Can you reverse-mount a lens from another camera system for macro work?

Asked 1/3/2012

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If I use a reverse-mount adapter ring for macro photography, does the lens’s native mount still matter? In other words, can I reverse-mount a lens made for a different camera system as long as the reversing ring fits my camera body and the lens’s front filter thread?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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It shouldn't matter at all if you are using a lens that is stopped down manually. In fact, it may be easier to use an older or off-brand lens than the current crop of lenses having only electronically-controlled apertures. And step-up and step-down filter adapters ought to be able to handle the attachment issue (but, of course, it will change the distance between the front element of the lens and the sensor, so you'd need to take that into account when calculating magnification).

There are, or at least there used to be, reverse-mount systems that could control the aperture automatically -- there was a little tethered unit that was essentially a bayonet mount for the lens with a lever that operated the lens's aperture tab. (There's no reason why the same couldn't be done for more recent electrically-driven apertures.) Obviously, the lens would need to be for the right mount for this to work properly. As I recall, though, these auto-aperture reversing rigs were godawful expensive, and they didn't bring anything to the party except the ability to focus wide open without manually stopping down afterwards (and sometimes to meter through the lens wide open). Unless you are in the habit of forgetting to stop down, the difference between a simple, no-moving-parts mechanical adapter and a complicated, expensive, vendor-specific electromechanical system is a lot of money for nothing, so even if it's available, I can't see the point.

Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user2719

14y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes. For reverse-mount macro, the camera-side connection is handled by the reversing ring, so the lens’s original mount usually does not matter.

What does matter is:

  • the reversing ring must fit your camera body on one side
  • the ring must match the lens’s front filter thread on the other side
  • if thread sizes differ, step-up/step-down rings can often be used

A practical limitation is aperture control. Older lenses with a manual aperture ring are often easier to use reversed. Many modern lenses use electronic aperture control, which can make them awkward or impossible to stop down once reversed unless you use a specialized solution.

Also note that adding step rings or other adapters changes the spacing slightly, which can affect magnification and working distance.

So in general: yes, a lens from another system can be reverse-mounted for macro if the physical thread connection works, but manual-aperture lenses are usually the easiest choice.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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