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Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

Steve Spencer
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p.1 #1 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

I have found that over the last couple of years it has become a lot easier to use manual focus lenses with mirrorless cameras. We now have many/many options for every FF mount even if we don't get the sensor modified with thinner cover glass. Here are some of the options:

Lenses made by Cosina with native mounts for Canon RF/Nikon Z/Sony E mount:

Voigtlander 35 f/1.4, Zeiss Otus ML 35 f/1.4, Voigtlander 40 f/1.2, Voigtlander 50 f/1.0, Zeiss Otus ML 50 f/1.4, Voigtlander 75 f/1.5, Voigtlander 75 f/1.8 (with SA control), Zeiss Otus ML 85 f/1.4

Lenses made by Cosina with Canon EF and Nikon F mounts that can be adapted with full EXIF including the correct focal length to Canon RF, Nikon Z, and Sony E mounts with the correct aperture used with full focus confirmation on Canon and Nikon:

Zeiss 15 f/2.8 (both Milvus and Classic), Zeiss 18 f/2.8 (Milvus), Zeiss 18 f/3.5 (classic), Zeiss 21 f/2.8 (both Milvus and classic), Zeiss 25 f/1.4 (Milvus), Zeiss 25 f/2 (classic), Zeiss 25 f/2.8 (classic and F mount only), Zeiss 28 f/1.4 Otus, Zeiss 28 f/2 (classic and Milvus), Zeiss 35 f/1.4 (Milvus), Zeiss 35 f/1.4 (classic- this is a very different lens than the Milvus), Zeiss 35 f/2 (classic and Milvus), Zeiss 50 f/1.4 (Milvus), Zeiss 50 f/1.4 (classic - this is a very different lens than the Milvus), Zeiss 50 f/2 Makro (classic and Milvus), Zeiss 55 f/1.4 Otus, Zeiss 85 f/1.4 Otus, Zeiss 85 f/1.4 (Milvus), Zeiss 85 f/1.4 (classic - these three lenses at 85mm are all quite different), Voigtalnder 90 f/3.5 APO, Zeiss 100 f/1.4 Otus, Zeiss 100 f/2 Makro (classic and Milvus), Voigtlander 125 f/2.5 APO, Zeiss 135 f/2 APO (classic and Milvus), Voigtlander 180 f/4 APO. These are some of my favorite lenses and they work wonderfully on mirrorless and much better than they did on DSLRs. They are not small, however.

If you want small you can adapt Leica M lenses with the Shoten adapter for Canon RF, the TTartisans adapter for Sony E mount or Nikon Z mount, and the Leica M to L mount adapter for L mount cameras. These adapters all allow the correct reporting of the focal length to the camera, so IBIS works properly without having to designate the focal length and full focus confirmation on Canon and Nikon. Adapting these lenses can be tricky because of the sensor glass thickness difference between mirrorless cameras and Leica M digital cameras, but here are a few lenses that I think are very much worth considering that can be used on pretty much any FF mirrorless camera. I have used many of them for the ones I haven't used I am relying on tests by Fred and/or by Bastian at philipreeve.net. I would recommend checking out those reviews before you buy and see if these would meet your own standards, mileage certainly does vary with the user, but these are ones that I would buy or have used and find acceptable:

Voigtlander 10 f/5.6, Voigtlander 12 f/5.6, Laowa 15 f/2, Voigtlander 15 f/4.5, Solinon 18 f/5.6, Thypoch 21 f/1.4, Voigtlander 21 f/3.5, Thypoch 28 f/1.4, Leica 35 f/1.4 FLE, Voigtlander 50 f/1.5, Voigtlander 50 f/3.5 APO, Thypoch 75 f/1.4, Voigtlander 75 f/.5, Voigtlander 75 f/1.9, Leica M 75 f/2.4(or 2.5), Zeiss ZM 85 f/4, Leica M 90 f/2 (pre-Asph), Leica M 90 f/2.8 (latest version). Voigtlander 90 f/2 APO, Voigtlander 90 f/2.8 APO, Leica M 90 f/4 Macro, MS-optics 135 f/2.5, Leica M 135 f/3.5 APO, Leica M 135 f/4 (last version).

Almost all SLR lenses can be adapted to mirrorless with a direct mount conversion or a mount conversion to Canon EF that allows the adapter to report EXIF for focal length allowing correct utilization of IBIS and focus confirmation for Canon RF and Nikon Z mount. There are of course hundreds of these lenses but they generally include:

Contax/Yashica mount Zeiss lenses, Leica R mount lenses, Olympus OM mount lenses, Nikon F mount manual focus lenses even to Canon RF and Sony E mount, and one of my favorites the Minolta MC 58 f/1.2 (I never should have sold this lens).

There are advantages of each of the mounts (Canon RF has an adapter that lets you control the aperture even with electronic apertures and has focus confirmation), (Nikon Z has the shortest flange distance so can adapt the most lenses and has focus confirmation), (Sony E mount has 5-axis IBIS for some lenses and has the most native mount lenses), and (Leica SL cameras have the thinest cover glass so work better with more Leica M mount lenses). You can also modify the sensor of any of these cameras to work well with even more lenses.

Suffice it to say that for those of us who have shot alternative lenses for a long time there are many more options than there has ever been to shoot manual focus lenses. Each mirrorless mount has hundreds of possibilities.

Edited on Mar 28, 2026 at 01:30 PM · View previous versions

Mar 28, 2026 at 12:07 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #2 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

I agree, there are more options than ever now, and mirrorless has definitely made manual focus lenses much easier to use.

That said...as you mentioned, not all sensors treat these lenses the same. The character can change depending on the sensor, especially with differences in FC and performance across the frame. What you get on a Leica body still isn't fully replicated on other systems, particularly with wider M lenses. Leica M bodies also offer a unique rangefinder shooting experience that really can't be replicated elsewhere.

Overall though, no question, it's a great time to be into manual focus glass. Sony, on the other hand, doesn't seem as interested in supporting manual focus aids compared to others, likely because they don't really produce native MF lenses for E-mount. We had the Zeiss Loxia series and some great Cosina options, but Sony itself is still very much focused on AF.

Mar 28, 2026 at 12:23 PM

burningheart
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p.1 #3 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

You missed a couple of my favourites Voigtlander 28/2.8 in EF and F mount and 40/2 in EF and F mount

, there is also the Voigtlander 20/3.5 in EF and F mount. Thought the 20 is my least used.

The Shoten is a game changer for Canon users with the ability to stack another XXmount to M adapter and have the triangles come up. I did a quick test with an FD lens and it was great seeing the focus triangles come up on my Canon body when stacking the Shoten and Novoflex FD to M adapter.

I've been adapting for years and it is nice to get more focusing assistance for those lenses that didn't have it before.

Mar 28, 2026 at 12:33 PM

Abuttolph
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p.1 #4 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

Fred Miranda wrote:
I agree, there are more options than ever now, and mirrorless has definitely made manual focus lenses much easier to use.

That said...as you mentioned, not all sensors treat these lenses the same. The character can change depending on the sensor, especially with differences in FC and performance across the frame. What you get on a Leica body still isn't fully replicated on other systems, particularly with wider M lenses. Leica M bodies also offer a unique rangefinder shooting experience that really can't be replicated elsewhere.

Overall though, no question, it's a great time to be into manual focus glass. Sony,...Show more →

This is so true when it comes to Sony, and it is unfortunate. I find manual focus on Sony bodies to be the most difficult of any mirrorless system that I have ever used. In addition, Sony cameras don't even record the focal length in the EXIF information if you set the focal length for IBIS, which is annoying. They could take a lesson from other manufacturers, like Fuji, who provide memory slots for specific lenses that you can enter manually and then just select when you use them.

Mar 28, 2026 at 12:39 PM

Surfnsun
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p.1 #5 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

I always enjoyed the results I got with the Voigtlander 40/1.2 on my Sony. I just never liked how I had to confirm focus on the screen with all the focus aids. This was on an older Sony body. Maybe the newer ones are better, but it never felt very intuitive to me.

Mar 28, 2026 at 12:54 PM

AndereObjektiv
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p.1 #6 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

I agree, it's been a golden age of repurposed lenses. Some of the best glass ever made is well adaptable now with the expansive range of many adaptors, mirrorless cameras, backs and camera systems. Just need my 30 year old eyesight back to focus 100mp accurately on that little screen

Mar 28, 2026 at 01:59 PM

RoamingScott
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p.1 #7 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

The thing you very quickly realize when adapting vintage glass is that most of our current-gen/modern lenses will never survive this long thanks to all of their embedded electronics and focus-by-wire mechanisms, which is a real shame.

It's awesome to be able to throw a 60+ year old hunk of metal and glass onto a modern camera and make beautiful images with it, maybe even better looking images than it was ever capable of in its own time.

To that end, I have been collecting MF lenses with an eye bent towards fully mechanical aperture operation to serve me for the rest of my life, at least.

Mar 28, 2026 at 02:03 PM

OffTrail
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p.1 #8 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

Mar 28, 2026 at 02:17 PM

Andrew CD
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p.1 #9 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

RoamingScott wrote:
�.

It's awesome to be able to throw a 60+ year old hunk of metal and glass onto a modern camera and make beautiful images with it, maybe even better looking images than it was ever capable of in its own time.

�.

That�s an interesting point. My first thought on reading it was that exactly the same applies to good quality vinyl recordings and pressings (needs to be both) from the 1960s and 70s � turntables now are better than they ever have been (just as cameras are). Perhaps even more true of the very best remasterings of the best master tapes from that era (possibly even the 1950s too).

And I completely agree with Steve and Fred about there being more choice and capabilities for using MF than ever. Nice discussion.

Mar 28, 2026 at 02:36 PM

RoamingScott
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p.1 #10 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

What, exactly, is the advantage of the focus by wire system of modern lenses vs the insanely useful and mechanically graceful AF/MF clutch design that Nikon had at the end of the AF-S G line? My only guess is less moving parts in the lens.

OffTrail wrote:
Modern lenses being effectively predestined for a landfill really does bug me. It's a contributing factor in my very sparing adoption of modern mirrorless lenses.

Even the AF-S G glass will have utility long after AF-S and VR motors die because they still focus and stop down mechanically.

Mar 28, 2026 at 02:42 PM

flash
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p.1 #11 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

OffTrail wrote:
Modern lenses being effectively predestined for a landfill really does bug me. It's a contributing factor in my very sparing adoption of modern mirrorless lenses.

Even the AF-S G glass will have utility long after AF-S and VR motors die because they still focus and stop down mechanically.

That�s not yet the case though, is it? Is there any AF lenses that can�t also be adapted to newer camera bodies? I can only think of one. Samsungs aborted attempt at a camera system. And I�m not sure about Pentaxes FA lenses but they work as manual focus lenses and can be adapted they way.

Short of running out of spare parts, which happens to manual focus lenses as well, older AF lenses are essentially just as adaptable as a manual focus lens. You can even use your new Sony lenses on Nikon cameras wilth full functionality.

Gordon

Mar 28, 2026 at 03:49 PM

flash
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p.1 #12 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

Mar 28, 2026 at 03:51 PM

mapgraphs
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p.1 #13 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

One of my most used AF lenses for years, a 4/3 12-60 eventually succumbed to some erratic aperture operation, long after Olympus stopped support. That's the trade-off. Eventually the electronics give out. It's not like being able to clean and re-grease an 88yo. 5cm Summar.
Field curvature is an issue on mirrorless, but it shows up with Ms as well. Maybe to a slightly lesser degree, but it's still observable, if you look.

I still use some AF, a Tamron 35-150 or 24-70 Z, for event work. But there is something about being able to put together an LTM kit out of a pair like a 40mm Heliar and a 25mm Skopar Snapshot. And maybe throw in a 15 and 21 just because you can.

I've had a 40 Nokton M glued to a Z7 for almost eight years.
I stopped wondering about what new marvels are in product pipelines.

Mar 28, 2026 at 05:06 PM

OffTrail
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p.1 #14 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

RoamingScott wrote:
What, exactly, is the advantage of the focus by wire system of modern lenses vs the insanely useful and mechanically graceful AF/MF clutch design that Nikon had at the end of the AF-S G line? My only guess is less moving parts in the lens.

Yeah I have to assume its fewer moving parts. And in fairness it probably is more durable over the expected service life (I.E. as long as the focus motor works). The focus ring isn't mechanically linked to anything so you can probably bash it around more without really hurting anything. Some of the clutch-type autofocus rings really didn't like taking a hit on the focus ring.

flash wrote:
That�s not yet the case though, is it? Is there any AF lenses that can�t also be adapted to newer camera bodies? I can only think of one. Samsungs aborted attempt at a camera system. And I�m not sure about Pentaxes FA lenses but they work as manual focus lenses and can be adapted they way.

Short of running out of spare parts, which happens to manual focus lenses as well, older AF lenses are essentially just as adaptable as a manual focus lens. You can even use your new Sony lenses on Nikon cameras wilth full functionality.

Gordon
I think we're saying the same thing. I'm saying that plenty of lenses be focused and stopped down mechanically, so even if motors fail or if operation protocols die with a defunct manufacturer, they can continue to be useful in some capacity on modern cameras. My squeamishness is towards lenses that are focus-by-wire. If the focus motor dies and it's not financially feasible (or possible) to repair it in a few years, it's just toast.

I'm not saying that will be the case with every focus-by-wire lens or that they won't have very long service lives. I'll be glad to see dusty old Z lenses still in use 50 years down the line. But it is a thing that I've taken into consideration for the core of my lens kit.

Mar 28, 2026 at 05:52 PM

rscheffler
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p.1 #15 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

RoamingScott wrote:
The thing you very quickly realize when adapting vintage glass is that most of our current-gen/modern lenses will never survive this long thanks to all of their embedded electronics and focus-by-wire mechanisms, which is a real shame.

It's awesome to be able to throw a 60+ year old hunk of metal and glass onto a modern camera and make beautiful images with it, maybe even better looking images than it was ever capable of in its own time.

To that end, I have been collecting MF lenses with an eye bent towards fully mechanical aperture operation to serve me for the rest...Show more →

OffTrail wrote:
Modern lenses being effectively predestined for a landfill really does bug me. It's a contributing factor in my very sparing adoption of modern mirrorless lenses.

Even the AF-S G glass will have utility long after AF-S and VR motors die because they still focus and stop down mechanically.

The consumer demands (or has been groomed to expect) constant performance improvements and is price sensitive. I don't see any other option than what is currently offered, if one expects 'progress' in lens performance.

Of course on one hand it's unfortunate and undesirable that current lenses likely have relatively short lifetimes, but on the other hand, if your concern is about what you can produce *right now*, and if current lenses can do it best, then of course you're going to be using these without as much consideration about future endurance and compatibility. I'm entirely guilty of this! The assumption is also that there will always be something bigger and better in the future that is upgrade-worthy.

There is at least some precedence with fully electronic lens systems such as Canon EF dating back to 1987, which happened to be my system of choice until I recently transitioned to Canon RF. I have Canon lenses from the mid 90s that still work as well as they did when new. Granted, Canon no longer services any of them, so depending on third party service options, there is always a risk of sudden, terminal failure. Yet none of these lenses are core elements of my modern kit, having been surpassed in various aspects by the modern options. They work as well as new (or even better now on mirrorless) but in certain parameters lag considerably behind current options, and in these areas, undesirably (for me) hold back the performance capabilities of modern bodies.

I think if I'm still doing this in 20 years, I will definitely appreciate the vintage, purely mechanical lenses in my collection that will remain adaptable to whatever iteration of an ILC system I'll be using then. But based on my preferences over the past 30-40 years, I will still be on a current-lens-upgrade-cycle, just as I have been since I started, because of the performance benefits it will offer.

For me, the gear and the technological progress is part of the fun of using the equipment. I really honestly love working with the latest and greatest gear I can buy or borrow. Yet, I also love how we can now easily use pretty much any 'vintage' lens and appreciate very much that those exist and are still usable and serviceable. Yeah, I want it all.

I doubt it will become universal but I can envision that with certain niche, fully electronic, 'unicorn' lenses of highly desirable performance/characteristics, that in the future, if there is the right demand, someone will find a way to rehouse or revive them for enthusiast 'alt' users. But yeah, most will end up as landfill eventually. Just as virtually all of the otherwise serviceable, fully mechanical gear of the past has as well.

Mar 28, 2026 at 08:52 PM

retrofocus
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p.1 #16 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

Fred Miranda wrote:
I
Overall though, no question, it's a great time to be into manual focus glass. Sony, on the other hand, doesn't seem as interested in supporting manual focus aids compared to others, likely because they don't really produce native MF lenses for E-mount. We had the Zeiss Loxia series and some great Cosina options, but Sony itself is still very much focused on AF.

+1. Sony started out in 2013 as market disruptor with the first FF MLC bodies, the A7 series. Sony's only issue at the time was that they didn't offer E-mount lenses fast enough in the collaboration with Zeiss. For a number of years, Sony encouraged users to use third party lenses with adapters especially focusing on Canon (Sony provided the Metabones EF/E-mount adapter for free in Australia at this time!). The A7 series also became known to work well with all kind of older manual focus based SLR lenses - it was the main reason for me to buy the A7R which came with the Nikon D850 similar sensor. Limitation was the thicker sensor stack which caused issues with wider rangefinder lenses as mentioned. I am using the A7R for now > 12 years after I first purchased it - I was never intrigued by Sony's successor models with thicker handgrip plus removing some of the useful Sony apps etc. The camera's EVF and manual focus systems are still good enough for me to this date. Newer A7/A9 series cameras are all focusing on AF based E-mount lenses, and other manufacturers have caught up with Sony since. It took i. e. Canon many years to catch up with FF MLC technology!

For rangefinder lenses, Leica M was and still is the most reliable camera system to work with. I wish there was a cheaper competitive camera system out for M lenses. The M EV-1 camera might be the start of something new where another manufacturer might see an opportunity with a M-mount based EV-1 based copy. This could become the next camera market disruption even within just the rangefinder based niche - imagine a cheaper made EV-1 copy for below $2K. I would be one of the first in line if the specs are reasonably good!

Mar 28, 2026 at 09:18 PM

rscheffler
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p.1 #17 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

RoamingScott wrote:
What, exactly, is the advantage of the focus by wire system of modern lenses vs the insanely useful and mechanically graceful AF/MF clutch design that Nikon had at the end of the AF-S G line? My only guess is less moving parts in the lens.

We're all different but I'm trying to think of the last time I really had to manually focus to get the shot I needed when using an AF lens. Fly by wire eliminates a potentially sensitive, more complex mechanical linkage. And it allows controlling the focus throw speed via software. My most recent lens, the Canon RF 70-200/2.8Z is of course fly by wire focus but I could never tell it's FBW because it's so well dampened and behaves like a great manual focus lens.

Similar but different to the Nikon AF/MF clutch design, a lot of Canon EF lenses had mechanically linked MF rings that you just needed to turn to manually focus the lens whenever you wanted to. It was a generally sound design but at least in my experience, not without some issues, at least with the EF 135/2L I had. Every 3-5 years that mechanical linkage would begin to slip and MF wouldn't engage when pointing the lens in certain orientations. It also affected AF performance and each time, Canon's fix was to replace the USM (AF) motor.

When I'm buying current gear I'm thinking about ~10 years of usability. If we consider how much lens performance has changed/improved in the past 10-15 years, I fully expect I will want something new within that timeframe because of performance improvements.

Mar 28, 2026 at 09:29 PM

RoamingScott
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p.1 #18 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

Unfortunately, I think my comment derailed the thread a bit. My main point was that fully mechanical MF lenses are so cool because those lenses didn't come pre-packaged with an expiration date, unlike every modern device with capacitors. Capacitors have extremely short lifespans compared to metal and glass.

If I were buying a brand new lens today to enjoy forever, it would be a lens like most M mounts that have fully mechanical focusing and aperture controls for that very reason.

Mar 28, 2026 at 10:15 PM

philip_pj
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p.1 #19 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

'Dedicated manual focus lenses likely account for a small fraction of the total new lens market, often estimated in the single-digit percentages (5�10%) for modern interchangeable lens shipments.'

With approximately 10.6 million interchangeable lenses being shipped worldwide in 2025, that is 500k to one million new MF lenses, as a ballpark figure. But the installed base of M-mount lenses is absolutely huge. Many firms could do it, but all-MF firms like DZO maybe most likely.

With the Chinese market for niche manual focus lenses experiencing a significant boom, they are the most likely to do this. If the country can produce hypersonic missiles for a sale price of $99,000, mass produce nuclear power plants for export, produce Deep Seek for $6m and close in on Nvidia tech, an EV1 is well within reach.

Mar 28, 2026 at 10:29 PM

freaklikeme
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p.1 #20 · Using Manual lenses on Mirrorless

flash wrote:
That�s not yet the case though, is it? Is there any AF lenses that can�t also be adapted to newer camera bodies? I can only think of one. Samsungs aborted attempt at a camera system. And I�m not sure about Pentaxes FA lenses but they work as manual focus lenses and can be adapted they way.

Short of running out of spare parts, which happens to manual focus lenses as well, older AF lenses are essentially just as adaptable as a manual focus lens. You can even use your new Sony lenses on Nikon cameras wilth full functionality.

Gordon

Monster makes an AF adapter for Pentax FA.

Mar 28, 2026 at 10:44 PM

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