Panasonic lens firmware update with Olympus body

[discus277]

I tried to do that with my Lumix 12-32 lens using the latest version of Olympus Digital Camera Updater. It seems I corrupted the lens in some way during the process. I put the lens on the camera today and it locks up with a black screen as though the lens cap was on. The mode dial also locks on what ever setting you leave it in before you mount the lens.

I looked around on various internet sites and it seems to have happened to numerous others. Panasonic says it is because of the Olympus method which downloads the firmware as it is doing the update. Thus if a malfunction occurs during the download the firmware may be corrupted. I might have caused the problem myself ....not sure.

I assume there is no good news on this subject, like a way to reload the firmware. I tried and nothing happens. One thing I can be happy about is it did not happen to my Panasonic 8-18 at about $1000 new when I bought it




























Thanks, Jim

 

[ac12]

Oh jeez.
If true, Olympus updating AS it is downloading is a DUMB design.
The weakest link, and one that is totally out of your control, is the internet connection from Olympus to your computer.
Proper design, to have the least possible things that can go wrong, would have the FW downloaded to your comptuer, then verfied, BEFORE updating the FW on the camera/lens.

 

[PakkyT]

I put the lens on the camera today and it locks up with a black screen as though the lens cap was on.

First thing I would investigate is if the lens is being properly mounted where the little pin on the mount is allowed to fully extend back out into the little match hole in the lens when mounted.

Do you have other cameras and if so does that lens do the same thing on other cameras?

When you see the black screen are you seeing shutter and/or aperture settings or are those off?

 

[comment23]

It won’t help the OP but I’m fairly confident that the Olympus software downloads first THEN updates. That’s what the onscreen messages describe at least.

 

[BosseBe]

I tried to do that with my Lumix 12-32 lens using the latest version of Olympus Digital Camera Updater. It seems I corrupted the lens in some way during the process. I put the lens on the camera today and it locks up with a black screen as though the lens cap was on. The mode dial also locks on what ever setting you leave it in before you mount the lens.

I looked around on various internet sites and it seems to have happened to numerous others. Panasonic says it is because of the Olympus method which downloads the firmware as it is doing the update. Thus if a malfunction occurs during the download the firmware may be corrupted. I might have caused the problem myself ....not sure.

I assume there is no good news on this subject, like a way to reload the firmware. I tried and nothing happens. One thing I can be happy about is it did not happen to my Panasonic 8-18 at about $1000 new when I bought it




























Thanks, Jim

I guess you don't own any Panasonic Lumix camera bodies? So maybe getting a cheap used one could help with the lens upgrade?
If I remember correctly you download the upgrade file and then put it on a empty SD-card and insert it in the camera, then you do the upgrade from the camera, maybe this can un-brick your lens.

 

[Growltiger]

The problem is not the Olympus update method, which is reliable. The update proper doesn't happen until all the data is downloaded. But the equipment must not be touched until the process is finished.
The problem is people not following the instructions. I admit the instructions need to be read carefully and followed exactly.

 

[BosseBe]

The problem is not the Olympus update method, which is reliable. The update proper doesn't happen until all the data is downloaded. But the equipment must not be touched until the process is finished.
The problem is people not following the instructions. I admit the instructions need to be read carefully and followed exactly.

Could you be so kind an write a lazy (in Sweden we call step by step instructions "lathundar" lazy dogs in English, so it has gotten shortened to a lazy).
I know I would appreciate such a step by step instruction!
If you can do that, we might even have it as sticky in some part of forum so we all can benefit.
Maybe it could also be posted at https://wiki.takenwithm43.com/index.php?title=Main_Page.

 

[Growltiger]

Could you be so kind an write a lazy (in Sweden we call step by step instructions "lathundar" lazy dogs in English, so it has gotten shortened to a lazy).
I know I would appreciate such a step by step instruction!
If you can do that, we might even have it as sticky in some part of forum so we all can benefit.
Maybe it could also be posted at https://wiki.takenwithm43.com/index.php?title=Main_Page.

Yes, I can do that when I next do an update, whenever one comes along.

 

[discus277]

First thing I would investigate is if the lens is being properly mounted where the little pin on the mount is allowed to fully extend back out into the little match hole in the lens when mounted.

Do you have other cameras and if so does that lens do the same thing on other cameras?

When you see the black screen are you seeing shutter and/or aperture settings or are those o

The problem is not the Olympus update method, which is reliable. The update proper doesn't happen until all the data is downloaded. But the equipment must not be touched until the process is finished.
The problem is people not following the instructions. I admit the instructions need to be read carefully and followed exactly.

I think I may have been the problem as I said in my post. And, I have updated other lens firmware successfully. The bummer for me is that apparently you can brick the lens if you mess up....only one try, why can't you get another try ??????

 

[discus277]

First thing I would investigate is if the lens is being properly mounted where the little pin on the mount is allowed to fully extend back out into the little match hole in the lens when mounted.

Do you have other cameras and if so does that lens do the same thing on other cameras?

When you see the black screen are you seeing shutter and/or aperture settings or are those off?

I will try it on my old Oly 4/3 camera tomorrow. The Oly camera in the post is my pen F

 

[discus277]

I will try it on my old Oly 4/3 camera tomorrow. The Oly camera in the post is my pen F

 

[discus277]

The problem is not the Olympus update method, which is reliable. The update proper doesn't happen until all the data is downloaded. But the equipment must not be touched until the process is finished.
The problem is people not following the instructions. I admit the instructions need to be read carefully and followed exactly.

 

[discus277]

I believe that I probably caused the problem, as I mentioned in my post. The camera seemed locked up with weird icons on the screen. I don't remember exactly what i did but in retrospect I think I was the one who interupped the process.

The bummer is that you only get one try

 

[ac12]

Updating the Firmware like computer BIOS is a "one shot" deal.
That is why it is so dangerous, and why it is frustrating that vendors have made it a routine task.

When you buy lens B and you have to update the FW to use it, then you buy lens C and you have to again update the FW to use it, . . . the mfg has made the FW update a necessary/routine end user task.

If the FW update is a routine task, as it has become, it has to be as fail-safe and recoverable as possible.

As I recall, in the old days, if the computer BIOS update failed, the BIOS chip had to be pulled from the computer and put into a special device that would flash in the new BIOS code.

MANY years ago, I recall reading about a setup where the computer BIOS was in 2 parts, the regular BIOS and a 2nd flashing BIOS, which was ONLY used to minimally start the computer and update the BIOS. That way you could reflash the BIOS, if the prior attempt failed.

So yes, it could be made where you can reflash the FW/BIOS. But I suspect that the additional work for the required circuits and programming added too much to the cost, and competed for the limited space inside the camera/lens for electronic components.

 

[John King]

Could you be so kind an write a lazy (in Sweden we call step by step instructions "lathundar" lazy dogs in English, so it has gotten shortened to a lazy).
I know I would appreciate such a step by step instruction!
If you can do that, we might even have it as sticky in some part of forum so we all can benefit.
Maybe it could also be posted at https://wiki.takenwithm43.com/index.php?title=Main_Page.

Bo, from a DPR post I made many years ago (24 March 2016):

There are no 'instructions', this is just how the Olympus update process works by default.

• The update program queries the camera to determine what f/w updates are currently installed.
• It then queries the update web site for available updates.
• If you elect to proceed, the f/w will be downloaded to your computer and validated.
• After this has completed, the program will again query the camera to check that it is there and ready.
• If so, the program will commence updating the camera/lens.

A few basic warnings (applies to all f/w updates of anything!):

• Ensure that the camera battery is fully and freshly charged.
• 
  
• Ensure that the camera is placed on a stable surface and cannot move.
• 
  
• Ensure that the USB cable is properly attached at both ends, and cannot move. Also make sure that the cable is not in a position where you can easily touch or bump or move it.
• 
  
• Do NOT touch or move the camera or cable while the update is occurring!
• 
  
• Follow the on-screen instructions to the letter!
• 
  
• Further to the above, it takes longer to update a lens than it takes for the much larger f/w update for the body. This is because the data path from the body to the lens is far slower than the camera/USB data path.
• 
  
• IME, each item to be updated requires me to start from the update screen in the program - i.e. one cannot 'follow on' and update multiple items.

ALWAYS WAIT FOR THE 'OK' MESSAGE TO APPEAR ON THE CAMERA SCREEN!

In all the camera and lens updates I have done for myself and others I have never had a single failure in over ten fifteen years.

 

[John King]

Updating the Firmware like computer BIOS is a "one shot" deal.
That is why it is so dangerous, and why it is frustrating that vendors have made it a routine task.

When you buy lens B and you have to update the FW to use it, then you buy lens C and you have to again update the FW to use it, . . . the mfg has made the FW update a necessary/routine end user task.

If the FW update is a routine task, as it has become, it has to be as fail-safe and recoverable as possible.

As I recall, in the old days, if the computer BIOS update failed, the BIOS chip had to be pulled from the computer and put into a special device that would flash in the new BIOS code.

MANY years ago, I recall reading about a setup where the computer BIOS was in 2 parts, the regular BIOS and a 2nd flashing BIOS, which was ONLY used to minimally start the computer and update the BIOS. That way you could reflash the BIOS, if the prior attempt failed.

So yes, it could be made where you can reflash the FW/BIOS. But I suspect that the additional work for the required circuits and programming added too much to the cost, and competed for the limited space inside the camera/lens for electronic components.

All PC BIOS chips I have updated since around the mid 1990s make a copy of the existing BIOS in the EEPROM prior to updating. This can be restored with one 'click'.

 

[Bidkev]

I've just written off my Panny 25mm by having a brain fart and leaving it on an olly body which I was updating. Same as the OP, it now only shows a dark screen on both Olly and Panny cameras

 

[994]

Maybe buy the cheapest Panny body you can find and use that for lens updates?

 

[Brownie]

Maybe buy the cheapest Panny body you can find and use that for lens updates?

For the last few days I have been seriously considering an EM1 MkIII (or maybe WOW) for it's hybrid focusing instead of going with Sony. I thought with the excellent IS I could get by with my long Panny lenses while I accumulate Oly lenses. This type of thing scares me. It's one thing to know about it, quite something else to remember it. Another example of a shared mount with minimal cross-coordinated features.

Someone should write a fix for this.

 

[Growltiger]

I've just written off my Panny 25mm by having a brain fart and leaving it on an olly body which I was updating. Same as the OP, it now only shows a dark screen on both Olly and Panny cameras

It is perfectly allowed to update lenses on either manufacturer's cameras. This was not the reason it failed.
They use what they call the Joint Update Service.
The Olympus link is here, you will see it includes the Panasonic lenses:
https://cs.olympus-imaging.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/download/software/firm/e1/

Problems usually occur by not using the latest version of Olympus Workspace (some even refuse to use it), or not exactly following the instructions. I find I really have to concentrate, but it works.