Best Vintage Lenses for Sony E mount, Best Vintage Lenses for Nikon F Mount, Zoom Lenses
The best vintage lenses for mirrorless cameras like Sony, Fuji and others. These old and cheap manual focus lenses from Nikon and Minolta have better sharpness and bokeh than modern zooms.
Best Vintage Lenses For Sony A7iii and A7rii. The best vintage lenses for mirrorless cameras are usually optically superior to their modern counterparts, at the same price or less (or even used).
We scoured the internet to find the best available vintage lenses for Sony E mount. We have the best vintage lenses for Nikon F mount too!
Best vintage lenses for mirrorless
No need to spend a fortune on a new lens when you can pick up used lenses for much cheaper. These quality vintage lenses are perfect for any mirrorless camera and will help create beautifully nostalgic images. We also carry vintage Nikon F mount and Micro 4/3 lens systems that are compatible with modern full-frame Sony cameras like the A7siii, A9, and 6d iii. To make your search easier, we’ve listed our top 5 favorite vintage lenses below.
The best vintage lenses will give you that incredible character and flare which make old glass so special. A lot of people hardly use their old lenses because they’re stuck in a rut, always using the same handful of primes and zooms over and over. But there are far more options out there than you probably realize: we’ve gathered up an amazing collection of classics for all your shooting needs!
Best Vintage Lenses For Sony E mount
Best adapted lens for sony
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One of the best features of mirrorless cameras is, that due to their extremely thin body design, it’s possible to mount a huge array of lenses on them using lens mount adapters and still achieve infinity focus. Unless otherwise noted, the adapters listed here are essentially hollow tube spacers than make up the differences in body depth.
If you’re looking for adapters for Sony a7, a7R, a7S, a7II, a7RII, a7SII fullframe mirrorless cameras to take advantage of the full angle of view of legacy lenses, you should AVOID adapters marked ‘Speed Booster’ or ‘Turbo’ as these adapters convert the fullframe image down to APS-C.
I tested a wide array of lens mount adapters while writing ‘Sony A7/A7R: From Snapshots to Great Shots‘ and compiling my Guide to Sony a7/a7R/a7S/a7II/a7RII Lens Mount Adapters. These third-party lens adapter manufacturers have worked closely with Sony:
Metabones lens adapters hit the sweet mid-point between price and quality
Novoflex lens adapters are premium lens mount adapters – at a premium price.
Voigtlander lens adapters offer premium quality with a few unique features not found on other adapters.
FotodioX lens adapters offers an extremely wide range of adapters at a very good price.
Vello lens adapters offer well made adapters at bargain prices.
Here’s an alphabetical round-up of lens adapters for Sony E-Mount cameras including Sony a7, a7R, a7S, a7II, a7RII, a7SII, a6300, a6000, a5100, a5000 and NEX still and video cameras along with links to retailers who I use and trust:
Alpa to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapters
Metabones Alpa Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount Adapter
This Metabones adapter allows an Alpa mount lens to be attached to a Sony E-mount cameras, including full frame E-mount cameras. Although the lens will fit physically, automatic diaphragm (AE metering), or other auto functions are not retained using this adapter.
Arriflex to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapters
Metabones Arriflex Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount Adapter
This adapter allows a Arriflex Standard mount lens to be attached to a Sony E-mount cameras including full frame A7 series cameras. This is an adapter for lenses with the older Arriflex Standard mount – NOT the Arri B (Bayonet) or Arri PL mount.
Arri PL-Mount to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapters
FotodioX Pro Lens Mount Adapter Arri PL to Sony E-Mount
This Fotodiox adapter allows you to use Arri PL mounted lenses onto Sony E-mount cameras, allowing you to use your existing PL mount lenses with newer cameras that feature the Sony E mount such as Sony NEX and A7 series cameras.
16×9 Inc. Cine Lens Mount PL to Sony E Mount
This adapter allows you to attach PL mount cinema lenses to Sony E-mount cameras. The mount can also be used with Cine Lens Bracket and any 15mm Mini Rod Support system while working with large lenses. The stainless steel construction prevents any physical changes due to temperature fluctuations.
MTF Services Ltd PL to Sony E Mount Adapter
MTF Services Ltd PL to Sony E Mount Adapter allows you to connect 35mm PL lenses to Sony cameras. When attached to the lens, it adds a magnification factor of 1.11x. It is compatible with the Sony A7 series cameras.
Canon EF to Sony E-Mount Auto Focus Smart Adapters
Two Autofocus Canon EF and EF-S lens Smart Adapters stand out above the rest.
Metabones Canon EF to Sony E-Mount T Smart Adapter V
Metabones is the original – and most popular – AF Smart lens adapter for Canon EOS to Sony E-mount. This is my adapter of choice as it’s the only Smart Adapter that gets regular user-installable firmware updates that improve AF performance with many Canon EF lenses not supported by cheaper adapters.
Sigma MC-11 EF Mount Converter for Sony E-mount
Enables all native AF functions including Eye AF, Lock-on AF and Video AF with Sigma EF-mount Art, Contemporary and Sport lenses on Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. This adapter also supports auto-exposure, in-camera lens correction, in-camera image stabilization and retains full EXIF data. Interior is flocked to reduce reflections.
An integrated LED can be used to display select Sigma lens compatibility with the adapted camera body. This adapter also gets user-installable firmware updates, but please note that Sigma firmware updates are aimed on improving performance of Sigma EF lenses – not Canon or other brands.
Budget Canon EF Smart Adapters
I STRONGLY recommend the first two adapters listed above, but I’m often asked for ‘budget options’. Here are two options that work fairly well with most lenses – but unlike Metabones and Sigma MC-11, these adapters are NOT as consistent across the entire line of EF glass.
High-Speed Commlite CM-EF-E HS Lens Adapter
Commlite CM-EF-E HS lens adapter is the best of the sub-$200 Smart Adapters since it supports Phase Detection AF for faster AF. Users can switch between PDAD and Contrast AF by pressing the Focus Mode Button on the side of the adapter. Firmware update is user-upgradeable via a USB port.
FotodioX Canon EF Lens Pro Fusion Smart AF Adapter
While it lacks Phase Detection and video AF support or user-installable firmware updates, this adapter does offer full electronic communication. With AF speed similar to the third-generation Metabones Smart Adapter III, this adapter works well with many – BUT NOT ALL – Canon EF lenses.
Yongnuo EF-E II Lens Mount Adapter
Features Two Focus Systems with focusing system selection switch, support AF focus system and Mixed-focus system, both focusing systems require camera support for normal use. Equipped with USB interface to improve product performance, supports firmware upgrade and lens data analysis.
Manual Focus Canon EF Lens Adapters
FotodioX Vizelex ND Throttle Adapter for Canon EF to Sony E Mount
This Canon EF and EF-S adapter features a built-in 10-stop variable neutral density filter to control the amount of light entering the camera. An ND filter enables shooting in bright daylight while still using wide apertures for shallow depth of field. It also helps with fast exposure adjustments when going from bright to low light. A bright blue metal ring manually adjusts the filter from ND2-ND1000 (2-stop to 10-stop) which is a very cool feature for filmmakers and still photographers who want to shoot wide open in bright light
FotodioX Adapter for Canon EF to Sony E-Mount (with Iris Control)
This Fotodiox adapter allows Canon EF lenses to attach to Sony E-Mount cameras. This adapter also has a built in iris control which allows for some degree of control over the light coming in from the lens. Canon EOS lenses use an electronic aperture which will not function with an adapter, the built-in clickless iris control enables the lens to still be used with some functionality.
Canon FD/FL to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapters
Fotodiox Pro Canon FD/FL to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapter
This adapter allows a Canon FD-mount lens to be used with a full-frame or APS-C format Sony E-mount camera. Designed to support infinity focusing and constructed from brass and an aluminum-alloy along with a stainless-steel lens mounting ring. This adapter does not support electronic communication between an attached camera and lens. To control the amount of light that enters a Sony E-mount camera when using this adapter and a Canon FD-mount lens, an aperture-control ring is built into the adapter which couples with the lens’s aperture mechanism so that adjustments to brightness as well as depth-of-field can be made. The adapter includes a detachable Arca-type compatible tripod foot with 1/4″-20 threads.
Metabones Canon FD Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount Adapter
This Metabones adapter allows Canon FD mount lenses to attach to a Sony E-mount cameras. Metabones adapters are quality made, using precision-machined brass with chromium plating on both the camera-body and the lens sides of the adapter to ensure smooth mounting, quality aesthetic, and durability. Although the lens will fit physically, automatic diaphragm (AE metering), or other auto functions are not retained using this adapter.
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