Sony LA-EA4  E-mount adapter (1 of 4)

You might have heard on the podcast that I’ve been hitting the pawn shops and playing around with older AF Minolta glass on the Sony a7s. The thing that makes it possible is the Sony LA-EA4 E-mount to A-mount adapter. Sony A99 owners have been enjoying older Minolta glass for a while now and with this adapter, a7s owners can do the same. There are a lot of great Minolta lenses out there and the used price makes them an attractive option.

Sony a-mount adadapter (1 of 1)

Like any flange adapter, the Sony LA-EA4 takes advantage of the short flange distance.  In this case that extra space is used to cram in a driver motor, an SLT mirror, and an upgraded AF system. The adapter will set you back about $325 and provides support for all of Sony’s A-mount lenses as well as older Minolta and Minolta/Konica lenses that require a camera body based focus motor.

Sony LA-EA4  E-mount adapter (3 of 4)

Build quality on the Sony LA-EA4 is so so. The lens and body flange are metal, but everything else is made out of plastic and you have be very careful not to touch the SLT mirror when you are attaching it to your camera. Sony has included a case with the adapter and you’ll probably want to store it in that if the adapter is rattling around in your camera bag. It really doesn’t feel like it’s a very tough item.

Sony LA-EA4  E-mount adapter (2 of 4)

In practice, it seemed to work pretty well with the Minolta lens I’ve tried at pawnshop counters. The Minolta 50mm f1.4 was very responsive, as was the Minolta 28-70mm f2.8. The adapter is a bit on the loud side and some people have reported that the adapter’s focus speed is noticeably slower than native e-mount lenses. I haven’t had a chance to play with any E-mount glass yet, but the Minolta lenses I’ve tried using this adapter much faster AF speeds than adapted Canon glass I’ve tried on the a7s.

I ordered a few sub $200 lenses on ebay. When they show up, i’ll let you know how they work out.

 

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