the rest of the wide lenses you will have to let John Milich do it (I assume that the CV lenses are in screw mounts with CV adapters, which are of course uncodeable). I am an enthusiastic user of his rear and front adapters for the 15mm. For the rest you need only two small cans of Humbrol/Testor enamel paint, a fine brush and Carsten's resume of coding sequences for various lenses.

 

The old man from tthe Age When Digital Meant Fingers

[Mark Pope]

Thanks to everyone for their advice and thoughts. I think I'll get some Milich adaptors sorted out for my CV WA lenses and leave the 'cron until I get back from holiday in September(by then, the UK postal industrial dispute may have been resolved...).

 

All the best,

[wlaidlaw]

If you want to code the elmarit 90, it is not exactly rocket science - see below. I did mine after it returned from a round trip to Solms to get coded - still uncoded.

 

Wilson

[ttriolo]

If you want to code the elmarit 90, it is not exactly rocket science - see below. I did mine after it returned from a round trip to Solms to get coded - still uncoded.

 

Wilson

 

How come it didn't get coded? It is codeable, isn't it?

[jonoslack]

Hi Mark

Although it's certainly true that you only need to code the wide lenses . . . . I think there is a real issue having a mixture of coded and uncoded lenses because you have to keep going in to the menu to change the settings - and if you forget you're likely to get a whole batch of pictures with red corners (or cyan come to that).

 

I shot without using filters for a long time, and if you aren't getting colour problems, then I'd wait until you can get everything 'coded and filtered'.

 

Best is all filtered and coded

Second best is no filters

worst is half and half (in my opinion of course).

[carstenw]

I had no filter for the WATE for quite a while, and I was always forgetting to switch back and forth, with the result that I had to work a lot harder to get the images good-looking. It is definitely preferable to use either filters everywhere or nowhere.

[wlaidlaw]

How come it didn't get coded? It is codeable, isn't it?

 

Yes it is codeable. It was a total c**k up by Leica. Leica quoted the dealer 14 days to code the lens, saying they had coded bayonets in stock. When I checked after 14 days, it had not even been entered into their system. I then got the dealer through whom I had arranged the coding to enquire. I said if Leica could complete the coding within a further 14-21 days, I would still go ahead. The message came back that it would now be a minimum of a further 6 weeks before they could complete the coding. I needed the lens back, so asked them to return it to me. They then 'lost' the lens for nearly three weeks before returning it to the dealer. Overall I was without the lens for over 6 weeks for zero result - not very satisfactory.

 

Wilson