Tamron 70-200/2.8 + Metabones Smart Adapter Mark II: fail

[Steven Reid]

I'm curious to hear from any other FS700 users if they got the subject combination to work. Metabones just updated my Mark II adapter to firmware version 30. FS700 is on firmware 2.0. The combo works perfectly with all of my Canon glass: aperture is controllable and the Metabones relays zoom and focus numbers to the FS700.

With the Tamron lens, however, I have no control over aperture: it is 'stuck' wide open at f2.8 no matter what. Fiddling with the iris wheel sometimes induces erratic focus change, like suddenly focusing to infinity, but keeping it dialed open to 2.8 (or, really, however far it is willing to travel) makes the lens stable.

All settings on camera and lens are fully manual: focus, iris. I have the VC (vibration control) version of the lens. VC seems work to alright, and having it on or off does not affect the lack of aperture control.

It's an expensive lens to have lost all aperture control. Fortunately, I have a Canon stills camera and it's a beautiful lens for stills. I'd love to use it for video, too, without having to fiddle with ISO and/or shutter speed to control light.

Anyone else try this combo with success?

[Bo-Ming Tong]

Would you mind confirming if the Tamron lens' model number is A009 please?

[Steven Reid]

Originally Posted by Bo-Ming Tong

Would you mind confirming if the Tamron lens' model number is A009 please?

Bo-Ming, the Tamron is indeed model A009.

For the sake of completeness, I add that I'm operating the Metabones adapter in 'Advanced Mode.'

Prior to the Metabones firmware update, I communicated all of this to Metabones support via e-mail. They suggested, but I declined, to send my Tamron lens to Hong Kong for testing at their end. I just didn't feel comfortable sending it (and paying for shipping) to Hong Kong. I am not sure what they could do that I can't on my end, anyway.

[Bo-Ming Tong]

We understand that you are not able to part with your Tamron lens, so we ordered a new A009 from Japan. It just arrived today. We are able to replicate the issue and the iris is intermittent at best and frozen at worst, but all the rest of the functionality is working. We are able to replicate the exact same symptoms as you, which is great news, and we have begun working on a resolution. Most likely there will be a firmware v.31 to fix this and we will let you know when that is ready.

Thank you!
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Bo-Ming Tong
Metabones

[Steven Reid]

Originally Posted by Bo-Ming Tong

We understand that you are not able to part with your Tamron lens, so we ordered a new A009 from Japan. It just arrived today. We are able to replicate the issue and the iris is intermittent at best and frozen at worst, but all the rest of the functionality is working. We are able to replicate the exact same symptoms as you, which is great news, and we have begun working on a resolution. Most likely there will be a firmware v.31 to fix this and we will let you know when that is ready.

Thank you!
--
Bo-Ming Tong
Metabones

Bo-Ming, your participation here and procuring a lens toward producing a firmware fix elevates even further my view of Metabones' excellent support and dedication. If a version 31 does the trick, then I have to believe that many Tamron lens owners would be very pleased. Thank you!

[Steven Reid]

Bo-Ming:

Now that several months have elapsed since you confirmed the exact problem that I described above, I'm curious to know whether Metabones has now developed a new firmware that will allow correct aperture control for the Tamron 70-200/2.8.

Thanks!

[Bo-Ming Tong]

Sorry for taking so long to address this but we released the new version on May 9. Please contact support at metabones dot com to arrange for a firmware update.

We found that Tamron's implementation of Canon's protocol deviates in some pretty significant ways from Canon's own and Metabones firmware is updated to account for those differences. While the issue itself didn't take very long to find and address, we were in the process of merging our MFT/BMCC/BMPCC firmware and NEX firmware together to create one unified code base. That was a major architectural change and as a result it had to go through a long phase of testing to ensure it was just as rock solid as the previous version. Let me apologize again for the delay, but it is all ready now. Thank you!

[Steven Reid]

Originally Posted by Bo-Ming Tong

Sorry for taking so long to address this but we released the new version on May 9. Please contact support at metabones dot com to arrange for a firmware update.

We found that Tamron's implementation of Canon's protocol deviates in some pretty significant ways from Canon's own and Metabones firmware is updated to account for those differences. While the issue itself didn't take very long to find and address, we were in the process of merging our MFT/BMCC/BMPCC firmware and NEX firmware together to create one unified code base. That was a major architectural change and as a result it had to go through a long phase of testing to ensure it was just as rock solid as the previous version. Let me apologize again for the delay, but it is all ready now. Thank you!

Well, hot dang, thanks so much for the update! I'm really impressed. Kudos to Metabones.

For me and interested watchers of this thread would you mind confirming the present firmware version, presumably v31, and stating what improvements it offers relative to the previous firmware version, e.g., those in addition to full control of Tamron apertures? I don't mean to suggest that implementation of Tamron protocol was a small item; I simply want to know the scope of benefit I will receive from my upgrade fee and shipping cost to HK.

Cheers to you.

[Bo-Ming Tong]

A lot of changes happened under the hood, but only the support of Tamron 70-200/2.8 VC USD, and also a rarely occurring condition where the NEX-VG20 would not shut down properly when the power switch is turned off, are the only changes visible to the end user.

I would also point out that even just slightly older Tamrons such as the 24-70/2.8 VC USD worked fine with Metabones version 30.