Could the AF adapter for EF lenses damage a lens?

[dbmiller]

My daughter called me up today. She went by the local camera store, who we have dealt with for years and have been very knowledgeable. She's seen the images I'm been showing her from the A7/A7r cameras, and it has her rethinking her Canon 5dMkII. She's very petite, and has always had trouble holding a camera steady. Her hands used to shake a lot, and after lots of tests, she was put on a DOPA regimen which appears to have stopped the shakes, but the Canon is still heavy for her.

So she's thinking about the A7/A7r, and maybe using her Canon glass for now until more FF lenses are available. This is where the fun begins. The guy at the store said that using an adapter on EF lenses may end up damaging the focusing motor on the EF lenses, and they might not AF at some point, even on her Canon body.

Now I have never heard such a thing, and if it were true, it would be all over various forums. Sounded almost like pure FUD to me, and was surprised it came from the camera store. Has anyone heard such a tale?

 

[Poki]

The short answer: No, it can't damage your lens.

The slightly longer one: It would be possible to damage the focusing mechanism of a screw-driven focusing lens, but in order to do that, you would need FAR more power than any AF adapter ever could give and it would have to be programmed to do everything it can to harm the lens' focusing mechanism. If you don't buy something that's called "destroy your fugly Canon lenses and buy our f***ing FE lenses adapter" or short 'dyfclaboffla' you're not going to damage any Canon lens.

 

[dbmiller]

Pretty much my thoughts. I also considered if the Sony was "underpowered", and would burn out the drive in the lens. Or if AF on the NEX would mean the lens hunts more than it would on a Canon. So the MTBF reduces because the usage exceeds expectations, and the lens breaks down faster.

Like I said. Sounded like pure FUD to me, and I can find no posts anywhere to back up such a statement.

 

[Poki]

Or if AF on the NEX would mean the lens hunts more than it would on a Canon. So the MTBF reduces because the usage exceeds expectations, and the lens breaks down faster.

As CDAF is much more precise than PDAF it should hunt less (at least in theory), although that still doesn't make it fast to focus. Also, a lens can be focused pretty much endlessly without breaking. Of course mechanical defects always can happen, but it's very unlikely to be because of how much you used it.

 

[f/otographer]

So she's thinking about the A7/A7r, and maybe using her Canon glass for now until more FF lenses are available.

Just curious, but what Canon lenses does she have that is not duplicated in the Sony/Zeiss/Minolta Alpha line up? I mean, if she is considering using and EF adapter then she seems comfortable with the thought of using adapted lenses. Why not just sell all the Canon glass and replace it with nice Zeiss or Sony Alpha mount lenses and use the actual Sony made adapter for those lenses? That way no third party adapter is introduced in the mix. (Which, btw, I have no problem with. All of my photography is on adapted lenses for my NEX 7. I dont own a single E mount lens and one has never been attached to my camera.)

This of course is meaningless is there is no direct replacement in the Sony/Zeiss/Minolta line for one of her Canon lenses. But there might be something that is close.

 

[dbmiller]

Her lenses are:

17-40/4 L
24-105/4 L
50 1.4
70-300/5.6

So she's got more range with the EF glass. And more DoF with the 50. The 55/1.8 will be close to the 50/1.4. Everything else doesn't (yet) have an FE equivalent. I'm not familiar with the A-mount lenses, so don't know what it would take to go the LA-EA 3/4 route.

 

[f/otographer]

Hmmmmm, one issue is going to be that those are some decent sized lenses. They are still going to be heavy, even on an A7. You will loose some bulk from the camera alone but there is a lot of heft left in those.

As for Sony equivalents, look like there are some very similar match ups. View this link to see the Sony Alpha lenses in decreasing price order. Lots of good Zeiss glass there, but pricey.

http://store.sony.com/alpha-dlsr-le...ze=100&SortingAttribute=ProductSalePrice-desc

 

[serhan]

She most probably needs this adapter to adjust her aperture, FF compatible adapter:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/983747-REG/metabones_mb_ef_e_bm3_canon_ef_to_e_mount_nex.html

I was reading in dpreview as which lenses are compatible, mostly newer lenses from 2006 thru current. They are the same manufacturer that produce the speed booster. My 28-135mm and 70-300mm IS lenses were af'ing w/ SB. The rest, not many but Sigma/Canon 50mm/Tamron 90mm macro, Canon 100mm f/2 didn't af. However electronic connection for aperture/exif report and IS can work w/o af. They have the full list also:

http://www.metabones.com/sony/buy-eos-nex-adapter

I don't know if it is worthwhile to buy the adapter, but again it might better then reinvesting in Sony lenses which doesn't have IS also. Hopefully other manufacturers will match this product with cheaper adapters. Most of the current adapters are for crop nex cameras and might not have the opening to cover the FF.

Her lenses are:

17-40/4 L
24-105/4 L
50 1.4
70-300/5.6

So she's got more range with the EF glass. And more DoF with the 50. The 55/1.8 will be close to the 50/1.4. Everything else doesn't (yet) have an FE equivalent. I'm not familiar with the A-mount lenses, so don't know what it would take to go the LA-EA 3/4 route.

 

[CGrimm]

To sort of play devil's advocate, there isn't much chance for a Metabones adapter to cause any damage to a Canon lens, since it's really just a translator from Sony speak to Canon speak and the lens itself is doing everything physical. That said, since Canon's protocols for the interaction between lens and body are proprietary, there is a chance that something the Metabones does or doesn't do could cause premature wear/failure, but if this were the case there would also be numerous posts about people's lens being fried on this and other forums by now.

Though personally, I just suspect that the salesman was looking for some extra commission from the sale of a lens and camera instead of just a camera.

Two other things, one, if the lenses are still under warranty and this does happen and she explains about it being mounted on such a set-up, Canon could void the warranty. Two, I did find this post which says his lens died while attached to a metabones adapter and his Nex-7, though nothing is said pointing to the adapter as being the cause of it.