First vintage lens (helious44) unable to use due to lens firmware update

[Dnaiel-james-87]

Hi i recently bought a 5d mkiii and the first lens i have purchades is a helious 44 58mm f2 in very good condition but I am currently unable to use it because the camera just sticks on a yellow wanring when turned on that lens firmware update is required. I have updated the camera firmware ans this made no difference at all.  I am using a metal m44 threat to canon eos adapter witht he connection pad on it. 

any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you 

[ebiggs1]

Canon does not update it's FW to work with off brand lenses.

[ebiggs1]

BTW, that lens is mediocre at best and IMHO, is not worthy any expense to be able to use it on a high quality camera like the 5D Mk IV. However, with the proper adapter. M42, it should work in fully manual, M, mode.

[ebiggs1]

"However, with the proper adapter. M42, it should work in fully manual, M, mode."

I should have made this more clear, you don;t have the proper adapter.  A used ef 50mm f1.8, certainly a new one, is a better lens and idea that the one you are trying make work.

Although the lens is made on the design of Carl Zeiss it is of low quality. They made millions of them. I had one on a Praktica. I think I might still have it. Made in East Germany during the wall days.

[RobertTheFat]

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@Dnaiel-james-87 wrote:

Hi i recently bought a 5d mkiii and the first lens i have purchades is a helious 44 58mm f2 in very good condition but I am currently unable to use it because the camera just sticks on a yellow wanring when turned on that lens firmware update is required. I have updated the camera firmware ans this made no difference at all.  I am using a metal m44 threat to canon eos adapter witht he connection pad on it. 

any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you 

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Some Canon cameras can update lens firmware, The 5D3 is not one of them, although the 5D4 is. But it's very unlikely that any Canon camera would be able to update the firmware of a non-Canon lens. So you'd probably have to send the lens back to the manufacturer for update. Given what Ernie Biggs (one of this forum's genuine lens experts) has just said about that model, it's hard to see how an update, even if available, would be worth the effort.

[MikeSowsun]

The Helios-44 use M42 threaded mount.  The adapter you have is a M42 to Canon EF adapter. 

There is no firmware, and no elctronics in the lens. There is a problem with your M42 to EF adapter, not the lens. You have an adapter with a AF confirm chip.  Something in the AF confirm chip on the adapter is causing the error. You could try taping over the contacts, or removing the AF chip, and I am sure your lens will work. 

The other option is to buy another AF confirm M42 to EF adapter, or buy one without an AF confirm chip and electrical contacts. 

[MikeSowsun]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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Some Canon cameras can update lens firmware, The 5D3 is not one of them, although the 5D4 is. ....................

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Not true....

The 1D X, 5D Mark III, and 650D/T4i were the first cameras to have the ability to update lens firmware. The lens firmware menu will only appear if both the camera and lens have the lens firmware upgrade capability.