List of Lens Adapters

The Sony a7S II and a7R II have a full frame E mount, sometimes called the FE mount. The most revolutionary aspect of the Sony E mount is that its flange focal distance is one of the lowest possible for full frame sensors. This means, you can practically use any full frame lens on it, as long as there is a suitable adapter.

There is a clone of the FE mount, also by Sony, called the FZ mount. It’s the same flange focal distance, but this is a tougher mount, mechanically and electronically different ,and used on their higher end cameras.  They are not compatible, and as far as I know there is no adapter either.

Understanding which lenses you can adapt to the a7S II and a7R II

Here’s a comparison of various mounts compared to the E mount. We are comparing flange focal distance (FFD), aperture ring, image stabilization, adapters, replacement parts and whether or not the mounts offer a full range of prime lenses:

Notes:

• ^Image Stabilization in lens
• ^^How hard is it to replace a lens or fix it with parts? E- Easy, NE-Not Easy, H-Hard and/or Expensive
• *A full range of prime lenses – from 21mm to 135mm in at least f/2.8
• **Most PL lenses are designed for Super35mm frames, and not full frame. Very few samples of the top-of-the-line Arri and Cooke lenses will cover a full frame sensor. There is also the problem of adapters (next section).
• #What kind of adapter will be required. M-Manual, E-Electronic for Aperture, Autofocus, etc.
• ~I’m not covering medium format lenses, though they are also acceptable. Examples include Contax/Yashica/Mamiya/Hasselblad/Fuji etc. The ‘problem’ with medium format is that the focal lengths and apertures don’t correspond to what people are used to normally. That, and the fact that these lenses will be heavier, without the equivalent aperture advantage, gives them an ergonomic disadvantage.
• ##Via an adapter with an aperture ring and/or contacts

Problems with each mount summed up:

Native Sony E mount lenses are too few to count.

Cost is also a factor for both Leica mounts, as well as the PL mount, and even the Sony A mount lenses (at least the newer ones). Leica M has one great benefit – the lenses are much smaller and lighter due to the smaller focal flange distance. If you don’t have the budget, you could use cheaper Zeiss or Voigtlander glass instead. However, none of them are really suitable for video work.

Now, if you already own prime lenses for any of the above mounts, you should purchase an adapter (next section) for that mount and get on with it. The lenses themselves have different character, and they are a matter of personal taste. I wouldn’t fault a single mount on any technicality, only convenience.

What about autofocus?

Autofocus is important to many shooters. Here’s a summary of autofocus features per mount:

• *Metabones has improved autofocus to a certain extent, but it’s still not close to what you can achieve with native Sony lenses
• **Commlite has introduced a new adapter (see below) with autofocus functionality, but it’s barely usable according to reports.

Which adapter I use and why

If you are building your kit from scratch, you should be extremely careful about selecting a set of prime lenses. After studying the above chart, my top choices for a ‘kit’ are

• EF mount
• FD mount
• Nikon F mount
• Zeiss Contax C/Y MM RTS

All of these are easy to find, not expensive, and offer excellent image quality, even for 4K. My personal favorite? I feel the best bet is the Nikon F system. It is the only mount that ticks all boxes:

• You want aperture ring and image stabilization? No problem.
• You want to use cheaper lenses or more expensive ones? No problem.
• It has a flange focal distance that makes it adaptable to even Canon cameras if the need ever arises in the future.
• Great prime lenses are available for cheap. Thankfully, Nikon has hardly changed their SLR mount, and you’ll never have a shortage of lenses.
• Not only do Nikon primes come in all focal lengths, you have various choices of year (like wine!) and model.
• Excellent resale value because millions of people still shoot with Nikon SLRs.
• No problem with service because Nikon still services them.
• There is a glimmer of hope for autofocus, but don’t get too excited!

You won’t regret siding with Nikon on this one. Here’s a video I’ve made about the Metabones G to E mount adapter (same principles apply to other adapters):

Download Video

List of adapters for the Sony a7S II and a7R II

Important information about the lens mount:

• For the a7R II: It’s not the same mount as the a7R and a7. Adapters made for those older versions might not work. This is explained in the video above.
• For the a7S II: It’s the same as the a7S, so adapters that work on the a7S will work with the a7S II.

Here is a list of adapters for each mount (for more information on judging quality of lens adapters, click here):

Important: I do not take responsibility for incompatibility or any issues you might have. Please speak to the manufacturers before purchasing.

Notes:

• *If you need aperture control and auto focus, the adapters tend to get expensive and heavier. Don’t go for the cheapest adapter possible, that’s counter-productive. Also, good adapters are more precise, as even half a millimeter error in machining will spoil focus. The most expensive adapters come with shimming kits.
• **There are few lenses that cover the full frame sensor. Generic adapters aren’t usually strong enough to withstand heavy PL lenses, so be extra careful. 

I use the Metabones G ($139) and it has withstood a year of rough use, almost every day. I have no hesitation in recommending Metabones products.

What about the Speed Booster?

The Metabones SpeedBooster can be useful, or pointless.

For the a7R II

I think the SpeedBooster is excellent value for money for the a7R II. You get two benefits:

• Shoot in APS-C mode with FF DOF characteristics (the a7R II does better at higher ISOs in APS-C mode)
• Increase the aperture of your lens for better low light performance.

For the a7S II

Avoid the SpeedBooster, it’s pointless. You can’t shoot 4K in APS-C mode. However, if you have these lying around, there’s nothing wrong in using them. It’s just not a wise ‘investment’ for the a7S II.

What about the ND Throttle?

We’ll discuss ND filters in the lesson about ND filters.

FAQs

These are important topics raised by subscribers that shed more light on this lesson.

Q. Which Metabones adapter should I use for EF lenses for autofocus?

A. This is a moving target! Sometimes it’s Metabones, and sometimes it’s Commlite. If you’re looking for quality, go for Metabones. If you just want autofocus and don’t really want to spend so much, Commlite should do.

Q. If I had a choice should I go for an adapter or not?

If you have a choice, never use an adapter. There’s no exception to this rule. People usually go for adapters because lens choices are limited.