Nikon Z with Canon Glass and AF? Meet the Fringer Adapter.
By Alexandra Shapiro – Her Flickr is HERE
As readers of this website surely know, one of the great things about mirrorless cameras is the ability to use them with adapted lenses. I’ve tried some adapters, but until recently the only ones (other than Nikon’s own NTZ adapter) I had used were simple ones that enabled me to use old manual focus lenses with new cameras. For instance, last year I did a post on using the Contax 85 F1.2, a classic manual focus lens from the 1980s, with Nikon Z and Leica M cameras. You can find that post here
This adapter is useful, in my opinion, for two scenarios. First, if you have or are thinking of buying a Z system camera, but already own Canon lenses, you can try them on the Z system. Second, there are some unique Canon lenses that do not have Nikon analogues—for instance, the legendary Canon 50 F1.2L and 85 1.2Ls. I was intrigued by the idea of trying the 50 F1.2L on the Z cameras, because of the bokeh, color, and unique rendering of the lens when shot wide open. And Nikon has not yet released as fast a 50 designed for the Z system (although there is a 50 1.2 in their roadmap for the Z system). I tried the adapter with the Canon 50 F1.2L and was really pleased with the results.
The adapter is constructed out of metal and very solid. It comes with a removable tripod mount and has a USB port for firmware updates (which are not yet available). The autofocus works just as it would with a Nikon lens; the only limitations on AF are those inherent in the camera’s AF system and the lens’s own AF capabilities. The product manual, which can be downloaded from the Fringer website, has a chart showing suggested AF fine-tune adjustments for different Canon lenses. I set mine to the recommended +9, and the AF worked really well.
Another nice feature is that since the camera recognizes the focal length and aperture, your files will identify the lens and aperture, just not the brand of lens. For instance, my files call the lens “50.0 mm f/1.2” and accurately record my aperture settings.
This short video demonstrates how the adapter works.
More sample photos are below. Most were shot indoors wide open; the three outdoor shots were stopped down to F5.6 or F8. They were all shot on a Nikon Z7 except the ones of Eric Brown and his excellent band, which were shot with a Nikon Z6 (at Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem).
If you like these shots please follow me on Flickr or Instagram (@aaesphoto).
Click the adapter image below to check it out on Amazon:
Now the Z6/Z7 is really great (the firmware 3.0 is insane !), this camera has much interest ! I was impressed after have tested a Summilux 50 Asph on the Z6 : the results were near the same as those on Leica body ! Wonderful colors and the film style were here.
I had made the same test 6 months ago on a A7iii…with weird results. Weird colors, digital style…
I am curious to see how will be the “Canon colors” on Z body…
Steve,
I actually prefer your site how it is at present rather than lots of enthusiastic reviews. Currently your enthusiasm for photography is infectious and delightfully honest, keep doing what you love and I’ll keep reading……
I’ve personally given up on mirrorless cameras, sold my Sony’s, Fuji’s, Nikon Z6, now only use my M240 with Zeiss, voigtlander and 7Artisans lenses and am having a blast. I have to keep my Nikon DSLR’s for commercial work but for keeping me fresh, the M240 does it every time.
I personally love that you only review a camera when it inspires you, it is what keeps you above the other sites for me, just keep doing what you are, there are still loads of us out here that want you to keep your unique selling point, your enthusiasm!
Thank you Mark.
This is an exciting product to see hit the market. For macro, the adapter opens up the ability to use the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x macro lens on a Nikon body.
Aloha Steve, One review I would be interested in is on the Sigma Art 24-70 f2.8 lens. I have it on my A7riv and would truly love to hear your thoughts and perspective. Mahalo!!!
The Sigma art lenses are all fantastic. I have used a few and other than being huge, they were optically excellent. I will take a look at the 24-70!
Mahalo Steve! Much appreciated :).
With all due respect and love, your website is plain boring now. It’s not a problem of equipment, cameras, or any of those things. It’s just the thrill for photography seems to be gone out of your site. Just my feeling, and I tell you this giving you my warm thanks for many years. Photography is evolving fast, phones came to stay, buy it’s not that, is just that the thrill is gone. Try to get it back! Or not, god knows.
The first time Nikon users can put cannon optics on their camera, not the other way around 🙂
Steve, just keep going, don’t doubt nor justify, your work honestly is always appreciated. Your replies are spot on.
Steve (sorry to post here but fp comments are closed) what lenses are you rocking on your Sigma fp at the moment? Can I ask why also (as you’ve sold off allot of your voigtlanders) cheers (wonder if you should review more adapted glass, to keep it exciting and also allot cheaper to pick up? Love yr site, been a follow since the beginning!)
Thanks. I bought a used Leica 50 Summilux ASPH and that will be the main lens I use. I just always revert back to 50 and after using a 50 Lux ASPH recently with the X1DII, I remembered why it is so special. Thank you.
Ha ha, I just sold this lens! I’m rocking the Rokkor 40/2 (same as the Leica 40/2) Not only is it smaller and better fit on my FP, but on the FP I actually prefer the rendering to the the 50 Lux. Cheers Steve!
Steve, your last Sigma fp reviews were in November 2019. That’s 3 months ago, not a few weeks ago. Scott’s post might have been a bit harsh, but truthfully your site isn’t as interesting as it once was. Perhaps it’s because we miss seeing your in-depth reviews and photos. Granted, it must be tough to keep up the enthusiasm year-in year-out. You had some mojo going on when the site first started; please bring it back. We miss it.
I hear ya! Well, I do not ink I can bring it back to what it was 5-6 years ago as back then it was an exciting time for digital photography and the pace was quick…new cameras with massive upgrades always coming which was fun to see. Today, we have had cameras that are about perfect…a few years ago, and still are today. I just do not like being a party of the constant “push push push” sales mentality that most sites do these days. If I do not believe a camera is worth upgrading to or buying into I just can not review it today as that would be fake enthusiasm. I can only write a review when I am fully enthusiastic about a product and I believe in it. So this is mainly why you see less photo reviews. Im sure this site will go through changes here and there but it will always be here and I will always write when I feel I should. Thank you.
Hi Steve…. here is something exciting, I am sure you have heard. Voigtlander 35/1.2 ii…. Can’t wait for your review. 🙂
Steve, I think the most interesting use of this adapter (in my head anyway, ha) is actually for the little Z50 body instead! There isn’t really any DX glass released just yet for it besides the kit lenses soooooooooooo…you can now use EF-S glass of which there is some very good and CHEAP stuff out there now.
I actually just picked up the Pro version of this adapter for my Fujifilm X-T2, and I’ve tested it with the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM (works well) and just yesterday with the 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM (works fantastically!). The latter is especially wonderful with the adapter because it’s a lens with much newer technology so the focusing is very fast, almost literally dead silent(!), and another benefit is the lens weighs almost nothing at all.
I plan to try out the 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens fairly soon to see if that lens works as well as the 10-18mm, I don’t imagine I’ll be disappointed in the least.
Used prices of the Z50 have my ears perked to have as another great little camera to take around with a tiny footprint.
Some of the bigger lenses on the Z6/Z7 should be awesome as well.
After Nikon and Canon finally recognized that mirrorless cameras offer important advantages and are here to stay;
This adapter helps demonstrate that they can contribute to the field’s development and continue being relevant players themselves.
Thanks for all your efforts over many years creating a terrific website! Sorry to see such abusive behavior by this troll.
Don’t have any Canon autofocus lenses to try with my Nikon Z6, but am really impressed by what this adapter company has achieved, and as demonstrated in the video. Sounds great!
I have to agree with Scott. I have been a fan of your site since 2010, but it has become boring over the past 2 years, or so. Sorry. There seem to be fewer and fewer reviews by you, Steve, and more from other people. And as for the Sigma FP review(s) you mentioned….they were back in November (8-11), 2019. That’s 3 MONTHS ago, not exactly “a few weeks ago” as you state.
I agree with you as well!
Less reviews as there has been less exciting cameras that have come out (IMO). That is why I work on this part time these days. The photo industry has become and is focusing most of its energy on being a huge marketing machine that focuses more on sales than actual photography. What I am saying is that a camera released three years ago is just as good (if not better) than what is being released today as manufacturers try to find new ways to sell more cameras.
I will only review what I like and what I feel is worth talking about. Just how it is and has been forever here. In the past there was more that excited me with camera releases, hence more reviews. Today not so much. Since I am not in this to push cameras, sales and promote everything as everyone else is, I do not write about cameras that do not ignite my passion. So would you rather I write boring un-passionate negative reviews? Not me, as I have better things I can do with my time. I could be making a fortune here just by writing more reviews and posting affiliate links, but that would be me being fake and I do not do things in life that I do not enjoy or that I am not passionate about, nor would I enjoy writing posts that are me being fake, lying or just to kiss the behind of a company so I can be on their “good” list. (yes it sadly works this way).
I have never written negative reviews on this website, ever. It’s why I do not review all cameras as I would rather not say anything rather than trash a product.
So if you want daily reviews there are MANY sites and tons of youtube videos to watch on a daily basis by others who will happily tell you about everything new under the sun. Me, I may have a review every 1-2 weeks these days, which is about where I am standing now. My last review was a week ago, I will probably have one in another week, though I doubt you will like it ; )
But as I said, there has been nothing coming out lately that excites me. As for guest posts, they have been going up for 12 years. Nothing new there either, at all.
This site will always be here, and there may be a time in the near future where it is ramped up again due to exciting camera news or releases. Who knows. I will always post when I am excited about something and want to share the info. I have two camera products here now that I am really enjoying, though can not talk about them as they are yet to be announced. In any case, I will post to this site at my own pace and in my own time and will never become a puppet for any camera company. Sadly that is what many of them want.
Here is a question…What would you want me to review here that is a recent release that I have not? There really is nothing exciting to talk about, at least for me. I would have loved to review the EM1 MKII but I could not make the press trip. That means I voluntarily declined the invite knowing I would not be able to be on of the first to review the camera. I chose love and life over another review and would do so again without hesitation. Part of why I am so happy, calm, stress free and enjoy life so much.
But I would have reviewed the new Olympus EM1 MKIII 100% as I love Olympus and what they stand for. They are one of the really good companies to know as they are wonderful honest people and always nice to talk with and be around. Their cameras are fantastic as well. I just could not get one, so no review. Yet. I will review it when I can get one.
I find it interesting how so many feel entitled today and expect free things, on their schedule and timeframe. Must be nice. ; )
Recent reviews over the last 4-5 weeks that I did here (photo only, there were more for audio):
Hasselblad XCD 45 (written and video)
Hasselblad X1DII with M Lenses (written and video)
Leica SL2 (written and video)
Voigtlander 50 APO first look (written, video soon)
I review what interests me as I always have.
Steve, thank you for your candid response. I understand your perspective and the evolution of the site more than I did prior to this thread. I look forward to reading more of your reviews.
I enjoy your website, your perspective, and your guest posters. I’m not alone. You have a big following. Keep up the good work.
Scott’s comments make me wonder: whatever happened to the social etiquette of “if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing”? It’s not like he’s forced to visit your site.
There is a new OMD-EM1 Mark III and this is the shit your publishing? You have forgotten the brands that made this website. You have forsaken Sony and Olympus in order to be a Hassy Leica wanna-be. Shame on on you. This website has become small and dispassionate. I rarely visit here anymore and when i do, I’m unimpressed. You should have accepted the Costa Rica invitation and you should have tried to find your passion there because there is no passion here anymore. Sorry.
Sounds like an Olympus fan who is upset that I do not have a review! Oh my, I am so worried now. One thing…this website started fully as a Leica website, something you obviously had no clue about. For many years it was Leica only. Then after some time I started reviewing mirrorless cameras as they were new and exciting. These cameras included Panasonic and Olympus. Then Sony as they were leading the tech with full frame mirrorless. This website is free, I do not charge a cent. You can come and go as you please but to come here with nothing but trash talk and ignorance is silly and will accomplish nothing for you at all. It’s a shame you live in such a negative way, but not my concern.
As for this website, nothing new at all here as I review ONLY what inspires me, and have for years. I am not here to push gear on everyone just because it is new. There is much much much more to my life than this website, and it has been run on mostly a part time basis for the last three years. I write here when I find something to write about and share my excitement. For example, the new Leica Monochrom M10 is not one of them, nor is the Fuji X100V, nor is it the newest Nikon. All of these are refresh cameras made in a time when camera companies make new cameras with new features to make you feel like you need it, or to make you think your photo skills will improve magically with some new feature that really doesn’t mean much. There are very few cameras made today that excite me, or ignite my passion. I already own the one that does, a Sigma FP, of which I did a huge review on a few weeks ago. I also own an EM5 MKIII which I love and feel is a great camera for the money. As for Leica, I feel they are losing their way personally. I still much prefer the original SL to the SL2. As for the EM1 MKIII, I would have reviewed it if I was able to test it on that trip. I was not so I posted the press release. All I can do.
If you want a fake personality or a sales pitch for every camera that is released, this is not the place to visit as I can not give you what you desire. If you want me to kiss the behind of camera companies so I can get more media trips, sorry, you are in the wrong place as I kiss no ones behind, for anything. I did not go to this trip in Costa Rica because it was my wife’s birthday, and it was a special one. I had promised her years ago what we would do on this birthday. To me, that is MUCH more important than some camera trip. Yes, life, love, family and happiness is more important to me than any camera review, period.
No worries though as it sounds like you are used to the constant upgrade path, always wanting to buy what’s next and you want someone like me to justify it for you. (you do not need me to do that) The camera industry has changed from what it used to be when I started in this. In the past mirrorless tech was new, and each model improved dramatically on the last, and it WAS exciting so I posted daily with the progression. Today ALL digital cameras are excellent and they have been for years! Companies release new bodies with gimmick modes that no one needs and then expect instagram influencers to promote them, and that is what happens. It’s one big marketing machine for products that will not improve your work or skill in any way. It is all about sell sell sell rather than the passion of photography. Now do not get me wrong, passionate photography is alive and well, and one can use a camera that is 30 years old to create works of art. There seems to be two worlds here..those who love to buy new things and pixel peep and those who love photography. I’m in the photo camp and personally am not excited by 90% of cameras released today.
I love Olympus, I love Sony and I love any company that puts out a great camera. They all have done that for the last few years and I am sure the EM1 MKIII is AMAZING. It is. Without question, and I do not need to shoot it to tell you that. If you want a smaller EM1X, it’s the ticket. Do not feel you need ME to tell you this in order to place an order for one, you are able to make a decision I hope? Anyway, thanks for your negative and bitter comment that just shows you feel you are entitled to free things and that I have some sort of responsibility to you personally. I hate to break it to you but I do not and you are not. Go out there, hold the camera, try it. Rent it when it is out. If you love it, buy it! Easy.
This site will remain but will not be like what you see others do as I am not motivated by money, rather I am motivated by a passion for the art of photography not the MARKETING of photography.
Fast fact: This site, over its 12 years, has brought in over 18 million dollars in sales to camera companies and that came from real PASSIONATE reviews that were always done in a very personal way when I believed in a product. I think I have treated these companies very well, and I still will when I see something I like ; )
As for hating on this post, that is another thing I have done for twelve years. Give others who have a passion for photography a voice and a place to share their thoughts and images. Sounds like you really have never visited this site before as you do not seem to know it was always Leica based from the start, and that I always featured guest posts from those who love photography. So to hate with ignorance is usually called trolling. ; ) Have a great weekend.
Scott has a point… I recently got a new-to-me Leica M6 TTL 0.58 and it is FANTASTIC!!! WHY HAVEN’T YOU REVIEWED IT IN THE LAST WEEK???? TALK ABOUT WHAT -I- WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT!!!
Haha carry on, Steve.