Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/29

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Subject: [Leica] 6-bit code as installed by Leica
From: pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig)
Date: Sun Oct 29 11:11:38 2006
References: <000c01c6fb70$cfb45a10$6401a8c0@FrankDell2> <m2slh7i0fq.fsf@whitefish.local> <24CBC4D90432C03E1CC06347@hindolveston.reid.org> <m2odrvhz5v.fsf@whitefish.local>

What it means is that to have a lens that works "properly" (whatever that 
may 
mean in reality) you will have to use a Leica M lens in the future; so no 
Zeiss, 
no CV, no LTMs with M-adapters, no Russians (mixed blessing!), etc. Or 
rather 
put it another way there isn't enough space in 6 bits to encode all the 
possible 
lenses that you can mount on your M.

So:

(a) if the coding really makes any difference you are stuffed;
(b) if it doesn't why are Leica bothering - except to make a few bucks

Oh...

Peter Dzwig

PS Now, about getting my screw-to-M adapters engraved....

Dave Mason wrote:
> I am certainly not claiming that they are deceitful - or that the
> person who posted info earlier is - I just don't understand it. I
> would take the 6 bit/64 lenses idea if one of the lenses that they
> won't put the coding on wasn't an earlier (e.g., mid-1980s) Summicron
> 50. In terms of Exif data a "Summicron 50mm f/2.0" is a "Summicron
> 50mm f/2.0" is a "Summicron 50mm f/2.0".... isn't it?
> 
> 
> Dave
> 
> Brian Reid <reid@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> writes:
> 
> 
>>>I'm just curious why Leica claims not
>>>to be able to put the coding on older lenses if its just to put a text
>>>string in the EXIF data. It doesn't make any sense.
>>
>>I start with the assumption that Leica is not being deceitful.
>>You can call them a lot of things, but manipulative and deceitful is not 
>>one of them.
>>I have to assume that they have a reason to do this.
>>
>>Here's what I think. A 6-bit code can identify no more than 64 different 
>>lenses. I'd be willing to bed that since the release of the M3 50 years 
>>ago, Leica has issued maybe 50 different kinds of lenses. If they were 
>>willing to put 6-bit codes on all of them, they'd only have room for a 
>>dozen new lenses and then the code would be full.
>>
>>So I think if I were them, I'd pick about 20 to 30 of the more modern 
>>lenses and assign them code numbers, and reserve the remaining 30 to 40 
>>numbers for products that they haven't shipped yet.
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Leica Users Group.
>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 

In reply to: Message from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] 6-bit code as installed by Leica)
Message from leica at dmason.net (Dave Mason) ([Leica] 6-bit code as installed by Leica)
Message from reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us (Brian Reid) ([Leica] 6-bit code as installed by Leica)
Message from leica at dmason.net (Dave Mason) ([Leica] 6-bit code as installed by Leica)