NikonGear'23
Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: Michael Erlewine on July 28, 2017, 15:28:17
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If I don't care about focusing at infinity (because I am a close-up photographer), my question is it possible to mount a Sony E-Mount Lens on Nikon F-Mount Camera? If so, where could I find an adapter? Or cobble one together that works?
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Michael, I do not know of any adapter for Sony E mount lens to any other brand body. One of the reasons I am selling my FE lenses. With the glut of adapters coming out of China it must be too hard (or Sony lenses are just too expensive to use as adapted >:( ) . The other thing I'm unhappy with is that the Native lenses cannot be set for anything but hybrid Auto Focus and that can give mixed results. Dreaded Focus Shift when Contrast tries to 'fine tune' the Phase Detection. Easier just to use MF with non-Sony lenses.
Maybe someone has found a way. Like to hear about it.
I probably would have been more interested in the new Voiglander 65 f2 in a different mount.
Tom
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Michael, I do not know of any adapter for Sony E mount lens to any other brand body. One of the reasons I am selling my FE lenses. With the glut of adapters coming out of China it must be too hard (or Sony lenses are just too expensive to use as adapted >:( ) . The other thing I'm unhappy with is that the Native lenses cannot be set for anything but hybrid Auto Focus and that can give mixed results. Dreaded Focus Shift when Contrast tries to 'fine tune' the Phase Detection. Easier just to use MF with non-Sony lenses.
Maybe someone has found a way. Like to hear about it.
I probably would have been more interested in the new Voiglander 65 f2 in a different mount.
Tom
I hear you. I have the Sony A7rII, so I can us it there, but would like to use it on Nikon, and don't care about infinity.
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Michael, are you thinking about the new Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanther 65/2.0?
Unfortunately, the lens isn't likely to offer its maximum performance, even if you can mount it onto your D810 or any F-mount body. The CRC won't work correctly when the flange back is extended by around 26mm. It is way off from the intended flange back of Sony E mount.
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Michael, are you thinking about the new Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanther 65/2.0?
Unfortunately, the lens isn't likely to offer its maximum performance, even if you can mount it onto your D810 or any F-mount body. The CRC won't work correctly when the flange back is extended by around 26mm. It is way off from the intended flange back of Sony E mount.
Among other lenses, yes. I am sure it won't be natural, but I wonder what does happen in that case.
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Does CRC always perform the same function? I've though it was correcting field curvature at close range.
Dave
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Michael, in putting together an assortment of adapters this is one issue I ran into. It's really hard to find any adapter for an E-mount lens to any other mount, since this mount has such as short flange distance. In general, manufacturers assume that people want to maintain infinity focus so they make adapters accordingly. Rarely you'll find an adapter that does not try to maintain correct flange distance for the lens; I've found these for L39 and M42 lenses for instance.
On the plus side, some Chinese manufacturers have been producing oddball adapters that I expect would have limited markets, so there is hope that something might come up one of these days. Check Amazon now and then.
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Michael, in putting together an assortment of adapters this is one issue I ran into. It's really hard to find any adapter for an E-mount lens to any other mount, since this mount has such as short flange distance. In general, manufacturers assume that people want to maintain infinity focus so they make adapters accordingly. Rarely you'll find an adapter that does not try to maintain correct flange distance for the lens; I've found these for L39 and M42 lenses for instance.
On the plus side, some Chinese manufacturers have been producing oddball adapters that I expect would have limited markets, so there is hope that something might come up one of these days. Check Amazon now and then.
I have checked all over, Amazone, Ebay, B&H, web, etc.
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Don't think you would find an adapter anytime soon but you can always make your own using multiple adapter rings.
Just search ebay for "adapter sony e m42", some even come with built in focussing helicoids :)
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Don't think you would find an adapter anytime soon but you can always make your own using multiple adapter rings.
Just search ebay for "adapter sony e m42", some even come with built in focussing helicoids :)
Not sure how that would work. What I need is a female E-Mount to male F-Mount. I don't see any of those on Ebay. Perhaps I am missing something.
I only see M42 to Sony Male.
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I thought I also stumbled on some female versions when looking for the male adapter but I might be mistaken, can't find them either at the moment.
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I thought I also stumbled on some female versions when looking for the male adapter but I might be mistaken, can't find them either at the moment.
Well, if you do, please let me know. I can't find any. It just means I have to use the Sony A7RII, but highlights on that camera are not as good as I would like. Thanks.
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Get a EF extension tube and an F mount extension tube, cut both crosswise and glue the relevant halves together - should not be too difficult because the EF throat diameter is 46mm and the F is 44mm so the tubes will be about the same size.
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Les, your suggestion just rang a bell how I stumbled on the female adapter rings.
When looking for macro extensions of course ::) ::)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Macro-Extension-Tube-Ring-for-Sony-NEX-C3-NEX-5C-NEX-7-NEX-6-NEX-5R-A7-A7R-A7S-/172258537724?hash=item281b68b0fc:g:w34AAOSwRQlXdNG8
Find one with a common thread like M42 for which you can very easily find the male Nikon F mount.
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What Les and Jan Anne said. Another variation would be using an F mount extension tube and just replacing the female mount with an E mount one, should not be too hard.
But that gives a mechanical only linkage which is fine for the few lenses that have a manual aperture -- most FE lenses are electronic. And that gets to the reasons why there aren't adapters: the E mount flange distance is so short that an adapter without optics wouldn't preserve infinity focus on any popular mount and since most FE lenses require electronics for aperture control and focus a smart adapter is required. Smart adapters are, however, difficult to make: only the Canon EF to Sony E adapters are somewhat robust and even they have a long list of caveats and disclaimers. There are Nikon F (E) to Sony E smart adapters but based on reports I deem them experimental. So there are some huge technical (and thus economical) challenges to make commercial adapters for Sony FE lenses to other mounts and thus I doubt we'll see any adapter soon.
Sony also makes pretty competitive cameras, reducing the interest in adapting their lenses :)
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Les, your suggestion just rang a bell how I stumbled on the female adapter rings.
When looking for macro extensions of course ::) ::)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Macro-Extension-Tube-Ring-for-Sony-NEX-C3-NEX-5C-NEX-7-NEX-6-NEX-5R-A7-A7R-A7S-/172258537724?hash=item281b68b0fc:g:w34AAOSwRQlXdNG8 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Macro-Extension-Tube-Ring-for-Sony-NEX-C3-NEX-5C-NEX-7-NEX-6-NEX-5R-A7-A7R-A7S-/172258537724?hash=item281b68b0fc:g:w34AAOSwRQlXdNG8)
Find one with a common thread like M42 for which you can very easily find the male Nikon F mount.
Yep that will work ;)
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if focusing all the way to infinity is not important then the extension ring method is the best way :o :o :o
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Sony-E lenses have a 18mm back focal length, whereas Nikon lenses have 46.5mm, so there is a lack of
46.5mm - 18mm = 28.5mm to bridge. That means it is like bringing a Sony-E mount lens forward by using
a 28.5mm extension ring on a Sony-E mount camera, when using it on a Nikon camera. So even at infinity
setting, this means using that Sony-E mount lens on a Nikon is working at a very serious macro distance,
if that "adapter" would have zero optical length!
Doable of course, by cobbling some adapters together, which will actually increase this mentioned distance
even significantly more, so if that would be useful then, I have serious doubts...
One will end up with a lens that even at its infinity setting will start to work from some guessed magnification
of 2..3x onwards, that means an object size of about 6..12mm height will completely fill the frame. Ants will
be about the largest one could photograph with such a setting....nothing larger.
When I'm in the mood later, I may want to do the math... :-)
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Is this a case, where a relay lens adapter would come in handy?
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In theory, a relay lens arrangement could work, but for exacting image quality requirements the relays would have to be custom designed for each different prime lens....and they still wouldn't image as well as the prime by itself. Richard Branson or Jeff Bezos could afford the cost.
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Would it be for every lens or for every back focal length only?
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Is this a case, where a relay lens adapter would come in handy?
a) To achieve the same quality as the intended Apo Lathar main lens, it would have to be at least as good as the main lens
b) the total lens speed will always be slower as the total transmission is the multipliction of the individual ones (so if both have say 90%, the total will be 81% only)
c) one has to deal with an inverted viewfinder image, not easy for most shooters
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c) one has to deal with an inverted viewfinder image, not easy for most shooters
unless you use a "Inverted Equal - Magnification Relay Lens" ? ? ?
(as in a recent Nikon Patent Application described, look for this one: 20170192209
It also includes a fresnel-lens.)
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Another option, if the intended use is with the subject very close, is simply to use a BR-2A reversing ring plus a step-up ring if needed and reverse mount the Sony lens on the filter threads. The lens still needs to have an aperture ring. Edit: There is a way to change the aperture of reversed Nikon G lenses: put the lens on the camera and adjust the aperture normally, then press the DoF preview button and remove the lens from the camera with the DoF preview button pressed. The aperture stays at the set aperture. I don't know if this works on Sony cameras.
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An elegant but realistic adapter would add roughly 35 mm of extension, which would give a minimum magnification of less than 1:2 for a short tele, so not that impractical just considering the magnification. What problem it solves is another matter; getting to that magnification with existing options for the F mount is not hard. And in any case, lack of electronics severely limits lens options for adaptation.
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An elegant but realistic adapter would add roughly 35 mm of extension, which would give a minimum magnification of less than 1:2 for a short tele, so not that impractical just considering the magnification. What problem it solves is another matter; getting to that magnification with existing options for the F mount is not hard. And in any case, lack of electronics severely limits lens options for adaptation.
I'm sorry, this may sound elegant, but simply won't work as it neglects optics/physics. Read my contrib above.
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Interestingly enough, I find it possible to mate a Sony E mount male bayonet with a Nikon F female mount, but not vice versa. I have only tried this with Nikon manual extension rings, never directly to a Nikon body. There may be coupling levers, etc. that get in the way.