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The Match Technical Coder Kit
A full discussion of 6-bit lens coding and its pitfalls can be found in the Guide to Leica.
The Coder Kit from Match Technical is very nicely done, and neatly solves the 6-bit coding issue—highly recommended.
The Coder Kit does this for you:
- A pen is supplied that makes an effective and durable semi-permanent black mark (not any pen will do).
- The plastic M-Coder piece is critical: it helps you make the marks in exactly the right place.
- The supplied wheel tells you which lens has which code.
Personally I’d prefer a printed sheet for the codes (the wheel is a lot of “fiddly” to find the right lens).
The Coder Kit web page for it explains operation in more detail, so my operational thoughts and experience with it are are below.
Which coding to use?
You must determine which coding to use. For an older Leica lens this is easy: just use the codes that the supplied wheel provides: locate the right lens on the wheel, then code using the displayed code and M-Coder device.
For non-Leica lenses, it’s a bit more work. Below is what to do for each lens. I applied this approach to the Zeiss ZM 35mm f/2 Biogon, and it worked right the first time. It’s a great solution— no more setting the code manually, so I could switch lenses without having to “chimp” the camera.
Step by step instructions for doing the coding are in the Guide to Leica.
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