I just got my Nikon ZF camera with Voigtlander 15mm and 35mm 1.4 Nokton Classic lenses adapted via TZM02. Initially, I faced issues with autofocus, especially in low light, as it would not stop hunting. After changing the settings to 3D AF mode and AFC, the AI in the ZF now manages to autofocus with ease, and it works like a charm. I really enjoy this setup, and it opens up the possibility for all M Mount lenses to have autofocus capabilities, which is incredibly amazing.
@@benjhaisch I am a huge fan of this, I have 2 of the older version for Sony and it is an awesome tool. One of them broke but I still use it because it is allowing me to use eye focus for focus confirmation :).
@@FART-REPELLENT The adapter requires you change the way you shoot :D it moves the entire lens - and its auto focusing - so there is no need to hold the lens.
Thanks for this video. A week late for me as I just swapped 4 m-mount lenses for Voigtlander Z-mount equivalents. I pondered about the Techart adapter for a few months but decided against the investment for 5 reasons: 1. The adapter contradicts the effect of the floating elements that deal with optical corrections for "close" focus on some of the best m lenses (35 FLE, 50 asph, 75 asph, Zeiss 35 f/1.4, etc, etc) ; 2. User reports highlight a substantial rate of failure - seems like the mtbf for the adapter is counted in months and the device is very sensitive to wear and tear; 3. User reports often highlight focus failure even when it all seems ok in the viewfinder - the jittering motor might explain that; 4. Techart have zero customer service capability in Europe - basically if you have an issue you are screwed; 5. I do not trust Techart's ability to maintain firmware as Nikon fiddles with AF features.
even for it's neighbouring countries, Techart also have zero customer service capability :) they only focuses on selling them, not repairing them, i guess.
It’s very cool that this exists. I recently got the Megadap EF to Z adapter for using my Canon DSLR lenses on my Zf. It’s so great to be able to use so many classic lenses I shoot film with on my Zf with great AF (and full metadata). So fun.
Good work Benj. Imagine this for the Leica SL system though. Then we have an AF camera with a sensor thats designed for M lenses with better results than Sony/Nikon etc. Of course the adapter itself needs to also compensate for distance to the sensor for things like corner sharpness too. Of course shooting wide open these things matter less but im more curious about closed down apertures f5.6-11. This is all super nerdy and doesn't usually matter but in the case of Leica or M mount lenses they are so expensive so it's always a little concerning for me when adapting them.
How’s the hit rate on shots? I’ve had adapters like this before and they confirmed focus but the shot wasn’t actually in focus when I looked at the image.
I own this adapter. Add any of the many inexpensive vintage 35mm to M adapters and you can also get decent AF performance with vintage lenses... think Leica R, Contax CY, Nikon F... the list is long. It really suits the Zf... I can use all my Nikon AI/AIS glass with it.
The techart adaptor for e mount also works super well - if only they could make one for L mount - it's going to make my m mount lenses work a treat on the SL3.
One thing to keep in mind is that lenses with floating elements will suffer a bit from not moving those elements because the focussing is now done externally. Good video! :)
@@benjhaisch I've heard that as well, the 35mm lux FLE comes to mind. But as far as I know the main purpose of a floating element (or group, really) is to keep aberrations and image quality consistent throughout the range. But of course how much of in impact that might have will vary from lens to lens as well. So ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@noenken I’d assume the performance would be the same as whatever the infinity performance would be with this in particular. I’d assume this would be the case as the entire lens groupings all move in and out together without any change. As lenses move the relationship between the elements also move which could cause those aberrations? The FLE compensating for that? That’s at least my understanding, but happy to be proven wrong.
@benjhaisch I think you are on the right track if I understand you correctly. Just think about cromatic aberration and how APO lenses handle that. A floating element is key to be able to bring all wavelengths onto one single plane of focus in all focus positions, right? So in theory you should be able to see worse chroma performance the closer you get with this adapter while leaving the lens manual focus at infinity. And yes, it's probably the same with overall sharpness aka focus shift. That is how I understand floating elements.
the techart adapter for L-Mount is long overdue... That would open up so many possibilites for Leica and Lumix users. @benj have you tried adapting Nikon F glass to M mount and sticking that adapter onto the techart? Should be possible if iam not mistaken.
They also have the same adapter for M to E mount. I use it with the Sony A7CR and it works similar to ZF. It makes it an even more versatile camera now that it adapts my m lens making it autofocus.
I’ve been using it for a while on Sony, works great with better lenses. My Voigtlander 35 f1.4 is also great as long as you keep the af in the centre, probably due to lens performance towards the edges
I bought the Techart Adapter for Contax G lens and it is unreliable on the ZF. It works for like a minute and then stops working. I bought the megadap adapter instead to use sony lenses and it works flawlessly. The autofocus sometimes feels like its a native lens
Honestly, I bought this adapter 2 months before the Nikon zf released just to use my vintage manual focus lenses. I’ve used this pair on and it is now my favorite system. I used fujifilm for a long time, but I have since moved to Nikon all because of this setup. It’s not for everyone, it’s not the best focusing adapter but I’ve used so many different lenses with character that it makes it all worth it. Thanks for making this vid. Love your channel. 📸
May I ask you? Have you a chance to test Sony with Techart Auto Focus adapter with Leica M lens? How is it comparing to Nikon + Techart + M lens in term of speed and focus accuracy? Thank you.
Great video Benj! Does the Techart transmit the f-stop data to the Zf? Dependent on the lens having contacts? Thypoch does not correct? Also I assume the Techart does not transmit the focal length either unless lens has contacts, like voigtlander does?
No M-Mount lenses transmit f-stop data to my knowledge. Focal length gets determined by how the lens interacts with the focusing mechanisms on an M to my knowledge. No M lenses have contacts, only 6-bit coding my knowledge as well. All that to say, it all is easy to manually enter.
@@benjhaisch Thanks. Yes non-cpu lens setup, but f-stop would be nice. So do you know if the Voigtlander m-mount is same, no contacts? Because the Z mount does have them and transmits f-stop, lens focal length.
@paulboskerphotography the M cameras only use 6-but coding, so there’s no reason for anything electronic to get transmitted. The 6-bit coding only tells an M camera what lens is mounted as well.
@@benjhaisch Ok, I'm a Nikon shooter, so no experience with Leica or m-mounts. Wouldn't the coding be transmitted by contacts? How is it if not? What did your Zf show when you had the voigtlander m mount on the teacart adaptor?
I shot an evening stage performance and street performers with the Zf and Techart adapter. I was shocked that eye focus grabs on with moving fire handling buskers in near dark urban conditions with a Jupiter 85mm f2. I'm having a lot of fun with this combo.
Oh my god this is amazing! And is this the sexiest looking combo ever??? It might be. Only thing i dont like about the ZF is the vlog style lcd screen i wish it had a normal flippy screen like a fuji XT3 for example
I really don’t like the way the flip screen now seems to be only available on high end cameras and with all other cameras we now have to put up with a fully articulating screen which is irritating for photography.
Yup. I went from xpro2 and xt3 to the Zf, the Zf is so damn good, it's miles ahead of the xt3. Except the f***** flippy screen.. I just never flip it, let it sit there. But it's a shame really. Who's gonna use a Zf for video anyways? The screen is very high quality though and the images are so good it's crazy(I've never used full frame before mind you)
@@JHL1994 The nice thing though is that you can now reverse the screen and use the camera strictly through the viewfinder. If you're going for retro, then this makes more sense imho.
Ok. This is going to be a run-on sentence, but I want to make sure I'm asking clearly lol. If you were to decouple focus acquisition from the shutter button (IE: fires shot only, doesn't initiate focus)... and instead use back button for AF... does that mean that you can use the back button to initialize autofocus via the adapter... but also retain the ability to simply grab the focus tab and use it to manually focus? Meaning that effectively you can leave it set to infinity and shoot autofocus all you want, but with the ability to jump straight to manual focus any time? Odd question, I know, but I've always wanted to have this ability in a clear motion rather than tied to buttons or switches. The Leica Q basically does it, but of course that's a fixed 28.
So yes, you can, you just get stuck with whatever the camera has last autofocused to, so it o have full range, you have to focus to infinity with AF and then you have the full MF range if that makes sense
@@benjhaisch Ok, cool. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I could see this "reset" motion becoming muscle memory, similar to mindlessly resetting M lenses to infinity so it's easy to "pull" focus onto the subject quickly in the OVF. Thanks! Definitely an interesting option to keep in mind. The ZF does appear to be a pretty nice camera too.
I'd personally pick the TTArtisan 6bit M-Z adapter instead. You get the fine experience of manually focusing Leica lenses (and other vintage glass adapted to Leica M) and trap focus with subject detection and 3D tracking. And you can "input" focal lengths to the exif on the fly. No need to fiddle with making sure you are not gripping the lens or being in infinity or not.
I'm sorry you don't get it. I hold the camera body over my head and take no-look shots with lenses wide open with this tech. You have sold yourself short.
Thanks for the video, nice job. I just became tired of battling AF period. I picked up the Voigtländer close focusing M adapter for my Z7II and absolutely love it. Sure it's a bit slower initially but with a focusing tab you learn the lens just like you would on an M body. I know what I'm focusing on, no hunting, once set it doesn't move unless I move it. Absolutely love it. Makes DOF preview wonderful. Slows me down and I'm excited about making pictures again. X100V has been on the shelf for the past six months... not anticipating a change, except possibly getting more older Leica glass. d:-)
Thanks for your review. I would like to add that when using, for example, fast noctilux 0.95, there will be a difference in the bokeh pattern. In short, with an adapter, the bokeh is worse) And one more detail - the focus on fast lenses often works poorly. And very often at night, when it is exactly what you need) Therefore, as a toy it is ok, but it is easier to continue using Leica on Leica)
The aesthetics of Leica glass, esp with the lens hood, on the Zf alone makes this worth the 400, and that's before the full capabilities of the autofocus combined with the quality of the glass. Honestly if anything it kind of looks like a chunkier Leica in some angles lol
I have used Leica lenses on my Fuji XPro2 with the Fuji M adaptor. Manual focus of course. With this setup, I would typically open the aperture to the max to make focusing more accurate (i.e. reduce DoF to make it more ovious when the focus wasn't dead on.) This made handling a bit awkward as I would then have to move the aperture back to where I wanted it exposure-wise befor pushing the button. My question is: With the Techart adaptor, does focusing remain accurate with the lens set at (say) f/8? Or would you recommend some aperture changing to get the best results? (Lenses designed for SLRs, DSLRs etc. wouldn't have this issue as they normally sit at their max aperture, only stopping down at the instant the picutre is being taken.)
Nice! I have the first version and it's really the only way to focus mf lenses fast enough on a camera without a rangefinder, for anything but stationary subjects [for me].
Does this adapter work better on Nikon Z or Sony? I noticed on the site that it supports video on Nikon but unsure if that feature ever came over to Sony after.
Hola… muchas gracias por tu trabajo. Yo tengo dudas quiero comprar la Nikon zf o la leica m240. Tengo una leica m8 y estoy enamorado de ella… pero estoy confuso. Mi idea es fotografiar con lentes manuales zuiko om y voigtlander m
Hey! I wonder if anyone has ever used this setup with the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4? It's definitely worth to check it out for me, having also a closer focusing ability than 0.7m, an EVF, IOS, etc... I also just recently purchased the Brighting Star 28mm 2.8 and would love to try it out as well with this setup.
thx for the review. With techart adapter is there some physical switch where i can switch between manual focus and autofocus with my leica lens? or am i stuck with autofocus only with this adapter? thank you 🙏
Hi Ben I got the adapter and after a regular firmware update for my zf. Now the camera says shutter error and does not focus. Do you experience such a weird thing?
Interesting. I just bought the Sony A7C2 in japan. I have been using vintage Voigtlander 70mm MF and Nikon 20mm MF lenses. Can this techart adapter be used in conjunction with Sony A7C2 ?
I find Zf a bit heavy for my use and prefer a7cii, etc. as a compact kit if that's what we are looking for. I know Zf is much better looking but is heavier and the grip attachment wasnt good enough for me
I already own a Zf. I'm just gettin ginto leica film cameras (with an M4-P), and I'll definitely pick this up later. It's a perfect system being able to use lenses on both systems, and using the Zf with a sharp 105 f2.8 macro to scan film. It's almost symbiotic
@@yuenlam82 Camera on a copy stand connected to Lightroom Classic with a USB-C cable. The lens is the Nikon 105mm f2.8 micro Z mount (but the F mount version works as well). Essential film holder with a bright WB controlled LED under it. Aperture at 5.6, because that's where it's the sharpest, ISO 100 and shutter speed anywhere between 1/60-1/200 depending on the film and your light. You have to get the film and the sensor perfectly paralell to each other, I use a mirror for this. You put the mirror over where the film would be, and the lens of the camera should be perfectly centered. I try and get as close to the film as possibe while covering the whole frame. The 105mm 2.8 "only" has a 1:1 magnification, so usually the film is only milimeters away from the lens' close point. Negative Lab Pro to convert (I like the Noritsu for color), and export high-res jpeg-s. You can also do pixel shift for a 96 megapixel scan, but everything has to be super stable (I mean REALLY stable).
@ Thank u Viti for your quick reply!! I just got myself one in Aliexpress ( im in spain) . Hope it works well and hope there is a good reliability… Will try to find a 2nd hand copystand and a macro lens.. I actually have a plustek 8200 second hand, but the process is pretty slow… spended about 2 hours scanning a 36.. cut, alight, test, redo of comething went wrong. Using a program called Vue Scan… but looks like options are pretty basic… Changing this method i may gain speed and also ability to scan 120… Thank a lot and hope u get a good copy of the adapter !
@@yuenlam82 I cannot recommend the Essential film holder enough. Setup is the longest, depending on what you use (around 10-15 minutes tops for me), but if you are set up, and you set focus on the first image (which is really easy with focus peaking on the Zf) a roll is about 10 minutes, sometimes even faster. You can also get mask for 120 film or 35mm with sprocket holes, but each time you switch masks (the size of film you want to scan) you have to adjust the distance of your camera and focus. I recommend doing batches of 35mm and 120 separately
Sad that it’s the 2nd Nikon ZF video that you’ve not mentioned that besides the 26mm 2.8, they also have a wonderful 28mm 2.8 that actually focuses quicker. No love for that lens? 😀
I use the 28mm for most of my photos on the ZF and it's one of the reasons the ZF is disappointing me. I love the focus speed size, etc...but the lens is just lacking that pop that Leica glass has. I wish Nikon or VC would release some small mf lenses that have that extra pop I'm looking for.
Haha I made the same mistake twice. To be fair, I filmed three videos in a row *and* they do make a 26/2.8 as well, but I was definitely referring to the 28/2.8 :)
@@benjhaisch I actually thought you had the 26/2.8 Haha.. All good. I was just wondering why you were giving the 28mm no love. I really love mine although it's optically not the greatest lens but it's a bit like the Fuji XF 18mm f2 that it's not the greatest lens optically but there's just something about the size that works. I think the 26mm is optically a lot better but the focus is a tad slower and noiser. Love the videos on the ZF so far. I also have the Techart adapter and it's wonderful. A couple of things you didn't mention is that if turn off the auto focus function, it allows for full manual focus assists unlike just a dumb adapter. In addition to that, if you set the aperture value on the camera to a certain value, it records focal length information in the EXIF.
Been using the tech art autofocus adapters on my Sony’s from the day it came out. First and second version. Both great. Love the look from Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses on full frame. Just great. Great job Benj!!!
@@benjhaisch as far as I know, it should matter (at least a bit) because floating elements move at a different rate than the whole housing as you focus to adjust for different distances. If a lens has floating elements and you focus by moving the whole lens, performance might be reduced at closer distances or perhaps in the corners. For example the micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 has floating elements, when you focus closer not only the lens unit moves, but also the inner distance between some elements changes according to the focusing distance via a second inner helicoid
@javixo1997 that’s mostly to work with focus shifts though, yeah? Something that shouldn’t pertain to this in particular to my knowledge, either way, I haven’t had any issues with close focus even when the lenses are set to infinity.
note that you can get a Nikon F to Leica M mount adapter which allows your vintage Nikon MF lenses to be used with this as well. u can do the same with canon fd.
I love this teleconverter but for the money they need to last. I went through 2 in 2 months. Just froze up and wouldn’t focus anymore. I’m going to get another one when they’re a little better
It’s pretty impressive. Just picked mine up w my Zf, the first thing I thought (paired with the 50mm Nokton 1.5) was “wow, this seems as good or better than the continuous AF on my x100VI” 😮 400 is very steep but really opens up the mount. May need to sell the x100VI
Woah, first time I am seeing this camera. I’m def digging it! Much smaller than my A7RII which is what I typically adapt my M lenses to. I personally hate that setup. This seems much better for that purpose.
@aqilhidayattttt I’m wondering if some of them just stick out too far and could hit the adapter as it moves in and out. But I have seen it be an issue on mine uet
@@ajk5585 Leica lenses are made with very tight tolerance, it is very smooth when you turn the focus ring or the aperture ring and the focusing is gradual, so it is easy to guess where you almost reach the focus. About the method, the lenses have all the markings required for hyper-focusing distance.
Not worth ir in the end. I got it and used on Z6 II and Z9 with TTartisan 50mm 0.95 and Samyang 85mm 1.4. With Z6 II focusing is very inconsistent. Forget about AF-C or video. Needs very good lighting. Freezes very often. Have to turn camera on/off to get it working again. With Z9 focusing a little bit more consistent, but still unusable in poor lighting or AF-C/video. It's not reliable for serious photography. Funny to play around for a couple of weeks, but when excitment of 0.95 or ''vintage'' lenses weans off, believe me this adapter will be collecting dust on the shelf. Any Z mount autofocus lens of any brand is way better option... or just use manual, at least you can blame yourself if photos are not in focus, instead of smashing adapter against the wall :) comments like ''this is sexy combo'' doesn't sound convincing as it is tool for taking pictures.. not some lingerie from sexshop
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I just got my Nikon ZF camera with Voigtlander 15mm and 35mm 1.4 Nokton Classic lenses adapted via TZM02. Initially, I faced issues with autofocus, especially in low light, as it would not stop hunting. After changing the settings to 3D AF mode and AFC, the AI in the ZF now manages to autofocus with ease, and it works like a charm. I really enjoy this setup, and it opens up the possibility for all M Mount lenses to have autofocus capabilities, which is incredibly amazing.
Yep! That’s what I’ve been using as well
One of the guys at the shop recommend me I use W-L auto focus on the ZF but ever since I started using 3D AFC - it works much better!
Ok that's it. Nikon Zf ordered. I'm gonna grab the Techart and a Voigtlander. this looks like so much fun.
I use it on Nikon FZ….awesome!
Get typoch symera, z mount, much cheaper setup
@@strippedlist I have a soft spot for Voigtlander, they have made some of my fav lenses over the last 15 years. I want to get some of them again.
@@strippedlist maybe but when you’ve a load of M Mount lenses it’s a super way of making them autofocus. I’ve also a £15 manual adapter for Z Mount
@@bytomw I'll always have a soft spot for the 35mm f/1.2 Nokton series. I've had the first two, lovely lenses.
4:07 if you are holding the lens the adapter is going to break pretty quickly, ask me how do I know :D
yeah.... honestly one of the only downsides so far
@@benjhaisch I am a huge fan of this, I have 2 of the older version for Sony and it is an awesome tool. One of them broke but I still use it because it is allowing me to use eye focus for focus confirmation :).
@@SimeonKolev Then the adapter is crap, not worth promoting.
@@FART-REPELLENT well it does stuff that nothing else do and there is nothing better from it so...
@@FART-REPELLENT The adapter requires you change the way you shoot :D it moves the entire lens - and its auto focusing - so there is no need to hold the lens.
I really think this channel is underrated. Your videos are excellent and your photos are amazing as well.
Appreciate that!
Thanks for this video. A week late for me as I just swapped 4 m-mount lenses for Voigtlander Z-mount equivalents. I pondered about the Techart adapter for a few months but decided against the investment for 5 reasons: 1. The adapter contradicts the effect of the floating elements that deal with optical corrections for "close" focus on some of the best m lenses (35 FLE, 50 asph, 75 asph, Zeiss 35 f/1.4, etc, etc) ; 2. User reports highlight a substantial rate of failure - seems like the mtbf for the adapter is counted in months and the device is very sensitive to wear and tear; 3. User reports often highlight focus failure even when it all seems ok in the viewfinder - the jittering motor might explain that; 4. Techart have zero customer service capability in Europe - basically if you have an issue you are screwed; 5. I do not trust Techart's ability to maintain firmware as Nikon fiddles with AF features.
even for it's neighbouring countries, Techart also have zero customer service capability :) they only focuses on selling them, not repairing them, i guess.
really hope an L-Mount adapter comes out for this! is that possible you think? L to M autofocus adapter?
same, it's so odd that the Leica L-mount is the one that isn't available.
I use my Leica M lenses on my Olympus EM1 MkII. They work so well, even wide open particularly the 75 F2 Apo Summicron. Pure magic.
I wished they made it for L mount
Another great video, Benj. Keep rocking it, man.
Good to know the Summilux works on it. Gonna get one now.
I have Zf and good small M lenses, so I'll purchase this adapter asap.
Thank you for the great review!
It’s very cool that this exists. I recently got the Megadap EF to Z adapter for using my Canon DSLR lenses on my Zf. It’s so great to be able to use so many classic lenses I shoot film with on my Zf with great AF (and full metadata). So fun.
Whatever happened to the cascade 3 presets?
Good work Benj. Imagine this for the Leica SL system though. Then we have an AF camera with a sensor thats designed for M lenses with better results than Sony/Nikon etc. Of course the adapter itself needs to also compensate for distance to the sensor for things like corner sharpness too. Of course shooting wide open these things matter less but im more curious about closed down apertures f5.6-11. This is all super nerdy and doesn't usually matter but in the case of Leica or M mount lenses they are so expensive so it's always a little concerning for me when adapting them.
I am scared to get this and not use my M11. I don't need that temptation Benj !! Great video, man :)
How cold is it in that room?!
cold in the mornings, hot AF in the afternoons this time of year :/
Is it working well with the simera 28?
How’s the hit rate on shots? I’ve had adapters like this before and they confirmed focus but the shot wasn’t actually in focus when I looked at the image.
What was the opening song after the intro? 0:30
I own this adapter. Add any of the many inexpensive vintage 35mm to M adapters and you can also get decent AF performance with vintage lenses... think Leica R, Contax CY, Nikon F... the list is long. It really suits the Zf... I can use all my Nikon AI/AIS glass with it.
The techart adaptor for e mount also works super well - if only they could make one for L mount - it's going to make my m mount lenses work a treat on the SL3.
Is this a new preset??? 😮
Would love to be able to try this camera body
Great video as always Benj!
One thing to keep in mind is that lenses with floating elements will suffer a bit from not moving those elements because the focussing is now done externally. Good video! :)
Aren’t floating elements meant to improve focus shift issues though?
@@benjhaisch I've heard that as well, the 35mm lux FLE comes to mind. But as far as I know the main purpose of a floating element (or group, really) is to keep aberrations and image quality consistent throughout the range. But of course how much of in impact that might have will vary from lens to lens as well. So ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@noenken I’d assume the performance would be the same as whatever the infinity performance would be with this in particular. I’d assume this would be the case as the entire lens groupings all move in and out together without any change. As lenses move the relationship between the elements also move which could cause those aberrations? The FLE compensating for that? That’s at least my understanding, but happy to be proven wrong.
@benjhaisch I think you are on the right track if I understand you correctly. Just think about cromatic aberration and how APO lenses handle that. A floating element is key to be able to bring all wavelengths onto one single plane of focus in all focus positions, right? So in theory you should be able to see worse chroma performance the closer you get with this adapter while leaving the lens manual focus at infinity. And yes, it's probably the same with overall sharpness aka focus shift. That is how I understand floating elements.
can you do another review of this adapter after 6-12 months continuous usage?
I hope I can keep the ZF that long haha
My zf arrives tomorrow 🎉🎉
the techart adapter for L-Mount is long overdue... That would open up so many possibilites for Leica and Lumix users. @benj have you tried adapting Nikon F glass to M mount and sticking that adapter onto the techart? Should be possible if iam not mistaken.
What does using that thing do to battery life?
It does slightly impact the battery life :D just a heads up!
They also have the same adapter for M to E mount. I use it with the Sony A7CR and it works similar to ZF. It makes it an even more versatile camera now that it adapts my m lens making it autofocus.
I've heard less than stellar things about the M to E adapter, you dig it?
I’ve been using it for a while on Sony, works great with better lenses. My Voigtlander 35 f1.4 is also great as long as you keep the af in the centre, probably due to lens performance towards the edges
man i need this adapter for fuji
I bought the Techart Adapter for Contax G lens and it is unreliable on the ZF. It works for like a minute and then stops working. I bought the megadap adapter instead to use sony lenses and it works flawlessly. The autofocus sometimes feels like its a native lens
Honestly, I bought this adapter 2 months before the Nikon zf released just to use my vintage manual focus lenses.
I’ve used this pair on and it is now my favorite system. I used fujifilm for a long time, but I have since moved to Nikon all because of this setup.
It’s not for everyone, it’s not the best focusing adapter but I’ve used so many different lenses with character that it makes it all worth it.
Thanks for making this vid. Love your channel. 📸
Really interesting does it still work?
I got the Sony version of this adapter and it’s pretty great! My Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f1.2 on my A9 III was awesome!
I will try the adapter on the Nikon Z6III, and it should improve the speed on autofocusing. Cheers!
May I ask you? Have you a chance to test Sony with Techart Auto Focus adapter with Leica M lens? How is it comparing to Nikon + Techart + M lens in term of speed and focus accuracy? Thank you.
I haven’t, I tried to reach out to techart but with no response. I’ve heard the Sony one isn’t as good though.
@@benjhaisch I just sent you an email with the same question. I wonder if the smaller E Mount vs the larger Nikon mount explains the difference.
Great video Benj! Does the Techart transmit the f-stop data to the Zf? Dependent on the lens having contacts? Thypoch does not correct? Also I assume the Techart does not transmit the focal length either unless lens has contacts, like voigtlander does?
No M-Mount lenses transmit f-stop data to my knowledge. Focal length gets determined by how the lens interacts with the focusing mechanisms on an M to my knowledge. No M lenses have contacts, only 6-bit coding my knowledge as well. All that to say, it all is easy to manually enter.
@@benjhaisch Thanks. Yes non-cpu lens setup, but f-stop would be nice. So do you know if the Voigtlander m-mount is same, no contacts? Because the Z mount does have them and transmits f-stop, lens focal length.
@paulboskerphotography the M cameras only use 6-but coding, so there’s no reason for anything electronic to get transmitted. The 6-bit coding only tells an M camera what lens is mounted as well.
@@benjhaisch Ok, I'm a Nikon shooter, so no experience with Leica or m-mounts. Wouldn't the coding be transmitted by contacts? How is it if not? What did your Zf show when you had the voigtlander m mount on the teacart adaptor?
Nice video... Is there any M to Z adapters with contacts that will pass just proper aperture to the camera? (Non-auto focus)??
There isn’t a way for an M lens to send aperture values regardless, but you can set them manually on camera while shooting really easily.
I shot an evening stage performance and street performers with the Zf and Techart adapter. I was shocked that eye focus grabs on with moving fire handling buskers in near dark urban conditions with a Jupiter 85mm f2. I'm having a lot of fun with this combo.
Oh my god this is amazing! And is this the sexiest looking combo ever??? It might be. Only thing i dont like about the ZF is the vlog style lcd screen i wish it had a normal flippy screen like a fuji XT3 for example
I really don’t like the way the flip screen now seems to be only available on high end cameras and with all other cameras we now have to put up with a fully articulating screen which is irritating for photography.
Yup. I went from xpro2 and xt3 to the Zf, the Zf is so damn good, it's miles ahead of the xt3. Except the f***** flippy screen.. I just never flip it, let it sit there. But it's a shame really. Who's gonna use a Zf for video anyways? The screen is very high quality though and the images are so good it's crazy(I've never used full frame before mind you)
@@JHL1994 The nice thing though is that you can now reverse the screen and use the camera strictly through the viewfinder. If you're going for retro, then this makes more sense imho.
This is rad. What a cool setup.
Ok. This is going to be a run-on sentence, but I want to make sure I'm asking clearly lol.
If you were to decouple focus acquisition from the shutter button (IE: fires shot only, doesn't initiate focus)... and instead use back button for AF... does that mean that you can use the back button to initialize autofocus via the adapter... but also retain the ability to simply grab the focus tab and use it to manually focus? Meaning that effectively you can leave it set to infinity and shoot autofocus all you want, but with the ability to jump straight to manual focus any time?
Odd question, I know, but I've always wanted to have this ability in a clear motion rather than tied to buttons or switches. The Leica Q basically does it, but of course that's a fixed 28.
So yes, you can, you just get stuck with whatever the camera has last autofocused to, so it o have full range, you have to focus to infinity with AF and then you have the full MF range if that makes sense
@@benjhaisch Ok, cool. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I could see this "reset" motion becoming muscle memory, similar to mindlessly resetting M lenses to infinity so it's easy to "pull" focus onto the subject quickly in the OVF.
Thanks! Definitely an interesting option to keep in mind. The ZF does appear to be a pretty nice camera too.
I'd personally pick the TTArtisan 6bit M-Z adapter instead. You get the fine experience of manually focusing Leica lenses (and other vintage glass adapted to Leica M) and trap focus with subject detection and 3D tracking. And you can "input" focal lengths to the exif on the fly. No need to fiddle with making sure you are not gripping the lens or being in infinity or not.
I'm sorry you don't get it. I hold the camera body over my head and take no-look shots with lenses wide open with this tech. You have sold yourself short.
Thanks for the video, nice job. I just became tired of battling AF period. I picked up the Voigtländer close focusing M adapter for my Z7II and absolutely love it. Sure it's a bit slower initially but with a focusing tab you learn the lens just like you would on an M body. I know what I'm focusing on, no hunting, once set it doesn't move unless I move it. Absolutely love it. Makes DOF preview wonderful. Slows me down and I'm excited about making pictures again. X100V has been on the shelf for the past six months... not anticipating a change, except possibly getting more older Leica glass. d:-)
That’s crazy cool!!!
Do you think this will work just as well on a Z6?
This is basically what the SL system should have been. And correction, Leica wouldn’t sell it for $4k, it would be $6-7k haha
Would love it for L-Mount :)
Did you test single af or continuous/tracking only? I wonder if it nails focus more often there. Thanks!
I find it works best in continuous af on my Sonys
@@kenthomsonphoto1 very interesting. Thanks!
Got mine on eBay for like 280 from Japan, worth every penny
Does the adapter allow manual focus or is it only for autofocus?
Do you think you can use this combo on a wedding day?
yep!
waiting for you to half press the shutter to show how it moves felt like an eternity! Amazing video though!!!!!
Where can I purchase Cascade 03?
Still making sure they work well across different cameras/lighting/etc
@@benjhaisch looking forward to it! Any timeline/guesstimate? I'm super willing to purchase a beta. Would like to utilize for a shoot coming up.
Thanks for your review. I would like to add that when using, for example, fast noctilux 0.95, there will be a difference in the bokeh pattern. In short, with an adapter, the bokeh is worse)
And one more detail - the focus on fast lenses often works poorly. And very often at night, when it is exactly what you need) Therefore, as a toy it is ok, but it is easier to continue using Leica on Leica)
i hope they make a Nikon F to Nikon Z adapter with such a motor inside ... i'd be sooooo happy
Contrast detection autofocus or phase detection? Or both?
Should be sensor dependent and not have anything to do with the lens
great video, but does anyone know of a autofocus adapter for m4/3 lens to m4/3 camera?
what happens if you shoot at F8. Is the focus still good?
It’s based off what the camera is seeing through the lens. Not anything to do with the settings on the lens itself, so it should be totally fine.
The aesthetics of Leica glass, esp with the lens hood, on the Zf alone makes this worth the 400, and that's before the full capabilities of the autofocus combined with the quality of the glass. Honestly if anything it kind of looks like a chunkier Leica in some angles lol
AF speed and accuracy are still disappointing. But it's definitely an awesome item.
thank you very nice review~!! Benj~~!!
I have used Leica lenses on my Fuji XPro2 with the Fuji M adaptor. Manual focus of course. With this setup, I would typically open the aperture to the max to make focusing more accurate (i.e. reduce DoF to make it more ovious when the focus wasn't dead on.) This made handling a bit awkward as I would then have to move the aperture back to where I wanted it exposure-wise befor pushing the button. My question is: With the Techart adaptor, does focusing remain accurate with the lens set at (say) f/8? Or would you recommend some aperture changing to get the best results? (Lenses designed for SLRs, DSLRs etc. wouldn't have this issue as they normally sit at their max aperture, only stopping down at the instant the picutre is being taken.)
Is there a similar adapter for L-mount?
No
No
@@thomashilmersen711 but for e-mount
What’s with the hat and coat? No heat there?
I wear what I wear
Nice! I have the first version and it's really the only way to focus mf lenses fast enough on a camera without a rangefinder, for anything but stationary subjects [for me].
Does this adapter work better on Nikon Z or Sony?
I noticed on the site that it supports video on Nikon but unsure if that feature ever came over to Sony after.
I’ve heard mixed reviews about it on Sony, which is why I never purchased one
I found wide angle m lenses work better on Nikon than Sony. 50mm and above are comparable
I have it...very disappointing..it works 50% of time...another 50% missed focus or system hang and stop working..
Hola… muchas gracias por tu trabajo. Yo tengo dudas quiero comprar la Nikon zf o la leica m240. Tengo una leica m8 y estoy enamorado de ella… pero estoy confuso. Mi idea es fotografiar con lentes manuales zuiko om y voigtlander m
Does this mean you can get an autofocus adapter so M lenses would autofocus on a Leica SL?
not yet, sadly
Hey! I wonder if anyone has ever used this setup with the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4? It's definitely worth to check it out for me, having also a closer focusing ability than 0.7m, an EVF, IOS, etc... I also just recently purchased the Brighting Star 28mm 2.8 and would love to try it out as well with this setup.
thx for the review. With techart adapter is there some physical switch where i can switch between manual focus and autofocus with my leica lens? or am i stuck with autofocus only with this adapter? thank you 🙏
You need to use the camera to switch between focus modes or you can reassign the focus-on function from the shutter button
Thank you! Good to know. I was concerned the adapter only allows auto focus once mounted and I have to take it off for manual focus. 😅😊
Hi Ben I got the adapter and after a regular firmware update for my zf. Now the camera says shutter error and does not focus. Do you experience such a weird thing?
Hmmmm I haven’t heard of that, sorry!
Interesting. I just bought the Sony A7C2 in japan. I have been using vintage Voigtlander 70mm MF and Nikon 20mm MF lenses. Can this techart adapter be used in conjunction with Sony A7C2 ?
They make a version of it for Sony, yes. I’ve heard mixed reviews though.
Nice results.
Please keep holding on to the Zf! Love your content and I would like get get more about NIKON.
I'm trying to! haha
I find Zf a bit heavy for my use and prefer a7cii, etc. as a compact kit if that's what we are looking for. I know Zf is much better looking but is heavier and the grip attachment wasnt good enough for me
thank you for this video. very informative! just one note: the music doesn't really fit the scenes in my opinion. but that's just me.
I already own a Zf. I'm just gettin ginto leica film cameras (with an M4-P), and I'll definitely pick this up later. It's a perfect system being able to use lenses on both systems, and using the Zf with a sharp 105 f2.8 macro to scan film. It's almost symbiotic
@@Viti hii!!! im using almost same as u.. please can un share with me your scanning setup with the zf. Which is rhe 100 macro? thank u!!
@@yuenlam82 Camera on a copy stand connected to Lightroom Classic with a USB-C cable. The lens is the Nikon 105mm f2.8 micro Z mount (but the F mount version works as well). Essential film holder with a bright WB controlled LED under it. Aperture at 5.6, because that's where it's the sharpest, ISO 100 and shutter speed anywhere between 1/60-1/200 depending on the film and your light. You have to get the film and the sensor perfectly paralell to each other, I use a mirror for this. You put the mirror over where the film would be, and the lens of the camera should be perfectly centered. I try and get as close to the film as possibe while covering the whole frame. The 105mm 2.8 "only" has a 1:1 magnification, so usually the film is only milimeters away from the lens' close point. Negative Lab Pro to convert (I like the Noritsu for color), and export high-res jpeg-s. You can also do pixel shift for a 96 megapixel scan, but everything has to be super stable (I mean REALLY stable).
@ Thank u Viti for your quick reply!! I just got myself one in Aliexpress ( im in spain) . Hope it works well and hope there is a good reliability… Will try to find a 2nd hand copystand and a macro lens.. I actually have a plustek 8200 second hand, but the process is pretty slow… spended about 2 hours scanning a 36.. cut, alight, test, redo of comething went wrong. Using a program called Vue Scan… but looks like options are pretty basic… Changing this method i may gain speed and also ability to scan 120… Thank a lot and hope u get a good copy of the adapter !
@@yuenlam82 I cannot recommend the Essential film holder enough. Setup is the longest, depending on what you use (around 10-15 minutes tops for me), but if you are set up, and you set focus on the first image (which is really easy with focus peaking on the Zf) a roll is about 10 minutes, sometimes even faster. You can also get mask for 120 film or 35mm with sprocket holes, but each time you switch masks (the size of film you want to scan) you have to adjust the distance of your camera and focus. I recommend doing batches of 35mm and 120 separately
@ thanks a lot for your advise , i will investigate essential film holder vs valoi easy 35 🥰
Sad that it’s the 2nd Nikon ZF video that you’ve not mentioned that besides the 26mm 2.8, they also have a wonderful 28mm 2.8 that actually focuses quicker. No love for that lens? 😀
I use the 28mm for most of my photos on the ZF and it's one of the reasons the ZF is disappointing me. I love the focus speed size, etc...but the lens is just lacking that pop that Leica glass has. I wish Nikon or VC would release some small mf lenses that have that extra pop I'm looking for.
Haha I made the same mistake twice. To be fair, I filmed three videos in a row *and* they do make a 26/2.8 as well, but I was definitely referring to the 28/2.8 :)
@@benjhaisch I actually thought you had the 26/2.8 Haha.. All good. I was just wondering why you were giving the 28mm no love. I really love mine although it's optically not the greatest lens but it's a bit like the Fuji XF 18mm f2 that it's not the greatest lens optically but there's just something about the size that works. I think the 26mm is optically a lot better but the focus is a tad slower and noiser. Love the videos on the ZF so far. I also have the Techart adapter and it's wonderful.
A couple of things you didn't mention is that if turn off the auto focus function, it allows for full manual focus assists unlike just a dumb adapter. In addition to that, if you set the aperture value on the camera to a certain value, it records focal length information in the EXIF.
Been using the tech art autofocus adapters on my Sony’s from the day it came out. First and second version. Both great. Love the look from Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses on full frame. Just great. Great job Benj!!!
Don't some Leica lenses have floating elements? It might also be worth considering that as you would be sacrificing some performance
shouldn't matter as long as infinity focus is good, right?
@@benjhaisch as far as I know, it should matter (at least a bit) because floating elements move at a different rate than the whole housing as you focus to adjust for different distances. If a lens has floating elements and you focus by moving the whole lens, performance might be reduced at closer distances or perhaps in the corners. For example the micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 has floating elements, when you focus closer not only the lens unit moves, but also the inner distance between some elements changes according to the focusing distance via a second inner helicoid
@javixo1997 that’s mostly to work with focus shifts though, yeah? Something that shouldn’t pertain to this in particular to my knowledge, either way, I haven’t had any issues with close focus even when the lenses are set to infinity.
With this TechArt AF adapter from Nikon Z to Leica M, you will be able to use it more than all kinds of lenses, such as Nikkor AIS and Olympus Zuiko.
M mount lenses only of course.
sure, you can get an AIS to M adapter and just toss it on
I bought Nikon ZF because of this. my first Nikon and Full frame. 😆
note that you can get a Nikon F to Leica M mount adapter which allows your vintage Nikon MF lenses to be used with this as well. u can do the same with canon fd.
i don't think such a thing exist.
there is Leica M to Nikon F adapter.
@@amirbabfish nope, you can adapt the Nikon f to leica m
@@RajivSamaroo link please :) all i can find is the reverse
I hope you don’t feel pigeon holed into Leica adjacent content… but dude it’s so good
I love this teleconverter but for the money they need to last. I went through 2 in 2 months. Just froze up and wouldn’t focus anymore. I’m going to get another one when they’re a little better
It’s pretty impressive. Just picked mine up w my Zf, the first thing I thought (paired with the 50mm Nokton 1.5) was “wow, this seems as good or better than the continuous AF on my x100VI” 😮
400 is very steep but really opens up the mount. May need to sell the x100VI
Does it still work? Thx for the info :)
Woah, first time I am seeing this camera. I’m def digging it! Much smaller than my A7RII which is what I typically adapt my M lenses to. I personally hate that setup. This seems much better for that purpose.
Its almost 200 grams heavier...
@@mmmmmmmhm1765 I'm just not a fan of that camera. I only use it for video nowadays.
Ben always dresses like it's subzero in his office 🥶
Typoch Symera has 2 lenses for z mount
They aren’t autofocus though
@@benjhaisch true but the eye autofocus works with z mount manual lenses
@strippedlist eye manual focus assist, yes
"not applicable to LTM/M mount lenses that are with the infinity lock button."
Wanted to get this to slap on the steel rim re-issue, I guess not now.
Wait what. I use this with lenses that have infinity lock all of the time… it’s sort of ideal for it.
@@benjhaisch i got that from their website. That’s re-assuring if you’ve tested that out. Thanks Ben!
Maybe there is a reason for it, but my basically live that way on the Thypoch Simeras unless I need to close focus
@aqilhidayattttt I’m wondering if some of them just stick out too far and could hit the adapter as it moves in and out. But I have seen it be an issue on mine uet
The same adapter exists on sony and it does not work any better on sony at all.
I’ve only heard mixed things about the Sony version :/
I would have liked to see it grab an eyeball or something in motion like a moving car.
The magic of leica lenses is the manual focus experience (don't you know it by now).
Sure, but that’s more about the M than anything tbh.
How is the manual focus experience of leica lenses any different from any other (well built) lens?
@@ajk5585 Leica lenses are made with very tight tolerance, it is very smooth when you turn the focus ring or the aperture ring and the focusing is gradual, so it is easy to guess where you almost reach the focus. About the method, the lenses have all the markings required for hyper-focusing distance.
Just good for stills ,
Hmm. Perhaps we no longer need a Leica body ?
Not worth ir in the end. I got it and used on Z6 II and Z9 with TTartisan 50mm 0.95 and Samyang 85mm 1.4. With Z6 II focusing is very inconsistent. Forget about AF-C or video. Needs very good lighting. Freezes very often. Have to turn camera on/off to get it working again. With Z9 focusing a little bit more consistent, but still unusable in poor lighting or AF-C/video. It's not reliable for serious photography. Funny to play around for a couple of weeks, but when excitment of 0.95 or ''vintage'' lenses weans off, believe me this adapter will be collecting dust on the shelf. Any Z mount autofocus lens of any brand is way better option... or just use manual, at least you can blame yourself if photos are not in focus, instead of smashing adapter against the wall :) comments like ''this is sexy combo'' doesn't sound convincing as it is tool for taking pictures.. not some lingerie from sexshop
Yeah, I wouldn’t buy it to use with larger lenses like that specifically and especially not for video.
👍
Riley Orchard
Boyle Trail