Monster LA-EA4r

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Thank you so much for your reply.
The current adapter version is 0.1 (stock) i never updated.

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The current firmware is v0.9 .

Your running very old firmware . Was that camera and lens supported in the original F/W ?

You need to update if you want things to work at their best .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

I tried Minolta 35mm 2.0 which is on the list.
camera = a7r2 (version 4.01)

The issue is the focus motor kept spinning, camera locked, no response to any buttons, even turn off, still spinning, until removed the battery.

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If Sony updated their cameras FW since the monster adapter came out , or the 28mm F/2 lens was t supported with Monster adapters v0.1 FW , then things won't work.

Update the FW .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

I checked all the ribbon cables. If I update the monster firmware, will it still work with sony original chip?

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I don't get you .

Are you trying to update the Sony chip with the Monster adapter FW ????

It's the Monster adapter chip that needs updating with the Monster adapter FW .

The Sony chip has got nothing to do with this .

Unless you mess about with the Sony chip , how can it be affected by the FW in the monster adapter chip ?

Sorry about the confusion. Let me explain.
I installed the monster chip, camera locked up. I don’t know it’s because I’m on original sony firmware. I know the monster FW will work the best, but I assume without the FW update, the adapter should have some limited function. But my totally not function and just spinning.

two, if I update the monster FW, and found out my monster chip is bad, i have to switch back to sony chip, is that ok?

Did you update the FW prior installing the new chip?

my thought was at least i know i install the chip correctly then I’ll update the FW.
Hope this makes sense to you

thank you again spending your valuable time on this.

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Sorry about the confusion. Let me explain.
I installed the monster chip, camera locked up. I don’t know it’s because I’m on original sony firmware.

Click to expand...

Your not on Sony software .

The LA-EA4r is running on the very old version 1 firmware of the Monster adapter.

As soon as you removed the original chip , it ceased to be running on Sony software .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

I know the monster FW will work the best,

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If your using the Monster adapter chip in it , it can only be running on their firmware ( outdated in this case ) .

The Sony software (FW) is contained with the original Sony chip which you have removed .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

but I assume without the FW update, the adapter should have some limited function. But my totally not function and just spinning.

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If the camera was on the same FW as when the Monster adapter chip was released , it should behave the same .

If the camera is running on a more recent firmware version , then the Monster adapter could well not function correctly.

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

two, if I update the monster FW, and found out my monster chip is bad, i have to switch back to sony chip, is that ok?

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That's fine , if you want to remove the Monster adapter chip and convert it back to a standard LA-EA4, including mirror , you can do so without issues.

As you've already found out.

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Did you update the FW prior installing the new chip?

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Follow the upgrade instructions .

The chip has to be fitted before the firmware can be updated .

You do the update while the adapter is fitted to the camera .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

my thought was at least i know i install the chip correctly then I’ll update the FW.

Click to expand...

The next step , while the Monster adapter chip is in , is to upgrade it to the current FW that I linked too earlier .

The LA-EA4r adapter should then be fully functioning.

If not then there is a fault in it .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Hope this makes sense to you

thank you again spending your valuable time on this.

Click to expand...

No problem.

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/neilt3/sets

I kind of understand now. The firmware update is to the chip. So i can’t update the monster FW ahead until I install the monster chip.

my camera a7r2 has version 4.01 (2019), I assume this fw is older than the monster chip fw.
Still don’t understand why totally locked up after the conversion.

I read thru the forums, most said conversion is straight forward and worked right away, no one said anything about updating the fw and working properly.

I’ll give it a try again. Where can i find the installation instructions? The monster site says electronic installation, could find it. Do you have the link please?

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

I kind of understand now. The firmware update is to the chip. So i can’t update the monster FW ahead until I install the monster chip.

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The chip is where the programming is , everything else that you don't swap is just hardware .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

my camera a7r2 has version 4.01 (2019), I assume this fw is older than the monster chip fw.

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They developed the Monster adapter around 2020 or so , so I would have thought you shouldn't have had a problem.

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Still don’t understand why totally locked up after the conversion.

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Either incompatible FW or it's faulty .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

I read thru the forums, most said conversion is straight forward and worked right away, no one said anything about updating the fw and working properly.

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It's odd that you've got an old FW v01 chip .

I thought they'd all have a fairly recent version.

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

I’ll give it a try again. Where can i find the installation instructions? The monster site says electronic installation, could find it. Do you have the link please?

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You update it the same way as you update lenses firmware .

Go onto Sony's website and check there .

Easiest way to find the instructions is to select a lens , check on the downloads section on that lens for FW updates .

The instructions for how to do that are there .

Make sure the cameras battery is fully charged before you do this , or you run the risk of screwing everything up .

You'll need a good quality , correct , usb lead to do this , preferably the original Sony lead .

neilt3 said:

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Sorry about the confusion. Let me explain.
I installed the monster chip, camera locked up. I don’t know it’s because I’m on original sony firmware.

Click to expand...

Your not on Sony software .

The LA-EA4r is running on the very old version 1 firmware of the Monster adapter.

As soon as you removed the original chip , it ceased to be running on Sony software .

Click to expand...

I agree - update the (Sony) FW in the camera first. Not sure how you can update the lens FW at this stage or with the Monster adapter. Then retest the Monster adapter and maybe borrow / buy another Monster-compatible lens to test.

Correction on the monster FW, i never check the version of the monster FW, since the adapter locked up with the lens. I could have checked the version without any lens. Version 1.0 is the sony original chip.

isvana said:

neilt3 said:

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Sorry about the confusion. Let me explain.
I installed the monster chip, camera locked up. I don’t know it’s because I’m on original sony firmware.

Click to expand...

Your not on Sony software .

The LA-EA4r is running on the very old version 1 firmware of the Monster adapter.

As soon as you removed the original chip , it ceased to be running on Sony software .

Click to expand...

I agree - update the (Sony) FW in the camera first. Not sure how you can update the lens FW at this stage or with the Monster adapter. Then retest the Monster adapter and maybe borrow / buy another Monster-compatible lens to test.

Click to expand...

Why update the Sony FW first ?

He's taking the Sony chip out of the LA-EA4 and replacing it with the monster adapter chip .

It's that chip that needs updating.

All you do is put the modified adapter on the camera , connect it up to the PC , download the FW update , and run it .

No lenses are attached to the adapter, it's the adapter that needs the FW update.

The LA-EA are seen as a native lens for FW updates .

It's really that simple .

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Correction on the monster FW, i never check the version of the monster FW, since the adapter locked up with the lens. I could have checked the version without any lens. Version 1.0 is the sony original chip.

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Ready above post regarding the FW update .

Secondly , was the adapter on the camera when the lens was attached ?

More specifically, was the camera switched on ?

If so ,The monster adapter people specifically warn against this as it will potentially short the circuit out and lock the camera , the adapter and battery and potentially do damage .

You did read the user instructions and warnings on the website before you started messing around, didn't you ?

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/neilt3/sets

neilt3 said:

isvana said:

neilt3 said:

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Sorry about the confusion. Let me explain.
I installed the monster chip, camera locked up. I don’t know it’s because I’m on original sony firmware.

Click to expand...

Your not on Sony software .

The LA-EA4r is running on the very old version 1 firmware of the Monster adapter.

As soon as you removed the original chip , it ceased to be running on Sony software .

Click to expand...

I agree - update the (Sony camera) FW in the camera first. Not sure how you can update the lens FW at this stage or with the Monster adapter. Then retest the Monster adapter and maybe borrow / buy another Monster-compatible lens to test.

Click to expand...

Why update the Sony FW first ?

He's taking the Sony chip out of the LA-EA4 and replacing it with the monster adapter chip .

It's that chip that needs updating.

Click to expand...

I was referring to the camera FW.
But I can see why you thought “update the FW in the camera” meant something else - it’s ambiguous due to the camera being used for all FW updates! In fact I assumed the OP must have been referring to the Sony camera FW as - as you say - there is no point updating the Sony LA-EA4 FW as it’s being discarded!

Updated the quoted text for clarity…

neilt3 said:

All you do is put the modified adapter on the camera , connect it up to the PC , download the FW update , and run it .

No lenses are attached to the adapter, it's the adapter that needs the FW update.

The LA-EA are seen as a native lens for FW updates .

It's really that simple .

Click to expand...

Never had a problem myself… but not updated to the latest FW yet.

isvana said:

neilt3 said:

isvana said:

neilt3 said:

Seattle with a cloudy sky said:

Sorry about the confusion. Let me explain.
I installed the monster chip, camera locked up. I don’t know it’s because I’m on original sony firmware.

Click to expand...

Your not on Sony software .

The LA-EA4r is running on the very old version 1 firmware of the Monster adapter.

As soon as you removed the original chip , it ceased to be running on Sony software .

Click to expand...

I agree - update the (Sony camera) FW in the camera first. Not sure how you can update the lens FW at this stage or with the Monster adapter. Then retest the Monster adapter and maybe borrow / buy another Monster-compatible lens to test.

Click to expand...

Why update the Sony FW first ?

He's taking the Sony chip out of the LA-EA4 and replacing it with the monster adapter chip .

It's that chip that needs updating.

Click to expand...

I was referring to the camera FW.
But I can see why you thought “update the FW in the camera” meant something else - it’s ambiguous due to the camera being used for all FW updates! In fact I assumed the OP must have been referring to the Sony camera FW as - as you say - there is no point updating the Sony LA-EA4 FW as it’s being discarded!

Click to expand...

"Seattle with a cloudy sky" stated earlier they have the Sony a7Rii and has version 4.01 FW in it , the most current FW version , so no update needed .

It's just the Monster adapter that needs updating .

isvana said:

Updated the quoted text for clarity…

isvana said:

All you do is put the modified adapter on the camera , connect it up to the PC , download the FW update , and run it .

No lenses are attached to the adapter, it's the adapter that needs the FW update.

The LA-EA are seen as a native lens for FW updates .

It's really that simple .

Click to expand...

Never had a problem myself… but not updated to the latest FW yet.

Click to expand...

Hi all,

Is the aperture behavior the same as LA-EA5 or not? I found the aperture is wide open when auto focus activating, then aperture shrink to my decided value after shutter button clicked. Is LA-EA4r able to affect aperture value in realtime like E-mount lens?

If the subject is moving, the captured image shows it focused on original position but the subject is moving out of focus box due to shutter delay. At LA-EA5, I prefer to shoot photo in wide open because of no shutter delay at wide open.

boris20050 said:

Hi all,

Is the aperture behavior the same as LA-EA5 or not? I found the aperture is wide open when auto focus activating, then aperture shrink to my decided value after shutter button clicked. Is LA-EA4r able to affect aperture value in realtime like E-mount lens?

Click to expand...

Yes, the modified LA-EA4 aperture works the same as all unmodified LA-EA adapters. The camera controls that behavior. The Monster hardware does not emulate a native E-mount lens like some of the EF adapters do. It just makes the LA-EA4 focus like the LA-EA1/3/5 instead of like an unmodified LA-EA2/4.