Nikon Z cameras support legacy SLR lenses via an official adapter, the FTZ. It’s one that works well, for the most part, and is a useful accessory for photographers moving from a Nikon SLR to a Z system mirrorless. But while the FTZ supports lenses with internal focus motors, it doesn’t autofocus with older screw-drive lenses. The Megadap Leica M to Nikon Z Autofocus Adapter ($349) works to bridge the gap, not just for vintage Nikkor glass, but for almost any mechanical lens. It works, but it’s pretty darn noisy.
Moves the Whole Lens
To get a handle on just how the Megadap MTZ11 works, you’ll need a handle on how most camera lenses set focus. If you’ve used older manual lenses you’ll be familiar with twisting the focus ring, moving the glass farther away or closer to the image sensor.
The MTZ11 isn’t able to turn focus rings—that’s still a job for your fingers. Instead, it moves the entire lens. It’s effective, but there are caveats. The motor that moves the lens operates with a loud whir, so forget about using the adapter at a quiet event or when recording video with sound.
It’s also not as fast as working with lenses that offer their own focus motors, or even SLRs that drive older glass via a focusing screw. The MTZ mounts Leica M lenses natively, but you can stack additional adapters to use SLR lenses.
It mounts to current-generation Z bodies, but not without issue. The motor box that drives the adapter hangs down below and, coupled with the Z body design, does a very good job blocking the tripod socket. Nikon has positioned it very far forward on the bottom plate, causing the issue. If tripod use is a must-have, you can add a vertical battery grip to your Z camera, which sidesteps the issue entirely.
Tripod use aside, the adapter is made well. The metal housing is finished in matte black and is nicely machined. There are no rough or jagged edges, and both the camera and lens mounts operate smoothly. You don’t get dust and splash protection, though, so take care when working outdoors. It does have an uncovered micro USB port, used for firmware updates.
Autofocus Experience
I tested the adapter with a few Leica M, Nikon F, and Pentax K lenses for 35mm systems, as well as a Hasselblad medium format lens, and the Nikon Z 7 II camera.
Speed varies based on the lens—it takes a bit more work for the camera to lock when using older lenses with relatively low contrast. I noted quite a bit of hunting with an uncoated Hasselblad 80mm from the 1950s, as well as with the Lomography New Jupiter 50mm F1.5 shot wide open.
All of the Z 7 II’s focus modes are supported, including continuous focus (AF-C), as well as face and eye detection. I stuck with AF-S, though. In AF-C the camera hunts for focus right up until you take a shot, which is a noisy experience with the MTZ11. Using AF-S doesn’t cut down on the noise or speed things up, but it helps out with noise once focus is locked.
Overall, autofocus works, and is accurate. It’s not nearly a perfect experience, though. You’ll want to give the lens some help—if you know you’re working close to a subject, set it near its macro range manually, and vice versa when working far away.
As with most lenses, focus is a bit quicker to lock when your subject is far away. Close focus is a bit slower, but lenses benefit from a bit of added macro. The adapter is able to move the lens a little farther away from the sensor, so it doubles as a 6.5mm macro extension tube. How much closer focus the extension nets depends on the focal length of the lens—you’ll see more dramatic results with wider angle lenses.
You’ll use the camera menu to swap focus settings, and it’s easy enough to swap to manual focus if you prefer. It’s a small thing, but welcome. When we reviewed the Techart Pro M, a similar adapter for Sony camera systems, we were frustrated by an interface that makes it hard to do basic things like changing the focus modes.
Setting the focal length is important too, as it’s necessary to get effective stabilization from the camera sensor. It’s a bit tricky to do, though. To change it you need to set the camera to Aperture priority and take a dummy photo at a certain f-stop.
That leaves Aperture priority left out for actual photography. Most of the lenses you’ll use have on-lens aperture control though, so you’ll be better served using Program or Shutter priority.
If You Must Have Autofocus
The Megadap Leica M to Nikon Z Autofocus Adapter is an intriguing add-on for photographers working with the Z system. It fulfills its promise of adding autofocus to virtually any old, manual focus lens, though there are some caveats. It’s a little bulky, limiting tripod use, and loud enough to be noticed in quiet environments.
It’s an appealing choice for hobbyists who love working with vintage lenses, but may tire of focusing manually for every shot. But you do pay for it. You’ll still need to add extra adapters if you want to use SLR lenses.
Mechanical adapters are generally quite affordable, typically under $25, but that raises another point. Today’s electronic viewfinders are very sharp to begin with, and offer features like highlight peaking and frame magnification to help you get a sharp shot without autofocus. It’s worth it to try your hand at working manually, especially given the Megadap’s $349 price.
