I'm on the run and can't get into too much detail on this or my recent Shuttle Control "discoveries" but here's some good news for people migrating to Nikons for film work.

I was going to test a series of adapters one at a time looking for the best solution for adapting my 5 primes and two 2.8 Nikon zooms. So, being logical I didn't start with the $270 version from B&H or the fotodiox; I started and finished with the $7.95 KAWA adapter.
No S**t, it's perfect.

I've got a good deal of experience with second party adapters for Nikon having owned 2 Mini 35s and Letus. This adapter is as tight fitting and well machined as the adapters on both of those systems.

It's almost embarrassing, but I've outfitted my whole 7 lens kit for $135 - They cost $15.00 each with shipping which is how they make a little money and that's more than fien. And they ship from the US in 3 or 4 days.

Ebay- Kawa Nikon Adapter.

Cheap, good adapters, full latitude, better image than my Mini35....now all we need is shutter control and this is a complete revolution (mini-revolution anyway.)

I use the Kawa Nikon Adapter as well and it works like a charm!

I have been useing a few Nikon lens. a 28mm 2.8 and a 50mm not sure if it is 1.8 or 1.4 (don't have it with me right now).

Ether way the cheap adapter works like a not dam!

thanks
Michael

Do you have just one Michael?

That's the beauty of this. I didn't want to, but was going to spend whatever necessary to adapt my whole Nikon kit...even if it cost $1000 - $1500. It would be well worth it to have essentially Canon primes with full aperture control.

It's just too cumbersome and time consuming to switch one adapter on and off different lenses.
Like I said, I now have a full set of primes and fast zooms all shooting on the 5D2 for next to nothing.

Most importantly is the quality and fit of the adapter and I can't imagine how or why a $70 - $270 adapter could be any better than these - they're snug, snap right into place and are smoothly and professionally machined and finished.

Yup i just have one :(

I only have 2 Nikon lens right now... if i get more i will look at getting another few adapters.

Your are right though i cant figure out how a 200 adapter is any better.

thanks
Michael

are you sure this is KAWA, not KOWA adapter? i cannot find anything on ebay. maybe you can provide some pictures of it.

filip

are you sure this is KAWA, not KOWA adapter? i cannot find anything on ebay. maybe you can provide some pictures of it.

filip

I couldn't turn anything up by that name either.

What exact specs do I need on Nikon lenses in order to work with the Mark II?? Sorry if this is a dumb question or has ben answered, but I want to find a nikon lens on ebay fairly inexpensive to start and see how the manual aperture works. thanks for any help.

Bruce

Here ya go.

Nikon Lens to Canon EOS Camera Adapter Mount NEW - eBay (item 290290560585 end time Jan-24-09 17:14:01 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-Lens-to-Canon-EOS-Camera-Adapter-Mount-NEW_W0QQitemZ290290560585QQihZ019QQcategoryZ3323QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

I'm on the run and can't get into too much detail on this or my recent Shuttle Control "discoveries" but here's some good news for people migrating to Nikons for film work.

I was going to test a series of adapters one at a time looking for the best solution for adapting my 5 primes and two 2.8 Nikon zooms. So, being logical I didn't start with the $270 version from B&H or the fotodiox; I started and finished with the $7.95 KAWA adapter.
No S**t, it's perfect.

I've got a good deal of experience with second party adapters for Nikon having owned 2 Mini 35s and Letus. This adapter is as tight fitting and well machined as the adapters on both of those systems.

It's almost embarrassing, but I've outfitted my whole 7 lens kit for $135 - They cost $15.00 each with shipping which is how they make a little money and that's more than fien. And they ship from the US in 3 or 4 days.

Ebay- Kawa Nikon Adapter.

Cheap, good adapters, full latitude, better image than my Mini35....now all we need is shutter control and this is a complete revolution (mini-revolution anyway.)


Excellent tip!

I had planned to spend anywhere from a low of $89 up to $200 apiece. Instead, I just ordered 2 for a total of $32. Now I just need to buy some Nikon lenses! (What can I say, I've never owned an SLR camera before.)

Thanks for the great tip, Jim.

News travels fast. I just got an email from the guy at KAWA thanking me for my kind words online and for all his new business.

A word of caution guys, these adapters look suspiciously like the generic Chinese ones that I've been using for a while. I've had two fall to pieces on me, the little screws that hold the adapter together come undone too easily under the weight of lenses like my 17-35 and 80-200. Some thread lock glue might help. The spring that holds the lens lock can be a little tricky to use too making lens changing slow, it's best to get an adapter for each lens like Jim.

I now only use them on shorter lighter primes lenses. Generally they are fine but I've also found that the tolerances for backfocus and infinity focus can vary quite a bit. They are a little bit more wobbly on the body than some of the more expensive ones too.

I found really nice adapters here in China that look very similar to the fotodiox pro ones (maybe they are copies?), the seem to retail at around $60 each but I can't find them online. Not much cheaper than the Fotodiox Pro though.

Oh and I had an older and more expensive Novoflex adapter fall apart too, so maybe the price is not a guarantee of quality.

Dan

[QUOTE=Dan Chung;999322]The spring that holds the lens lock can be a little tricky to use too making lens changing slow, it's best to get an adapter for each lens like Jim.


Hey Dan. They are from China and seem every bit as solid as the mount on the Mini 35. I decided, whatever the cost, that I wasn;t going to be changing lens backs every time we changed lenses, so one for each lens was a given. But fir $15 it also eliminates the possibility that the spring loaded pin will ever fail.


<<They are a little bit more wobbly on the body than some of the more expensive ones too.>>

Not this model. I had read your earlier comments about loose fit and wobble and that's why I was going to try several brands, but this was the first and it's as tight and snaps on and off as if it were a Canon lens.

Plus at $15 you can have a couple of extra if any ever did fail.

Hey jim i see you bought seven adapters for your lenses, why not just have one and leave it on the camera, is it because you also have canon lens and want to swap between canon and nikon lenses?

Jim,

Sounds like a good find then!

It's great that your adapters have a good fit, I might try one to see how different it is to my others, one adapter per lens makes perfect sense.

I would just check those tiny screws on adapters used with longer lenses from time to time for safety's sake, although I think if your long lens has some kind of extra support like a rails adapter then it's probably not an issue.

Dan

...why not just have one and leave it on the camera...
On the Fotodiox Pro, anyway, there is a clip that keeps the Nikon lens from accidentally rotating off. Unfortunately, you need to remove the lens/adapter from the camera in order to remove the adapter. In short, you can't just leave the adapter on the camera.

It's not terrible to use one adapter with multiple lenses, but it's definitely faster with one adapter per lens. The main reason I'd like multiple adapters isn't because of my time, it's because I want the camera to be open to the elements for as short a time as physically possible - especially in nasty weather. Also, the more pieces you have to handle, the more likely you are to drop something or mess something up.

I just placed an order for 2 of these, though the shipping costs are exhorbitant... there's no reason why it should cost $8 per adapter (yes, $16 for two adapters), when these things weigh only a couple of ounces each. When ordered together, the shipping certainly wouldn't cost twice the amount. Oh well, I guess the guy has to make money somehow! I'll see how this adapter compares to my Fotodiox Pro.

Jim,

Sounds like a good find then!

It's great that your adapters have a good fit, I might try one to see how different it is to my others, one adapter per lens makes perfect sense.

I would just check those tiny screws on adapters used with longer lenses from time to time for safety's sake, although I think if your long lens has some kind of extra support like a rails adapter then it's probably not an issue.

Dan

Absolutely Dan,

Every one of my primes, with the exception of the 84mm 1.4 which is a big chunk of glass but still compact, are compact enough to put no strain on the adapter whatsoever (20mm 2.8, 28mm 2.0, 50mm 1.2, 105mm 2.5.

The only really long lens (that looks gorgeous on the 5D2) is the Sigma 100-300mm EX HSM and that is mounted to the big tripod with a lens collar so only the camera's weight there.

I'm considering the purchase of a MK2, but have all Nikon glass right now. If I use the adapter when shooting stills, do I lose both autoexposure and autofocus? Is this true for video too?

Auto focus.... you loose auto focus using Nikon, but you can get focus confirmation if you
use a smart adapter...

Auto exposure... you set your aperature to the value you want for DOF.. then let the camera chose the exposure.. but this is not best for video... for video you want to set your
DOF with your choice of aperature, then let the camera set the exposure, then lock that down.

I use the Cameraquest adapter with my Zeiss. They also make adapters for Nikon and Leica.

See: Adapters:* SLR to RF (http://www.cameraquest.com/adaptnew.htm)

Not the cheapest ... but I have had good luck with it.

Auto focus.... you loose auto focus using Nikon, but you can get focus confirmation if you
use a smart adapter...

Auto exposure... you set your aperature to the value you want for DOF.. then let the camera chose the exposure.. but this is not best for video... for video you want to set your
DOF with your choice of aperature, then let the camera set the exposure, then lock that down.

Thanks Ray, so for still, you're basically shooting in Aperture Preffered mode if I understand right.

Are cheap Smart adapters?

Paul, yes thats correct

I don't think you can get a " cheap " smart adapter...
the advantage you get with a smart adapter is when you adjust the lens for focus the camera
will give you the red focus confirm and the beep...

Paul, yes thats correct

I don't think you can get a " cheap " smart adapter...
the advantage you get with a smart adapter is when you adjust the lens for focus the camera
will give you the red focus confirm and the beep...

Sue ya can. Two of my faster lenses have AF confirm and hey cost $30 each. It's only for photography though AF confirm doesn't matter in Live View so don't spend the extra if it's just for HD.

I've got one of these as well. I can also vouch they seem very nice and hold the lens nice and tight.

I just placed an order for 2 of these, though the shipping costs are exhorbitant... there's no reason why it should cost $8 per adapter (yes, $16 for two adapters), when these things weigh only a couple of ounces each. When ordered together, the shipping certainly wouldn't cost twice the amount. Oh well, I guess the guy has to make money somehow! I'll see how this adapter compares to my Fotodiox Pro.

Just to follow up on my own post...

After ordering these two adapters for $32 (including shipping), KAWA charged me a total of $45, even though my Ebay and PayPal receipts both show the total as $32. I have contacted the seller and hopefully he will refund the extra $15 he "erroneously" took out of my account.

Julian

What exact specs do I need on Nikon lenses in order to work with the Mark II?? Sorry if this is a dumb question or has ben answered, but I want to find a nikon lens on ebay fairly inexpensive to start and see how the manual aperture works. thanks for any help.

Bruce

I'm not sure why anyone would buy a Nikon lens just for video use if they already have Canon lenses. All you have to do is unlock the mount and twist the lens while holding DOF preview down. This may be a kludge but it is free and it works.

So far I have found my mounts to be tight enough that there is no chance of it turning further and falling out. I only shoot video on tripods though and I'll admit it could be dangerous if you swing it around while hand-holding it.

I have heard you can use tape, but I don't like the idea of getting gummy junk in my camera. I've been thinking that a thin piece of hard plastic might work. You could punch holes for the two ground pins to hold it in place.

Your own message has pretty much answered your own question! Lenses can fall off if "un-hooked" and it's a kludge to adjust the aperture, press the DOF button, and then twist the lens out of its mount. Taping the contacts can result in the tape ending up inside the camera, or gunking up a good lens and/or the camera, permanently damaging it/them. Nikon glass is pretty good, and until we get manual control on the 5D mk II, it's definitely the way to go.

Julian

Your own message has pretty much answered your own question! Lenses can fall off if "un-hooked" and it's a kludge to adjust the aperture, press the DOF button, and then twist the lens out of its mount. Taping the contacts can result in the tape ending up inside the camera, or gunking up a good lens and/or the camera, permanently damaging it/them. Nikon glass is pretty good, and until we get manual control on the 5D mk II, it's definitely the way to go.

Julian

Nikon glass is better than pretty good - t's equal to any Canon glass and we've proven it equal to cine primes shooting SD and HD resolutions. I did think that the previous poster answered his own question very well too.

Nikon glass is better than pretty good - t's equal to any Canon glass and we've proven it equal to cine primes shooting SD and HD resolutions. I did think that the previous poster answered his own question very well too.

Except you missed my main point. I want to use my collection of L lenses. If I was rich I'd get two sets of lenses. Using a "kludge" is a secondary problem for me. If I have to duct tape the lens I will.

I also am looking for better kludges. I think thin Mylar plastic might work.

Except you missed my main point. I want to use my collection of L lenses. If I was rich I'd get two sets of lenses. Using a "kludge" is a secondary problem for me. If I have to duct tape the lens I will.

I also am looking for better kludges. I think thin Mylar plastic might work.

so I'm curious how mylar is going to help you set the aperture?

I have a decent collection of L lenses already but I just ordered my first Nikkor (and an adapter) today. I'm not rich but often when I'm shooting I literally can't afford to waste time screwing around with kludges. So I'm starting with a 50mm 1.4 but I'm already thinking of what to get next. It's a slippery slope, Canon! I've purchased 4 canon bodies so far (a pair of 10Ds, a 1d Mk II and the 5d Mk II) - let's hope the 5d MK II isn't my last!

so I'm curious how mylar is going to help you set the aperture?

See http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/1002979-post13.html

Just got the two adaptors that I ordered and put them on the two Nikons that i have...

They seem to be well built, nice and tight... make sure you understand how these go on
to the lens (locking pin) and how you get them off of the lens... at first I thought I had one stuck on the lens, then remembered that Nikon lenses come off in the opposite direction as the Canon lenses do..

I only have two of the Nikons as I also use them with my HV20 which does not require
the adaptors... so I do need to take the adapter on and off for the HV20 and 5DMKII setups.

I also have one of the Fotodiox Pro adaptors... the only differences I can see....

different un-lock lever (both OK)
Fotodiox is painted black (both OK)
Fotodiox will allow the 5DMKII to relay focus confirm, thats nice
and of course the price ....

If I was shooting short DOF I'd want to use the Fotodiox... if shooting aperature closed
down situations the non-smart adapter is fine....

Ok, I ordered and received 2 Kawa adapters. They seem to be well made and fit very snug. BUT, HOW DO I GET IT OFF MY NIKON LENS! Everything goes on and off the camera fine but I want to move one to another nikon lens and can't figure out how to get the thing off.

Help

never mind - just figured it out. You need to pull a little tab back before untwisting.

never mind - just figured it out. You need to pull a little tab back before untwisting.I had the exact same experience the first time I used an adapter. It was quite the adrenalin rush when I thought it was stuck there for good. A label or instructions would have been nice.

It's a good feature though. We don't want our lenses falling on the floor.

I'm interested to get a fairly cheap adapter for an old Nikon 105mm 1.8 MF lens I have lying around, for occasional stills and video use.
But I'm a bit confused about the different adapters available... they keep being referred to a bit vaguely in this thread as "the one i got from China" or "the one off eBay" etc...
Could someone list the adapters available, preferably with actual web links, and the advantages/disadvantages of each? It would be very helpful...
Thanks in advance...

Here's the link to the Kawa adapter (http://www.kawamall.com/pd_one_piece_nikon_nikkor.cfm)

He sells them cheaper on ebay (do a search for "nikon to eos" or "adapter for Nikon lens to Canon EOS body") and you'll see the Kawa version for $7.99. He charges $8 PER ADAPTER for shipping though!

Here's the consumer grade" ($27) adapter from Fotodiox (http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=164&osCsid=1f9a8cac6ba3c8ff142475c4efdda855) Fotodiox.com.

And the "Pro grade" ($89) version (http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=3908) Fotodiox.com.

I have one Pro grade Fotodiox adapter, and 2 Kawa adapters. I see no reason not to buy the much cheaper Kawa adapters!

While you're at it, you may want to get some Canon EF rear lens caps (http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=1_16_72&products_id=4189) for your Nikon lenses.


Julian

I got mine from the ebay link. Same company. Great price and they fit like a glove.

Thanks for the links Julian, I guess I'll give the KAWA one a try.

Whilst searching around I came across this pretty cheap one that also has a microchip to enable Focus confirmation:

AF Confirm Nikon AI Lens to Canon EOS 50D 450D Adapter on eBay, also, Lens Mounts Adaptors, Camera Lenses, Photography (end time 09-Apr-09 13:28:34 BST) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AF-Confirm-Nikon-AI-Lens-to-Canon-EOS-50D-450D-Adapter_W0QQitemZ370170903773QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Photography_CameraLenses_Lens_caps_hoods_adaptors _ET?hash=item370170903773&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318)

Seems to be made by "Pixco" but I can't seem to find a website for the manufacturer.

Here's another one with focus confirm (smart adaptor) its the Pro fotodiox version with a chip...

Fotodiox.com (http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=4315)

the advantage of a smart adaptor is when you are manually adjusting the focus of
the lens, the camera will beep when the lens is in focus.

And here's another guy, selling AF Confirmation Chip Adapters for all kinds of camera and lens combinations... this one for Nikon lenses and EOS bodies:

Nikon Lens to Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II III D60 AF adapter - eBay (item 120391367169 end time Mar-23-09 01:10:55 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-Lens-to-Canon-EOS-1Ds-Mark-II-III-D60-AF-adapter_W0QQitemZ120391367169QQihZ002QQcategoryZ30059QQcmdZViewItem)

$35 and its yours. It comes from China and can take quite a while to get here by the look of things.

Disclaimer: I do not have one of these and have never tried one.

Julian

I had the exact same experience the first time I used an adapter. It was quite the adrenalin rush when I thought it was stuck there for good. A label or instructions would have been nice.


Ha! I'm so glad to learn I wasn't the only one. That tab combined with the uncertainty of which way to turn it to loosen... Took me a while to get them off. It's still a bit of a pain though, so I'm buying enough so I can leave the adapters on the lenses. Now I have to find more rear caps to fit over the adapters.

Now I have to find more rear caps to fit over the adapters.

See my earlier post on where you can get rear lens caps.

Julian

Even with the firmware upgrade coming tomorrow, it seems that pre-AF Nikon lenses are still the way to go. Not least for the low cost.

I'm coming late to the 5dmkii, and it looks like Kawa adapters are no longer available on eBay. Anyone know where they can be obtained, or what other adapters work equally well?

Even with the firmware upgrade coming tomorrow, it seems that pre-AF Nikon lenses are still the way to go. Not least for the low cost.

It depends...

Nikons are inexpensive and are very nice mechanically, but...

* The camera is able to correct for lens falloff before the codec with EF lenses.

* We can now use image stabilization, since we don't have to unscrew/tape the lens.

* Some EF lenses are especially nice, like the 24mm f/1.4 L, where there is no direct Nikon competition.

* For those who also want to take stills, having modern functions is really nice.

Personally, I think manual lenses are fine at the wide end and for macros. I like the features with the longer stuff. With 85mm and above, I tend to photograph things that move. Being able to turn the camera on, put it in full auto and hit the shutter release can make the difference between getting the moment and not.

The nice thing with manual controls is we now have the choice to buy Canon lenses or adapted lenses. I'm going with Canon for the stills compatibility.

Jon,

Your points are correct but as an owner of several L lenses like the 35 f1.4 and 24mm f1.4, having been using the new manual firmware for a while, I can still say the use of manual glass is my preference. I still think the ability to focus smoothly and 'ride' the aperture wins for me. To each their own I guess.

That said the new firmware make the Canon glass really usabable and there are situations where I'm sure I will use Canon lenses now. The 'best' Canon lenses for video IMHO are going to be the TS-E range which still have nicely damped manual focus rings, or the Zeiss ZE range.

I agree totally that for stills a Canon lens is best, but I prefer Nikon camera bodies for photo work.

Dan

Even with the firmware upgrade coming tomorrow, it seems that pre-AF Nikon lenses are still the way to go. Not least for the low cost.

I'm coming late to the 5dmkii, and it looks like Kawa adapters are no longer available on eBay. Anyone know where they can be obtained, or what other adapters work equally well?

I just ordered and received three today.
Link:Adapter For Nikon Lens to Canon EOS body - eBay (item 290316494975 end time Jun-10-09 01:09:37 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=290316494975)

Perfect, thanks. I just ordered 4.

Your points are correct but as an owner of several L lenses like the 35 f1.4 and 24mm f1.4, having been using the new manual firmware for a while, I can still say the use of manual glass is my preference. I still think the ability to focus smoothly and 'ride' the aperture wins for me. To each their own I guess.With more budget, I might choose the same. Having a limited budget, it's great to be able to buy one lens that works well for both stills and video.