p.2 #1 · Recommended full frame platform for adapting vintage glass?
I'm still happily adapting to my Sony cameras (from NEX-6, A7II, A9, A7C to A7CII). Although there are some sensor stack related issues with certain rangefinder lenses, it can be avoided by selecting more suitable lenses, and I've never noticed any problems with adapted SLR lenses. I've enjoyed manual focusing with focus peaking and selective magnification from 2012 and I've not been feeling a need for different focus aids. There's also a very good selection of manual focus glass natively for E-mount and I have picked up a lot of those (20 in total, CV, Zeiss and Kistar).
I think the smaller bodies like A7CII and A7C are a nicer fit with small lenses than e.g. Nikon Zf would be, and the mount adapters for E-mount are generally smaller and lighter too. Tiny MS-Optics lenses go very well with Sony A7C cameras as well, keeping the overall package light and compact.
For a thinner sensor stack camera, I have a Sigma fp, but it has color shading issues that recent Sony cameras don't have so the overall suitability for rangefinder lens adaptation is not really better with that. Also, the external EVF makes it a bit big and clunky.
p.2 #2 · Recommended full frame platform for adapting vintage glass?
expwmbat wrote:
The sensor stack matters for M-mount lenses, but isn’t an issue for the 50mm I have.
It's not an issue for your C-Sonnar at portrait distance, but I think you'd see improvements at longer distances (landscapes) with a thinner sensor stack. But if you mainly use it at closer distances it's a non-issue. I shoot my C-sonnar on film (Leica M2) as well as digital, and I think my landscape shots look better on film than my digital shots with that lens. For portraits they're pretty much identical.
To me, one of the main advantages to using a Sony or Nikon camera with M-mount lenses is that ability to use a close-focus helicoid, which allows you to focus closer than those lenses were designed for, often resulting in beautiful changes to bokeh and overall rendering. Those adapters are expensive. But if you don't care about bokeh etc. and mainly shoot stopped down or at distances of 1 meter and more, this isn't an issue.
If you want to stick with Sony and might consider more M-mount lenses in the future, there's always the Kolari thin-sensor modification which gets you the same performance as Leica digital cameras but with better manual-focus aids. It's not that expensive to do the mod.
In general, I feel you need a really compelling reason to switch platforms because you have to learn new menus, set up the camera again, buy new adapters, etc. It's the reason I've stuck with Sony even though the Nikon Z-series cameras might be the objectively better choice (I mainly shoot rangefinder lenses now, having sold nearly all my SLR lenses and I have only two native E-mount lenses that I only use for special projects every year or two).
Aug 19, 2026 at 08:51 AM
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p.2 #3 · Recommended full frame platform for adapting vintage glass?
I think there are good reasons that people will disagree about what platform is best for adapted lenses. Let me review some of what I think are important dimensions around the decision.
1) Size and shape of the camera. Do you want a small camera, a medium sized camera, or a larger camera? Do you want the EVF in the middle or in the upper left of the camera? If this is a primary consideration, then Sony has the smallest cameras with the A7C series and is the only option (other than the Leica EV-1) that has an EVF in the upper left of the camera?
2) Size and quality of the EVF. Do you want a bigger EVF with better optics or is a smaller one ok? Do you want smooth blackout free shooting or are you ok with a blackout when the shutter is pressed? There is a natural tradeoff between size of the camera and size of the EVF. Smaller cameras tend to have smaller EVFs. There are no options with a smaller camera and an EVF of even 3.7 M dots. All the smaller cameras have a 2.4 M dot EVF. If you want a bigger EVF, you have to go up to a medium sized camera on any platform.
3) Are you happy with magnification and peaking or do you want focus aids that utilize AF sensors? Nikon and Canon have such focus aids, but nothing else does yet. If this is important to you, (it is to me), then the choice is basically between Nikon and Canon. If it isn't important to you then all options are open as all systems allow magnification and peaking.
4) Do you want to use 28, 35, and 50mm Leica M glass on the camera? Although there are a few exceptions most Leica M glass at these focal lengths are affected by the sensor glass thickness to at least some extent on Sony and to a lesser extent on Canon, to an even lesser extent on Nikon, and to an even lesser extent on Leica L mount cameras. You can modify any of the cameras to work well with these lenses but it will complicate auto white balance and it may affect AF lenses performance. There are non-Leica M mount lenses made for manual focus that are Leica M like for Sony (it has the most), Nikon (it has almost as many), and Canon (it has only a few). So thinking about what your lens lineup will be and whether you can be happy with it for the system you choose and whether you choose to modify the sensor is important for a lot of people.
5) What sensor do you want? How much resolution do you want? Is 24 MP enough for you? Do you want 45 MP, or maybe you want at least 60 MP? Do you want a fast read out speed, so you can use the silent electronic shutter and not worry about motion distortion or flickering LED lights? Sony, Nikon, and Canon all have sensors with at leas 45 MP and some sensors with fast read out speeds, but they don't all come in a small package or with all combinations (e.g., Nikon with a 45 MP sensor with fast read out speed in even a medium sized package).
6) Will this be a dedicated camera for manual focus shooting or will you want to use the camera for AF shooting as well? One camera that can do both manual focus and AF shooting is convenient, but of course complicates the decisions and you may well have to make tradeoffs between the different types of shooting.
7) What do you want in a shutter? Do you want a full mechanical shutter? This can be useful for flash and for shooting at high shutter speeds, but not all cameras have it? Do you want a fast electronic shutter for silent shooting? This can be useful in some situations as well. Do you want an electronic first curtain shutter? Most systems, but not all have this type of shutter and it can be useful especially for tripod shooting with longer lenses.
8) How fast do you want the camera to shoot? Is 5 fps good enough? It will be for a lot of people, but some might want a much faster shooting camera and there are options with much higher fps.
p.2 #4 · Recommended full frame platform for adapting vintage glass?
bjhurley wrote:
To me, one of the main advantages to using a Sony or Nikon camera with M-mount lenses is that ability to use a close-focus helicoid, which allows you to focus closer than those lenses were designed for, often resulting in beautiful changes to bokeh and overall rendering. Those adapters are expensive. But if you don't care about bokeh etc. and mainly shoot stopped down or at distances of 1 meter and more, this isn't an issue.
If you want to stick with Sony and might consider more M-mount lenses in the future, there's always the Kolari thin-sensor modification which gets you the same performance as Leica digital cameras but with better manual-focus aids. It's not that expensive to do the mod.
In general, I feel you need a really compelling reason to switch platforms because you have to learn new menus, set up the camera again, buy new adapters, etc. It's the reason I've stuck with Sony even though the Nikon Z-series cameras might be the objectively better choice (I mainly shoot rangefinder lenses now, having sold nearly all my SLR lenses and I have only two native E-mount lenses that I only use for special projects every year or two). ...Show more →
I use the Voigtlander M-E close focus adapter and really appreciate the opportunity to close focus (which fits my photography well). I’ve considered the Kolari option, but it wouldn’t really make a difference for any of the lenses I use, all of which work very well on the Sony sensor. And I’ve chosen a range of lenses across mounts/platforms because they each offer unique rendering and characteristics that I like.
I have to admit that I don’t like the notion of having to use multiple adapters (which the Sony doesn’t need—FD-E, F-E, M-E all work well, so no need to have an extra adapter in there). Sony already requires me to set the focal length for IBIS, so that’s the same, as is the lack of EXIF data. Those would be more convenient, but I don’t see that the Nikon gets me there for most of the lenses I use.
