Olympus 25mm f2.8 Lens won't communicate with camera, is there anyway to fix it?
Hello all,
I just bought an Olympus 25mm f2.8 lens and it worked great at first and now won't communicate with the camera. No aperture, no autofocus. If I rotate the lens slightly out of locked in position but then manipulate the lock to make the camera think the lens is all the way on it will communicate with the lens for a second, and then stop.
I cleaned the contacts with alcohol but that didn't help. I also cleaned the cameras contacts, though other lenses are working with the camera. This is the camera that I salvaged from the dump essentially, so I wouldn't rule it out it's the problem. There's a dark line across the lens contacts where it's been worn down, but from what I can see my other lenses have that same line. It might be a little worse here?
Anyone run into this problem before with their lenses? Any thoughts on how to fix it?
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Forgot to mention this is on the E-300, and I did update the firmware to the latest. I saw a note on a 2008 release article about the lens and it said the camera needed to be on later firmware, but alas that was not it 🙁
Unfortunately I cannot help directly.
But: I'm a member in a German Olympus forum with a sub forum for old Olympus gear. I could translate your question and ask for you in that forum - if you like.
E.
Quote from EckyH on September 10, 2022, 9:36 pmUnfortunately I cannot help directly.
But: I'm a member in a German Olympus forum with a sub forum for old Olympus gear. I could translate your question and ask for you in that forum - if you like.
E.
That would be great! I was trying to search and see if it was a common issue with some of these older Olympus lenses, or if it's a one-off issue I'm having. Let me know what you find out.
Here is the link to the thread in the German forum: https://www.oly-forum.com/topic/33574-olympus-25mm-f28-kommuniziert-nicht-mit-e-300/
I'll keep you informed.
E.
I have had 2 copies of the lens, one that I returned as it sounded like it had something broken inside of it and another that is issue free which I still have. I've had no issues with the lens, the first one seemed to work (surprisingly) as well.
I've tried this lens on various MFT bodies (Fotga adapter) and it worked fine and on E1's and an E330. Could you potentially buy the Fotga adapter (it is quite cheap) to see if the issue is to do with the E300 body as opposed to the lens
Quote from Lim on September 13, 2022, 9:20 amI have had 2 copies of the lens, one that I returned as it sounded like it had something broken inside of it and another that is issue free which I still have. I've had no issues with the lens, the first one seemed to work (surprisingly) as well.
I've tried this lens on various MFT bodies (Fotga adapter) and it worked fine and on E1's and an E330. Could you potentially buy the Fotga adapter (it is quite cheap) to see if the issue is to do with the E300 body as opposed to the lens
You mean something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Auto-Focus-Adapter-Olympus-Panasonic-Cameras/dp/B00JUPSXX2?th=1 And then I could test on my M4/3 bodies?
That would be a good test. My other lenses all work on my E300 so I don't think that's the issue, but could still be. I thought I was onto something with the firmware until that didn't do it :/ And like I said it registers for just a second sometimes and then stops, but yeah that could be the camera as well as the lens. Worth a try.
It's just too bad because the lens has no manual aperture control, and even focus is electronically controlled - the manual focus ring does not work by itself. So it's just a dud if it can't communicate.
Quote from James Warner on September 13, 2022, 11:52 amQuote from Lim on September 13, 2022, 9:20 amI have had 2 copies of the lens, one that I returned as it sounded like it had something broken inside of it and another that is issue free which I still have. I've had no issues with the lens, the first one seemed to work (surprisingly) as well.
I've tried this lens on various MFT bodies (Fotga adapter) and it worked fine and on E1's and an E330. Could you potentially buy the Fotga adapter (it is quite cheap) to see if the issue is to do with the E300 body as opposed to the lensYou mean something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Auto-Focus-Adapter-Olympus-Panasonic-Cameras/dp/B00JUPSXX2?th=1 And then I could test on my M4/3 bodies?
That would be a good test. My other lenses all work on my E300 so I don't think that's the issue, but could still be. I thought I was onto something with the firmware until that didn't do it :/ And like I said it registers for just a second sometimes and then stops, but yeah that could be the camera as well as the lens. Worth a try.
It's just too bad because the lens has no manual aperture control, and even focus is electronically controlled - the manual focus ring does not work by itself. So it's just a dud if it can't communicate.
Yes, I would recommend it. There are mixed reports on this adapter but I have no issues at all with it (if there were you could always exchange it). It is likely the cheapest way of finding out if there is an issue with the Lense.
It may also be worth trying the following I had an issue with one of my E1's when I switched Lense it wouldn't recognise the changed lens. The F no would flash and the lens wouldn’t focus / work
change lens -> eject the memory card -> re-insert memory card - > power the body off and on again -> next lens is ready to use.
Beside the first two "respect for salvaging that camera" posts the first post with some on topic thoughts is there.
What I can see on the image is the dark line (groove) on the contacts. That could be part of the problem. Do all of the spring loaded contacts in the camera spring without any problem? That's what I'd check in any case.
There are noticeable "grinding marks" (on the metal of the lens mount) near the oval recess where the locking pin of the camera engages (at the lower right on the image).
I'd have a look more closely at that pin: is it intact, does it spring without problems, is the release button on the camera smooth-running?
Hope that helps,
E.
The next suggestion came in:
I would tighten the visible screws at the lens mount and first and foremost at the contact block.
It seems that the lens has been put on and off many times. Perhaps that led to some play which prevents that the contact areas (of the lens and the contact pins in the camera, TN EckyH) come together with enough pressure. Maybe polishing the lens contacts to get rid of the black line (improves the electrical contact, TN EckyH).
E.
PS: I'm doing technical documentation professionally. This translation "job" here is very educational for me...
