My Fringer MK3 has been shipped yesterday. As mentioned above by "
hiepphotog" me I also think the adapter is very well machined. It’s also nicely finished with flocked paper inside the adapter (avoiding internal reflections).
The MK3 version now features a Mini-USB port to load future firmware updates.
AF performance with the 645 lenses is remarkably good! They focus very fast to approximate distance and then … tick-tick-tick … lock quite quickly when the subject shows enough contrast.
PDAF will hunt on low contrast scenes… of course.
You can use full manual mode or auto aperture mode. Auto aperture mode renders the f-stops on the lens useless - you have to set the aperture on the camera body. In this mode you can toggle AF/MF. In full manual mode you can use the f-stops on the lens but AF is disabled.
The camera/adapter can utilize 1/3 f-stops (in auto aperture mode)!
Too, all the relevant EXIF-Info of the lens is available in the files (lens info, focal length, aperture used). As the focal length is recognized you should set Steady Shot to "Auto".
645 lenses on A7R2:
All my lenses are sharp at the image center at all apertures (up to f8 … at f11 sharpness decreases on the high res sensor of the A7R2, of course) but depending on the focal length edge performance varies.
So as far as above said idea of a shift adapter goes here are some short notes on the lens performance (center + edges. Didn’t test the very corners yet…) based on initial impressions. If at all, I would say the longer lenses could be suited for limited movements… the shorter lenses certainly not.
3.5/35 Distagon
center:
f3.5: ok
f4: good / very good
f5.6: excellent
f8: excellent
edges:
edges stay soft even at f8
This lens wouldn’t be suited for movements
3.5/55 Distagon
center:
f3.5: good
f4 and smaller: excellent
edges:
f3.5: soft
f4: soft
f5.6: usable
f8: usable-ok (when cropped top 4:3 image format it should do fine)
This lens wouldn’t be suited for movements.
It’s certainly a nice "effect lens" due to the great performance in the center… "only" f3.5, though
2.0/80 Planar
center:
f2.0: good
f2.8: very good
f4 and smaller: excellent
edges:
f2.0: soft
f2.8: very well usable
f4 and smaller: very good to excellent
This lens is most likely well suited for limited movements at f8.
Will be a very nice portrait lens in my case!
4/120 Apo Macro Planar
excellent at f4 and to die for from f5.6.
Period
2.8/140 Sonnar
center:
f2.8: very good
f4 and smaller: excellent
edges:
f2.8: good
f4: very good
f5.6: excellent
This lens is most likely well suited for limited movements at f4-f11.
The 3.5/55 Distagon and the 2.8/140 Sonnar show obvious chromatic aberrations on high contrast objects at larger apertures. So the lens corrections - if needed - will decrease IQ… especially at the edges.
I have yet to test the 45-90 zoom ... then again I don't think that I would use that bulky lens on the small A7 body...
_____________
Since I want a classical portrait lens with AF and definitely need a Macro lens I was thinking about the Batis 1.8/85 and/or the Sony 2.8/90 G macro. But now I will wait a little before I buy more lenses for the Sony system.
The Contax 645 4/120 Apo Macro is really excellent … a bit long on the A7R2’s sensor but it’s okay for my purposes.
And the AF of the 2/80 Planar works so good that it’s a bit hard to justify a Batis only for its AF. The Batis is sure much better wide open, shows less CAs and AF is certainly faster and more precise… but for "landscape"-style work I also own a Tessar ZM 4/85… which is super sharp across the frame. I have yet to check focus tracking and face recognition with the CZ 2/80 Planar, though. But all in all, being a Contax 645 and A7R2 user, the Fringer adapter is well worth the money for me!