You will finally be able to use Nikon old AF lenses on mirrorless cameras
Nov 27, 2023
Sagiv Gilburd
Sagiv Gilburd is an Israel-based commercial photographer and videographer with extensive expertise in studio work, event photography, and managing large-scale photography projects.
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If you are sitting on a big stash of old Nikkor lenses, MonsterAdapter has some really big news. Their new LA-FE2 adapter does something no other adapter has done before. Support for screw-drive autofocus lenses on modern mirrorless cameras.
One minor issue, though. Bad news for Nikon shooters who were hoping this would fix what was missing from Nikon’s own FTZ adapters. MonsterAdapter has only announced the adapter for Sony’s E-mount. Not Nikon’s Z-mount.
Why the MonsterAdapter LA-FE2 is a big step in Nikon adapters
The MonsterAdapter LA-FE2 adapter lets you use the old “Nikkor AF” lenses. Many screw-drive AF lenses are part of Nikon’s D-series lenses. It’s a large series of lenses that started in 1987 with some really great optics for the time.
The LA-FE2 is actually an upgrade of sorts to another adapter of theirs. The LA-FE1 adapter. Both allow you to change the aperture and use the autofocus of Nikon D and G-series AF-S lenses. G lenses are a newer series from the D-series, but they are great in their optics and selection as well.
It’s just that with the LA-FE2, you can now use older screw-drive AF D and G lenses. You can go back all the way to the very first AF lenses from Nikon. In other words, Sony shooters should now have full autofocus control on all screw-drive AF Nikkor lenses.
Why couldn’t you use these lenses before?
For those unaware, Nikon’s screw-drive AF lenses have a significant difference from more recent AF-S and AF-P lenses. Screw-drive AF lenses require a camera with a built-in autofocus motor. Well, you could still mount them on camera without one, but you wouldn’t get autofocus functionality.
Screw-drive AF worked well, but it had a major flaw. Its focus speed was dependent on the speed of the AF motor in the camera. Nikon switched to AF-S, which put the autofocus motor in the lens. This meant they should, in theory, offer the same performance on all Nikon camera bodies.
Not all Nikon DSLRs offer an AF motor (like the D3x00 and D5x00 series DSLRs), and when Nikon moved to the Z mirrorless lineup, they ditched this mechanism altogether.
An opportunity T
This is where MonsterAdapter comes in. This wouldn’t be the first time they would release a less-than-typical adapter. For example, they are still the only ones making Pentax K to Sony E autofocus adapters.
And while I admit it’s weird that the first screw-drive AF adapter comes to Sony’s E-mount before Nikon’s own Z-mount, I’m still excited about this announcement. It is a chance to finally take my old lenses out of the closet.
Demo videos
MonsterAdapter released two demo videos showing the adapter at work.
Busting the “D series” myth
A number of outlets have reported that this is a “D” adapter. While many of Nikon’s D-type lenses use the screw-drive AF system, not all of them do. The Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED, for example, is both a D-type lens and contains its own autofocus motor (AF-S). This means it works fine with the current Nikon FTZ adapter.
There are also a number of “G” type lenses out there that are also screw-drive AF. Not all of them are AF-S. Likewise, lenses like the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G can be G-type and still require a body with an autofocus motor. Not all G-type lenses are AF-S lenses.
Yes, the majority of screw-drive AF lenses are “D” type, and the majority of AF-S type lenses are “G” type, but the D and G monikers have nothing to do with the autofocus system. It simply means they contain a distance chip and either have (D) or don’t have (G) an aperture ring. Both types can also have their aperture controlled by the camera.
This is why people often confuse and misreport “D” and “G” type lenses when they mean “AF” and “AF-S”.
Price and availability
According to MonsterAdapter, LA-FE2 will be available this year. The price is still yet to be announced.
And hopefully, now that we have a Sony E-mount adapter, a Nikon Z-mount version isn’t that far off in the distance.
[via nikonrumors]
Sagiv Gilburd
Sagiv Gilburd is an Israel-based commercial photographer and videographer with extensive expertise in studio work, event photography, and managing large-scale photography projects.
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32 responses to “You will finally be able to use Nikon old AF lenses on mirrorless cameras”
Not good enough if not used on Z mount cameras!
Azem Koleci Just get a Sony and you can use all them lenses. The E-Mount ecosystem is awesome!
Mika WB actually Z bodies can adapt E mount lenses, but no the other way around, so you have more options with Z cameras.
Edu Garcia Does this work (well) with AF and everything?
Mika WB yep
Edu Garcia so one could use the Z to E Adapter and than this D Adapter 😆
Edu Garcia Do you use e mount lenses on your Z camera with the adapter? And if so which body?
This makes me want a mirrorless camera. My entire lens collection is AF / AFD :)))
Vlad Moldovean – Visual Artist meee toooo from 16mm to 300 and all 1.4 lens
Alessandro Mancini where is this 300mm f1.4 you speak of 😳
Vlad Moldovean – Visual Artist
The ironical part is that they can be used with autofocus with this adapter, but on Sony E mirrorless, not on Nikon Z… which a lot of Nikon users I’m sure have been asking for, ever since the Z6 and Z7 were released, with the FTZ adapter, that has no focus motor and thus, cannot support AF-D lens autofocus, just manual focus.
Cătălin Apostol I wonder if they work on Z cameras with the E2Z adapter
Or just go Canon and ALL your AF lenses to the very first EF made in 1987 will fully function including AF on the latest RF mount cameras and most work even better than before. Add the control ring adapter and you add RF control ring features to your EF lenses. WOW!!!!!
PS, you can also use all your m39, R, FL and FD Canon lenses manually with metering, focus confirmation including aperture priority auto on your RF mount bodies.
Now that is amazing.
That doesn’t help people who already own a dozen or two Nikon AF lenses (which goes back to 1986). And you could already manually adapt F mount lenses going back to 1959. :)
He may be right. Time to just sell all the Nikon shit. They are money hungry a-holes.
And how exactly does Nikon make money on 20+ year old used lenses?
ps, you can put ALL Canon lenses including their L39 lenses back to their original lenses prewar on Canon R cameras. And they focus to infinity manually as they always did except you get focus peaking to help.
And WHY are they not making these for the Z Mount?
They should and must make it for Nikon Z mount! Don’t understand the reason did not make for Z mount in first place. Sony user are not interesting the Nikon D lens any way. Sony user probably not even born in D lens era :D
WTF would they make a Sony body mount adapter for nikkor lenses. Better question…why would they make that one BEFORE making one for the Nikon bodies? That’s is asanine! Idiots!
> “Their new LA-FE2 adapter does something no other adapter has done before. Support for screw-drive autofocus lenses on modern mirrorless cameras.”
This is so wrong. The Monster Adapters are based on Sony ‘s own screw drive adapters, even borrowing the model numbers. The Sony LA-EA4 and LA-EA2 were their first screw drive adapters for mating Minolta A mount lenses to E body Sony cameras. The first Monster Adapters were literally modified Sony screw drive adapters.
Nice move ;)
Do these adapters have an aperture follower that makes a mechanical connection with the camera and allows for full-aperture metering?
Thank you for pointing out the “AF-D” thing. Neither the D or G designation have anything to do with autofocus at all. D lenses report the focus distance back to the camera to improve flash computations. G lenses lose the aperture ring. G lenses include D functionality.
The lens prefix is the only thing that lets people know if a lens will AF or not. If it starts with AF-I, AF-S, or AF-P, then you get autofocus, if it’s just “AF” with nothing else attached, it won’t get AF. People need to forget the D and G. I understand that it’s easy to identify a large selection of lenses, but it’s not accurate.
Good news (for Sony users at least) but D-Series is the wrong term, screwdriver-AF is the correct one. D stands for distance characteristics (G and E lenses also include the Distance information but are lacking an aperture ring, any D-Lens has).
To sum it up
There are D-lenses with AF-S motor, so no screwdriver AF
There are Nikon screwdriver-AF lenses without D-characteristics (I own one)
Finally there is no G lens (without aperture ring) i know of that still has screwdriver-AF
There are some screwdriver AF gems (Zoom-Micro, DC lenses) that making one wish for the ability of full use on modern cameras
How does the autofocus work? Is there an AF motor in the adaptor, and a screwdriver thats fits into the screwhead in the lens? Does the adaptors AF motor get power from the camera?
Martin Frøland I think yes, yes and yes.
Finally? You can use them since ever, just with no AF…
David Teheux and Manual focus is so simple on the z bodies.
David Teheux yes exactly, the whole point of D lens is you have dedicated, mechanical aperture ring and focus ring. You can use it on an FM2 (i’m dating myself)
Noooo my cheap lenses :(
What a stupid decision of not making for the Nikons