You will finally be able to use Nikon old AF lenses on mirrorless cameras
Nov 27, 2023
Sagiv Gilburd
Sagiv Gilburd is an Israel-based commercial photographer and videographer with extensive expertise in studio work, event photography, and managing large-scale photography projects.
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You will finally be able to use Nikon old AF lenses on mirrorless cameras
Nov 27, 2023
Sagiv Gilburd
Sagiv Gilburd is an Israel-based commercial photographer and videographer with extensive expertise in studio work, event photography, and managing large-scale photography projects.
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If you are sitting on a big stash of old Nikkor lenses, MonsterAdapter has some really big news. Their new LA-FE2 adapter does something no other adapter has done before. Support for screw-drive autofocus lenses on modern mirrorless cameras.
One minor issue, though. Bad news for Nikon shooters who were hoping this would fix what was missing from Nikon’s own FTZ adapters. MonsterAdapter has only announced the adapter for Sony’s E-mount. Not Nikon’s Z-mount.
Why the MonsterAdapter LA-FE2 is a big step in Nikon adapters
The MonsterAdapter LA-FE2 adapter lets you use the old “Nikkor AF” lenses. Many screw-drive AF lenses are part of Nikon’s D-series lenses. It’s a large series of lenses that started in 1987 with some really great optics for the time.
The LA-FE2 is actually an upgrade of sorts to another adapter of theirs. The LA-FE1 adapter. Both allow you to change the aperture and use the autofocus of Nikon D and G-series AF-S lenses. G lenses are a newer series from the D-series, but they are great in their optics and selection as well.
It’s just that with the LA-FE2, you can now use older screw-drive AF D and G lenses. You can go back all the way to the very first AF lenses from Nikon. In other words, Sony shooters should now have full autofocus control on all screw-drive AF Nikkor lenses.
Why couldn’t you use these lenses before?
For those unaware, Nikon’s screw-drive AF lenses have a significant difference from more recent AF-S and AF-P lenses. Screw-drive AF lenses require a camera with a built-in autofocus motor. Well, you could still mount them on camera without one, but you wouldn’t get autofocus functionality.
Screw-drive AF worked well, but it had a major flaw. Its focus speed was dependent on the speed of the AF motor in the camera. Nikon switched to AF-S, which put the autofocus motor in the lens. This meant they should, in theory, offer the same performance on all Nikon camera bodies.
Not all Nikon DSLRs offer an AF motor (like the D3x00 and D5x00 series DSLRs), and when Nikon moved to the Z mirrorless lineup, they ditched this mechanism altogether.
An opportunity T
This is where MonsterAdapter comes in. This wouldn’t be the first time they would release a less-than-typical adapter. For example, they are still the only ones making Pentax K to Sony E autofocus adapters.
And while I admit it’s weird that the first screw-drive AF adapter comes to Sony’s E-mount before Nikon’s own Z-mount, I’m still excited about this announcement. It is a chance to finally take my old lenses out of the closet.
Demo videos
MonsterAdapter released two demo videos showing the adapter at work.
Busting the “D series” myth
A number of outlets have reported that this is a “D” adapter. While many of Nikon’s D-type lenses use the screw-drive AF system, not all of them do. The Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED, for example, is both a D-type lens and contains its own autofocus motor (AF-S). This means it works fine with the current Nikon FTZ adapter.
There are also a number of “G” type lenses out there that are also screw-drive AF. Not all of them are AF-S. Likewise, lenses like the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G can be G-type and still require a body with an autofocus motor. Not all G-type lenses are AF-S lenses.
Yes, the majority of screw-drive AF lenses are “D” type, and the majority of AF-S type lenses are “G” type, but the D and G monikers have nothing to do with the autofocus system. It simply means they contain a distance chip and either have (D) or don’t have (G) an aperture ring. Both types can also have their aperture controlled by the camera.
This is why people often confuse and misreport “D” and “G” type lenses when they mean “AF” and “AF-S”.
Price and availability
According to MonsterAdapter, LA-FE2 will be available this year. The price is still yet to be announced.
And hopefully, now that we have a Sony E-mount adapter, a Nikon Z-mount version isn’t that far off in the distance.
[via nikonrumors]
Sagiv Gilburd
Sagiv Gilburd is an Israel-based commercial photographer and videographer with extensive expertise in studio work, event photography, and managing large-scale photography projects.
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