In the Spirit of Legacy

Switching systems is scary. Dedicating years, even decades, to a system and building an arsenal of gear surrounding a single lens mount a certainly a sign of loyalty. When a brand treats you well, always there by your side as you create work, it can be hard to move on.

But when a system is announced, there's always that burning question: is it worth the switch? Is it greener on the other side? Switching from Canon FD to Canon EF must have been nerve-racking. After years of using the FD cameras and lenses, is it worth abandoning your tried-and-true gear for electronic features like auto focus? It must have seemed like a gamble at the time.

Nikon F users had an easier transition; their first autofocus camera did release 20 years after the introduction of the F-mount, but it at least used the same mounts.

In those moments when you decide to finally pull the trigger and buy into that new system, there's generally the mourning of your old gear. Nostalgia hits, and your bread-and-butter lenses will eventually be replaced by something shiny and new. But lens adapting buys more time with your extra gear, especially if you can't get a 1:1 replacement of all of your favorite lenses.

Sometimes an adapter is just a metal tube that fills the gap in flange focal distance, but they can be more, especially depending on what lenses you're using. In the case of switching from DSLRs to mirrorless mounts, many brands had their own adapters (even allowing for electronic controls, too). Fotodiox had their fair share of adapter for those same lens-to-camera combinations:

Sony and Minolta A-mount lenses almost exclusively lack an aperture ring, and when not attached to a camera, they default to their narrowest aperture. Thankfully, that's covered by our Sony A to E adapters, as they all come with an integrated aperture ring.

More modern lenses in the Pentax K and Nikon F lineup have a similar drawback as the Sony A lenses, though they also carry fully-manual lenses, so sometimes you'll see both variations (with and without aperture rings on the adapter) on the adapters for Nikon 1 and Pentax Q. Adapters with the integrated aperture ring give you the most bang for your buck, as they'll operate both types of lenses.

Fujca lenses are a little different. When not attached to a camera, they default wide-open, and required a coupling to stop down the lens so that the physical aperture matches the value on the aperture ring. For our Fujica X to Fujifiilm X (confusing, we know), we have two flavors: one with a static coupling, and the other is variable (similar to the aperture rings of the adapters above).

Unfortunately, Canon EF lenses do rely exclusively on electronic connection for aperture (assuming it's not a third-party manual lens), but often times, manual focus can be workable (as long as it's not an STM-type lens).

At the end of the day, it's up to you if you're ready to take the plunge. When you've been in the industry long enough, you know your own gear's limitations better than anyone. Sometimes the upgrade is worth it.

If the goal is to have the most modern, state-of-the-art tech available, lens adapting may not be the way to go, unless you have an OEM adapter from your brand. That'll always ensure the best compatibility and support the most features, especially if you're not rushing to use native gear.

But if your workflow doesn't require you to fire on all cylinders in every moment of every job, considering keeping your older gear in rotation. This goes beyond a yearning for vintage and nostalgia; adapting can be about learning to appreciate your favorite gear all over again.