LAEA 3 or 4 for A7RII

[Singingsnapper]

I've already ordered a 4 to come with an A mount Tamron 24 - 70 f/2.8.  I've since read that I would probably have been better off ordering the 3.  What are the main differences, and what lenses will be open to me on the 4 that wouldn't be on the 3?

[Wesley]

I believe the 4 uses a primitive AF system from one of their entry models.

So I don't think it will use the new AF of the RII.

 

Lose around 1/2 - 3/4 stop of ISO performance because of the translucent mirror.

[kosherfrog]

I think you have just stumbled onto a potential issue with the A7R Mk 2 for all of us who have A-mount lenses.

I am a long time (!) user of the A7R and have been using the LAE-A4 with a variety of lenses. They all work with that adapter, although the time it takes for the lenses to get AF can be compared to the "make coffee" joke of programmers. I tried the A7R Mk 2 with the LAE-A4 for the first couple of days and saw a significant improvement in AF speed with some lenses, notably the Tamron 150-600 5-6.3. I then bought a LAE-A3, based on the recommendation of Brian Smith who should know better than most of us what will work.

 

To my surprise the first lens I tried on the A3 adapter was not even recognized and only manual focus was possible. The lens is a Sony 85mm f/1.4 Carl Zeiss Planar T*, a gorgeous lens, designed specifically for Sony A-mount cameras. I then tried the Sony 24mm f/2.0 Car Zeiss T*. This one worked as a charm. The 135 didn't work. The Sigma ART 35 mm works great. But the Sigma ART 50mm tries forever to get focus. Finally the Tamron 150-600 works just fine. The store where I bought the adapter inquired with a Sony rep who told them there are indeed lens incompatibilities with the LAE-A3. This problem forced me to search for other A-to-E mount adapters. It doesn't look like there is any alternative so far. If that's the case, all of those who expect to use their great A-mount lenses are caught into a kind of black hole, until Sony comes up with a solution.

 

 

[Singingsnapper]

I think you have just stumbled onto a potential issue with the A7R Mk 2 for all of us who have A-mount lenses.

I am a long time (!) user of the A7R and have been using the LAE-A4 with a variety of lenses. They all work with that adapter, although the time it takes for the lenses to get AF can be compared to the "make coffee" joke of programmers. I tried the A7R Mk 2 with the LAE-A4 for the first couple of days and saw a significant improvement in AF speed with some lenses, notably the Tamron 150-600 5-6.3. I then bought a LAE-A3, based on the recommendation of Brian Smith who should know better than most of us what will work.

 

To my surprise the first lens I tried on the A3 adapter was not even recognized and only manual focus was possible. The lens is a Sony 85mm f/1.4 Carl Zeiss Planar T*, a gorgeous lens, designed specifically for Sony A-mount cameras. I then tried the Sony 24mm f/2.0 Car Zeiss T*. This one worked as a charm. The 135 didn't work. The Sigma ART 35 mm works great. But the Sigma ART 50mm tries forever to get focus. Finally the Tamron 150-600 works just fine. The store where I bought the adapter inquired with a Sony rep who told them there are indeed lens incompatibilities with the LAE-A3. This problem forced me to search for other A-to-E mount adapters. It doesn't look like there is any alternative so far. If that's the case, all of those who expect to use their great A-mount lenses are caught into a kind of black hole, until Sony comes up with a solution.

 

 

From digging around, screw mount lenses won't work with the 3.  I'm just not overly familiar with the A mount.  I used to have the SAL247028ZA, but I lent it with a A900 to my brother in law and his house was broken into and the camera and lens stolen.  Insurers wouldn't pay out.  I'd love that lens back now!  I do like the FE24 - 70, even though its seen as a week link - the f/4 over 2.8 doesn't bother me too much as i shoot landscapes so rarely shoot wide open.  So I've ordered the Tamron and the adaptor to take them out on a test drive.  One advantage of Amazon is that they will take back items with no argument.  I  know that the new zeiss A will be fantastic, but more than double the money fantastic? hmm.  At least with the 4 I would be able to try out some of the exotic minolta glass, I'm sure there are some interesting ones out there....

[josha]

FWIW, I tried both the LA-EA3 & 4 with the 70-400.  The EA3 was very slow whereas the EA4, despite being limited to 13 AF points, focused and tracked very well.  I wrote up my full experience including with these adaptors at http://joshanon.com/blog/2015/08/09/from_canon_to_sony_almost

[Singingsnapper]

Well the lens and the adaptor have arrived.  I was concerned it would feel heavy and out of balance, but the base of the adapter is fine.  Yes limited to  the middle AF points, but have had high resolution bodies like this before it's fairly easy to to focus and recompose.  I also like having the focal distances visible on the lens.  I find with the FE lenses that its difficult to be precise.  Only issue is that somewhere around my house, the lens cap has fallen off and I can't find it inspite of retracing my steps....

[kosherfrog]

FWIW, I tried both the LA-EA3 & 4 with the 70-400.  The EA3 was very slow whereas the EA4, despite being limited to 13 AF points, focused and tracked very well.  I wrote up my full experience including with these adaptors at http://joshanon.com/blog/2015/08/09/from_canon_to_sony_almost

Thank you so much for this detailed report. Very useful.