mike prevette Posted October 16, 2006 Share #1 Posted October 16, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) Wow, my first post. I'm a long time Leica user (m6 + cl) and I'm on the list to get an m8. I just downloaded the instructions and so far have found two interesting things. Good and bad. First the good. In the self timer mode with B selected the camera acts like it was a T setting, so it wont close the shutter till you hit the button again. This is awesome, and something i wish all my cameras did. then the bad. Aparently you cant manually tell the camera which lens you are using. Im sure this is to motivate the sales of the postcoding your current lenses. This is just lame. It would be a relativly simple softwear addition to allow you to tell the camera which lens your using in the menu. I for one don't care to much because A) I can correct it in photoshop for the JPGS i need to (in camera correction doesn't apply to raws anyway). am planning on coding some of my lenses myself (engraver tool, white and black hobby enamel) C) love viginetting. those are my discoveries. _mike prevette Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 16, 2006 Posted October 16, 2006 Hi mike prevette, Take a look here M8 instruction discoveries. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 16, 2006 Share #2 Posted October 16, 2006 Mike just like anything else the lens without the coding is a dumb lens. The camera has no idea what is on the lens mount all it knows is what aperture degree you set. There needs to be some kind of connection made between lens and camera . The DMR it is Rom and the M it is the coding. Doing the coding yourself all i can say is good luck and plan on having it fixed. It is you have to engrave the 6 stations than paint them accordingly. Now I am sure there is a special paint or something used. Frankly for a 100 or so dollars to have your lens coding plus they calibrate it. I personally would not even think about doing it to a 2k lens Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
newyorkone Posted October 16, 2006 Share #3 Posted October 16, 2006 Except for the EXIF info I'm not sure it even matters if you shoot RAW. I for one don't what ANY processing unless I do it. And if the only way to achieve that is with dumb lenses then I will keep all my lenses dumb... I could care less about the EXIF info... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike prevette Posted October 16, 2006 Author Share #4 Posted October 16, 2006 Thanks for your thoughts Guy. I am well awair of how the coding system works, and what information it communicates and does not communicate (no aperture data beyond max lens aperture). As far as self coding I will probably only do it to some of my often used CV lenses. I'm pretty familure with the process of machining down a small portion of the mount and applying a matte enamel to the metal. The leica apears to use a near ir led and photosensor to read the coding. Of course I will do tests once I get the camera. This is a very similar sytem to one employed with Arri film camera magazines. Again the biggest part of the problem is determining what code goes to what lens, but that really is as simple as tracking down the leica documentation or a picture for each lens. _mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpclee Posted October 16, 2006 Share #5 Posted October 16, 2006 Leica's patent on the M mount expired some time ago and the coding system allowed them to file a new patent. This of course is in Leica's advantage because it instantly makes M mount lenses offered by the competition partly "incompatable" with the M8--in the sense that you won't get the maximal image quality using those. (Presumably, the code tells the camera how to compensate for vignetting and fix other optical imperfections.) Personally I don't mind that Leica monopolizes the M mount again. They have spent more time and resources maintaining the mount (for example, by continuing to offer parts and services for products discontinued decades ago). While competition is generally good for the consumer here the competitors are a bit like free-riders. They come in, they make a few bucks and then they dump their line when things look bad. (Think Konica Hexar RF.) They gain from the longevity of the M mount but don't contribute to it. This is what economists call a "positive externality", a situation when someone (in this case Leica) is providing a good at a cost but don't enjoy 100% of the reward. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Maio Posted October 16, 2006 Share #6 Posted October 16, 2006 The worst thing I saw in the manual was that I'll have to wait 3 hours for the battery to fully charge before I can play with the new camera Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpclee Posted October 16, 2006 Share #7 Posted October 16, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm not sure if DIY would be the best way to go. My understanding is that the body will use the coding information to fix all kinds of optical flaws (such as chromatic abbertations). In that case you can't just take the code from a 35 summicron and replicate it on a 35/2 ZM, since they have different optical properties. The latest word is Leica will be giving free upgrade vouchers with purchases of new lenses and the M8. I suspect a market will develop where people will sell vouchers at prices below what Leica charges. However, it remains to be seen whether Leica will service a 3rd party lens. I personally can't see why they would want to... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Maio Posted October 16, 2006 Share #8 Posted October 16, 2006 The latest word is Leica will be giving free upgrade vouchers with purchases of new lenses and the M8. I suspect a market will develop where people will sell vouchers at prices below what Leica charges. However, it remains to be seen whether Leica will service a 3rd party lens. I personally can't see why they would want to... I don't remember where I found it, but I saved the PDF file which talks about the 6-Bit encoding promotion. Details are on page 2. 6-Bit Lens Encoding Promotion Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 16, 2006 Share #9 Posted October 16, 2006 Mike of course with the right tools anything is possable and most likely can be done. i do know when i looked at the M8 , inside the mount it looked to me like photodiodes or something that reads the code. I will probably send the lenses that I use for flash to be coded . There is a promotion for US and Canada with the purchase of a M8 you get 2 for free at least that is what my Leica rep said actually two of them did. But that needs to be confirmed also as other reports are you buy a brand new coded lens you get 2 free done. Well I just recieved a brand new coded lens and there was no vouchers in there for that , so we are in the air on that one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlm Posted October 16, 2006 Share #10 Posted October 16, 2006 you keen readers of the manual can maybe answer me this one: among other things, i want to use the M8 to photo oil paintings. illuminated by studio flash, because: I can very exactly zero in the focus (manual focus with the 5D I now use is less than perfect), and the Leica lens is so good. so I have to use a synch cord adapter from the hotshoe, but how do I disable the pre-flash? thx Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 16, 2006 Share #11 Posted October 16, 2006 John there are two ways . One is use a Pocket Wizard remote transmitter or you can use a shoe adpter with a PC built in. Wein makes a slave unit with PC built in and even nikon has a shoe with one. Also there is a third way . Use a flash on camera put it to minimal power bounce it off the ceiling and put you main strobes on slave and they will overpower your on camera flash. i use that in a emergency when a PW does not work. lately I use a device called Micro -sync. check out www,paramountcords.com they have all kinds of gadgets like this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike prevette Posted October 16, 2006 Author Share #12 Posted October 16, 2006 Wow Chris, I can't believe you think competition in the M market is a bad thing. As far as CV and others not contributing to the mount I whole heartedly disagree. affordable 15mm? 35 f1.2? an extra two additions to the 40mm range? The fantastic neww Ziess lenses. The list is i'm sure longer, but those are the notables that have only appeared because competition was allowed. Leica will still be Leica and it does nothing to hurt their almost spotless reputation. However I sure enjoy the competition. _mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchell Posted October 16, 2006 Share #13 Posted October 16, 2006 Guy, I was told that you will receive avoucher to code two lenses after you send in the warranty card for your new lens. So you still may get one. Best, Mitchell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 17, 2006 Share #14 Posted October 17, 2006 Thanks Mitchell , I will send it in than. i just am getting different reports on this. i do know they are not making any money off it and if anything there taken a loss. The reason is when you do send lens in they replace the mount but it comes from the same type of lens and they match it up but than they have to recalibrate it , so there labor alone on this is pretty high i would imagine. than they recycle your old mount and put the code on that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike prevette Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share #15 Posted October 17, 2006 The calibration alone is probally worth the $100 should you even have to pay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gravastar Posted October 17, 2006 Share #16 Posted October 17, 2006 I've noticed a couple of possible inaccuracies/confusion in the manual, some part could be translation but not all. On page 87 where they talk about the extension factor: "Therefore, when used on the LEICA M8, these lenses have angles of view corresponding to lenses with focal lengths that are longer by a factor of 1.33 (1.33=reciprocal of 0.75) This has the respective effects on their perspective, but not on their depth of field, which, with the LEICA M8, can also be read directly off the lens (see the lens instruction manual for more details)." Perspective depends upon camera to subject distance and not focal length. Depth of field depends on reproduction ratio, aperture and chosen circle of confusion. It's likely when printing, say a 10x8, the reproduction ratio for a full frame M7 and "crop" M8 image would be different so the original depth of field markings on the lens would no longer be correct for use with the M8. Am I wrong or have I misinterpreted what Leica are saying? (I wouldn't want the thread to go off topic with a long discussion on this. ) Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 17, 2006 Share #17 Posted October 17, 2006 So do we send the warranty to Solms or New Jersey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted October 17, 2006 Share #18 Posted October 17, 2006 you keen readers of the manual can maybe answer me this one:among other things, i want to use the M8 to photo oil paintings. illuminated by studio flash, because: I can very exactly zero in the focus (manual focus with the 5D I now use is less than perfect), and the Leica lens is so good. so I have to use a synch cord adapter from the hotshoe, but how do I disable the pre-flash? thx There will be no pre-flash with studio lights. The Preflash only works with the SF24D and Metz comaptible flashes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 17, 2006 Share #19 Posted October 17, 2006 The calibration alone is probally worth the $100 should you even have to pay. I agree Mike and for someone with a older lens a excellent way to get your lense back to spec. I sent in my 15mm 3.5 R lens to get Rom'ed and besides the Rom they calibrate and also did a clean , lube and adjust. It came back looking new. They really do a great job on servicing lenses , maybe slow but it comes back like new Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted October 17, 2006 Share #20 Posted October 17, 2006 The calibration alone is probally worth the $100 should you even have to pay. I noticed in the PDF, they say the lens will get a calibration and an "External Cleaning" . This means they will put the new mount on and make sure the lens is calibrated properly to this mount and then clean the finger prints off the glass and exterior but not strip the lens down and do a CLA "Clean Lube Adjust". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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