Steel Chen is working hard to further improve the new Nikon F to Sony E-mount autofocus adapter. As a reminder: This is not the Commlite adapter! It’s a new project which seems to work much better than the Commlite version.
Steel just sent me the link to his latest video shot on the A7rII with the [shoplink 43517 ebay]Nikkor 70-200 G I lens[/shoplink]. It really looks very promising. As usual feel free to add questions on the comment section. Steel will answer all your questions!
Something else for EU readers:
A77II Gold Box at Amazon.de
A51000 Gold Box at Amazon.co.uk.
66 Responses
It i svery good as a prototype but there will be people to complain, surely.
Yes, it’s always the case. People see a dog that can chew and walk and talk all at the same time, even if it is a bit slow and they complain at the speed. Never mind the astonishing fact that the dog can talk at all.
Does this have a focus motor built in to AF with older lenses?
Not yet.
From the reviews I read on some of the Chinese sites, the Commlite adaptor has improved quite a lot from its prototype. If you do not actually has the Commlite’s final version, and tested it, please do not say Steel Chen’s prototype is “much better than” Commlite’s final version.
Don’t make your judgement based on prototypes.
Be patient, Commlite’s adaptor are arriving to Chinese buyers in these days, I’m sure there will soon be lots reviews available. I’m getting mine on 3rd of Jan (sfo express has already delivered it to my friend, but she is still in China arriving my place on 3rd).
I do not have any relation with Commlite, apart from own one of Commlite’s manual adaptor.
I’m happy to see there is a competitor to Commlite, together to make the autofocus better on A7.
At the same time, I respect the person who firstly made this happen. I would like to make my judgement based on their final version.
Apologise if I’m little bit aggressive, I just don’t like the word “much better”.
from my reading from many Chinese website, the current version of commlite adaptor (Sales Version) is very disappointing. And the vendor said they MAY have a firmware improvement at end of JAN 2016 the EARLIEST.
I believe “much better” is not far from accurate.
So far only 12-24n, 24-70n, 50n 1.8, 85n 1.8 report success for the Commlite Adaptor (sales version).
If you know chinese, you may read this.
http://www.dchome.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1314043&extra=page%3D1&page=3
Yet it very well could be “much better”… you do not know either.
Don’t get your hope up…Based on the review I read from Dchome, “much better” may be too conservative
Steel Chen
When do you expect your adapter to be available and how much do you expect it to cost ?
And where can it be purchased ?
Ditto!
You can send him an email directly – it’s given after the video.
I am very anxious to use my Sigma 800mm f5.6 on my A7Rii.
I will get whichever one is available first. If the next one is a lot better I can always upgrade later.
Ella from Commlite told me it may be ready mid January.
Get a Canon mount one and you could do it now 😉 😀
So, he needs to buy a NEW Canon Lens first then buy your recommended adapter? Make sense!!!!
It was meant as a joke!
Then, it’s not funny 😉
Geez, lighten up already! It wasn’t meant for you and apparently you fail to understand the grin and wide open smile emoji.
Then, it’s not funny.
Didn’t mean to offend, it was honestly meant lighthearted.
The Canon mount version is available, bit pricey at $6599.
Half the price of the Canon 800/5.6 and close to 1/3 of the price of the Nikon 800/5.6 though 😉
I got a good price, otherwise I could not have gotton it.
I lost a bid on a Canon 800mm f5.6…by a lot.
It will be interesting to hear your opinion of the Sigma 800mm with the adaptor.
First impression..when I opened the box
IT’S BIG
2nd impression…when I lifted it out of box
IT’S HEAVY
Probable opinion of people reading this
THAT’S OBVIOUS
I am eager to know if we will eventually see Nikon adapter with electicity and manual aperture control (G-version ?) I shoot 99% video with my FS7 and A7S ii. I don’t even use autofocus. VR and manual aperture in same adapter still is in my wishlist for Santa.
I hope FotodioX hire you to mass produce this adapter when ready…
How well is AF supposed to perform on A7II ? I have the same question for LA-EA3 after the firmware update.
Does aperture control work on this new adapter?? AFAIK the aperture control is not present in the comlite version, which makes it completely useless…
On the first part he is at 2.8 and on the close-up he’s at 4.5 I guess you have aperture control.
It appears he has Pre-AF is enabled. Doesn’t that at least partially defeat the purpose of the demo?
It definitely looks like it is working well – the slow lens at long focal lengths and short focus distances looks seems to challenge the adapter a bit but overall this is pretty impressive. Somebody else asked this already but how does change the aperture and how does the adapter perform if shooting at something like f/8? These tests were all done with the lenses wide open.
Evaluating whether the camera beeped or not is not an indication of “focus.” It’s an indication that the camera thinks it is in focus. What’s needed is the image that is taken, so as to evaluate whether critical focus was actually achieved. What I see here, though, is that this combination is far slower than the native FE 70-200mm, and that’s for a completely static subject.
Don’t disagree with you at all Thom, just relative to the Commlite prototype video that was posted here, this seems to work a lot better.
This way or that, today or tomorrow, this nice thing will impact CaNikon bodies very seriously, if not dramatically. Sony needs to improve their EVF to the level of the old optical 9 model – it isn’t easy, but possible. Wake up, Nikon, do not respect yourself too much, the rest of Humans is equally smart.
You might be a bit surprised by the D5 autofocus. Nikon is not asleep.
Wouldn’t be surprised by the D5 at all. As far as mirrorless goes, though, they’ve been hitting the snooze button far too long.
Maybe not. Perhaps they’ve been plugging away at this AF problem for a long time now, especially with regards to the older DSLR lenses.
I suspect that CaNikon will only fully jump in when they’ve got this issue solidly licked.
I’d love it if this were true, but somehow I doubt it’s the case. The ‘sleeping giant about to awaken’ line is getting a little threadbare at this point and is starting to feel a bit like whistling in the graveyard.
I think everybody expect that for a Nikon that cost as much as a car.
Correct, but price… Next Sony’s body will be 2X times cheaper, compare to D5. And I am wondering with new Sony’s technology, unknown for us, yet.
True, but Nikon has followed the same pattern since forever: deploy on the top body (currently going to be D5), then start proliferating it down the body chain (going to be D850, D760, D7300, maybe a D400, etc.).
The D5 will always be superior in terms of focusing and recording speed otherwise Nikon could not justify the price, but yes the tech will trickle down into the lower models over time. Likely several years.
When the D3 implemented an updated AF system, the D300 had a DX version of it and was announced the same day.
I’m sure the new D5 relies on updated hardware, faster processors and unique firmware to achieve the “breakthrough” claimed by Nikon. Since none of the earlier cameras will be using the same combination of hardware/firmware the D5 performance will be superior. Perhaps some features can be added or improved but expecting an older cheaper design to equal the performance of the new D5 is a pipe dream.
I’m sure that the D5 will be an improvement on existing cameras. That it will take “several years” for that trickle down to other camera models is far less certain, and the D3/D300 was an example of Nikon not doing that.
today’s canikon is because their users shape them running such way for many years.
what Online Vocal Mirrorless Troops want is EVF. they see not much problem with AF.
Does it also work with the A6000?
Why record so far on the lens that matters (70-200 2.8)?
It looks vey good to me.
It looks like the camera’s is pre-AF mode, it starts focusing long before he depresses the shutter button. Shouldn’t that be turned off for a test?
Yeah! Just see your post and I thought I’m the only one noticing that too.
what will be the price ? not super fast just adequate
pretty sad that folks have to buy adapters for Canon or Nikon lenses because Sony cannot produce lenses – is it 2 just Sony branded and few G branded – rest is ZEISS at a top top price –
Imagine if Canon or Nikon folks had to be buying adapters 🙂 due to lack of lenses
after 6 A7/r/s bodies still no 24-70mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F2.8 for the FE mount
There’s 3 Sony non-G, and 3 Sony G, and all of the Sony Zeiss lenses are also Sony lenses – designed and built by Sony using Zeiss T* coatings and designs approved by them. But in general, yes, the lens lineup is still sorely lacking from Sony itself and we are still missing the really wide end and the long end. There’s plenty of moderate wide to short tele at this point to keep at least most people happy but there is a ways to go outside of that 24-200 range.
I agree – but really only 3 Sony only branded lenses after 6 bodies ! so Sony can produce Zeiss branded lenses for top price – as not all of the Zeiss lenses so far have been stellar – I really think it is Sony’s way of making up for a reasonable price on their A7/s/r bodies –
Not saying that some of the Zeiss are not good lenses – like the 55mm F1.8 but it just seems deliberate of Sony after 6 bodies that they do not have more just Sony branded lenses at a reasonable price – Canon and Nikon and Pentax all have both a Pro and none Pro line – so in Sony FE mount there are 3 non Pro lenses after 6 bodies 🙁 sad
Troll. 🙁
Actually to be fair he’s simply telling us what Sony has being going on about to their shareholders: that the money is in high margin lower volume stuff in the current market. That means Zeiss branded and G. That means that people looking for an inexpensive way into full frame are likely better off with a bulkier dslr for now. As Sony’s market share grows they will likely go for more high volume low margin lenses (in fact in a recent interview they more or less said this: that they were concentrating on top end now but cheaper would come). Of course there is a bit of a catch 22 – to grow the market share before the high volume low margin stuff is well represented in the line up.
I think you’re missing the point that this adapter will allow owners of Nikon lenses to use them on Sony E mount cameras. That means another influx of users for Sony mirrorless, just as it did with Canon owners.
Much better video. Thanks Steel Chen. Would love to see more videos with different Nikon F mounts and different landscapes.
Just out of interest, why have the likes of Metabones not tackled the Nikon-FE AF smart converter?
I also questioned that!!
I’m hoping they are and are close. Since they are a real company, they may not be out in the open about it until a product is introduced. But it will be very expensive if and when they do it.
Metabones was the first to produce modern high-quality focal reducers, but anything outside that, for example- marketing, customer service, innovation (electrics), support, is all mediocre to awful. It’s the perfect example of a company that is sh^t because everything but the IP was outsourced to China. They are in a low volume, high margin industry- they aren’t making skateboards for Walmart. Whatever. ?
Looks very good – AF speed may be even faster at 2.8? unless it’s already not in show settings mode.
IMO, I think the Pre-focus feature was turned on which helped as the camera span slowly to and from various subjects then half press to focus.