Why does my M8 forget my WATE settings?

[JayM]

I have a CV 15mm in M mount that I used a sharpie to code as a WATE.

When the camera starts up I select 16mm.

Then within moments the lens select box comes up again. I select 16mm.

Instantly the lens select box comes up again. I select 16mm.

10 minutes later the lens select box comes up again.

(repeat for entire day of shooting)

Any thoughts as to why this might be happening? I tried turning off sleep mode thinking that could be it but that had no effect.

Damn forgetful camera is wasting my electricity!

 

[JayM]

Considering coding it as a Super Elmar 18mm. From looking at exifs all the times that I just press half press the shutter to make the LCD turn off the camera seems to just settle for 18mm.

This was shot with the camera set for 18mm and seems to be fine:


L1001058 by JayMiz, on Flickr

Still curious if anyone has any similar experiences.

 

[bob338]

My M8 seems to remember the last FL I chose. If I haven't changed it on the lens I just start shooting and ignore the menu.

 

[ka7197]

I have a Voigtländer 15 mm in M mount that I used a sharpie to code as a WATE.

Bad idea. Don't do that. The Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm Asph's code will make the camera think you're using a 21 mm lens. Better use the code 51 (110011) when your 15 mm lens brings up the 35/135 mm framelines, or the code 52 (110100) when your 15 mm lens brings up the 50/75 mm framelines, or the code 1 (000001) when your 15 mm lens brings up the 28/90 mm framelines.

When the camera starts up I select 16 mm. Then within moments the lens select box comes up again. I select 16 mm [...] (repeat for entire day of shooting). Any thoughts as to why this might be happening?

I guess your 15 mm lens does not bring up the 28/90 mm framelines, does it? The 28/90 mm framelines would match the 16 mm WATE setting; if your settings don't match then the camera reports an error. Good thing!

To avoid the select box coming up all the time, I guess you'd have to select the WATE's focal length that matches your 15 mm lens' framelines:

• 28/90 mm framelines --> WATE at 16 mm
• 35/135 mm framelines --> WATE at 18 mm (on M8: 24/35 mm framelines)
• 50/75 mm framelines --> WATE at 21 mm

However that's just an assumption of mine, as I don't have an M8 camera. If selecting the proper focal length doesn't help then use one of the other 6-bit lens codes given above. The lens corrections applied to the image will be the same for each WATE setting anyway (matching the WATE at 21 mm); just the focal length designation in the EXIF data will change.

 

[JayM]

Bad idea. Don't do that. The Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm Asph's code will make the camera think you're using a 21 mm lens. Better use the code 51 (110011) when your 15 mm lens brings up the 35/135 mm framelines, or the code 52 (110100) when your 15 mm lens brings up the 50/75 mm framelines, or the code 1 (000001) when your 15 mm lens brings up the 28/90 mm framelines.



I guess your 15 mm lens does not bring up the 28/90 mm framelines, does it? The 28/90 mm framelines would match the 16 mm WATE setting; if your settings don't match then the camera reports an error. Good thing!

To avoid the select box coming up all the time, I guess you'd have to select the WATE's focal length that matches your 15 mm lens' framelines:

• 28/90 mm framelines --> WATE at 16 mm
• 35/135 mm framelines --> WATE at 18 mm (on M8: 24/35 mm framelines)
• 50/75 mm framelines --> WATE at 21 mm

However that's just an assumption of mine, as I don't have an M8 camera. If selecting the proper focal length doesn't help then use one of the other 6-bit lens codes given above. The lens corrections applied to the image will be the same for each WATE setting anyway (matching the WATE at 21 mm); just the focal length designation in the EXIF data will change.

Interesting! The 15mm brings up the 28/90 frame lines on my M8.

Since code 1 is for the Elmarit 21 could I also use code 24 for the elmarit 21 asph and be ok? The idea I'm getting is that you just have to keep it matched with what frame lines are showing up, and in the ballpark of the focal length.

Thanks for the input!

edit: Went ahead and coded it as Code 24 since that didn't involve erasing my current sharpie mark. Will report back tonight after shooting the lens today.

 

[ka7197]

Interesting! The 15 mm brings up the 28/90 frame lines on my M8.

Oh, it does!? So my theory about the reason why your camera keeps bringing up the select box was wrong ...

Since code 1 is for the Elmarit 21 could I also use code 24 for the Elmarit 21 Asph and be ok?

Umm ... basically, yes. The idea is that a non-Leica lens (most likely) is closer to the pre-asph version of the Elmarit-M 21 mm than to the asph version thereof—but I guess in terms of vignetting correction there isn't much of a difference between 6-bit lens codes 1 and 24. So either code should work.

The idea I'm getting is that you just have to keep it matched with what frame lines are showing up, and in the ballpark of the focal length.

That's right.

 

[JayM]

Ok. Went shooting all day with the CV 15mm coded as a 21mm ASPH. It seems to have worked well. Good thing I'm not an exif stickler. I just want less vignetting at this point in my life.

Shot at f/8, 1/125 sec, ISO 640. Seems free of vignette enough for me:

L1001173 by JayMiz, on Flickr

 

[ka7197]

Seems free of vignette enough for me ...

Yeah, looks pretty good (nice picture, by the way). You can always correct the lens name, the focal length (actual and equivalent), and the max. aperture using Phil Harvey's ExifTool if the EXIF data being wrong bother you enough. When you put together an argument file then correcting a bunch of image files will be as difficult as typing one command line.