Coded Lenses - Did you do it?

Coded Lenses - Did you do it?

  • Yep, I needed to have them encoded

    Votes: 44 51.2%

  • Nope, I like them the way they are

    Votes: 28 32.6%

  • If I did get an M8, I'd encode them

    Votes: 11 12.8%

  • If I did get an M8, I would not encode them

    Votes: 3 3.5%
  • Total voters
    86
dcsang

dcsang

Canadian & Not A Dentist
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Jun 16, 2005
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How many of you Leica M8 owners decided that you needed to have your lenses 6 Bit encoded?

I, personally, don't think I would need the encoding but I'm curious if those of you out there found a definite need for them yourselves and if so, why?

Thanks,
Dave
 
Dave, I don't have a M8 and I am not pining away for one in the near future, as I would prefer to save my purchasing dough for a low light big bertha 75 ;p That said, if I do get a digital M body of this generation, requiring the coding for maximum functionality, I would get any lens I use on it coded -- perhaps I'd just get one of the DIY coders.
Regards, Thomas
 
ErikFive said:
I dont care. My Nocti was factory coded by the previous owner, but I wouldnt botter. Im gonna ghetto code my Elmar and cv 35 with a dremmel whenever I have time for it just because it is easy.
Click to expand...

Erik,

As a fellow dremel owner, do you have a link to the "how to" for the DIY encoding?

Thanks,
Dave
 
ErikFive said:
If you buy the do it youself coder kit you just mark the lens with a marker. Put it on the M8 and check if you get the right lens on the display. Use dremmel to mill out the black and fill it in with correct black. Matte black. You can use you marker in the milled slot as well. I havent done this yet with any of my lenses, but I have a friend that has. Its no stress. You dont need to fill in the whites. Blacks only.
Click to expand...

Cool.. good to know :)

Thanks
Dave
 
To say "I needed to have them coded" is too strong.

I originally tried my lenses (most are wide-angle) uncoded but I was not satisfied with the results due to cyan shift. Although I was told by many coding on 50mm lenses and above (some even said 35mm and above) was not necessary, I had (nine in all) them coded anyway. All were coded by Leica.

Since this was done (and UVa filters replaced with IR/CUT filters) I have been more than satisfied with the results.
 
Bill,

Do you find yourself shooting mostly color or B&W with the M8?

(and by "B&W" I mean converting in post processing)

Thanks,
Dave
 
dcsang said:
Erik,

As a fellow dremel owner, do you have a link to the "how to" for the DIY encoding?
Click to expand...


There's a coding kit for sale at Popflash for $75 US or thereabouts (not that there's much of a difference between USD and CND these days...). It doesn't give instructions on milling the mount, but provides a guide as to where the code goes, as well as an index of the different codes that can be used.
 
Dear Dave
When I bought the M8 I only had a 50f2 lens and 75 lux. Neither were coded. The first new lens I bought was the 28 2.8 and this was 6 bit any way. Recently i had the 75 lux cleaned and serviced and it was a relatively minor charge to get it coded at the same time, but otherwise i would not have bothered. It certainly has very minimal appeal for anything longer than 35mm and even Leica accept that. It really has not made any noticeabledifference to pics from my 75. For me there is just one advantage of coding for longer lenses and this is that if you use flash, you can set lens dependent slow sync so if you change lenses it alters the shutter for the lowest useable value for that lens. Hardly great shakes but its quite a nice feature giving maximum ballance with ambient light. Its certainly not a deal breaker though. Flash with M8 is the one thing which does not get close to the DSLr gizmos.

Best wishes

Richard
 
dcsang said:
... Do you find yourself shooting mostly color or B&W with the M8? (and by "B&W" I mean converting in post processing)...
Click to expand...

I have never shot in B&W mode. Of the +/-600 exposure actuations with my M8 I have converted perhaps two shots to B&W.
 
I milled my own after marking the codes with a kit. I happen to have a Foredom flex-shaft grinder for wood carving (better than Dremel - thinner, higher speed, more control) so I bought a Dremel diamond point bit and did the deed for three lenses (CV 21, 28, 35) in about 15 minutes. Go slow and it's not difficult. Filled with flat black model enamel.

Just be sure to mask the lens back carefully with blue tape on non-LTM lenses. A magnifier lamp helps but isn't required.
 
None of the poll options fit; I've used Tim's coding kit to mark several lenses but I didn't really *need* to. I don't have cyan fringing because I don't (yet?) use IR cut filters. I'll need to convince myself through use of the necessity of going all the way with filters and permanent coding.
 
Doug said:
None of the poll options fit; I've used Tim's coding kit to mark several lenses but I didn't really *need* to. I don't have cyan fringing because I don't (yet?) use IR cut filters. I'll need to convince myself through use of the necessity of going all the way with filters and permanent coding.
Click to expand...

Ya see... this is what I'm trying to figure out - I would want to use the M8 almost strictly as a B&W camera - so, while I understand the reason for the IR cut filters, is it "necessary" for B&W? and if not.. then I would fall into the same camp as Doug.

Cheers
Dave
 
dcsang said:
...I would want to use the M8 almost strictly as a B&W camera - so, while I understand the reason for the IR cut filters, is it "necessary" for B&W? and if not.. then I would fall into the same camp as Doug.
Click to expand...
Going with B&W only is an attractive option, Dave, and from what I read (on Luminous Landscape as I recall) the remaining IR component tends to add a little extra richness and detail to shadow areas in B&W. So I would opt not to use IR cut filters for B&W.

I'm straddling the fence... In 10 days or so I'm taking my M8 on a trip to Malta, Sicily, and the Canary Is. I've Sharpie-coded the lenses and set lens recognition to On but not with IR and plan not to use cut filters. We begin with a historical-oriented tour covering a lot of Greek ruins so B&W would seem appropriate anyway. I'll try for color shots of residents too, and if IR effects mess up the color then maybe conversion to B&W would solve that. But I will also have IR cut filters with me if they turn out to be more desirable. A learning experience of several kinds! :D
 
ErikFive said:
If you buy the do it youself coder kit you just mark the lens with a marker. Put it on the M8 and check if you get the right lens on the display. Use dremmel to mill out the black and fill it in with correct black. Matte black. You can use you marker in the milled slot as well. I havent done this yet with any of my lenses, but I have a friend that has. Its no stress. You dont need to fill in the whites. Blacks only.
Click to expand...

Hi Erik
Which bit(for dremel) is good for doing leica coding? DO u have dremel with desktop stand kit? I think it is better to secure mount and dremel so I don`t scratch the lens mount. If I use circular bit and just mill circle instead of original code shape, do you think camera will recognize lens code correctly? How did your friend do it?

Please let me know. Some pic will be most helpful.

Thanks
 
Doug said:
Going with B&W only is an attractive option, Dave, and from what I read (on Luminous Landscape as I recall) the remaining IR component tends to add a little extra richness and detail to shadow areas in B&W. So I would opt not to use IR cut filters for B&W.

I'm straddling the fence... In 10 days or so I'm taking my M8 on a trip to Malta, Sicily, and the Canary Is. I've Sharpie-coded the lenses and set lens recognition to On but not with IR and plan not to use cut filters. We begin with a historical-oriented tour covering a lot of Greek ruins so B&W would seem appropriate anyway. I'll try for color shots of residents too, and if IR effects mess up the color then maybe conversion to B&W would solve that. But I will also have IR cut filters with me if they turn out to be more desirable. A learning experience of several kinds! :D
Click to expand...

Hmm.. interesting.
Thanks for that Doug - I guess it's me; when I think "Leica" I think "B&W" - must be just the way I always thought of the M series (and prior) cameras. So it just makes sense to me to want to shoot B&W with an M8.

I was this close >< yesterday to ordering one. Eight Elm (a local Leica dealer) had one in stock and I checked it out (non-charged) - it felt "M enough" I guess. It almost felt too light compared to my M7 but then I realized I didn't have a lens mounted :eek: When I asked, regarding the Warranty, where they would have to send the camera should it have "issues" they told me it would head to Leica USA in New Jersey.

There is another couple of dealers locally - one of them, Harry's Pro Shop, is selling definite "grey market" M8's but at least I know that the M8, if it had issues, would get taken care of by sending it back to Germany.

I guess I'm just nervous - because it's a lot of $$$$ and I've heard some rough stories about having to deal with Leica USA.

Anyway, I'm rambling now, thanks again for the info :) I've got lots of pondering to do :D

Cheers
Dave
 
I coded all my lenses from 35mm and wider. Did it myself, with an electric handpiece, basically like a high-priced Dreml. Just the black ones were needed. It was before there was any accurate template, so I mapped it out myself. I used black automotive touch-up paint because that's what I happened to have. It's shiny but it works fine. I wouldn't want to be without the coding for those lenses because of the cyan corner problem. I haven't done anything longer than 35mm and so far don't see any reason to spend the time.
 
I had to order a new flange for my Zeiss 21mm so it would bring up the right framelines. I have a buddy who is a Zeiss certified lens tech and has a CNC milling rig for making mounts for Zeiss cine lenses. He wants to take a crack at milling the code pits to broaden his skills.
 
dcsang said:
Hmm.. interesting.
Thanks for that Doug - I guess it's me; when I think "Leica" I think "B&W" - must be just the way I always thought of the M series (and prior) cameras. So it just makes sense to me to want to shoot B&W with an M8.

I was this close >< yesterday to ordering one. Eight Elm (a local Leica dealer) had one in stock and I checked it out (non-charged) - it felt "M enough" I guess. It almost felt too light compared to my M7 but then I realized I didn't have a lens mounted :eek: When I asked, regarding the Warranty, where they would have to send the camera should it have "issues" they told me it would head to Leica USA in New Jersey.

There is another couple of dealers locally - one of them, Harry's Pro Shop, is selling definite "grey market" M8's but at least I know that the M8, if it had issues, would get taken care of by sending it back to Germany.

I guess I'm just nervous - because it's a lot of $$$$ and I've heard some rough stories about having to deal with Leica USA.

Anyway, I'm rambling now, thanks again for the info :) I've got lots of pondering to do :D

Cheers
Dave
Click to expand...

Dave

I can confidently say that the IR filters are not necessary for black and white. Theoretically black and white should be very slightly sharper without. Also less flare issues without filters. But it is worth finding out if Leica are still providing two free filters with a new M8 purchase. This was a fairly generous option. If there is any prospect of using an M8 for your wedding work in colour, at that stage you definately need filters not only for clothing, but also accurate skin tones and foliage.
But none of these issues are immediately vital if you go M8 you can add on coding and filters as and when you require them.

Best wishes

Richard
 
Sorry, Richard, theoretically B&W should be slightly sharper with filter, as the IR part of the spectrum will be shifted out of focus.
 
jaapv said:
Sorry, Richard, theoretically B&W should be slightly sharper with filter, as the IR part of the spectrum will be shifted out of focus.
Click to expand...

Jaap is correct about B+W being sharper with the filter.

Dave, if you haven't already subscribed to Sean Reid's paid site, reidreviews.com, I would suggest that it would be worth the money. He has a lot of good information on there concerning profiles (JFI for C1), lenses, coding (including coding Zeiss lenses), etc.

John Milich will mill your flange for $25 + shipping.
He also sells flanges that have the coding pits in them. Make sure if you buy LTM adapters, that they are the type II adapters if you might want to code them. Old CV type I adapters can't be coded.
You only need to code wide-angle lenses up to 35mm. I have just used a sharpie on some of mine. If you get Tim Issacs coder, you can just use the pen that he provides. I have made it work without the coder, but I have to re-do them every once in a while.
 
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