Finally, an adapter for manual lenses that adds autofocus.
FotodioX has just released a brand new adapter for the Fujifilm X Series of cameras that adds autofocus to your vintage manual focus lenses. While the adapter itself is for Leica M-mount, you can adapt many different lenses to M-mount and still use the adapter. Anything from Nikon F mount to M42 screw mount lenses can all be used with this adapter. Sadly, due to weight, Canon FD and EOS mount lenses will not work.
FotodioX released an adapter with similar functionality a few years back for Sony E-mount and the reviews are mostly positive, but there are some caveats. The adapter works by physically moving the lens back and forth to change focus, allowing you to focus extremely closely, possibly even closer than the lens would allow you to naturally. However, because of the small motor, the adapter can only support lenses up to 1.5 lbs, and longer lenses may need a little bit of manual focus work, especially when focusing close up, before the adapter takes over. It also seems to work best on lenses that are 50mm and above. Overall, it seems like a great piece of gear to add to one's kit if you have a collection of old glass laying around.
Are you planning on picking up this adapter? At $350, it isn't cheap, but if you're a fan of vintage glass, it looks like a must-have for Fuji shooters. One thing I would like to see is one of these adapters with a focal reducer built in, but that sounds far easier said than done.
Probably not. Nice idea, but for $350 I can buy a really nice lens or even two good ones.
Is this adapter actually available? I followed the two links in this article, one goes to the Fujifilm X-T4 camera and the other goes to the FotodioX adapter for the Sony cameras.
Why not just paint a picture instead of using a camera?
Let's see you paint a photograph. What a stupid analogy!
" Anything from Nikon F mount to M42 screw mount lenses can all be used with this adapter. Sadly, due to weight, Canon FD and EOS mount lenses will not work. "
So a Zeiss Otus for F-mount will work, but not an FD mount lens? I"m confused. (I'm not actually confused. Just pointing out the oddness of this statement.)
Weight I think. Also, you will need additional adapters for Leica M-mount to whatever you are mounting I suspect.
There's a weight limit due to the focusing helicoid (around 800g or so). Otus lenses technically won't work due to how heavy they are, but if you properly support both the camera and lens, it's possible. You can use anything from Leica M and up, but heavier lenses can damage the adapter over time.
Autofocus, Contax style. This is how the Contax AX autofocused manual lenses. It didn't catch on but it was a cool idea
Fstoppers- you may want to do research on this company. The company that created this adapter is Tech-Art. FotoDiox copied the design and claim that it was their own. You can verify this when the firmware updates that they provide is the Tech-Art firmware not theirs. I don't believe that Fotodiox pays TechArt and licensing because this is China. So, up to you how you want to deal with this. As for me, I bought the Tech-Art version for the Sony FE mount. For me it is the principled course of action. I'm able to use heavier lenses, the trick is to hold the lens steady and let the adapter move the camera. As long as the camera isn't too heavy, it will work. Also, I set the AF to AF-c, you can use it almost as an AF 'assist'. Manually focus until you're close and let the adapter nail the last few mm.
The title of this post should have been "Weird adapter with limited utility that only a small subset of people will be interested in comes to Fuji X mount". But bravo, the click-baity title got me to click into the article.