Fotodiox Pro announced a new Nikon-to-Sony lens adapter in its Fusion line, which offers full electronic control over aperture and autofocus for Nikon lenses mounted on Sony E-mount cameras. The $370 adapter could be a game-changer for photographers — especially Nikon users who have considered switching to Sony save for its large collections of lenses. It also opens a new world of optics to current Sony shooters.
While Nikon-to-Sony lens adapters are not new, Fotodiox says its adapter is the first of its kind. Unlike Canon lenses, most Nikon lenses rely on a physical lever to open and close the aperture diaphragm. Most Nikon lens adapters, therefore, use a bespoke physical ring to control the aperture, but with Fotodiox’s Fusion adapter, Sony shooters can control the aperture straight from the camera body, just as they would for a native Sony lens. Fotodiox calls this technology the Fusion Drive.
The adapter also has the standard electronic connections to communicate between the lens and body when using AF-I or AF-S Nikon lenses. This means both autofocus and vibration reduction will work and the lens’ Exif metadata can be read and saved by the camera. While we cannot speak to real-world performance, in theory, Nikon lenses can now have full parity on Sony cameras.
Fotodiox cautioned that while the adapter will work on any E-mount camera, the autofocus will be significantly faster on those that support phase detection, including the A6000, A6300, A6300, A7, A7 II, and A7R II. Older Sony cameras that rely on contrast detection will still be able to autofocus with Nikon lenses via the adapter, but performance will suffer.
Naturally, the adapter is also compatible with older, manual Nikon lenses, albeit without any electronic control.
The Fotodiox Nikon to Sony Fusion adapter is available from Fotodiox Pro.
