Coding your lens, does it really work?

[POINT OF VIEW]

When using a factory coded lens and the M8 settings are on, lens detection on, you will see a start up screen like the picture below.

With a factory coded lens shooting in raw, you will also see a description of the lens you are using in Capture One software. There is a box for lens description and other information, when you right click on the photo.
I do not get any of the above when I use a self coded lens. Below are a couple photos of my marking method. I used a factory coded lens to make my template. Everything appears dead on. Either I’m doing something very wrong or all of this self coding is a waste of time.

The big question is, has any one actually verified their self coded lens? When the camera is turned on, does the lens description display on the monitor? Does the description show up in your software? I would suggest using the Capture One software. I know this works because it does verify my factory lens. I really would like to know if this is just a hit and miss art and a huge waste of time? Bill

 

[MJones]

Hopefully more hit

Hopefully more hit

I've only got one Leica coded lens and all the others hand coded. I'm not sure if I understand your question but here are 2 ways I've verified the coding, one in camera and one in EXIF data on computer.

1. In Camera: take a sample photo with hand-coded lens. Press the play button on back of M8 and while it's on display press the Info button. The lens focal length (35, 28, 90, etc) should appear in upper right corner with the rest of the data. If it doesn't appear it's not picking up the hand-coding. I've compared this to my Leica coded lens.

2. In Software - I'm using Aperture which in the EXIF data it will only display the focal length if the camera had picked up the hand-coding when taking the exposure. Again, I compared this to my Leica coded lens and ones that were hand-coded and the camera picked up (which I had checked in method 1 above before loading on computer) did have the focal length recorded in the EXIF data.

In other words when I first tried my uncoded 35 the camera did not recognize it nor the software show 35 in EXIF. But when I coded it properly and checked the camera info, it displayed 35mm as did the software EXIF data.

Regarding the images you post - the lens you show hand-coded, is that a 35cron or 28? The black marks might not be far enough out to the edge for the sensor to pick up. The black marks also get rubbed off very easily and won't pick up.

And the tri-elmar display you are getting is very different than when I mount my Leica coded 50lux. I think your tri-elmar may be a little unique from all the other lenses because it asks you to choose one of the 3 focal lengths. My 50 doesn't ask me for anything. If I have lens detection on, it just senses the lens and display's "50mm" when I select info for that image.

I hope this helps. Again, it has been a lot of "miss" for me at first because the ink rubbed off. I've found that Sharpie brand makes an industrial strength marker and that's been much better for most of my lenses. My zeiss 25 is causing me the most problems not sensing the coding - the ink rubs off very easily on my Zeiss.

 

[rxmd]

I'm quoting this from memory (it may be wrong and I don't have an M8 to check it), but I think the M8 reads the position of the frameline lug as well. If that doesn't coincide with the lens coding, i.e. if you code it for a 35mm lens but the lug indicates a 28 mm lens etc., then the M8 might not recognise the lens.

Anyway that would make sense for Leica to do. Could anyone who has an M8 verify this?

 

[jaapv]

I'm quoting this from memory (it may be wrong and I don't have an M8 to check it), but I think the M8 reads the position of the frameline lug as well. If that doesn't coincide with the lens coding, i.e. if you code it for a 35mm lens but the lug indicates a 28 mm lens etc., then the M8 might not recognise the lens.

Anyway that would make sense for Leica to do. Could anyone who has an M8 verify this?

Lens recognition is determined by two parameters, the lens-coding and the position of the framelines. If those two don't match the lens is not recognized.
Checking recognition is very simply done in the camera. press the info button and the LCD will display the focal length if the lens is recognized. No need to go all the way through RAW converters...

 

[baycrest]

Coding Templates are a waste of time

Coding Templates are a waste of time

I tried using a paper and plastic template similar to yourself. To be blunt, its frustrating and a waste of time. Especially if it doesn't work. As others have mentioned, take a picture with the lens detection or lens detection on IR filter on. Then play back the picture and press the info button. If you can't see the correct focal length or any focal length indicated, then you haven't managed to code your lens correctly.

Firstly you don't have to be neat for coding to work with your "sharpie". Second you don't need to paint the white codes. Only the black ones need to be coded. Third, your coding doesn't need to be round. Simple straight lines work fine.

So here's how to do it. Guarenteed to work and takes literally 2 minutes. Anymore and you're wasting your time. After wards to re-fresh the black lines, that only takes 10 seconds. You'll find you need to refresh after every 3 or 4 lens changes.

1. Take your lens off your M8 and in bright light you'll be able to see the 6 diodes. Mark the diode locations on the outside of the camera lens ring.
2. Reattach the lens and mark the lens flange opposite the marks that you put on the camera lens ring in step 1.
3. Remove the lens and simple code the lens with your black sharpie, using straight line strokes. Let the ink dry completely before reattaching the lens to the camera.
4. re-fresh your sharpie markings after 3-4 lens changes

Take a picture with the lens coding switched on. Press play and info...Voila, c'est complete!

Rob😛

 

[Andy Aitken]

I fecked around for ages until I discovered that some pens work better than others. Ones that definitely work are the "Sharpie" (USA) and "Edding Permanent" (Europe). Other pens that are transparent to IR light don't work at all. As Rob says you do need to reapply it quite a lot so keep the pen in your bag.

 

[chuckcars]

Why would you want to take a very expensive piece of equipment and screw it up yourself when you can get a factory job done either for free or a very reasonable price?Reusing a sharpie seems foolish.

 

[Ben Z]

I actually ground the shallow recesses and filled them with auto touch-up paint. For the work involved measuring where the dots go, I wasn't about to use something that rubs off. All of mine are recognized by the M8. I have 7 wide-angle lenses that need the cyan-vignetting correction. That would've amounted to $875 plus not having the lenses to use for a long time, plus the risk of them getting lost in shipment. And worst of all, of the seven, only THREE are on the list of lenses Leica will code. I probably should have sent the flanges to John Milich for milling, because his job is more professional-looking, but my lenses are far from mint and as long as the coding is recognized I really don't care.

 

[MJones]

Reusing a sharpie seems foolish.

This may be a communication thing - Someone from Austria pointed this out to me in another forum when I kept using the word Sharpie.

The word Sharpie used in USA is a brand name for a permanent marker, but generally means permanent marker/pen.
A sharpie in (Europe?) is a model makers knife (or in US, an "Exacto" knife).

BTW, the Sharpie marker ink will come off with rubbing alcohol quite easily.

 

[etrigan63]

We have also discovered that there is a "Industrial Grade Sharpie Pen" that a member has tested with over 20 mountings/dismounting of his lens. That and Tim "Mr. M Gadget" Isaacs is developing an M-Coder Ring to accurately place the marks.

 

[ww@lt]

I made myself a positioning device for coding the lenses.
it is laser cut out of stainless steel.

if anybody is interested of getting one, please mail me your email address and I tell you the details!

 

[Summicron]

I made myself a positioning device for coding the lenses.
it is laser cut out of stainless steel.

if anybody is interested of getting one, please mail me your email address and I tell you the details!

It looks like your mailbox is stuffed with messages and rejects the mail... 😀
Please let me know the details.

 

[ww@lt]

...my mailbox should be able to receive, because I got mail from others!

 

[Bob Baron]

...my mailbox should be able to receive, because I got mail from others!

Did you receive the email I sent to you?

--Bob

 

[Summicron]

...my mailbox should be able to receive, because I got mail from others!

No, it doesn't, I tried again and again.
Here is the answer:

"Recipient mailboxsize exceeds quota limit"

 

[ww@lt]

then ist seems like a problem in the forum system here....

....please mail to waltraud.saxbauer(at)gmx.at !!!