Author Topic: Problem: Black LCD when adapting lenses (Read 1157 times)

jeff r · « **on:** November 01, 2009, 12:04:56 PM »

Hi. I'm new here, and also new to the concept of interchangeable lenses, so this may be a simple newbie mistake.

Since I just bought my EP-1, I'm trying to adapt some old manual lenses my Dad gave me from his Pentax days. They are m42 mount, so I bought a simple adapter kit from Shamino123 on ebay that is just basically a set of threaded brass rings. I'm not expecting much, just wanted to experiment at low cost. The m42 lenses now thread on nicely.

BUT: the camera turns on, LCD has the usual info read outs, but the screen is black, as if I have the lens cap on. Shutter press does nothing, won't take a picture. No error message. Lens cap is indeed off. I'm set to Manual. What else is there to do? I switch back to my EP-1 lens and we're back to normal. The lenses are:

Pentax/Asahi Super-Takumar 1:1.4 50mm
Soligor, 1:2.8 105 mm

Maybe it's something about these lenses? Any help would be appreciated. This forum was very helpful in making the decision to jump into the interchangeable lens world in the first place, so thanks in advance.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #1 on:** November 01, 2009, 12:21:03 PM »

take the lens off and look thru it you should see light if not then these lenses keep the apeture stopped all the way down and you will nee to find a way to keep the aspeture open to its setting , im not surte thats your problem but just trouble shoot it and try to learn whats causing this anomoly

jeff r · « **Reply #2 on:** November 01, 2009, 12:35:47 PM »

I can indeed see light through the lenses when off, and the aperture seems to open and close normally via the ring.

laptoprob · « **Reply #3 on:** November 01, 2009, 01:31:01 PM »

Don't know about the Oly, but you have to tell the Panny it's OK to open the shutter when there is no lens on it. Somewhere in the menu. That way you can put any lens in front.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #4 on:** November 01, 2009, 01:55:34 PM »

im playing with a home adapted nikon on the ep-1 now to see if i can figure out what the prob is try this , turn the camera on without a lens point it a a light source then away do you see a blurry representation of your actions on the rear lcd?

cosinaphile · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2009, 02:06:25 PM »

true with the panny its called shoot without lens i dont know if the oly has a similar feature i dont think so
, i cant remember !!!!!,

bodog · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2009, 02:30:43 PM »

There was a similar thread a while back. The problem apparently was the adapter. The hole for the pin from the camera wasn't deep enough or something like that. Maybe you can contact the original poster and get more details.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2009, 03:09:46 PM »

ah ha let me see if that could be the problem i have a gf-1 and an ep-1 and can play with them tpo see if i can troubleshoot the prob , the pin is interesting , i remember those posts too , good work

cosinaphile · « **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2009, 03:11:46 PM »

played with the pin pressing it in etc to see if it cause screen blackout on the ep-1 ,with no lens mounted, it does not

cosinaphile · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2009, 03:13:42 PM »

what is the firmware # on the ep-1 body??

jeff r · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2009, 03:35:59 PM »

Wow, thanks everyone for digging in to this. I was out taking pictures :-) The firmware is 1.1. I can shoot without the lens (at least I can see in the LCD without the lens.) I'll try looking up the earlier post if I can find it. I scoured all the menus of the ep-1, couldn't find anything seemingly relevant, but I could easily have missed it.

And I've written to the seller of the adapter rings, no reply yet...

bodog · « **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2009, 03:38:56 PM »

I just tried it on mine and it does indeed go black when I push in the lens locking pin.

jeff r · « **Reply #12 on:** November 01, 2009, 05:15:01 PM »

Got it! It's working now. It seems to be either of two factors. First is the locking pin, as bodog helpfully noticed. If this is not locked it goes black. I don't know if it was or not before, but I made sure the first adaptor ring clicked properly this time--you can hear the pin clicking into the ring's hole. But still no go, and then finally I just gave the second ring and the lens itself and a bit more of a tighten down, and it came on in a flickering way. Then I really tightened it. So apparently if the lens is in any way not mated right, it just goes black. Don't know how it knows that, apart from the pin. But even the lens not being screwed in tight makes the LCD go black. I guess it had just a tiny bit of wiggle because I was babying it and didn't want to overtighten. It was a pretty cheap adapter kit ($60 for 5 rings that get you various mounts, including Leica M and C-mount) but it's brass and seems well enough made. I guess we'll see. Like I said, I'm new to this.

Now that I can see through the LCD, I'm on to the problem of not being able to focus these lenses! So I'll start reading up on focal length issues with adapters. But that's progress anyway. Thanks everyone.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #13 on:** November 01, 2009, 08:17:30 PM »

my ep-1 stilll has the firmware 1.0 the revision cause this to happen at times with the pin 1.1

but the old firmware does not , i used a 1.1 for a while and every so ofter the screen blacks out but a remount of the mf lens fixes it , never happened with firmware 1.0

you made me think about this and i think thats what up

Problem: Black LCD when adapting lenses