Last updated: 27.03.2009
For the Leica M8, Leica created a lens coding system which worked with the camera's firmware to correct vignetting, but when an excessive infrared sensitivity was discovered, cyan corner elimination was added for when using IR filters. This table lists the codes used by Leica. Readings are made by placing the lens with the pattern at 12 O'Clock, and reading clockwise. The "Other Lenses" column lists lenses which are known to benefit from the same coding as the Leica lens in the "Lens Name" column.
The "Frames" column is new, and indicates which frames the lens code works with. Initially I have just the primary frameset, but some lens codes work with more than one (and retain the correct EXIF focal length/aperture), so if you have any additional frames to be added, please let me know.
| Lens Name | Product # Black | Product # Chrome | Lens Code | Value | Picture | Frames | Other Lenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH. | 11626 | - | 010000 | 16 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Super-Elmar-M 18mm f/3.8 ASPH. | 11649 | - | 110100 | 52 |  |
50/75 | Zeiss Distagon T* 4/18 ZM |
| Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 | 11134 | - | 000001 | 1 |  |
28/90 | Konica M-Hexanon 21-35mm f/3.4-4.0 (1) |
| Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH. | 11135 | 11897 | 011000 | 24 |  |
28/90 | Voigtländer Color Skopar 21mm 1:4,0, Zeiss Biogon T* 2,8/21 ZM, Kobalux 21mm f/2.8 |
| Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4 ASPH. | 11647 | - | 101111 | 47 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Elmar-M 24mm f/3.8 ASPH. | 11648 | - | 110010 | 50 |  |
24/35 | - |
| Elmarit-M 24mm f/2.8 ASPH. | 11878 | 11898 | 011001 | 25 |  |
24/35 | Voigtländer Snap Shot Skopar 25mm 1:4,0, Zeiss Biogon T* 2,8/25 ZM (with mount fix) |
| Summilux-M 24mm f/1.4 ASPH. | 11601 | - | 110000 | 48 |  |
24/35 | - |
| Tri-Elmar-M 28-35-50mm f/4 ASPH. | 11890, 11625 | 11894 | 101010 | 42 |  |
28/90, 24/35, 50/75 | - |
| Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 (III) | 11804 | - | 000011 | 3 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 (IV) | 11809 | - | 011011 | 27 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH. | 11606 | - | 011100 | 28 |  |
28/90 | Zeiss Biogon T* 2,8/28 ZM, Konica M-Hexanon 28mm f/2.8 |
| Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. | 11604 | - | 011010 | 26 |  |
28/90 | Voigtländer Ultron 28mm 1:1,9, Voigtländer Color Skopar 28mm 1:3,5, Zeiss Biogon T* 2,8/25 ZM |
| Summarit-M 35mm f/2.5 | 11643 | - | 101011 | 43 |  |
24/35 | - |
| Summicron-M 35mm f/2 (IV) | 11310 | 11311 | 000110 | 6 |  |
24/35 | Zeiss Biogon T* 2/35 ZM, Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2.0 (3) |
| Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH. | 11879 | 11882 | 011110 | 30 |  |
24/35 | Voigtländer Color Skopar 35mm 1:2,5, Voigtländer Ultron 35mm 1:1,7 |
| Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. | 11874 | 11883 | 011101 | 29 |  |
24/35 | Voigtländer Nokton 40mm 1:1,4 |
| Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8 | 11831, (11824) | 11823 | 100010 | 34 |  |
50/75 | - |
| Summarit-M 50mm f/2.5 | 11644 | - | 101100 | 44 |  |
50/75 | - |
| Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (III) | 11817 | - | (010111) | (23) | - | 50/75 | Konica M-Hexanon 50mm f/2.0 |
| Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (IV, V) | 11819, 11826 | 11825, 11816 |
100001 | 33 |  |
50/75 | Zeiss Planar T* 2/50 ZM |
| Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 (II) | 11868 | 11856 | 000101 | 5 |  |
50/75 | - |
| Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. | 11891 | 11892 | 100000 | 32 |  |
50/75 | Voigtländer Nokton 50mm 1:1,5, Zeiss C Sonnar T* 1,5/50 ZM |
| Noctilux-M 50mm f/1 | 11821, 11822 | - | 011111 | 31 |  |
50/75 | - |
| Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. | 11602 | - | 110001 | 49 | - | 50/75 | - |
| Summarit-M 75mm f/2.5 | 11645 | - | 101101 | 45 |  |
50/75 | - |
| Apo-Summicron-M 75mm f/2 ASPH. | 11637 | - | 100100 | 36 |  |
50/75 | - |
| Summilux-M 75mm f/1.4 | 11810, 11814, 11815 | - | 100011 | 35 |  |
50/75 | - |
| Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 | 11633 | 11634 | 100111 | 39 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Macro-Adaptor-M | 14409 | - | 101000 | 40 |  |
28/90 (?) | - |
| Tele-Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 (II) | 11800 | - | 000100 | 4 |  |
28/90 | Konica M-Hexanon 90mm f/2.8 (2) |
| Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 | 11807 | 11808 | 100110 | 38 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Summarit-M 90mm f/2.5 | 11646 | - | 101110 | 46 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Summicron-M 90mm f/2 (II) | 11136 | 11137 | 000111 | 7 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Apo-Summicron-M 90mm f/2 ASPH. | 11884 | 11885 | 100101 | 37 |  |
28/90 | - |
| Elmarit-M 135mm f/2.8 (I/II) | 11829 | - | 001001 | 9 |  |
24/35 | - |
Notes:
| (1) | Coding for 21mm only; you must start camera with preview in 28mm position and use that position when shooting. This lens uses a 6-screw mount, but the extra screws are outside the coding area. Unfortunately, this lens uses a 35mm frame position, which is not compatible as far as I can tell with any Leica 21mm lens code. (Dante Stella) |
| (2) | Typically no coding necessary; a screw provides the 1. (Dante Stella) |
| (3) | Clip the frameline lug (so as to show 35mm frames). (Dante Stella) |
Credit:
Many thanks go to Sean Reid, for generously providing informative comparative test results for the "Other Lenses" column. Examples and further details available at Reid Reviews. Many thanks to Popflash.Photo, Mark Norton, and many others, for the use of the code images.
Thanks to Jan Dvorak, the table is now sorted by focal length, then slow-to-fast and old-to-new, which is ultimately much more useful than sorting by code. I also took this opportunity to move the columns around a bit, making it easier to find the information you need.
If you have lenses to add or find mistakes, please mail me at carsten AT digital-leica DOT com. Ideal would be a photo of the lens with the code.
Background:
Mike Prevette on the Leica M8 Forum has found out that by marking lenses in the correct spot with a black marker, the M8 will actually read the above codes, and use the internal settings for the lens whose code was marked. This is handy not only for marking the above lenses without actually sending them in for coding, but also for marking "similar" lenses and getting some benefit of the coding even for older Leica or other non-Leica lenses. Experimentation is in order!
To help marking the lenses in the correct spot, Bob Blakley has released a template into the public domain with the Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication license, ie. it is free for use. Instructions from Bob: "Print it out; the gray surround should be exactly 2 inches by 2 inches. Cut out all the white parts. The cutout at lower left aligns with the little recessed slot in the lensmount; the holes then represent the code bit positions. It's easiest to get on if you cut the recessed-slot piece all the way through to the edge of the paper so you can just open the template up and slip it on. I've made it a nice shade of magenta :-) If you want a template you can use over and over again, I'd suggest a trip down to Office Depot to get some overhead transparencies to print the template on. That way your Sharpie won't damage the template." A Sharpie is a brand of permanent black marker.
Here is the original thread which got all this started.