PUBLISHED: January 21, 2014 / UPDATED: February 29, 2024
One of the best features of mirrorless cameras is that due to their thin body design, it’s possible to use virtually every make of 35mm lenses with the full angle of view for which those lenses were designed.
While writing my book, Sony a7 Series: From Snapshots to Great Shots, I tested a wide array of lens mount adapters. Here are the best lens adapters for Sony a1, a7, a7 II, a7 III, a7 IV, a7C, a7C II, a7C R, a7R, a7R II, a7R III, a7R IV, a7R V, a7S, a7S II, a7S III, a9, a9 II, a9 III & Sony ZV-E1 mirrorless cameras and FX3, FX6, FX9, CineAlta BURANO & CineAlta VENICE cinema cameras.
AF Smart Adapters for Sony E-Mount Cameras
“Smart Adapters” are so named because they retain electronic communication between the camera and lens to provide automatic aperture control, EXIF data, image stabilization and autofocus.
Please Note: You’ll get the best AF performance from Sony a1, a7, a7 II, a7 III, a7 IV, a7C, a7C II, a7R, a7R II, a7R III, a7R IV, a7R V, a7S III, a9, a9 II, a9 III & Sony ZV-E1 mirrorless cameras and FX3, FX6, FX9, CineAlta BURANO & CineAlta VENICE cinema cameras, along with a6100, a6300, a6400, a6500, a6600, a6700, ZV-E10 & FX30 as these cameras enable Phase Detection AF with adapted lenses.
Sony LA-EA4 lens adapter is an exception to this since it uses its own AF system which works equally well with all Sony mirrorless cameras.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapters
Before we jump into a discussion of third-party lens mount adapters, I should first mention a pair of Sony lens mount adapters made for mounting Sony A-Mount or Minolta Maxxum lenses on Sony A7 Series cameras.
Sony LA-EA3 lens adapter transmits the lens data to the camera to control aperture and uses the camera’s focus system to provide AF on SSM lenses. The LA-EA3 is and ideal choice when using SSM lenses in order to capture the highest possible resolution. ($199 at Amazon | B&H)
Sony LA-EA4 lens adapter adds full-time continuous Phase Detection AF using Sony’s Translucent Mirror Technology making this adapter well-suited for shooting fast moving action or when shooting with older screw-drive lenses. According to DxO, the light loss from the translucent mirror is only 1/3 stop. Because it uses it’s own PDAF sensor, it works equally well with all Sony E-mount cameras. ($349 at Amazon | B&H)
Read more here: https://briansmith.com/sony-a-mount-lens-sony-a7rii-guide
Sony LA-EA3 and LA-EA4 lens mount adapters
Sony A7R with LA-EA4 lens mount adapter on the Sony 70-400 G lens
Haitian hillside shot with Sony A7R using a LA-EA4 lens mount adapter on the Sony 70-400 G lens
PLEASE NOTE: While the Sony Adapters listed above come supplied with front and rear caps – most third-party adapters do not. My advice is that whenever purchasing a third-party adapter, you also purchase a Sony R1EM rear lens cap and a body cap for the lens mount you’re adapting.
Canon EF to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapters
Metabones Canon EF to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter V ($399 from Amazon | B&H Photo)
Two AutoFocus Canon EF and EF-S lens Smart Adapters stand out above the rest.
Metabones Canon EF to Sony E-Mount T Smart Adapter V ($399)
Metabones is the original – and most popular – AF Smart lens adapter for Canon EOS to Sony E-mount.This is my adapter of choice as it’s the only Smart Adapter that gets regular user-installable firmware updates that improve AF performance with many Canon EF lenses not supported by cheaper adapters.
Sigma MC-11 EF Mount Converter for Sony E-mount ($249)
Enables all native AF functions including Eye AF, Lock-on AF and Video AF with Sigma EF-mount Art, Contemporary and Sport lenses on Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. This adapter also supports auto-exposure, in-camera lens correction, in-camera image stabilization and retains full EXIF data. Interior is flocked to reduce reflections. An integrated LED can be used to display select Sigma lens compatibility with the adapted camera body. This adapter also gets user-installable firmware updates, but please note that Sigma firmware updates are aimed on improving performance of Sigma EF lenses – not Canon or other brands.
Budget Canon EF Smart Adapters
I STRONGLY recommend the first two adapters listed above, but I’m often asked for ‘budget options’. Here are two options that work fairly well with most lenses – but unlike Metabones and Sigma MC-11, these adapters are NOT as consistent across the entire line of EF glass.
High-Speed Commlite CM-EF-E HS Lens Adapter ($159)
Commlite CM-EF-E HS lens adapter is the best of the sub-$200 Smart Adapters since it supports Phase Detection AF for faster AF. Users can switch between PDAD and Contrast AF by pressing the Focus Mode Button on the side of the adapter. CM-EF-E HS firmware update system is user-upgradeable via a USB port on the side of the adapter.
Order from Amazon
FotodioX Canon EF Lens Pro Fusion Smart AF Adapter ($100)
While it lacks Phase Detection and video AF support or user-installable firmware updates, this adapter does offer full electronic communication. With AF speed similar to the third-generation Metabones Smart Adapter III, this adapter works well with many – BUT NOT ALL – Canon EF lenses.
There are other Canon AF Smart Adapters on the market. I do not recommend any of them. Buyer Beware.
Shooting wide open at f/1.2 with Canon EF 85 f1.2 lens using a Metabones Canon EF to Sony E-Mount T Smart Adapter V allows you to limit focus so that only the eyes pop out of an otherwise soft, dreamy image. Only the eyes pop out of an otherwise soft, dreamy image.
Nikon Auto Focus Smart Lens Adapters for Sony E-Mount
Nikon AF lenses are more of a challenge to adapt than Canon, the best performing Nikon Auto Focus Smart Adapters are from MonsterAdapter:
[BEST-IN-CLASS] Monster Adapter LA-FE2 Nikon F to Sony E Lens Adapter ($439)
The 2nd-generation Monster Adapter LA-FE2 Nikon F Lens to Sony E-Mount Camera Adapter allows select Nikon lenses to be used on Sony E-Mount camera bodies while retaining electronic communication and autofocus function. It maintains communication and power supply through its electronic contacts to provide autofocus and aperture setting control from the camera body, and it is compatible with lenses that have built-in motors
Order from B&H Photo
MonsterAdapter LA-FE1 Nikon F to Sony E Adapter ($329)
Monster Adapter supports AE / AF shooting with Nikon F mount CPU lenses with a built-in motor (E-type and G-type) lenses and aperture control with CPU lenses that don’t have a built-in motor (D-type). With Sony PDAF cameras, AF-C is possible for high-speed continuous shooting (up to approximately 10 frames per second) along with Face Detection and Eye AF support.
The following three Nikon AF Smart adapters are all produced by Commlite – just with different branding. They work fairly well for still photography with most of the newer Nikon Type G or E lenses with Sony Alpha 1, a7 II, a7 III, a7 IV, a7C, a7C II, a7C R, a7R II, a7R III, a7R IV, a7R V, a7S III, a9, a9 II, a9 III, a6100, a6300, a6400, a6500, a6600 & a6700 cameras. They will still control aperture with older Nikkor D-Types lenses – but forget about AF. Nikon PC-E lenses are also incompatible. Read how these three adapters perform.
Commlite Nikon F to Sony E Autofocus Electronic Lens Adapter ($200)
Commlite made the world’s first Nikon AF adapter as well as the re-branded adapters listed below. Commlite made physical changes to all adapters beginning with v05 that adds compatibility with several additional Nikon lenses that cannot be used with previous adapters. AF works best with Sony PDAF lenses and E-type and G-type Nikon AF lenses – but not with many of the earlier D-type lenses.
Order from Amazon
FotodioX FUSION Smart Mark II Adapter (DISCONTINUED)
This Second generation Fotodiox Fusion adapter is a re-badged Commlite adapter. North American users may prefer for it’s USA warranty and support. AF works best with Sony PDAF cameras and E-type and G-type Nikon AF lenses – but not with many of the earlier D-type lenses. This lens has been discontinued but it may show up on the used market.
Vello Nikon F to Sony E Autofocus Lens Adapter v08 (DISCONTINUED)
Vello’s Nikon AF Adapter is another re-badged Commlite adapter. North American users may prefer for it’s USA warranty and support. AF works best with Sony PDAF cameras and E-type and G-type Nikon AF lenses – but not with many of the earlier D-type lenses. This lens has been discontinued but it may show up on the used market.
Order from B&H Photo
Nikon G Manual Focus Lens Adapters for Sony E-Mount
Nikon G Adapters have a ring on the adapters that allows rough control of the aperture of Nikon G lenses – think of aperture control as opening or closing a faucet – rather than precise F-stops. They Cannot control the aperture of Nikkor E-Type or Nikkor PC-E Lenses. Nikon G adapters will also work with Nikon D-type and manual focus Nikkor F lenses, so if you have both types of lenses – get a Nikon G adapter.
FotodioX Nikon F/G Lens to Sony E-Mount Camera DLX Series Adapter ($80)
Designed to support G-type lenses, this adapter has a de-clicked aperture control ring that allows for precise manual adjustment of the lens aperture. DLX series version also comes equipped with an improved spring mechanism that provides a more secure fit. It is also guaranteed to provide infinity focusing capabilities. Includes a built-in Arca-type compatible tripod foot that also has a standard 1/4″-20 thread.
Order from B&H Photo
FotodioX Adapter for Nikon G to Sony E-Mount II ($60)
Allows you to attach a Nikon G lens to a Sony E-Mount camera body. Although the lens will fit physically, automatic diaphragm, auto-focusing, or other electronic functions will not operate correctly while using this adapter. Manual or aperture priority mode must be used when this adapter is attached. The adapter features a built-in aperture control ring for Nikon G lenses that can be clicked or de-clicked with the flip of a switch.
Vello Nikon F-Mount G Lens to Sony E-Mount Camera Lens Adapter with Aperture Control ($25)
This all-metal adapter allows you to mount a Nikon G lens onto a Sony E-mount camera. A tripod collar with a 1/4″-20 mount enables you to shift the center of gravity for easier handling with heavy lenses, and relieve strain on the camera lens assembly. There is no electrical communication between camera body and lens so you need to focus manually, and to set exposures manually or in aperture priority mode. The adapter has a manual aperture collar that provides approximate aperture control.
Order from B&H Photo
Metabones Nikon G to Sony E-Mount Adapter ($139)
This Metabones adapter allows you to attach a Nikon F-mount G lens to Sony E-Mount, including full frame cameras. Metabones’ adapters are precision-machined with brass and plated with chromium on both sides of the adapter. It is also designed to allow lenses to reach infinity focus while maintaining the correct registration distance required to support CRC lenses or lenses with floating elements. It features a clickless 8-stop aperture ring with half-stop markings and a detachable Arca Swiss-compatible quick-release tripod foot. Matte black finish minimizes internal reflections to maintain image quality.
FotodioX Vizelex Cine ND Throttle Nikon G-Type Lens to Sony E-Mount Adapter ($107) includes a built-in variable neutral density filter with an integrated control ring. The variable neutral density filter provides an exposure reduction of 2 to 8 stops so that adjustments to brightness can be made independently of the camera and lens, which enables more flexible exposure and depth-of-field control while recording video within a designated frame rate. Integrated control ring features a cogwheel design, allowing it to interface with separately available follow-focus accessories.
Order from B&H Photo
Novoflex Adapter for Nikon Lens to Sony E-Mount ($239)
German-made Novoflex Adapter makes it possible to mount a Nikon lens to Sony E-Mount cameras with a precision mechanical adapter. It does not transfer functions from the camera to the lens, such as auto focus, but automatic exposure metering (stop-down metering/aperture priority) is possible. Why is this the most expensive? Like I said, “German-made.”
Nikon F Manual Focus Lens Adapters for Sony E-Mount
Nikon F adapters are made for Nikon D-Type and Manual Focus Nikkor lenses which have a physical aperture ring. They do not support lens functions that rely on electronic communication with the camera body and cannot control the aperture of Nikkor G-Type, E-Type or Nikkor PC-E Lenses.
FotodioX Mount Adapter for Nikon F-Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount Camera ($25)
FotodioX NIKF-SNYE Lens Mount Adapter allows you to use Nikkor F-mount lenses on your Sony E-mount camera. Precision-crafted out of hardened anodized aluminum, the adapter provides a secure and solid camera-to-lens connection and it supports infinity focus.
Order from B&H Photo
Vello Nikon F Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount Adapter ($45)
This adapter allows you to mount a Nikon F lens onto a Sony E-mount (NEX or full-frame) camera body. The all-metal adapter is designed to fit the lens securely, yet can still be removed easily when not needed. Autofocus, automatic aperture and AE metering will be disabled by the lens adapter as there will be no electrical communication between camera body and lens. You will need to focus manually, and to set exposures manually or meter in aperture priority mode. The lens will retain its ability to focus to infinity.
Metabones Nikon F Lens to Sony E-mount Camera T Adapter III ($99)
This Metabones adapter allows a Nikon F mount lens to be attached to a Sony E-mount including full frame cameras. Metabones adapters are quality made, using precision-machined brass with chromium plating on both the camera-body and the lens sides of the adapter in order to ensure smooth mounting, quality aesthetic, and durability. It has a detachable tripod foot that is compatible with Arca Swiss ball heads.
Order from B&H Photo
Low-light portrait shot with Sony A7R and Nikkor 55 f/1.2 AI-S using the Metabones Nikon F to Sony E-Mount Adapter II (1/50 sec f/1.2 ISO 3200)
Nikon F Manual Focus Lens Macro Adapters
KIPON Macro Lens Mount Adapter with Helicoid for Nikon F-Mount Lens to Sony-E Mount Camera ($200)
KIPON Macro Lens Mount Adapter with Helicoid uses an adjustable helicoid for macro close focus while retaining infinity focus with Nikon F lenses on fullframe Sony E-Mount cameras.
Order from B&H Photo
APS-C Speed Booster Nikon F Manual Focus Lens Adapters
Speed Boosters are 0.71x focal converters that reduce a full-frame image to APS-C. They’re compatible with Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras including a5000, a5100, a6000, a6100, a6300, a6400, a6500, a6600, FX-30 and NEX. They can also be used in APS-C or Super 35 Crop Mode with a7 Series cameras – but they will NOT cover fullframe. This adapter cannot control the aperture of Nikkor E-Type or Nikkor PC-E Lenses.
Metabones Nikon F-Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount Camera Speed Booster ULTRA ($479). With a 5 element/4 group optical design it allows a full frame Nikon F-Mount lens to be mounted to an APS-C format E-Mount camera and in doing so, increases the angle of view and increases the maximum aperture by approximately one f/stop. It is compatible with Nikkor F mount and F Mount G lenses including AI and non-AI mounts.
Tilt/Shift Adapters for Nikon G to Sony E-Mount
Kipon Tilt- Shift Lens Mount Adapter from Nikon G to Sony Nex ($360)
Aperture control on the adapter allows manual aperture adjustment. The adapter also providea 360 degree free rotation and a 12 degree tilt and 15mm shift function. This provides the adapter with the flexibility to be adjusted accordingly to meet the needs of every situation. The tilt function enables you to highlight specific subjects in a photo while the shift function minimize an size distortions that may result from objects being seen at an angle.
Order from Adorama
Activating Focus Peaking
Most of the following lens adapters are “passive” adapters that don’t communicate lens data with the camera. Unless otherwise noted below, auto functions like automatic diaphragm, auto-focusing, or other electronic functions will not operate correctly while using lens adapters, however aperture priority or manual exposure modes work just fine. Make certain “Release without Lens” is enabled.
Press Menu > Custom Settings 2 > Release w/o Lens. Then press center of the Control wheel to set to Enable.
Focus Peaking is a great tool to quickly confirm focus with manual focus lenses. It takes bit of practice, but when focus peaking is enabled in manual focus mode, in-focus areas appear highlighted in red, yellow or white in your EVF or LCD. To activate focus peaking, press Menu > Custom Settings 2 > Peaking Level, and then select High, Mid, or Low. I find that the Mid setting works best.
Next, press Menu > Custom Settings 2 > Peaking Color, and then choose Red, Yellow, or White. This allows you to pick the peaking color that works best for a given scene. I use yellow in low light and red when shooting bright, high-key subjects.
Activating Focus Magnification
Focus Magnification is another great tool to confirm focus when using manual focus lenses. If you shoot a lot with manual focus lenses, you’ll find it really handy to program the C1 Button to magnify fine focus.
Menu >; Custom Settings > Custom Key Settings >Custom 1 Button > Focus Magnifier
Then simply press the C1 Button with your index finger to zoom in to confirm focus. Press it a second time to zoom in more. Use the top/bottom/right/left of the Control wheel to redirect the magnification.
Simply touch the shutter button lightly to go back to normal view.
Leica M to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapters
Since the debut of the original NEX-5, I’ve been using Leica M to Sony E adapters to use my Vintage Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander M-mount glass on Sony mirrorless bodies. I’ve tried quite a few from the inexpensive Chinese ebay adapters to the top of the line Novoflex and they all work fine – though the cheaper ones need a bit more upkeep like occasional tightening of the mount. Metabones Leica M Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount Adapters ($90 at Amazon | B&H Photo) hit a sweet spot between price and quality.
Port-au-Prince church shot using Zeiss Ikon 18mm f/4 ZM lens on Sony A7R
However there is one Leica M to Sony E adapter that stands out from the rest. The biggest problem with rangefinder lenses is that they rarely focus as closely and SLR glass. It’s not unusual for a 50mm M-Mount lens to focus no closer than one meter. That’s where the Voigtlander VM-E Close Focus M-Mount to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapter ($309 at Amazon | B&H Photo) comes in handy. Its Helicoid focus extension allows you to rack out an additional 4mm focus extension to the nearest focus point the lens. That’s enough to go from half body to a tight face when shooting with a 50mmm.
Voigtlander VM-E Close Focus M-Mount to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapter with Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1
Portraits shot with Sony A7R + Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 Nokton at it’s closest focus distance (left) and with 4mm extension using Voigtlander VM-E Close Focus M-Mount to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapter (right).
Please see Part 2 of this review for information about Leica R lens adapters.
Pentax K to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapters
Pentax K users who’d like to bring their favorite glass like the 31mm f/1.8, 43mm f/1.9 or 77mm f/1.8 Limited lenses with them, have three good choices in lens mount adapters: the Voigtlander Pentax K to Sony E Lens Mount Adapter ($179 at B&H Photo) and Novoflex Adapter for Pentax K Lens to Sony E-Mount ($292 at B&H Photo) or Dot Line NEX Adapter for Pentax K Lenses ($50 at Amazon | B&H Photo).
• Leica R to Sony E-Mount Lens Mount Adapters
• Canon FD to Sony E-Mount Lens Mount Adapters
• Contax G to Sony E-Mount Lens Mount Adapters
• Contax N to Sony E-Mount Lens Mount Adapters
• Contax/Yashica to Sony E-Mount Lens Mount Adapters
• Minolta MD to Sony E-Mount Lens Mount Adapters
• Hasselblad V to Sony E-Mount Lens Mount Adapters
• Mamiya 645/Phase One to Sony E-Mount Lens Mount Adapters
For more tips and tricks about getting the most out of your Sony a7 series camera, check out my book ‘Sony a7-Series: From Snapshots to Great Shots’. It’s your guide to all of the Sony a7 Series I & II cameras. While the camera manual explains what the camera can do, it doesn’t show how to use the camera to create great images! Starting with the Top Ten things users need to know about the cameras, author Brian Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and Sony Artisan of Imagery, carefully guides you through the operating features of Sony a7, a7R, a7S, a7II and a7RII and how to use them. Get practical advice from a pro on which settings to use when, great shooting tips, and assignments at end of chapter to practice what you’ve just learned.
‘Sony A7 Series: From Snapshots to Great Shots’ is available NOW from Amazon
Read: Photography Gear Guide: Lens Adapters
Read: Field Test: Sony A7R
Read: Field Test: Sony A7S
Read: Sony A7II Hands on Review
Read: Sony A7/A7R/A7S Lens Mount Adapters – Part 2
Read: Guide to Sony A7/A7R/A7S Camera Accessories
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474 thoughts on “Guide to Sony a7 a7R a7S Mark I, II & III Lens Adapters”
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Hi Brian!
You should mention, that the translucent mirror in the LA-EA4 adapter blocks some light. So the optically better solution is in any case the LA-EA3 adapter.
Yup, that’s why I suggested the LA-EA3 for landscape and architecture where fast focus isn’t essential. DxO measured the light loss of the translucent mirror used in the LA-EA4 at about 1/3 stop. That bugs some people, but I can live with it..
I am new with the A7 and I shoot extensively classical music concerts. I own an A65 and for my concert shooting I use a (1) Tamron lens 70mm-200mm F2.8 and and a (2) Tamron 28mm-75mm F2.8. With both lenses and with low light conditions I get excellent results at at 800 – 1600 ISO range. Now yesterday was my first experience with the A7 and I used the second lens (28mm-75mm) with a LA-EA4 adapter. The only possible way I was able to get descent shots was at 6500 ISO, also I found slow autofocus, and perceived the lost of light, in general I got problems with my focusing. For this scenario do you still recommend the LA-EA4? I still have some days left to swap it at a Sony Store. Thanks and any comments would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
Hey Alfredo, some lenses focus faster with that adapter than others – it depends on the lens design as to how much glass has to move. The light loss from the translucent mirror has been measured at 1/3 of a stop, so I doubt that’s the issue.
My apologies Brian …I made a mistake and in my greeting I should have said Brian…sorry. BTW in my previous question the Tamron 70mm-200mm only works MF with the LA-EA4. Thanks again
Thanks Brian. I will continue testing however has been a little frustrating this lens in low light conditions, my A65 work like a charm with those. Any finding I will post it here. When your A7 book will be out for purchase? Cheers
The print version of the book will be out mid-March. The eBook should be out before print.
No problem. I haven’t tried out the Tamron 70-200 only the Sony. Most lenses will AF with that adapter, too bad that won’t. Have you tried focus peaking? I find it works extremely well in low light.
I will try the peaking feature. Now at this point and due to the fact I have two Tamron, I may try the LA-EA3 to see the performance and quality. Thanks again for your kindness in responding to my posts. Cheers
Let me know what you find. In general, the LA-EA4 focuses faster since LA-EA3 relies on the camera’s focus system – not the adapter’s. Maybe you have found the exception.
Well I have done more extensive testing with low budget lenses and the LA-EA4, here some comments:
– Tamron 28mm-75mm f2.8 works really well under low light conditions and also acceptable focus speed using the LA-EA4. The lens sharper centers at 75mm, F/2.8.
– Sony 75-300 is extremely difficult to focus (Tungsten Lighting Indoors) under 6400 ISO at f4.5. With A65 works really well at 800-1600 ISO. Manual using peak feature does not help, distortion occurred across the focal length range.
– Tamron 70-200 F2.8. Autofocus does not work with the adapter however Peaking feature works well due to the size of the lens it is difficult to shoot in indoor concerts or similar conditions. With a tripod and assisting with the peaking feature, the results were great. BTW… bracketing was of a great help to mitigate the exposure and light lost due to the adapter.
– Minolta AF 35-80. Similar results as the Sony 70-300. Difficult to focus and cannot get sharp images below 6400 under same lighting conditions.
– Minolta AF lens 50mm. I as impressed of the Autofocus speed, considering this is an old lens. Sharp images at 1.7. Acceptable results with the A7, much better images with the Zeiss 35mm e-mount of course.
Note: Brian one thing that I notice is in Auto ISO mode with accepting lighting conditions the camera uses a very high ISO (>4000), is this normal for this sensor?
Thanks
Alfredo
Thank you Alfredo. I believe there are several versions of the Tamron 70-200 F2.8. Do you possibly know which one you have?
Are you using Manual exposure mode with Auto ISO? If so, Auto ISO will simply select the ISO needed for proper exposure at the given Shutter Speed and Aperture selected.
Opps you are right. I am using Tamron AF 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD IF Macro Lens. The other model has the VC image stabilization and USD autofocus, I dont have this one but in theory should work with the adapter
Regarding the ISO in manual mode with the lenses I mentioned I get better images above 4000, my baseline is the A65 which I normally shoot between 800-1600.
If I go Auto the selection of ISO is always high (>4000). I am not a high ISO photographer…and that was the reason of my question.
Thanks Brian f
Not sure I’m following you. Are you saying that you like the look better above ISO 4000 or you aren’t able to choose anything below that?
Sorry Brian, writing from a tablet and doing many things at the same time!!!…What I meant to say is that I were not able to get good and sharp shots below 4000 and also notice that the auto ISO goes always higher than my A65 (just notice I have not done a systematic test)
Because of the small body size, the A7/A7R do not have SteadyShot, like the a65, so you must hold the camera steady.
Once again what mode are you shooting Auto ISO with? If it’s manual exposure mode, both cameras will select exactly the same ISO that is needed for any given aperture + shutter speed combo based on the amount of light.
The ONLY time I would shoot AUTO ISO is if I knew I wanted to shoot at 1/500 at F2.8 no matter the ISO.
Thanks Brian makes sense…I was testing and this weekend will go out for some real stuff. Have a great day and again thanks for your kindness and responses. Cheers
After two days testing outdoor/indoor, I was able to get a better understanding of this great camera. As much as I like the Tamron brand as a cost-effective third party manufacturer, I tested the Sony SAL70200G and this one works extremely well with the A7 and the LA-EA4, yesterday at a frozen river in Princeton I got sharper images at all zoom lengths, autofocus worked as a native A-mount. I use this lens primarily in classical music concerts, so I visited a Church and again sharp and responsive, great portraits !!!. I ended up trading my old Tamron AF 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD IF Macro Len for this one. Now not all is bad for “Tamron”, the low cost and Handy Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 works great with the A7 and the adapter. Brian thanks so much for creating this space and share your valuable knowledge, I think I have my A7 gears ready to move on. Cheers and I will wait for your book!
You’re welcome. I didn’t want to say this before you tested it, but sometimes the issue really is the lens. Glad you got hooked up with one that’s working for you.
athough my reply is a year late, thank you, Paul for mentioning that about the light being blocked with the ea4. That’s important to me and so I do appreciate you mentioning it.
I have several canon user friends that are interested in the A7(A7R) and metbones adapter. Can you shear more info about it and your experiences
thanks Scott
The Metabones Smart Adapter III will autofocus with most Canon EOS lenses (except for screw drive lenses like the original 50/1.0 and 85/1.2). The AF speed is not on par with a high end Canon body, but it works. Speed really depends on the size of the lens elements it’s moving – so wide to normal are pretty fast.
How is the battery drain using Metabones and Canon lenses compared to the Sony adapter and Sony SSM lenses ?
No idea. I recommend having a couple spare batteries no matter what.
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Thanks for all the great info Brian.
Just curious… do you have one or two favourite lens / adapter combos?
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Hi Brian. Great review, thank you for plenty of useful info. Couple questions:
1) have you had a chance to check out DEO-tech Falcon adapter for EF lenses? Seems like similar to Metabone, except 130 USD less?
2) how hard is focusing 85L on Sony? Is focus peaking enough to nail the focus wide open? I will be using it with 50L, 85L, 135L and 200L and as I am using ML and focusing screen on 5D3, is pretty easy, want to make sure I can use MF on A7r as well. Thank you for any help
I haven’t checked out the DEO-Tech Falcon simply because their Contax G adapter got very mixed reviews in terms of AF performance.
Focus peaking work extremely well on 85/1.2 version 1. Probably was the best of any lens I tested since wide open, it’s either very sharp or out. I have the 50/1.2 – not the 1.0, so that lens will AF In addition to peaking I sometimes reconfirmed with Manual Focus Assist’s magnified view until I really got it dialed in.
Hope that helps…
Question – for the Metabones Nikon F to Sony E-Mount Adapter II, is there any impact on the focal length of the lens? I understand E-mount lenses on FE mount to change the sensor to crop sensor mode, does it do the same in this case?
Have got your book on pre-order, looking forward to it!
Similar question for the Metabones Leica R to Sony E-Mount Adapter as well.
Yes this is also fullframe. Just avoid anything called Spedbooster or Turbo
It’s a fullframe adapter, so a 50 is a 50 and a 24 is a 24…
Thanks for the quick response! Looking forward to getting your book soon!
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Just thought you might include the Hawks Family version 3 helicoid M to Nex adapter. It is much less expensive than the CV CM-E close focus adapter and has similar functionality.
Thanks for the suggestion. You’re the second person to mention mention that adapter. It doesn’t appear to have quite as polished a design as the Voigtlander, but it is 2/3 the price. Are you happy with it?
I sold my old Canon Rebel from 2006. I am considering a Sony A7.
However, my canon photography friends have told me it will cost me more to set up the sony with proper lenses and get it to where I want it, than it may be worth for me. Considering that I am a musician wanting to shoot great video as well as photography my question is this: If I have $1500 to spend. Should I buy a Sony A7 or the canon equivalent?
I simply want a great camera with an all around good lens.
I’m used to spending 2-3,000 dollars on guitars”¦but not on cameras yet.
I’m looking for good sound advice. thank you. a
The A7 is a big step up from a Rebel, so it depends what you’re looking for. You might find someone running a special on the A7 + kit lens in your price range, but if that’s pushing it, you might want to give the new Sony A6000 a look. It’s a small mirrorless camera. Good in low light, but cheaper than the A7 because it has an APS Sensor that’s slightly larger than the Rebel.
I’ve been using Maxxum 50mm 1.4, Maxxum 100mm 2.8, and Maxxum 28-135mm 4.5 lenses on my Alpha 700. Fabulous. But time to add some video capability. Looking at the Sony a6000, minus its badly reviewed kit lens. Which adapter would allow my lenses to best take advantage of the a6000’s focus and tracking abilities – the EA3 or the EA4?
I believe all those Maxxum lenses use screw drive focusing. If so – only the LA-EA4 will provide AF with screw drive lenses.
Thanks, Brian.
Hi Brian”¦ I want to adapt my Nikkor FX lenses to a Sony A7r”¦.which one is best and will autofocus still work?
So far no one has cracked the Nikon AF system, so all the Nikon adapters thus far are manual focus. If I had to guess I’d bet that Metabones might be the first to crack it.
Thank you, yes, in my research after reading this, I have discovered the same. That’s unfortunate, guess I’ll have to wait. I have too much invested in my Nikkor lenses at this point.
Hello! Do you have any comments/opinion re: Settings in Sony A7 menu – when using Sony A7 – Novaflex – Nikon AF lenses? Thinking : Manuel focus and more. Best regards
The suggested settings for Focus Peaking and Manual Focus Assist in this post should work well for manual focus with Nikon AF lenses.
Hello Brian
Found Ur site today and have to say its great! I’m thinking to change from Nikon to Sony A7r. Looking for a nice body and lens combination. The use of adapters seems a suitable way. I asked Sony support whether to use the 24-70mm f4.0 made for the A7r or the adapter LA-EA4 +Vario-Sonnar® T* 24-70 mm F2,8 ZA SSM. With last one I like the f2.8. Sony did not comment on whether thus combination is full frame or not? I would be great and helpful to get Ur opinion.
I’m working at the moment with a Nikon 800 + Nikon 24-70mm f 2.8.
Thanks in advance
Yes to both Stephan. The FE 24-70mm f4.0 is a fullframe lens made for the A7/A7R. The CZ 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM is a fullframe A-Mount lens that will cover fullframe on the A7/A7R when using either the LA-EA4 or LA-EA3 adapters. The FE 24-70mm f4.0 is smaller, lighter and cheaper. The CZ 24-70mm F2.8 ZA is optically a notch better, but larger, heavier and more expensive.
Thanks a lot to clarify this for me, so will stick to the version without adapter.
Hi Brian, just sit here in Seoul having a bit of a jetlag coming from Europe and cant sleep. So bought Ur ebook for the Sony A7/A7r. ITS FANTASTIC, can’t stop reading, learning, smiling… Great job of U. Soon will own my A7r and with the help of Ur book I feel well prepared. Thanks again!!! and sorry, have to leave going on reading…. 🙂
Thanks Stephan, you made my day! Glad you enjoy it. When you get a chance, please do me a favor and post a review here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IUMO1W8?tag=briasmitphot-20
Hi Brian,
done the review on amazon for Ur book, hope U will like it. I finished Ur book within two days and its a: MUST HAVE.
So now waiting on my new Sony A7r + 24-70mm f4.0 coming in the next days. 🙂
Great review! Many thanks, Stephan! You’re gonna love that camera and lens!
HIi Brian and thank you for sharing such valuable information with us all. I just purchased a A7r and am looking to get a MF lens for it. I am after a 50-55mm lens which has very creamy nice bokeh! My main camera is Mamiya RZ67 Pro IID and that is why I am not very familiar with this new system. My question is which one do you recommend? Voigtlander 50mm f1.1 with that Voigtlander adapter or that Nikon 55mm f1.2 Non Ai lens? Or any other suggestions which won’t set me back more than $1000? Thank you so much in advance,
Hi Aryan, at that price point if you don’t already own a lens you want to adapt, you won’t find a better lens than the FE 55 F1.8. I already owned both the Nikkor and Voigtlander so it’s great to give them a new lease on life, but DxO lens tests rate the FE 55 just a notch below the $4,000 Zeiss Otus 55. But if you have your heart set on a manual focus I’d suggest either the Canon FD 55mm 1.2 SSC or Minolta Rokkor MD 58mm F1.2
I’ve found that the Native FE lenses are superior on the A7R. I’ve tried both Sony made Adapters with the Sony Zeiss 24mm 2.0, 16-35, and 24-70 and all were unacceptable to me. Why have a 36mp camera if you’re willing to work with poor lens performance.
The Sony Zeiss 50mm 1.4, 85 1.4 and 135 1.8 all work ok with both adapters but they don’t work as well wide open as they do on my A99. With these lenses I need to stop down much more to get edge to edge sharpness. Since I mainly use the 85 and 135 for portrait work I’m less concerned with edge to edge sharpness. The Sony Zeiss 50mm 1.4 just isn’t near as sharp as the native 55 FE wide open. The 50mm doesn’t catch up till at least f8.
I also have the Sigma 35 1.4 ART series lens and It is wonderful on the A99 and A900. I tried it with both adapters and it just doesn’t come together across the frame till f5.6 or F8!! The FE 35 2.8 kicks ass compared the the Sigma on my A7R.
I used both adapters in manual focus mode. I found the auto focus on the LA-EA3 adapter to be horrible and the AF on the LA-EA4 to be ok.
I am using Olympus OM manual focus lenses with a Cowboy Studio adapter with the a7R. Even though I have “release without lens” enabled I still get a message-invalid because no lens is attached, attach lens correctly- when I press the magnify button. Any help would be appreciated.
I figured it out, I was pressing the wrong button;(
Brian, great information! Thank you.
Haven’t owned a serious camera since the ’80s. Like to make a few bucks doing some real estate photography. Love the potential of the A7 but am lost when it comes to selecting a lens. Can’t afford Leica type. Would you be kind enough to suggest options and mounts.
Thanks!
Don
Hi Don, you might want to start with the A7 kit to see if the 28-70 kit lens meet your needs before investing in additional lenses.
Hi Don, you might want to start with the A7 kit to see if the 28-70 kit lens meet your needs before investing in additional lenses.
Brian, thanks so much for your response to my mundane question. Good advice. Speaks volumes about the person possessing the talent!
🙂
Don
Hi Brian
I have a Sony A7. I want to consider the new Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD (Model A010) buying the Canon Fe mount version and Metabones Canon Fe to Sony nex III . The scope would be to have the stabilization on the lens, since this Tamron lens is without that in the sony nex mount version. Do you think this will work? And….will this keep the autofocus?
Thanks a lot
Alessandro
I imagine you’s get AF – but I’m not certain the optical image quality of that lens is quite up to the resolution of the A7/A7R sensor.
Thanks
Which travel zoom or telelens do you think it’s needed for Sony A7 at least?
Thankssss
Alessandro
Hi Alessandro, my choice would be the FE 24-70mm F4 which covers a very nice range that’s perfect for 90% of what I shoot. If you want more “reach” than that, the FE 70-200 F4 should be out next month.
I need more range …i would like to walk in a city and have the street + the top of that church under my finger…
Hi Brian,
since this afternoon, I have my A7r + Sony 24-70mm f4.0. Together with Ur book, I´m setting up my camera and, of course: loaded the battery first! 🙂 Can´t wait till weekend to walk around in Seoul testing the camera… but and thats why I´m writing, setting up the camera was so easy using step by step ur fantastic book. Thanks again for that!
Awesome Stephan. Enjoy shooting this weekend!!!!
Dear Brian, could U do me a favor please? Tell Sony the A7r is a fantastic masterpiece. I shoot here in Seoul nearly everyday and the handling, comfort and possibilities are without words. The only thing I would need is a nice 12-16mm lens, hope Sony will come up fast in this directions.
I’m fairly certain an ultra wide zoom will be in the next wave of FE lenses. In the mean time, the SAL 10-18 F4 OSS does a pretty good job from 13-16mm…
Hi Brian,
Since the announcement of the A7s my attention has returned to the A7. I held off buying a new camera because nothing was quite what I was looking for. I have an old Nikon D300 and shoot a D700 when I shoot concerts but I have been looking for a smaller camera that I can take me with to concerts as well as carry with me through the day. So low light is crucial as is sharp focus. I hesitated with the A7 because I was hearing that focusing was slow; what are your thoughts about that? I also read that the A7 is actually a bit better at focusing than the A7r; and the upside to the A7r being that the filter (I forget its official name) has been removed allowing for more detail, is that true and would that mean a sharper picture? My ideal system would be one that is full frame, easy to access menu controls, quick focus, excellent in low light and compact and Im hoping the A7s will be all that. I am going to rent the A7 for a music festival the end of this month and would love suggestions for fast prime lenses (to keep the system as compact as possible) if I decide to rent the Sony adaptor (I know hardly anything about Sony glass) Lastly, can I use the fisheye lens I have for my old NEX system. Thanks in advance, Brigitte
Either camera will focus extremely well under stage lighting as that has the type of contrast that world well with contrast AF. But if you’re shooting in dark jazz club, the A7 will have an advantage of adding phase-detect AF when shooting AF-C mode.
The FE 55mm F1.8 is a great fast prime lens, but I’m assuming you want something faster. If you’re looking for AF, you’re limited to shooting with Sony A-Mount lenses using an LA-EA3 or LA-EA4 adapter, or Canon EOS with the Metabones Smart Adapter III. Sony’s Zeiss glass like the ZA 135 F1.8 ia sharper, but Canon L glass like the 135 F2 L might well be cheaper.
The Samyang/Rokinon 7.5 fisheye is an APS-C lens so it will work on A7/A7R in crop mode or you can shoot fullframe but realize you may have vignetting at the edges.
Hey Brian ,
I have just purchased the a7r yesterday and bought a 50 mm to use with the lens adaptor ea4 . Somehow it’s not giving me full 36 megapixel images. Can you help ?
Any chance the camera is set to APS-crop? Make certain you have it set for fullframe.
Menu > Custom Settings 5 > APS-C Size Capture > Off
Thank so much for this. Def fixed my problem with my Sony A7ii using a Ommlite auto focus adapter with a canon 50mm 1.4 lens
Brian, I bought an a7 and novoflex adapter to use my 24mm Elmarit 2.8, but the entire left side of the frame was soft (seemed like an alignment issue in the body and/or adapter so I sent them back). Wrote Novoflex who said I should try ordering a new combo, and now I’m thinking a7r. You mention the Elmarit 24mm in the list of lenses you took to Haiti, but I don’t see any examples. Some online reviews say wide primes using adapters and the Sonys don’t play well together. Can you share your experience with the 24mm Elmarit?
I had great results with the 24mm Elmarit and a $50 eBay adapter, so I’m very surprised to hear that about a Novoflex adapter as they’re among the best. It should be sharp from edge to edge if the adapter is machined properly.
For general information here are some comments:
1. The new Voigtlander Close Focus adaptor is beautifully made and works perfectly with Leica Summicron 50mm f2, the Elmarit 90mm f2.8. No vignetting, focus great to approximately 50cm.
2. The Metabones Nikon F adaptor is much less refined (but very much cheaper). I’ve married it to a Zeiss Makro-Planar 50mm and the combination is great.
3. I will now try the PC-E NIKKOR 24mm f/3.5D ED and will report back on the success or otherwise.
Brian: Forgot to say that this was a great and very useful review which helped me enormously to find a suitable solution for my M and F glass on the a7r. Have now ordered your book via amazon and look forward to some interesting reading over the Easter break.
Many thanks Vincent! Sounds like you’ve got some great glass!
Good book Brian and a great introduction to the A7. You go into some details on white balance. I would have thought that most would use AWB and even then if not quite right things are easily changed in e.g. Lightroom. Is there a reason you suggest to set this manually?
Thanks Vincent. Setting the proper White Balance while shooting is very important when shooting Jpeg. As for RAW, I’d agree that most of the time there is noting wrong with shooting AWB and adjusting the WB in post – BUT since the Sony A7/A7R EVF and LCD show the scene in real time, setting the WB at the scene allows you to view any effects, such as tungsten WB at dusk, as you shoot.
Ah yes, good explanation Brian. I rarely use jpeg; in fact only for B&W which seems very good in camera. Coming from film the real time scene is still something I need to get to grips with. It is one step at a time for me getting used to all these new found wonders. Incidentally I’ve now had a chance to try the Nikkor PCE and results are very good with the Metabones adaptor.
As an aside, I’m using the a7r side by side with the rx1r which is ideal for street and video so the combination of these two cameras works well. Being able to custom program means that many of the controls can be made common and they are both small enough to carry together. I believe that some are switching from the rx1r to the a7r but there is a good reason to have both in my opinion.
Dear Brian
I have a Minolta AF 20mm f2.8 lens and a Minolta AF Zoom Xi 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 lens, of course both A-mount. To make use of these two lens I have been thinking of (a) A7 full frame with LA-EA3 but no autofocus or very bulky (hate that) LA-EA4; (b) A77 heavy body and not full frame; (c) A99 everything perfect but simply too heavy for my age now (having got those lens and body some 20 or 30 years ago). What would be your advice?
Sorry…
I am guessing by your post on Apr 11 that I cannot use my Nikon full frame lenses…?
I have the 16-35mm f/4, 50mm f/1.4 and 28-300mm f/3.5.
Any idea as to what is out there or what to do regarding this for aperture control?
I bought the 55 fe and I am loving it but I would like to use my Nikon lenses
Of course you can. Nikon lenses just won’t AF but they work fine with manual focus using focus peaking. You’ll need one of the Nikon G lens adapters to control the aperture on Nikon G lenses.
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Dear Brian,
I’m trying to decide between the Sony SAL70400G 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM Lens and the FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS Full-frame Zoom Lens for my a7r. Both lenses have there pros and cons but I wanted to know what you would think.
Hello HA, you’ve probably already gone through all the +/- already on your own. To me, the bottom line is that if 200mm gives you enough reach – go with the FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS. But if you need a lens that goes to 400, then you’ll want the SAL 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G Swith either the LA-EA3 or LA-EA4 adapter
I have the Voigtlander NOKTON 50mm F1.5 , which adapter should i use for the A7, do you any cheaper one , i just want to try on it , later i will bought the Voigtlander own adapter F1.5 ! thank you
If you just want to try it out, almost any Leica M > Sony E lens mount adapter will do fine. However since the minimum focus distance for that lens is 2.3 feet, you may want to invest in the Voigtlander VM-E adapter for added close focus.
Brian:
I like your work. Love my new Sony a7R. It may not be forgiving but it sure does perform when treated with respect. Have a Nikon D600 also and love it. Too old to drag it around Istanbul on 10 mile hikes. Bought a novoflex adaptor. Have the Nikon 16-35 VR, 85 1.8, 50 1.8, 70-200 VR I and 28-300. Just got the adaptor and attached the 16-35. I cannot get the focus magnifier to respond. I did switch it to enable release without lens. I would not bother you but I have spent an hour blogging and all I hear is – make sure you have enabled release without lens. :0:)
Wes Edmunds
Do this:
Menu > Custom Settings 6 > Custom Key Settings > AF/MF Button > change to Focus Magnifier
then do this:
Menu > Custom Settings 1 > Focus Magnif. Time > No Limit
This lets you quickly zoom in to confirm focus with manual lenses by pressing the AF/MF button with your thumb.
To get rid of the magnified view – just lightly touch the shutter release.
Are you sure you are pressing the right one? It is the C1 button right next to the shutter button, it should be set as default from the factory.
Oh, and by the way, I know that the lighter set-up with the Sony involves the native FE lenses. I have the 35mm, 55, and 24-70. Love them. Just happen to want more.
Hi Brian
Which adaptor I can use for my Nikon lens 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR on ILCE 7R body?
thank you
Any of the Nikon G adapters listed in this post will work.
Hi Brian,
Mahalo for the great review I truly appreciate it! I currently have a the Sony A7 and I’m in the market for a wide angle lens that would work well with this camera. I’m considering the focal length anywhere between 18-24mm and don’t mind manual focus. What lens would you recommend below say $1200. Thank you for any input you may have.
If you’re looking for fast and small, it’s hard to beat the Voigtlander 21mm/F1.8 (click here). It should come in just under your budget.
Thank you Brian! I appreciate you taking the time to answer my question. I was actually looking at that particular lens. Thanks again!
This is a really nice lens Brian, surprisingly little distortion so useful also as a walk around lens but it suffers from a lot of vignetting. At an aperture of 5.6 it uses up most LR of vignette correction controls. For reportage this vignetting is less important but for landscape this lens is in my opinion only really useful at aperture f8 or smaller. The vignetting combines with a magenta cast which I’m finding more difficult to remove. Nonetheless it marries well to the a7r, smallish and super sharp over most of the frame.
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I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Elmarit 90/2.8 which is a great portrait lens and marries well to the a7r. It also turns into a rather handy “macro” with the Voigtlander adaptor which allows a shorter minimum focus; I think about 40 or 50cm. The Elmarit gives good Bokeh and renders with very pleasing colours.
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If you’re thinking of updating this article at some point, you might want to add the new Mirex EF-to-FE tilt shift adapter. Very precisely made, and offers that killer combo (EF to FE) that Kipon, etc., doesn’t
Satoru, do you have a link? I can’t seem to find that particular adapter on their website.
Hi Brian, sorry for the late reply, completely missed it! Well, it seems that Mirex may not be selling this adapter direct any more… they are partnered with Hartblei.de who are now offering an updater version of the adapter. I’ll be reviewing that on my blog very soon, and I’ll provide links on the Sony Alpha group on FB 🙂 Cheers.
Hello Brian, and thank you for all the wonderful information on this site, which actually led me to purchase my A7R. I’ve been using it for about 6 months now and want to get into some concert shooting. Any experience with it in that action? I’ve been having some conversations with a few DSLR owners and they brought up the question as far as the EVF vs OVF issue, with the possibility of missing a shot due to the EVF. I want to use the A7R with an adapter and either canon 1.4 or something I that range and see if that will make any difference as far as speed goes but still on the fence about the whole EVF concern. Thanks and any info will be greatly appreciated!
Hey Roy, the question is not really whether they like EVF’s but if you do. Most of the criticism revolves around the refresh rate of earlier generation EVFs which has been greatly improved thanks to the Bionz-X processor in A7-seres cameras. A lot of DSLR users are anti-EVF without giving it a chance. It takes most people a day or two for most people to get used to an EVF, but once you do, most of us wouldn’t go back.
Thanks for such a comprehensive post. I’m planning to use canon glass on the A7s for video and so a major concern is whether IS (image stabilization) is supported. Is it possible for the adapters to support this?
Also is the FOV impacted at all by having the lens further from the sensor or is it about the same because there is no glass in the way as in many other full frame cameras?
You need to check to make certain the Canon to Sony adapter that you’re using supports IS for the Conon lens you are using. If so just activate IS on the lens. There is no difference in FOV. Lens mount adapters simply act as spacers to make up the difference in flange depth (mount to sensor) so that the lens sits the same distance from the sensor it was designed for. Just avoid adapters called “Turbo” or “SpeedBooster” they’re meant for APS-sensors.
Great, thanks for the clarification!
Brian
Thanks for this space and review. I am looking to add a 24-70mm lens my gear but I have read mixed review on the SEL2470Z plus it is pricey. Any recommendation even using metabone and other brand. I know this is one of your favorite lens. Thanks so much
Hello Alfredo. The FE 24-70/F4 is actually a bit sharper than than Canon 24-70/F4 – but people are expecting it to equal to the Sony A-mount 24-70/2.8 ZA that’s almost twice the price. If size, weight and price are not an object, go with the A-mount version, but to me that really defeats the purpose of a small lightweight camera. For the stuff I shoot – I much prefer the smaller, lighter FE 24-70 when shooting with A7-series cameras.
I am using a A7…I forgot to mention
Thanks so much Brian for your kindness and advise…Cheers
You’re welcome, Alfredo. Wishing you many great shots!
Sorry, but the Leica M9 is the first Full Frame mirrorless camera…but a very good article!
Read it again, sorry, have to correct what I’ve written, the Leica M (240) was the first fullframe mirrorless camera who supports nearly every 35mm lens with an adapter.
Brian…first thank for your time and for this outstanding sharing space. I have a question, I know answer is very subjective, but I would like to know your opinion based on your experience with Sony. I am a Sony user since Minolta Maxxum 7 (still shoot B&W w/ this great camera) and I have used several Sony SLT until my current A65. I bought an A7 and it really excelled my expectations. Now I need to cameras for the shoots I so for my non-profit organization and I am thinking replacing my crop A65 and stay in full frame. I was thinking of getting a used A99…now considering price drop on A7 it is advisable to have two A7 or balance my gear with A99 and A7. I am asking this because dont know well the full capabilities of a A99 plus have not used it. Thanks and I know it depends on many factors but your previous comments has helped me to effectively adjust my gears to my constraint budget. Cheers…Alfredo
Sorry in my previous Post I meant to say that I need two (2) Cameras…
Hey Alfredo, that truly is a subjective question based on how you shoot. A pair of A7 bodies would certainly create a great light-weight kit for events and reduce the need to change lenses. There’s a great Sony A7 Trade-up Deal at Amazon this month.
As for the A99, I still use a pair of those. It’s a great choice if you’d prefer to have a larger body with more controls on the body than in the menus. You should be able to find deals on them if you search around a bit.
Thanks Brian…I will check the offer at Amazon…now one last thing, in terms of quality is there anything I would need to consider a A99 over A7? I shoot mainly classical music concerts and street photography…thanks again
The quality should be virtually the same as they share the same sensor. With the A99 you wouldn’t need a lens adapter for your A-mount lenses, but if you’re happy with the LA-EA4 – that’s not an issue. I would say that the A7 has an edge for photographing classical music as it’s slightly quieter than A99 and for street photography because it’s smaller and more discrete. If 12mp meets your needs – you might want to consider the A7S. It’s silent shooting mode would be great at classical concerts and it’s incredible at high ISOs.
Thanksss…this helps…I will check the A7S.Cheers
Here’s my Sony A7S Field Test. Part 5 explains Silent Shooting mode.
Hi Brain
I have a canon 17-40mm L lens, I really love it and would like to keep using it with a7. But as you mentioned before it loses its fast AF ability on a7, other than that, does it perform as good as with the canon body in terms of sharpness and etc. ?
And do you think I should sell it and get a SLR wide angle lens instead? (like CANON FD 20MM F/2.8 S.C.C)
Thank you 😀
Andrew
Hi Andrew, image quality with the EF 17-40 L on Sony A7 should be very comparable with high-end Canon bodies. It’s on Metabones’ list of AF compatible AF lenses. AF speed may not be fast, but with wide to normal lenses it’s generally not too bad.
Hi Brian! Great Review! I’m just wondering regarding using a Nikon 35mm 1.8DX format lens using a Metabones adapter would work? How do you set the focus peaking? Its seems that its not working… And though its a prime lens, its seems that its kinda need high ISO so that you can see what your shooting at.
Hello Paulo, Yes, Nikon DX lenses will work with Metabones adapters. Since DX lenses are APS-C, they’ll cover the APS sensors like the A6000, A5100 or NEX cameras or A7-series cameras in crop mode. Follow the settings outlined in this post to activate focus peaking. It does not require high ISOs – it works fine at ISO 100. It may work better if you focus wide open and stop down to shoot.
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Hello Brian
Congratulations for your website.
The info there are extreme useful.
I have a Canon G9 portable camera and I´m thinking about acquire a Sony Nex-6 mirrorless camera.
I read https://briansmith.com/gear/sony-lens-adapters/.
There are one of this adapters that I can use my Canon G9 lens (wide and macro) into Sony Nex-6?
I use the LA-DC58H adapter in my Canon.
Tks, for help, Leo.
The Canon G9 a fixed lens camera and conversion optics that fit in front of a lens aren’t really interchangeable between brands. The NEX-6 (or A6000) has a much larger sensor than the G9 so I think you’ll be very happy with the camera.
Brian, question…beside the LA-EA3 and LA-EA4 mount adapter is there other third party A-Mount to E-Mount adapter that you would recommend? Thanks, Alfredo
Those are the only A-mount to E-mount adapters. I recommend both. Depending on use the LA-EA3 is a great choice where you don’t need fast focus – it’s focus speed is similar to the Metabones Smart Adapter IV for Canon EOS. The LA-EA4 is the best choice for action or when shooting with older screw-drive lenses.
Thanks
Which Leica 21mm did you use? Summicron or Biogon?
Sorry, I meant Zeiss, which Zeiss exactly?
The lenses that I used for each photo are listed underneath. In terms of wides, I’ve also shot with Voigtlander 21mm f/1.8 Ultron M-Mount and Leica 24mm f/2.8 Elmarit M Aspherical lenses.
Hola Brian tengo objetivos fx de nikon y mi intención es utilizarlos con fuelle de extension nikon, pero como no consigo enfocar a infinite he pensado adaptarle un cuerpo de sony, la nueva 5100, la 6000 u otra? piensas que podre enfocar infinito ya que aproximo unos 4 cm el objetivo a sensor? tambien como busco tilt y descentramientos he pensado en el tamaño aps.c para evitar viñetas. gracias y hasta pronto .que adaptador de montura tiene menos factor de multiplicación. otra vez gracias . mi ingles es de google Disculpas
Hi Brian nikon fx have goals and I intend to use with nikon bellows extension , but as I can not focus at infinito I thought sony adapt him a body of the new 5100, 6000 or other ? you think that I can focus infinity as approached about 4 cm the target sensor? well as looking tilt and offsets I’ve thought about aps.c size to avoid vignetting. Thanks and see you soon .that mount adapter has less multiplication factor. again thanks .
Hi Ricardo, you’d need to change the rear mount on the bellows from Nikon F to Sony E and the bellow would need to compress to no more than 28.5mm
Nikon F lenses would allow you to set the aperture on the lens but with this set-up there might not be any way to stop down a Nikon G lens.
muchas gracias Brian, todos mis lentes nikon tienen aro de diafragmas manual y se puede cambiar la apertura. Al comentar lo de 28.5 mm te refieres a la aproximacion maxima o minima de la optica al sensor( ccd,). o a la extension del fuelle al comprimirse. es que el ingles del traductor es muy complicado y no entiendo todo. gracias!! thank you very much Brian, all my nikon lenses have manual aperture ring and can change the aperture. Commenting 28.5 mm what you mean maximum or minimum approximation of the optical sensor (ccd). or the extension of the bellows to compress. is that the English translator is very complicated and I do not understand everything. Thank you !! Ricardo
Hi Brian, again, please prefer the sony 5100 or 6000, and I recommend that adapter to use Nikon optics in this camera. I really find very interesting your comments and I am very grateful. Ricardo
So much information! Great, and Thanks!
But to be clear. I’m interested in purchase of Leica 50mm for my Sony A7. (Not A7r)…
What is best combo of Leica 50mm + adapter — or is Sony’s own 55 better anyway?
I’m wanting to see if this “3D” effect is really true.
Thanks.
MJ
Thanks MJ, if you already had the Leica 50mm there are plenty of options on this list to help you out. But since you don’t – you won’t find a Leica 50 that outperforms Sony FE 55mm F/1.8 ZA on any of the A7 series cameras. Period.
Wow! Thanks Brian.
I love a straight-to-it reply. Great. I will purchase the Sony.
So…should I assume that the “3D” effect is a result of proper placement of subject vs. background distance?
Is there a cutoff-maximum/minimum distance from lens to subject to background?
Is it that simple or am I looking at it entirely wrong? (No pun intended.) 🙂
Thanks again,
MJ
The term “3D Effect” refers to lens quality that Zeiss and Leica lenses have which doesn’t show up in resolution tests. They appear to have greater depth because of gradations between colors and the transitions between highlights and shadows. It’s got more to do with capturing color, shadows and highlights accurately than subject to background distance.
Don’t get me wrong. Leica lenses are excellent, but they were designed for film while the FE 55 is designed specifically for E-mount digital sensors. It’s a great choice for Sony A7 series cameras.
The FE55 is a superb lens for the A7R. But its rendering is rather flatter than other CZ lenses. But those other non-dedicated CZ lenses must be fitted via adapters and be used manually. pros and cons. Of the non-dedicated CZ lenses, imho only the Planar and Distagon designs will optimise the potential of the 36MP sensor.
For adapters, I tried the Shogun brand (a Metabones by a different name in Asia) for the ContaxG-Nex mount. It was ok at first, but quickly became notchy and bumpy, making critical focus impossible. I returned within the warranty period, but the mfgr will not honour the warranty. An expensive mistake.
I didn’t notice any difference in contrast between the FE 55 and the other Sony Zeiss lenses I own for Sony A-Mount, but they are lower in contrast than Hasselblad Zeiss glass which I think is actually a VERY GOOD THING! Much easier to add contrast in post than recover shadow detail.
I didn’t know that Metabones uses a different name in Asia – Shogun is a good name. Sorry the adapter was not up to snuff. In the US I recommend retailers like B&H Photo and Amazon because they will allow return of defective products, but I’m not familiar with retailers in Asia. I’ve gotten a few dogs off eBay, so I feel you pain. Sorry…
Hi Brian,
I have a Techart III and use Contax G 28, 45 and 90 lenses with beautiful results. I have heard that the 21 has a problem with the flanges interfering with the shutter on the A7 and requiring them to be trimmed. As a result I have not put my 21 on my A7. Have you used this lens with that adapter? By the way that adapter is a wonderful little machine. I am also a Nikon shooter from the film days through the D4 and have a closet full of Nikon AF glass. What seems to be the Rosetta stone for designing an AF adapter for them?
Glad to have found you site, it is very informative.
Techart has a compatibility list for that adapter. I can’t remember off the top of my head if that was listed as an issue or not.
There are a LOT of people waiting for a Nikon AF adapter. I know Metabones has been trying to crack the AF code for a while now.
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I am using a manual focus Zeiss 100 Makro 2. Nikon mount with Metabones adapter with the following settings:
Release without lens enabled and manual focus Assist on.
To activate Manual Focus Assist, press Menu > Custom Settings 1 > MF Assist > On. Rotate the focus ring on the lens, and watch through the viewfinder as it magnifies the center of the scene. Use the top/bottom/right/left of the Control wheel to redirect the magnification. Keep turning the focusing ring until you what you want to focus on is in focus.
Focus magnification does not kick in.
Thanks for any help.
Just figured out how to get it working.
Custom setting Focus Magnification activate with AF/MF button.
Press once no magnification
Press twice and magnification works.
Yup. You got it. Press a third time to zoom in more.
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Hi recently i bought the sony nex7, the older version.
I recently just started practicing photography and I was wonderening if this guide also applies on the older nex7!
If not is there maybe another or older guide that could help me?
Kind regard and thanks in advance!!
Thanks Kevin, while their are some similarities between the A7 series cameras and NEX-7 – the menus are quite different. You might find my fried Jerod Foster’s book Sony NEX-6: From Snapshots to Great Shots (Amazon) more relevant to NEX-7. Happy shooting!
Thanks for your reaction, i will definitely look into that book! Un regarding the menus will i be possible to use the mentioned converters and lenzes on my nex 7?
Absolutely. Every Lens mount adapter that I’ve listed for Sony A7/A7R/A7S will work fine with APS E-mount cameras like the NEX-7
Ok thanks, its very usefull as ive been looking a long time for a guide like this for nex7!!
Hi Brian, I want to get the Tokina AT-X pro 28-70mm F2.8 to use with Sony A7 thru adaptor . Is it a good idea ? Please let me know, thanks
Do you already own the lens?
If not, I think you’ll be happier with the FE 24-70 F4 ZA.
Maybe one more question. Will i have loss of quality or anything using a full frame adapter on a APS. Like for sony la-ea3 and 4 would u still recommend those over the la-ea1 and 2?
No drawback to using LA-EA3 or LA-EA4 on APS. In fact it’s what id recommend in you dont already own one if the APS adapters.
want to ask about lence mount of sony slt A57 and slt A58.
will there be any issues regarding durability of this lence mount in future..?
I’d imagine that the durability relates to use. I’ve never had a Sony mount fail in the six years I’ve been using Sony – but mount replacement is a pretty easy fix.
Hi
I have byed Adaptor for my Sony A7. It’s a adapter so I can use Nikon lenses
But when I’m using it, the auto focus is not working on the camera .
Is this a genneral problem for adapters?
How was it with the adapter you requment here ?
Best regaard
Kahraman
Hello Kahraman, as I mentioned in this post, there currently are not any adapters for Nikon that support AF like the Smart Adapters for Canon EF, Contax G and Sony A-mount lenses.
Hi Brian,
Great work you are providing photo enthusiasts! I read through your article and comments, and will now look for your ebook as Stephan has mentioned. I am looking to finally replace my Canon 40D and was looking at the Sony A7S or A7ii when it becomes available. I plan to use my existing Canon/Tamron lenses. Aside from the slow AF as you mentioned above using the Adapters, is there any other drawback I would experience if I used the Sony A7S with my Canon lenses?
Cheers!
Harry
Thanks Harry, as long as you can live with slow AF on Canon EF to Sony E-mount Smart Adapters, they work great. Unless you need the incredible High ISOs of A7S – the new Sony A7II is an incredible value. Really nice improvements. It starts shipping from B&H 12/9.
Fantastic Brian ! I think you’ve convinced me to shift to the Sony. I’ll also look into the A7ii for more details.
Love your ebook. For those interested, here’s the link again:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-A7-A7R-Snapshots-Great-ebook/dp/B00IUMO1W8
Thanks!
Thanks for the homework, Brian. I have just moved to Sony. The A7II is my workhorse and the a6000 is strictly for sports. I have an 85mm F1.8 Nikon G lens. I could purchase a Metabones adapter for $139 or find an older 85mm manual lens and adapter, since the G lens will be manual anyway. The price difference is marginal so I am more concerned with sharpness of the newer G lens compare to an earlier F style Nikon manual lens. Could you make a suggestion?
Thanks,
In some cases the original Nikon F lenses outperform their newer G counterparts but that’s not always the case. I definitely find the aperture ring of F series lenses easier to use. Might I recommend the Vello Nikon G Lens to Sony E Camera Adapter: http://bhpho.to/1C0rtEB. It’s very well made and will work with either Nikon F or G lenses.
Hi Brian! Thanks for such a well written review and your responses to the questions. I just got my Sony A7II along with the Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA yesterday and I’m thrilled with this amazing little camera. I bought your book to complement the manual…. the book is a great help!
Awesome Nicky! Happy shooting!!!
I have bought a very cheap Fotga adapter for Nikon and it works extremely well. It is very tight and very well built. So for around $20 I’m very happy about using it on my A7.
Thanks for all the great information.
You’re welcome. Happy shooting…
Hi Brian,
After extensive reading, and critical analyzing, I finally made a purchase (2 actually :☺ ) for my A7. I really went over all the lenses, adapters with as fine a tooth comb as I could muster.
I purchased the Voigtlander adapter for close range (VM). Next I got a 21mm Voigtlander Ultron. Very Nice. Just wide enough to get it all without any fishbowl look at all. Nice.
But the great-and most agonizing-purchase was a Leica 50mm Summicron f/2. Used and still big $$$.
I was floored how much a dealer fought me on E-Bay. But I persisted and I’m very happy.
Superb shots! Man! Great colors. Makes me look like I have it together. Very Sharp!! At this point, I only have 4 lenses and 3 are manual. So I have gotten pretty adept at using the 2-3 step magnification button. Helps Alot.
Next stop. The Leica itself.
Many moons away.
Thanks for the inspiration!
MJ
Hi
Is there any adapters that adapt E-Mount lenses to A-Mount ?
Nope. That would be impossible A2D2. A-mount bodies are thicker than E-mount.
Hi Brian, I’d like to replace my Nikon D80 with a mirrorless full frame camera, but I am a bit confused whether I can use the tones of my lenses I’ve gathered thru years. (especially these: Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM, Nikkor AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED and the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D). I can see that there are adaptors on the market for Nikkor lenses, but not sure which one might suit for me. Even if I could use these lenses what the focal length would change to for example on the ultra wide 10-20mm Sigma? and f stop wise? thanks
I believe that all if those lenses could be mounted using adapters, you’d want a Nikon G > Sony E adapter in order to control the aperture. The Sigma 10-20 is an APS lens it would only work in crop mode. The Fstop would not change – but the field of view would be the same as on an APS camera. You might be happier with a native FE lens like the FE 16-35 F4
Thank you Brian, I’ll check it out
Hi Brian 🙂 after much debate I want to switch to Sony a7m2. I will def buy your book! Coming from a canon 6d I cant wait for better focus and image quality. I chose the m2 for is. I own 4 lenses (35 sigma, 50L and 135L and 85 1.8 which is meh). Which lenses are the BEST quality to replace those? I am willing to buy a mount for quality and an adapter obviously. I do mostly portraits and events. I need low f stop and maybe one event lens- probably the 24-70 if it’s good enough. Thanks so much for your time and I can’t wait to finally get some reliability. I need AF and IS and speed for I mostly work with kids. Also what on camera flash is best? Thanks so much.
Your fan
The Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA and Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA are great lenses so they’d be my choices to replace your 35 and 50.
There’s a couple ways you could go with the 85 and 135. First you could use your canon glass with Metabones Smart Adapter IV or
Viltrox EF-NEX II AF Adapter. Focus OK for portraits and landscapes but too slow for catch action.
The only fast AF Adapter is Sony LA-EA4 Lens Mount Adapter for Sony A-mount lenses and the Sony 85mm F/1.4 CZ and 135mm/1.8 CZ are excellent!
Or for fastest AF – you could stay native with the Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS which is a really nice lens for E-mount. There are no fast 85 or 135 FE lenses – yet – but the FE 90 2.8 Macro will be out this spring.
I meant an a- mount. As I heard a mount lenses are better. I am willing to replace canon for other lenses to ensure reliability, speed and focus. I also want that DR. Thanks again!
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Will these adapters work on the Sony a6000 similar to the A7?
Absolutely. Any adapters that cover fullframe also work on APS-C cameras like Sony A6000
Thanks for your very detailed and helpful blog. I have the Metabones IV Canon – Sony, not sure if it’s that or the Sony A7R, but when using my Canon 45mm tilt/shift lens the shutter regularly locks… I also have this problem with the Petzval Art Lens. Have you heard of this happening with other manual lenses? I’ve done a search and this blog is the only one I’ve found that seems to mention tilt/shift!
The wider opening at the rear of the Smart Adapter IV was specifically designed to prevent vignetting when using Canon Tilt/Shift lenses. This appears to be the case in my tests and photographers who regularly use the lens tell me this is true as well.
I haven’t experienced any lock-up issues but I’m willing to be it’s and issue with contacts. Either the contacts are dirty or the lens is not seating properly. Try cleaning the contacts with a q-tip laced with alcohol to see if that does the trick. If not – make certain the lens is locking securely into place. Metabones adapters are sometimes a bit “tight”. While this is better than being wobly – it sometimes takes a while to work lenses firmly into place.
I’ve been asked to shoot an indie short and am considering using the A7s and have learned that if I want to keep it full frame I have to go with FE glass which are very hard to find. So my question is how do I get different glass on this thing WITHOUT loosing the full frame advantage and an f stop. There’s a rental house in my town which has a wide selection of canon, nikon and zeiss primes. Is there way to get these on without having to go into “crop mode?” Thanks!
Sorry, someone gave you bad info. Any full frame glass will give you full frame coverage on A7S – on any other A7-series cameras. FE is just the designation Sony uses for their native fullframe E-mount lenses.
I’ve bought an a7ii and i want to use it with olympus OM mount lenses, but all the adapters om to e mount that i’ve found doesn’t fit my a7ii. Does anybody have the same problem? Does anybody knows, which brand works properly?
thank you
Which brand do you have and when you say it doesn’t fit your A7II what specifically do you mean?
Hi again,
I’ve tried with this one, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kiwifotos-Lens-Mount-Adapter-Olympus/dp/B0043X2N82 but it’s impossible to screw the adapter and the camera.
That’s why I’m asking which adapter i have to use.
thank you!
Hi Pol, I’m not familiar with that brand. Sometimes off-brand adapters work. Sometimes they don’t. While the Sony mount lens adapters on this list cost a bit more – they’re worth it.
Question about Nikon to Sony adapter:
Seeking 85mm F2 or faster. Have Sony a6000, likely to get Nikon D750 in coming months for the combination of full frame plus low light AF
(I LOVE the a6000 but LOW LIGHT AF is a PAINFUL struggle, even with PDAF functioning, and I’m eager to try the full frame of Nikon for events where AF is needed including low light – even that I HATE the size of the D750).
I WISH that the A7II would get me the same full frame quality and low light capability of the D750. But I’m not hopeful. (Should I be?)
Options for current use on a6000, potentially considering my future direction:
– Rokinon / Samyang 85mm f1.4 w E mount (really I think this is another mount plus adapter). Good word of mouth on IQ. Manual everything. No EXIF. No path to Nikon. But only $300.
– Nikon f1.8 G, only $500 when “in stock”, excellent reviews, need an adapter for E mount, clear path to D750 where I would get full functionality, including Low Light AF, I think.
– Sony Alpha mount 85mm VERY pricey, get full function with LAEA4 adapter but lose some light, etc. (Not likely.)
– Other ideas? Zeiss 85mm?
Which leads to my question. You suggest that some Nikon to E Mount adapters provide electronic information allowing the Sony body to control the aperture of the ring-less G mounts.
a. Do the Nikon to Sony adapters provide full EXIF data?
b. Do they provide automatic exposure?
c. Do they provide fast autofocus? slow autofocus? any autofocus? (I guess the latter.)
d. Do G lenses with VR retain the VR when on an adapter to Sony e mount?
e. What is the likely image quality of running a Nikkor G mount 85mm on an adapter to Sony e mount? That is, would Nikkor G be a good choice OPTICALLY to adapt to an a6000?
My D750 is probably a few months away given the current recall under way to fix a flare problem. And who knows, in the mean time Sony might introduce another model that tempts me to stay with Sony 🙂
Thanks for this and all your great work!
Art
Don’t think I don’t see what you’re up to Art. I this is really five questions masquerading as one, you clever guy….
Nikon to Sony E adapters are passive – so they don’t pass along any EXIF. They can however be used in Aperture Priority mode. To the best of my knowledge this prevents VR from working with Nikon glass – not that the Nikkor 85mm F1.8 has VR anyway.
If you’re looking for a portrait lens for A6000 – I’d highly recommend the FE 55mm F1.8. It’s an AMAZING lens! While 85mm is great for Fullframe portraits, 55mm is an ideal focal length for portraits using APS cameras like the A6000.
If you want a cheap 85mm that transfers EXIF you might consider a Canon 85mm 1.8 + Viltrox adapter instead. AF won’t be fast but it will transfer EXIF. Or better yet – keep your eyes peeled for a good deal on a used Sony 85mm F1.4 ZA in primo condition.
Hello Brian,
Congratulations on the great review.
I’m considering the purchase of the Sony Alpha a7 but I’d like to be certain of the adapter to my Nikon AF-S lenses, such as the 18-55mm and Sigma 30mm/1,4 dc hsm nikon – art.
Does the Metabones Nikon G to E-mount/NEX (Black Matt) fit?
Do you have any other reccomendation?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks Carlos. I believe that both the Nikon 18-55mm and Sigma 30mm/1.4 dc hsm are APS lenses. Though that adapter would fit, I’d recommend sticking to fullframe lenses to get the most out of Sony A7.
Yes, they are APS.
SONY A7 deserves full frame lenses and it will have it 🙂
Thank you for the information.
Hi Brian, thank you for the great article! I love my A7 but except for the terrible magenta cast on 60% of my images especially skin tones. I have tried everything I have available including white balance and temp and nothing seems to help. This happens especially when using jpeg as opposed to raw. I’ve taken some pretty amazing photos…that look pink. 😉 Any suggestions? Have you or anyone else experienced the same? Just wondering if all A7’s have this or I got a dud. Thank you for the info!
Check your White Balance. Click the WB setting on the right side of the control wheel. Once active click it again for various WB settings include AWB. This will bring up a color matrix that allows you to shift WB to your taste. It may have gotten moved downwards toward Magenta. If this is only happening 60% of the time – as opposed to 100% it’s possible that one WB setting was changed – not all of them. You can also use this to alter WB to your personal taste. Obviously this is not an issue with RAw since WB is not baked into the files like it is with Jpeg.
Thanks for the quick response! I have tried all of this with little success. If I mess with the color matrix then it will be pink with say a blue cast ..but pink being the dominant color. Another interesting observation is that all of my white balance choices also have pink in them even though color matrix is at center. I have to say that that 60% of the time is usually when in low light situations… it will put this pink cast over everything. Here are some examples:
https://plus.google.com/111405968868459467532/posts/Y3TNWCQbyUr
https://plus.google.com/111405968868459467532/posts/X3xRPfuLnCt
https://plus.google.com/111405968868459467532/posts/35HTEraTBqS
I’m not seeing a huge pink cast. Color balance is a subjective thing. Easiest way to adjust is to include a color balance chart like a X-Rite ColorChecker Passport in one frame of the shoot and neutralize in post.
thanks will try that
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Which a7 series cam I use for wildlife photography with best iso performance and AF performance
With using adapter
AF speed is pretty similar across the entire the entire A7 line-up when using a smart adapter like the Sony LA-EA4. Sony A7S has the best high-ISO performance especially if you’re shooting over ISO 3200.
Thanx sir.. And what about third party lenses like sigma 150-500mm, or sigma 150-600mm sports For birding with using adapter and how was the result?
Have you tried for wildlife or bird photography with a7 series cam.
The only truly “fast” AF adapter is Sony LA-EA4 for Sony A-mount lenses so your fastest AF will be with Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 APO DG HSM Lens for Sony A Mount or Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD for Sony A Mount
So finally which camera do you suggest me for wildlife or birding?
If you’re strictly interested in wildlife and birding with big lenses like the 150-500 or 150-600 zooms you mentioned, the size and weight saving of mirrorless is minimal compared to the size of the lens so I’d actually suggest the A-mount Sony A77II. It’s not as small as mirrorless yet it’s smaller than conventional DSLRs and packed with features that perfectly suit your needs like the option to shoot 12FPS and Expanded Flexible AF for great focus tracking. Here are some photos from World Cup shot on Sony A77II.
I have a A7ii and am looking for a long range tele for birding.
The Tamron 150-600 for Amount seems to be a good option for the price.
In your recommendations for the newer A7rii, you recommend the LE-EA3 Adapter for this lens.
Theoretically, the A7ii should work as well, as it also has on-sensor PD Focus points (not as many as the A7rii).
Have you ever tried the A7ii with the combination Tamron 150-600 and LE-EA3?
I know that there are people successfully adopting the Tamron with the LE-EA4, but I’d reather use an adaptor without mirror…
Sony a7RII is the first fullframe camera with on-sensor PDAF capable of focusing DSLR lenses using PDAF. Sony a7II will not focus the same.
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Read your writeup and it is very good. Thank you.
I am interested in the A7II and want to use some older Leica M lenses. I see there are a few mounts around as you mentioned. I am no expert, but will the A7II be able to give auto focus functions or is this just strictly manual? If it is only manual, I don’t mind. Secondly, will these mounts be able to transmit lens data back to the camera? Price for the mount is not a problem for me. In your opinion, what is the best mount for precision fitment, auto focusing (if any) and or lens data? Many thanks!
Hi MJ, manual focus lenses will still be manual focus no matter what camera you use. Only electronic Smart adapters such as those listed for Sony/Minolta A-mount, Canon and Contax G AF lenses will provide AF (with supported AF lenses) and transmit lens data. My favorite lens adapter for Leica M mount is the Voigtlander VM-E Close Focus M Mount to Sony E-Mount Adapter because it adds additional close-focus capability – but if you don’t need that any of the adapters on this list will do a good job.
Hello Mr. Smith,
nice to see all those adapters. In need for a FD-Canon to A7 lens (macros, teles: cause of standard SEL2870). Note that Cannons A-1 once was 35mm as well. How can I expect Canon-lenses working full-frame, not APS-C? Is there a “crop-1:1-full-frame-list” for these ancient lenses?
All film lenses were designed for fullframe so it’s easier just to pay attention to designations used for APS lenses such as Canon EF-S, Nikon DX and Sony DT.
Hello Brian, One question. I wonder if the Zeiss Otus 85mm F1.4 would work well with the A7r. Will the Canon adpater’s automatically let me control the aperture when I use this? I know the Nikon version of the lens has manual aperture control. But since I am using also the Canon mount, I feel thats a better investment. Do you have experience about this issue?
I’m a bit behind on my reviews but I actually have a review coming on that lens. though I have adapters for both mount, I opted for the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Apo Planar T* ZE Lens for Canon EF Mount since Canon Smart Adapters will transmit EXIF data and Nikon lens adapters don’t. Not to spoil the ending – but it’s an excellent lens.
Which adapters are the best for Canon, that will transfer the EXIF data as well?
My top choice is Metabones Canon EF to Sony E-Mount Smart Adapter IV – it allows user firmware updates via a USB port. They’ve been issuing updates every 6-8 weeks that seem to improve performance an accuracy. The best lower-priced alternative is FotodioX Adapter for Canon EF to Sony E-Mount (AUTO). It’s not user firmware-updatable – but close good solid construction for the price.
Another follow up question on this is whether the aperture control will then be similar to how a normal electronic Sony lens that I would use on the A7r?
Yes, with either of the Smart adapters I mentioned, you set aperture electronically and EXIF data is transferred to camera.
I am really grateful that you take the time to answer all our queries. Really touched.
One small thought I have and wonder what you feel. Is the A7 series here to stay. Or rather the E Mount? Does it make sense to make large investments in this category of system? I know its unpredictable really long term. But just curious on your thoughts…as you have been shooting for so long…
Oh yea, I think it’s safe to say E-mount is here to stay!
Hey Brian. I’m looking to get the a7s, but I’m also looking to use the Sigma 50mm F1.4 lens with it. I have no idea what adapter I’d need though, because I’m a noob. Is it even possible? Any cons? Help a brother out 🙂
Sigma comes in lots of flavors. What’s the lens mount?
I believe it’s an EF mount. For Canon?
Hi Brett, the best adapter options for Canon EF to Sony E-mount are: Metabones Canon EF to Sony E-Mount Smart Adapter IV and FotodioX Adapter for Canon EF to Sony E-Mount (AUTO), but there are several versions of this lens and not all Sigma lenses will AF using these adapters.
Awesome! Thanks a bunch for the reply Brian. Liked ya on FB and followed on the Twitter. Bookmarked your site as well. Cheers 🙂
Hi Brain, I just found out that the IS of my canon 100 f2.8 macro doesn’t work with the Metabones IV on a Sony A7s! Is there a solution or am I just unfortunlate?
Third party OSS isn’t officially supported. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. To work properly it requires communication between the camera and lens and I’m not certain Sony and Canon speak the same OSS language.
I just received my A7r and I am wondering if there’s an adaptor for Bronica SQ lenses?
At the moment I’m not aware of any adapters straight to E-mount but you can “double adapt” by using a Fotodiox Pro Bronica SQ Lens Mount Adapter to Sony A-mount, Canon, Nikon or Pentax K + another adapter from one of those mounts to E-mount. While Ideally I like to do this with a single adapter it’s really no different than stacking extension tubes.
I’m strongly considering the purchase of a Sony A7 Mark II with my Canon 24-105 F4 Lens.
My concern is the “autofocus” feature. I am an Wedding & Event photographer. Which Brand (price not a factor) would be fastest.
In my opinion, the best Canon AF to Sony E adapter is Metabones Smart Adapter IV in large part because it has a USB port that allows users to install firmware updates. If price is not an object I’d get that.
A close second (though without the handy ability for users to install firmware updates) is FotodioX Adapter for Canon EF to Sony E-Mount (AUTO).
Neither offer what I’d call “Fast AF” but both will do fine on a static subject.
Hi Brian,
I’ve got some good answers in your website. Thanks again for that.
I work with sonyA7. I would like to buy the Sigma 120-300mm F2,8 APO EX DG OS HSM.
I heard many things on forums about Métabones. I shall like having of your advice.
I wish to buy an adapters which connects PERFECTLY A7 with this objective.
– Which métabones recommend you?
Apparently the métabones 4 has a very slow AF, What about the Speedbooster?
– Maybe there are better brands (Novoflex…)
You don’t want a Speedbooster it’s a focal reducer to APS so it won’t cover fullframe. Not certain you’d get AF with the Canon version of that lens. You’d be better off getting the Sony A-mount and using a Sony LA-EA4 adapter
Thanks Brian. I had nikon before so i’ve severals nikon objectives.
Moreover, I work with people who have nikon matériel too. So I shall have like finding one solution with nikon setting….
Brian, same problem for me with the aperture ring-less G mount Nikon ( most of the new lens)
Do Metabones 4 Nikon to E Mount adapters provide electronic information allowing the Sony body to control the aperture of the ring-less G mounts? EXIF data? automatic exposure? autofocus?
I’m sure to understand what exactly is the EXIF data..Do you?
No. Nikon G lenses have a manual aperture lever that moves only about 1/4″ from wide open to F22 and adapters must manual move that. You can shoot Aperture-priority with Nikon G lenses – just not Shutter-Priority or Program.
Exif Exchangeable image file format) is the lens and camera data in a digital file. When using non-electronic lens adapters such as Nikon G adapters, EXIF will include camera data such as camera model and shutter speed – but lens data such as lens and F-stop is not communicated to the body.
Thanks Brian but I don’t understand, Nikon G lenses don’t have aperture ring… So nothing is manual. Connections should get thought the sonyA7. isn’t it?
I make usually video with the sony.
For you, which adapters is the best between nikon lenses and the camera? (AF, aperture)
There are NO AF Nikon adapters.
Dear Mr. Brian,
Planning to purchase Sony A7II, Currently using Analog Leica M6 with MATE (Tri Elmar 28/35/50 -E55). How will this MATE perform on Sony A7II with appropriate adapter? Will appreciate your input / advice on this. Is Metabones Adapter good?
Thanks.
I haven’t tested that lens – but I’ve heard it performs very well on Sony a7 series cameras. Yes, this Metabones Leica M Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount Adapter is a good choice as long as the current minimum focus distance of the lens meets your needs. However if you sometimes wish it focused a bit closer, consider either the Voigtlander VM-E Close Focus Adapter or Shoten-LM-SE-Macro-Adapter which add additional close focusing capability while still maintaining infinity focus.
Thank you Mr.Brian.
Thank you for a really useful review. I’m considering purchasing the A7ii, primarily to use three M-mount lenses that I use with an M6: 90mm Elmarit, 50mm Summilux and 21mm Elmarit, all circa late 80s-early 90s. I gather the 90 and 50 should work nicely, but wonder about the 21mm – its the pre-ASPH 2.8 model of the 80s and 90s. Any thoughts on that?
Your thought are pretty much dead-on. Most rangefinder lenses 50mm and up preform very well on Sony a7II. The 21mm is where you start to see the shift due to its retro-focal design. As you know there are many versions Leica 21mm and I don’t have that particular one – but I do have a Leica 24mm/2.8 from that era which shows minimal vignetting and only minor magenta color cast in the corners.
Thanks much Brian – I think I’ll go for it.
Brian: Just got the a7 ii and trying old Nikon glass: Nikkor-H 28mm, f3.5, and Nikkor Reflex-C, 500mm. I am using the Metabones N/F-E Mount adapter. Thus far, more luck with the 500 than the 28. Two issues: 1) In both cases when I set up the menu under Camera Settings”¦(screen 7) Steady Shot Settings”¦Steady Shot Adjust”¦when I press Steady Shot Adjust, it comes back with a message, “Lens, Invalid because lens not attached. Attach the lens correctly.” With the 500 I am still getting good pictures, despite the message saying no lens is attached. 2) On the 28, even though I adjusted the focal length to 28 in the menu setting, in EVF and final picture I get a circular view of the object with all the corners blacked out. Any help appreciated.
First, make certain Release without Lens is Enabled:
Menu > Custom Settings 4 > Release w/o Lens > Enable
With NON-NATIVE lenses: SteadyShot Adjustment needs to be set to Manual
Next, select the appropriate Focal length.
This will work even without a lens attached provided you follow the steps I’ve listed above.
As for the darkened corners with the Nikkor 28 3.5, first make sure the lenses are clicking firmly into place in the adapter and the adapter is clicking firmly onto the camera. Metabones adapters tend to be a bit tight – which is far better than being wobbly. Next and more importantly – remove any filters or lens hoods to see if that is causing the darkening in the corners.
Brian, Very helpful! Removing the hood took care of the barrel effect.
But, the Steady Shot Adjustment displays MANUAL with all the wording still grayed, and when I click on it I get the same message, “Lens. Invalid because lens not attached. Attach the lens correctly.”
I removed the lens then the Metabones adapter and reattached them again to the hard stop and the same message appeared.
The focal length is set to 28mm.
There does not seem to be any practical negative effect, as both the 28mm and the 500mm work.
Bothersome, however, that the camera still indicates the lens is not attached. The camera came with version 1.1, and I am wondering if this is a glitch that got corrected with 1.2, which I seem to remember Sony recently issued.
Ok, so we know that was the wrong hood for that lens. You need a wide angle hood like the Nikon HN-2 Lens Hood
Did you do this, like I suggested?
Menu > Custom Settings 4 > Release w/o Lens > Enable
That needs to be enabled.