Is $250 worth getting a lens 6-bit coded?

[hellobrandonscott]

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It’s not an inconvenience to just manually select the lens when I mount it; but sometimes I forget and end up without any metadata. Thoughts?

 

 

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[LocalHero1953]

I had a lens coded for £148 a year or so ago, by an independent UK workshop (Skyllaney).

I found it well worthwhile, just so I don't have to set it in my SL2-S (I don't have a digital M), which uses the info for IBIS as well as recording it in the EXIF.

[hellobrandonscott]

5 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

I had a lens coded for £148 a year or so ago, by an independent UK workshop (Skyllaney).

I found it well worthwhile, just so I don't have to set it in my SL2-S (I don't have a digital M), which uses the info for IBIS as well as recording it in the EXIF.

Huh, I didn't realize it used it for IBIS. Any idea how that works? 

[evikne]

I had two uncoded lenses, but my M10 could only remember one of them (it remembers the last used uncoded lens) and I constantly forgot to go into the menu and switch manually. So I sent one in for a CLA + 6 bit coding. I have never regretted that.

[LocalHero1953]

13 minutes ago, hellobrandonscott said:

Huh, I didn't realize it used it for IBIS. Any idea how that works? 

I think it calculates the stabilisation action partly based on focal length. Obviously not relevant for a M

[Bart D]

Indeed, all camera base stabilisation systems require the focal length of the lens.

[Photoworks]

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If you using the lens on an M body it depends on what lens it is. Some lenses don't need much correction.

If you are using them on the SL camera the 6bit will select the lens in the 6bit M-L adapter. 

1st benefit is IBIS activation to correct focal.

2nd Some lenses like the 21 SEM benefit from the internal applied lens corrections. These are corrections that don't get activated if the camera does not read the 6bit. 
They are not the same as the metadata info that Lrc can use in software.

 

[hellobrandonscott]

1 minute ago, Photoworks said:

If you using the lens on an M body it depends on what lens it is. Some lenses don't need much correction.

If you are using them on the SL camera the 6bit will select the lens in the 6bit M-L adapter. 

1st benefit is IBIS activation to correct focal.

2nd Some lenses like the 21 SEM benefit from the internal applied lens corrections. These are corrections that don't get activated if the camera does not read the 6bit. 
They are not the same as the metadata info that Lrc can use in software.

 

Currently using it primarily on an SL2-S with the SL adapter. Appreciate the perspective!

[BernardC]

Leica will re-calibrate the lens as well, and perform a mild service. The price might be worth it just for that. Keep in mind that 6-bit coding dates-back to 2007, which means that your non-coded lens hasn't been serviced for a very long time.

[DigitalHeMan]

You can also buy an after-market lens mount for around 20 Euros, and a pot of white and black paint, and do it yourself. I've done it on a couple of lenses and it has worked fine

[serhan]

You can 3D-print 6-bit code template and mark it yourself:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1855867/

or 

 

Edited July 9, 2024 by serhan

[PMACDONALDTATTOO]

15 minutes ago, serhan said:

You can 3D-print 6-bit code template and mark it yourself:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1855867/

or 

if all you're after is coding this is the best advice, also the lens mount template mentioned above is readily available. unless you're a very 'by the book' type!

 

[Rollei35]

I wouldn't even do it for 10 bucks.

[Photoworks]

Some older Leica lenses without the 6-bit are calibrated for film. 

They make the calibration for digital, with the replaced month.

Not that it makes a big difference to an SL camera, the infinity mark probably goes past it anyway.

[250swb]

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong but from what I've been told when photographers used film they didn't have EXIF files? How did that work and were their photographs any good back then? 

[andybarton]

14 hours ago, BernardC said:

Leica will re-calibrate the lens as well, and perform a mild service. The price might be worth it just for that. Keep in mind that 6-bit coding dates-back to 2007, which means that your non-coded lens hasn't been serviced for a very long time.

Just because it's pre-2007, doesn't mean that a lens needs servicing.

[pgk]

15 hours ago, hellobrandonscott said:

It’s not an inconvenience to just manually select the lens when I mount it; but sometimes I forget and end up without any metadata. Thoughts?

I would agree. But, it depends on which lenses you have, and which are uncoded. If you have a wide lens requiring a lot of correction which is uncoded then forgeting to change the manual coding selection when you swop this lens for another can lead to problems, with a significant unwanted correction applied to the replacement lens. If you have a set of lenses which don't require much correction then its not so significant. I have an uncoded 35mm lens which I would consider coding simply because I forget to swith auto coding back on after replacing it with a coded 21SEM and as a result have no correction where its needed. Only you will be able to tell if the $250 will be affectively spent though.

[BernardC]

3 hours ago, andybarton said:

Just because it's pre-2007, doesn't mean that a lens needs servicing.

True, but my point was that an un-coded lens probably hasn't been serviced in a long while (lens coding is always offered as part of a basic lens service). What you do with that information is up to you. The OP is a professional photographer, so the lens may have been used extensively over the past two decades, and it will probably see heavy use for the foreseeable future.

5 hours ago, Photoworks said:

Some older Leica lenses without the 6-bit are calibrated for film. 

They make the calibration for digital, with the replaced month.

Leica makes a big deal about "calibrated for digital," but really it just means "calibrated." They need to re-calibrate the lens because it has a new mount. They calibrate to the current standard, which includes digital Ms.

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[hellobrandonscott]

6 hours ago, pgk said:

I would agree. But, it depends on which lenses you have, and which are uncoded. If you have a wide lens requiring a lot of correction which is uncoded then forgeting to change the manual coding selection when you swop this lens for another can lead to problems, with a significant unwanted correction applied to the replacement lens. If you have a set of lenses which don't require much correction then its not so significant. I have an uncoded 35mm lens which I would consider coding simply because I forget to swith auto coding back on after replacing it with a coded 21SEM and as a result have no correction where its needed. Only you will be able to tell if the $250 will be affectively spent though.

It's a 35 Summicron v4, so yeah, it's a bit of a headache whenever I forget. The vignette is pretty heavy. 

[hellobrandonscott]

3 hours ago, BernardC said:

True, but my point was that an un-coded lens probably hasn't been serviced in a long while (lens coding is always offered as part of a basic lens service). What you do with that information is up to you. The OP is a professional photographer, so the lens may have been used extensively over the past two decades, and it will probably see heavy use for the foreseeable future.

Leica makes a big deal about "calibrated for digital," but really it just means "calibrated." They need to re-calibrate the lens because it has a new mount. They calibrate to the current standard, which includes digital Ms.

True that I'm a wedding photographer but I actually just got this lens about a month ago from a collector, so it's nearly mint at the moment (give me a season and it won't be anymore haha). 

Do I want this calibrated for digital if I plan on occasionally using it with an MP?