And the story continues...
The first repair shop I tried was unable to fix the lens, saying it was physically completely alright, but the chip was not functioning (comically enough, I can still shoot with the lens if I put it on the body and partially unscrew it, feigning using an MF lens, though I cannot control either aperture or focus this way). They tried doing something to it but failed, leaving me with lens that was as dead as before (hopefully not more so) and $150 less before suggesting that I ask the manufacturer to provide a firmware to reflash it (fat chance...) or, if that fails, to ask the Aliexpress shop I brought it from about ways to return it to China to be repaired.
Either way, I'm in for a long haul and a significant loss of $$$...
P.S. I was "tentatively enticed" by the Laowa 180mm AF macro when it was first hinted. Not so much now...
The first repair shop I tried was unable to fix the lens, saying it was physically completely alright, but the chip was not functioning (comically enough, I can still shoot with the lens if I put it on the body and partially unscrew it, feigning using an MF lens, though I cannot control either aperture or focus this way). They tried doing something to it but failed, leaving me with lens that was as dead as before (hopefully not more so) and $150 less before suggesting that I ask the manufacturer to provide a firmware to reflash it (fat chance...) or, if that fails, to ask the Aliexpress shop I brought it from about ways to return it to China to be repaired.
Either way, I'm in for a long haul and a significant loss of $$$...
P.S. I was "tentatively enticed" by the Laowa 180mm AF macro when it was first hinted. Not so much now...