Sony NEX-FS100 parfocal lens shootout

steditrak said:
I own the Sony NEX-FS100 and I want to buy a wide angle lens for it. I was originally going to get the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 For Sony Alpha along with the LA-EA2 Adapter.

Then I started reading:

May need firmware update for auto focus / auto iris to work properly, translucent mirror loses some light, etc...

Since most wide angle lenses don't need auto-focus to work and I hate using auto iris anyway, why not just get a wide angle lens with manual focus and manual iris on the lens itself?

That would be fine with me.

Problem with the Tokina is I can't adjust the iris manually from the lens. At least not with the Sony alpha mount version.

So which wide angle lens do you recommend for the Sony NEX-FS100 that has both manual focus and manual aperture control from the lens itself? Which e-mount adapter should I get for it?
Click to expand...

Nikon mount with a nikon G -> emount adapter like the novoflex
 
You'll love this one.

According to some guy at Vistek (that's a camera store here in Ottawa Ontario Canada), the Tokina 11-16 lens for Nikon and the Novoflex Nikon to Sony NEX Lens Adapter may have certain issues:

1 - The aperture of the Tokina lens must be wide open before connecting it to the Novoflex adapter, as there is no electronic or mechanical interface between the adapter and the lens. The only way to access the Tokina lens aperture is through the electronic interface of a Nikon camera.

I don't have a Nikon camera.

2 - The aperture mechanism of the Novoflex adapter uses plastic blades which may be problematic.

Having fun yet?
 
Couldn't you just take the Tokina into a shop with Nikons and change the aperture? Or borrow a friend's Nikon? I mean you'd only have to do it once, right?
 
I suppose I could. Come to think of it, I could do a lot of things. But the one thing I can't do is know in advance that I would even have to. That is, until I accidentally bumped into a Vistek Sales rep. Sure glad I did too. Otherwise, I would never know why I wasn't getting anything close to f/2.8 from this lens.



Now don't get me wrong. I appreciate all the help you guys are giving me. But if you're going to recommend a lens/adapter combination, you might want to mention something about how to access the lens aperture first.


In any case, I have two choices if I want to make this work:


Tokina 11-16 Lens for Nikon - $719.00 (B&H)

Novoflex Adapter for Nikon Lens to Sony NEX Camera - $292.99 (B&H)

Used Nikon camera for opening up the Tokina lens aperture - $? (maybe borrow one)

Or...

Tokina 11-16 Lens For Sony Alpha - $719.00 (B&H)

Sony Alpha LA-EA1 Camera Mount Adapter - $129.00 (B&H)

and that's it.


Nothing else to buy beg borrow or steal. It just works.


I know what you're thinking. The LA-EA1 goes three stops up, two down with every change one direction, so I can't change the iris while shooting.

Yeah, I know.

But since I'm using it on a Steadicam, I can't exactly change the iris while shooting to begin with.

So who cares?

All things considered, the Tokina 11-16 Lens For Sony Alpha / LA-EA1 Camera Mount Adapter seem like the best option at this point.


...Unless somebody has a better idea.
 
Well if you don't see yourself wanting to use other nikon mount lenses then buying the Alpha version makes sense...

p.s. I wonder whether the Tokina when new comes with the iris fully open anyway? I don't remember how mine arrived.
 
@steditrak: that BS. You DON"T HAVE to have the lens wide open. Novoflex allow to you control the iris. from 2.8 to all the way. You can change the iris WHILE you're shooing from f/2.8 to f22. I could do a video clip to show you how it looks like but i will not bother since you have "some guy at Vistek" to tell you otherwise. I have this same set up so i know. Having the lens wide open when you put on adapter happen with Canon lens only.
 
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steditrak said:
You'll love this one.

According to some guy at Vistek (that's a camera store here in Ottawa Ontario Canada), the Tokina 11-16 lens for Nikon and the Novoflex Nikon to Sony NEX Lens Adapter may have certain issues:

1 - The aperture of the Tokina lens must be wide open before connecting it to the Novoflex adapter, as there is no electronic or mechanical interface between the adapter and the lens. The only way to access the Tokina lens aperture is through the electronic interface of a Nikon camera.

I don't have a Nikon camera.

2 - The aperture mechanism of the Novoflex adapter uses plastic blades which may be problematic.

Having fun yet?
Click to expand...

the man you talked to is 100% wrong. The tokina, just like every other nikon mount lens has a manual little lever on the outside of the rear element that adjust the aperture. yes, aperture can be changed electronically but it always closes back down every time you take the lens off of the nikon body IT IS NOT LIKE THE CANON LENSES.

I have used the tokina with a fotodiox and novoflex adapters now. They both work very well, they both give me wide open f2.8. I dunno where you guys are hearing all of this nonsense about the adapters not working and that you can control the aperture like you can with a canon lens. Nikon was smart and put these little levers so that they could be manually controlled too, its genius.

nikon tokina 11-16 + novoflex adapter = heaven
 
Oh good. Nice to know my advice wasn't necessary. I try to only post when I know what I'm talking about but sometimes I take a stab... Thanks for clearing that up.
 
Based on what I've been reading, the following statement is not true:

"The aperture of the Tokina lens must be wide open before connecting it to the Novoflex adapter, as there is no electronic or mechanical interface between the adapter and the lens. The only way to access the Tokina lens aperture is through the electronic interface of a Nikon camera."

Not true.

I have now been informed that there is in fact a mechanical interface between the adapter and the lens. This interface is referred to as a "lever". It's located on the outside of the rear element of the lens, and enables the operator to adjust the lens aperture by means of turning the aperture ring on the Novoflex adapter.

So that settles it.

Tokina 11-16 Lens for Nikon - $719.00 (B&H)

Novoflex Adapter for Nikon Lens to Sony NEX Camera - $292.99 (B&H)

Fine with me.

If everyone agrees this is the way I should go, then I'm off to B&H.
 
Hey, Shawn. Thanks for putting this together. I really appreciate the clear comparison, but I was suprised when you said the kit lens was par focal. Either you got a special miracle kit lens or most of us got a defective one, but mine is most definitely not par focal and I've read elsewhere online that it's not supposed to be. Wish it were.
 
I just came across this older post while searching the web and had a few comments.

First the most likely reason you had problems with most of your lenses not being parfocal is that your backfocus distance was not correct. My experience with lens adapters is that the back focus adjustments are all over the map and the cheaper they are the worse they are. I have an F3 with a Prolock Nikon adapter and 6 Nikon zoom lenses ( Tokina 11-16 , Nikon: 28-70, 17-55, 17-35, 80 -200 and new Sigma 50-150) They are all parfocal after I very carefully adjusted the F3 backfocus adjustment till it was exactly right for Nikons. Unfortunately i don't think the FS100 allows for that adjustment.

Second i fear your choice of lenses to test was limited. All the Nikons I have are excellent though they all retail used for over $800 and perhaps that's too steep for you.
The new $1000 Sigma 50-150 is an extraordinary lens as is the Nikon 17-55.
 
Thanks for your post. But I have owned a Zeiss/Sony 24-70 since I bought the camera and use it with a LA-EA2 adapter which is Sony for NEX and it is not parfocal. There is no backfocus adjustment so its not about money it just the way it is...
 
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