I got it. It is amazing design by Chinese engineers. The size overall is nearly same as normal lense adapter. Autofocus is fast enough and quiet. With this adapter, I can explore many old manual lenses with Sony. Thanks for your recommendation.
It is $399 on the aliexpress, the older EA-7 has a huge price cut selling at $229. I have used the EA-7 I found generally when you use 50-58mm lens like Helios, Yashica 50mm, Takuma 50mm or 58mm Nikon F mount F1.4 Voigtlander I don't need to touch the focus ring but with lens like Nikon 105 F2.5 Ai F mount, 200mm F4.0 or M42 mount 135mm F3.5 I have to adjust manual focus to either infinity or just to the middle ( on the 105mm Nikon I put it around 5-7 m on the manual focus ring), the EA7 spec suggests max lens weight about 700, firstly there are not many vintage lenses weights above 700g and if I put a supporting hand below the lens the adapter still works fine with heavier lenses.
I first saw this in one of those instagram posts that looked like it was done by 5 Minute Craft and I actually thought it was a fake product. Then I looked into Techart and I was surprised too
I should be getting my a7r5 on Monday. I’m really excited and wanted to say thanks for all of your informative work that post 🎉 May the Lord Bless you and keep you!!!
Hey Dustin! Quick question in case you know the answer. I know this video is from a year ago. I recently bought the lm-ea9 adapter and have been trying it on my Sony A7IV. I've tried it with two 50mm lenses. To set the adapter up I know I take a photo at F8 to register the 50mm length and then set the aperture to F2 so it exposes correctly. I just bought a Helios 58mm lens. What aperture do we use to set the adapter? In the manual there's only 50mm (F8) and 60mm (F9). Do we use the closest one? Thanks
Interesting...as usual. Recently bought a Minolta CLE and three M mount lens. My SLR: SRT202, XE-7, XD, X-700. Curated a fun selection of MD/Rokkor glass (well...and that 90/2.5 Tokina)...DSLR: a7iv. (only have one Sony lens 24/70 GM2, but that is ok). I will have to buy the EA9...I don't really have any choice.😒
Thanks for the donation. Appreciated. I think overall you'll like the EA9. It works better with some lenses than others, but it does breathe new life into some old favorites.
Thank you so much for your review, very interesting. I ask you for advice, if possible: I bought the previous version (LM-EA7) a few years ago. Do you recommend that I buy this new one? Is it worth it? Are the differences worth the expense, given that its use is limited to infrequent "style exercises" anyway? Thanks for your advice, it's always a pleasure to read your reports. Good life to you and your family (and your religious community).
I'm actually tempted for the irix 45mm 1.4 and the samyang XP series of lenses (85mm 1.2 especially), which have some genuinely magical rendering but are a tad too impractical for most of my portrait shoots - very cheap 2nd hand due to their niche market position though. Wonder if they might be too heavy though...
I wonder if focusing by moving the whole lens, in lens which only a certain group is responsible for focusing (internal / rear / front focusing (as in a mirror telephoto lens)) has any significant impact on image quality. I would love to see working AF in lenses such as Rubinar 500/8, 3M-5A, or newer ones, e.g. Takumar 300/7.1
Not sure that it can be done easily because it would have to be 2mm shorter, since the flange distance is 20mm instead of 18mm. A Z-mount version however can be done easily.
THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE SINCE THE LEICA SL-2 HAS A SENSOR OPTIMIZED FOR LEICA M MOUNT LENSES THAT ARE WIDE ANGLE. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY MADE A TECHART L MOUNT ADAPTER FOR LM TO L MOUNT NATIVE
Hi Dustin, all, I saw how you calibrate the techart for each lens. In the table you have 50 mm at f8 and 60mm at F9, how do you deal with 55 or 58mm lenses??? Thanks
The manufacturer claims that the product has been significantly improved after long-term development. The price is with customs duty and import tax 500 + Eur. Why does the manufacturer not offer the usual and mandatory 2-year warranty in the EU, but only a 1-year warranty?
One word of warning thou: as a owner of this product I found it focus quite inaccurate and often hunt for focus when in low light, compared to modern g lens or sigma e mount lens, so if you plan to use your vintage lens in low light conditions this won't help much.
Hello, thanks a lot for this review! Two questions: 1) Does it work well in video mode ? (let's say enough for using a vintage lens as camera or for slow moving scenes?) 2) Have you found that the takumar 50mm f1.4 affects the sensor of your camera due to the radioactivity? I feel like since I started using it on my sony, I notice more artifacts when looking at the dark.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for the answer! I am really looking forward to buying one. I would love to be able to use it with my vivitar 28mm f2 or my takumar
If I understand this correctly, I can use this adapter with the Nikon F addon to autofocus a Lensbaby Twist or Sweet F mount lens with eye AF? That would be AWESOME!!!
@@DustinAbbottTWI they seem to offer it shipped with the adapter, from their page; "Stack additional adapters to enjoy autofocus with literally ANY lenses (EF / F / OM/ PK/ FD / LR / L39, etc)"
Do you know if there are any differences between Voigtlandert vm version on sony+techart and Voigtlander E-mont in sharpness or something else . What version would you recommend me to buy ?
Hi Dustin, thanks for this nice review. Here is a little question: I assigned a button to manual focus switch, but when I switch to manual, the adapter retracts and I loose the benefit of close focusing completely. Is there any way to prevent this happening? The f45 command seems to prevent retraction when I switch the camera off, but it doesn’t prevent it when I switch to manual focus… This is annoying, because sometimes I just want to tweak the focus with the help of magnification. If you still have the adapter, please check it out. Many thanks.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I use Sony A7RIII. I downgraded the firmware of the adapter to 1.4 and it works fine now! When I switch to manual focus, the adapter doesn’t retract anymore and stays in position. The problem apparently occurs with the newest firmware. I hate to go back to old firmwares, but in this case there was no other option. It is just way too important to use the close focus capability of the adapter in manual mode as well. Also, I can’t loose focus completely when I switch to manual focus, it is frustrating. Please try to test it with your newer cameras and let us know, it would help. No hurry of course. Many thanks.
Hello, I would like to know if this adapter works on the sony a6000, since amazon does not refer to the old apsc models but on the manufacturer's page yes, if it actually works on the sony a6000, will it have any limitations? great video, greetings
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you, I was wondering since the previous version only worked on certain models but I see that the latter works on a wide range of Sony models, I would not expect eye focus but a fairly decent focus, thank you very much!
You probably won't see something like that, as adapters utilize the difference in the distance from the sensor to the elements. There is no difference in the same mount.
@@DustinAbbottTWI took me 4 years to finally auto my vintage glass i have something similar but it works best in single shots not continue it locks up my A7riv for few seconds
The concept is a bit akin to using enlarger lenses which have no focus dial but are moved up & down. Ofcourse the object of focus - the film holder is set, But that process can be automated by feeding in the appropriate coordinates. The results that you show are far better than what I expected. However having used, adapted and tested several 100s of MF lenses - ranging from projector, enlarger, medium format, slr, cine & now actually also having several modern AF lenses, I find the real difference is the visualization process. With MF one can catch a fine detail of something at the split second moment & slightly vary to get the extra. There is a different intensity of visual concentration. With AF one sets the point & the rest is automated. With some old MF lenses one is working with them more like optical light-paint brushes & getting the texture-flare-focus is less about an automated process. Also the new mirrorless is giving us more advanced EVFs & other MF tools. On the other hand the newer AF lenses in concordance with the newer sensors & AF systems take one into their mode. I very rarely use MF on these AF lenses - only sometimes DMF for certain situations. Its fascinating to see how these modes evolve-converge & diverge
As I said in the conclusion, if you actually enjoy the manual focus process, something like this becomes unnecessary. Many people avoid manual focus, though.
@@DustinAbbottTWI It is not a question of MF vs AF preference and neither demeaning technologies that give more tools. It is just that the process of visualization that the earlier mechanical manual technologies demanded was different from the present day AF. Hence how one composes - whether a still image or freezing of a movement or working with a video rendering depends on how one works with the technology - be it that of AF or MF. And this comes from working with different processes of MF & AF. Both I appreciate & enjoy & both have developed the spectrum of the visual eye. I also think that the new technological tools have not only enhanced the AF but also the MF process. My main point as an open question was lens design & which processes bring out their visual potential.
Don't buy this adapter. There is zero and I mean ZERO support from techart when this adapter goes faulty. (and it will go faulty). I bought mine from techart themselves, and would only talk to me after I asked Paypal to refund my money.
That's unfortunate to hear. I haven't had any problems, myself, but I also recognize that I don't get the same level of service that a typical customer does.
@DustinAbbottTWI I totally understand, and the adapter when working was a revelation. Just trying raise awareness of their complete disregard for customers after buying the adapter, despite the one year warranty.
Late to the party here, but maybe this will help someone else. I'm not sure if Dustin had a preproduction model or something, the adapter does not allow for ANY autofocus in video. I've seen this in mentioned in other reviews and can confirm that under all available firmware versions, AF is completely unavailable in Video mode - at least on the A7IV. There is a bit of workaround though. If you set the camera to photo mode with all your video settings, you can use the AF to set focus before recording a clip. Then hit the video record button to start recording video from photo mode. This works with a slight delay, but will not use any AF while recording. I do still find it useful though personally. Another caveat is that this only works with firmware version 1.4 or earlier (the adapter allows you to choose any firmware version). Perhaps in the future they will add video AF. That said, if someone has found some other way of making it work on an A7IV I'd love to hear it.
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I got it. It is amazing design by Chinese engineers. The size overall is nearly same as normal lense adapter. Autofocus is fast enough and quiet. With this adapter, I can explore many old manual lenses with Sony. Thanks for your recommendation.
Does it work in video?
It is $399 on the aliexpress, the older EA-7 has a huge price cut selling at $229. I have used the EA-7 I found generally when you use 50-58mm lens like Helios, Yashica 50mm, Takuma 50mm or 58mm Nikon F mount F1.4 Voigtlander I don't need to touch the focus ring but with lens like Nikon 105 F2.5 Ai F mount, 200mm F4.0 or M42 mount 135mm F3.5 I have to adjust manual focus to either infinity or just to the middle ( on the 105mm Nikon I put it around 5-7 m on the manual focus ring), the EA7 spec suggests max lens weight about 700, firstly there are not many vintage lenses weights above 700g and if I put a supporting hand below the lens the adapter still works fine with heavier lenses.
Sounds fair.
I first saw this in one of those instagram posts that looked like it was done by 5 Minute Craft and I actually thought it was a fake product. Then I looked into Techart and I was surprised too
It does seem surreal at first.
I really appreciate you making these videos. Very helpful on me making decisions👍
Glad you like them!
This is absolutely amazing, and 85% focus accuracy with manual lenses: wow!
It's pretty cool.
A very well made review, it covered all the questions I was asking myself. Thanks a lot.
Glad it was helpful!
I should be getting my a7r5 on Monday. I’m really excited and wanted to say thanks for all of your informative work that post 🎉 May the Lord Bless you and keep you!!!
Thank you for the feedback...and for the blessing!
I don't have any manual focus lenses but my mind is currently blown with this product
They are cheap to get from ebay, gumtree or any of those places. Helios cost me $40, 200mm F4 Nikkor $67.
Getting the lenses is often the cheap part...if you search a bit. Pawn shops are really inexpensive places to find them.
my voigtlander 40 mm 1.2 Vm is impatiently waiting for this.
I can imagine!
Great detailed review again here, very interesting product.
It really is interesting.
I SOOOOO wish they would make one of these auto-focus adapters to fit a Canon RF body! I would put all my FL and FD glass on it.
That would be nice.
If they can come up with one for the Nikon Z cameras and their classic AF lenses, they'd sell like hotcakes!
I'm not sure whether or not that's a possiblity, but I would certainly love to see more of this.
It's happend! Now we just have to see if they'll do the screw AF of the 90s Af-d lenses. The futures pretty bright!
Hey Dustin! Quick question in case you know the answer. I know this video is from a year ago. I recently bought the lm-ea9 adapter and have been trying it on my Sony A7IV. I've tried it with two 50mm lenses. To set the adapter up I know I take a photo at F8 to register the 50mm length and then set the aperture to F2 so it exposes correctly. I just bought a Helios 58mm lens. What aperture do we use to set the adapter? In the manual there's only 50mm (F8) and 60mm (F9). Do we use the closest one? Thanks
Interesting...as usual. Recently bought a Minolta CLE and three M mount lens. My SLR: SRT202, XE-7, XD, X-700. Curated a fun selection of MD/Rokkor glass (well...and that 90/2.5 Tokina)...DSLR: a7iv. (only have one Sony lens 24/70 GM2, but that is ok). I will have to buy the EA9...I don't really have any choice.😒
Thanks for the donation. Appreciated. I think overall you'll like the EA9. It works better with some lenses than others, but it does breathe new life into some old favorites.
Thank you so much for your review, very interesting. I ask you for advice, if possible: I bought the previous version (LM-EA7) a few years ago. Do you recommend that I buy this new one? Is it worth it? Are the differences worth the expense, given that its use is limited to infrequent "style exercises" anyway?
Thanks for your advice, it's always a pleasure to read your reports.
Good life to you and your family (and your religious community).
The truth of the matter is that I have never spent any time with the LM-EA7, so I don't really know what is improved.
Wow, human eye-af works, that's fantastic. Great feature from elm7. What about animal eye-af and bird eye-af on A74 and A1?
Animal AF works. I didn’t test bird eye-AF
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks
I would absolutely buy a X mount version of this. Very clever!
It is clever, for sure.
I'm actually tempted for the irix 45mm 1.4 and the samyang XP series of lenses (85mm 1.2 especially), which have some genuinely magical rendering but are a tad too impractical for most of my portrait shoots - very cheap 2nd hand due to their niche market position though. Wonder if they might be too heavy though...
I think they would probably still work.
It should work but one has to hold the lens. People use first generation to AF Otus 85mm 1.4. But I haven’t tried on my SP 85:1.2.
there is 500 grams limit for the adapter, and samyang xp 85mm f/1.2 is 1kg.
So, small, short lenses only.
I wonder if focusing by moving the whole lens, in lens which only a certain group is responsible for focusing (internal / rear / front focusing (as in a mirror telephoto lens)) has any significant impact on image quality. I would love to see working AF in lenses such as Rubinar 500/8, 3M-5A, or newer ones, e.g. Takumar 300/7.1
So far I haven't seen a negative impact
interesting, now I just need this adaptor for L mount :)
Not sure that it can be done easily because it would have to be 2mm shorter, since the flange distance is 20mm instead of 18mm. A Z-mount version however can be done easily.
THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE SINCE THE LEICA SL-2 HAS A SENSOR OPTIMIZED FOR LEICA M MOUNT LENSES THAT
ARE WIDE ANGLE. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY MADE A TECHART L MOUNT ADAPTER FOR LM TO L MOUNT
NATIVE
Some mounts are easier to adapt to than others.
Hi Dustin, all, I saw how you calibrate the techart for each lens. In the table you have 50 mm at f8 and 60mm at F9, how do you deal with 55 or 58mm lenses??? Thanks
You just have to choose one or the other. The programming only works for more typical focal lengths.
The manufacturer claims that the product has been significantly improved after long-term development. The price is with customs duty and import tax 500 + Eur. Why does the manufacturer not offer the usual and mandatory 2-year warranty in the EU, but only a 1-year warranty?
That's pretty steep. As for the manufacturer's warranty - I don't have the answer. I don't work for them, obviously.
One word of warning thou: as a owner of this product I found it focus quite inaccurate and often hunt for focus when in low light, compared to modern g lens or sigma e mount lens, so if you plan to use your vintage lens in low light conditions this won't help much.
Low light performance is often an area of weakness for lenses (or adapters). It's at the edge of things where the weakness lies.
Hello, thanks a lot for this review!
Two questions:
1) Does it work well in video mode ? (let's say enough for using a vintage lens as camera or for slow moving scenes?)
2) Have you found that the takumar 50mm f1.4 affects the sensor of your camera due to the radioactivity? I feel like since I started using it on my sony, I notice more artifacts when looking at the dark.
The amount of radioactivity on the Takumar is extremely low. It shouldn't cause any issue. Autofocus would work perhaps for very slow motion in video.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for the answer!
I am really looking forward to buying one. I would love to be able to use it with my vivitar 28mm f2 or my takumar
I have a Helios 44-2 takumar 50mm 1.4 and 135mm 2.5 i use a similar adopter with my A7RIV
That's fun.
Would this autofocus adapter work with a heavy lens like a Helios-40?
It should. I haven't tested that exact combo, though.
Lens 58 mm. or 55 mm.How to use F on the camera . Thank
You may have to go with 55mm
If I understand this correctly, I can use this adapter with the Nikon F addon to autofocus a Lensbaby Twist or Sweet F mount lens with eye AF? That would be AWESOME!!!
I think that's true...so long as there is an F-mount to M-mount adapter.
@@DustinAbbottTWI they seem to offer it shipped with the adapter, from their page;
"Stack additional adapters to enjoy autofocus with literally ANY lenses (EF / F / OM/ PK/ FD / LR / L39, etc)"
Do you know if there are any differences between Voigtlandert vm version on sony+techart and Voigtlander E-mont in sharpness or something else . What version would you recommend me to buy ?
E Mount version is better in both 50apo and 35apo. Slightly different optical design.
Thanks, Frank.
Is there a higher risk to get sensor dust with this adapter vs using a native AF lens ?
I doubt so with the adapter mounted. There are two mount points rather than one, but that bayonet sits pretty tight.
Hi Dustin, thanks for this nice review. Here is a little question: I assigned a button to manual focus switch, but when I switch to manual, the adapter retracts and I loose the benefit of close focusing completely. Is there any way to prevent this happening? The f45 command seems to prevent retraction when I switch the camera off, but it doesn’t prevent it when I switch to manual focus… This is annoying, because sometimes I just want to tweak the focus with the help of magnification. If you still have the adapter, please check it out. Many thanks.
Hmmm, I do still have the adapter. I'll have to look at it.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I use Sony A7RIII. I downgraded the firmware of the adapter to 1.4 and it works fine now! When I switch to manual focus, the adapter doesn’t retract anymore and stays in position. The problem apparently occurs with the newest firmware. I hate to go back to old firmwares, but in this case there was no other option. It is just way too important to use the close focus capability of the adapter in manual mode as well. Also, I can’t loose focus completely when I switch to manual focus, it is frustrating. Please try to test it with your newer cameras and let us know, it would help. No hurry of course. Many thanks.
Waiting for your Samyang 135mm 1.8f review!
Me too, but Samyang isn't returning my emails.
Do you still use it ? I’ve read about issues with focusing, I need your feedback after some time ?
Yes, I do still use it. My feelings on it vary from lens to lens. It's not magic, though it does (mostly) do what it claims to do.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Do you use it sometimes for video? :)
Is there a Sony E Manual Lens to LM adaptor out there? I own several Manual E-mount lens that I would love to convert to auto.
I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that.
Hello, I would like to know if this adapter works on the sony a6000, since amazon does not refer to the old apsc models but on the manufacturer's page yes, if it actually works on the sony a6000, will it have any limitations? great video, greetings
It should work fine, though obviously a more limited focus system is going to deliver poorer results than a very good focus system.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you, I was wondering since the previous version only worked on certain models but I see that the latter works on a wide range of Sony models, I would not expect eye focus but a fairly decent focus, thank you very much!
Why there is no Sony E to Sony E autofocus adapter? I got few sony E manual lenses and want to use them on sony camera
You probably won't see something like that, as adapters utilize the difference in the distance from the sensor to the elements. There is no difference in the same mount.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks for answer, dream about changing my laowa 65mm to autofocus lens felt apart :(
I don't understand if it works on A7III or just on A7IV! please can somebody let me know? Thank you
It does work with the a7III
I would like to use it on my sony a9 and a1, are there any problems using the electronic shutter?
I used it on my A1 on electronic shutter exclusively. No issues.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for reply. good info for me!
Outstanding presentation
Thank you! Cheers!
@@DustinAbbottTWI took me 4 years to finally auto my vintage glass i have something similar but it works best in single shots not continue it locks up my A7riv for few seconds
Is it working on sony a7ii
I didn't test it there. You'd have to ask Techart.
The concept is a bit akin to using enlarger lenses which have no focus dial but are moved up & down. Ofcourse the object of focus - the film holder is set, But that process can be automated by feeding in the appropriate coordinates. The results that you show are far better than what I expected. However having used, adapted and tested several 100s of MF lenses - ranging from projector, enlarger, medium format, slr, cine & now actually also having several modern AF lenses, I find the real difference is the visualization process. With MF one can catch a fine detail of something at the split second moment & slightly vary to get the extra. There is a different intensity of visual concentration. With AF one sets the point & the rest is automated. With some old MF lenses one is working with them more like optical light-paint brushes & getting the texture-flare-focus is less about an automated process. Also the new mirrorless is giving us more advanced EVFs & other MF tools. On the other hand the newer AF lenses in concordance with the newer sensors & AF systems take one into their mode. I very rarely use MF on these AF lenses - only sometimes DMF for certain situations. Its fascinating to see how these modes evolve-converge & diverge
As I said in the conclusion, if you actually enjoy the manual focus process, something like this becomes unnecessary. Many people avoid manual focus, though.
@@DustinAbbottTWI It is not a question of MF vs AF preference and neither demeaning technologies that give more tools. It is just that the process of visualization that the earlier mechanical manual technologies demanded was different from the present day AF. Hence how one composes - whether a still image or freezing of a movement or working with a video rendering depends on how one works with the technology - be it that of AF or MF. And this comes from working with different processes of MF & AF. Both I appreciate & enjoy & both have developed the spectrum of the visual eye. I also think that the new technological tools have not only enhanced the AF but also the MF process. My main point as an open question was lens design & which processes bring out their visual potential.
6:27 Cat alert! ⚠
Yep!
Don't buy this adapter. There is zero and I mean ZERO support from techart when this adapter goes faulty. (and it will go faulty). I bought mine from techart themselves, and would only talk to me after I asked Paypal to refund my money.
That's unfortunate to hear. I haven't had any problems, myself, but I also recognize that I don't get the same level of service that a typical customer does.
@DustinAbbottTWI I totally understand, and the adapter when working was a revelation. Just trying raise awareness of their complete disregard for customers after buying the adapter, despite the one year warranty.
You look much older Dustin. Take care of yourself.
Ummm, I am getting older. Not much any of us can do about that.
sorry if I missed it, but does this allow for af-c in video?
Yes, though it won't be as flawless as a native autofocus lens.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks for this review I have the Fotodiox Pro PRONTO mkii and it does autofocus in video the techart is now a better choice
Late to the party here, but maybe this will help someone else. I'm not sure if Dustin had a preproduction model or something, the adapter does not allow for ANY autofocus in video. I've seen this in mentioned in other reviews and can confirm that under all available firmware versions, AF is completely unavailable in Video mode - at least on the A7IV. There is a bit of workaround though. If you set the camera to photo mode with all your video settings, you can use the AF to set focus before recording a clip. Then hit the video record button to start recording video from photo mode. This works with a slight delay, but will not use any AF while recording. I do still find it useful though personally. Another caveat is that this only works with firmware version 1.4 or earlier (the adapter allows you to choose any firmware version). Perhaps in the future they will add video AF. That said, if someone has found some other way of making it work on an A7IV I'd love to hear it.