A year or so ago, I wrote this post complaining that lens adapters were always too short. Then, in this post, I reported that, at least in the case of Novaflex, they were too short by design. A week or so ago, in this post, I told you all that I had received two adapters from Kipon, and that they were the right length.
I have since received three more Kipon adapters for Sony NEX/alpha 7 cameras, for a total of five:
- one for Nikon S lenses
- two for Leica R lenses
- one for Leica M lenses
- one for Nikon F lenses.
All of them are the right length, based on testing with many lenses and two cameras, to the following criteria:
- All lenses can focus to infinity.
- When all lenses are focused to infinity, the distance indicator on the lens is close to the infinity marker on the rotating barrel.
In addition, the Kipon adapters appear to be well made, and fit tightly, but without excessive torque required, at both the camera and the lens end. They have a raised red plastic bump on the camera side — similar to the one on Leica M lenses — so that you can bayonet the lens in by feel alone.
They’re not that easy to find, but if you do a search on Amazon you’ll find some. I got mine from a camera store in Japan, and the service has been fine. As a bonus, they are substantially cheaper than the Novoflex adapters.
[Added 12/2015: Adorama now retails Kipon adapters in the US.]
Good to know. I’ve just bought my 2nd Novoflex, it seems that the third one will be a Kipon.
Have you performed any test on planarity? (ie. simmetrical sharpness at both sides, especially with wide-angles…)
Thanks Jim, it is not easy to find a good adapter! On the web you can find so much and even wrong one. I will take an eye of Kipon, when need one.
Thanks a lot for this informative post. Let us know the outcome!
FYI, I have a metabones and a noname adaptor for Minolta MD/MC mount lens … In the end, the metabones has the infinity spot on with part of my MD lens. But my MC lens do not reach the infinite with the metabones and results with this conbination are not at their best (notably for wide angle wide open). For these old MC lens I have to use the noname adapter which go past the infinite but results are better.