Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
p.1 #2Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
The one thing after watching both videos I question is allowing recording of only 4 f-stops that you can set for exif. It's better than nothing but only 4 is limiting.
Jul 18, 2026 at 11:46 AM
RoamingScott
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p.1 #3Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
What's the consensus on RF sensor stack thickness affecting M glass, or is it so niche right now that no one knows?
Jul 18, 2026 at 11:50 AM
p.1 #4Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
When I use my M glass with the Novoflex adapter I found my WAs (16-18-21 and 24 Elmar) was not to my satisfaction. The 50 Lux,90 APO and 135 APO were okay. I have yet to try my 35 Lux.
The images were not as crisp when using them on my Monochrom bodies, can't comment on comparison of M full frame body as I only have M8.
Nevertheless I always like options.
The images were not as crisp when using them on my Monochrom bodies, can't comment on comparison of M full frame body as I only have M8.
Nevertheless I always like options.
Jul 18, 2026 at 12:04 PM
RoamingScott
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p.1 #5Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
burningheart wrote:
When I use my M glass with the Novoflex adapter I found my WAs (16-18-21 and 24 Elmar) was not to my satisfaction. The 50 Lux,90 APO and 135 APO were okay. I have yet to try my 35 Lux.
The images were not as crisp when using them on my Monochrom bodies, can't comment on comparison of M full frame body as I only have M8.
Nevertheless I always like options.
Kinda what I figured. On most mounts by time you get to ~40mm it becomes just as usable as natively on M.
When I use my M glass with the Novoflex adapter I found my WAs (16-18-21 and 24 Elmar) was not to my satisfaction. The 50 Lux,90 APO and 135 APO were okay. I have yet to try my 35 Lux.
The images were not as crisp when using them on my Monochrom bodies, can't comment on comparison of M full frame body as I only have M8.
Nevertheless I always like options.
Kinda what I figured. On most mounts by time you get to ~40mm it becomes just as usable as natively on M.
Jul 18, 2026 at 12:08 PM
p.1 #6Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
Depends on what your expectations are. 50mm and longer can still be affected by sensor stack thickness differences. Fred's test of the VM 90/2 APO showed that it was slightly less good on Sony than Leica M.
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1886307/6#16736787
But if one isn't splitting hairs... and I think both Canon and Nikon handle M lenses better than Sony.
A challenge with adapting to Canon is that some of the sensors also exhibit edge color shift, though the R5 (which is FSI) and the R5II (BSI) seem not to be affected. Not sure about R1 or R1, which I believe are BSI/stacked, but I have seen color shift with the FSI 24MP R6II.
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1886307/6#16736787
But if one isn't splitting hairs... and I think both Canon and Nikon handle M lenses better than Sony.
A challenge with adapting to Canon is that some of the sensors also exhibit edge color shift, though the R5 (which is FSI) and the R5II (BSI) seem not to be affected. Not sure about R1 or R1, which I believe are BSI/stacked, but I have seen color shift with the FSI 24MP R6II.
Jul 18, 2026 at 04:20 PM
p.1 #7Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
RoamingScott wrote:
What's the consensus on RF sensor stack thickness affecting M glass, or is it so niche right now that no one knows?
I have used the Voigtlander 21 f/3.5 and just like Fred's tests on Sony it performs pretty flawlessly on my Canon R5 II. I would expect any lens that performs well on Sony will also perform well on Canon RF. I'm not sure any lenses would perform better on Canon than Sony, but in time we will know more.
What's the consensus on RF sensor stack thickness affecting M glass, or is it so niche right now that no one knows?
I have used the Voigtlander 21 f/3.5 and just like Fred's tests on Sony it performs pretty flawlessly on my Canon R5 II. I would expect any lens that performs well on Sony will also perform well on Canon RF. I'm not sure any lenses would perform better on Canon than Sony, but in time we will know more.
Jul 18, 2026 at 04:53 PM
p.1 #8Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
In terms of sensor stack thickness, my understanding is ...
Nikon ZF ~ 1.1mm
Canon R5, R5 MKII, R6, R6 MKII, R6 MKIII ~ 1.25mm
Canon RP ~ 1.6mm
Sony ~ 1.9mm to 2.5mm depends on the model
Personally, I enjoy using my collection of M-mount lens on both my R5 and R5 MKII with the Shoten(Boryoza) M-RF adaptor. Looking forward adding the Megadap M2RF Autofocus adapter to the setup.
Nikon ZF ~ 1.1mm
Canon R5, R5 MKII, R6, R6 MKII, R6 MKIII ~ 1.25mm
Canon RP ~ 1.6mm
Sony ~ 1.9mm to 2.5mm depends on the model
Personally, I enjoy using my collection of M-mount lens on both my R5 and R5 MKII with the Shoten(Boryoza) M-RF adaptor. Looking forward adding the Megadap M2RF Autofocus adapter to the setup.
Jul 18, 2026 at 10:32 PM
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p.1 #9Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
dumchidumchi wrote:
In terms of sensor stack thickness, my understanding is ...
Nikon ZF ~ 1.1mm
Canon R5, R5 MKII, R6, R6 MKII, R6 MKIII ~ 1.25mm
Canon RP ~ 1.6mm
Sony ~ 1.9mm to 2.5mm depends on the model
Personally, I enjoy using my collection of M-mount lens on both my R5 and R5 MKII with the Shoten(Boryoza) M-RF adaptor. Looking forward adding the Megadap M2RF Autofocus adapter to the setup.
That understanding is a misunderstanding. The 1.1mm for Nikon ZF came from Kolari and in that measurement they did not include the layer of glass glued to the sensor. We don't know how thick it is, but the Nikon number is more than 1.1mm. Kolari acknowledged the error, but the misinformation has persisted.
The truth is we can measure the glass in the pathway that isn't glued on the sensor itself pretty well, but getting that glass off the sensor in a way that allows careful measurement seems to be very difficult. We don't have exact measurements for any of the cameras.
What we know is that Leica cares about using their own M mount lenses on both the Leica M bodies and their SL bodies and all the ones in current production work well on Leica M digital cameras and almost all the ones in current production work well on Leica SL bodies.
We also know all or almost all the Leica M lenses in current production work well on Kolari thin modified mirrorless cameras, and some of those lenses have problems on all the other stock cameras from all the other manufacturers.
Some lenses with non-Leica lenses with Leica M mount don't even work well on Leica M cameras and are even worse on other stock mirrorless cameras. Some of the non-Leica lenses with Leica M mounts actually work better on stock mirrorless cameras than on Leica M cameras--they appear to be designed for mirrorless rather than Leica M cameras.
The bottom line is that you need to test lenses to know if they are going to work or not, but there are some general principles.
1) Lenses with longer exit pupils (i.e., more telecentric lenses) are less affected by the thickness of the glass in the optical pathway..
2) Lenses with smaller apertures and at smaller apertures are less affected by the thickness of the glass in the optical pathway.
3) The corners and edges are more affected than the central part of the image (i.e., the further from the center the more strongly the effect will be).
Having used adapted lenses on Sony, Nikon, Canon, and Fuji my impression is stock Sony cameras show the strongest effects and I can't tell the difference between the other three, but that doesn't mean there aren't differences that I am not noticing.
In the meantime there is a whole thread about the best Voigtlander lenses for Sony (and I would add likely the other mirrorless cameras including RF as well) here:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1647789/
There is a wealth of information there including people's experiences with non-voigtlander lenses as well.
Edited on Jul 20, 2026 at 11:41 AM · View previous versions
In terms of sensor stack thickness, my understanding is ...
Nikon ZF ~ 1.1mm
Canon R5, R5 MKII, R6, R6 MKII, R6 MKIII ~ 1.25mm
Canon RP ~ 1.6mm
Sony ~ 1.9mm to 2.5mm depends on the model
Personally, I enjoy using my collection of M-mount lens on both my R5 and R5 MKII with the Shoten(Boryoza) M-RF adaptor. Looking forward adding the Megadap M2RF Autofocus adapter to the setup.
That understanding is a misunderstanding. The 1.1mm for Nikon ZF came from Kolari and in that measurement they did not include the layer of glass glued to the sensor. We don't know how thick it is, but the Nikon number is more than 1.1mm. Kolari acknowledged the error, but the misinformation has persisted.
The truth is we can measure the glass in the pathway that isn't glued on the sensor itself pretty well, but getting that glass off the sensor in a way that allows careful measurement seems to be very difficult. We don't have exact measurements for any of the cameras.
What we know is that Leica cares about using their own M mount lenses on both the Leica M bodies and their SL bodies and all the ones in current production work well on Leica M digital cameras and almost all the ones in current production work well on Leica SL bodies.
We also know all or almost all the Leica M lenses in current production work well on Kolari thin modified mirrorless cameras, and some of those lenses have problems on all the other stock cameras from all the other manufacturers.
Some lenses with non-Leica lenses with Leica M mount don't even work well on Leica M cameras and are even worse on other stock mirrorless cameras. Some of the non-Leica lenses with Leica M mounts actually work better on stock mirrorless cameras than on Leica M cameras--they appear to be designed for mirrorless rather than Leica M cameras.
The bottom line is that you need to test lenses to know if they are going to work or not, but there are some general principles.
1) Lenses with longer exit pupils (i.e., more telecentric lenses) are less affected by the thickness of the glass in the optical pathway..
2) Lenses with smaller apertures and at smaller apertures are less affected by the thickness of the glass in the optical pathway.
3) The corners and edges are more affected than the central part of the image (i.e., the further from the center the more strongly the effect will be).
Having used adapted lenses on Sony, Nikon, Canon, and Fuji my impression is stock Sony cameras show the strongest effects and I can't tell the difference between the other three, but that doesn't mean there aren't differences that I am not noticing.
In the meantime there is a whole thread about the best Voigtlander lenses for Sony (and I would add likely the other mirrorless cameras including RF as well) here:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1647789/
There is a wealth of information there including people's experiences with non-voigtlander lenses as well.
Edited on Jul 20, 2026 at 11:41 AM · View previous versions
Jul 19, 2026 at 09:00 PM
p.1 #10Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
As adapters (both AF ones like the one that is the subject in this thread and non-AF ones with electronic contact like the Shoten adapter that came out earlier this year and that I use) become more common perhaps more of us will adapt more lenses and can report on our experience. Eventually we will have more reports, I believe and although there will be differences of opinion about what works well enough and what doesn't gradually we will build up more knowledge of how these lenses work on Canon RF.
Keep in mind focus distance can also matter. Some lenses show more problems close up than far away and vice versa.
Keep in mind focus distance can also matter. Some lenses show more problems close up than far away and vice versa.
Jul 19, 2026 at 09:13 PM
p.1 #11Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
RoamingScott wrote:
The images were not as crisp when using them on my Monochrom bodies, can't comment on comparison of M full frame body as I only have M8.
Nevertheless I always like options.Kinda what I figured. On most mounts by time you get to ~40mm it becomes just as usable as natively on M.
That is not a safe assumption at all. For example really fast 50mm are almost all affected by the thickness of the glass in the optical path. As above lenses really need to be tested out. That said the 90 APO and 135 APO Leica M mount lenses both worked as well in my experience on Sony and Nikon F as on Leica M (and I think they are easier to focus on mirrorless too), so I am not surprised the worked well for burningheart.
But in my experience the WATE worked pretty well on Sony but the 50 Lux Asph did not work well on Sony or Nikon, so again testing may well be the order of the day. Some lenses may work the same on different mounts. Some may not.
burningheart wrote
When I use my M glass with the Novoflex adapter I found my WAs (16-18-21 and 24 Elmar) was not to my satisfaction. The 50 Lux,90 APO and 135 APO were okay. I have yet to try my 35 Lux.The images were not as crisp when using them on my Monochrom bodies, can't comment on comparison of M full frame body as I only have M8.
Nevertheless I always like options.
That is not a safe assumption at all. For example really fast 50mm are almost all affected by the thickness of the glass in the optical path. As above lenses really need to be tested out. That said the 90 APO and 135 APO Leica M mount lenses both worked as well in my experience on Sony and Nikon F as on Leica M (and I think they are easier to focus on mirrorless too), so I am not surprised the worked well for burningheart.
But in my experience the WATE worked pretty well on Sony but the 50 Lux Asph did not work well on Sony or Nikon, so again testing may well be the order of the day. Some lenses may work the same on different mounts. Some may not.
Jul 19, 2026 at 09:22 PM
p.1 #12Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
90 APO ASPH was also confirmed by Fred to work well on Sony. His VM 90/2 review put enough doubts in my mind about picking up one in Japan recently because I'd probably end up adapting it to Canon RF most of the time. Yet I already have the 90AA which wouldn't have that issue. At 90mm, I think I'm going to wait to see how the new VM 90/4 plays when adapted and go from there.
50 Lux ASPH, which I was going to mention in my previous post, but removed before posting, is indeed one that appears to be sensitive to adapting. It might be inherent in its optical design, but another factor is that as a floating element design, it's also very sensitive to adapter thickness. And as we know, many generic adapters are often slightly thinner than the required specification, probably to ensure adapted lenses are able to focus to infinity. But that slight mismatch is enough to cause image quality problems with FLE lenses such as the 50 Lux ASPH.
50 Lux ASPH, which I was going to mention in my previous post, but removed before posting, is indeed one that appears to be sensitive to adapting. It might be inherent in its optical design, but another factor is that as a floating element design, it's also very sensitive to adapter thickness. And as we know, many generic adapters are often slightly thinner than the required specification, probably to ensure adapted lenses are able to focus to infinity. But that slight mismatch is enough to cause image quality problems with FLE lenses such as the 50 Lux ASPH.
Jul 19, 2026 at 09:37 PM
p.1 #13Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
Thanks Steve for the clarification on the Nikon Zf.
Anyway, like I said, I enjoy using my M-mount lens (21mm to 90mm) on both my R5 and R5 MKII. Anything wider than 21mm, I just stick with RF lens(ie, RF15-35mm L, RF16mm, etc).
YMMV.
Anyway, like I said, I enjoy using my M-mount lens (21mm to 90mm) on both my R5 and R5 MKII. Anything wider than 21mm, I just stick with RF lens(ie, RF15-35mm L, RF16mm, etc).
YMMV.
Jul 19, 2026 at 09:38 PM
p.1 #14Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
dumchidumchi wrote:
Personally, I enjoy using my collection of M-mount lens on both my R5 and R5 MKII with the Shoten(Boryoza) M-RF adaptor.
Boryoza - I hadn't heard of them, so thanks for the mention. I see they have some chipped adapters to Canon RF for a variety of older SLR systems...
https://boryoza.com/pages/all-products
Personally, I enjoy using my collection of M-mount lens on both my R5 and R5 MKII with the Shoten(Boryoza) M-RF adaptor.
Boryoza - I hadn't heard of them, so thanks for the mention. I see they have some chipped adapters to Canon RF for a variety of older SLR systems...
https://boryoza.com/pages/all-products
Jul 19, 2026 at 09:56 PM
p.1 #15Canon RF Users Rejoice: Leica M Autofocus Adapter Arrives
My understanding is that Boryoza is the maker for the Shoten M-RF adaptor. Correct me if I am wrong here. :-)
Besides the Shoten(Boryoza) M-RF adaptor, I also have Boryoza M42-RF adaptor.
Besides the Shoten(Boryoza) M-RF adaptor, I also have Boryoza M42-RF adaptor.
Jul 19, 2026 at 11:52 PM