Best Adapters For Sony Mirrorless Cameras

On this video photographer Joseph Cha from slrlounge takes a look at several adapters that you might want to try if you are using a Sony mirrorless camera (even more so if you are using one of the A7 full frame cameras).

A good place to start is always with Sony’s own adapters. As you probably know, Sony has a pretty extensive A-mount line of lenses (for its older DSLR and newer A77/A99 and newer models etc.). You can use them on E and FE mount cameras but you will need an adapter. Sony has two options – the less expensive LAEA3 35mm Full-Frame A-Mount Adapter and the much more expensive (but generally preferred due to its better support for 3’rd party lenses and the built in AF) Sony LAEA4 35mm Full Frame A-Mount Adapter.

Next we have adapters for 3’rd party glass (in particular EF/EF-S mount). Two contenders for this spot are the FotodioX Adapter for Canon EF and EF-S Lens to Sony NEX Mount (which sells for under $100), and the much more expensive Metabones T Smart Adapter Mark IV for Canon EF or Canon EF-S Mount (which sells for just under $420). Both have AF support and performed in Cha’s test almost in the same way.

If you are a fan of old Leica glass you again have a few options – in this case Cha brings two – the inexpensive Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount Adapter, Leica M Lens to Sony (which sells for under $70), and the much more expensive Voigtlander VM-E Close Focus Adapter for VM-Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount (which sells for almost $310). Both are well made decent manual adapters.

If you have a lot of Nikon glass you can check out the new commlite adapter which is the first that we know of that offers Sony shooters Nikon glass with AF.

Finally, you have specialized adapters such as the Metabones Speedbooster which gives you an extra stop of light when using a full-frame Canon EF lens with a crop sensor Sony camera (or a full-frame camera in APS-C mode) which is the most expensive of the adapters on the list at $680 and the Aputure DEC which is a unique adapter for cinematographers that can be controlled remotely and cost $380.

More guides and comparisons of photographic gear can be found on our photography gear guides – here on LensVid.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.