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The A7/R Adaptor thread

tashley

Subscriber Member
Might it be useful for us all to pull together what is currently known about adaptors for users of other system lenses on the new Sonys?

AFAIK there will be a huge adaptor fest fuelled by the slow availability of the new system specific lenses and the fact that not a lot of us own Alpha mount lenses.

Whilst it's clear that individual pairings will have individual 'issues' (such as small throat problems, ray angle problems etc) can we combine to make a knowledge base in one thread as to what there is and will be in terms of things to try?

For example, it seems that the Metabones line of Nikon to E adaptors will work because they are 'full frame ready' - but the SpeedBoosters are not and will cause the camera to default to APS mode.

Not having adapted a Nikon lens to anything, I am a bit hazy on what will and won't work. For example, I assume that for a mixed bag of Nikon mount lenses such as mine, I will need two adaptors, one for F and one for G mount. Maybe I'm wrong?

It sure sounds like there's a better chance of Canon TS lenses working well than Nikon PCE and that has been partially covered in some other threads but again, one place for all adaptor information might be useful?

So knock us out: what adaptors are you ordering in advance? What logic are you applying? Who sells them already and who are you waiting for product announcements and supply from?
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
I will start the ball rolling: just been looking at the Novoflex site and it imlies that their regular Nikon lens to Sony E mount camera adaptor will work for the A7s and that this will work for both F and G lenses (I think?) but it also says

Special note for Nikon lens adapters:
With few Nikkor lenses of the G-series the weather sealing of the lens has to be removed.
This does not affect the function of the lens, of course.


However, when it says 'few' it doesn't really help know which lenses will be affected. Any ideas?
 
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Vivek

Guest
I specifically avoid over priced adapters. I have a dozen adapters for the E mount and they all work just fine. This is all very very old news.

One tip I have is to avoid resellers. Buy them directly from HK/Taiwan or PRC where they are made.
 
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Vivek

Guest
- but the SpeedBoosters are not and will cause the camera to default to APS mode.
How do you know that, Tim? Wrong information.

AFAIK, there is no "default" image area mode in the A7/7R. It is user decided.

It is not clear if all lenses will only cover APS-C when used with the Speed Booster. Couple of lenses I tried appear to illuminate FF although it isn't clear whether they will cover (ie, decent sharp corners) the whole FF.
 
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Vivek

Guest
Sony Australia are giving away an E to EOS Metabones adapter when an A7R body is purchased. ;)
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Adapter makers, that I have adapters from, for
R to M, R to E, R to MFT, M to E, M to MFT,
Leitz V to R, V to Nikon F, F to E,
Nikon G to M, G to E, G to MFT, G to X:

Fotodiox
Hawk's Factory
Kipon
Metabones
Novoflex
Phigmenttech

IMHO adapters can be inexpensive and relatively well made, but also cheap and not well made.
Adapters can also be expensive, but not overpriced as they are extremely well made.

LensRentals had an interesting post on adapters that I highly recommend.

Of course, there are other adapter makers.
But I already have way too many from the companies I listed!
 

Annna T

Active member
Okay, I'll bite. SAR posted a link to this video showing the Techart AF capable adapter for Contax G lenses attached to an A7. It's the version 2 (which I have). Glad it wasn't restricted to APS-C sensors.

[DEO-Tech] Contax G Adapter Mark2 EAGLE tesing on Sony A7 - YouTube

Regards,
John
Wow ! Finally a true FF digital back for my Zeiss Contax G lenses. I'm impressed by the AF speed. But can you still adjust the focus manually ? (Just in case the AF doesn't work optimally). This makes the A7/7r very tempting.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
How do you know that, Tim? Wrong information.

AFAIK, there is no "default" image area mode in the A7/7R. It is user decided.

It is not clear if all lenses will only cover APS-C when used with the Speed Booster. Couple of lenses I tried appear to illuminate FF although it isn't clear whether they will cover (ie, decent sharp corners) the whole FF.
it says so on their website..."Speed Booster® is NOT compatible with full-frame Sony A7, A7R or NEX-VG900. When Speed Booster® is used with Sony A7, A7R or NEX-VG900, the camera will turn on the "APS-C Size Capture" mode automatically."
 
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Vivek

Guest
it says so on their website..."Speed Booster® is NOT compatible with full-frame Sony A7, A7R or NEX-VG900. When Speed Booster® is used with Sony A7, A7R or NEX-VG900, the camera will turn on the "APS-C Size Capture" mode automatically."
Wrong information, nevertheless.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Wrong information, nevertheless.
I have little to go on other than what the manufacturer website says: if I made a purchase thinking they were wrong and then it turned out that they were right, and they had given due warning, I would have no right to complain. Since what I have reproduced here is an exact quote from their website, I htink it fair to make people aware of it...
 
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Vivek

Guest
I think the Metabones owner is a member here and I hope he will address this.

EDIT: While the E to EOS is the only "smart adapter" the rest are "dumb". Even with a "smart adapter" I would not want the adapter to control the camera. ;) When one enables shoot without lens option, whatever gets projected will be seen by the sensor. Adapter or not.
 
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tashley

Subscriber Member
He might also like to add a comment on the difference between G and nonG lenses in terms of adaptors: Novoflex seems to offer one adaptor that works for both but the Metabones site is pretty unclear...
 
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Vivek

Guest
He might also like to add a comment on the difference between G and nonG lenses in terms of adaptors: Novoflex seems to offer one adaptor that works for both but the Metabones site is pretty unclear...
Leaving aside the brands.. it is a matter of simple lens construction.

A non G adapter is just a tube that connects the camera to the lens. F mount lenses that are A, AI and AiS (including PC Nikkors) have a real aperture ring on the lens itself. So, one adjust/controls the aperture there.

The G Nikkor lenses do not have an aperture ring but still have an aperture lever that can be controlled via a coupling present in the G adapters.

A G adapter can make full (meaning change the aperture) use of all the Nikkors* (A, AI, AiS, AF, AF-D and G) while a non G adapter is useful for lenses with an aperture ring.

* The new PC-E Nikkors can not be used. To set the aperture on a PC-E Nikkor, one needs a current Nikon body, set the aperture there and dismount the lens from the camera while the camera is still on.
 

jfirneno

Member
Wow ! Finally a true FF digital back for my Zeiss Contax G lenses. I'm impressed by the AF speed. But can you still adjust the focus manually ? (Just in case the AF doesn't work optimally). This makes the A7/7r very tempting.
Anna:

The "manual" focus is via a motor driven screw built into the adapter. There is a little lever on the adapter that you push clockwise or counter-clockwise to focus in or out. Actually works quite well but different from a manual focus experience. There is no direct linkage to aperture so you have to set aperture manually on the lens and change the setting in your camera to keep the exposure straight. It's definitely not a smooth system but you do get to use your Contax G lenses. I'm reasonably happy with it.

Regards,
John
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Well, I have a Noct Nikkor 58/1.2 lens that can be used with Nikon F or G to E adapter on a NEX camera. With the F to E adapter one uses the aperture ring on the lens. With the G to E adapter the lens aperture gets set with the adapter aperture ring. Although the adapter ring has no or no meaningful markings it's easy to set the correct aperture with the help of the camera light meter. This works for me in camera A(perture) mode:

Attach lens with adapter to camera.
Switch camera on. Point camera at something, preferably evenly illuminated.
Start at either end of aperture, either wide open or closed down.
Make a mental note of exposure time in EVF.
Start turning the adapter aperture ring.
Count f-stop changes by counting factors of 2 changes in exposure times.
Stop at desired f-stop.
Done.

Now that the desired f-stop is set use until another f-stop is needed.
 
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Vivek

Guest
Although the adapter ring has no or no meaningful markings..
K-H, It is my understanding that the Metabones E to Nikon G adapter has meaningful markings:



The aperture markings* on the adapter coincides with that of a Nikon AIS lens.

Most others (if not all the other brands) just have an open or close and with no meaningful markings for aperture settings on the adapter.

*There is a bit of geometrical calculations involved. There are numerous discussions on the web about AI vs AIS aperture calibrations, in case anyone is interested.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
K-H, It is my understanding that the Metabones E to Nikon G adapter has meaningful markings:



The aperture markings* on the adapter coincides with that of a Nikon AIS lens.

Most others (if not all the other brands) just have an open or close and with no meaningful markings for aperture settings on the adapter.

*There is a bit of geometrical calculations involved. There are numerous discussions on the web about AI vs AIS aperture calibrations, in case anyone is interested.

Sorry Vivek. That's simply BS.
On one of their adapters the aperture ring wouldn't turn at all.
On another it wouldn't change the aperture until the last little bit.
What gives?
 
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