Is using 2 bodies with a Leica M digital really possible?

[JPSuisse]

Dear All

So, the background on this story is that I'm mostly shooting film, but did actually buy an M8 new and used in the beginning quite a bit. Then, do to a strange technical problem it wen't back to Leica "for a long time."

When I got that camera new NOTHING shot with my Leica glass was in focus. So, finally I sent all lenses I had and M8 back to Leica. We are talking 7 lenses here! What a pain.... They "adjusted" the lenses for the M8. And bingo, everything worked from then on. No problems with my 2 MPs either before or after the adjustment of the lenses.

Now, what happens, if I want to buy a second M digital body? Don't I have to have Leica adjust the second digital M body to match the adjustment of my M8? Or, do I just have to try a bunch of digital bodies until I find one that actually focuses correctly with my lenses?!

Thanks for any constructive input on this topic. I think I might be to the point to realize that it just doesn't make sense for me to buy another digital M body! Because I sure as hell am not sending all lenses back to Leica again!!

John

[Vics]

I think that Leica just "coded" your lenses so that the digital bodies will all recognise them. I'd bet that all your lenses will now work fine with all M bodies. Buying additional lenses MAY requir that you have them "6-bit coded).

[raid]

I use M8 and M9 without the need for adjusting any.
Too bad for your troubles.

[sevo]

A focus adjustment would negatively affect all cameras the lenses previously had been fine on. As you say that that is not the case, the lenses presumably got "coded" rather than adjusted - i.e. they were marked for lens type so that the processor in the camera can recognize them and select the appropriate compensation values. This will work with all past and current digital Ms (and future ones as well, as long as they continue to use the current coding-and-correction system).

[V-12]

Originally Posted by JPSuisse

When I got that camera new NOTHING shot with my Leica glass was in focus. So, finally I sent all lenses I had and M8 back to Leica. We are talking 7 lenses here! What a pain.... They "adjusted" the lenses for the M8.

Leica can adjust lenses to the tighter tolerances of digital sensors and this is probably what they did. What they will not have done is adjust them specifically for your M8. Send a body and lens to Leica and they adjust the body to its specification, then the lenses to their specifications, not individually match a body to a lens. They ask that the body and lens are sent basically because they don't trust people to judge if it is the lens or the body or both that are out of tolerance.

So as your lenses have been adjusted there shouldn't be any reason at all that they won't work with another body, unless the new body is out, in which case you can send that to Leica on its own.

[swoop]

Everything was fine and good with my M7. When I purchased my M8 the focus was off. I just sent the camera in alone and they adjusted it and it worked perfect. When I bought my M9 everything worked right out of the box.

[raphaelaaron]

Originally Posted by V-12

Leica can adjust lenses to the tighter tolerances of digital sensors and this is probably what they did. What they will not have done is adjust them specifically for your M8. Send a body and lens to Leica and they adjust the body to its specification, then the lenses to their specifications, not individually match a body to a lens. They ask that the body and lens are sent basically because they don't trust people to judge if it is the lens or the body or both that are out of tolerance.

So as your lenses have been adjusted there shouldn't be any reason at all that they won't work with another body, unless the new body is out, in which case you can send that to Leica on its own.

I would agree with this. It makes sense Leica would just calibrate both to their standards.

[JPSuisse]

@ V-12: Thanks for this background. That could well be it. I will go try an M9 with 3 of my most used lenses and see, if the pics are sharp.

@ Several others: Coding will not any affect on the ability to focus a lens! In fact, all but 1 of the lenses were coded from the factory.

But, anyway, thanks for sharing the opinions, very useful for the future for me!!