NX500 "Check the Lens" Problem

Mathariman wrote:

I have had a NX500 for about a week now, and I have two prime lens with it, so I swap between them every-so-often. Several times now, I have had a problem with the camera body not recognizing the lens. I can swap to any of the lens after this happens, but none of them are recognized.

The first few times, I was able to gently clean the contacts on the camera body and on the lens, and I was able to get the camera to communicate with the lens once again. When the lens is not recognized by the camera body, the aperture is displayed as "F--" and the only focus option is Manual. Oddly, when the camera and lens are not communicating, I can detach the lens and the screen will alert me "Lens Detached," and when I re-attach it, it will read "Lens Attached," although there is still no communication between the two.

I have tried turning the camera off, detaching the lens, re-attaching the lens, and turning the camera back on. I have tried detaching and re-attaching the lens with the power on. I have removed the battery for various lengths of times ranging from a few minutes to overnight (8+ hours). And until this morning, the only thing that has worked was cleaning the contacts on the camera body and the lens (which is not working anymore).

I am really just curious if anyone else is experiencing similar problems, and would perhaps, have any other suggestions. My next, and only option left, is to send it into Samsung for service =/

Thanks, all!

It is not a common NX problem, though not unknown.

By way of explanation, two factors are involved in recognition of the lens.

(a) There is an electrical contact/switch near the lens lock.  When you fit a lens and turn it until you feel or hear it click into place, the switch is depressed and signifies to the camera that a lens is attached.  Presumably "Lens Attached" and "Lens Detached" messages are generated by interrogation of the status of this switch.  Yours seems to be working ok.  The most common cause of problems related to this is the use of legacy or non-native lenses via an adapter.  Many of the cheaper and even not-so-cheap adapters have poor manufacturing tolerances.  Sometimes their mount flanges are not thick enough to depress the switch.  There are various work-arounds for this such as the use of tape or epoxy.

(b) The camera detects the identity of native NX lenses via corresponding data pins of the lens and lens mount.  As you've already tried cleaning those pins, examinine them closely to see whether any are damaged or if any are depressed more than the others.  If no obvious damage, perhaps there is a loose or intermittent internal connection to one or more of the pins.  Any problem would more than likely be on the camera side as you've tried more than one lens.  If it is nothing obvious that you can fix yourself, I guess you will have to send the camera in for service.