Which lens mounts retain the most functionality when adapted to Micro Four Thirds?
Asked 7/4/2012
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I’m considering a Micro Four Thirds camera and would like to adapt older lenses from mounts such as Nikon F, Canon EF, Pentax K, and Four Thirds. Which mounts are the most compatible with MFT adapters, and are there any adapters that preserve functions like autofocus and aperture control rather than forcing fully manual use?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Currently, only the four MFT-FT adapters by Panasonic and Olympus offer nearly full compatibility to original FourThirds lenses. I say nearly, because some FourThirds lenses are not compatible with all MFT cameras. E,.g. some old FT lenses are not compatible with the contrast AF. And SWD lenses generally perform not so well on MFT. And the aperture ring on the Panasonic/Leica FT lenses works only on Panasonic FT/MFT bodies. There was a compatibility list on the Panasonic website, but I was unable to find it now. The current adapters to all other mounts are non-electronic and allow you only to focus manually. Those FourThirds to MircoFourThirds adapters allow for autofocus, however check the compatibility for every camera/lens combination:
Panasonic DMW-MA1 (metal) Olympus MMF-1 (metal) MMF-2 (plastic) MMF-3 (weather sealed)
Originally by user10459. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user10459
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For Micro Four Thirds, the most compatible adapted lenses are generally original Four Thirds lenses used with the official Four Thirds-to-Micro Four Thirds adapters from Panasonic or Olympus. Those adapters can provide near-full compatibility, including autofocus, but not every lens/body combination works equally well. Some older Four Thirds lenses are not fully compatible with contrast-detect AF, and SWD lenses may perform poorly on MFT bodies. Panasonic/Leica Four Thirds lenses with an aperture ring may also have limitations depending on the camera body.
By contrast, adapters for most other mounts such as Nikon F, Canon EF, and Pentax K are typically non-electronic. In practice, that means manual focus only, and usually manual or stop-down aperture control depending on the lens design. So if your goal is maximum retained functionality on MFT, Four Thirds lenses with the official Panasonic or Olympus FT-to-MFT adapters are the main option mentioned here.
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