When you’ve got a Nikon Z digital camera, get your third-party lens off earlier than updating the brand new firmware (!) A wave of warnings has been circulating on-line – from lens producer Viltrox, the Federation of Unbiased Photographers, and plenty of pissed off Nikon customers – saying that these firmware updates can disrupt the digital communication between your digital camera and lens, typically rendering the optic utterly unusable.
Firmware updates are widespread, and whereas many photographers know they cannot solely repair but additionally introduce some bugs, the concept that a firmware replace might destroy a lens is excessive. However that is precisely the difficulty many Nikon Z house owners are dealing with after the newest firmware launch, which Nikon rolled out for Z-mount mirrorless cameras, together with Z8, Zf, Z6 III, Z5 II, and Z50 II.
In case you are a Nikon Z shooter and use third-party lenses – particularly Viltrox fashions – please learn on to keep away from the frustration and expensive actions others have already skilled.
Viltrox has issued a transparent advisory: “In case you are planning to replace your Nikon digital camera firmware, we strongly suggest that you simply detach any third-party lens, together with Viltrox lenses, earlier than continuing with the replace. It is a precautionary measure to keep away from any sudden habits in the course of the firmware set up course of.”
So, what’s inflicting this situation? And what are the potential penalties?
The issue is that the firmware replace can sever the digital hyperlink between the digital camera and the lens. Customers report that the autofocus stopped working totally. In some instances, even guide focus grew to become unattainable as a result of the digital camera not acknowledged the lens in any respect.
This primarily turns a superbly good lens right into a non-functional piece of apparatus. These points have been reported with Viltrox fashions, however Nikon shooters additionally described points with earlier firmware updates involving different third-party lenses like these from Tamron. Additionally reported, as soon as the lens is affected, the optic might not work on any Nikon Z digital camera, so the injury to the lens may very well be everlasting.
Thus far, this situation would not appear to have an effect on Voigtlander Z-mount lenses, as Cosina (Voigtlander’s guardian firm) works intently with Nikon and makes use of official Nikon expertise.
Nonetheless, the most secure method is warning… Earlier than updating your Nikon digital camera’s firmware, detach any non-Nikon lens – significantly Viltrox fashions – to guard your funding!
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We hope your lens is protected and sound, however in case you’re interested by upgrading or including to your gear, test our information to the finest Nikon Z lenses for mirrorless cameras, in addition to the finest portrait lenses for Nikon Z-series mirrorless cameras and DSLRs.