Problem ! Help in using an EP1 with a c mount adapter/ lens - black screen

[Yashi]

I hope someone can help me with my problem. I recently acquired a cheap c mount lens and adapter from Ebay. I just tried using it but the LCD screen remains blank when I turn on the camera. When installing this adapter into the m4/3 bayonet mount on the E-P1, I hear a distinctive click. I tried it using manual mode and all settings to MF. When I turn the camera on without a lens I see light on the lcd. It is not a problem of the lens it is a problem with the adapter. I can see that the adapter touches the electronic on the body as soon as I just attach it (not even turned to position).

1) Does your c mount adapter touch the body electronics as well ?

2) May it have to do with the 1.4 Frimware ?

3)Also I read somthing about an issue that untill the Lens-Release needle ( or whatever is it's name) is back in it's normal (not depressed) position, the camera's sensor will be off, and you will only see a black field with numbers on it. Drilling the hole for the needle shall solve the problem. How to do that and where is that needle? Thanks.

That is the adapter. Avoid !

 

[soelin]

Have you set the camera to shoot without lens?

 

[Yashi]

As much as I know only the Panasonic has the "shoot without lens" setting. What I read it schould be "plug and play" with the EP-1.


Comparing the adapter with the pancake mount I can see a difference in the deepness of a hole. Is this were the needle goes into ?

 

[soelin]

What lens are you using? I shot with GF1, as well as E-P2 with c-mount adapters and a couple of lenses (cosmicar/pentax and kern paillard switar). I had no issues.

My gut reaction is that it's not the adapter because all what the adapter does is to hold the lenses (with correct distance from sensor to lens to be able to focus to infinity). You could literally hold a lens with your hand in front of the sensor and should be able to see some light through the lens--not black (unless the aperture is stuck at its widest).

That said, the adapter I got also said it also fits m42 lens. In fact, it does fit my Pentax m42 lens but the distance is way off that all I saw was super blurry "light."

samples and shots with camera and adapter attached:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soelin/sets/72157623478692913/

 

[Yashi]

What lens are you using? I shot with GF1, as well as E-P2 with c-mount adapters and a couple of lenses (cosmicar/pentax and kern paillard switar). I had no issues.

My gut reaction is that it's not the adapter because all what the adapter does is to hold the lenses (with correct distance from sensor to lens to be able to focus to infinity). You could literally hold a lens with your hand in front of the sensor and should be able to see some light through the lens--not black (unless the aperture is stuck at its widest).

That said, the adapter I got also said it also fits m42 lens. In fact, it does fit my Pentax m42 lens but the distance is way off that all I saw was super blurry "light."

samples and shots with camera and adapter attached:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soelin/sets/72157623478692913/

Nope. Not the lens it is a 100% the adapter that makes problems. Give it a try. Turn your camera on without any lens attached. You´ll get "light" on your diplay. No attach a working adapter without lens and you will still get that "light" on your display. Attach a lens and the light becomes a picture. Once I attach the adapter the screen goes blank.

Same happens when you do not properly mount for example the Oly Pancake. The screen is blank. There is something either electronical or mechanical that tells the camera that the lens (or adapter) is not attached properly. Therefore blank screen and no shooting.

Can somebody pls check if their adapter touches the electronical lens contacts on the body ?

Is anybody using adapters successfully on a EP-1 with Firmware 1.4 ?

thx.

 

[PCB_RF]

It does sound like an adapter problem. If your adapter does actually touch the data contacts, I'd say that's where your problem is. The adapter slot for the lens-lock pin does look a little shallow, though, so that could be an issue as well.

My EP1 body w/1.4 firmware works fine with all my adapters, so it's not likely a firmware issue.

My RJ camera c-mount adapter does not appear to touch the contacts. It's hard to be sure, though, since it effectively hides the contacts when mounted.

I've had two problem adapters, where there was a small amount of radial play between body/adapter, and the image would cut out when rotating the adapter. They were only a problem on a Pany GF1, though, worked fine on the EP1. I assumed it was a lens-lock pin issue, the pin being partially depressed when the adapter was rotated.

If you don't have radial play when mounted, that may not be the issue. Most of my cheap adapters, btw, have some radial play, but it was only two of them, only on a GF1, that caused a problem.

The pin slot does look a little shallow, and you will probably still hear a click even if the slot is too shallow. If you're not able to return it for a refund or exchange, it wouldn't be hard to deepen the slot and see if that helps.

I also had a weird/interesting issue with a Bell & Howell 25/1.9 Raptar c-mount lens. The aperture ring stops a bit beyond f/16, and if I set the aperture there, the screen becomes near-black. There is an opening still visible by eye looking at the aperture blades, but whatever f/number it is, it's small enough to effectively be a pinhole. Sounds more like a feature than problem, both a normalish lens and pinhole in one.

Can somebody pls check if their adapter touches the electronical lens contacts on the body ?

Is anybody using adapters successfully on a EP-1 with Firmware 1.4 ?

 

[Yashi]

3)Also I read somthing about an issue that untill the Lens-Release needle ( or whatever is it's name) is back in it's normal (not depressed) position, the camera's sensor will be off, and you will only see a black field with numbers on it. Drilling the hole for the needle shall solve the problem.

Found the problem.... now the adapter looks ugly but it works. Anyway, avoid the adapter shown above.....

 

[Yashi]

.... and a couple (boring flowers) test shots with the 1:1.4 cmount lens wide open.

 

[FalseDigital]

Oh thank god I found this thread!
I just bought a c-mount lens+adapter from another RF member and I had the same problem. I'll give this a try. I was looking everywhere but no one else had mentioned this problem before.
Thanks so much for posting this.

 

[FalseDigital]

Sweet, I just tried drilling a hole where the pin lines up. It worked perfectly!!

 

[zumbido]

This sounds obvious and doesn't apply to the OP, but just a note for others who may stumble on this thread. Sometimes the adapter isn't the problem, but the lens itself. Look through the lens to make sure you can actually see through it. Many people buy C-mount lenses that were made for TV or security cameras, and these may have an "auto iris". They need a signal from the video camera to control the aperture and by default they are closed. Making them open means taking them apart and adding an aperture control ring yourself.

Again, sounds obvious, but it seems to befuddle a lot of people.