Fotodiox Minolta>m43 adapter: no infinity focus

UnderDriven said:

Let me know how you like the new lenses.

Click to expand...

I had pretty high expectations in both cases, especially for the 7-14. Haven't had time for more than a little test shooting yet but everything looks fine so far.

UnderDriven said:

I'd probably get the 7-14 if I was going to stay with m4/3, but I'm likely to move on to a Nikon D5100 or a Sony NEX7. I'll keep the G1 as a lightweight backup system, but I don't think I'll spend any money on new lenses. Right now I like the Panasonic 14-45 and Minolta 85mm + extension tube as my lightweight system. The 85mm gives me some reach and the extension tube allows me to do some macro work.

Click to expand...

Since I'd rathther like you to stay in the m43 camp for company, here are some comparative test shots that include the 7-14, just to wet your appetite a bit. ;-)

http://daisukiphoto.com/content/comparison-various-lens-14mm-panasonic-gh2-body

Nothing like the 7-14 for NEX. On the D5100 you could mount the Sigma 8-16/4-5.6, which I think might be on a par with the Pana 7-14, if you get a good copy, which, reportedly, may not be all that easy. I think Photozone mentioned that they encountered no less than three decentered ones when they tried to test it.

Anders W said:

I had pretty high expectations in both cases, especially for the 7-14. Haven't had time for more than a little test shooting yet but everything looks fine so far.

Click to expand...

Yes, I've heard it is good--perhaps not as good as the 4/3 version but still high quality...

Anders W said:

Since I'd rathther like you to stay in the m43 camp for company, here are some comparative test shots that include the 7-14, just to wet your appetite a bit. ;-)

Click to expand...

Thanks, I also enjoy our discussions so I'm sure I will be around. Anyway, I am glacially slow to purchase a camera body even when I know what I want (and I am usually unhappy with some aspect of a camera so I prefer to wait). At the moment I am waiting for the NEX7 announcement to see if it works for me. I am a bit skeptical about the rumored 24MP sensor, although with their EXMOR technology it may be the same per-pixel performance as u4/3 but at double the pixel count so that is still a win (I guess). But I have to think that DR will suffer as the pixel size decreases unless they succeed in even greater noise reduction. I somehow doubt that they can achieve that, unless the 2nd generation EXMOR has some major improvements...

That is pretty good performance at 14mm. It does benefit from some autocorrections for CA, and distortion at 7mm (as per Photozone)...

Anders W said:

Nothing like the 7-14 for NEX. On the D5100 you could mount the Sigma 8-16/4-5.6, which I think might be on a par with the Pana 7-14, if you get a good copy, which, reportedly, may not be all that easy. I think Photozone mentioned that they encountered no less than three decentered ones when they tried to test it.

Click to expand...

Yes, Sigma has QC issues. I haven't experienced any issues on my 50mm and 150mm SA mount lenses, but it may be that they are a bit more careful on lenses for their own cameras. I'm not sure how much I would use an ultrawide lens, but I don't have any experience with one either...

Cheers, Keith
--
http://www.kotay.net/keith/photo/photo.shtml

UnderDriven said:

Anders W wrote:

Thanks, I also enjoy our discussions so I'm sure I will be around. Anyway, I am glacially slow to purchase a camera body even when I know what I want (and I am usually unhappy with some aspect of a camera so I prefer to wait).

Click to expand...

So am I. I decided in the fall that it was time to replace my Pentax K100D and it took me half a year before I knew what to get. I still haven't bought the camera I really want although I am already firmly wedded to the m43 camp in terms of lens investments. I guess I will now wait for the GH3 announcement and then buy either the GH2 or the GH3 depending on how much better the GH3 turns out to be.

UnderDriven said:

At the moment I am waiting for the NEX7 announcement to see if it works for me. I am a bit skeptical about the rumored 24MP sensor, although with their EXMOR technology it may be the same per-pixel performance as u4/3 but at double the pixel count so that is still a win (I guess). But I have to think that DR will suffer as the pixel size decreases unless they succeed in even greater noise reduction. I somehow doubt that they can achieve that, unless the 2nd generation EXMOR has some major improvements...

Click to expand...

I think you have no real reasons to worry about the pixel count. Even if the per-pixel noise would be too high for your standards, you can always down-sample at no real loss compared to a sensor having fewer pixels in the first place. After deciding to go with m43 rather than wait for the NEX7, I haven't really been following what's going on on the Sony side. Any idea of when the NEX7 will actually be announced and what it will bring, the sensor aside?

UnderDriven said:

I'm not sure how much I would use an ultrawide lens, but I don't have any experience with one either...

Click to expand...

Can't say I am have much experience with UWAs either. The widest I ever had in the film days was a 24. But I think I will use it quite a bit, and not only for special effects. One nice thing is that you can use it as a substitute for a PC lens. I have already tested this and it works out just as I expected. These two pictures (Lower East Side, Essex Street, on the border to Chinatown, NYC) are taken from exactly the same location, the first at 14 mm with the kit zoom and the second with the 7-14 at 7 mm. Both are originally in "portrait orientation" but the second is cropped so as to include only the upper half.

One month later...

I realized that during my home improvement works, I sometimes use a circular blade (bell like) to drill large circular holes in wood. The removed matter is a wooden circular cylinder... and one one them was close to 60mm the inner diameter of the adapter, once the precision mount ring is disassembled. So I cut a 60mm diameter disc of sand paper (Yellow Norton P80, if it makes a difference ?) adapted it to the cylinder and very carefully, using the drill at a very slow speed, clutching the adapter in my hand, I sanded the bottom of the seat of the mount ring, just enough to remove the black anodization, and voila, now I have a 24.22mm thick adapter

As usual in such occasion, there must be a fate well known by astronomers and photographers, just today the weather is slightly overcast, so that I cannot focus very far to test it

Frankly, it's an easy DIY project if you are equipped for the job, and have some basic skills.

The sanding tool:





Hold it tighter than this:





The result:





Jean-Pierre

Novoflex is the way to go. I saved a few Maxxum legacy lenses for use with GF-1, including a 50 mm macro, a Sigma 300/4 and the last version 35-105 Maxxum. Novoflex is the most expensive M43 legacy adapter but all these lenses perform perfectly with it. It is expensive but I have no complaints about its performance.

Truth be told, I was not aware of the Fotodiox option. I kind of kicked my self a bit when I heard there was a less expensive option than Novoflex. However, I see no complaints about it!

So after all that discussion, can anyone say with any certainty what MD to m43 adapters to avoid, and what can safely be relied on?

I'm hoping to make use of a couple old MD lenses on my GH2

Thanks, all.
--
Scott G

Scott G said:

So after all that discussion, can anyone say with any certainty what MD to m43 adapters to avoid, and what can safely be relied on?

I'm hoping to make use of a couple old MD lenses on my GH2

Thanks, all.
--
Scott G

Click to expand...

I also had trouble with the Fotodiox one for the same reasons.

i've had good luck with the Rainbow imaging one. It focuses just a little past infinity..which is good...and is under 30USD. It's also very tightly made. Have fun with the Minolta lenses, many of them are very good.
--
http://www.pbase.com/madlights
http://barriolson.aminus3.com/



Like the Joker said: Why so serious?

Lights said:

I also had trouble with the Fotodiox one for the same reasons.

i've had good luck with the Rainbow imaging one. It focuses just a little past infinity..which is good...and is under 30USD. It's also very tightly made. Have fun with the Minolta lenses, many of them are very good.

Click to expand...

Same thing. Fotodiox MD didn't focus to infinity. Rainbow Imaging works well. All my Rainbow Imaging work well, in fact, I also got m42, Minolta AF and Pentax K adapters from them.

I also recently got Chinese MD-m4/3 adapter with tripod mount from eBay. Also below $30. But didn't have time to test it. Will do soon.

Hmm, my Fotodiox C/Y, C Mount and Nikon adapters all work fine

My Rollei to EOS adapter broke at the tab that holds down the aperture, but fotodiox replaced it for free.

Send it back?

GarageBoy said:

Hmm, my Fotodiox C/Y, C Mount and Nikon adapters all work fine

My Rollei to EOS adapter broke at the tab that holds down the aperture, but fotodiox replaced it for free.

Send it back?

Click to expand...

Well there are Fotodiox adapters and Fotodiox adapters. Whether it works as it should or not depends both on what mount it is for and when you order it. As you can see here

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1041&message=38769855

what adapter you will actually get when you order one of this or that brand tends to vary over time.