[Leica] I have come to this conclusion

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

My experiences:

I now have coded the WATE, the regular Tri-Elmar, the 21 ASPH, the 
28/2 and, because I sent it in for other reasons anyway, the Noctilux.

I also have coded rings from John Milich for the 15, 21 and 25 CV.

As far as I'm concerned, lenses 28 and wider should be coded, and 
35mm are on the bubble. I used filters on all lenses, all the time. 
The 12CV has a filter, but I use CornerFix to correct the cyan corner 
issue. I leave UV/IR lens detection on for all lenses, but with the 
above exceptions I don't have any lenses of 35mm and longer that are 
coded. No problem, and obviously lens detection does nothing on my 
uncoded 75mm lenses.

Trying to use post production and narrow band desaturation to reduce 
the effects of the IR contamination only fixes things partially, and 
never as successfully as coding and and lens detection. It's a colour 
issue as well as resolution issue. On the other hand, Cornerfix works 
very well and is quite easy to use in combination with LR. I 
recommend getting it for borrowed wide angle lenses that you can put 
a filter on. I'm just borrowing Tom A's 28/2 Ultron (which seems like 
a very good alternate to the Summicron, and much better than the 
28/1.9) and I'll be processing the pictures with Cornerfix if they 
contain evenly lit areas or things in the corners which have to have 
quite accurate colours. Most pictures won't need the treatment.

I would also like the option of selecting the lens in a menu, but 
coding and lens detection is definitely the preferred method in the 
end.

The frame selection of the Tri-Elmar makes sense as the relevant 
frames are in the camera and so are important for film and digital. 
Focal length detection is only necessary for the digital correction 
on the M8. I guess they could have built it in, but considering the 
complexity of the TE, increasing the cost and complexity of the WATE 
and possibly size obviously outweighed the benefits in their minds. I 
tend to agree.

BTW, if you leave the lens detection at the default position (18mm) 
the errors at 16 or 21 are not very large


At 8:14 AM -0400 8/22/08, Leonard Taupier wrote:
>Hello Alastair,
>
>First let me congratulate you on your winning the Leica-Dior contest 
>and your new M8. That is quite an honor and attests to your 
>excellent photographic skills and photos.
>
>Now on to your conclusions, #2 in particular.
>First, if you have lenses 28mm and wider and you want to shoot 
>color, get them coded and get the filters. Without coding and with 
>or without filters the purple cast or the cyan corners are difficult 
>to get rid of. If you don't care about accurate colors then don't 
>worry about it.
>
>Always use filters. Your photos will be sharper, especially with the 
>non-APO lenses. IR and visible light focuses at a different point 
>and with the high IR sensitivity of the M8 it might make a 
>difference depending on the light source. The differences may be 
>subtle but we don't spend $3500 for a lens and then get soft photos.
>
>I would always use a filter on the 35mm lens, coded or not. I have a 
>coded 35mm Summicron ASPH and the 35mm Summilux ASPH not coded. Both 
>have filters and I have no problem with color casts with either.
>
>Use Leica brand filters on the ultra wides, primarily the WATE and 
>21mm Elmarit Asph. The difference in the color correction with 
>different brand filters is noticeable in the corners. I have no 
>problem with Heliopan, B+W or Tiffen on 35mm and longer lenses.
>
>Cheers,
>Len
>
>
>On Aug 22, 2008, at 1:18 AM, Alastair Firkin wrote:
>
>>  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
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  Leica Users Group.
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>
>
>_______________________________________________
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