Tamron firmware updates brings Nikon Z6/Z7 compatibility to select lenses

The 18-400 is a great walk-around lens and the Z7 with the eDX crop makes it an amazing system without dragging around a lot of gear

I agree 20 Mpix is more than enough. But the poor Z6 owners probably won't want one.

This is nonsense. Why do they even a firmware update? Why even 3 mths?

Oh, cos CaNikon does not license their mounts, GEDDIT? That is why 3rd party makers have to REVERSE ENGINEER the mount communication protocols, GEDDIT?

Sony is the only manufacturer that licenses their E-mount IP. It is the closest you are going to get to an open lens mount platform/system. Its not just the big 3rd party makers like Sigma/Tamron.

So many smaller ones like Laowa, Voightlander, Helios, Mitakon, Kipon - they make and can market Sony NATIVE E-mount products like lenses & adapters because they do not need to reverse engineer anything only to end up as 2nd class citizens with sub-par products that always focuses slower. It means they can devote their limited resources to making excellent products instead.

They will never bother making anything for Canikon!

It is a shame Sony cripples non-native lenses. Sigma couldn't find a way around that. There is no way to unlock the full potential of non-Sony lenses on Sony cameras (and most Sony lenses, all Amount, are sadly crippled too). Who wants to pay over $1000 for 70-200/2.8 and have it stuck at 2.5 FPS?

It was great to see Nikon NOT do that. Tamron and Sigma make so many wonderful lenses and it is nice knowing that many will work on Z system as if the were native lenses. On day one Nikon had the best lens system for any mirrorless camera.

BlueBomberTurbo, sony's protocols are open. They provide them to other companies. Nikon is not doing the same. Tamron would have to reverse engineer the protocol to create an adapter. Don't think that's gonna happen any time soon.

@Mr PapaBear
What are you talking about? The Sony LA-EA3, Metabones and Sigma MC-11 all support 10FPS shooting.
Sony even allows Tamron to update their lens firmware via the body, including all lens corrections. How is that crippling third parties?

The only camera for which this 10FPS limit is relevant is the A9. But here Sony is at least honest. Only some lenses support 20FPS shooting. Even many native E-mount lenses are capped at 15FPS, simply because their AF drives are not fast enough.
I think that is a very transparent way of doing things. Unlike other manufacturers like Fuji, Nikon, Canon etc... who claim high framerates with every lens, but often shoot severly slower in real life. Just loook at the 30FPS X-T3. We never got a full list of lens compatibility, and the result is that even their 50-140 F2.8 cannot keep the frame rate that high

@Mr PapaBear
Did you mean Canikon in your first sentence?

On every Sony mirrorless camera except the A9, the FPS is limited to 2.5 with continuous AF. The A7Riii was the first 7 to shoot faster than 5 FPS with native lenses, but it too is limited to 2.5 with A mount and other lenses and of course there are other restrictions too.
BTW, the A9 has a very cheap mechanical shutter that can only do 5 FPS. That camera only works well with the electronic shutter..

Just realized what PF was thinking about. Many native lenses on the A9 can't shoot at the advertised FPS. Some are as slow as 10.

But for the 7 series and adapted lenses if you want to track focus, you only get 2.5.

With Nikon, adapted lenses shoot at what ever the maximum speed is. Pretty cool.

"very cheap mechanical shutter"

Honestly sound like personal agenda. The unique feature of the A9 was never 20FPS, it was the electronic shutter. Since it is worlds apart from other electronic shutters. Acting like a mechanical shutter with 1/160th scan time. This makes it resistant to all the other problems conventional ES brings, and nobody has something to match it currently. Sony probably should have just removed the mechanical shutter, and they probably will in the A9 II

Edit: "With Nikon, adapted lenses shoot at what ever the maximum speed is. Pretty cool." This is the exact problem. You don't. Real FPS varies wildly

Most of the restrictions on A-mount continuous drive are based on the mechanical aperture design initially inherited from Minolta lenses. They weren't meant to go that fast, so the actuation time is slower than something like Canon, with full electronic aperture. Even fast A-mount cameras lock the aperture after a certain drive speed because of this. The A9 tracks faster than the rest because it can read focus from the sensor faster with its stacked sensor. But there is still the aperture limitation, which is lessened with some of the more recent A-mount lenses

Yes the A9 has a very cheap mechanical shutter. It basically the one from the original A7 and can't go faster than 5 FPS
Entry level FF DSLRs from over 5 years ago usually could do 6 FPS.
So under certain florescent light and a lot of fast action photography A9 owners are stuck with only 5 FPS.
Sony could have easily put in one that does 8-10 in a $5000 body, but they skimped...just like how they left out most weather seals.

But the topic was, Sony restrictions on A mount lenses. The only reason being they don't want E mount owners to buy them.

Nikon on the other hand did it right and now has the best lens selection of any FF mirrorless camera.

Ah, there's Oskar P and his opinions again. ;)

"Yes the A9 has a very cheap mechanical shutter."

Yes, then the D5 and 1DX II's shutters (400K actuations) are so cheap, they must be used as dust pans. The A9's shutter life is 500K actuations. Amusingly, the shutter in the A7R III, which can do 10fps, is also rated at 500K. Really think Sony spent the money to create two different shutters at the highest level of durability any camera shutter has ever been rated at?

"But the topic was, Sony restrictions on A mount lenses. The only reason being they don't want E mount owners to buy them."

Yup, why bother selling both A- and E-mount lenses, where A-mount covers some of the bases that aren't filled yet with E-mount, when you can settle for less revenue and only sell E-mount?

"Nikon on the other hand did it right and now has the best lens selection of any FF mirrorless camera."

Sony has just as many Sony/Minolta A-mount lenses to AF. AND they didn't abandon screw drive lens owners.

BlueBomberTurbo,
Don't be so dishonest.

There isn't a single A mount lens that works normally on E mount. No adapter can make them shoot faster than 2.5 FPS with C-AF. But one does block 1/3rd the light and won't let you use the cameras built in AF.

It is funny that Sony owners would rather buy Canon lenses and live with all the restrictions than buy Sony native lenses.

BTW, the Sony excuses are hilarious.
Lenses that shoot at 10 FPS on the failed SLT system suddenly can't shoot faster than 2.5 FPS according to BlueBomberTurbo.

The Sony excuses get funnier every day.

Anyway good job Tamron.
They appear to have a much greater commitment to the Z system than other mirrorless systems.

@Oskar P

That's the price Minolta paid when they were the first company to have AF. Their tech aged first. Sony improved upon it, but they couldn't go too far without a complete redesign of the lens and body.

Also, because you missed it before:
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/lenses-mount-adaptors/la-ea3/downloads/W0011140

"It is funny that Sony owners would rather buy Canon lenses and live with all the restrictions than buy Sony native lenses."

Yup, so many restrictions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLgQT-oRS4Y

But do try harder. ;)

@Oskar P

"Lenses that shoot at 10 FPS on the failed SLT system suddenly can't shoot faster than 2.5 FPS according to BlueBomberTurbo."

SLTs locked the aperture at high speeds, because there was too much blackout due to the slow aperture system. 24MP sensors read much slower than whatever MP PDAF modules are, which is why the A9 with its fast readout speed was the first camera to be able to shoot 10fps+ with A-mount lenses.

Similar to the reason the D850, despite having the exact same AF system as the D5 (as per Nikon), can't keep up with the D5 in AF. The slow mirror speed causes too much blackout for the AF to keep up.

"They appear to have a much greater commitment to the Z system than other mirrorless systems."

Yes. How many lenses have they made for Z mount already? Wait, what? None? Wow, they've been making E-mount lenses for around 5 years now. ;)

Thanks for proving Sony is deliberately screwing customers.

Like I said the "but the lenses can't shoot that fast" excuse most Sony owners give is a lie.

So again EVERY 7 series camera Sony makes including the $3400 A7RIII and the A7iii cripples ALL A mount lenses and ALL adapted lenses. For example:

"limitations include only 2.5 FPS with AF/AE between frames."

Just another reason the Nikon Z is superior. It has the best lens system and doesn't cripple lenses made by the manufacturer.

Seriously, why does Sony cripple Sony lenses on $3400 cameras??? Ouch.

@Oskar P

"Like I said the "but the lenses can't shoot that fast" excuse most Sony owners give is a lie."

The fact that there's actually an in-camera mode that locks the aperture (Continuous Advance Priority AE) so the camera can shoot faster than the aperture can handle, shows the issue actually exists. Outside of your opinions, of course. ;)

"Just another reason the Nikon Z is superior. It has the best lens system and doesn't cripple lenses made by the manufacturer."

I think you missed 2/3 of Nikon's AF lenses...

"Seriously, why does Sony cripple Sony lenses on $3400 cameras??? Ouch."

That would be Minolta. A-mount was inherited from them, not created by Sony. E-mount is 100% Sony, and even the barebones A7 III performs better than the best A-mount cameras (A77 II, A99 II).

Do we even have a fast Z camera to test the maximum performance of the adapter? Last time I checked the Z7 dropped from 10 FPS to 5.5 FPS if you want live view. And then if you don't dry fire but actually use it the camera drops again to 4 FPS.

Let's all hope the Nikon adapter is better than the Sony adapter, since Sony has a full native mirrorless lens line-up and Nikon doesn't. If Nikon releases a Z camera with better AF they will hopefully have some new lenses, since the old ones will not be able to compete with the linear or double drives needed for mirrorless.

Also don't confuse A-Mount adaption by Sonys adapter and EF-mount adaption by third parties. Yes the Sony A-mount lenses will not work flawless for a number of reasons. But no company arguably works closer together with third parties than Sony. Let's hope for all Nikon users that the Nikon Z-mount patents don't hold up, because adapters are a sh**** long term solution

This has been discussed to death in the Sony forums.
For some reason Sony chose not to fully support A mount and adapted lenses (even though A mount lenses work very well on the A99ii and do the things people here falsely say they can't).
With A mount, and Canon (and Sigma EF) lenses, "You don't get hybrid AF, Eye AF, or 5 FPS with continuous AF (only 2.5 FPS).
And that is a real shame for Sony users.

No "whatabout" about it. Nikon did a better job supporting their lenses. And a DSLR users (like 850 and 750 owners) can expect most of their lenses to work equally well on the Z system (Something Sony cannot say).

Again you are confusing stuff and spreading misinformation.

Both Hybrid and Eye-AF work with the MC-11 for both SIGMA and Canon lenses on all third gen cameras including the A9, A7 III and A7R III
Also at least with Sigma glas (don't know about Canon but I think it is faster too) you also get your full 10FPS with the A7 III and A7R III and even more with the A9

OH and ignore the Sony FUD.
With adapted lenses the Z6 does 12 FPS, for 12-bit + autofocus and 9.5 FPS for 14bit+ autofocus.
And Panther Fan is most wrong again and is either lying or has no clue. The MC-11 only allows faster than 2.5 FPS on the A7iii and A7Riii with some Sigma lenses. Tamron, Canon and Sony lenses are all stuck at 2.5 FPS.
Praise Sigma for trying, and criticize Sony for sticking it to there customers as usual.
Oh and the A9 only allows 5 FPS with native lenses and the mechanical shutter. (good luck in florescent light and with race cars) Some native lenses can't go faster than 10 FPS no matter what. Others are limited to 15FPS (which is pretty fast).

@Mr PapaBear
Can you show me one single example where the A9 ES shutter had problems with florescent light or race cars, where a mechanical shutter wouldn't have those problems.

And on your 12FPS Z6 you are conveniently ignoring, that you lose continous auto exposure and more important live view.

And the lying part is on your side. Here is the Eye-AF on an A7 III with MC-11 and Canon lens (there are tons of other videos, but this one is with the notoriously hard to focus 85mm F1.2): https://youtu.be/QfFxbFJ9jdM?t=352

Then you lied that Sigma wouldn't support 10FPS, which it does.

And then I said "don't know about Canon" and you claim I am lying? So if anything you have made claims that don't hold up. Show me the claim I made that doesn't hold up?

Fully agrre.

Sony is deliberately screwing over their customers.

The A mount lenses can shoot 12 FPS on A mount cameras. There is no reason they can't in E mount. But not only does Sony cripple A mount cameras with BS like fixing video to F3.5 (even with F1.4 lenses), but the deliberately cripple A mount l lenses on E mount cameras!

Sigma came along and proved there is no reason for what Sony does. Hilariously, a large number of Sony owners now use Canon and EF mount lenses and skip the Sonys. And that let's them keep their Canon DSLRs to use with a dual system.
You can't do that with A mount very well because of how Sony cripples the lenses (and cripples video on SLTs).
But Nikon didn't screw over customers. The let about 100 lenses that work on the D850 work just as well on the Z mount cameras.

But then Sony claims their cameras are weather resistant so we know how dumb they think their customers are.

BlueBomberTurbo,

I agree, why did Sony screw over customers and make it so their lenses don't work well on their latest cameras??
Like you said the lenses can shoot at 10 FPS and do other things, even on cheap cameras from 2011.
But Sony deliberately crippled them on $2000 and $3400 cameras screwing over all their customers who paid good money for those Sony lenses.

But then Sony says their cameras are weather sealed and we found that is a lie too.

"Like you said the lenses can shoot at 10 FPS and do other things, even on cheap cameras from 2011."

With limitations. The A55 has the "Continuous Advance Priority AE" mode at 10fps, which locks the aperture in AF-C, and locks the shutter speed in AF-S. SLT gained some things, and lost some things. Just like mirrorless gains some things, and temporarily loses some things.

We're now seeing proof that the limitation is in the sensor readout speed, where the A9 has basically surpassed these limitations via the stacked sensor. The only one left being the aperture and AF motor speed of the lens. Even the high end ones weren't intended to go much faster than 10fps, let alone 20. Then again, Nikon's fastest continuous drive speed with AF on their top camera is only 1fps faster than an A6000's. ;)

Yeah, agree
Why does Sony deliberately screw over customers and make it so their lenses don't work well on their latest cameras??
As YOU keep pointing the lenses can shoot at 10 FPS (auto exposure is not a function of the lens)
But Sony DELIBERATELY crippled them on $2000 and $3400 cameras screwing over all their customers who paid good money for those Sony lenses. They can't even shoot 3 FPS with AF!!! But entry level cameras from 2011 could.
Sony clearly loves to punish A mount lenses owners. First the F3.5 restriction, now this.

But then Sony says their cameras are weather sealed and we found that is a lie too.

@Oskar P

"Why does Sony deliberately screw over customers and make it so their lenses don't work well on their latest cameras?? "

Dunno, ask Nikon. They're no better.

"As YOU keep pointing the lenses can shoot at 10 FPS (auto exposure is not a function of the lens)"

Yes, AE IS a function of the lens, unless you want to remove aperture from the exposure triangle.

"But Sony DELIBERATELY crippled them on $2000 and $3400 cameras screwing over all their customers who paid good money for those Sony lenses. "

Sounds like Nikon DELIBERATELY crippling their lenses on $2000 and $3700 cameras screwing over all their customers who paid good money for those Nikon lenses. All Minolta and Sony AF lenses AF on E-mount. Only 1/3 of Nikon's AF lenses AF on Z-mount.

Continued...

"They can't even shoot 3 FPS with AF!!! But entry level cameras from 2011 could. "

Nikon Zs can't shoot with AF at any fps on 66% of Nikon's lenses. Good thing Nikon even crippled their entry level cameras in the same way, so they can't shoot with AF, either. Need to spend over $1K on a body just to get AF on all of Nikon's lenses. Talk about screwing over your customer base.

"Sony clearly loves to punish A mount lenses owners. First the F3.5 restriction, now this."

Nikon clearly loves to punish their customers who don't spend enough. First the $1K AF restriction, now the absolutely zero usable AF limitation without any solution.

"But then Sony says their cameras are weather sealed and we found that is a lie too."

But then Nikon says their cameras are weather sealed and I found that is a lie too.

So glad you agree. Sony screws over customers and DELIBERATLEY makes it so their lenses don't work well on their latest cameras.

And you are right, only about 90 Nikon lenses work near perfectly on the Z system. That doesn't include the Tamrons and Sigmas that are also supported. Though many people are saying FX lenses work even better on the Z system.

Seriously, why does Sony screw over their customers like that? And why dibthe lie about weather resistance? And why have so many people said their A7III sensor has failed?

Bluebomber Turbo,

I know!!!! Sony is the worst. They love to screw customers.
Weather resistance on a $3400 camera? No, all a big Sony lie. Sony screwing customers.

Try taking video with an a99ii at f2.8. The camera "could" do it, but Sony would rather screw customers.

That $3000 Sony A mount zoom "redesigned for speed"? It can only shoot at 2.5 FPS on that new $3400 camera. Sony screwing customers.

As you point out ZERO Sony A mount lenses work as advertised. ZERO
But more than 90 Nikon F lenses work near flawlessly.

Sony doesn't even make 90 lenses LOL!!!!!

No wonder Sony owner are scrambling to by Canon EF lenses instead of Sony lenses.

Simply put the Z cameras are better made cameras with a vastly greater lens selection.
Everything from lenses to video (10bit!) are better.

@Mr PapaBear - Are you stupid? Get your facts right instead of spreading FUD & fake news. Sony is the only brand manufacturer that LICENSES their E-mount IP to all 3rd party manufacturers.

That is why its not just the big independent 3rd party lens manufacturers like Sigma/Tamron that can make, market & sell NATIVE E-mount lenses with full NATIVE performance, like AF etc. There is a whole ecosystem of excellent small lens manufacturers like Laowa, Voightlander, Mitakon, Kipon, Helios etc. etc. that support the Sony ecosystem by making lenses & adapters.

They know they can pay to have the IP rights to engineer perfectly working full performance lenses & adapters too!

The reason your Tamron/Sigma lens don't work at all on your crap Canikon? These 3rd party lens makers have to reverse engineer your Canikon crap. Its trial & error. That is why they don't work each time there is a new body without a firmware update.

Canikon will never have the support of 3rd party lenses!

Prenatural Stuff,

Thanks for proving you ignorance.

Micro Four Thirds has more third party manufacturers and more lenses. You just made yourself look pretty stupid.
Micro four thirds also allows any to make bodies for the system which is why it is more "open".
But the truth is there are more lenses that AF and work near perfectly on the Z system (this includes Nikon, Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, and others) than there are lenses that work near perfectly on any Sony 7 series camera. This is because Sony cripples adapted lenses and there are more lenses made for F mount than E mount.

So, no, there are not more 3rd party lenses for E mount and M43 is a far more open system.

Sorry but in the lens department, sony wins. Sony can do AF with lenses that don't have AF. Some nikon and canon lenses work better on sony than on the original bodies.

Oskar P Delusional? The adapter exists...

LOL,

I was just reading about those.
"Its use is suggested with 50mm or wider lenses, with telephoto lenses requiring a manual rough focus before the adapter takes over."
If you have to "manual focus first, it is NOT auftofocus.

Sony fans are more delusional that I thought. BlueBomber is saying those lenses are fast enough to work with C-AF at 10 FPS. But they are worse than Sony A mount lenses on A7 cameras...which are the worst performing lenses in ALL OF MIRRORLESS.
Talk about desperate!

While Z user are doing the following, BlueBomber is "manual rough focusing" and shooting at a dismal 2.5 FPS!!!.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/61945374

(I love how Sony fans keep embarrassing themselves here)

@Mr PapaBear can't even get his facts right! He doesn't even know that Sony never cripples third party lenses. In fact, 3rd party lenses can be marketed as Native Sony E-mount products because they can license the IP from Sony.

You don't seen Sigma/Tamron even needing to make firmware updates whenever there is a new Sony body do you? You don't see the likes of Laowa, Voightlander, Helios etc. etc. making their excellent lenses for Canikon do you?
They can't be bothered to reverse engineer Canikon!

@Mr PapaBear is what you call a fake news fraudster!

I see why Sony fans have the reputation of lying.

Sony not only cripples 3rd party lenses, they cripple SONY lenses.

All SONY A mount lenses (as well as many 3rd party lenses) on the A7iii are crippled to the point they can only shoot 2.5 FPS while focusing.
But Sony is well know for crippling there products and treating their customers like cr@p. A mount has always had video crippled and users are forced to use F3.5 with AF (And have no option for A, S, or M modes with AF).
But what do you expect from a company that sells cameras that lack weather sealing, and then swears to their customers they are fully weather sealed (then laughs when a splash of saltwater ruins their cameras).

I feel bad for A mount owners they are the most gullible people in the world, and smile when Sony smacks them around .