Suggestions for coding of old lenses please

[RFA]

Hi
As the title says I am looking for suggestions for coding the following old lenses,
Early 50mm collapsible Summicron.
35mm Summicron 1st version 8 element.
As this second lens now seems to be a bit of a collectors piece would I be devaluing it by permanently coding it.
If anyone has played about coding either of these lenses and can give me some suggestions I'd be obliged.
Ron

 

[Ben Z]

Is this on an M9 or M8? There is no technical reason to code a 50mm for either one, other than to have it identified in the exif. If you want to code it, either code for 50 Summicron (11817 or current) code would show "50mm f2".

As for the 35, you probably don't need it coded on an M8. On the M9 there is some correction for the red edge issue. For permanent coding, if you want the exif to show "35mm f2" you have only 2 choices, the 4th-generation pre-ASPH or the ASPH. I have my 3rd-generation 35 Cron coded as a 4th generation and it works well. Sharpness and contrast have nothing to do with the coding, it's vignetting that makes the difference, and I suspect the 8-element Cron is closer to the 4th-gen than the ASPH in that regard (but don't quote me).

 

[250swb]

What camera is a good question to start with. The M8 likes many brands of black pen, the M9 likes very few, and responds better to black paint. But black paint won't stay on the mount unless you machine the necessary grooves.

If you sent the lenses to Leica they would replace the mount, they wouldn't phaff around machining it. If you sent it to a Leica specialist they would probably machine the original mount. If you do it yourself you can Dremel the original mount. Dremel is cheapest. And if you later want to have it coded by Leica themselves (they are likely to be neater, but not necessarily more effective), it doesn't matter if you already Dremeled it, they are still going to change the mount, so the cost is the same as if you sent them the original. A Leica specialist will come somewhere in the middle, you can send the lens, or unscrew the mount and just send that.


Steve

 

[RFA]

Hi
Thanks for the answers, it's for use with an M8, I have the facilities at home to mill the lenses for coding using a milling machine and rotary table. I think I will code the 50 so as it shows in the data and that leaves the 35 as the only lens I have that isn't coded so it easily identifiable later. I'm a bit wary of coding this lens as it doesn't have a flange mounted similar to most other lenses, the mounting on it is fitted a different way and also has the helix for focusing machined in it.
Here is photo of a Zeiss flange being milled