(SR3) UPDATED: LA-EA2 (translucent) will cost around $400?
Image on top shows an adpater with built-in mirror from Leica…there is no image of the Sony adapter yet 
)
A known source from the Thai Sony Alpha users’ forum fotorelax.com just told that the new LA-EA2 adapter for NEX (with SLT mirror inside) will be retailed for 13000 THB or around 436 USD. It is the same source that started talking about NEX adapter with SLT mirror just a day before I posted it here on SAR. Be reminded that NEX cameras are made in Thailand so rumors from there should be always taken seriously!
UPDATE: Our Thai friend “Lifeispixels” justs ent us more tidbits (Thanks!): “It’s confirmed there is a motor inside the adapter to drive all AF minolta and sony lens. The rumor also said the AF will be as quick as A77 but will consume battery like mad, probably you will need a 3rd battery pack. The new LA-EA2 adapter can be used with all current E mounted cameras (NEX-3,NEX-5,NEX-C3,NEX-5N and NEX-VG10, NEX-VG20. This adapter will have an SLT mirror to reflex the image to AF chamber to perform auto focus and has nothing to do with EVF. The target group of this adapter is NEX-FS100 users.”
P.S.: Check the price of the current Sony Alpha LA-EA1 Alpha to E-mount adapter at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources (60-80% the rumor is correct)
SR5=almost certainly correct!
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Thanks lifeispixels
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Recent comments
Comment from Anonymous: I speculate it will look like the curren...
Comment from Matt: With this adapter, the NEX video mode (w...
Comment from FK: The FS-100E was the first that came in m...
Comment from emarsh: Eventually, Amazon will have it for $289...
thundersha
10 months ago |Wondering how many AF point it have? (exactly same as A55 or more?)
and also curious about how to control it??
(will it have some button or “joystick” or the adapter??)
nagi
10 months ago |Well, the old LA-EA1 is $200 (or $260 in europe), so about $200 extra for the contrast-detection AF.
The fast AF and the Alpha-mount in one detachable package is quite charming.
Yes, I realise that I could buy a low-end dSLR for the NEX+LA-EA2, but that would get me zero flexibility. With this, you only have to get used to one tool, not two separate ones, and you can pack it in a tight lil pack if you won’t be using your alpha lenses.
(I really hope it won’t be 400 euros!)
fotowolf1
10 months ago |What I understand from that Thai website/blog is that it looks like if the LA-EA2 “drives” the lens? Does it mean it supports also plain AF lenses in addition to SAM and SSM? Probably a big battery drain.
A price like this high, makes no sense anyway, as a new or used Sony DSLR or SLT entry model is the same price or less. A NEX + LA-EA2 is twice the money. It makes marketing wise only sense if you want to use quality A-mount lenses and for some purpose never buy an SLT or DSLR.
mugen
10 months ago |I understood the same thing from the translation.
Andreas can You ask Your sources about that ?
Dulaney Ward
10 months ago |It makes no sense if it’s contrat detect, because you have that already. The translucent mirror, even in the SLT cameras, is there to permit phase detect AF.
And Andrea said that there is a motor inside that will drive ALL Alpha lenses.
Raul S.
10 months ago |Maybe this doesn’t makes sense to you, but for NEX-FS100 users (the ones that already have so much money that a 400USD adapter that provides you with fast AF it’s like nothing) it’s the right working tool.
And for me, that I have a SAL75300 and SAL50F18, and other people that want the flexibility to work with either a smaller camera than a dSLR or change to a large setup but with fast AF, that’s a great addition..better to have options than limits don’t you think?
I don’t mind having an extra accessory that provides me with fast AF…the only thing missing will be the SSS, that I hope, the NEX-7 provides…
MajorTom123
10 months ago |Andrea,
Can you please ask the source whether the adapter has a screw drive? It will be useless for me without.
Henrik
10 months ago |+1
I’m surprised about the lack of interest for the screw drive in the adapter. Without it, 99% of all Sony/Minolta lenses on the used market would be manual focus only.
agorabasta
10 months ago |One could consider such an adapter as a ‘camera’ and then the Nex body comes as a mere ‘digital back’.
Could make sense if done the right way.
extra|ordinary
10 months ago |“Could make sense if done the right way.”
Agreed…like make a full frame nex.
Agent.Pires
10 months ago |This needs to be cut in price significantly. Only a handful of people would buy this. I own the NEX-5 and while I’d like to get this I won’t pay $400 for it. Would rather invest that money in faster lenses.
Froo
10 months ago |Then you don’t have significant money invested in the A mount, so you are quite obviously not the target market.
fotowolf61
10 months ago |If someone has invested in A-mount lenses, she/he has already a DSLR or SLT. A NEX is just an extra add-on not a substitution for a DSLR or SLT. The quality of the lenses is nice for video and snapshot as a videocam replacement, but not a DSLR/SLT. It is just an upgrade for the iPhone-Cam generation
.
Matt
10 months ago |Thus the point of this adapter, one camera becomes two. Theoretically a NEX7 with same sensor as a77 without the mirror will have higher image quality than a77 and the same with the adapter/mirror in place. Substituting versatility of lenses and size advantage for having a bigger body, faster fps and more controls (but not as big a difference as now between NEX5 etc and SLR)
fotowolf1
10 months ago |According to the updated rumor of “CURRENT” NEX systems, I miss the NEX7 but there is a NEX-5N (?) .
@Admin: Please Andrea could you find confirmation about the NEX family. Does it mean the adapter is not compatible to NEX-7 ?
emarsh
10 months ago |Eventually, Amazon will have it for $289. Sony always releases products ridiculously high, they will drop on the market within a year.That’s just my prediction. For instance,a couple years ago, I bought a $300 flash for $189 on Amazon. One way or the other, that $400 price will come down.
Don
10 months ago |There are a number of people who pay almost as much for a 1.7x teleconverter for Pentax just because it autofocuses on manual glass. Something similar to this in NEX terms may appeal to a similar number/type of people.
lifeispixels
10 months ago |According to the Thai source site, it’s confirmed there is a motor to drive all AF minolta and sony lens. The rumor also said the AF will be as quick as A77 but will consume battery like mad, probably you will need a 3rd battery pack. Can be used with all current E mounted cameras (NEX-3,NEX-5,NEX-C3,NEX-5N and NEX-VG10, NEX-VG20. This adapter will have an SLT mirror to reflex the image to AF chamber to perform auto focus and has nothing to do with EVF. Target group of this adapter is NEX-FS100 users.
lhkjacky
10 months ago |OH it is a SR6 in their forum.
SR6 –> means 100% correct?
or They have SR1 to SR10 in their rating system.
So it become SR3 in SAR.
I think the adapter is more useful for those who have the FS100.
tamrong
10 months ago |As Sony camera factory is just 50 km away from Bangkok,
SR6 means the source might work in the production line of Sony Factory.
or just come back from some drink with Sony production manager in Thaniya plaza (red light district for japanese people in Bangkok)
haha
cheers
Mattia
10 months ago |If (and I repeat IF) that adapter will allow me to use SSM lens with continously AF and Stabilisation IN VIDEO MODE, THEN I’ll buy it! There’s a serious lack of AF lens in video mode, especcialy if you use for sport event (my dreams are for the 300mm f2.8…)…
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Not a chance for stabilization, sorry. Some hope that NEX 7 will bring it – I don’t think so, but adapter with mirror cannot add stabilization to A-mount lenses, it’s technically impossible.
fotowolf61
10 months ago |…there is no stabalizer in SSM A-mount lenses. Sony stabalize the sensor, which is not the case with the NEX.
Matt
10 months ago |This adapter excites me so much, I really want to sell off my a55 and my NEX3 and get a NEX7 with the new SLT adapter – that would be my ultimate ever camera! Use any lenses you like, still have high speed AF with A-Mount SAM & SSM, EVF, more controls compared to NEX3/5/C3 but still in a small body. It is just perfect perfect perfect for me! I love my NEX but wish it had a couple extra dials, better video and a much better option than the LA-EA1 as I keep putting off getting it due to AF being so utter slow with non CDAF optimised lenses (all A-Mount).
I honestly cannot begin to express how much I want that combo, the idea of a very modular camera appeals so much. NEX7 + SLT Adpater + Best combo of MF, A and E mount lenses and when I want to – stick it all on the FS100 (to replace my V1P). This is why I went Sony – they might not have 10 million lenses, but even now they have the best system of cameras and this adapter will just make it perfect!
Edgars
10 months ago |Yes, it’s nice combination of gadets. Small body+adapter+big lenses+battery block… Is it small and ergonomic? No!
Therefore it is aimed to NEX-FS100 users where whole system is not small.
SonyA77
10 months ago |I think the point is that Matt would only use the adapter when needed. Most of the time he would use the NEX-7 on its own and then pull out the adapter for the occasional A mount glass.
Matt
10 months ago |You are missing the point, if I want to take out just the main body with CZ 24mm f2 E-Mount I can. Or I can grab the adapter and use the 50 1.4 or CZ 85 1.4 or 70-200 G or whatever I like. Or take a bunch of old manual lenses, or take it all and stick it on the FS100. It’s about having options – being completely scalable through tiny to massive depending on needs.
Currently I wouldn’t buy the E-Mount CZ (when they are released of course) because I couldn’t use it on my SLT. This gives me that choice. And even with battery grip, adapter, lenses etc it would still be a very reasonable size. Have you ever used a NEX with an adapted SLR lens? They are still small and ergonomically I like the arrangement of big lens on small body. Just wish it had an EVF which the NEX7 will
Jiri
10 months ago |Hi Matt, I share your fascination. This will be my way of using the array too. I am still waiting for the specs of NEX-5N to make the final decision.
Raul S.
10 months ago |I think, Sony changed the whole idea behind NEX series cameras and their accessories…Something like… Have options without limits =D
Matt
10 months ago |And now apparently minolta, sigma, tamron, tokina etc through screw type AF motor! Even better!
Miroslav
10 months ago |I doubt it’ll look like Leica adapter – that one has OVF, that’s why it’s so bulky.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |“The target group of this adapter is NEX-FS100 users” – I said it! And somehow everyone preferred to see an end of Alpha cameras with it. lol.
andy
10 months ago |You could almost buy a separate A33 body for that money. Defeats the purpose of the adapter IMO.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |It’s-for-FS100. FS100 owners don’t care about A33, I’m afraid. But they care about quality glass, and things like 70-400, STF, or Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 could make them very happy
andy
10 months ago |OIC, that would make more sense
andy
10 months ago |Won’t the mirror viewfinder be too far forward on the FS100?
Fuzzphoto
10 months ago |What mirror viewfinder?
lhkjacky
10 months ago |The translucent mirror in the adapter is to reflect light to the PDAF module. Just like how the SLT camera work.
There will be no viewfinder on the adapter.
(The image above is not exactly what it will be look like )
andy
10 months ago |guess i should have read the “update” bit (duh)
mugen
10 months ago |Thanks for the Update, Kudos to Sony for the motor
peterv
10 months ago |I really like the idea of a modulair camera. Good creative out of the box thinking by Sony. Thanks!
fotowolf1
10 months ago |…and it sounds like the adapter will have NO EVF. Just autofocus. The picture is a bit missleading though.
fotowolf1
10 months ago |So it is build for the video guys. That makes sense to support and help the A-mount lenses to increase sales numbers.
JesperMP
10 months ago |All this just highligts the blunder Sony made in not chosing in-body IS for the NEX.
How sweet it COULD have been if you could mount legacy lenses, and get both manual focus with the “peaking” AND optical image stabilisation.
Matt
10 months ago |Ok so I feel people aren’t getting this adapter at all (which in itself might be Sony’s failure) but this adapter doesn’t just allow you to mount A-Mount glass on an E-Mount camera – the LA-EA1 already does that. In fact you can mount just about any glass to E-Mount so long as the image circle is big enough. What this one gives you is fast focusing with A-Mount lenses – even faster than E-Mount. The current adapter is very very slow to focus as it relies on contrast detect AF which the lenses weren’t designed for, so AF on those lenses takes 3-4 seconds. Seconds! This enables legacy glass to focus much much more quickly as it uses the lenses native focus system. It isn’t aimed solely at FS100 users, in fact it is probably of less use to them than NEX users. It opens up a world of options, but that is only half the story, it enables those lenses sure, but it gives the user proper PDAF! That means I can have a little and pretty damn good camera for everyday use, then not only strap a wider selection of glass to the front but also beef up it’s focusing system at the same time.
Personally I don’t want an a33 instead, I want my one camera to fill both tasks! Sony are the only ones who are doing it and everyone is moaning
the 4/3′s are too limited because of their sensor size and the canons and nikons don’t have a mirror less system to even talk about. This is one of the biggest releases to ever happen and will change all of Sony’s future models. Sony will go E-Mount across a much broader range of models than it has now, this is just the beginning for this tech.
john
10 months ago |Its been mentioned that this will be a huge battery hog so maybe the NEX7 will take a lager battery.
Raul S.
10 months ago |Or maybe it’s time to consider the Battery grip for NEX-3/5 I saw sometime ago from Taiwan =)
FK
10 months ago |The FS-100E was the first that came in my mind when i heard about this.
The only thing that is odd to me is that i would expect some kind of A-Mount adapter for the PMW-F3, too since this is the more expensive competitor to the FS-100E.
An other thing I noticed on the Imagin devision on Sony is this:
I guess that the lenses on the Kit version of the PMW-F3 are actually a-mount lenses the 50 T2 could be a repacked 50 F1,7 the 35 T2 could be a DT 35 F1.8 (since super 35 is extremely close to ASP-C); the only lens remaining a Mystery to me is the 85 T2 on one hand it is smaller then the other lenses on the other hand the only two 85′s on the System currently sold are T1.6-1.7 from Zeiss and T3.0 from Sony i wonder who is manufacturing this Lens and i wonder even more if the lenses do not cover more then the actual Super 35 Area. (Had no chance to figure that out yet, but i will maybe be able to try this one out soon.)
I wonder if this 85 T2 could actually be an upcoming E-Mount lens since it is shorter then the other ones or if it rather is a stopped down a-mount lens to match the others.
Matt
10 months ago |With this adapter, the NEX video mode (with appropriate sound isolation) can use the CZ 135 and CZ 85. That would make for some killer video effects – even the CZ 24-70 and CZ 16-35. Oh goshhh!! I agree, this adapter is not intended for the NEX-3/5/7.
Anonymous
10 months ago |I speculate it will look like the current LA-EA1 adapter but with a hump on the top (maybe with a Sony logo on it) to contain the PDAF sensor. I believe that’s why the new f20s NEX external flash does not fit flush with the NEX body and leaves a significant gap. The gap is to accommodate the hump of the new adapter.