This is the image of the brand new Contax G to E-mount adapter that should be on sale within days at [shoplink 16463 ebay]MXcamera on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. The Contax G lenses are amazing quality lenses. Not so Sony friendly Ken Rockwell reviewed these lenses here: http://www.kenrockwell.com/contax/g-system.htm. The adapter supports full aperture and autofocus control.
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Reminder: list of great G lenses with links to eBay price:
Hologon 16mm; 1:8 on [shoplink 16235 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] -> (will not work on the DEO TECHART adapter).
Biogon T* 21 mm; 1:2,8 on [shoplink 16236 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] -> (will not work on the DEO TECHART adapter).
Biogon T* 28 mm; 1:2,8 on [shoplink 16237 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
Planar T* 35 mm; 1:2,0 on [shoplink 16238 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
Planar T* 45 mm; 1:2,0 on [shoplink 16239 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
Sonnar T* 90 mm; 1:2,8 on [shoplink 16240 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
Vario-Sonnar T* 35 – 70 mm; 1:3,5-5,6 on [shoplink 16241 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
23 Responses
I’m curios to see what kind of AF performance we’ll get from this. I’m not being optimistic, simply curious.
Third party support for the NEX system is insane, its support is unrivalled by any other system. I wonder what has been so appealing to third party manufacturers to provide for this system; possibly the initial lack of E-Mount lenses? Or perhaps the system is very dominant in the East Asian market.
My pure speculation is that at the time these 3rd party manufacturers decided to pick a system for adapting there were largely 3 systems prevalent – m43, NEX and Samsung NX system. m43 was probably rejected since the sensor size was much smaller than FF.
Samsung would have been a good choice but Samsung is a closed system. Not even Tamron or Sigma have even a single lens available probably because Samsung has refused to share the mount specs with anyone. Even the latest Carl Zeiss lenses are being built for NEX and Fuji mounts only and Fuji is a much later entrant into this field.
Since the specs of the Sony mount are known to everyone (Since Tamron, Sigma and CZ are all making AF lenses for it) I would wager all 3rd party manufacturers made a beeline for NEX.
With Fuji gaining popularity I am quite sure we will see such adapters for the Fuji mount shortly.
I think it’s probably a couple factors. Initial lack of native e-mount lenses, short flange distance allowing for lots of lenses to be adapted, a relatively open system.
m43 also satisfies those conditions fully (open, short flange distance AND has additionally IBIS). However I suspect the 2x crop would have not have been ideal for non native lenses as most lenses would act like short or medium telephoto lenses.
Most likely the same performance you get with LA-EA1 and Sony lenses: good for some static photos, but for everything else, you will need good eyes, hands, quick thinking and manual focus. Not impossible, but it requires quite a bit of experience.
Because E-mount specs is “open”?
Yes they are. Open to anyone who wishes to develop a lens for the e-mount.
Sony publishing the lens mount specifications has a big part to it.
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201102/11-018E/index.html
As far as I know,
don’t expect too much from AF, it will be slow.
don’t expect from PDAF,
do expect reboot alot like MS windows,
IMO, if adapter cost more than $30, stay away from it.
Imagine if they had a speed booster lens in there too to get the original FOV and DOF! I’m certain it would be impossible due to the shallow distance between the contax mount and sensor but it’s nice to dream
That’s why we patiently wait for a fullframe NEX 😉
speed booster wouldn’t work, as it reduces the flange focal distance so not and option for rangefinder lenses. would be very cool though!
also, i’m pretty sure the aperture control is not electronically controlled on contax g lenses.
now, as for autofocus, i’m not really interested. can’t imagine it’ll be particularly quick. actually, i’ve been using the sel35f18, and i’m not convinced i prefer the autofocus to manual focus.
I want these kind of forward thinking designers and engineers working for Sony… not being forced to reverse engineer their passions.
This is not about developing a product for the consumer. That may be a result. But this is more about someone following their passion, to see a vision through. I’ll always applaud such efforts.
Definitely praise worthy.
Makes one wonder why the AF drive motor in LAEA-2 must be so bulbously fugly.
Others complain that it is too narrow, with 15 points and only 3 crosses!
Haven’t seen the motor though..
That’s the full AF mirror system, with PDAF, no the AF drive motor… the drive itself would be easily contained in a much less bulbous pack, or with some engineering, in the thick wall of the adapter itself.
Excellent to see these sort of adaptors being made.
But a shame that we have to choose either a manual focus adaptor or an autofocus version.
Just a tiny thumbwheel to override and fine tune the focus would make this a lot more useful.
There may be one. The adapter is clearly very small (amazingly so) and such a dial may be on the other side. IT does seem that that if there is MF it isn’t a ring around the whole adapter–unfortunate but, again, no surprising how thin the adapter is.
I’ve been waiting for this. I wonder if mxcamera put the mf-af switch on the adapter that they said would be on it. Also be interesting if it works with the vg900 and any future FF NEX.
A link to Ken Rockwell? Really?
Giving up manual focus of the Contax G lens in exchange for what must be execrable AF is a mistake. See the Metabones disclaimers on the Speedbooster for EF lenses, to get an idea.
I would have far preferred a manual focus ring adapter that just records the right lens information in the EXIF.
Interesting that MXcamera has not commented yet. I know they are active on this forum. They’ve got several videos. The AF doesn’t seem snappy but passable. I’ll probably keep my metabones or at least one MF adapter. This could be a nice addition.
This adapter is now available for pre-order here: http://www.deo-tech.com/