# IS IT TRUE



## lb (Aug 27, 2018)

I heard that manufacturers are already composing a new adapter for Canon lenses to adapt to the new Nikon Z series cameras, as well as a Leica adapter.


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## crazyrunner33 (Aug 27, 2018)

There'll be adapters available before the camera is released(but electronic functions may be non existent). The small flange distance allows for the EOS lenses to be adapted. The big question is how open Nikon will share the info for lens communication with third party manufactures. It may take some time to get a decent adapter that translates between the EOS and Nikon mount, whereas there's adapters that translate between the EOS and Sony E-mount very well.


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## Ozarker (Aug 27, 2018)

No. Nobody outside Canon has probably seen the mount. There will surely be adapters later.


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## fullstop (Aug 27, 2018)

CanonFanBoy said:


> No. Nobody outside Canon has probably seen the mount. There will surely be adapters later.



i believe you have misunderstood.

OP meant adapter to mount Canon EF lenses on Nikon Z7/Z6 camera. 
Which should be technically possible, and very likely. Metabones et al should be all over it. they will have to reverse engineer Nikon Z-mount, but I don't think it is all that difficult.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Aug 27, 2018)

Its unlikely, since Nikon is not sharing info about the Z mount with 3rd party lens makers. Nikon has also been encrypting camera communications, and if they can do that with the lens, it may make the lens protocol very difficult to reverse engineer. Reverse engineering a lens mount is difficult if the tolerance stack is unknown. I've experienced manufacturers using non standard tolerances to keep the competition from reverse engineering accurately. 

Adapting the canon electronic lens protocols to Nikon protocols may be very difficult at best. Its difficult with Sony and there, the protocols are already compatible, and Sony shares lens mount data with 3rd parties. A EF to Z adapter would likely be a mess.


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## lb (Aug 28, 2018)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Its unlikely, since Nikon is not sharing info about the Z mount with 3rd party lens makers. Nikon has also been encrypting camera communications, and if they can do that with the lens, it may make the lens protocol very difficult to reverse engineer. Reverse engineering a lens mount is difficult if the tolerance stack is unknown. I've experienced manufacturers using non standard tolerances to keep the competition from reverse engineering accurately.
> 
> Adapting the canon electronic lens protocols to Nikon protocols may be very difficult at best. Its difficult with Sony and there, the protocols are already compatible, and Sony shares lens mount data with 3rd parties. A EF to Z adapter would likely be a mess.


Nikon Mount is already in the domain, as Tamron just to mention one, manufactures lenses that communicate perfectly with Nikon mount if they can do it any body can, also the Canon mount is also available with other lens Manufacturers so all that has to be done is make the appropriate distance adapter and WALA .Their are a lot of lens manufacturers even the Chinese brands are available for Nikon and Canon Mount right now so I don't see any difficulties


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## Ozarker (Sep 15, 2018)

fullstop said:


> i believe you have misunderstood.
> 
> OP meant adapter to mount Canon EF lenses on Nikon Z7/Z6 camera.
> Which should be technically possible, and very likely. Metabones et al should be all over it. they will have to reverse engineer Nikon Z-mount, but I don't think it is all that difficult.



Yup, read it wrong. But same basic answer: No. Nobody outside Nikon has probably seen the mount. There will surely be adapters later. To which you will reply, "The Nikon has already been released." True. But up until then, no adapters. There will surely be adapters later.  Metabones or whoever will probably still have to wait for a camera in hand to study and reverse engineer. There will surely be adapters later.

It really isn't that hard to understand in either case. But then crazyrunner33 up there seems to think there will be adapters available before the camera is released. Again :  There will surely be adapters later. The OP thinks companies are already making them too. He heard it somewhere. wow. He didn't ask whether it is possible.

Here's the real question: Will it make the cameras smaller and lighter?


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## Ozarker (Sep 15, 2018)

lb said:


> Nikon Mount is already in the domain, as Tamron just to mention one, manufactures lenses that communicate perfectly with Nikon mount if they can do it any body can, also the Canon mount is also available with other lens Manufacturers so all that has to be done is make the appropriate distance adapter and WALA .Their are a lot of lens manufacturers even the Chinese brands are available for Nikon and Canon Mount right now so I don't see any difficulties



Really? Care to share a link to these already available adapters? For EF to Z? Z to R? R to Z? etc.


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## AlanF (Sep 15, 2018)

CanonFanBoy said:


> Really? Care to share a link to these already available adapters? For EF to Z? Z to R? R to Z? etc.


I read it that the current Nikon DSLR mount has been reverse engineered by Tamron as has the current Canon so it will not be impossible for the mirrorless ones as well in answer to Mt Spokane’s post about Nikon’s being encrypted. It is not clearly written though.


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## fullstop (Sep 15, 2018)

Starting from flangeback distance for 
Nikon Z = 16mm
Sony E = 18mm
Canon R = 20mm
Canon EF = 44mm
Nikon F = 46.5mm

cross-mount adapters (without glass/optical elements) are only possible for (sufficiently) longer FFD lens mount to shorter FFD mount. 

so no adapters for Nikon Z lenses to any other mount. none for Sony FE to Nikon Z or Canon R. Canon R to Nikon Z maybe possible geometrically. 

Canon EF and Nikon F to any of the short FFD mirrorfree mounts geometrically possible (and partially in existence) 

But ...both Nikon and Canon have evidently implemented not only new mount geometry in Z and R but also "enhanced communication / protocols". since both Z and R mounts maintain backwards compatibility to F respectively EF lenses, it seems plausible that (some ) thirdparty makers can build 
* an EF lens to Z-mount adapter limited to capabilities of EF and F mount protocol
* adapter for Z lenses to EF or RF mount is technically not possible (without optical elements) since Z has shorter flangeback
* RF lenses to Z might be possible, but maker would need to have RF mount protocol knowledge (licensed or reverse engineered) - i don't think we will see any soon


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