Can one 50mm lens work on both a Sony Alpha 200 and a Nikon D7000?
Asked 5/24/2011
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I currently use a Sony Alpha 200 with the kit lens, and I may switch to a Nikon D7000 in the future. I’d like to buy a 50mm prime now and am wondering if there is any lens that can be used on both cameras.
Is there a true cross-brand lens option, or would I need to use an adapter? If so, what limitations should I expect when adapting between Sony A/Minolta mount and Nikon F mount?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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There is no such thing as a universal lens. The shape of the connection, position of the contacts (and electric protocol too), distance between the connector and sensor are all different.
There are adapters to bridge the gap which are mostly used for legacy lenses. The reason is that with those adapters you will lose most communication between the body and lens, so you have to focus manual, probably have to set aperture manually and sometimes will have to use the camera in Manual mode only (no metering).
There two extremely important points to note above: - If the lens you use (such as ALL kit lenses for DSLRs) does NOT have an aperture ring, you will only be able to shoot at one aperture (usually either the smallest or the largest). - If you adapt a lens who is supposed to sit closer to sensor, it will be be able to focus very far and you will almost certainly lose infinity focus.
Given all this and my understanding that your lens investment is minimal, I would recommend simply buying the lenses you need for your new camera.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There isn’t a true “one-size-fits-all” lens mount for these cameras. Your Sony Alpha 200 uses the Sony A/Minolta mount, while the Nikon D7000 uses Nikon F mount, and the mounts differ in shape, electronic contacts, and flange distance.
Adapters can sometimes make one brand’s lens fit another body, but with these systems they usually involve major compromises. In practice, adapted lenses often lose autofocus and electronic aperture control, and may require manual exposure or limited metering. If the lens has no aperture ring—as with many modern DSLR lenses—you may be stuck at a single aperture.
Because Nikon F has a longer flange distance than Sony A, adapting Nikon lenses to Sony is more feasible than adapting Sony lenses to Nikon. Even then, operation is usually manual or partially manual.
So the practical advice is: buy the lens for the camera system you plan to use. If you still have the Sony now, get a Sony/Minolta-mount 50mm for it; if you’re definitely moving to Nikon soon, wait and buy a Nikon-mount 50mm for the D7000 rather than relying on adapters.
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AI15y ago
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