31 December 2016
When I bought my first Sony a6000 body in September 2014, I needed an adapter to get started and to mount my Nikon AI-S and G lenses on the new camera body, since I had no intention to buy new lenses. I knew to use one of these manual adapters I’d need to turn the lens open, focus, and then stop back down to shoot.
The adapter was an important part of kit that was going to make the whole switch possible, so I had settled on spending the extra money and getting the Metabones Adapter.
Cost: about $140 at the time.
Physically sets the aperture on my Nikon G lenses.
Long-throwing aperture ring for fine control, about 50 degrees from wide-open to fully stopped down.
Marked for 8 stops (F to 7).
Moves smoothly with no clicking at individual stops. This is apparently a feature for shooting video.
Convenient tripod mount which is nice for balance and larger tripod plates.
Made completely of metal.
Solid connection to camera and lens.
Only required a little screw-tightening on the Nikon side in 2 years of service.
The Metabones adapter has served me well over the past couple of years, but when talking to people about my switch, I got curious how this adapter compared to less expensive adapters.
In July 2016, I purchased the K&F Concepts Adapter to compare to the Metabones that I definitely liked. I used it for a couple months almost exclusively and found it to feel solid and to work fine with only a bit of adjustment in my expectations of the distance to turn the ring.
Cost: about $20.
Physically sets the aperture on my Nikon G lenses.
Aperture ring throws a very short distance, about 20 degrees from wide-open to fully stopped down.
No marks for the stops.
Clicking at each stop, so it’s basically impossible to set part stops. (This is OK, though, since I like to think in full stops anyway.)
No tripod mount, but my larger lenses have their own tripod collars. (For a short lens, sometimes I like to switch back to the Metabones for its tripod mount.)
Made completely of metal.
Solid connection to camera and lens.
No service or modifications needed yet.
In the end, the K&F Concepts adapter surprised me with its build quality, and it feels good to use in the hand. I was surprised to find the short throw wasn’t an issue for my shooting, but I do miss the tripod mount on occasion. It’s always good to have some backup gear, and switching between these 2 was easy.
For the money, I’d have no trouble recommending the K&F or something similar to purchase first, and upgrade to the Metabones only if you find that you need the extra features.