Lens coding template

[RobW0]

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1 hour ago, lct said:

Or Leica USA simply picked up the replacement flange in the wrong box as suggested above, that of uncoded flanges instead of coded ones.

It is possible, but I find my assumption far more likely. 

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[lct]

When working on a lens, repairers remove the flange usually. They may replace it with a new one that can be either coded or uncoded, being a lens designed in the film days. What happened here, i suspect, is Leica mounted an uncoded flange instead of a coded one as i suggested above but YMMV.

[RobW0]

45 minutes ago, lct said:

When working on a lens, repairers remove the flange usually. They may replace it with a new one that can be either coded or uncoded, being a lens designed in the film days. What happened here, i suspect, is Leica mounted an uncoded flange instead of a coded one as i suggested above but YMMV.

This will be my last reply to you on this. It is far more likely that they would replace it with a coded flange because this is a lens that is in current production. 

[lct]

46 minutes ago, RobW0 said:

This will be my last reply to you on this. It is far more likely that they would replace it with a coded flange because this is a lens that is in current production. 

Sorry if it's my bad English but i was just trying to explain that it is probably a mistake from Leica USA.

[elmars]

Am 6.6.2024 um 21:39 schrieb chris_tribble:

I have no commercial interest or involvement with the company, but have just bought their lens coding template and am blown away by how good it is. You can find it here: https://akaralabs.com/products/leica-m-mount-lens-6-bit-encoder

The Akara Labs code template is 3D printed, very precise, and let me code my Zeiss 85 f4 as Leica Macro Elmarit f4 (a really good approximation) and CV 15mm as Leica 16-18-21 (@16mm). This again works really well in post and manages vignetting very nicely. 
And of course - if you have un coded M lenses, this is just the job.

just thought I’d give a heads up 🙂

Thank You for that. I got mine yesterday and coding worked perfectly.

[tedwill]

9 hours ago, lct said:

Sorry if it's my bad English but i was just trying to explain that it is probably a mistake from Leica USA.

I appreciate everyone’s input on this.  I can either live with it, get a new flange with the holes already there and paint it, or send it back and ask for a true 6 bit coding.  I use this lens a lot for portraits, but I have other lenses.  I’ll probably contact Leica and ask them to code it.  I’d rather not risk any damage with a “DIY” fix. 

[lct]

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I would not do DIY on this lens. DoF is shallow at 90mm f/2 and replacement flanges are not always the right thickness. Been there done that with replacement flanges made in China. It is a simple job for Leica to mount a coded flange and they should do it for free if your lens was already coded before the repair.

[downstairs]

I can't find a 6bit code for my Summicron 40mm.  I have two and which I use  all the time the and register  as Summicron 35mm f2.  Does it make any difference to the camera firmware?  Could it be possible to calculate a code the matches the lens characteristics?

[lct]

3 hours ago, downstairs said:

I can't find a 6bit code for my Summicron 40mm.  I have two and which I use  all the time the and register  as Summicron 35mm f2.  Does it make any difference to the camera firmware?  Could it be possible to calculate a code the matches the lens characteristics?

6-bit codes are aimed at M lenses, not C lenses for Leica CL. The Summicron-C 40/2 can be coded as Summicron-M 35/2 v4 if you don't mind it appearing as such in-camera and in exif data. The optical design of the Summicron-C 40/2 is a double Gauss inspired by the Summicron 35/2 v2 according to Marco Cavina. The 35/2 v2 vignettes a bit more than the 35/2 v4 but i can't seem to see significant differences between the latter and the 40/2 as far as vigneting is concerned. The 6-bit correction should then be similar, if any. Just a guess.

[downstairs]

19 hours ago, lct said:

6-bit codes are aimed at M lenses, not C lenses for Leica CL. The Summicron-C 40/2 can be coded as Summicron-M 35/2 v4 if you don't mind it appearing as such in-camera and in exif data. The optical design of the Summicron-C 40/2 is a double Gauss inspired by the Summicron 35/2 v2 according to Marco Cavina. The 35/2 v2 vignettes a bit more than the 35/2 v4 but i can't seem to see significant differences between the latter and the 40/2 as far as vigneting is concerned. The 6-bit correction should then be similar, if any. Just a guess.

 

19 hours ago, lct said:

6-bit codes are aimed at M lenses, not C lenses for Leica CL. The Summicron-C 40/2 can be coded as Summicron-M 35/2 v4 if you don't mind it appearing as such in-camera and in exif data. The optical design of the Summicron-C 40/2 is a double Gauss inspired by the Summicron 35/2 v2 according to Marco Cavina. The 35/2 v2 vignettes a bit more than the 35/2 v4 but i can't seem to see significant differences between the latter and the 40/2 as far as vigneting is concerned. The 6-bit correction should then be similar, if any. Just a guess.

Thanks! 

[intermediatic]

How does anybody get their markings to last more than a single use? Mine rub off almost immediately.

[lct]

Recent CV and ZM lenses have special grooves in the flange for pen coding. Other uncoded lenses need a replacement flange, if any, or a dremel tool to drill coding pits on the original flange. Another solution, for LTM lenses, is to use LTM to M adapters with coding pits already drilled by the maker.

Edited August 9, 2024 by lct

[Henners]

On 6/6/2024 at 8:39 PM, chris_tribble said:

I have no commercial interest or involvement with the company, but have just bought their lens coding template and am blown away by how good it is. You can find it here: https://akaralabs.com/products/leica-m-mount-lens-6-bit-encoder

The Akara Labs code template is 3D printed, very precise, and let me code my Zeiss 85 f4 as Leica Macro Elmarit f4 (a really good approximation) and CV 15mm as Leica 16-18-21 (@16mm). This again works really well in post and manages vignetting very nicely. 
And of course - if you have un coded M lenses, this is just the job.

just thought I’d give a heads up 🙂

Hey there, I'm the owner of Akara Labs and the designer/maker of the 6-bit coder, so thanks for supporting and I'm glad it's working well for you. Just thought I'd say hello as a fellow forum member.