Author Topic: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?  (Read 8895 times)

Kyle2643

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
    • View Profile
Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?

I really don't fancy buying a whole new set of lenses for this camera. Has anyone done this yet?

Thanks in advance.

Kyle  :D

Nikon1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2020, 07:44:59 AM »
As long as the Lens itself does not protrude beyond the Metal part of the mount (I am Talking about the back of the Lens), it should just barely be possible to get it mounted (I just measured it, and you have about 0,3mm Clearance behind the Metal Part of the Mount, for the Lens i have here).
 While i havent actually done this for Sony E-Mount, i have done this for MFT-Mount and Nikon1 Mount, which are both also Mirrorless lens mounts, and it is totaly possible.
 Main Problem with the Sony Lenses would propably be, that they are usualy Focus by wire (new "Sony" Brand Lenses especially. some Older third party Lenses, completely Manually controled Lenses, and allready Adapted to Sony-E-Mount Lenses dont have that problem), or that at least the Apperture is controled by the Camera.
 So it depends heavily on what E-Mount Lens you try to use on the Chonos, if it would be Possible /Practical for use.
.
 What you can do to find out, if your Lenses Will work with the Chronos:
 Measure how far the Lens Protrudes Beyond the Flat Mount Surface. (Flange Distance for Sony-E is 18mm, Chronos Flange distance is 12,526, so, your lens is allowed to protrude about 5,47mm Beyond the Flat E-Mount Mounting Surface, if its longer you wont be able to get focus to infinity distance and will have to use the Lens as a Macro Lens)
 Try, if you can set Apperture, Focus and Zoom on the Lens without the Camera Body attached. If one of those settings can not be controled without the Sony Body attached, its a bit tricky. Then You will either have to live with it (For example if the Apperture can be set on the Camera, and the Lens Can be Disconnected while Body is powerd on, and Apperture Setting stays where its at, its still useable, for changing Apperture, just put Lens back on Camera-Body, change Setting, go on with using it. But if its Zoom and Focus, i would assume, that its not really practical to use that Lens then, Because Focusing would be a Pain then, if propperly possible at all...., So at least Zoom and Focus have to work in My opinion for this to make sense.) or build some Kind of Frankenstein adapter where you are Still able to get the Electronic Signals from The Camera Body to the Lens while it is attached to the Chronos Body. Basically a Bodycap with Contact Pins and some kind of Mount on the Chonos, which has contact pins for the Lens, connected, to trick the Lens into thinking, it is still attached to the Sony Camera, that way you still will be able to use it as usual. Main Problem With E-Mount again is, that its a pretty "Fat" mount which Protrudes pretty far into the Camera from the Mounting surface, compared to MFT or Nikon1-Mounts, so you dont really have a lot of Space to put contacts or something like this...
.
 So, in Summary, Adapting Sony-E-Mount Lenses to Chronos Camera is 100% possible, as long as it doesnt have large Back Lens Elements, which protrude Far into the Camera or need Electronic Communication to the Camera Body to propperly work. While it is still possible, if it protrudes far or is Focus- /Iris-by-Wire, it gets pretty tricky to acctually so quickly and can be Impractical.
.
 Hope this helps, if you have any further Questions, it would help me a lot to know whatever lenses you try to adapt here.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2020, 07:49:33 AM by Nikon1 »

Kyle2643

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2020, 11:23:11 AM »
Thanks for the detailed response. I completely overlooked the fact my lens do not have manual controls for pretty much anything other than the zoom on the on so with this new knowledge I do think it's impractical to use them or adapt them for use in any way. I read the Sigma 50mm - 100mm 1.8 and the Sigma 18mm - 35mm 1.8 work well. I don't think they are outrageously expensive either so I'll look into them. If you have any recommendations on lens please let me know and thanks again for your time. 

Kyle

Nikon1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2020, 12:05:32 PM »
Yeah, the Sigma 1.8 Zooms are fantastic lenses for this Camera. Just look out to get the Nikon F-Mount Version and a Adapter for C-Mount which will let you control the Apperture, since the Nikon-C-Mount Adapter that Ships with the 2.1 Does not allow for Manual Apperture Control on these Lenses. but those Adapters are Cheap and Readily available, there Was an Discussion about this in at least one other thread about this.
.
 As Far as Lens Reccomendations go, the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 and the 50-100mm 1.8 are about where its at for this camera for general use (great Value for the Money and very versatile, fast, sharp), if you want to go a little more Fancy with Lenses (and / or still play around with adapting Mirrorless Glass) there are also Speedboosters you could add to the Sigma zooms, to make them even Faster in Maximum Apperture and Wider. More on that is also discussed on various other Treads on the Forum, so i wont restart this whole Discussion about Speedboosters here, if you want to know more about the Speedbooster-Thing, reply to one of the other Threads to keep them a bit on topic, so others will find Info easier in the Future.
.
Of course Lenses should always meet your needs, and there are A LOT of good Lenses out there, so think about what you want to do with them, and buy what fits you best.
.
But here still some more Recommendations:
 A Lens i heard from a friend, who also has an MFT-Format Camera (Havent used nor tested it myself, so cant say anything for sure about it Really, but sounds nice on paper) is the laowa 7.5mm Lens. As Far as i know one of the Widest Lenses which will cover the Full Chronos 2.1 Sensor and is still kind of affordable. This Lens however is MFT Mount, which is also a Mirrorless mount, so it will need either Modifications on the Lens itself, or you need to get an Adapter Custom made (or you need to wait until someon offers them For Sale finally). If you want some Ultra-Wide Shots, get this Lens!
.
 An other Reccomendation would be to get something like a Superzoom lens. 18-270mm / 18-200 or something like this. But look to get a newer version, since the older ones are most of the time not that Sharp. Those Superzooms usualy are by far not as Sharp and crisp as the Sigma 1.8 Zoom Lenses, but could be Great if you need more Range. Would however only reccomend a Superzoom Like this for shots were you are outside and have lot of light and dont plan to get crazy on the Framerate, since they give you a lot darker image (zoomed in they sometimes have like Apperture 6.2 or something, which is WAY darker than the 1.8 from The Sigmas). Also Look out to not get an AF-P Version since those are Focus by Wire and also lack Manual Control just like your Sony lenses. Nikon F-Mount AF-S is the Way to go in my opinion for a superzoom..
 Furthermore for Longer Tele Lenses with good Quality there are Plenty 70-200mm f/2.8 Lenses or various Brands in Nikon F-Mount available. Newer Versions usually are quite a bit sharper than the old ones, but they are generally all considered Premium Lenses at 2.8 and are mostly not too bad anyways. I personally would avoid the really old ones made for Analog Film Cameras however, because lens design and manufacturing improved by a lot the last few years, and it shows in the final image a lot. The Older are still cheaper to get, so look what fits your butget.
.
 An other Lens to maybe look into is an 50-500mm or an 150-500mm Lens. They have a Smaller apperture, and are Really Fat, Long and Heavy lenses (and kinda Expensive), but they offer a ton of Reach, if you got any need for that. For the 70-200mm and the xxx-500mm Lenses i would also reccomend to stay with Nikon F-Mount and the Adapter for C-Mount which allows for apperture Control. Keep in mind that you can still use any Nikon-F-Mount Lens on your Sony With an Nikon-F to Sony-E Adapter!
.
The Next ones depend heavily on what you do with your camera, and might not make Sense for everyone:
 A Decent Macro Lens or Macro tubes. There Are Plenty dedicated Macro Lenses Out there, which are really worth the Money if you do a lot of Macro or "Pseudo-Macro" (Stuff that is Not technically Macro, which starts at 1:1 Magnification, but still so high magnification, that you propably run into trouble trying to do it with an standard Lens without any Hacks/ Additional Equipment like Macro Tubes or diopters). There Are so many out there, i cant really reccomend a particular one, since a lot of it comes down to personal Preference in Focal Length, Requirements on Ratio of Magnification and also on the general Design and Build of the Lens itself, look around a bit, you will find plenty of options! If you got any more in depth-Questions, let me know!.
 Then Primes. There are plenty Nice Prime Lenses, which could be interresting if you carry the Camera around a lot, for example for casual shooting for fun an the Like. However, the Sigma 1.8 Zooms offer pretty decent Range and are also plenty fast and Sharp, so, if you get them Zooms, i dont know if i would get primes also myself...? Primes are in some Cases Smaller and Lighter, which can make a lot of difference if you for example just do full Resolution shots on the 2.1 and only Portrait / Close-Up stuff the Whole Time. The Sigmas still are Heavy, and depending on what kind of caliber of Camera you used to carry around all day, it could get tiring pretty fast with an 50-100mm 1.8 for example..So far a Quick overview over the Lenses i think would make a ton of sense to own for certain usecases on the 2.1, depending on what you do with it. Some People come along well with a single Prime, or a Single Zoom lens, if you do a lot of different things with the Camera, maybe get a few more Lenses. Whatever works for you.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2020, 12:09:12 PM by Nikon1 »

Sael

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2020, 08:54:32 PM »
I'm not going to share the STL because it doesn't have all the features for the safe use of a lens (like it locking..) but I have mounted a Sony-E to Nikon F tilt adapter to my 1.8 with a 3D printed mount. there isn't a lot of clearance but there is enough to mount as long as the lens doesn't extend too far beyond the mount.

Nikon1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2020, 01:28:02 AM »
Well, its not that hard to design a STL yourself, for anyone Interrested, download some STL file of an Sony-E-Mount Bodycap and look up the Mounting Points in the Technical Drawings of the Chronos, get the Distance right based on the apropriate Flang Distances, which can bee looked up easily, done.
 But Like Sael said, use on own risk, since the Lens could easily fall off if not carefull, since such kind of adapter has no locking pin for the Mount.
 Did the Same Thing like Sael did for MFT and Nikon-1 Mount, and it worked very well (for testing at least, wouldnt really want to use adapters like this long-Term in Productions or actuall work, thats a recepie for serious disaster.... Just a Question of time untill i or someone else will drop either Camera or Lens....), right now i make Metal-Versions of that with locking pins.
 What you (Sael) have there is very nice, a T-S-Adapter with some other Lens on it! Nikon-Mount-Lens?
 This is however an Adapter, not an Native Sony-E-Mount lens. I am Still kind of worried, some native  Sony-Brand Lenses would have Contacts or something like that, that would protrude further and make propperly mounting the Lenses for infinity focus impossible (Without seriously Modifying the actuall camera Body....).
.
 For stuff, like you have, for example if you own a lot of lenses with different mounts (manual Control Lenses) and allready also own a sony camera system and adapters for them, some Adapter like you posted is very usefull (or as an In-Between-Mount for the use of Speedboosters and T-S- / Speciality adapters); but for anything that does not allow for full Manual Control on the Lens itself, i consider it to be quite the pain to use, though i can think of at least two or three ways to work around Focus by wire and such....
.
 #EDIT#: Forgot to say that, but Thanks however for posting the Image of the Adapter!
« Last Edit: May 25, 2020, 01:31:05 AM by Nikon1 »

Kyle2643

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2020, 02:19:06 PM »
Thanks again Nikon1! that's an absolute wealth of information right there. I really appreciate you taking the time to relay all that information to me. Theres a lot there for me to get stuck into.

I'm about to order the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM 'A' Art Lens with the Nikon mount. I will use this lens the most but I will also require a macro and tele lens a bit further down the line for sure so thanks for the advice once again.  ;D ;D ;D

Nikon1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2020, 02:20:17 PM »
Very happy to be able to help you out!

saichner

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2020, 08:24:45 AM »
You might consider the Rokinon cine F mount primes.  I have the 20, 85, and 135mm... All beautiful glass...

Kyle2643

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2020, 11:30:19 PM »
Old thread I know but my Cronos has only just arrived  ;)

I have just ordered the Sigma 1.8 18 -35mm and I'm having a little trouble finding an appropriate adapter for it with manual aperture control. I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.  :D

Nikon1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2020, 05:49:12 AM »
Old thread I know but my Cronos has only just arrived  ;)

I have just ordered the Sigma 1.8 18 -35mm and I'm having a little trouble finding an appropriate adapter for it with manual aperture control. I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.  :D
Depends on the mount of the Lens.... What mount does the Lens have?

Kyle2643

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
    • View Profile
Re: Is there any way to fit sony e mount lenses to the 2.1 hd?
« Reply #11 on: September 03, 2020, 09:42:14 AM »
Ah yes sorry. I forgot to add that detail  :-[ It's a Nikon F mount lens. Cheers!