Adapter question

flickr member asks:



hey man whats up, i been looking at some of your shots and im amazed by them. i also notice that u are using Nikon and Olympus lens. what adapter are u using for them? im pretty sure they don't auto focus right? u manual focus quite nicely.

thanks in advance



First of all, thanks for complimenting my focusing!

Now, to answer your questions:

I use Nikon F-Mount to EOS adapters from Fotodiox.com

Fotodiox.com has two kinds of Nikon adapters: consumer grade adapters and professional grade adapters.

The consumer grade adapters are made out of chrome-plated brass; the professional grade adapters are made out of stainless steel. Brass is more malleable than steel, so the consumer grade adapters will be less durable than the pro adapters. The professional adapters are not only more durable, they also have several tiny screws along the lens mount that can be tightened or loosened to adjust the tightness with which it holds the lens.

The pro grade adapters also have a spring-loaded locking mechanism which makes changing the lens mounted onto the adapter a breeze. The cheaper adapters have a more primitive locking mechanism which can make changing lenses more of a chore.

The price difference between the adapters is quite significant, as you can buy several brass adapters for the price of one pro-grade model.

If you have several Nikon lenses, you may be better off buying several consumer grade adapters and keeping one on each lense. This will reduce the risk of damaging the finnicky locking lever on the cheaper adapters and will reduce wear and tear on the adapter.

You can also find adapters on ebay, but the quality and build tolerances of these adapters can vary wildly.

As for the Olympus adapters, I think I remember buying mine off ebay because Fotodiox did not have them, but I think they do carry them now.

Any lens mounted to a camera with an adapter will lose any electonic functions like auto-focus, but manual focus can actually work out better for you depending on your subject and shooting style.

If you plan on using a fast manual focus lens (one with an aperture significantly wider than f2.8), then you will really want to look into a precision focusing screen (if your camera supports them). My Canon EOS 5D, for example, supports focusing screens. The stock EE-A focusing screen is very bright and relatively low in contrast.

A bright focusing screen is great when using AF lenses because it will let more light hit the AF sensors, but it will make focusing a lens faster than f2.0 very difficult. When using lenses faster than f2.8 or f2, I make sure to change the EE-A focusing screen with an EE-S precision matte focusing screen.

There is a significant difference in contrast and light transmission between the two screens, so you will be able to focus your f1.2 or f1.4 lens quickly and accurately, but the viewfinder will be too dark when you go back to a lens slower than f2.8.

If you're like me (using an f1.2 lens one minute and an f8 mirror lens the next) then you will have to carry both screens in your lens bag.

-Carlos