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LA-EA5, a mirrorless adapter that AF's old(er) screw drive lenses

No pellicle mirror and no "bulge" underneath like the LA-EA4.
Very nice surprise from Sony. Looking forward to trying it with the 80-200mm ƒ2.8 APO that I just purchased. It was always a favorite, but the previous adapters just didn't make for a nice experience. (especially the light loss from the pellicle mirror).

and just for fun I might have to repurchase the 500mm mirror lens to see how it does.
 

Jan

Member
I am curious to see images from the A7r4 with the 5 adapter and Minolta AF glass. Anyone that has samples to share?
 

Jan

Member
Thanks, Mike! I had a quick look and it seems a mixed bag but will make time to read closer.
 

Jan

Member
Looked through all the pages but hardly any - if any - images from the a7r4 with LA-EA5 and Minolta AF glass.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Hi Jan, any lenses you would specifically be interested in? There's some examples on Dyxum that I could try and find for you.
 

Jan

Member
Thanks, much appreciated and very good results if you ask me. It confirms my suspicion a lot of talk on social media is a load of crap, let alone the lens list that goes round detailing which lenses performing very good until very poor on the a7r4. I understand of course that older lenses will be challenged resolving the power of such rig, but how sharp is sharp and how fast is focusing fast?
 
Many of the old lenses are not up to the task (of a high-rez sensor). But I enjoy using the LA-EA5 for trying offbeat lenses that don't cost very much. The 100-400mm for example, which I got for $150, surprised me with its reasonable performance. Here's a tight crop from the above shot...

_DSC5436.jpg
 
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pegelli

Well-known member
Thanks for posting those examples Mike, it shows there's still life in these old A-mount lenses.

Since I don't have an A7Riv but older bodies I still use the LA-EA4 with the pellicle mirror to use my old Minolta lenses and even there I find that the results are equal or better as compared to using them on my (now sold) A850. Yes AF is "pedestrian" and you lose a half stop light but as far as I can see the pellicle mirror + newer sensor still delivers equal or better results as an old sensor without the extra obstruction in the optical path.

For Jan, here's a couple more examples of using the LA-EA5 and older Minolta glass that I found:

35/1.4

50/1.4

100/2

85/1.4 G D

50/1.4 RS
 

Jan

Member
Thanks for posting those examples Mike, it shows there's still life in these old A-mount lenses.

Since I don't have an A7Riv but older bodies I still use the LA-EA4 with the pellicle mirror to use my old Minolta lenses and even there I find that the results are equal or better as compared to using them on my (now sold) A850. Yes AF is "pedestrian" and you lose a half stop light but as far as I can see the pellicle mirror + newer sensor still delivers equal or better results as an old sensor without the extra obstruction in the optical path.

For Jan, here's a couple more examples of using the LA-EA5 and older Minolta glass that I found:

35/1.4

50/1.4

100/2

85/1.4 G D

50/1.4 RS
Thank you very much for putting these together! The member also mentioned the lenses 24 and 28 which i have in my arsenal. The sample images i have seen at the above mentioned links are showing very decent results in my opinion; obviously they are not at full resolution and likely when compared to new glass they fade in certain areas but I'm not looking at images using a magnifier or bitching about that little extra corner sharpness that I am missing.

I use the LA-EA4 on the a7r3 but AF points make me miss on several occasions. What also appeals is the auto lens adjustment when using the LA-EA5 which certainly will give some edge as well. And yes, i have been following the monster adapter from the very first hour but after watching some of the Gary Friedman videos i was left in a shock looking at how some AF lenses performed.
 
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