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Force lens firmware update or increment version
  • gahbesgahbes

    I want to play around with the firmware of some Panasonic lenses. I understand the risks and that this will very likely brick my lens.

    How can I force my Panasonic camera body/lens to proceed with the update. The lens firmware I'm modding has the same version as the version already flashed to the lens so the camera just skips the update. I tried to find any reference in the lens firmware with regards to the version number but have been unsuccessful.

    Any tips would be much appreciated!

  • 5 Replies sorted by
  • gahbesgahbes

    Comparing the output of ptool with the original firmware of the GH2 with a hex editor shows that version increment alone changes almost the entire firmware file.

    I'm guessing this is due to encryption of the firmware.

    Is there any info on decrypting and repacking .lin files (Panasonic lens firmware) files?

    Essentially all I want to do is increment the version of the lens firmware unless there is another way to force the update.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @gahbes

    I don't know a way to decrypt it.

    So it needs someone qualified to find out, and without full firmware reversing and many months of work it won't be done, I guess.

  • gahbesgahbes

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev thank you for the reply.

    Is there maybe a possibility to add a patch to Ptool that would remove the version check for lens updates on the GH2 or any other compatible camera? Or a patch that forces the update through a button combination?

  • gahbesgahbes

    UPDATE: Initially I thought the firmware might be encrypted but looking at the entropy it seems it is not but I cannot find any signatures so not sure how to unpack it.

    image

    I have compared two versions of the firmware and found at least two hex values that are references to the version number.

    image

    Changing the first value is enough for the camera to read a new version and launch the firmware update process but it freezes around 1/5th of the way.

    image image

    After pulling the battery from the camera the lens is still working and recognised with the old version as before.

    I have attached the two firmware versions if someone wants to take a look.

    entropy Medium.jpg
    640 x 383 - 48K
    hex compare Medium.jpg
    640 x 124 - 36K
    IMG_4637 Medium.jpg
    640 x 416 - 48K
    IMG_4535 Medium.jpg
    640 x 397 - 58K
    Archive.zip
    327K
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Most probably it has checksum at some place inside.

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