Rayqual adapters bring Leica, Nikon, and Canon lenses to Sony's NEX cameras
By Donald Melanson 
posted June 18th 2010 10:12AM
posted June 18th 2010 10:12AM
Sony's new NEX-3 and NEX-5 cameras may have a few limitations when it comes to their UI, but it looks like they won't be hurting for lens options -- Japan's Rayqual has announced that it'll be offering a series of lens adapters for the cameras starting next month. Those will let you attach any number of Leica, Nikon or Canon lenses to the compact shooter, although you'll expectedly have to make do without autofocus if you decide to venture beyond Sony's own lenses for the cameras. They also won't come cheap, with the adapters set to run ¥19,950 to ¥25,200, or roughly $220 to $275 -- although that could be a small price to pay if you've already invested in some serious glass.
Why not just get the best, instead of trying to make a mediocre product better?
@rstoplabe14
Huh? The best what? Do you mean body?
This is not a DSLR, so comparing it directly to one is invalid. If you already own one, however, and want a smaller camera that is more capable than a point-and-shoot and could use existing glass in your inventory (should you choose) ... I fail to see the problem.
This is not an argument about whether or not Sony (or anyone else) should make this class of camera. They do. It is done.
@rstoplabe14
I could totally see carrying this + adapter as a small backup body for my DSLR.
@Curious G
What i meant was for tis kind of cash for the body and adapter and assuming you already have the lens, you can get a low end DSLR ( I think the rebel XTi would take better pictures than this, or if not a high end point and shot. to make such a Frankenstein class of camera defeats the purpose of another. If I want something light weight i would use a point and shoot, and If I wanted the quality of a DSLR id get one. Adding specialty lenses to a point and shoot just makes it as bulky and delicate as a DSLR, and the ratio in size between the lens and the body of these is so awkward, i cant imagine getting a god grip on these.
@rstoplabe14
The rebel XTI is much bigger and doesn't take image as good as NEX.
DPreview rates the NEX raw images slightly higher then even the T2i.
@rstoplabe14
Using a NEX w/ a 50 1.2 classical NIKKOR lens will still get comparable pics to, say, a leica 50 1.0 combo. Granted, Leica remains Leica. It's a pure gem.
For some people, getting "just" the best is just next to impossible:
Leica M9: 3,500 USD
50 1.0 Lens: 4,000 USD
NEX5: 500 EUR
50 1.2 Nikkor: 600 EUR
Adapter: 300 EUR
There's ALWAYS something that's more expensive, w/ more features etc...
@rstoplabe14
Huh? How is Rebel the "best", in fact its the lowest end product in Canon's dSLR line-up. If you want the 'best' then you'd better get the 1D Mark IV.
But that would be a totally missing the point, just like your suggestion of getting a Rebel over a NEX. You get a Rebel because its cheap, and the reason why you would want a mirror-less APS-C camera like a NEX or m43rds is that you want a compact device with dSLR quality and interchangeable lenses.
In fact, I own a dSLR but I'm thinking of getting a mirror-less APS-C camera so I can take it around with me to take impromptu photos, much like the how I use to carry around a Contax G1 rangefinder in my jacket back in the film days.
@rstoplabe14
Some people really just don't understand the concept of portability. This same counter aurgument is used when people are discussing netbooks/laptops or tablets/phones.
There are certain situations where a high performance item should be replaced with a decent performance item in order to meet that situations needs.
Now I will agree with you the camera is just a tad overpriced, but it seems as if you do still get a lot for what you are paying in a convenient package.
@rstoplabe14
I agree, although a nice little prime lens would be nifty.
I do see utility in the German micro 4/3 adapters for the old Canon F mounts; my Dad has a chest of glass that is useless now, but at least that concept would at least allow him to toy with them again (albeit manual focus)
@seanGadget
You did not read my post completely. I said " If I want something light weight i would use a point and shoot" when replying to Curious G . I have a small Canon point and shoot for when I go to Disney World or Universal Studios on the weekends, but when I want priceless photos I use a Canon 50D. I understand that there might be better cameras out there, but I am happy with the 50D. The point that I was trying to make is that they are selling this point and shoot/DSLR Frankenstein as a DSLR with the usual Sony Tax plus adapters and lenses. For the same price I could get a low end DSLR from Canon that would give me DSLR quality shots, w/o the Sony Tax or Sony Locks (proprietary stuff). Its like getting the $20,000 Camaro, adding some rims and stripes of the $60,000 Camaro and trying to sell it for $55,000, when a quick look under the hood shows you that the car is only really worth $20,000.
@rstoplabe14
You do not understand the point I was trying to make. Sony, Olympus and a few others made this camera for the simple point of being better than your average point and shoot and not quite up there with discrete dslrs. Portability! is number one here hence the reason it being so expensive. Someone needing this (along with a camera that takes much higher quality than point and shoots) would easily lean towards this type of hybrid camera.
You have to remember that any electronic that comes in a condensed size will always be more expensive. Look at the first ultra-portable laptops (not netbooks) with much weaker performance of lower priced ones. You aren't quite understanding the concept that Sony is trying to push here. Now of course at the end of the day, it's making money but it is also making a brave push for those people looking for the portability of a point and shoot and the quality of the dslr.
And your car comparison is not very accurate since reviewers have already said the NEX can compare with the low to mid range dslr camera quality (not features, notice i said quality). That 20, 000 dollar camaro however will not even be close to competing with the 60, 000 in terms of strictly performance.
@rstoplabe14
"If I want something light weight i would use a point and shoot" "
You are clueless.
P&S sensors range from 1/3.6"-1/1.6", which is a sensor area of 12mm^2 to 48mm^2 for even the largest P&S like the well-regarded LX3. The sensor size of an APS-C sensor in these NEX camrs is around 374mm^2. We are talking about a sensor size that is an order of magnitude larger then any P&S.
This means interchangeable leases, low-light can go up to ISO12,800, it means adjustable dept-of-field, it means bokeh, it means dramatically higher image quality, better glass, it means built-in HDR, etc., etc. etc. There is no comparison to a P&S.
As far as a proprietary lens mount, as shown with this adapter any lens mount with a short focal flange distance can mount lenses with larger focal flange distances, and this camera has an insanely short flange distance of only 18mm, which means you can mount your lenses manually via adapter.
Let's put it this way, you can't mount a Canon FD lens to a Canon dSLR, but you can mount that Canon FD lens onto this Sony NEX or micro43rds camera. This is a good thing because Canon FD had some insanely good L-class primes like the affordable FD 50mm f/1.2L (Canon would rather you spend $1,300 for a new EF 1.2L).
Moreover, your 'Sony tax' comment is B.S., this camera is in fact far cheaper then most other mirror-less camera on the market, especially considering its specs. The NEX3 starts at $550 with kit lens, the NEX5 is a hundred more. Its around the price of a Oly Pen E-PL, and a comparable Panasonic G2 is $800 with a lens, a Canon Rebel T2i is $900 with the base lens.
@Temple
You do understand why you can't use FD lense with the EF mount, right? You do understand that there was a reason why Canon changed the mount?
You do realize that they aren't even the same diameter?
But yes, of course, it's because they don't want you to use your 30 year old FD lenses because they'll make more money or whatever conspiracy crap you believe.
It's not because the EF-mount employed new technology and what not.
this is an old image, the final design for nex3 looks nicer (the handle colour now matches the body) (:
@Marko - oh, yeah, and the lenses are now chrome (:
I wonder why they don't add an automatic shutter mechanism to protect the image sensor? Nearly every portable camera has one to protect the lens; it seems the sensor is in even greater need of protection. Just because it's more expensive and supposedly more "professional" doesn't mean that it will always be handled gingerly.
@CityZen - I suppose you are only supposed to take the lens of when you are replacing it with a different one, which is only a few seconds, hopefully.
@CityZen Very good point, I can imagine all kinds of dust even just leaving the cap or lens off for a few seconds.
@Marko "a few seconds" is enough to get dust on your sensor though, especially one that exposed. So yeah... it should have some protection.
@indeed
What do you think happens on a DSLR? That is why you change lenses with the mount facing down. The sensor is vulnerable in those as well (hint: the mirror is not a protective cap for the sensor)
@Curious G - The sensor has a dust removal system of some sort, for those few seconds. but if you get a big peace of crap onto it - its your own fault (:
@Curious G
DSLRs have shutters too, any dust that gets on to the sensor has to get past that and the mirror.
@Curious G Thanks for the lesson. I own DSLRs and know very well how to prevent getting dust in their sensors. As you and others said, the mirror helps very little but the shutters covers the sensor. These NEX don't have a mechanical shutter it seems.
Do you still believe both systems are just as vulnerable to dust?
Yes, but will they blend?
@Jamesky
Glass > steel.
Why are you using this old image of the conceptual mock-ups?
Nex 5 and 3 have been out for weeks....
Being a Nikon owner, I could see myself owning this as a slightly more portable high quality shooter.
If I had a D3 or something in that size range, I would get this as a secondary, but considering I have a D90, I can live with carrying that around for events.
I'd think that trying to do manual focus on a camera that lacks a proper viewfinder would be a pain.
@omnomnom
I agree for manual focus nothing close OVF,but its isn't to hard to manual focus in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhkU3iJLl10
Not only will you have to focus manually with these adapters but you'll also have to adjust the aperture manually and use stop down metering, plus with newer Nikon lenses and pretty much all Canon EF lenses you'll have no control over the aperture. In this case the only real purpose the EF adpater serves is to then use other adapters on top of it, such as M42 to EF, as it'll certainly be cheaper than a straight M42 to E mount adapter.
@Kieran
The Nikon G-glass you will have aperture control over, since all F-mounts use mechanical apertures. Adapters for m43rds-F-mounts usually came with a external ring to adjust aperture, Nikon even made an official C-mount adapter with an external aperture control for lenses without an aperture ring. But there have been a ton of F-mount adapters that an external aperture ring.
Canon's system is all electric, which means that you'll need a separate motor to adjust the aperture. There are some adapters for the Red camera that have this (EF->PL mount), where you can adjust the aperture electronically, but they are expensive (such as the Redrock M2 Encore).
These mirrorless cameras are a dream come true for people with a lens-fetish like me. The large focal flange distance means that you can mount pretty much any lens (you can't do that with a dSLR), and the large FFD also means that there is ample space on the adapter to add things like aperture rings, and electronic controls.
I'd love to see my 14-24 or 24-70 nikkors on that body just for a goof.
No Pentax ???
@Atkins
You can just use a Pentax K/M42 to EF mount adapter, it all ends up the same as you'll have no automatic aperture control with the Sony adapters anyway. Don't think the newer Pentax lenses have aperture rings though, if it's still mechanically controlled an aperture ring could be built in to a straight K mount to E mount adapter, however you'll have no way of knowing what aperture you're at as that'll be communicated electrically (if that matters to you)