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The TOUGH E-Mount from Fotodiox Pro

V

Vivek

Guest
Risky business! Unless you are absolutely sure that you know how to mount it with the right amount of tension (don't be fooled by their youtube video), don't do it!
 

JoelM

Well-known member
It's not risky business and a rather simple task. It works quite well and a nice "upgrade".

Joel
 

mjm6

Member
I wonder if this will help address the light leaks in the mount?

I doubt it, as this wasn't their intent.

It is possible that it may make the light leaks WORSE, however, because of the higher reflectivity of the metal. I'd think about using black permanent marker on all the interior surfaces of the mount before installing.

I actually haven't purchased one yet, but I intend to do so.


---Michael
 

stephengilbert

Active member
"I think I'll be fine."

As the guy says on the video, don't drop the screws on the sensor. :)

And an added benefit to the video: now we know how to pronounce "Fotodiox."

Who knew?
 

jlm

Workshop Member
having some flange experience, consider this:

the leica bayonet, for example, works by rotating the tabs on the lens behind projections on the body flange. there has to some sort of gap between the fitted surfaces of the tabs and the projections to allow for the rotation, machining tolerances, etc. In addition, the reference surfaces are the faces of the two flanges and you want them to be in contact. So Leica fits a leaf spring to the inside of the body flange such that the spring pulls the flanges together and the looseness between tabs is overcome by the spring. another method (novoflex) is to make an "ear" on the flange and bend it a bit so that it acts like a spring.
in my opinion, using a spring steel leaf spring is better than relying on the flexing of the flange itself

what i have found with some cameras and adapters is these springs are too weak if a heavy lens is fitted.

from what i can see, the tough E mount has no spring at all, instead relying on the tab/projection tightness
 

Bob Parsons

New member
...............from what i can see, the tough E mount has no spring at all, instead relying on the tab/projection tightness
The Tough E-Mount only replaces the original thin flange and a plastic spacer. You have to reinstall the original leaf spring assembly. This pulls on the lens mount tabs making the rear surface of the lens mount contact the front of the Fotodiox flange.

Bob.
 

Chuck Jones

Subscriber Member
Guy, do you know if anyone checked with Sony about what changing this out does to your warranty? Or if it has any effect at all on it?
 
V

Vivek

Guest
"I think I'll be fine."

As the guy says on the video, don't drop the screws on the sensor. :)
Not much will happen if the screw drops. At worst the dust shaker will get scratched. Many will replace this for a charge. The sensor package is the strongest bit in a A7 series camera.

Sony A7 sensor:

Untitled by Vivek Iyer, on Flickr

The 7R is similar and has a tougher dust shaker (~1mm thick and a two piece component epoxied together).

I would not change the mount but I appreciate Fotodiox for highlighting the plastic mounts used in Sony NEX' and now the A7 and A7r. It is Sony by using a metal mount in the A7s who showed that a tougher mount is possible and there are no special reason for the plastic spacer.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I would imagine it may void the warranty but you could always put the old mount on before shipping in for service. But I'm not sure warranty or not. My guess no
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
It's my understanding from watching the how to video that it isn't necessary to replace it on the 7r as it's metal to begin with. Either way haven't had an issue so why fix something that isn't broken....
 

pfigen

Member
It appears that when your camera is new, the lens, any lens, mounts tight and with no slop or play, but as you can easily see in the video, the part of the mount that applies tension is indeed plastic, and with use, it will wear leaving you with a loosely mounted lens or adapter. By using an all metal design, you avoid the soft plastic weak link in the system. Most camera mounts are all metal and use in incorporated metal spring as part of the back of the mount to maintain proper lens to camera mount tension.
 

Bob Parsons

New member
so, Bob, how does the tough e help with holding the lens on tighter?
I'd like to know the answer as well. If you take the Fotodiox mount and attach it to a lens (I've tried the FE 35, 50 and 24-70) there is an extremely small gap between the front surface of the lens tabs and the back surface of the Fotodiox mount. However, the two are completely free to rotate. It looks as if they still rely on the leaf springs to provide the holding force between the mount and lens with the closeness of the two (the small gap) limiting the amount by which they can be pulled apart. Perhaps the gap between the lens tabs and mount is much reduced in the Fotodiox version?

As far as the plastic spacer is concerned I'm not convinced it's a potential problem due to wear. I don't think the lens tabs impact on the plastic until you pull against the leaf springs and pull the lens away from the mount, the plastic acts as an emergency stop. The plastic moulding may also prevent you from over turning the lens when mounting.

I have several questions about the mount. The one I received was an early version. It has a mechanical tolerance problem and I'm waiting for a response from Fotodiox on this.

There are now two versions of the mount around, a so called prototype and a V2. Amazon have recently updated their listing to V2. It's worth reading Oleg M's review on the Amazon site for more information.

http://www.amazon.com/The-TOUGH-E-Mount-Fotodiox-Pro/dp/B00OI8WK1M/#customerReviews

I agree with the Photoclubalpha review and most of the comments.

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/2014/10/27/the-fotodiox-tough-e-mount/

Bob.
 
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