Get some lenses coded and keep M8.2, or just buy an M9?

[Doug]

I have not tried them, so I have that disadvantage, but I am wary about the quality/precision of aftermarket flanges. For use on digital cameras, precision becomes more important than ever for correct focus. The higher resolution makes focus accuracy more critical.

I am very comfortable sending my lenses to DAG for coding and focus calibration to standard specs. You get the same original flange back, and assured precision...

 

[Rob-F]

I have not tried them, so I have that disadvantage, but I am wary about the quality/precision of aftermarket flanges. For use on digital cameras, precision becomes more important than ever for correct focus. The higher resolution makes focus accuracy more critical.

I am very comfortable sending my lenses to DAG for coding and focus calibration to standard specs. You get the same original flange back, and assured precision...

Of course, I know that's the best choice. It's just so tempting to try changing them at home. I seem to have developed some anxiety about sending my expensive lenses through the mail. And Fraser seems to feel they are OK.

It could be I'm not feeling that committed to keeping the M8.2 to bother sending the lenses out. In the end, it seems to come down to the title of the thread.

 

[jsrockit]

Coding lenses sucks. (There I said it). 😉

 

[Fraser]

I have not tried them, so I have that disadvantage, but I am wary about the quality/precision of aftermarket flanges. For use on digital cameras, precision becomes more important than ever for correct focus. The higher resolution makes focus accuracy more critical.

I am very comfortable sending my lenses to DAG for coding and focus calibration to standard specs. You get the same original flange back, and assured precision...

That what I thought at first but they are so cheap even if it didn't work it wasn't a big deal. As to focus accuracy a couple of years ago I started adjusting the rangefinder myself so I could match it better to my own/favourite lenses.

 

[Rob-F]

@ Fraser: I don't think I would ever adjust the rangefinder for anything but accurate infinity focus!

OK here is a progress report (of sorts):

I received from China two codable LTM to M adapters, one for my CV 28mm and One for my CV 35mm. There is good news and bad. The coding for the 35mm went well. They are blanks with six positions to be filled with black or white paint. Here's a shot of how it turned out.

 

[Rob-F]

And here's how it looks on the camera:

The silver lens on the black camera seems a little wrong. But Hey, it works. I was thrilled to see "35mm" come up in the EXIF!

 

[Rob-F]

Now here's the 28mm on the M8.2. It looks great, doesn't it? Just the right size.

 

[Rob-F]

So here's the bad news. The 28mm adapter does not bring up the 28mm framelines. It brings up the 50/75 framelines; or with a little jiggling, the 35/24 framelines. The lug is actually a little too short to move the cam to the 28mm position. I tried it on the M6, too. Same result. So it is going back to China with a note, which I hope someone there can read. I wonder if I should ask for a replacement, or just for my money back.

Oh. Both adapters miked out at .039 and focus, based on a couple quick shots in the back yard, looks good.

 

[Fraser]

So here's the bad news. The 28mm adapter does not bring up the 28mm framelines. It brings up the 50/75 framelines; or with a little jiggling, the 35/24 framelines. The lug is actually a little too short to move the cam to the 28mm position. I tried it on the M6, too. Same result. So it is going back to China with a note, which I hope someone there can read. I wonder if I should ask for a replacement, or just for my money back.

Oh. Both adapters miked out at .039 and focus, based on a couple quick shots in the back yard, looks good.

email them first and they will probably just send you another one.

 

[Fraser]

@ Fraser: I don't think I would ever adjust the rangefinder for anything but accurate infinity focus!

OK here is a progress report (of sorts):

I received from China two codable LTM to M adapters, one for my CV 28mm and One for my CV 35mm. There is good news and bad. The coding for the 35mm went well. They are blanks with six positions to be filled with black or white paint. Here's a shot of how it turned out.

i'm not really bothered about infinity I take most of my pics wide open at closer distances, if i was shooting something at infinity more than likely i would be shooting at f4 or 5.6 so depth of field would more than cover any focus errors.

 

[Rob-F]

Follow-up note on the Chinese Adapter Project:

As noted, the one adapter I intended for the 28mm CV lens did not bring up the 28mm framelines. I exchanged several emails with the vendor, Bonds camera in Hong Kong. While they were courteous and prompt in responding, I don't think they really knew what to tell me. I suspected that they had sent me a 50/75 adapter, mis-engraved as a 28/90. But they are apparently a camera dealer, not the manufacturer, and not familiar with Leicas. They offered to send another, but I couldn't get across to them that they should first check if the replacement would be any different, or if they were all like the one I got. They would need mine back to see if the replacement would be any different. The return shipping would have been $13.75, which they didn't want to pay. I declined to accept a replacement, and they told me to keep the adapter. I think they did the best they could.

At this point I was tired of fooling around, and tired of "equivalent focal lengths." And I wanted the camera to know what lens it was wearing, and didn't like fooling with the M-coder. My wide-angle lenses would never be wide enough.

So I bought an M9. But that's another story, in another thread. 🙂

Edit: Forgot to say, they did refund my money.

 

[Ronald M]

Try a UV/ir filter on the widest lens without coding it. The filter should correct the colors and leave some vignetting which corner fix can repair.

 

[Doug]

Yes, a useful trick... Makes it easier for CornerFix which is still useful since the result (in my experience) is mottled colors around the periphery. This is due to the Italian Flag Syndrome being a lowerleft-upperright issue while the filter's effect is circular. And the filter is useful in getting rid of as much of the M9's residual IR (and UV) as can be...