Camera

Megadap ETZ21 Pro review: A super-thin Sony-to-Nikon mirrorless lens adapter with impressive autofocus performance

Published

5 months ago

February 8, 2024

sarosh

Megadap ETZ21 Pro review: A super-thin Sony-to-Nikon mirrorless lens adapter with impressive autofocus performance

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

It’s okay to be curious – the Megadap ETZ21 Pro is an affordable and surprisingly compact AF-capable accessory for adapting Sony E-mount glass to Nikon Z-mount bodies, including both full-frame and cropped lenses/cameras.

Priced at $250, the ETZ21 Pro supports electronic communication for full autofocus, autoexposure, image stabilization and aperture control. EXIF data is also transferred from lens to camera body. But how does it perform? Read on.

Key features

Adapts Sony E-mount lenses to Nikon Z-mount camera bodies
Compatible with full-frame and crop lenses/bodies
Electronic contacts for full AF, AE, IS and aperture control
EXIF data transfers between lens and camera
Thin, stainless construction
$250

The Megadap ETZ21 Pro Sony E- to Nikon Z-mount is available now for $250.

Buy now:

Competition

The ETZ21 Pro is seriously thin.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

There are a number of similarly-priced and spec’d adapters out there promising full AF/AE compatibility, including options from FotodioX and Techart. The former looks like it could have shipped out of the same factory as the Megadap. The latter looks a whole lot like Megadap’s prior generation Sony-to-Nikon accessory and which you can read more about in our review.

The discontinued Megadap ETZ11 is the predecessor to the current ETZ21. It offers similar function, but less speedy performance overall and a less robust build quality. Given the option, go for the newer version.

There are also, of course,

Design

This diminutive piece of tech is delightfully powerful.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Megadap ETZ21 Pro is a remarkably diminutive accessory. It adds only 2mm to the length of a lens, but that’s not an arbitrary amount. This positions your adapted E-mount lenses at the 18mm mount-to-sensor distance they were designed for instead of the 16mm distance a Z-mount camera provides.

Built from stainless steel, it feels reassuringly solid and well-made in hand. However, the fit can be worryingly tight with certain lenses and camera bodies. It continues to take some considerable effort to dismount the Megadap from my Nikon Z50.

The metal tab on the adapter acts as a lens lock. Beyond that, there’s not much to discuss design-wise besides the electronic contacts and mounting marks. Ultimately, it’s a refreshingly straightforward piece of tech.

Performance

Face and eye detection work great.

Nikon Z8 + Sony 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II. Out of camera JPEG. ISO 450 | 1/250 sec | F/2.8 | 70mm

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

I tried out the Megadap ETZ21 Pro using two different setups: a Nikon Z8 with Sony’s latest 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II and a Nikon Z50 with an ancient E 16-50mm f/3.6-5.6 kit lens attached.

AF speeds and precision impressed me in decent lighting conditions and with the latest-gen Nikon camera and Sony lens. Nikon’s subject detection and focus tracking work almost as if a native lens is attached. AF speeds slow down a little in lower light but are still very good. In general, I was able to use Face and Eye detection on the Z8 with great success, despite having a Sony lens attached.

Nikon Z8 + Sony 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II. Out of camera JPEG. ISO 64 | 1/250 sec | F/3.2 | 24mm

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Z50 and Sony 16-50mm combo performed modestly in decent light. Keeping in mind this lens is so long in the tooth, it might as well be a stalactite, I was again impressed with the performance. In low light, however, I ran into plenty of hunting and mis-focused shots, which is exactly what I expected. That said, I don’t doubt that more recent, faster-aperture Sony primes, like the Sony E 15mm f/1.4 G, will perform admirably via the Megadap on my Z50.

It’s also worth mentioning that not all third-party Sony E-mount glass is currently supported by this adapter. Some folks report AF issues with especially long telephoto lenses. The takeaway? If you’re considering the Megadap ETZ21 Pro, try to take it for a spin with your current setup before committing to buy or put it through its paces during the return window.

I was able to use Sony’s 16-50mm kit zoom on the Nikon Z50, but not without a little (well, a lot) of vignetting.

Out of camera JPEG. ISO 12,800 | 1/320 sec | F/3.5 | 16mm

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Making lens corrections

My Z8 photos look ridiculously sharp, despite the unusual pairing of gear but not every lens will fare as well. Because your Nikon camera can’t recognize your adapted E-mount lenses, geometric distortion and vignetting corrections can’t be applied to the camera’s JPEG output. This presents a challenge for any lens that was designed with the expectation these corrections be taken care off automatically.

Processing the Raws gives a little more flexibility, but these files left Adobe Camera Raw somewhat stumped on how to approach lens corrections. For the Z8 combo, ACR automatically defaulted to the Nikon 24-70mm F/2.8 when I selected Auto Lens Correction. For the Z50, ACR didn’t even bother to provide a lens profile when I clicked the auto option. Capture One provided similar results. It’s worth checking if your preferred software will let you apply corrections for lens combinations its creators hadn’t anticipated.

Conclusion

The Megadap ETZ21 is a solid product built for a rather specific crowd.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Megadap ETZ21 Sony E-mount to Nikon Z-mount adapter is a reliable method for attaching Sony mirrorless lenses to Nikon Z-mont mirrorless bodies without sacrificing autofocus, autoexposure or lens stabilization capabilities. Performance is impressive but it’s no magician.

You’ll still have better overall AF performance and precision sticking to native-mount lenses, sans adapter. And older Sony lenses tend to struggle when adapted in all but the best lighting conditions. Additionally, it may not always be possible to apply the lens correction that is an essential element of some lens designs.

However, as far as what’s currently available for Sony shooters wishing to dabble in the Nikon realm, there is no better option on the market than the Megadap ETZ21 Sony E-mount to Nikon Z-mount lens adapter.

The Megadap ETZ21 is truly a barely-there lens adapter.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

What we like	What we don’t
AF speeds are impressively fast Works with Eye and Face AF Exif data captured Firmware can be updated via attached camera body All-metal design 2mm thick when mounted Best performing adapter in its class	Tight fight with some camera bodies and lenses Not compatible with all third-party E-mount lenses AF may be finicky with long telephoto lenses Lens corrections may not be available when processing

Buy now:

Source link

Camera

Lomography announces LomoChrome ’92 Sun-kissed limited edition film

Published

3 hours ago

July 9, 2024

sarosh

Lomography announces LomoChrome ’92 Sun-kissed limited edition film

Image: Lomagraphy

Lomography has announced LomoChrome ’92 Sun-kissed, an ISO 400 film intended to evoke nostalgia for the film look of the 1990s.

Lomography says the new film, featuring soft orange and yellow hues, is designed to capture the essence of the golden-hour glow. According to the company, the latest film is a follow-up to its LomoChrome Color ’92 film stock introduced last year.

“The gentle crackle of a beloved mixtape fills the air, mingling in the sweet, languid embrace of a carefree summer’s afternoon,” reads Lomography’s marketing copy. It goes on to state that the film offers cinematic blues and oranges under bright skies and vivid reds in shadier conditions.

Like all LomoChrome films, Lomography says that each production run is unique, with no two emulsions ever being the same.

LomoChrome ’92 Sun-kissed is available in 35mm, 120 and 110 formats and requires C-41 processing. It’s available for pre-order on the Lomography website; a 36-exposure roll in 35mm format retails for $12.90, while the 120 version sells for $11.90 and a 24-exposure 110 cartridge sells for $8.90.

Sample images provided by Lomography

The Leica D-Lux 8 is a gently updated version of the D-Lux 7, bringing the latest interface and styling cues to match the Q3 and reminding us how much we like a good enthusiast compact.

Nikon has announced the Z6III, its third-generation mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera. A new 24MP sensor brings speed to every part of the camera, and all the key features have been upgraded.

The newest version of Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds video-oriented flagship camera has arrived, and it includes features like internal ProRes RAW recording, 32-bit Float audio capture, phase-detect autofocus, and compatibility with Panasonic’s Real-Time LUT system and Lumix Lab app.

The Lumix S9 is Panasonic’s newest full-frame mirrorless camera. It allows users to create their own custom looks for out-of-camera colors and is the first full-frame Lumix camera aimed squarely at social media content creators.

The Sony a9 III is the world’s first full-frame mirrorless camera to feature a global electronic shutter with simultaneous readout. After extensive testing of this 120 fps sports camera, to see what you gain (and, perhaps, lose).

What’s the best camera for around $2000? This price point gives you access to some of the most all-round capable cameras available. Excellent image quality, powerful autofocus and great looking video are the least you can expect. We’ve picked the models that really stand out.

What’s the best camera for travel? Good travel cameras should be small, versatile, and offer good image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded-up several great cameras for travel and recommended the best.

If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites.

‘What’s the best mirrorless camera?’ We’re glad you asked.

Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a ‘best’ option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.

Source link

Camera

Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards: last chance to enter

Published

2 days ago

July 6, 2024

sarosh

Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards: last chance to enter

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.

Three’s a crowd

The Comedy Wildlife Awards has released ten of the best entries it’s received so far, with less than a month left, if you think you’ve shot something better.

Deena Sveinsson / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

The Leica D-Lux 8 is a gently updated version of the D-Lux 7, bringing the latest interface and styling cues to match the Q3 and reminding us how much we like a good enthusiast compact.

Back to the future: Pentax 17 film camera review

The Pentax 17 is the first Pentax film camera in two decades. It’s built around a half-frame film format and includes design cues inspired by previous Pentax models. Is the experience worth the price of admission? We tested it to find out.

Nikon has announced the Z6III, its third-generation mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera. A new 24MP sensor brings speed to every part of the camera, and all the key features have been upgraded.

‘What’s the best mirrorless camera?’ We’re glad you asked.

Source link

Camera

Pixii launches 24MP Pixii Max, its first full-frame rangefinder

Published

4 days ago

July 5, 2024

sarosh

Pixii launches 24MP Pixii Max, its first full-frame rangefinder

Image: Pixii

French camera maker Pixii has announced the Pixii Max, a 24MP full-frame rangefinder camera that accepts Leica M-mount lenses.

The Pixii Max (Model A3410) is the company’s fifth camera and the first to move from an APS-C sensor to full frame. Like the previous, 26MP A2572+ and A2572 models, the Max uses a fully 64-bit processing pipeline, allowing fine-precision manipulation of the sensor’s 14-bit output.

Also like its predecessors, the camera’s true rangefinder viewfinder has framelines projected into it (35mm in this instance), meaning they can correct for parallax as you focus to closer distances. The outer limits of the finder represent a 28mm angle of view. The camera’s core exposure settings are also projected into the viewfinder.

Photo: Pixii

It also has a mono option that takes into account the relative perceptual lightness of its sensor’s Red, Green and Blue filters, to create a monochrome DNG Raw file. This should give the sharpness benefit of not having to demosaic the results, but won’t gain the ∼1EV improvement at any given ISO that completely removing the filter array would bring.

The Pixii Max is available for pre-order from July 5th at a cost of €3999, without taxes (approx $4325 at current exchange rates) for the version with 32GB of internal memory or €4249 (∼$4595). As before, the company says there are options to upgrade previous models to the latest specifications. We’ve asked the company for more details of this upgrade path.

Press Release:

Pixii SAS announces Pixii Max, its first full-frame camera with a high-performance 24.5MP sensor, wide-angle optical viewfinder and a seamless upgrade option for existing Pixii owners. Available for pre-order on July 5, with a launch price of 3999 euros w/o taxes.

Pixii SAS, the rising French startup, unveils Pixii Max today, its first full-frame digital rangefinder camera.

Building on the success of its predecessors, Pixii Max marks a significant leap forward with exciting new features:

New 24.5MP full-frame sensor: The carefully selected, high-resolution 24.5MP full-frame sensor, builds on the strength of its pixel technology to deliver outstanding image quality, with exceptional dynamic range surpassing even its top-ranked predecessors. Photographers will appreciate the familiar feel of the 24×36 sensor paired with their rangefinder lenses of choice.

Wide-Angle Viewfinder: The new optical viewfinder complements the sensor capabilities, with high-index optical glass and fully multi-coated anti-reflective surfaces, to offer unmatched clarity and a wider field of view. The new design features comfortable frame lines for 35mm lenses, while offering an ultra-wide field of view, up to 28mm.

Upgrade option: Pixii Max isn’t just a new camera; it’s also another new upgrade path for existing Pixii camera owners. It packs all the power of Pixii Max into the existing compact form factor, with even a slight reduction in overall depth. The new upgrade confirms Pixii’s commitment to preserving the investment made by photographers in their cameras.

Additional Key Features of Pixii Max:

Modern 64-bit Platform, shared with the current Pixii cameras models, providing exceptional performances, connectivity and seamless over-the-air software upgrades.

Native Monochrome, Pixii’s exclusive feature to capture true B&W digital negatives with a bayer sensor. Pixii Max is also fully capable of producing native monochrome files.

Interactive Rangefinder Viewfinder, another Pixii exclusive feature providing real-time controls and indicators right inside the optical viewfinder, for a truly modern and immersive experience.

The Pixii Max joins the Pixii camera family, offering photographers a new option for rangefinder photography. Pixii remains committed to producing and developing the well-loved APS-C model, proposing two exceptional cameras to choose from for photographers with different needs.

Pricing and Availability

Pixii Max (Model A3410) will offer photographers a new entry point into the world of full-frame digital rangefinders, with special introductory prices:

Pixii Max (32GB): 3999 EUR w/o taxes.
Pixii Max (128GB): 4249 EUR w/o taxes.

Pixii Max will be available for pre-order on July 5.

Source link