Code your Zeiss, Voigtlander and other lenses for the 6 bit reader in your digital Leica

Any older Leica lenses and other manufacturer will not come with the 6 bit code. While this isn’t essential in making images, especially when shooting in DNG format, you will find multiple benefits.

Corrects vignetting in JPGs
Corrects color casts in JPGs
Adds lens information into EXIF for both JPGs and DNGs

As said many times in this blog, I prefer to shoot in DNG, this allows me to edit the files to my personal taste and at times I do want to automatically fix the vignetting or distortion and it can help with a single click.

When using a Voigtlander lens for example, you may not want to tell Lightroom or CaptureOne that your lens is a Leica, otherwise it will apply the incorrect profile but here is the benefit of it, that you will know what focal length was used and this will help you identify which lens you used.

For people who only shoot with one or two lenses, this may be irrelevant.

There are many methods for adding 6 bit codes to your lenses, while some people replace the mounting plate or machine the code into the lens mounting plate, I simply prefer to use a Sharpie and apply 4 or 5 coatings, apply one and let it dry, apply a second, let it dry and continue until you have saturated the metal with the black marker. At times, it may be super reflective and if this happens, just put very little pressure with your index finger and you will see that the paint becomes matte instead of glossy.

Here is a list of the codes borrowed from LaVidaLeica.com and here is the link that has a template and much more information if you want to make it more complex than it really is.

https://lavidaleica.com/content/leica-lens-codes

Lens Name	Black	Chrome	Code	Picture	Framelines	Other Lenses
Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH	11626	–	010000	⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜	28/90
Super-Elmar-M 18mm f/3.8 ASPH	11649	–	110100	⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜	50/75	Zeiss Distagon T* 4/18 ZM
Super-Elmar-M 21mm f/3.4	11145	–	110011	⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛	28/90
Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8	11134	–	000001	⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛	28/90	Konica M-Hexanon 21-35mm f/3.4-4.0 (1) Voigtländer 21mm f/1.8 Ultron
Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH	11135	11897	011000	⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜	28/90	Voigtländer 21mm f/4 Color Skopar Zeiss Biogon T* 2.8/21 ZM Kobalux 21mm f/2.8
Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4 ASPH	11647	–	101111	⬛⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛	28/90
Elmar-M 24mm f/3.8 ASPH	11648	–	110010	⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜	24/35 or 35/135	Voigtländer 25mm f/4 Snapshot Skopar
Elmarit-M 24mm f/2.8 ASPH	11878	11898	011001	⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜⬛	24/35 or 35/135	Zeiss Biogon T* 2.8/25 ZM (with mount fix)
Summilux-M 24mm f/1.4 ASPH	11601	–	110000	⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜	24/35 or 35/135
Tri-Elmar-M 28-35-50mm f/4 ASPH	11890 11625	11894	101010	⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜	28/90, 24/35, 50/75
Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 (III)	11804	–	000011	⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛	28/90
Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 (IV)	11809	–	011011	⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬛	28/90
Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH	11606	–	011100	⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜	28/90	Zeiss Biogon T* 2.8/28 ZM Konica M-Hexanon 28mm f/2.8
Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH	11604	–	011010	⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜	28/90	Voigtländer 28mm f/1.9 Ultron Voigtländer 28mm f/3.5 Color Skopar Zeiss Biogon T* 2.8/25 ZM
Summarit-M 35mm f/2.5	11643	–	101011	⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛	24/35 or 35/135	Voigtländer 35mm f/2.5 Color Skopar
Summicron-M 35mm f/2 (IV)	11310	11311	000110	⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜	24/35 or 35/135	Zeiss Biogon T* 2/35 ZM Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2.0 (3)
Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH	11879	11882	011110	⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜	24/35 or 35/135	Voigtländer 35mm f/1.7 Ultron
Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH	11874	11883	011101	⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜⬛	24/35 or 35/135	Voigtländer 40mm f/1.4 Nokton
Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8	11831 (11824)	11823	100010	⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜	50/75
Summarit-M 50mm f/2.5	11644	–	101100	⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬜	50/75	Voigtländer 50mm f/2.5 Color Skopar
Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (III)	11817	–	010111	⬜⬛⬜⬛⬛⬛	50/75	Konica M-Hexanon 50mm f/2
Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (IV, V)	11819 11826	11825 11816	100001	⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬛	50/75	Zeiss Planar T* 2/50 ZM
APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (VI)	11141	–	110101	⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛	50/75
Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 (II)	11868	11856	000101	⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛	50/75
Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH	11891	11892	100000	⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜	50/75	Voigtländer 50mm f/1.5 Nokton Zeiss C Sonnar T* 1.5/50 ZM
Noctilux-M 50mm f/1	11821 11822	–	011111	⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛	50/75
Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH	11602	–	110001	⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛	50/75
Summarit-M 75mm f/2.5	11645	–	101101	⬛⬜⬛⬛⬜⬛	50/75	Voigtländer 75mm f/2.5 Color Heliar
APO-Summicron-M 75mm f/2 ASPH	11637	–	100100	⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜	50/75
Summilux-M 75mm f/1.4	11810 11814 11815	–	100011	⬛⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛	50/75
Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4	11633	11634	100111	⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛	28/90
Macro-Adapter-M	14409	–	101000	⬛⬜⬛⬜⬜⬜	28/90?
Tele-Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 (II)	11800	–	000100	⬜⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜	28/90	Konica M-Hexanon 90mm f/2.8 (2)
Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8	11807	11808	100110	⬛⬜⬜⬛⬛⬜	28/90
Summarit-M 90mm f/2.5	11646	–	101110	⬛⬜⬛⬛⬛⬜	28/90
Summicron-M 90mm f/2 (II)	11136	11137	000111	⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛	28/90
APO-Summicron-M 90mm f/2 ASPH	11884	11885	100101	⬛⬜⬜⬛⬜⬛	28/90
Elmarit-M 135mm f/2.8 (I/II)	11829	–	001001	⬜⬜⬛⬜⬜⬛	28/90
APO-Telyt-M 135mm f/3.4	11889	–	110101	⬛⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛	35/135