Just arrived, works exceedingly well; not super speedy, but much faster than I can manually focus.
Also allows much closer focus...Summarit normally has a 3.5 foot close focus point; with the Techart, it can focus as close as 1.5 feet.
Tried it with a Contax/Yashica-to-M adapter as well, the heaviest C/Y lens I have is the 35-70. Weighs 567g with the C/Y-to-M adapter, but the Techart motor has no problems moving this much mass.
P̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ certainly will drain the battery faster.
Also allows much closer focus...Summarit normally has a 3.5 foot close focus point; with the Techart, it can focus as close as 1.5 feet.
Tried it with a Contax/Yashica-to-M adapter as well, the heaviest C/Y lens I have is the 35-70. Weighs 567g with the C/Y-to-M adapter, but the Techart motor has no problems moving this much mass.
P̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ certainly will drain the battery faster.
Close focus about 1 foot with the 40/2 Summicron-C
Jockos
Well-known
This is really amazing! Can't wait to see how far they will manage to take this technique. It will also be interesting to see how the adapters hold up over time, people will undoubtedly run heavier lenses than intended on these..
This is true. A heavier lens will put more strain on the motor.
I also have their Contax G adapter, the difference being that the G adapter only has to turn a screw and there is much less mass to move, not the entire weight of the lens. Accordingly, it's a smaller adapter and I assume a less 'torquey' motor.
I also have their Contax G adapter, the difference being that the G adapter only has to turn a screw and there is much less mass to move, not the entire weight of the lens. Accordingly, it's a smaller adapter and I assume a less 'torquey' motor.
willie_901
Mentor
Very cool!
Handles this 50/1.7 C/Y with ease and cuts the close focus from 2 feet to about 1 foot
f16sunshine
Moderator
Will they make one for the Leica SL is the next question 
daveleo
what?
Is that rotating the lens focusing barrel (how would it do that??) or moving the lens axially??
Wupjak
A Mythical Beast
Pretty slick! Nice to see some real world information on the adapter, thank you!
The lens is set to infinity and the lens is moved in its entirety closer to and further from the sensor to achieve focus.
The lens is set to infinity and the lens is moved in its entirety closer to and further from the sensor to achieve focus.
taemo
eat sleep shoot
Will they make one for the Leica SL is the next question
that or Leica will release their own version and charge 400$+
Didn't know it also works on the A7II, thought only with RII and SII.
Very cool, I like how it also reduces the CFD of old lenses (1m) or tele-lens
Yes it's like having an on-demand extension tube.
Not sure it works with the S-II
Not sure it works with the S-II
YYV_146
Well-known
$400+
Have you seen what they charge for the regular adapter? My guess is something in the $1,200-1,500 range...This one is pretty cool, though. I wish it came with its own power source to not drain the camera so quickly.
I already carry spare batteries so no penalty there, as opposed to a bigger adapter.
bacil
Newbie
Is it significantly affected by the amount of light? How fast it is in low light?
Just got it yesterday morning, so haven't done extensive testing in different lighting conditions. I did test it with lenses set wide-open and stopped down (to about f/11) and it didn't seem to make a difference in the same lighting conditions.
SaveKodak
Well-known
I just received mine and I'm using it on the A7R2 with V.2 firmware. It seems to work very well! I am shocked. In many situations it doesn't seem to focus all that much slower than a native lens. I have tried my ZM lens selection, including the 50/1.5, 28/2.8, and 35/1.4. Even the heavy 35 doesn't seem to slow down the motor. I have used it in good light where it is obviously, quite great! My expectation was that the bedsh*ting would start in dim light. However, not so. It finds focus if you can find a little bit of contrast or light. I won't be using it for snap-action shots on the dance floors of wedding receptions, but I would shoot detail shots or table settings or static portraits.
Generally, I can't believe how good it is. This kind of thing is only going to get better too. For me, the biggest annoyance was always needing to rely on focus magnification to get it perfect with lenses like my ZF 50/1.4 Planar. Now I can focus and compose a portrait MUCH faster. This is really a game changer. If you think this could fit into your workflow, don't hold back.
Generally, I can't believe how good it is. This kind of thing is only going to get better too. For me, the biggest annoyance was always needing to rely on focus magnification to get it perfect with lenses like my ZF 50/1.4 Planar. Now I can focus and compose a portrait MUCH faster. This is really a game changer. If you think this could fit into your workflow, don't hold back.
That's been my conclusion after using mine for several weeks. It is definitely a game-changer if you like to use adapted lenses...takes a little practice to develop a technique, especially with longer focal lengths, where it's necessary to manually focus to get things reasonably close, and then have the adapter finish the job. Not having to use focus peaking (which is not always precise) and not having to use magnification makes a huge difference, and it's VERY accurate. With shorter focal lengths and lighter lenses, just leave the lens focused to infinity and let the adapter do its thing.
And having a built-in, on-demand extension tube makes a big difference when shooting RF lenses which normally don't focus close. Shot with a 50/2 collapsible summicron yesterday, normally a 1m close focus; with the adapter, ended up being about 18 inches.
And having a built-in, on-demand extension tube makes a big difference when shooting RF lenses which normally don't focus close. Shot with a 50/2 collapsible summicron yesterday, normally a 1m close focus; with the adapter, ended up being about 18 inches.
fongalv
Newbie
Hi, can those of you using this af adapter roughly estimate how much quicker it drains the batteries?
newst
Well-known
I am still waiting for mine to be delivered but in anticipation I have been devouring everything I can read by way of reviews and user experiences.
The answer to your question is, unfortunately, it depends, as the heavier the lens you use, the more power drain it experiences.