Lou Tingle
All-Pro
- Location
- Louisville, Kentucky USA
The AF is decent with this Neewer adapter. It's basically a Commlite knock-off adapter, with slightly different internals (more sturdier) and custom firmware. Apparently Neewer discontinued making this adapter and I was able to find it cheap. Regarding the lens, this is the 3rd copy of the Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX in Nikon mount I've tried. It's the best corrected sample in regards to AF accuracy on a Nikon DSLRs, but I believe it's also running an older firmware, which causes intermittent quirks on my DSLR bodies. On a Sony body mounted onto the adapter, none of those issues arise and I'm able to utilize this lens at it's full optical potential. It's probably a notch below the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art, but it has it's own strengths mainly smaller size and smoother OOF rendering.Nice work Jonathan - first is my fav.
How was the AF w/ the Nikon lens via adapter?
Totally agree about adapters! I have mostly all native lens options now, but there are only a few AF 50mm f/1.4 options for Sony and they all have their pros and cons. There's the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4, though used copies still sell over $1000 USD; the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art which is a bit more affordable on the used market, but it's huge since it's a DSLR lens bolted to an extension tube and last the Samyang 50mm f/1.4 FE, but that lens was the first Samyang AF lens and has the slowest/loudest of all their AF lenses (that lens would benefit from a new version). Sony has quite a few lenses in the 50mm f/1.8 range, but for portraits I still prefer f/1.4 lenses. I feel that slightly faster aperture makes a difference in regards to gradual OOF transitional blur.Thanks for the impression. As mentioned, the results look great.
For me however, I am done with AF adapters. I did have the MC-11 when I first transitioned to Sony as it allowed me to use my existing Canon glass (now all sold) and provided more options when Sony’s lens lineup wasn’t as mature. Now, there a way more options than I will ever need and the native lens performance leaves nothing to be desired.
The only adapters I’d use, would be for old MF glass, like my OM 135mm.