Can I adapt M42 and Minolta/Sony A-mount lenses to a Micro Four Thirds or APS-C mirrorless camera?
Asked 1/7/2018
6 views
2 answers
0
I’m considering a Panasonic Lumix GX80/GX85, but I’d like to keep using some older lenses for now with adapters rather than buying more lenses immediately. The lenses I have are:
- M42: 28mm f/2.8, 50mm f/2.8, 135mm f/2.8
- Sony/Minolta A-mount: Konica Minolta AF DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6
- Minolta MC Tele Rokkor 200mm f/4.5
- Plus the Panasonic 12-32mm kit lens if I buy the GX80/GX85
Would these lenses be practical on Micro Four Thirds, or would an APS-C mirrorless body like a Sony a6000 make more sense? I’m especially wondering how usable the focal lengths will be after the crop factor, since I’m still figuring out what kinds of photography I want to do.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
2
The lenses you have should adapt and work fine. They will be longer lenses (more telephoto) then what you're used to. But your kit lens can probably cover wide angles if you need them.
They won't be quite as long seeming in APSc, though they will still be quite a bit longer than full frame (traditional 35mm) - about 1.5x.
With m43 your lenses will be equivalent to exactly 2x the full frame lenses. So your wide 28mm becomes a normal 46mm equivalent*, your normal 50mm becomes a moderate tele 100m equivalent, and your 135mm and 200mm lenses become even longer reaching telephotos. No more wides, but the kit lens should cover that.
*Equivalent in Field of View. You still get the same f/stop and depth of field.
Originally by user63485. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user63485
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—these lenses can generally be adapted to mirrorless bodies, and Micro Four Thirds is especially adapter-friendly because of its short flange distance.
The main issue is field of view, not basic compatibility. On Micro Four Thirds, the crop factor is 2x, so your adapted lenses will behave much more telephoto than they did on 35mm film/full frame: 28mm becomes roughly a normal view, 50mm becomes a short telephoto, and 135mm/200mm become strong telephotos. That means your old lenses won’t give you much wide-angle coverage on MFT, but the 12-32mm kit lens should handle the wide-to-normal range.
On APS-C, the crop is milder (about 1.5x), so those same lenses will feel less zoomed-in and may be a bit more versatile.
Image quality depends on the individual lens—some older adapted lenses can look excellent, others less so. So the choice is mostly about what focal lengths you want. If you like Panasonic’s features and are fine using your old lenses mainly as normal/telephoto options, the GX80/GX85 is reasonable. If you want your adapted lenses to stay closer to their original angle of view, APS-C may suit you better.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI8y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Can I use any 52mm filter on my Panasonic Lumix lenses?
How can I identify whether this lens uses the Minolta MD mount?
Can I use old Minolta lenses on an Olympus PEN Micro Four Thirds camera?
Can you use C-mount CCTV lenses on Micro Four Thirds with an adapter?
Can a C-mount lens be adapted to a Four Thirds DSLR mount?