Do Lens adapters impact lens speed or image quality?

[rcooper102]

Hey guys so I have been eyeing the Nokor Hyperprime F0.95 50mm lens for over a year praying to the photo gods that it would come out for the Nikon F Mount, however, so far no luck. It is currently manufactured for both the E-Mount and Micro Four Thirds. (it took thema year to add the E-Mount so I am assuming at least that until the next addition) My impatience is starting to get the best of me and I was researching adapter options and wondered if hooking the lens up through an adapter would have any impact on image quality?

Adapters I have seen look like they slightly lengthen the lens? Will this impact crop factor or focal length? Does the extra tube require more light (aka it slows the lens down)

I am assuming it break autofocus but that really won't be a concern since the lens above is manual focus anyway.

Anyhoo, any advice on how an adapter will impact image quality would be great.

Also does anyone know of any adapters that convert mFT to Nikon F? I have found plenty that go the other direction but have yet to find one that convert mFT to Nikon. I am sure they exist though?

thanks!

[inkista]

Uh.... wouldn't recommend even looking for an adapter. There probably isn't one for a very good reason: There is no freaking way the lens would ever focus to infinity.

Micro four-thirds has a much much thinner flange-to-image-plane distance. Shoving the lens outwards to mount it on Nikon F's much thicker flange-to-image-plane distance would be the same as adding an extension tube. If you plan on adapting a lens, it's always from a thicker mount system to a thinner one, or it's replacement of the camera or lens's mount, or only using the lens for macro or close-up portrait work.

Secondly, these superfast lenses that you're seeing for micro four-thirds, etc. are actually C-mount lenses. Designed for 1" video/16mm cine. They already vignette on micro four-thirds, let alone an APS-C or full-frame sensor. This is just a rebranded Senko.

My suggestion would be to completely forget about it and go spelunking for an old 55mm f/1.2 Nikkor; or get a micro four-thirds camera. You can't use a mirrorless compact lens on a dSLR any more than you can use a rangefinder lens.

And no, you don't lose any speed or image quality if you are adapting from a thicker lens mount to a thinner one. But you will lose autofocus, and wide-open metering, as well as the ability to shoot in any modes other than full manual or aperture priority. On an entry-level Nikon (D3100, D5100 tier), you'll also lose metering altogether. And, unfortunately, with the Nikon F mount, there's really only one mount that's thicker than Nikon F, and that's Leica R, and you can't use an adapter ring, because it's only deeper by 0.5mm. You still have to do mount replacement. You want to do the adapter ring thing with old manual lenses, it's better on the Canon side of the fence. But no, we can't use micro four-thirds or C-mount lenses, either.

[BuddhaPi]

Girl, your knowledge is quite frankly scary, onme day i aspire to know 1% of what you know, then maybe I would be able to get a good shot or 2.. : )

[rcooper102]

hahaha alright, thanks.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by BuddhaPi

Girl, your knowledge is quite frankly scary, onme day i aspire to know 1% of what you know, then maybe I would be able to get a good shot or 2.. : )

Snort. Hasn't helped me any! I really need to shoot more and obsess about gear less. And the reason I know all of this is that I've been loving the idea of getting a micro four-thirds camera just to use these types of lenses. I've had my beady little eye on the Senko 25mm f/0.95 for a while, since finding and affording a copy of the Angenieux 25mm F0.95 or the new Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 is a bit rich for my blood. (sigh).

Originally Posted by rcooper102

hahaha alright, thanks.

You're welcome. And, I can personally vouch for the fun of playing with the old Nikkor 55mm f/1.2 Although, if you're shooting with Nikon bodies, I'd recommend getting an AI version, not the pre-AI like I did.

[Aegea]

I see KEH has an AI'd 55/1.2 for $340, and several non-AI'd ones for about the same price ... more expensive that I would have expected.

[inkista]

All the manual focus lenses have been shooting up in price, mostly because digital filmmakers prefer the greater focus (pulling) control they can rig up with the longer focus throw--hard enough to use still lenses for moviemaking as it is. And, of course, everybody wants fast (and wide). And Zeiss.

Before micro four-thirds, c-mount lenses like the Angenieux 25mm f/0.95 were going for sub-$300 prices. Today, it's about $1600. Even my little Oly OM Zuiko 50/1.2, which I got for $290 is now going in the $500-$600 range, and the little old C/Y Zeiss Distagon T* 28/2.8 I paid $230 for now goes upwards of $500. And the old OM 50/1.8, which I was seeing everywhere for $10-$20 is now in the $60-$100 range.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by inkista

Before micro four-thirds, c-mount lenses like the Angenieux 25mm f/0.95 were going for sub-$300 prices. Today, it's about $1600. Even my little Oly OM Zuiko 50/1.2, which I got for $290 is now going in the $500-$600 range, and the little old C/Y Zeiss Distagon T* 28/2.8 I paid $230 for now goes upwards of $500. And the old OM 50/1.8, which I was seeing everywhere for $10-$20 is now in the $60-$100 range.

Time to cash in your chips m'dear.

[arlon]

I'd ditto the 50/55mm F1.2 lenses recommendation. Bang for the buck they are a pretty cool addition to any Nikon. I have the old 55mm F1.2 (pre-AI) I had to modify to meter on my D700 but with F1.2 and the high ISO performance of a D700, it's a match made in heaven..

[inkista]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Time to cash in your chips m'dear.

No! My toys!! MINE!!!! Want MORE not less!!

Originally Posted by arlon

I'd ditto the 50/55mm F1.2 lenses recommendation. Bang for the buck they are a pretty cool addition to any Nikon. I have the old 55mm F1.2 (pre-AI) I had to modify to meter on my D700 but with F1.2 and the high ISO performance of a D700, it's a match made in heaven..

Wow. What was the modification you had to do? I always thought the pre-AI lenses had a flange on the aperture ring that was liable to break any of the D90-and-up bodies. I've had to file down similar flanges on my C/Y Planar 100/2 to avoid mirror collision on my 5D.