Sony LA-EA5 A-Mount to E-Mount Adapter Officially Announced

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Sony officially announced its newest A-mount to E-mount lens adapter: Sony LA-EA5. The US price is $248 and it is now available for pre-order at B&H, Adorama. Shipping is scheduled to start on October 29, 2020.

The LA-EA5 Adapter enables the use of Sony A-mount lenses on E-mount mirrorless camera bodies, and maintains full lens performance, including AF with SSM, SAM, and even AF lenses without an internal motor, as well as relays in-camera corrective features. Maintaining the functionality of both the lens and the camera, this adapter is tested to support phase-detection autofocus in order to provide Real-time Tracking and Eye AF functions, as well as quick continuous shooting up to 11 fps with AF/AE tracking. AF and AE tracking are even supported with lenses lacking an internal motor when working with the Sony a7R IV and a6600 cameras. The adapter has no optical components to affect image quality and its fully electronic design also retains Exif data transmission to benefit post-production and file management. Additionally, its sleek cylindrical design is well-suited to camera bodies with an attached vertical grip.

The supported camera models and the press release, are as follows:

Press release:

Sony Electronics Announces New LA-EA5 Lens Adaptor for A-Mount Lenses

New Adaptor Enables Advanced Autofocus Capabilities When Attaching A-mount Lenses to Latest E-mount Bodies

SAN DIEGO – September 1, 2020 – Today, Sony Electronics Inc. announced the new LA-EA5, a 35mm Full-frame A-mount lens adaptor that allows users to easily pair advanced E-mount camera bodiesi with A-mount lensesi.

Using the new LA-EA5 A-mount adaptor, users can now access the acclaimed autofocus and high-speed shooting capabilities found in Sony’s latest E-mount camera bodiesi with A-mount SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) and SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor) lensesii, as well as A-mount lenses that do not have internal focus motors.

Full support is provided for focal plane phase-detection AFiii, wide-area focal phase-detection AFiii coverage, Real-time Eye AF for both humans and animals, Real-time Tracking and AF/AEiv (auto exposure) tracking for SSM/SAM lenses on nine most recently introduced E-mount camerasi at up to 11fpsv depending on the camera model. When used with the Alpha 7R IVvi or Alpha 6600vi, for the first time, these capabilities are possible with lenses that do not have internal focus motors, such as the Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA and Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA.

The LA-EA5 combines a compact design, featuring an aperture drive unit and a newly developed compact AF drive unit. To ensure comfortable operation when used on an E-mount camera body, the new adaptor’s diameter matches that of the A-mount, perfectly aligning with the edges of the mount. The LA-EA5 allows easy operation on full-frame E-mount bodies, even when a vertical grip is attached to the camera body.

Pricing and Availability

The LA-EA5 is available in October 2020 for a suggested retail price of $249.99 USD and $329.99 CAD.

Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new lens and Sony’s other imaging products can be found at alphauniverse.com, a site created to educate and inspire all fans and customers of Sony’s α – Alpha brand.

Notes

i. As of Sept. 2020, focal plane phase-detection AF is supported for SSM/SAM lenses on the Alpha 7 III, Alpha 7R III, Alpha 7R IV, Alpha 6100, Alpha 6400, Alpha 6600, Alpha 9, Alpha 9 II, and Alpha 7S III. Focal plane phase-detection is supported for lenses that do not have internal focus motors on the Alpha 7R IV and Alpha 6600.

ii. STF lenses are manual focus only. Teleconverters are not supported.

iii. Autofocus is not available during movie recording.

iv. For AE tracking, the aperture is fixed for the first frame while shutter speed and ISO are used for exposure adjustment.

v. Maximum continuous shooting speed is 10 fps with the Alpha 7R IV, Alpha 9, and Alpha 9 II, and 11 fps with the Alpha 6600. Continuous shooting speed may change depending on the attached lens.

vi. The Alpha 7R IV must be updated to software V1.20 or later, and the Alpha 6600 must be updated to software V1.10 or later.