This is the kind of product I like : SLT adaptor for E mount

[InTheSky]

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-the- ... nt-mirror/

If the rumor site is good ... this can be very interesting. Combine with the last picture of the NEX-7 body, I think we can have a kind of winner technology. Probably very expensive compare to an SLT body only, but very versatile for people wanting to have the best of each world.

Let see ...

For the moment, I'm putting money on the side probably more for a NEX-7 semi-pro body than a APS-C A77 (because I'm already owning a FF body).

And what about ... designing this kind of adapter for Canon and Nikon ...

Regards,

Frank

[pakodominguez]

I think the people running those rumor sites, scan the web in search for inspiration. Look at this post from 10 days ago: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=38851882

[Heidfirst]

for me I can't see why I would want that rather than just buying an SLT body in the first place ...
Buying a NEX body+ adapter is likely to be dearer too.

[David Kilpatrick]

I remember doing a drawing for a design maybe 40 years ago based on ideas from the Contarex Super interchangeable 35mm back, the Leica M body, the Visoflex, the Periflex Gold Star and the Alpa 9 - the idea was a sort of body almost like a film magazine, with the shutter, but a big square throat and cut into the top as well. On to this body you could fit a rangefinder module with an M-mount or similar, or an SLR module with a reflex mirror and prism.

The attraction of the modular camera idea was that other sorts of modules like a special telephoto unit (like the Zenith Photo Sniper) or a leaf shutter lens, even a TLR viewing portrait/leaf shutter module, could have been added. But the main thing was that the finder/lensmount module had the tripod bush. That meant the film magazine could be changed on a tripod, which mattered then - I imagined the lens fixed with its 'box' and slide, b/w, and colour neg film in 'bodies'.

Although I knew about pellicle mirrors it did not occur to me that this idea could have used one, or it would have been even more practical. My concept had a moving mirror.

But in the 1970s we would sit round and do stuff like this at editorial meetings for magazines, or when passing the time travelling or at trade shows like photokina. Countless designs and ideas were scribbled down and swapped by photo technical writers. Usually someone present would reveal where, when and by what company the ideas had been used and failed in the past!

It makes total sense to use a NEX body as a digital 'magazine' to mount E-mount, true manual rangefinder (quite possible) and SLT front modules.

David

[youpii]

The only advantage of this (over existing adapters) would be to have phase detect AF. I'd like another direction like Fuji where the phase detect AF sensor is "hidden" inside the main sensor. This way, no light is loss from the SLT mirror.
It would be more fun if they could use the space in the adapter to insert an "inverted 1.4x extender" like DK suggested, to have FF lenses without crop factor on APS-size NEX

[Greg Beetham]

I think I’d rather use a proper DSLR for A-mount lenses myself, but whatever….What would be cool is one for the old Minolta manual focus mount, people who have some MD lenses would not really worry about the lack of AF ability or the missing image stabilization; if they can make an adapter that can operate the A-mount f-stop sector lever then they sure could do one for the MD mount just as easily, much easier actually as aperture regulation is built into the lens and not dependant on the body. They could have a table of MD lenses (firmware update) to choose from on the rear screen so the camera ‘knows’ which one is mounted, they might even be able to do some form of ISO shoe flash control as well (on the MD version of the EVF module)…maybe TTL or PC sync even.
Greg

[InTheSky]

I think I’d rather use a proper DSLR for A-mount lenses myself, but whatever….What would be cool is one for the old Minolta manual focus mount, people who have some MD lenses would not really worry about the lack of AF ability or the missing image stabilization; if they can make an adapter that can operate the A-mount f-stop sector lever then they sure could do one for the MD mount just as easily, much easier actually as aperture regulation is built into the lens and not dependant on the body. They could have a table of MD lenses (firmware update) to choose from on the rear screen so the camera ‘knows’ which one is mounted, they might even be able to do some form of ISO shoe flash control as well (on the MD version of the EVF module)…maybe TTL or PC sync even.
Greg

My MD 135mm F2.0 is listening to you . But I admit, this is is a large perspective of possibility. If at least they can support the motor drive for the AF this will be a dream. But having a kind of open source adapter of this kind will be probably the best product ever built, let's see ...

Frank

[Greg Beetham]

Ah ha, you chased down an MD135 f2 after all Frank I see. You certainly know when you load that sucker into your camera bag…it’s nothing outstanding at f2 as I recall, but it does an amazing transformation at f5.6 - f8 especially f11, I remember a snake I photographed with it once on an X700 and I was impressed that 35mm could actually deliver good results at times.
With the remote possibility of a NEX/mirror/PDAF adapter & EVF module (plus i-shoe) for A-mount lenses, I think it might be a really remote possibility actually when you take the remaining distance left for the mirror into account; it’s not the same distance that the SLT’s have because some of it is already used up by the E-mount flange distance…so they’d have to make the mirror correspondingly more steep in angle to fit it in, and then I’m not sure if that can be made to work for the AF sensor…they might have to put it a long way out in front to get the reflection and then it might not get a view of the mirror past the base of the A-mount flange….but you never know, they might come up with some other solution...like recess the rear of the adapter back into the body of the NEX so the mirror can fit...or something such.
Greg

[artington]

I'm clearly missing something here. Why would anyone wish to attach an SLT mount to a NEX?

[artington]

I'm clearly missing something here. Why would anyone wish to attach an SLT mount to a NEX?

[Lonnie Utah]

I'm clearly missing something here. Why would anyone wish to attach an SLT mount to a NEX?

For faster phase detect Auto focus from A mount lenses. It could also provide the ability to attach a electronic viewfinder in the form of an eyepiece.

[artington]

Yes,but thenext generation NEX will also have an EVF. And faster AF will come too. And if not,use an SLR. Personally I'm not enthused by this SLT idea. What happens when the translucent mirror starts to mist up, as they all will in time? Can't imagine trying to clean it! I feel its either mirror or no mirror but not a halfway house, like SLT. And if you can have an EVF on an Emount what's the point of SLT apart from apparently better auto-focusing mode?

[Greg Beetham]

The potential misting, fogging and dusting of the SLT mirror is one of the reasons why I personally don’t think that design belongs in a 7 series camera; maybe the mirror should be made like a film with a roll of it at one end and periodically it rolls on to a new section; when it’s used up you just replace it like a ‘film’ canister.
The whole reason why we had to have the SLT design is because of video, there has been a constant baying for video to be inserted into the SLR design for a long time and those have got what they wanted….but where is OUR camera, and I don’t mean a token gesture DSLR cobbled together from left over system parts from the current SLT, I mean an updated A700 with the latest sensor.
Anyway back to the SLT module for the NEX, I think the idea would probably sell (mainly because people like gadgets, I like gadgets myself if they make sense) if it worked well and didn’t cost the moon; the problem is EVF’s use power so if you had the A-mount focus motor and aperture solenoid/motor in the adapter as well using power maybe they should make a dual battery power grip for the NEX as well…chuckle.
Greg
Ps. The only other drawback I can think of is when you want to store the add-on SLT adapter + EVF module in a bag or pouch how is one supposed to keep dust out of it…always?

[artington]

Interesting points here, Greg. But if the video element is the ultimate reason for SLT I'm still puzzled because in my view video is very well implemented on the NEX. I have been extremely pleasantly surprised by recent movie clips I have made on my NEX-5 with stereo mic attached and would have thought this was good enough without intruding on up-market stills territory to the latter's detriment. Or maybe Sony thinks (and maybe it's right here) that all cameras including pro-versions need video. Indeed, there was an article in a recent edition of Professional Photographer suggesting that multi-media is the way fashion photography is going.

Well I hope this does not imply still picture taking will become passé. Imagine having to trawl through "reels" of video on sophisticated software just to isolate the odd still image. And where's the decisive moment there?

Maybe I'm becoming reactionary as I get older but for me the noise of the information age is becoming oppressive and in a way life-sapping in it's obfuscatory complexity. And in photography I think that distilling single images from a multi-image source would simply become another form of battling noise. I blame all this on motor-drives!!

[bossel]

This adaptor is a joke. There is a tiny target group and the price would be close to the price of an A33 which is a much better body for a-mount lenses.

It'll remain a rumor forever RIP