Has anyone experienced trouble updating the firmware on their Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 Z-mount lens?
My MacBook Pro M4 Max running MacOS27 does not even recognize the lens when I connect it to the computer. I have tried different cables with no luck. It does not show as a drive in Finder, nor can Viltrox Lens software connect to it.
I am able to connect my other 5 Viltrox lenses with no problem.
The odd thing with the 20mm is that when I check the lens firmware using my Z8, it reports as 0.?0. This may be the problem, but I also have a Viltrox 50mm f/2.0 Z that also reported its firmware version as 0.?0, but I had no problem updating that lens to the latest firmware, and it now reports as v1.03
Any suggestions? I have contracted Viltrox support, but have not yet heard back.
BTW, the lens works fine, so maybe I don't need to think about this, but it does seem odd.
The lens will never show as a storage device, you absolutely must use their software to even see it. Make sure you have the latest version of the lens software.
RoamingScott wrote:
The lens will never show as a storage device, you absolutely must use their software to even see it. Make sure you have the latest version of the lens software.
Just this particular lens? All of my other Viltrox lenses show up under Locations in Finder.
I do have the latest Viltrox Lens software. (Downloaded from the Viltrox website yesterday.
The 0.?0 firmware reading is definitely interesting. Since your other Viltrox lenses connect normally on the same Mac and cables, I’d suspect the 20mm itself rather than macOS. I’d try connecting it directly without a hub and check Disk Utility as well as Finder
kerrymattson wrote:
The 0.?0 firmware reading is definitely interesting. Since your other Viltrox lenses connect normally on the same Mac and cables, I’d suspect the 20mm itself rather than macOS. I’d try connecting it directly without a hub and check Disk Utility as well as Finder
I have been connecting direct to the MBP.
Disk Utility shoes this: Apple UDIF read-only compressed (zlib) Media : See attached screen shot
and under the above Viltrox Lens (also screen shot attached.
So, it shows in Disk Utility, but not in Finder or in the Viltrox Lens software.
After some delay, I received an email from Viltrox that the lens needed replacement or repair. If purchased directly from them, they said I could send it to one of their network of authorized repair centers, which they did not list. However, i purchased through a 3rd-party vendor, I should contact the vendor for replacement or repair.
I bought the lens from B&H about 2 years ago, so it is out of warranty, but nevertheless I contacted B&H. They replied the next day that since it was out of warranty they could not replace it, and that they do not do repairs.
So I recontacted Viltrox asking for a place in the US where the lens could be repaired. They replied, promptly this time, that they had no repair locations in the US, but that I could send it to their location in Hong Kong. The minimum charge would be $50US, and I would be responsible for shipping cost to Hong Kong. They would cover the cost of return shipping. Expected time at the service center was 2 months.
One of the disadvantages of Chinese brand lenses is that customer service is generally poor and that service or repair is almost impossible. You make up for that by cheap prices. This lens cost me $194. It works well, seems well built and is optically very good. The inability to update the firmware does not, as yet, impact its usability. And of the 6 Viltrox AF lenses that I own, this is the only one that has this problem.
At this stage, I think I may just keep using it until something happens to make it unusable. That may never happen. If it does, it may just be more cost effective to thrown out this copy and buy a new lens.
