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Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby
1 Level
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Review on Sony E-Mount Camera Lens Adapter For Nikon F-Mount G-Type Lenses - Vizelex ND Throttle by Kevin Baker

Revainrating 4 out of 5

A must-have for Sony A7s users with Nikon lenses

If you want to record video on the A7s during the day using S-Log2 and have some Nikon glass, you NEED this adapter. When using S-Log2 on the A7s, your lowest selectable ISO is 3200. Shooting wide open during the day or anywhere with lots of light at this ISO would most likely result in a completely blown out shot. With any other mount adapter, I’d have to stop down the aperture and/or use a faster shutter speed to get a decent exposure, both of which would change the look and feel of the video. Using the ND throttle, I can maintain a shallow depth of field AND keep my shutter speed at an ideal setting. I've tried recording video on a bright sunny day around noon using a 35mm f/1.8 lens opened up as wide as it will go, and was able to go from a completely overexposed image at the minimum ND setting down to a vastly underexposed image at the max ND setting.With regular screw-on ND filters, I would need a set of filters of various diameters and/or a set of step-up rings to work with a variety of my lenses. With the ND Throttle, I basically have an ND filter for my entire Nikon lens collection without having to attach an extra filter; just mount and go! I’m betting that I could even use the ND Throttle with the Nikon 14-24 f/2.8, which is nearly impossible to filter due to its enormous and bulbous front lens element. Also, unlike with screw-on variable ND filters that I’ve tried, I did not notice the dreaded ‘X’ pattern or major color shift; I think the adapter avoids these issues by putting a hard stop just before that point. The cost of this limiter appears to be a reduced overall ND range compared to screw-on filters, but the effect at max ND on those other filters aren’t pretty to look at anyway.Now the bad:1) It’s very difficult to differentiate the body of the adapter from either the aperture or ND rings. Both rings are very thin, and have a similar slotted cut around the ring, making it difficult to find the right ring, or even a ring at all. I’ve often found myself turning the wrong ring, or trying to rotate the adapter body, thinking it was one of the rings. The little slot cuts on both rings don’t help too much here, as there still isn’t enough tactile difference. A rubber ring or some knurling would have been a better design choice.2) The adapter does not have any tripod mount. A tripod mount would have been nice so I could balance heavier lenses on a tripod with the A7s. It would also ease the strain on the camera’s mount when on a tripod.3) The throw between the largest and smallest aperture is pretty short. I would have liked little more rotation to give finer control of aperture. I guess since there’s an ND built-in, there would be little need to adjust aperture, but it still would be a nice to have, especially considering how easy it is to accidentally knock the aperture ring while fumbling around for the ND ring.One thing to note is that unlike a simple mount adapter, there will be some loss of light at the minimum ND setting. It is an ND filter after all.Despite these issues, you’d have to pry this adapter out of my cold fingers. It’s pretty much a necessity if you want to do some serious videography with the A7s.

Pros
  • The Vizelex ND Throttle feature of the adapter provides built-in neutral density filtration, allowing users to easily control depth of field and exposure in bright lighting conditions without having to carry around separate ND filters, making shooting on-the-go more convenient
Cons
  • The adapter may not be able to take advantage of all the features of the camera, limiting its versatility