Code for M 8 lenses

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Ronald M

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Never looked at a M8 with the lens off, but advise if this is feasible.

Instead of coding each lens and some don`t have codes, could you make some kind of plastic piece that would interrupt/not interrupt the 6 bit reader lights or leds or whatever reads the code on the lens.

I don`t know where this might fit in the camera. Maybe the lights are recessed just enough the lens mount would remain flush.
 
Don't bother unless you can mill the little depressions in the mount.. Just pay to have it coded or if it's an LTM lens get a Milich converter.

There are many thread on self coding on the M8 forum on LUF. Just give it a search.
 
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The gap between the lens and the body on an M8 is close to non-existent. Milling pits is the only way to permanently code a lens. John Milich does this for a very reasonable fee ($25). The catch is that you have to remove the flange and send only that piece to him. I have done this twice and it has worked out very well for me. If you only have Leica glass, you can send the entire lens to Leica for coding.

Carsten maintains a chart of Leica lens codes and their application to non-Leica glass at http://www.digital-leica.com.
 
I tried that method and it did not work well for me (even with an industrial Sharpie pen). The fit was so tight on my CV25p that the marks came off. Flange is with JM now being milled. Tim Isaac is developing a new gadget called the M-Coder that is made of rigid plastic that will allow you to accurately marl the flange with a Sharpie. The M-coder is in development right now, but you can e-mail Tim at timyzik@comcast.net to get on his list.
 
When I milled all my lenses and adaptors I just used an ultra-fine sharpie to put a mark on the M8 body flange corresponding to each end of the reader, then made similar dots on each lens or adaptor. It wasn't hard to divide up the area between the marks into six equal segments using the same sharpie, and then mill depressions between the sharpie marks. Only need to mill for the black ones, the white ones are unnecessary (except some screw heads have to be filled with white paint so the reader doesn't think they're black codes). In fact if a particular code has 2 blacks adjacent to each other, one double-width milled recess works perfectly. My 4th-generation 35 Summicron required such a double-wide, surrounding a mount screw!
 
Ronald M said:
Never looked at a M8 with the lens off, but advise if this is feasible.

Instead of coding each lens and some don`t have codes, could you make some kind of plastic piece that would interrupt/not interrupt the 6 bit reader lights or leds or whatever reads the code on the lens.

I don`t know where this might fit in the camera. Maybe the lights are recessed just enough the lens mount would remain flush.
Click to expand...

I never really noticed that the sensor area is slightly depressed - not by much but maybe a little deeper than the thickness of paper. I think you may be on to something. A somewhat rigid paper (white) with the appropriate black marks could rest in the sensor's recess and then attach the lens.

If it worked the hardest part would be not loosing these or them falling into the camera.

I might try it out with a cover or card stock paper. Great idea.
 
Hi Guys...
I might add that The M8 production chief told me that coding is only necessary for lenses below 35 mm...all the 28S 21S .....for all the other lenses it is not necessary ...it is only good to see the correct lens in the exif data .
The reason...the colour shift is only on the side and visible with wideangle lenses...as of 35 mm all the discolouring falls out of the sensor...

Regards from Gent Belgium

Marc
 
EXIF is the reason I am going to code my CV 75mm once my Milich adapter arrives. Why should I have to work harder at recording shot information than I have to?
 
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