Megadap M-to-Z Autofocusing Adapter
Adapts ANY lens to Nikon Z - & adds Autofocus!!!
Sample Images Introduction Specifications
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
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Megadap MTZ11, front. bigger. |
Megadap MTZ11, back. bigger. |
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Megadap MTZ11, top. bigger. |
Megadap MTZ11, bottom. bigger. |
Megadap MTZ11 LEICA M to Nikon Z Autofocusing Adapter (6.5mm focus travel, 5.3 oz./152g, $349). I'd get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
December 2020 Better Pictures Canon Sony Nikon Fuji LEICA Zeiss Hasselblad All Reviews
Sony vs. Nikon vs. Canon Full-Frame
Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures
Sample Images top
Sample Images Introduction Specifications
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
Agave, 8:38 AM, 11 December 2020. Nikon Z6 II in square-crop mode, TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 ASPH on Megadap M to Z autofocussing adapter at f/1.4 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 8.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full resolution or camera-original © BASIC ★ JPG file.
Fall Color, 8:46 AM, 11 December 2020. Nikon Z6 II, TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 ASPH on Megadap M to Z autofocussing adapter at f/8 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.3), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © BASIC ★ JPG file.
Introduction top
Sample Images Introduction Specifications
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
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This amazing adapter lets us adapt any lens to Nikon Z - and it has an internal motor and focus helicoid system to add autofocus to any lens, especially manual-focus lenses!
It's very well made out of 100% metal and it really does work and autofocus on my Nikon Z cameras.
It's so solid and dense that I'd almost believe it if it were engraved "LEICA." It feels like a premium product.
I'd get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
New intro top
First adapter to Nikon I've tried with its own autofocus motor to make any lens autofocus.
Good intro top
Well-made out of 100% metal.
Adapted lenses autofocus about as fast as native Z lenses, but this will vary greatly with your choice of lens.
If you do it right, EXIF will record lens focal length and actual taking aperture, but only between f/1.4 and f/5.6.
Really does autofocus with up to 6.5mm of self-motorized extension.
With 6.5mm of extension it covers the full focus range with normal lenses.
With 6.5mm of extension it allows wide lenses to autofocus even closer than they can focus on their own!
With 6.5mm of extension it allows all lenses to focus closer than they can on their own. Focus the lens manually to a closer distance, and the adapter's extension will focus even closer.
Bad intro top
Much clumsier operation than with a native Z lens. For instance, you ideally have to set the aperture both on the camera and again on the lens, and to program focal length for image stabilization and EXIF you have to use another multistep process.
Focal length can't be set simply in MENU > SETUP > NON-CPU LENS DATA. Instead one must use a more complex and less reliable manual process.
No tripod socket, and because the adapter extends below the bottom of my Nikon Z camera I can't attach my Nikon Z to most tripod heads.
AF performance will depend on lens, camera and your settings.
As with all adapters, there is no data communication between lens and adapter, making ergonomics much more clumsy than using a real Nikon Z lens.
As with all adapters, even the most optically superb lenses may not necessarily perform as well adapted to Nikon as they do on film or on their original native-brand cameras. This is because different brands and designs of sensors have different micro lens arrays which will introduce differing amounts of field curvature, degrading corner performance, especially with ultrawide rangefinder lenses.
With newer lenses with floating elements, these elements won't float unless you set the lens focus ring manually on a non-autofocussing adapter. If you use this adapter to autofocus an FLE lens, the lens elements will be set to optimum performance at infinity and that's it — unless you focus manually with a traditional passive adapter.
As with most adapters, completely manual diaphragm operation.
6.5mm isn't enough autofocus travel to focus long lenses over their entire range. Therefore you have to focus long lenses first manually to about the range in which you wish to work.
Missing intro top
No tripod socket, and because it extends below the bottom of my Nikon Z camera I can't attach my Nikon Z to most tripod heads.
No AF-MF or infinity-focus switch. Without these it's difficult to use manual focus because the adapter may start focusing, even with the camera set to MF, when power is turned on and off.
LEICA SUMMILUX 50mm f/1.4 (1963) on Megadap MTZ11 on Nikon Z6 II. bigger.
LEICA SUMMITAR 50mm f/2 (1939-1953) on LEICA screw-mount to M adapter and Megadap MTZ11 on Nikon Z6 II. bigger.
LEICA SUPER-ELMAR-M 21mm f/3.4 (2011-) on Megadap MTZ11 on Nikon Z6 II. bigger.
Nikon Noct-NIKKOR 58mm f/1.2 (1977-1997) on AI-to-M adapter and Megadap MTZ11 on Nikon Z6 II. bigger.
TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 ASPH on Megadap M to Z autofocussing adapter on Nikon Z8 II. bigger.
Canon New FD 85mm f/1.2L (1976-1987) on FD-to-M adapter and Megadap MTZ11 on Nikon Z6 II. bigger.
Canon New FD 15mm f/2.8 Fish-Eye (1980-1987) on FD-to-M adapter and Megadap MTZ11 on Nikon Z6 II. bigger.
Canon New FD 50mm f/1.2L (1980-1988) on FD-to-M adapter and Megadap MTZ11 on Nikon Z6 II. bigger.
Specifications top
Sample Images Introduction Specifications
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I'd get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Camera Compatibility specifications top
This adapter works only on Nikon's Z-series mirrorless cameras.
It does not so much as even mount on any other camera.
Lens Compatibility
This adapter has a LEICA M bayonet mount for LEICA M mount lenses.
By adapting any lens to LEICA M, any lens can be used on this adapter.
Body specifications top
All metal, bravo!
Quality specifications top
Designed and made in China.
Power & Battery specifications top
Powered from your camera body; no other power needed.
Weight specifications top
5.345 oz. (151.5g) actual measured weight.
Megadap's Model Number specifications top
MTZ11.
Included specifications top
MTZ11 adapter.
Generic LEICA M body cap.
Generic Nikon Z rear cap.
Introduced specifications top
October, 2020.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
December 2020
$349 at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H.
About $329 at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Performance top
Sample Images Introduction Specifications
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
Autofocus Manual Focus Lens Corrections
Weather Sealing Sharpness Stabilization
I'd get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus performance varies with lens. The only way to know how well a certain lens will work is to try it.
Autofocus is about as fast as other lenses.
It's usually accurate, but not always. Expect that some shots may just not be in perfect focus.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focus doesn't work well, because you need to 1.) set the adapter to infinity focus, and then set the camera to MF.
Sadly when you turn the camera on and off, the adapter may change its focus. If it focuses away from infinity, you no longer will be able to focus to infinity.
Lens Corrections performance top
Because the camera has no real idea what lens is attached, while you can set distortion, diffraction and falloff (vignette control) to ON, God only knows what will happen, since the camera is assuming one lens and you've mounted something else. Set distortion and diffraction to OFF, while falloff should still work.
The Z7 II, Z6 II, Z7, Z6, and Z5 always correct for lateral color fringes (chromatic aberration) regardless of what's attached. There's no setting for that; it just works.
Macro Performance performance top
All lenses will be able to focus more closely than they can without an adapter.
Telephotos won't see much change.
Normal lenses will be able to focus much more closely if you first set the lens' focus more closely, and even in normal use without touching the lens' focus ring wide and especially ultrawide lenses will autofocus extremely closely.
Mechanical Quality performance top
It's all Metal. Bravo!
The serial number is on a sticker on the bottom.
Sound, Noise & Vibration performance top
It has a little motor in it, and sounds like it as it focuses.
Weather Sealing performance top
I don't see any sealing in particular, and I never worry about this.
Sharpness performance
There's nothing but air inside this adapter. It will have no effect on any optical aspect of the lens.
Adapted lenses, especially wider ones, rarely work as well adapted to other cameras as they do on their own brand of cameras. This is because image sensors have to be optimized to certain lenses, and substituting lenses from other brands often lead to field curvature and its attendant loss of sharpness on the sides due to interactions with the sensor's microlens assemblies.
Image Stabilization performance top
This adapter has no Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)), but if, and only if, you manage to program the lens' focal length successfully, any in-camera stabilization ought to work fine.
While makers claim "5 stops" improvement for their internal systems, I usually see only two stops real-world improvement and expect that's about what I'll get with this adapter — but only when you have the focal length set successfully.
User's Guide top
Sample Images Introduction Specifications
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I'd get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Megadap's User Guide
Firmware Updates user's guide top
There is always new firmware. Look for it here.
You update by plugging the adapter via USB into your computer. It should appear as a drive.
Download the new file and drag it to the drive that is the adapter.
EJECT THAT DRIVE. This actually loads the new firmware.
The drive will eject, and reappear on your computer.
I simply unplug the drive; I suppose the more formal of you could shut-down your entire computer system to unplug it a little more nicely.
Aperture Settings user's guide top
For the best autofocus, generally you need to shoot in A or M exposure mode and set the aperture on the camera to match the setting on your lens - but only set the camera between f/1.4 and f/5.6 regardless of how you set the lens.
When shooting at larger than f/1.4, open the lens but leave the camera set to f/1.4.
When shooting at smaller than f/5.6, close the lens but leave the camera set to f/5.6.
Focal Length Setting user's guide top
This is a pain.
You have to set a particular aperture in the camera, snap a picture, and turn off the camera. The aperture values corresponding to each focal length have to be found at Megadap's User Guide; for instance, f/12 is 21mm, f/20 is 35mm, f/25 is 50mm, f/32 is 90mm and f/36 is 135mm.
Next time you turn on the camera and shoot the set aperture should remain, unless you shoot with the camera set to f/6.3 or smaller.
This is a nutty system, and in actual use I found it resetting to other focal lengths, probably because the camera was set to f/6.3 or smaller when I took a picture which reset the focal length.
Using MENU > Setup > Non-CPU lens data WILL NOT WORK because the adapter has a CPU. The camera believes whatever the adapter tells it, ignoring the Non-CPU lens data setting.
Exposure Modes user's guide top
Use A or M mode. P or S modes may do weird things and give poor exposures or the wrong finder brightnesses.
Set the same aperture on the camera as on the lens. Keep the camera set to f/1.4 if the lens is set to larger than f/1.4, and leave the camera set to f/5.6 even if the lens is set smaller than f/5.6.
Adapting ANY Lens to Nikon Z user's guide top
This is easy! This MTZ11 only adapts LEICA M lenses, however because LEICA invented the 35mm full-frame format over 100 years ago it is the Master Mount for all 35mm cameras. Any other lens can be adapted to LEICA M.
All you do is get a simple passive $15 mechanical adapter from whatever nutty lens you want to use to LEICA M, and you're good. Like connecting airline flights, you simply use two adapters at once to get from anything to Nikon Z: one adapter to get you from wherever to LEICA M, and this Megadap MTZ11 autofocusing adapter to get you from LEICA M to Nikon Z. Bravo!
There are adapters to adapt anything to LEICA M, and from there you're good. That's the genius of this Megadap adapter; by making it work from the Master Mount (LEICA M), it works with any lens ever made.
Leica has been making Screw-Mount to M adapters since the 1950s. Use these to use Leica Screw Mount lenses on this autofocusing adapter.
I even can use my 1940s~1960s Nikon rangefinder lenses with this adapter! As above, I use a Nikon rangefinder to LEICA M adapter, and I'm good (the Nikon rangefinder mount is the same as the Contax mount; Nikon copied it in 1946).
The only lenses I've seen that won't work are goggled LEICA lenses. While the goggles don't interfere with the camera, the mount that holds the goggles to the lens interferes with the adapter so the lens won't mount to the adapter! Use a regular passive adapter for these lenses, manual focus.
The only other lens that won't mount (of which I know) is the LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35mm f/2 (1979-1996, called "version 4" by laymen). It's so tiny that the focus tab is so close to the mounting flange that it interferes with the adapter, so the lens can't mount to the adapter.
OK, I lied. You can adapt any lens, except other brands of mirrorless lenses. Modern mirrorless lenses mount so close to their sensors that there isn't enough empty space behind the lens to insert an adapter. Sorry; use mirrorless lenses on the same brand of camera if you want good results — and also because mirrorless lenses are all 100% electronic, there is no way to focus or control their diaphragms away from the native mount.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Introduction Specifications
Performance User's Guide Recommendations
I'd get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This is a genuinely innovative product sure to bring delight to the sort of people who enjoy adapting lenses.
Adapters are for hobbyists who enjoy experimenting with old lenses on new cameras as a hobby unto itself. For you people, this adapter is a blast because you really can put any lens on your Nikon Z — and have it autofocus pretty well! Because it adapts from LEICA M, you can adapt ANY lens to your Nikon Z and have it autofocus.
I have to produce results for a living and do not enjoy fiddling with cameras. I never use these adapters myself, although because you people ask I cheerfully take one for the team and try them out.
Optically and ergonomically, native Nikon Z lenses always outperform adapted lenses for use on Nikon Z cameras. Even if an optically flawless lens is adapted, it rarely works as well on a different brand of camera due to the different microlenses used on different brands' sensors. I've been documenting this for years: see what happens when a LEICA 21mm lens is used on Sony and see more examples here and here. Ultrawides are the worst when adapted; normal lenses are much better and teles usually work great.
I find that turning the focus ring myself with a $15 passive adapter is much faster, easier and simpler and produces better focus more often than all the work involved in trying to work with this Megadap adapter. Autofocus impresses the innocent, but this adapter is far from perfect and annoys me just as often as it actually works. It's a product for people who enjoy science experiments and tinkering and relish all the improvements new firmware bring with each revision.
For you people, it won't take too long to master this adapter and select which lenses work great for you, and you'll be able to impress your friends at how you can get Nikon AF and AF-D lenses to autofocus on your Nikon Z (but you'll have no lens corrections or much EXIF data or P or S exposure modes) For me, I'm too impatient and prefer native Nikon Z lenses for my Nikon Z cameras. Chacun à son goût.
I'd get my MTZ11 adapter at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H, or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken, Mrs. Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
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