New Letus on XL1s. Check Lens error. at DVinfo.net

E.J. Coughlin · November 27th, 2006, 04:31 PM

I'm thinking I may have done something wrong. I fit my new Letus onto my XL1s and when I turn the camera on I get a red "Check Lens" error that flashes at me. Perhaps I missed a step.

I figured out how to get my Nikon prime lenses on the Letus, I put batteries into the Letus' power supply, and attached it to the camera.

Any help is appreciated.

-ej

Michael Maier · November 27th, 2006, 06:02 PM

I'm thinking it's a LetusXL where you connect it directly to the XL1S lens mount?
You will get this warning anytime you connect any lens other than one of the stock XL lenses to your camera. That happens even with the old Optex manual lens for the Canon.
Just ignore it, it' not a real problem. It just means the body can’t communicate with the lens, because it’s not a XL lens. I think it should go away after a while too if I’m not wrong.

Bob Hart · November 27th, 2006, 06:03 PM

The error message is normal. The camera thinks and knows you have put a non-XL lens on there and is just telling what it thinks you should know. Any non-XL lens fitted via an adaptor mount will give you the same message.

If you trawl back through the Letus threads there are some very rough primers inserted in one of the discussions on fitting up and operating the LETUS35 flip for XL. Do not regard them as definitive and they are not manufacturer approved.

I was being a bit of a know-all at the time as I was repairing a broken one for an owner so my name may still be last poster on the item.

FOOTNOTE: They are here

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=75687

E.J. Coughlin · November 28th, 2006, 09:19 PM

It is a LetusXL. I get an image with the stock XL1 lens, when I attach the Letus, I get only blackness in the viewfinder. The "check lens" message does eventually goes away and eventually the regular viewfinder info appears, but the word LENS flashes in the corner.

I took the letus off and made sure that I can actually see light through it, which I can. I'm not sure what else I need to do... should I be adjusting camera settings at this point?

Bob Hart · November 28th, 2006, 10:22 PM

XL1.

Camcorder shutter 1/50th or 1/60th sec.
Gain manual - 0db.
Whitebalance manual.

LETUS35.

Set relay lens aperture to f5.6 for starter setting.
Set Nikon SLR lens aperture to f1.8 or widest available aperture for starter setting.

Check the row of conductive lens pins inside the Canon lens mount in the camcorder. Are they all sitting evenly high, evenly spaced or is one poking out furthur or laid over almost touching its neighbour. If so, do not use camera until repaired.

In any event, cut a small piece 1/4" wide by about 3/4" long, of gaffer or sticky tape and lay this across and tuck down around the lens pins inside the XL1 lens mount.

If one or more of these pins has worn offspec and sticks out more than it should, it might touch the metal on rear of the Letus mount or any other solid metal mount of other adapted lenses and set off something in the camera automatic exposure system or damage the camera electronics.

Quyen encountered this possibility early in his development of the Letus35 XL and adjusted the dimensions of the lens mount accordingly to provide safe clearance for the pins behaving normally.

Best practice is that the Canon lens should never be dismounted from the camera when the camera is powered up nor should the Letus XL be offered up to the camera mount with the camera powered up.

The Canon lens and Letus35 should be offered up into the camera mount square-on, not tilted to assist inserting the lens into the camera body then hoisted to the square-on position (bottle opening) before twisting home to the locked position.

November 27th, 2006, 04:31 PM	#1
E.J. Coughlin New Boot Join Date: May 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 7	New Letus on XL1s. Check Lens error. I'm thinking I may have done something wrong. I fit my new Letus onto my XL1s and when I turn the camera on I get a red "Check Lens" error that flashes at me. Perhaps I missed a step. I figured out how to get my Nikon prime lenses on the Letus, I put batteries into the Letus' power supply, and attached it to the camera. Any help is appreciated. -ej

November 27th, 2006, 06:02 PM	#2
Michael Maier Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,269	I'm thinking it's a LetusXL where you connect it directly to the XL1S lens mount? You will get this warning anytime you connect any lens other than one of the stock XL lenses to your camera. That happens even with the old Optex manual lens for the Canon. Just ignore it, it' not a real problem. It just means the body can’t communicate with the lens, because it’s not a XL lens. I think it should go away after a while too if I’m not wrong.

November 27th, 2006, 06:03 PM	#3
Bob Hart Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PERTH. W.A. AUSTRALIA. Posts: 4,477	The error message is normal. The camera thinks and knows you have put a non-XL lens on there and is just telling what it thinks you should know. Any non-XL lens fitted via an adaptor mount will give you the same message. If you trawl back through the Letus threads there are some very rough primers inserted in one of the discussions on fitting up and operating the LETUS35 flip for XL. Do not regard them as definitive and they are not manufacturer approved. I was being a bit of a know-all at the time as I was repairing a broken one for an owner so my name may still be last poster on the item. FOOTNOTE: They are here http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=75687

November 28th, 2006, 09:19 PM	#4
E.J. Coughlin New Boot Join Date: May 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 7	It is a LetusXL. I get an image with the stock XL1 lens, when I attach the Letus, I get only blackness in the viewfinder. The "check lens" message does eventually goes away and eventually the regular viewfinder info appears, but the word LENS flashes in the corner. I took the letus off and made sure that I can actually see light through it, which I can. I'm not sure what else I need to do... should I be adjusting camera settings at this point?

November 28th, 2006, 10:22 PM	#5
Bob Hart Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PERTH. W.A. AUSTRALIA. Posts: 4,477	XL1. Camcorder shutter 1/50th or 1/60th sec. Gain manual - 0db. Whitebalance manual. LETUS35. Set relay lens aperture to f5.6 for starter setting. Set Nikon SLR lens aperture to f1.8 or widest available aperture for starter setting. Check the row of conductive lens pins inside the Canon lens mount in the camcorder. Are they all sitting evenly high, evenly spaced or is one poking out furthur or laid over almost touching its neighbour. If so, do not use camera until repaired. In any event, cut a small piece 1/4" wide by about 3/4" long, of gaffer or sticky tape and lay this across and tuck down around the lens pins inside the XL1 lens mount. If one or more of these pins has worn offspec and sticks out more than it should, it might touch the metal on rear of the Letus mount or any other solid metal mount of other adapted lenses and set off something in the camera automatic exposure system or damage the camera electronics. Quyen encountered this possibility early in his development of the Letus35 XL and adjusted the dimensions of the lens mount accordingly to provide safe clearance for the pins behaving normally. Best practice is that the Canon lens should never be dismounted from the camera when the camera is powered up nor should the Letus XL be offered up to the camera mount with the camera powered up. The Canon lens and Letus35 should be offered up into the camera mount square-on, not tilted to assist inserting the lens into the camera body then hoisted to the square-on position (bottle opening) before twisting home to the locked position.