Like most of you, I love using my Sony a6000 series camera. Mine is actually the Sony a5000 but we are all in the same family. The versatility of this camera is quite amazing, and I’ve taken action shots, lots of food shots, family and friends, pets, and so much more. Almost all of the photos on this site were taken with this camera. Buy the Sony a6000 on Amazon.
As far as mirrorless cameras go, the Sony a6000 family is rugged, dependable and expandable. While there are many choices for Sony lenses and third party lenses such as the Sigma 30mm, my go-to lens, there is almost an infinite number of vintage lenses.
Just a note, the Sigma 30mm is one of the highest rated lenses out there for APC-Cropped Sensor cameras and you get the equivalent of a 50mm “nifty fifty” lens. Buy here on Amazon.
But on to Vintage glass…
My film camera system of choice is the Minolta X-570. Buy here on E-Bay. This rugged camera, a successor to the Minolta X-700 has delivered amazing shots, and I love its flexibility and dependability. I also love the splendid glass (lenses) that come with it, especially the 135mm Minolta Celtic lens. Here are a few images from the X-570 that I took in Tampa.
So, the question becomes, how can you can this great glass on your Sony a64000 type camera? The answer is simple – use the Fotasy Adapter. Buy on eBay By the way, Fotasy seems to make these for just about every type of mirrorless and DSLR type of camera so they have you covered.
This particular adapter fit my lens and the camera itself perfectly. And I do mean perfectly as though it was made by Sony itself. There are no gaps and no extra movement. It’s a solid well-made chunk of metal that does its job to perfection. And it’s cheap. It was just over $10 and that included shipping!
Using vintage lenses to a person used to shooting with autofocus can take a little getting used to. So there are two things you need to learn.
The first is easy, after attaching the lens you will get an error message saying no lens is attached. Because there is no electronic communication the camera simply does not know there is a lens attached. So you need to find, in the menu, where it says “release w/o lens”. I only had to select that option one time, and I was good to go after that. Even when I put the Sigma 30mm back on, and take it off, when I put the vintage lens on, the camera automatically knows to put it back in “release w/o lens” mode. I’m not sure how that works, and really don’t care either. I just know it works.
The second part takes a bit of getting used to. Since you don’t have the auto-focus, you need to use what is called “peak focusing”. Basically, you’ll see red (or whatever color you choose) lines around the objects that you want to have in focus. All it takes usually are some slight adjustments and you can nail that focus. But it does take some time to master and I’m still working on it. Nevertheless, I’m getting some great shots and I’m very happy with the new set up.
Be sure to keep track of your aperture setting, as physical dials can move easily. I also set my ISO to automatic and it seems to take care of itself.
Another advantage of Vintage glass is that they are so much cheaper than new or used late model lenses. You’re getting a much better deal and a fantastic look.
So, as far as the Fotasy Adapter, I highly recommend it and it works perfectly with my camera and I’m sure it will be great with yours as well. Buy on eBay
Let me know if you get one and how your shots work out. Here are a few shots with the Fotasy adapter and the 135mm lens on my Sony a5000.
Leonard Goffe is an author, writer, and journalist based in South Florida. He is available for your public relations, content development, WordPress design, SEO and technical writing needs.
