Universal mounts

[artington]

Camera makers lock us into their systems by creating artificial barriers - proprietary mounts - which prevent lenses being interchangeable across systems (although it is, with certain restrictions, possible to use some Nikon lenses on Canon cameras with an adaptor). But with the Sony alpha system it is nigh on impossible. Even Leica-R lenses, which can be adapted readily for Canon and (slightly less readily) for Nikon mounts, can only be mounted on a Sony camera with either considerable difficulty (and cost) or unacceptable surgery.

This is, of course,changing for MLCs as a result of their thinner flange distances, and most legacy lenses can now be mounted on say the Sony NEX. Some, such as alpha lenses and now Canon EFs can even be made with aperture control and autofocus.

But not (except as noted above) for SLRs where the Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts all have flange distances very close to each other.

This is irritating. Why should we not be able to change cameras yet retain our lenses? It may be understandable that the likes of Canon, Nikon, Sony etc should wish to maintain this status quo for their own lenses but what about the independent lens manufacturers such as Sigma and Tamron, who both now appear to be upping their game? Can they not manufacture lenses with interchangeable mounts, which can be unscrewed and replaced according to which camera mount is desired? I cannot believe that the physical constraints would be insurmountable -after all these lenses are already available in several different mounts so optics cannot be the issue and surely the same goes for the electronics. It could be a game changer for the independent lens manufacturers and liberate us, the end users, from the hegemony of the camera makers.

[bfitzgerald]

I agree completely wouldn't it be great if you could mix and match your bodies, lenses and flashes?
So yes makers do lock us in even on flashes which is a shame.

I can see the ILC adaptors as having an advantage here. On the other hand for DSLR users what can you do? Simply put you have to make your own buying choices.
As for locking users in..there is on potent weapon that all the makers fall down on, that is you don't have to buy a Canon/Nikon/Sony flash, lens or other camera accessory.

Maybe one day those Hong Kong dudes will clone a camera body and sell it

[Dusty]

Tamron used to have the AdaptAll system for film SLRs. You bought the lens and the mount you needed to mount it to the camera. I don't see why they couldn't do it again, especially with non-screw focus.

The problem I think is that most people will only want to buy a lens for the system they own, and not put out extra expense for an adaptable system. That means the cost goes up, as there are fewer sales, and then you have that problem of diminishing returns - price goes up, fewer people buy, fewer people buy, price goes up.....

For a few who use multiple systems, it makes sense. For the rest, and more importantly, for the lens makers, it doesn't.

Dusty

[KevinBarrett]

Camera makers lock us into their systems by creating artificial barriers - proprietary mounts - which prevent lenses being interchangeable across systems.

Parenthetical aside, this statement would be true only if all of the mounts were invented at exactly the same time. They weren't, and when each was introduced, it was with new advantages over the older mounts, with different intellectual properties, and with different prioritization of backwards-compatibility vs. future-proofing. Easier lens changes, automatic aperture control, automatic focus, distance encoding, to name a few advancements, all necessitated changes to mounts, and all makers made these steps at different times.

The NEX system did it right though, that's for sure.

[bfitzgerald]

The problem with NEX (and other ILC mounts) is that great you can mount other lenses, but this could take away the long term viability of the mount for future profits. That is why I think the ILC platform whilst great in that way is less likely to yield profits longer term

[bakubo]

Sony (or Sigma or Tamron) had a chance to sort of do this awhile back, I think. I suppose they still do. See this thread from 2011:

LA-EA2-like adapter for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc. lenses?

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... =49&t=5690

With on-sensor PDAF it gets simpler.