PMW-300 VTR trigger not working on Canon KH21ex5.7

[David Cleverly]

Hi all,

Just added this 1/2" lens to the PMW-300 using the ACM-18 Adaptor and the VTR trigger is not working.

Am I missing something here?

Thanks in advance.

DC

[Andrew Smith]

Yes. A link to the model of lens you are using.

Andrew

[David Cleverly]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._Portable.html

I need to stipulate that the ACM-18 I am using is a Fujinon model, but it worked with this lens on an EX-3 previously.

Regards,

David

[David Cleverly]

Additionally, there are no pins on the lens that meet up to the ACM-18 adaptor's pins.

I'm thinking I need a Canon adaptor, because the canon adaptor has a socket for the lens cable to plug into which then marries up with the pmw-300's pins.

[Christopher Young]

Dave

The 1/2" hot shoe lenses made for the EX series were made ONLY by Fujinon and you had to use their ACM-18 for the hot shoe pins on the lens to connect with the EX body. The standard B4 Canon 1/2" lenses had a totally different mount and would not fit the Sony B4 hot shoe mount. The standard Canon 1/2" B4 mount lens would fit onto the Panasonic and JVC 1/2" cameras as they used the standard B4 1/2" mount.

You are correct if you want to use a standard B4 Canon 1/2" lens on the EX-3 you would need this Canon adapter

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...Converter.html

or one of these types of modified units

Fujinon ACM-18 lens adapter. Use a regular 1/2? 12Pin lens on PMW-300 or EX3

or if using 2/3" lenses one of these

Fujinon ACM-21 | eBay

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[David Cleverly]

Thanks Chris,

I am confused. Not by what you say, but what I have been told.

The person who has lent me this lens on trial with his ACM-18, tells me this exact same kit worked fine with his previously-owned EX-3. But when I installed the exact same combination on my PMW-300, it didn't work. Well it worked (I could see through it and start stop with the button on the side of the 300), but the VTR button didn't work on the lens.

I powered the zoom function with the DTAP to 12-pin cable he also lent me, which indeed powered the zoom and the little menu screen on the lens grip, but I could not trigger the camera with the VTR button or use any of the other buttons on the handgrip, such as return etc. Of course the DTAP cable was only supplying power to the zoom rocker and not allowing start/stop communications between the camera and lens.

When I pulled the ACM-18 off the lens, I could see why: there are no pins on the back of the Canon lens (of course) to marry up with the lens/camera control contacts on the PMW-300 body.

So I am unsure how he got the lens to work properly with his EX3, although he swears he did.

The lens is a ripper, but it looks like it has just become $800 more expensive for me :-(

[Christopher Young]

I'm afraid he has his wires crossed Dave. There is no way a Canon 1/2" B4 can run on an EX3 with all its functions working as there is no lens communication with the camera body. Unless of course it is with the Canon adapter that I referenced in the BH Photo link. I don't think I have ever seen one of these second hand, probably due to its new price.

As Fujinon were the OEM suppliers contracted to build the EX lenses for the Sony EX3 Sony also got Fujinon to build the ACM-18 adapter. This 1/2" hot shoe adapter allowed users coming from the Sony 1/2" hot shoe cameras to use their existing Fuji hot shoe glass on the new EX3. Upon release of the PMW-300 Sony stopped supplying ACM-18 adapters as part of the standard camera kit. ACM-18s are plentiful on eBay and can go from about $60.00 and up. It's the very rare Canon EX 1/2" adapter with the 12 pin power plug for the standard 12 pin lens connector that is the real hard one to find. Occasionally the ACM-21 pops up like the one in the eBay link I provided.

The only other 12 pin powered B4 to EX adapter I know of is the MTF one for 2/3" lenses.

https://www.lensadaptor.com/powered-...mw-ex3-adaptor

If you go the 2/3" lens route you will wind up with a crop factor of 1.375. In other words 37.5% more magnification. There are some pretty good value 2/3" lenses out there. That was my preference rather than spending big $$$s on !/2" glass that will only fit 1/2" cameras.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[David Cleverly]

Thanks Chris, that's what I thought, too.

I spoke with him again yesterday and he is adamant the Canon lens worked fine (the VTR button, I mean) with his EX3 using this ACM-18. The DTAP connector he has also supplied simply gives power to the zoom function on the lens. But how the HECK did he start/stop the camera using the VTR button - that's the $64k question.

Anyway, I have ordered an adaptor as you mentioned, the one with the 12 pin fly lead that comes from the adaptor. Let's hope this solves the issue.

As always, thanks for your assistance. Stay well.

Dave