Autofocusing vintage lenses transformed my photography
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I LOVE the look and feel of vintage lenses... but SOMETIMES I don't want to manually focus. Manual focusing takes longer, which means I sometimes miss the best moment. Manual focus also requires two hands, so I can't do it while (for example) walking my dog.
The Techart adapters do something truly amazing - they take almost any vintage lens, including lenses for Leica M, Nikon F, and Canon EF, and add autofocus capabilites to them when connected to your Sony E or Nikon Z mirrorless cameras. It works, and it's life-changing.
Now, you can give your grandparent's old lenses a new life. Or you can shop inexpensive lenses at KEH (sdp.io/keh coupon NORTHRUP-1) and expand your creativity without giving up autofocus.
Get the generation II Techart Pro adapter for Leica M to Sony E-mount or Leica M to Nikon Z-mount. If you're not adapting Leica M lenses, get a dumb adapter for that mount to Leica M. For example, you might get a dumb (non-electronic) Nikon F to Leica M adapter (as I show in this video) or a Canon EF or FE to Leica M adapter.
Using old lenses rekindled my passion for photography. They encourage you to focus on the creative process and artistic expression, rather than achieving technical perfection. It's a return to the essence of photography, where capturing the soul of a scene matters more than flawless details.
My first Nikon camera, kept for 11 years. Loved it.
This is very cool. I predict vintage lenses being used on digital bodies will grow in popularity with the recent film price hikes. Vintage lenses are a huge part of the 'film-look'. This is a very cool option for those that don't want to manually focus, or maybe they don't have the eye sight to manually focus. Look forward to trying one out.
Agreed
I have that exact Nikon F Photomic and 50mm F:1.4 lens combo and really do adore it. I use the lens on my fuji as well and it's definitely become my favorite. I've been considering looking into an autofocusing adapter, but they're pretty expensive and I just generally like the feel of manually focusing.
I bought one for my Z9,Z6 and I’m very impressed 😮
This is the coolest gear I've heard about in a long time
I'm glad you see that Tony! Well done!
I'm still more a fan of modern lenses, but if this gives you joy, then more power to you! Glad they're still coming out with new tech that can bring the old gear back to life.
That Voigty is my favorite casual lens for my Sony. Such a fun and special lens.
I have boxes of old lenses and tons of adapters, they're a treasure. Mostly I use them for shooting IR with an IR converted Canon 5D body.
Great video, to infinity ...and beyond
This looks huge for someone like me with a sizable film camera collection and just getting into digital. For now I'm sticking with a manual adapter but $400 for that adapter it's not a bad idea.
Oh, I usually never say I need something. But I need this.
Techart has a lot of interesting adapters, it even makes Techart adapter for Sony E mount to be adapted to Nikon Z. I used Techart M to E adapters. Techart also makes EF-> Fuji GFX adapters but it is not quite as good as the Fringer EF->G adapter.
I really appreciate your thoughts on this. I love collecting and (occasionally) using vintage lenses, and I'm convinced one of these AF adapters is in my future. For me it currently hinges on prioritizing my photography dollar. *There's too much to buy, and I want it all!
You could try to use the old optics of the Tamron, you'd be amazed.
So happy you made a review about the TechArt Adapters. Since ive seen it on another channel the summilux 50mm 1.4 with its fiery flaring has become my dreams lens to put on a sony body with that adapter. Although your experience with video wasnt good ive seen others having a lot less issues - hopefully video Af will come to the E to M adapter and we'll see more of this kind of adapters to breath new life into vintage glass.
Focus peaking is the way to go. FTZ and whichever Nikkor F mount lens you can think of, it's so easy , of course it requires 2 hands but it is brilliant. If you use zone focusing to begin with it's even easier.
This takes me back to when I started my career in 1982 all manual focus 😮
Nice to see you back with Nikon Tony.😁😁📷👍🏾
I have the same camera (all black) with the 55mm Micro-Nikkor. Beautiful.
Its the first step to REAL photography for every rookie grapher, i think. When you start to see the Character of non perfection lenses (from boring modern ones) and charm of film pictures, it teach us to see the light and bright colors of life. Autofocus and IS systems helps not to loose every moment, instead of old fashion cams. Yes, they are so beautiful, but, the pictures taken of united worlds from past (old lenses) and future (af-adapters and your own favourite digital cameras) will be the best!
Ok, I NEED this!
Tony never ceases to impress me
@TonyAndChelsea @Tony & Chelsea Northrup Is this a fake account or bot?
Yashica / Contax had a film camera called the AX (I used to own) that did this internally via a ceramic rail system to adapt older Yashica/Contax Zeiss manual focus lenses and make them "autofocus" It was slow, but still amazing.
I've often wondered why, with their mastery of sensor movement, Olympus/OMDS never added some degree of auto-focus for manual focus lenses. While it might take way too much sensor movement cover a wide focusing range, I often "miss focus" by just a tiny bit, and it would have been helpful if the sensor movement had been able to "fix" that. Probably because none of the camera makers produce manual focus lenses any more, and they didn't want to do anything that would compete with their AF lenses.
Of course the Sigma 35mm f1.2 DG DN exists as autofocus lens. And by the way: it's amazing! 😍
That nikon f is beautiful
A fun video. I had no idea such an adapter was available.
So tempted.
Yeh, the AF really helped. I had a lot of blurry shots and still seem to get them 😮 But, I see a lot more shaper images these days. 👏
That video AF reminds me of using my metabones adapter on sony with canon ef lenses to record video lol a cool hack that I use for sony is to use photo mode to grab focus and then hit the video record button to start video, and pull manually from there. You can set photo mode to 16:9 to keep your composition as well! Would this work with an anamorphic adapter on the front of the lens, because that would be awesome!
Yes, approximate focus by hand, then fine focus with the adapter. Contax AX cameras have internal focusing, ie. inside the body. Technique: approximate focus manually, then when pressing the shutter release, the film chassis inside the body brings the film plane into perfect focus. Of course, one simply used the original Contax Zeiss lenses.
I wonder if we will ever be able to get an EF to RF version of this to use some of my Rokinon Manual lenses on it. Good and wishful thinking
Excellent video Tony very useful.
Glad it was helpful!
How well does it maintain focal plane alignment? Can you please do a 5 point focus accuracy test?
I have one of those older ais 50mm f1.4 (manufactured in the 70s) It definitely has a lot of fungal growth, but the pictures are really different from what you'd get from "modern" lenses
Since you like legacy lenses, Tony, it would be helpful if you could make an episode one day explaining which old manual lenses fit which modern cameras, do those cameras have manual focusing aids with those lenses, what adapters are needed, etc.
Super cool
They don't seem to have Cannon to Sony FE mounts yet (only E as far as I can see). Hopefully it will come up soon. Still. Awesome find. Thank you.
LMAO. Cool gadget. I might take a look. I love taking my old, non-ais lenses from the '60s and put it on my D810. And they work. It's all manual and a lot of fun. I wish my old canon stuff worked like that, but nope.
I’m really interested in the Sony E version (the LM-EA9), but either I have to order directly from Techart in China, in which case I don’t know if import duties/VAT will be applied (and how much!) on delivery, or I can apparently buy it on Amazon U.K. but they add nearly £100 to the Techart online price! Given the interest these days in using vintage lenses on mirrorless cameras, I’m surprised there are no international distributors for this device, and also surprised there are no competitors. To be honest I’m reluctant to pay that Amazon markup and very nervous about spending such an amount and buying direct, so for now I can’t see me getting this device even though I’d love one for my (now huge) vintage lens collection
Replayed this a few times. What two techart adapters do you need to use for Nikon AI lenses to autofocus on the Nikon Z?
I love my Nikon F,G lens'. For a few years now I Use and love my AF adaptors. No AF in video.
I still have my Nikon F5 film SLR, it was a beast in its time.
Looking for something like this for Sony camera, wish this wasn't for Leica M mount though, M42 would be preferred. Getting another adapter for the adapter is...ugh.
Hi i'm using a old Minolta Dynax AF lenses with the A to E adapter (bayonet) on my Sony A7 IV. Actually modern optics lenses are better , but not by much.
Can you recommend what lenses are good for adapt 🙏
@@oatwdk4029 The Minolta AF Zoom Macro A 35 - 80 / 4 - 5.6 works perfectly, obviously with manual focus.
I’d love to see this with an MFT mount!
still use my nikkor 50mm 1.4 ai-s, its like in between vintage and retro looking i use it for all kinds of photos
I have 3 Nikons. From the 70’s. I got these when I was a child , still work. Still use them , Face it. This is what makes good photographers
I shoot my Sony a7ii with almost nothing but my Minolta 58mm f/1.2. I just feel more comfortable dialing in the focus and aperture myself. It just feels better.
gotta love those vintage lenses, my collection is growing by the day (wife not happy)😬
Hi Tony.... here's a digital "newbie" question... related to adaptors and going digital in general. I have a collection of Minolta Rokkor MC & MD lenses and aging SRT101 & XD-7 bodies.... I'm faced with shooting film and opting for scanning each roll...or perhaps buying a Sony Alph "n" ?and a manual focus adapter ....giving me my first taste of mirrorless digital? Given I don't have a legacy investment in DSLR....what guidance would you give? I see Canon's reluctance to open their R mount spec to third party lens manufacturers as a turn off to choosing their system for someone in my "late to digital" position. Hey that might be a new video title "Late to Digital?....where best to place your system investment?" Cheers Rodney in Melbourne Australia
Pretty innovative .. cool. I don't own any vintage lenses and can't see buying some in order to get that 'old school' quality (BTW, I'm an 'old' photographer ... sold most of my gear when moving into digital). After all, you can edit your images to achieve a wide range of effects - I'm sure there are presets for that, or create your own.
WOW! Is there an adapter for Fuji X-T4? I have vintage Nikon lenses that I'd love to us in auto focus. Best Regards; Jay.
I really wish they made this for Fuji X-mount. The Fotodiox Pronto knock-off is based on the bigger, clunky gen1 of this Techart adapter, but at least Fotodiox were able to make an X-mount version. Unfortunately, the Fotodiox, for one reason or another, seems to be incompatible with all of my Fuji cameras (X-M1, X-E1, X-T10, X-T20, X-T30, X-T200). So it looks like I'm stuck waiting on whoever comes out with a compatible adapter first, if at all.
Tony -- Saw this originally on DPReviewTV (RIP), but didn't realise you can stack an F to M mount on it (and why not, dummy). Great to see your take on it. Too bad there's no EXIF from my AF-D lenses. Come on, Nikon, give us all the FTZ III that we want!
I love the Voigtlander 1.2 Leica M 50 mm lens, I am Sure the 35 is also fantastic. I use a different autofocus adapter: megadap mtz 11. Could you compare these adapters? I also adapt Nikon AIS 105, 135 and even 400 AIS.
Could you come back to this video and answer, pls?!
That lens adapter seems awesome are they going to make one for canon users
This is why the digicam craze is happening for the past couple years. There is beauty in imperfection.
Nikon dlsr s has that built in screw autofocus system. Some vintage autofocus lenses work with them. (AF and AF-D) moslty 80s and 90s lenses. Z mount bodies do not have the built in motor.
Looks radioactive yellow 😮 … question though does the autofocus adapter work with macro lenses xD
Any experience with l mount bodies?
I'll wait one for Fuji and perfection will be achieved
You can get a Sigma 35mm f/1.2 on Sony and L-mount. Commenting on you saying you can't get that on from any modern mirrorless lens.
I feel the same way about my MP and it's 50.
I wish they would make one for Canon so I could use my FL lenses on my R5. I adapt them now with a Fotodiox adapter but of course manual focus at that point. Still love it, but with AF... man that would be sweet.
Me too. Unfortunately Canon is blocking all third-party efforts to create RF autofocus devices, so it'll likely never come.
Tony, Can you please test if FOCUS PRIORITY can be used with manual focus lenses using this adapter. Nikon cameras do not let you use focus priority shutter with manual lenses.... Thinking of putting this thing between 85mm milvus and Nikon D800 or D5.
Ahh crap, looks like it is only for z mount... and since F mount has longer flange i am guessing it can't be adapted to F mount camera???
Right this is E- and Z-mount only.
I have one of these for Sony and it was the best money I've ever spent.
Thank for showing interesting product. nikon to leica converter is TZM-02, not lm-ea9.
Interesting. I'd like to see this for Fuji or Panasonic. Weird there's no Fuji option given how a lot of Fuji ppl are also vintage lens enthusiasts.
I have been unsuccesfully looking for an auto focus adapter for video on my sony@6000, anyone?. Open to upgrading cameras to any of the @ 6000's series.
Can you attach a manual nikon lens and make it autofocus?
So I need both adapters for Nikon? I'm confused.
In the old days.. we manual focus guys would move back and forth to get focus.. save a few hundred and use old school techniques
Nice to know, now can discard
What about the sigma 35mm f1.2?
🔥
Has anyone tested the video autofocus on Sony, video states he only tried on the nikon. Looking to use autofocus on Sony emount
Picked up a Nikkor 50mm f1.2 from a store in Hiroshima two weeks back (a steal at ~$300) during a Japan trip. Very excited to see the manual-focus results when I started editing.
I've had two Techart TZE-01 die on me (this is the version to allow Sony lenses to be used on Nikon Z). Not only does my Z6 not recognised a Sony lens or its aperture any more, the firmware application simply doesn't see the dock. The first time I managed to finagle a replacement. Round two, I'm out of pocket. At $200/pop, I'd rather just buy native lenses. Techart adapters are not ready for prime time.
I wonder if this would work with Laowa lenses for Sony ❓
they would need to be DSLR lenses because those are designed for longer flange distances, giving room for the adapter. Mirrorless lenses won't work.
QUESTION: You can attach ANY lens regardless of the weight? How about a Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 for example? That's a heck of a weight for a 85mm. Will it work? or are there limitations?
It definitely struggles with heavier lenses, and you might need to support heavy lenses.
@@TonyAndChelsea thanks for your reply
I would avoid using this for a lens like the Otus. The designed manual focusing glass layout is different from what this does. For example, the front element of the Otus is stationary while focusing, but it moves when using the TechArt adapter. The optics of the Otus are designed to render the best image at the F-mount focal plane, the TechArt adapter moves the focal plane relative to the lens elements. Using this with a 'vintage' lens, which already has imperfections, will add character. I think using it with an Otus lens will add disappointment.
@@UnconventionalReasoning thanks for your detailed explanation. To be honest half of the fun is actually focusing manually…
@@enricomarconi1767 So true! And focusing manually, with intent, conveys that intent to the image and then to the viewer.
Wish they had one for Canon EF
Worth mentioning is the $400 to have the camera focus - sort of - versus adapters that do the same with your control.
400$ is well worth to upgrade your lens and give them an actual feature that they didn't have back then. And if you take into account that todays camera body have IBIS, you can push the potential of old lens one step further and get decent, sometimes similar result to actual lenses (just in terms of optical performance you clearly see a difference).
Autofocus is overrated. With that Nikon F, you can manually focus in a fraction of a second, and get the F stop right as well, your fingers are right on the controls. You can't manual focus a modern digital body because they lack the focusing screen that the old F had.
That is true. My fuji paints the focus area as an alternative but even that is not as satisfying as that focusing prism we had in the nikon f viewfinder back in the day.
I’ve been adapting old manual lenses to digital bodies since around 2008 ish. I now have a considerable collection of old manual lenses, including some ‘classics’. There are many answers to the question ‘why’. 1) if you spend £1000 on a modern lens, it’s going to lose its value pretty fast. I. You spend £1000 on a classic manual lens, there’s a good chance you’ll get your money back if / when you decide to sell, and you will probably make money on it. 2) you buy a modern lens, it’s has electronic focus, electronic aperture, electronic image stabilisation. In a decade, the probability that one of the electronic systems packs up & it not being economic to repair increases. You don’t have that with manual lenses. 3) People buy a range of modern lenses at different focal lengths to have choice. These are all essentially ‘perfect’ these days in the way they render. I like having older classic lenses even at the sane focal length as modern lenses I own, because it gives me choice. So I want high constraint ‘perfect’ image, or do I want lower contrast image with ‘flaws’ that can add character? 4) old manual lenses often just have a tactile feel to them that’s a pleasure to experience, few modern lenses have that.
The problem with modern cameras is the lack of manual focus help within the viewfinder. While my fuji's digital viewfinder helps with manual focus by painting the focus area in red, all my nikon dlsr bodies lack it. I would not need an AF adapter if I had a visual assistance in the viewfinder like old film cameras had (i started photography with manual lenses and film in 90s)
They don't have an e mount to f mount unfortunately, same with the other fotodox something going around
All I have ever used are old film lenses on my digital camera.
Can you write a letter to techart so that they may create and FE to FE mount. I really want to autofocus my loxia lenses on my a7
You just need this and a Sony A-mount to Leica M-mount dumb adapter: www.kentfaith.com/KF06.322_sony-a-lenses-to-leica-m-mount-s-a-l-m-adapter?gclid=CjwKCAiA_6yfBhBNEiwAkmXy54qqlFdJ45La150rgT356yaWZvIcHxlZ7dP4zTzt1EbletaadgGXIhoCjMsQAvD_BwE
@@TonyAndChelsea what? I can mount the loxia FE lens to a Leica on a Sony body?
@@TonyAndChelsea allow me to be more clear. I have an a7 camera system, with the manual loxia lenses, 35 and 50mm. I would like to adapt them to an autofocus adapter so I can autofocus them on my Sony camera. Is there something that adapts Fe lenses to an Fe mount?
well that's just weird. if i want a vintage shooting experience i need manual focus. if i want photo results i use an af lens. i never cared about vintage photo results while keeping the experience "non vintage", but with this thing we get a new combo altogether. too bad its to expensive of a toy to have just for fun, especially if you dont have good m mount lenses already. we need more stuff like this, that put that extra flange distance to use when adapting to mirrorless.
Can it support the big otus lenses?
Probably not but I didn't try them. It might work if you hold the lens.
@@TonyAndChelsea that’s the big downside to this. Most of the lenses I’d want to use are the fast and heavy ones.
Try shoot video with dji lidar.
If you want vintage, try film and Develop it your self, what a great experience. The saying, Everything old becomes new again.📸
Is that 50mm radioactive?
Yes ☢️
The F2 with the AE prism is anything but beautiful… I have that old Nikkor lens in the cupboard for several decades now. Never used it because it is so… you might call it character, but for me it’s just poor.
My pre-ai nikkor 35/2 is probably my absolute favourite lens. I like it better than my modern zeiss/sony 35/2.8. I have a leica screw mount nikkor 50/2 too which is just phenomenal.
Don’t you afraid of the adapter damaging your machine ? Any imperfection of the 3-party adapter will make some damage to your Z.
I love how there’s a motorized adapter for Nikon and every other mount but no motorized Z to F autofocus mount. I have several F mount screw lenses that I can’t use autofocus with….
Yeah, it's too bad. I think they want you to buy new lenses.
6:09 Chelsea1: common poop faster. Chelsea2: Seriously? I haven't even done my make up... Chelsea3: OK Tony...I am going to get you for this!
Oops, somebody forgot Sigma 35mm f/1.2 E-mount 🤣🤣🤣 Nice vid btw.
Oh yeah I didn't know that existed! OK now I think I want that.
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?