Viltrox EF to NEX smart adaptor (cheaper china metabones)

[ricleo]

Why not just wait for the A7 since the launch is less than 2 weeks away.

Haha ok la.... The cheaper nex can be used as a back up cam and be used by my wife as a compact. Got the nex 3n. Seems to be quite nice and compact with the 16-50 lens. Plus got the extra battery that can be used by the a7 too at $19 purchase with purchase.

Quite surprised the nex 3n is so cheap nw. Cheaper than the rx100 v1 even.

 

[ricleo]

Batteries are charging nw. So I will test properly with the EF lenses tmr.

Tried with my 40mm pancake for a while and the AF works slow but definitely works.

 

[ricleo]

ok. results of my testing of the viltrox EF to NEX smart adaptor is out. Fit on the canon mount and to the NEX 3N body was tight and good with no play.

following lenses AF works accurately, smart adaptor is able to change the aperture electronically
- 16-35L mk 1 (AF very well and fast)
- 24 1.4L mk 2 (AF well but slow)
- 50 1.2L (AF well but slow, somehow can only change aperture to F1.3 and not F1.2)
- 135 2L (AF well and accurate, next best to 16-35)

following lenses doesn't AF well but aperture change is successful electronically
- 35 1.4 sigma (AF is patchy, doesn't give locking beep, sometimes accurate sometimes not)
- 120-300 sigma sports (Af doesn't work at all, OS doesnt work, only aperture change ok)

 

[ricleo]

now for some images of the adaptor with EF lenses

1 - with the 16-50 for size comparison

2- adaptor mounted

3- 16-35L - performance is actually very good. i think this is a viable UWA for the A7 for my use

4 - 40mm F2.8 - the only EF lens that seems like a right size on the NEX. An alternative to the sony 35 2.8 that covers full frame at a small size

5 - 50L - also pretty sharp on the NEX

 

[ricleo]

6- 24L - another sharp lens on the NEX

7 - 12-24 - super wide super oversized on the NEX too

8 - 135 last but not least, my trusty portrait lens that is gonna be useful on the A7

 

[Obelix]

Let's get together sometime next week to compare the AF speed of the Vitrox and Metabones Speed Booster.

 

[ricleo]

ha ok maybe the week after or over the weekend, a little busy with work the coming week.

AF speed wise I would describe as similar to contrast detect AF on a regular canon DSLR before the 70D. nothing to shout about and only usable with static objects or landscape, where actually i think the focus peaking works much better hehe...

now that i have it in hand, i am not sure if it will fit the full image circle of the A7. If you look at the metabones page, there is the mark 2 and mark 3 EF Nex smart adaptors.

The mark 2 now has a specific remark saying not compatible with full frame A7 while the mark 3 is advertised as compatible with full frame A7. From the metabones design i can see that the "hole" in the adaptor is much smaller on the mark 2 vs the mark 3.

The viltrox seems to be in the middle of the 2, i suspect there will be some vignetting from this adaptor on fullframe

 

[ricleo]

mark 2 with a circular optical path much like the size of the speedbooster lens element for APS-C sensors.

vs mark 3 with a full frame optical path

vs the viltrox which is a oval shape, not too sure if it covers full frame, but definitely bigger than the mark 2 metabones.

 

[Anson]

Curious does it also "reduce" the focal length as well?

 

[ricleo]

nope this is not the speedbooster, so when used on the aps-C nex it just presents a cropped image of the full frame lens.

 

[ManWearPants]

now that i have it in hand, i am not sure if it will fit the full image circle of the A7. If you look at the metabones page, there is the mark 2 and mark 3 EF Nex smart adaptors.

The mark 2 now has a specific remark saying not compatible with full frame A7 while the mark 3 is advertised as compatible with full frame A7. From the metabones design i can see that the "hole" in the adaptor is much smaller on the mark 2 vs the mark 3.

The viltrox seems to be in the middle of the 2, i suspect there will be some vignetting from this adaptor on fullframe

From the picture on internet, it appears that the adapter only allows for the image circle of APS-C sensor.

source TMall.com

 

[ricleo]

yea seems like APSC only. looks like metabones v3 is the only viable option, but of course perhaps this can be diyed to open up the image circle if the electronics are not near the centre of the adaptor

 

[ManWearPants]

yea seems like APSC only. looks like metabones v3 is the only viable option, but of course perhaps this can be diyed to open up the image circle if the electronics are not near the centre of the adaptor

Yah. File the entire backside away.

 

[spinworkxroy]

i tested the viltrox EF-NEX adapter on the a7r and a canon 50mm lens and confirmed, it does NOT work on FF. you will see 4 black corners.
But you can still just crop away the corners if you really must.
however, the biggest pain wasn't the 4 black corners, i can live with that..it's the SUPER slow AF. Even on a fast lens like the 50 f1.4, it took an average of 2sec to lock focus and more often than not, it doesn't even focus...it hunts forever.

The metabones mk3 works but the AF isn't much better either..
So to me, if you wanna use an adapter, you are better off doing MF

 

[ricleo]

yup. if i were to use EF lenses on the A7 with adaptor, it is more for the aperture control and IS if any. but now siding more to the smaller RF lenses so prob will wait for other third party full frame EF to NEX adaptors to show up in the market

 

[ricleo]

i returned my viltrox to the seller after it malfunctioned when trying the 12-24 on the nex-3n. looks like the viltrox doesn't like my 12-24. in fact there was a slight burnt plastic smell coming from the adaptor after malfunction. perhaps some electronics fried inside.

can you show some images on how the 4 black corners look like from the viltrox on a7r? perhaps someone with good diy skill can simply dremel/modify/cut away alittle bit of the internal oval optical path and make it full frame hehe

i tested the viltrox EF-NEX adapter on the a7r and a canon 50mm lens and confirmed, it does NOT work on FF. you will see 4 black corners.
But you can still just crop away the corners if you really must.
however, the biggest pain wasn't the 4 black corners, i can live with that..it's the SUPER slow AF. Even on a fast lens like the 50 f1.4, it took an average of 2sec to lock focus and more often than not, it doesn't even focus...it hunts forever.

The metabones mk3 works but the AF isn't much better either..
So to me, if you wanna use an adapter, you are better off doing MF

 

[ageha]

i returned my viltrox to the seller after it malfunctioned when trying the 12-24 on the nex-3n. looks like the viltrox doesn't like my 12-24. in fact there was a slight burnt plastic smell coming from the adaptor after malfunction. perhaps some electronics fried inside.

can you show some images on how the 4 black corners look like from the viltrox on a7r? perhaps someone with good diy skill can simply dremel/modify/cut away alittle bit of the internal oval optical path and make it full frame hehe

Or you could just buy a full-frame adapter.

 

[ricleo]

Or you could just buy a full-frame adapter.

yes i will when a reasonably priced alternative to the metabones v3 ef to nex is released, which is the main purpose of this thread

 

[ageha]

yes i will when a reasonably priced alternative to the metabones v3 ef to nex is released, which is the main purpose of this thread

I would just buy the Metabones v3 straight away instead of wasting time and money with knockoffs, the original one might come cheaper in the end.

 

[ricleo]

haha its ok. in no hurry to get the adaptor and can wait for the 3rd parties, and i got a full refund on this viltrox anyway still don't think the metabones is worth 399 USD when the viltrox can be gotten for 120 usd.

I would just buy the Metabones v3 straight away instead of wasting time and money with knockoffs, the original one might come cheaper in the end.