On top you can see the very first (real!) design of the new LA-EA2 adapter with built-in translucent mirror! As you see the adapter is quite BIG. It allows the use of the phase detecion autofocus with 15 AF points! As I already told you weeks ago the adapter will cost around $400. My guess is that the adapter is partiularly welcome by filmmakers that want to use the Alpha mount lenses on the [shoplink 6170]NEX-FS100[/shoplink] and other future E-mount camcorders.
The current LA-EA1 adapter is much cheaper (around $150) but autofocus is slow. Check the price and specs of the LA-EA1 at [shopcountry 8114].
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40 Responses
wow
it transfer the evil to dslt
]=D
+1
Turns your NEX over to the dark side!
:O
You’re right!
Step back Satan!
I don’t know but the scheme maybe it’s not up to scale…look at the lens mount…The differences between A-mount diameter and E-mount diameter isn’t that big…So maybe the adapter is almost just a bit bigger but not THAT big compared to LA-EA1
1-the drawing of camera is of nex-3 or nex-5 not fs100
2-with adapter it is still a small camera (Coupe Cabriolet camera)
I will but it
Those images aren’t to scale by the looks of it – especially the NEX. Looks like they have (quite cleverly) put the AF system in the tripod mount area of the adapter, which is great I think!
All DSLRs have the AF system at the bottom (because the prism and viewfinder is at the top). But if you look at distance of the lens mount on DSLRs to the bottom of the camera, it does not need much space.
This adaptor is a bit different however, it has less depth than inside a DSLR but it also does not need two mirrors (main mirror and AF submirror) of the DSLRs. But then they also need to put in an AF motor and possibly another battery (and the motor has to fit into a shorter space compared to a DSLR).
You’re right for the DSLRs but this is the same design as in the Alpha SLTs, just upside down
One day at Sony:
A: This mirror’s on the way.
B: Let’s rip it out then.
A: Oohhh smart.
A: What if they decide they want the mirror?
B: Sell them the mirror separately.
A: Who’d want to buy them?
B: Sell them the camera first, then sell them the mirror later.
A: Oohhh smart.
This adaptor still has to fit everything in a thinner package than inside the SLT cameras. If the NEX cameras had built-in flashes, putting the AF innards on top (instead of at the bottom) might interfere with them.
I think we can assume, that this adapter will be at least as big as the NEX cameras… thats ridiculous!
The nex with the adapter wont be bigger then A55 camera, and it can be easily removed when you want to go compact.
It has an AF motor if im not mistaken
I agree with you Thomas. It is very cool that Sony can make such an adapter, but is making something just because you can a good enough reason? Exactly which alpha lenses are people dying to use on a NEX body? Sony doesn’t exactly have a line up of tiny primes like Pentax does for their k-mount. The alpha Zeiss lenses are all fantastic, but they are all huge. I couldn’t imagine wanting to use any of them on something the size of the NEX-7, let alone the NEX-5.
An adapter like this makes sense for Olympus since they are trying to push all their old 4/3’s customers onto m4/3’s, but Sony still has a healthy DSLR system going for those that want it.
The drawing isn’t to scale. The emount in the adapter is larger than the camera. I upscaled the cam to fit the flange and you can see that the adapter isn’t that big. We have no idea what lens is shown…
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vk4FeV3XhOk/TkaKy1EFgbI/AAAAAAAAIB8/41xpNHWHIC8/sony-la-ea2-adapter.jpg
If you think about it, it will be no bigger than the La-ea1 since that adapter is the proper length to get alpha mount lenses to focus correctly on the e-mount.
Sorry, but now the adapter is to small and the cam to big.
Give me a break, it was an eyeball attempt. It’s closer than the original….
Hope this works with the new nex-vg20
Still no pics of the vg20 yet?
Thanks
The adapter will be slightly higher than the camera, don’t fool by the camera design size which is not the right size.
This will be a plus for those who want to use A-mount lenses. I would like Sony to create a special adapter with the same capabilities for other lenses in the market.
It looks it will be a wonderful Christmas Sony this year.
If Sony would finally produced a decent lens set for NEX, there would be no need for another adapter. Wasn’t mirrorless all about taking the mirror away to allow for more compact cameras? First Sony wants us to go mirrorless…only to make us buy separate mirrors? 😀 😀 😀
Yeah… Sony has the best mirrorless camera (small and best image quality) and the worst lenses (not many and big)
I know! Buy this big attachment to use even BIGGER lenses! 🙂
Even if Sony bring out several more E-mount lenses, there will still be some who have A-mount lenses that they want to use, especially the longer focal lengths.
This adaptor will be extremely useful for perhaps one NEX user in 200. Enough to give reasonable sales.
I agree Simon; this adapter may be useful for current A-mount users, but it does nothing to make me want to buy a NEX body (for the second time). However you know what would make me want to buy another NEX camera? A compact E-Mount 30mm f/2, a 60mm f/2, a 11mm f/2.8, and an upgrade to the 16mm f/2.8.
“My guess is that the adapter is partiularly welcome by filmmakers that want to use the Alpha mount lenses on the NEX-FS100” – so, Andrea, now it’s for filmmakers instead of doombringer of the dedicated A-mount cameras? 😉 hehehe
I’m sorry but i don’t think that filmmakers are the targeted customers for such an adapter. The Control of focus is an important cinematic technique. I’ve seen AF videos of the A55 and the 70-200g SSM. The Focus was on Spot and the images didn’t look to bad but the Speed of the AF was to fast in quite some scenes. Projecting this to the FS-100E I personally would think that this Adapter won’t target Filmmakers but instead a more broadcast oriented range of customers. This would allow to e.G. produce Event and Sport Event and Documentary oriented Videos with little Time or Fast moving Objects without slowing down the Production to much. I therefor think that this adapter used in combination with the FS-100E could be used for for entry level Broadcast (Not for Main channels) or even a lot more likely Online mediums and advertising Applications in a 35mm Look that are on a small budget and therefor a small amount of production time, too.
(The FS-100E Images look a lot better then images of the Eos 5D MKII or any other DSLR with HD video Abilities especially when it comes to sharpness and the amount of visible details it delivers a far better Quality. The Sensor of this camera is far superior in lowlight, too as it has an native ISO of 800. I think that those aspects make it way more desirable for the mediums mentioned before. However professional customers will be forced to capture via the clean HDMI out giving them 4:2:2 Sampling and high Bitrate Video)
FK – that’s because FS100 uses video sensor, while Canon uses DSLR sensor. That makes huge difference. And I guess by filmmakers Andrea meant people using FS100, not strictly people looking for C5D alternative.
besides: we’re in the photography-oriented site so… I don’t care really. 😉
Well Sony has a long tradition in video and Broadcast and DSLR video is getting more important all along so this will heavily influence the way Sony’s position and product strategy competing against other camera-manufacturers. I think that a lot of photographers are underestimating the importance of this. (Especially Professional Photographers who don’t want to deal with video, while the Advertising business is transforming at light speed and so is the job as photographer)
Excellent post. I assume the LA-EA2 will work with the NEX-VG10 so I could use a 70-200 f2.8 lens with autofocus. E-mount lenses are nice and compact but the 55-210 which they are designing starts at 4.5 and goes to 6.3. That is better than the 18-200 3.5-6.3 in equivalent focal lengths, but still too slow. I would rather have a faster lens even if it is bigger. Currently only the alpha lenses are BIG enough to gather more light. It would be great if third-party lenses like the Tamron 70-200 2.8 would autofocus as that lens is only $769.00 vs. the Sony which is $1,800.00. I know that only the Sony SSM and SAM lenses will autofocus with the LA-EA1 adapter. It would be nice if Sony could somehow change this, but that’s hoping for a lot.
“I know that only the Sony SSM and SAM lenses will autofocus with the LA-EA1 adapter. ”
Not True. Sigma Lenses with HSM will focus using the LA-EA1. My Siggy 70-200 F/2.8 will autofocus just fine, slow but accurate. You just have to update the firmware…
(something went wrong here)
Yes, real filmakers DON’T use autofocus at all (and they’re also not zooming while filming!!!). Filmmakers prefer Follow Focus with a big manual knob or at least this solution here: http://vimeo.com/19341897 – so the biggest gift Sony could make to NEX-filmmakers so far would be making Focus Peaking also visible on monitors connected via HDMI. So this adapter is specially for those MF hating photographers, who’re probably whining for viewfinder either…
Awesome! Now i can bring this to a concert with a 85mm f2.8 and NEX C3 and i won’t get chased away for using a ‘DSLR’.
what i dont understand is why cant olympus do this if sony can? god knows they need it.
i’ve seen “module and module and module” for the next 5 years.
Hmm, I think with a built-in AF motor (for all A lenses) and its own battery this might be a nice add-on for a Nex, no matter how big .
AF speed and precission don’t matter much, imho .
That said, I’m confused . 😉
NEX5–Please…There is a use for autofocus, just like everything else. Unscripted documentary shooting (weddings, live events) benefits very much from this sort of technology–so please be aware of who you are stepping on when you make blanket statements. To paraphrase Shakespeare: “Banish autofocus and banish all the world.”
I assume it’s safe to say we won’t have image stabilization with this, and that is one of the key features what I like the most about Sony alpha cameras!
There you go.
@ correct scale.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/sonylaea2adaptered.png/
I know this isn’t the case but seeing it from the side you could even assume that this adapter might double as some kind of vg. However it should be able to house a AF-motor without any concern.
Does it support AF for screwdrive lenses or just SAM and HSM? What’s the purpose over the original adapter if it doesn’t support screwdrive?