[Leica] I have come to this conclusion

[afirkin at afirkin.com (Alastair Firkin)]

I am home with the flu and my new M8, so its time for some playing around. 

1. if you have a UV/IR filter on the lens, make sure you have the Lens 
detection/UV/IR "on". This applies to all lenses 50mm and greater. The 35 is 
touch and go

2. if you are using a wide angle, and it is uncoded, do not use the UV/IR 
filter. This probably includes the 35mm. It is counter productive to put the 
filter on a wide uncoded lens, and you are probably better off to use 
black/purple shift to correct any black clothing in the image (given that 
you don't mind purples going black)

3. do not use the wide TE with the lens detection off unless you remove the 
IR filter. 

4. the 21 asph can be used without an external viewfinder (as reported by 
Gene) as long as you don't wear glasses, the FOV will equate almost exactly 
to everything you can see in the viewfinder outside the frames: in some ways 
its more accurate than using the frames, which have such a huge latitude 
that I find them annoying. 

5. the 21 asph is a great lens, and I really should have it coded :-( Leica 
should really have allowed us to choose the lens from the menu rather than 
force coding: but I suspect this is where they are just collecting a bit of 
"cream". Also, the TE brings up the appropriate focal length when coded: why 
could not the TEW. 

Oh well

Cheers

Alastair