I would like to ask if all lens loses auto focus compability after going through an adapter?
What are the differences between buying expensive adapters from the stores vs those china made sold on ebay?
Thanks in advance!
In general, yes. Most of these adapters are purely mechanical, with no electronic contacts.
There are a few which have been designed to pass-through the electronic communication, but they are fairly uncommon. This probably depends on whether there's a large enough market for the particular lenses/bodies involved, and whether they've been able to reverse engineer it.
The black Canon EF Lens to Sony NEX Camera Lens Mount Adapter III from Metabones attaches a Canon EF lens to a Sony NEX camera. It is referred to as a "Smart Adapter" because it retains electronic communication between the camera and lens and therefore provides automatic aperture control, EXIF data, image stabilization and autofocus. The adapter is powered by the camera body, no external power source is required.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/983747-REG/metabones_mb_ef_e_bm3_canon_ef_to_e_mount_nex.html
What are the differences between buying expensive adapters from the stores vs those china made sold on ebay?
Thanks in advance!
Depends on how 'expensive' you are talking. Like Hinata76 mentioned, sometimes what you find in stores are the same generic MIC adapters that you can find on ebay, but marked up to account for overheads and profit (rightfully so). Plus point is that you don't have to wait for it to slowly make its way to you if you're impatient, and if they allow you to test it in the shop, you can make sure you get a good piece.
If you're referring to those made by brands like
Metabones and
Novoflex vs those generic MIC adapters, the differences may be in
- build quality
- tighter tolerances
- additional features like focus confirmation, exposure metering
That said, a lot of us get by with inexpensive no-frills MIC adapters which are pretty decently built too.
I've personally only bought one adapter so far and the build was good, fit was tight, no play, etc. Got from an ebay seller which was quite recommended on some forums, for the particular adapter I was looking to get (F-mount to m43). If you want to go the ebay route, you may want to try to look up available reviews for recommended sellers for the one you're looking to get.