9 replies to this topic

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

I've been shooting with a GH3. I have fotodiox adapters for Pentax K mount and Minolta MD mount. And yes, with both adapters the focus gets soft when going to infinity. (Pentax SMC 50/1.7 and 28/2.8; Minolta MD 24-35/3.5 and 35-70/3.5)

 

Do others have this issue as well with fotodiox adapters...or just adapters for legacy glass in general? Fotodiox claim their adapters don't have this problem.

 

Curious is this issue is rampant and to be expected or I got some bad luck...

[Julian]

With my cheap ebay adapters, GH2 and Minolta MD glass I can focus beyond infinity... If I turn the lens all the way to infinity it's unsharp, but just before the sharpness is fine. Is it the same with your adapters or can't you get anything sharp at long distances at all?

[jgharding]

This is pretty common with adapters from eBay. I have only cheap eBay EF adapters, some do it a little but many not at all.

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

Thanks.

Julian: I have something similar. It goes unsharp just as I go from 30 feet to infinity. So there is something useable but haven't done any real analysis of the long focus footage I am able to get.

[Scott Goldberg]

You know, before I got a Metabones I used Fotodiox and I think it's a damn fine adapter for $40. Metabones obviously has the connection function to the camera with the FS700 for Iris control which is crucial but having a Fotodiox as a backup is a great tool.

[conurus]

This is pretty common with adapters from eBay. I have only cheap eBay EF adapters, some do it a little but many not at all.

Yep, they are typically made 0.2mm too thin to "guarantee" to be able to focus to infinity. May negatively impact optical quality of wide angles with CRC to be off this much.

[jgharding]

Unfortunately there's no C/Y to EF adaptor that has a release mechanism (so the adaptor can stay on the body and you just change the lenses) because there's no space for it really, so I'm stuckk with an adaptor per lens. I've tried various ones and they're all identical despite varying prices.

 

Some of then have very "off" focus confirmation too.

Here's how you program a Canon one in this listing. It's insanely confusing.

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item43a9b991cf

[Bioskop.Inc]

I use Fotodiox adaptors & some lenses hit infinity perfectly & some get soft.

I've found the Russian lenses to be the ones that hit infinity just before what it says on the lens & the Jap lenses (Takumar/Tomioka) work just fine.

Also, the Fotodiox adaptors can behave differently depending on the batch as well, but they do tend to be a little better than others (& they are good about taking stuff back).

 

Finding the perfect adaptor is like looking for the Holy Grail, unless they are custom made for each lens or make of lens - its a pain, but that's what you get for trying to fit a lens on a mount system that it wasn't originally made to fit on.

 

Might be good if people post recommendations for adaptors that are as close to perfect as you can get. 

[Ernesto Mántaras]

The three adapters I have are Fotodiox ones (Minolta MD, Canon FD and Canon EF -without iris ring-). They cost me around $20 each and I have to say I have no problems with infinity focus, they all reach to it and I don't notice any softness (at least in video, I don't shoot photos).
I think different lenses will yield different results, though. I have two Minolta Rokkor-X lenses, a 135mm f2.8 and a 50mm f1.7 and while the 135mm hits infinity at the right spot, the 50mm goes a little beyond, so I do have to come back and check my focus. I can't trust the marks with this particular lens.

[miked]

I have the exact same issue with my fotodiox FD and M42 adapters. Its damn annoying. 

Thats great if Fotodiox is cool about exchanging their products, but I'm living in Israel, and I had to have friends visiting from the States bring over these adapters. 

 

I was looking to buy another adapter for a PentaxK lens, and I just dont think I can consider a fotodiox lens now...