THE PROBLEM

Earlier this year Mamiya released the new Mamiya-Sekor 80mm F2.8 AF “D” lens for the 645AFD & ZD family. I have been itching to buy this lens because it has the auto-focus / manual-focus clutch ring. Switching between auto-focus and manual-focus via the level on the front of the ZD is not easy to do without looking directly at the lever. When it comes to the ZD and the new “D” lenses there is catch - a pesky little firmware update. Mamiya America (MAC Group) notes that the ZD requires a firmware update for the Mamiya-Sekor AF 28mm F/4.5 D and for the Mamiya-Sekor AF 75-150mm F4.5 D. Okay, that is great info, but there is nothing about the 80mm F2.9 AF D or the 150mm F2.8 AF D. Both those lenses have been available for awhile too and they are not listed. So I emailed MAC Group about upgrading the ZD’s firmware and they replied with the email below.

Anthony’s response didn’t offer much, so I called Japan and reached a receptionist who spoke Japanese. Japanese in Japan, makes sense. Unfortunately no english. At this point I am very frustrated because MAC Group can tell me the ZD needs a firmware update, but there is no way to check the ZD’s current firmware revision without sending the ZD to Japan, and I cannot reach any one in Japan to find out how the process works.

It is possible my ZD already has the current firmware loaded. I asked the seller this question before purchasing the ZD. He was kind enough to call Mamiya in Europe and Mamiya said the ZD may have the correct firmware already. Evidently my ZD’s serial number was within a 2 month window of when Japan started using the new firmware. So there is hope, but no guarantee.

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION

Michael Reichmann received his ZD on loan from Vistek in Canada, so I contacted Vistek to see if they could help. It turns out that Vistek is also the Mamiya service center for Canada. After an initial email to Vistek, Tom Truty, the Vistek Service Manager, wrote that he can indeed perform the firmware update, but needed to order an adapter from Mamiya Japan first. He ordered the necessary part - and he got the part. So, the good new is - Vistek can upgrade your ZD to the current firmware. So, here is a big “Atta-boy” to Tom! If you are in North America and need to update your ZD’s firmware, then contact Tom -

Tom Truty

Vistek Service Manager

496 Queen Street East

Toronto, ON, M5A 4GB

Telephone    (416) 365-1777 ext 3298

Email            tomt@vistek.ca

Web              www.vistek.ca

MEANWHILE...

It took a couple weeks for Tom to get everything in place, and during that time a used Mamiya-Sekor 80mm F2.8 AF “D” came up on Ebay. I figured the ZD would get the firmware update anyway, so why not buy the lens and just try it first. The Ebay buy-it-now price was well below B&H’s retail price, so is was an easy decision. A couple mouse clicks and a couple days later, the Mamiya 80mm was here. Drum roll... it worked! Joy-joy-happy-happy-joy! But there are still questions - why did the lens work? Is my firmware up to date, or is the new 80mm lens backward compatible by default? Back to Google...

THE MISSING PIECE

Thanks to Vistek, North Americans now know how to update the ZD firmware. But the burning question is - how do you know if you NEED to update the ZD’s firmware? After many hours of Googling Mamiya ZD firmware, I found this thread on Luminous-Landscape. In the thread, member “Pantoned” mentions “Camera Firmware 1.00” and “Firmware 1.03”. Eureka!!! How did “Pantoned” find that out? A quick PM to “Pantoned” and he replied that he used the Mamiya Digital Photostudio software (included with the ZD on CD Rom) and info was the images’ EXIF. So another Atta-boy to Pantoned!!!

I had not loaded this software because it received poor reviews... doh... I loaded the Mamiya software, opened a MEF raw and selected its file info (see the image to the right). At the bottom of the list is shows “Camera Firmware 1.10” and “Firmware 1.03”. Compared to Pantoned’s ZD, my ZD has newer camera firmware which is probably why the new 80mm “D” lens worked without issue. I still do now know if version 1.10 is the most current firmware or how many firmware revisions there have been. I am still researching the firmware and if I learn anything new, I’ll update this entry.

Sorting out this issue required contacting Canada, getting additional information from a Spaniard for a Japanese product sold in Europe, and subsequently re-sold on Ebay by a German and imported to the US. Makes you wonder how we got by before without the internet.

THE GLAMOUR SHOT

The weather has been pretty poor lately, so I have not had much opportunity to shoot with the Mamiya-Sekor 80mm F2.8 “D”. A new review for the Mamiya AF 80mm F2.8 D has been added and is available here.