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Recommendations top
I’d get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This is a genuinely innovative product sure to bring delight to the sort of people who enjoy adapting lenses.
Adapters are for hobbyists who enjoy experimenting with old lenses on new cameras as a hobby unto itself. For you people, this adapter is a blast because you really can — and have it autofocus pretty well! Because it adapts from LEICA M, you can adapt to your Nikon Z and have it autofocus.
I have to produce results for a living and do not enjoy fiddling with cameras. I never use these adapters myself, although because you people ask I cheerfully take one for the team and try them out.
Optically and ergonomically, native Nikon Z lenses always outperform adapted lenses for use on Nikon Z cameras. Even if an optically flawless lens is adapted, it rarely works as well on a different brand of camera due to the different microlenses used on different brands’ sensors. I’ve been documenting this for years: see what happens when a LEICA 21mm lens is used on Sony and see more examples here and . Ultrawides are the worst when adapted; normal lenses are much better and teles usually work great.
I find that turning the focus ring myself with a $15 passive adapter is much faster, easier and simpler and produces better focus more often than . Autofocus impresses the innocent, but this adapter is far from perfect and annoys me just as often as it actually works. It’s a product for people who enjoy science experiments and tinkering and relish all the improvements new firmware bring with each revision.
For you people, it won’t take too long to master this adapter and select which lenses work great for you, and you’ll be able to impress your friends at how you can get Nikon AF and AF-D lenses to autofocus on your Nikon Z (but you’ll have no lens corrections or much EXIF data or P or S exposure modes) For me, I’m too impatient and prefer native Nikon Z lenses for my Nikon Z cameras. Chacun à son goût.
I’d get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This all-content, junk-free website’s biggest source of support is when you use those or any of when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken, Mrs. Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
Ken Rockwell. All rights reserved. Tous droits réservés. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Ken Rockwell is a registered trademark.
Conclusion
good
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average
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not good
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To be honest with you, I have never been interested in the first generation Techart Pro LM-EA7: too clunky, too bulky, too noisy and after some time we found out it also has longevity issues.
When I was approached by Techart to have a look at this LM-EA9 and I saw the sleeker design and heard they are using several small ultrasonic motors instead of one noisy micro motor and the improved mechanical design I was immediately interested though.
The lack of firmware updates in the last 4 1/2 years for the predecessor and its compatibility issues with newer cameras are still a bitter pill to swallow and are also making me question to invest a big sum of money in this successor though.
Still, it is not like there is anything else like this on the market and this LM-EA9 definitely is a huge step up from the LM-EA7 and at the end of the day simply a really cool accessory. I have been telling you about all its quirks and limitations – and you should be aware of them – but in many scenarios it works actually quite well and as long as you are not shooting action pictures you may not even notice most of these limitations.
So if you were happy with the AF performance of the LM-EA7 you will definitely be happy with this LM-EA9, as the mechanics and usability have been greatly improved. If you want your M-mount lenses to focus by themselves, this is the way.
PS: the LM-EA9 also opens up the possibility to give the camera to someone not that keen on manual focus to take an in-focus picture of you with a manual focus lens:
Sony A7III | LM-EA9 | TTArtisan 35mm 2.0 | f/2.0
Performance top
I’d get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Autofocus
Autofocus performance varies with lens. The only way to know how well a certain lens will work is to try it.
Autofocus is about as fast as other lenses.
It’s usually accurate, but not always. Expect that some shots may just not be in perfect focus.
Manual Focus
Manual focus doesn’t work well, because you need to 1.) set the adapter to infinity focus, and then set the camera to MF.
Sadly when you turn the camera on and off, the adapter may change its focus. If it focuses away from infinity, you no longer will be able to focus to infinity.
Lens Corrections
Because the camera has no real idea what lens is attached, while you can set , diffraction and (vignette control) to ON, God only knows what will happen, since the camera is assuming one lens and you’ve mounted something else. Set and diffraction to OFF, while falloff should still work.
The Z7 II, Z6 II, Z7, Z6, and Z5 always correct for lateral color fringes (chromatic aberration) regardless of what’s attached. There’s no setting for that; it just works.
Macro Performance
All lenses will be able to focus more closely than they can without an adapter.
Telephotos won’t see much change.
Normal lenses will be able to focus much more closely if you first set the lens’ focus more closely, and even in normal use without touching the lens’ focus ring wide and especially ultrawide lenses will autofocus extremely closely.
It’s all Metal. Bravo!
The serial number is on a sticker on the bottom.
Sharpness
There’s nothing but air inside this adapter. It will have no effect on any optical aspect of the lens.
Adapted lenses, especially wider ones, rarely work as well adapted to other cameras as they do on their own brand of cameras. This is because image sensors have to be optimized to certain lenses, and substituting lenses from other brands often lead to field curvature and its attendant loss of sharpness on the sides due to interactions with the sensor’s microlens assemblies.
Image Stabilization
This adapter has no Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)), but if, and only if, you manage to program the lens’ focal length successfully, any in-camera stabilization ought to work fine.
While makers claim «5 stops» improvement for their internal systems, I usually see only two stops real-world improvement and expect that’s about what I’ll get with this adapter — but only when you have the focal length set successfully.
What lenses the LM-EA9 works best with?
What hasn’t changed compared to the predecessor: you won’t have a very wide focus range with longer lenses. The longer the focal length the more extension is needed to focus close and the adapter is limited to an extension of 4.5 mm.
In the following table I wrote down the lenses’ (measured) minimum focus distance that is reachable with the LM-EA9 when the lens is set to infinity:
| Focal Length | MFD on LM-EA9 |
|---|---|
| 21mm | 0.20 m |
| 35mm | 0.41 m |
| 50mm | 0.75 m |
| 75mm | 1.37 m |
| 90mm | 2.13 m |
| 135mm | 9.00 m |
You can see that the range with longer lenses is quite limited whereas the benefit is that with wide angle lenses you can often focus closer than you normally could.
The following e-function gives a good approximation to calcuate the MFD for lenses of different focal lengths:
MFD = 0,1244 x e^(0,032*Focal Length )
You can still use the focus ring to get close to where you subject is and let the AF do the rest, but this is quite bothersome when the distance between you and your subject(s) changes a lot. The longest focal length I tried was 135mm and here the operation was already rather bothersome.
Sony A7III | Syoptic 50mm 1.1 | f/1.1 | LM-EA9
So ultimatey, I think with lenses not longer than 50mm there are little restrictions and the whole operation can be described as smooth. With lenses from 50-90mm there are some restrictions – prefocusing the lens might be needed – but it is still usable. Beyond that I didn’t find it really useful to be honest.
Settings
As was already the case with the LM-EA7 you can change some basic settings. You do that by changing the aperture in the camera and pressing the shutter button.
Changing focal length
The first function is setting the focal length the adapter communicates to the camera. This focal length will be used for the IBIS to work properly and will also be written in the Exif data so you can track which lenses you have used. No matter the focal length setting, the adapter will always be recognized as a DT 40mm 2.8 SAM lens in the exif data – same was true for the predecessor.
But how to change the focal length setting? Set the aperture in camera according to the corresponding aperture value from the list below, take a picture and then dial back to f/2.0. Dialing back to f/2.0 is crucial, if you don’t do this your pictures will be overexposed.
For the LM-EA7 Techart provided a configuration app for Android that allowed for more distinct settings. Currently it is undecided if there will be such an app for the LM-EA9 as well.
Changing AF mode
The LM-EA9 offers two AF modes which are activated by taking a picture with the camera set to f/51 or f/57.
- Normal Focus Mode f/51
The standard focus mode which should also be the fastest, not recommended for lenses that are faster than f/1.4 though - Slow Focus Mode f/57
Recommended when experiencing focus issues with lenses faster than f/1.4 in normal focus mode
To be honest with you: I did not notice any meaningful differences between these two focus modes.
Changing the parking position
How does it work? Whatever the adapter’s current position is when pressing the shutter button with the camera set to f/45 will be the new parking position. This already worked with the LM-EA7.
What can this be useful for? When you let the adapter focus as close as possible it will work as a 4.5 mm extension tube so you can focus closer than you usually could, especially with wide angle lenses.
To activate it you have to turn the aperture dial 27 clicks, take a picture and turn it back another 27 clicks. An issue carried over from the predecessor.
I only see very few use cases for this, often it is easier to just use either something close or far away to have the adapter retracted or extended and then switch to MF for it not to move around anymore.
Updating the firmware
The LM-EA9’s firmware can be updated which is a nice feature, as theoretically new features could be added or simply the stability and compatibility be improved.
I read that for the LM-EA7 the update process wasn’t very smooth and I am happy to report it works really well with the LM-EA9 now.
The LM-EA9 ships with a rear cap/dock that can be connected to a computer or Mac via an USB-Micro-C cable. After downloading the appropriate software from the Techart homepage you can choose the desired firmware from a list, no need to find the correct update file before. Even a downgrade to a previous version is currently possible.
Перемещает всю линзу
Чтобы понять, как работает Megadap MTZ11, вам понадобится справка о том, как большинство объективов камеры устанавливают фокус. Если вы использовали старые объективы с ручным управлением, вы будете знакомы с поворотом кольца фокусировки, перемещением стекла дальше или ближе к датчику изображения.
MTZ11 не может поворачивать кольца фокусировки — это все еще работа для ваших пальцев. Вместо этого он перемещает всю линзу. Это эффективно, но есть нюансы. Двигатель, который перемещает объектив, работает с громким жужжанием, поэтому забудьте об использовании адаптера в тихом месте или при записи видео со звуком.
Это также не так быстро, как работа с объективами, которые имеют собственные двигатели фокусировки, или даже с зеркальными фотокамерами, которые управляют старым стеклом с помощью фокусирующего винта. На MTZ изначально устанавливаются объективы Leica M, но вы можете складывать дополнительные адаптеры для использования объективов SLR.
Похожие продукты
Вам нужно будет добавить дополнительный адаптер для использования Nikon F и других объективов SLR.
Он устанавливается на корпуса Z текущего поколения, но не без проблем. Моторный блок, который управляет адаптером, свисает внизу и, в сочетании с конструкцией корпуса Z, очень хорошо блокирует гнездо для штатива. Nikon расположил его очень далеко вперед на нижней пластине, что вызывает проблему. Если использование штатива является обязательным, вы можете добавить вертикальную батарейную ручку к вашей камере Z, что полностью обойдёт проблему.
В фотокамерах Nikon Z гнездо для штатива должно быть спереди.
Если не считать использования штатива, адаптер сделан хорошо. Металлический корпус выполнен в черном матовом цвете и хорошо обработан. Нет неровных или зазубренных краев, и как камера, так и крепления объектива работают плавно. Однако у вас нет защиты от пыли и брызг, поэтому будьте осторожны при работе на открытом воздухе. У него есть незакрытый порт micro USB, используемый для обновлений прошивки.
Build Quality/Handling
The adapter generally feels solid and the design is way more sophisticated than that of the LM-EA7. The connection to the camera is very tight, my M-mount lenses show a tiny amount of radial play on this sample of the adapter though.
I pushed the adapter a bit by using a lens which weighs 510g and it still worked fine, but it does make less sound and of course also focuses faster when using smaller/lighter lenses.
TTArtisan 35mm 2.0 Apo attached via Techart LM-EA9 to Sony A7rII
Of course I can’t tell you about sample variation with just one adapter and I don’t have any long term experience with it.
The LM-EA9’s design is definitely sleeker than that of its predecessor, but when extended you can still see rather big gaps between the bayonet and the outer casing. I am not sure I would be willing to use this adapter in the rain or dusty/sandy environments because of this.
M->E adapters: Metabones – TTArtisan 6-bit – Techart LMEA9
Interestingly – despite the noticeably sleeker appearance – the Techart LM-EA9 weighs exactly as much as its predecessor: 133g. The lightest M-mount adapters weigh only around 50g.
I didn’t really like the big bulge at the bottom of the LM-EA7 as it didn’t work well with my L-brackets and was always in the way, this one only has a slightly bigger diameter than a normal adapter which makes using it way more fun
Preface: how is such an adapter possible in the first place?
Adapting lenses from other camera systems comes down to one physical aspect: the flange focal distance. It is the distance from the image sensor to the mount (where the rear-end of the lens attaches).
Because of the flipping mirror situated between the mount and the sensor, a DSLR camera has a longer flange distance than a mirrorless camera. For example the Canon EF-mount is 44mm, whereas the Sony E-mount is 18mm.
This difference in length allowed manufacturers to design adapters to use DSLR lenses on mirrorless bodies. These adapters are precisely machined to increase the flange distance needed by the DSLR lens to focus correctly on the mirrorless camera.
Leica M lenses are also easily adaptable because the flange distance of the M-system is longer compared to mirrorless mounts (27.8mm), although not as long as DSLRs.
But what about adapting mirrorless lenses to other mirrorless systems? Well, let’s start by looking at the flange distance specifications of those products:
- Nikon Z-mount: 16mm
- Fujifilm X-mount: 17.7mm
- Canon EF-M-mount: 18mm
- Sony E-mount: 18mm
- Micro Four Thirds: 19.25mm
- Canon RF-mount: 20mm
- Leica L-mount: 20mm
Before the launch of the Nikon Z and Canon RF systems, and excluding Leica, the difference in flange distance wasn’t greater than 1.55mm, and for some systems, even less than 1mm. For example, if I wanted to use a Sony lens on a Fujifilm camera, the adapter would have to be no thicker than 0.3mm.
The arrival of the Nikon Z system made the impossible possible because it has the shortest flange distance of all of them, 16mm. Yes it is only 2mm shorter than the Sony E-mount, but enough for Techart to build a thin adapter with electronic contacts.
Looking at these numbers, I imagine that L-mount lenses and RF lenses could be made adaptable to Sony and Nikon cameras, at least from a pure physical point of view. Of course, you also need the electronic component to make the camera and lens work together, which can be challenging.
Now that we explained how the TZE-01 adapter can exist, let’s see what it looks like.
Автофокусировка
Я тестировал адаптер с несколькими объективами Leica M, Nikon F и Pentax K для систем 35 мм, а также со среднеформатным объективом Hasselblad и камерой Nikon Z 7 II.
Скорость зависит от объектива — для блокировки камеры требуется немного больше работы при использовании старых объективов с относительно низкой контрастностью. Я заметил, что довольно часто охотился с объективом Hasselblad 80mm без покрытия 1950-х годов, а также с Lomography New Jupiter 50mm F1.5 на открытой диафрагме.
Поддерживаются все режимы фокусировки Z 7 II, включая непрерывную фокусировку (AF-C), а также распознавание лиц и глаз. Однако я придерживался AF-S. В режиме AF-C камера ищет фокус прямо до момента, пока вы не сделаете снимок, что для MTZ11 очень шумно. Использование AF-S не снижает шума и не ускоряет работу, но помогает с шумом после блокировки фокуса.
В целом автофокус работает, и точный. Однако это далеко не идеальный опыт. Вы захотите оказать объективу некоторую помощь — если вы знаете, что работаете близко к объекту, установите его вручную рядом с его макро-диапазоном, и наоборот, когда работаете далеко.
Как и в случае с большинством объективов, фокусировка фиксируется немного быстрее, когда объект находится далеко. Близкая фокусировка работает немного медленнее, но линзы выигрывают от небольшого добавления макроса. Адаптер может отодвигать объектив немного дальше от сенсора, поэтому он служит удлинительной трубкой для макросъемки 6,5 мм. Насколько ближе фокусируются удлинительные сетки, зависит от фокусного расстояния объектива — вы увидите более впечатляющие результаты с более широкоугольными объективами.
Вы будете использовать меню камеры, чтобы поменять настройки фокусировки, и при желании достаточно легко переключиться на ручную фокусировку. Это мелочь, но добро пожаловать. Когда мы рассматривали Techart Pro M, аналогичный адаптер для систем камер Sony, мы были разочарованы интерфейсом, который затрудняет выполнение основных действий, таких как изменение режимов фокусировки.
Установка фокусного расстояния также важна, поскольку необходима эффективная стабилизация сенсора камеры. Однако это немного сложно сделать. Чтобы изменить его, вам нужно установить камеру на приоритет диафрагмы и сделать фиктивный снимок с определенным значением диафрагмы.
Это оставляет приоритет диафрагмы для реальной фотографии. Однако у большинства объективов, которые вы будете использовать, есть контроль диафрагмы на объективе, поэтому вам будет лучше использовать программный приоритет или приоритет выдержки.
Things you should be aware of
Assign a custom button to AF/MF Ctrl Toggle
In camera (e.g. in the Fn Menu) you can only switch between AF-S and AF-C. If you want to focus your lens manually (and have the option to use Focus Magnify) you need to assign “AF/MF Ctrl Toggle” to a custom button.
This also allows you to use the adapter as a 4.5 mm extension tube: point the camera at something close and use AF so the adapter extends, then set the camera to MF to keep it extended and manually focus the lens from there.
Using non-M-mount lenses
The LM-EA9 has a Leica M-mount but you aren’t limited to M-mount lenses. You can buy adapters for many other lens mounts to M-mount and turn them into AF lenses this way. Not any adapter to M-mount will fit though.
Also keep in mind the weight limit of 500g. The LM-EA7 had a weight limit of 700g but over time many of these adapter’s mechanics deteoriated, leading to tilt and ultimately degrading the image quality of the lens you are using with it. Therefore I think there are definitely reasons for the lower weight limit here and I would advice to stick to it.
Firmware updates and product support
The predecessor LM-EA7 received its last firmware update in January 2018 – so roughly 2 years after release – to support A7rIII and A9. From what I have read the adapter still doesn’t work on the Generation 4 cameras (A7rIV etc.) at all and it doesn’t look like there will ever be a new firmware update to fix this.
I am not sure for how many years we should expect product support in the form of firmware updates, but if I had bought the LM-EA7 for ~400€ and I couldn’t use it anymore on newer cameras I wouldn’t be happy at all and I would definitely think twice before investing a big sum in another product of that company where this might happen again.
