The Sony LA-EA4 A-Mount to E-Mount FF Lens Adapter with TMT ($349.99 direct)($348.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is a product with a mouthful of a name, but a rather simple purpose. It adapts Alpha-mount SLR lenses, which are compatible with Sony and Minolta D-SLRs, to Sony full-frame E-mount cameras(Opens in a new window). If you’re already a Sony shooter, you can then use your existing A-mount lenses with the Alpha 7 or 7R($1,654.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window).

The adapter measures 3.4 by 3.1 by 1.7 inches (HWD) and weighs about 5.6 ounces. It’s a little bulky; there’s a boxy area under the mount that houses a dedicated phase detection autofocus sensor. There’s a standard tripod thread at the bottom of this box. An inline semi-transparent mirror directs a small portion of incoming light to the sensor for focus, and lets the rest pass through to the image sensor. The design is similar to the older LA-EA2, but that adapter had a smaller mirror that was only appropriate for NEX cameras with APS-C image sensors.

The adapter works as advertised. I used it to mount the Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4($1,498.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) to the Alpha 7R. The camera’s autofocus display changes to show the 15-point phase sensor system that the adapter supports. Focus was quick and accurate when paired with the Planar lens, as well as with the Sony 70-400mm f/4.5-5.6G SSM II telezoom. Sony makes another, less expensive, adapter in the LA-EA3 ($199.99). The LA-EA3 doesn’t feature an autofocus sensor, and it omits a screw-drive focus mechanism. We’ve not yet had the chance to test it to see how its speed with lenses with internal focus motors compares to the LA-EA4.

If you’re already an Alpha SLR shooter and are interested in using your existing lenses with one of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras, the LA-EA4 is a useful accessory. It provides focus speed that’s on par with a D-SLR for adapted lenses, and is compatible with older lenses that lack internal focus motors. It is on the pricey side, so if you only have a few lenses worth adapting you may want to put those dollars towards one of the excellent, compact, native Zeiss lenses that launched along with the Alpha 7 and 7R.

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