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May 28, 2023

Megadap ETZ21 Lens Adapter Review

Last Updated on 09/25/2022 by Mark Beckenbach Picture this: you’re a Sony A7

Last Updated on 09/25/2022 by Mark Beckenbach

Picture this: you’re a Sony A7 series camera user who (for whatever reason) jumps ship to Nikon's Z series of cameras. But you’ve got a handful of G Master primes and zoom lenses that now need to be listed on multiple sites to be sold off to buy their Z mount equivalents. The Megadap ETZ21 adapter can save you a lot of money and convenience by allowing you to use (almost) all those lenses on your new Z camera. At just 2mm thick, the adapter is virtually unnoticeable when mounted to your camera. My friend thought I’d somehow coupled his G Master lens directly to my Z6 II when I took pictures of him using this setup. The ETZ21 is the updated, improved version of their ETZ11 adapter, released just a year ago. Megadap hopes to address the issues reported with the earlier version via their new and improved adapter. Why they have a "1" at the end of their adapter names is a mystery I’d like to crack.

Let me start this review by saying that when Megadap announced the Megadap ETZ11 last year, I didn't think it would sell much. Why would someone heavily invested in Sony's Alpha system switch to the younger Nikon Z lineup? Sony has led the mirrorless market for some years, and I’ve rarely read of their users being unhappy with the system (let's leave aside menu layout and design concerns for now). But apparently, there was a market for it, as I saw on a few Facebook groups. There were quite a few folks who had Sony A7 series cameras and lenses who moved to Nikon's Z6 and Z7 cameras. Understandably, they were apprehensive about giving up their prized G Master lenses and the like. While dumb/manual focus adapters were readily available, finding an adapter that would allow Sony lenses to auto-focus on Nikon Z cameras was tough.

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Here's where Megadap stepped in and released the Megadap ETZ11 adapter, their first generation AF adapter for Sony E lenses on full frame and APS-C Nikon Z Cameras, a little over a year ago. It didn't come without issues, though. I’d seen reports of slow, sometimes inaccurate autofocus and quality issues with finishing the ETZ11. Not surprisingly, Megadap decided to launch an updated product just a year later. The Megadap ETZ21 Adapter allows use of FE and E mount lenses on Nikon Z cameras, with full autofocus capabilities. New software and chips have gone into the making of this new adapter.

We’ve only tested out the autofocus with respect to taking photos.

Autofocus speeds were pretty fast when using Sony G master lenses with the Megadap ETZ21 adapter. Think of it like using your Nikon F mount lenses with the FTZ adapter on your Z cameras. You get all the sharpness and retain the AF speeds of the F mount lenses with practically no visible IQ loss. The same is true for FE and E mount lenses when used with Z cameras with the ETZ21. But unlike the chunky Nikon FTZ and FTZII adapters, the Megadap ETZ21 is barely visible when you mount your lenses over it. It's almost like a silver decorative ring at the base of your lens. It's a fine feat of engineering that makes the most out of the super short 16mm flange focal distance (or 18mm when you use the ETZ21 adapter).

AF speeds (after updating the firmware to v2.1) seemed better. It came with firmware v1.2.0, and a Samyang AF lens I tried to test wasn't autofocusing until I upgraded the firmware.

I’m giving the Megadap ETZ21 five out of five stars. It looks like a sizeable improvement over the original ETZ11 adapter when we look at AF speeds and build quality. While I haven't tested Tamron lenses with this adapter, Megadap says that, aside from Viltrox and Yongnuo FE and E mount lenses, all other current brand lenses should work with it. It's not just a question of moving lenses from one system to another. Often we develop a close attachment with a lens or two from our collection. And if you’re someone who wants to make the most of Nikon's Z cameras without giving up your Sony lenses, the Megadap ETZ21 is for you.

Want one? Check them out on Amazon.

I tested the Megadap ETZ21 adapter with firmware 1.2.0 and 2.1 on the:

New chip and new software protocols are in this adapter, claims Megadap. One could very well argue that these were necessary to fix the issues that plagued the 1st adapter. By their own admission, it has "much less compatibility problem when compared to ETZ11". Megadap states in their press release that the ETZ21 "simulates almost all the functions offered by the Nikon FTZ adapter."

The protrusion of the Megadap ETZ21 adapter outside your Nikon Z camera body will be approximately 2 millimeters. If your FE mount lens is silver in color, you probably won't even notice the adapter.

During my tests, I found it tough to mount and dismount the Megadap ETZ21 adapter. It seemed stiff to twist, and I would wonder if I’d screwed it on incorrectly. Maybe it was just me being too careful to avoid damaging my Z mount.

The rear of the Megadap ETZ21 adapter has electronic contact points and contact points for the USB adapter that comes in the box (to upgrade the firmware).

Two red dots signify the camera mounting and lens mounting points that need to be aligned to their respective counterparts on your Nikon Z camera and Sony mount lens. There's also a lens release button on one side which needs to be engaged to release your lens from the adapter.

I didn't get an opportunity to test the ETZ11 adapter last year, but from what I’ve read and seen the ETZ21 has a higher finishing quality. Comparisons aside, it didn't bend or feel flimsy during my tests and held up well. There's a lot of tough metal in there to reassure you.

When they finally sent over the English version of the user manual, Megadap that any lenses weighing over 800 grams (28.2 oz) needs to be supported by your hands. There are the usual warnings about dry storage and not touching the contact points. They also specifically mention that the ETZ21 adapter shouldn't be stored with naphthalene or mothballs.

First, mount the Megadap ETZ21 adapter to your camera. Align the camera installation mark on the mount with the one on your Z camera, then turn counterclockwise. Pretty standard stuff, just like how you’d mount a Z lens on your camera. Then locate the lens alignment mark on the mount and mount your Sony lens to the adapter. Only this time, you need to rotate the lens clockwise, just like you would on your Sony camera. Not entirely confusing, but you might mix up the rotation directions the first few times. For both mounting motions, remember to turn until the satisfying click-lock is heard.

Once you’ve mounted the lens, it's smooth sailing. Use it just like you would any Sony FE mount autofocus lens on a Sony A7 camera. You get full use of all the following Nikon AF modes without noticeable AF speed loss:

It was surprising to see how fast the Nikon eye and face detection system picked up on people's faces with the Megadap ETZ21 adapter on my Z6 II. And by fast, I’m referring to the AF tracking accuracy. Whether it was a native Sony lens or the Samyang, the AF speeds when using the adapter almost matched using a native Z mount lens. You can argue for ages over whether using Z vs. FE mount lenses on a Nikon body make a massive difference in sharpness and image quality. But without touching on that hardly debated subject, I’d like to say using the Megadap ETZ21 adapter was a more pleasant and interesting experience than I ever imagined.

Two native Sony FE mount lenses and two 3rd party lenses were used for this review. I dearly wished I had access to a Tamron FE mount lens as well, but no one I knew here has one. All lenses used during this test were borrowed from my friend Croydon.

The first of the handful of lenses I tested was the nifty Sony FE 50mm f1.8 lens. Tiny, noisy, but incredibly handy, I was full of apprehension when testing this on the Megadap ETZ21. I went out for a photo walk with just this lens attached to my Z6 II, with no expectations whatsoever. When I look back, I think it was brave of me to turn up to that Photowalk with no backup lenses. Truth be told, apart from the noisy AF of that lens, it was an eye-opening experience. The Sony FE 50mm f1.8 lens performed much better than I initially gave it credit. AF didn't hunt much while doing outdoor portraits, and the sharpness was almost on par with my Nikon 50mm f1.8 Z S lens.

Croydon's workhorse lens for his daily photography, the FE 24-70mm f2.8 GM, was one of Sony's most popular lenses until it was usurped by the even better GM II. While using the 24-70 GM V1, I occasionally noticed some AF hunting when focusing from close to infinity, even in daylight. Nothing I’d call worrisome, but not as fast as you’d expect it to be. This was only when moving the focus from one extreme of the focal range to the other. Otherwise, regular usage of the lens, even in low light, wasn't problematic with the adapter.

It had been a while since I used an 85mm on this camera, and the Zeiss Batis 85mm was such a dream to use. Even with the Megadap ETZ21, it maintained its ultra-silent autofocusing as it swiftly locked onto my subject's eyes while utilizing the Nikon Eye-AF mode. I don't currently have an 85mm in my collection, but I want to do more street portraits using this lens on my Z6 II.

This was more of a "can it work or not" kind of test than anything else. I’m pleased to report that the Megadap ETZ21 adapter does work with Samyang AF lenses made for Sony. Autofocus was silent, instantaneously locking to the subject in the AF box.

Mounting the lens and adapter may be confusing at first. Simply because the directions of twisting for the adapter to the camera and the lens to the adapter are the opposite. Also, the mounts themselves are stiff (on both sides of the adapter).

EXIF data for the ZEISS Batis 85mm f1.8 Lens is listing the focal length as 86mm in Capture One Pro. That's unusual when the focal length shown in the image exposure EXIF tab is 85mm. Oddly enough, the Sony FE 50mm f1.8 lens has the right lens EXIF data focal length in the image files, but the focal length EXIF data is marked as 52mm in there,

If you’re moving or have moved camera systems from Sony to Nikon but want to keep your Sony mount lenses, this is the perfect solution for you. If, like me, you have a friend with some really cool Sony mount lenses that you want to use with your Nikon Z cameras, you’ll love this. It lets you use the various Nikon AF modes as long as you’ve updated the firmware on the adapter. Focus speeds are breakneck and very accurate. It's pretty much like using native Z mount lenses and looks like it too, since the protrusion of the adapter outside the camera body is just 2mm. It lives up to Megadap's claims of improved performance. Top marks to them for acknowledging the issues with the previous version of this adapter and coming out with a new model so soon.

Moving to a new camera system is expensive when you factor in the depreciation of your existing lens prices compared to the new ones of the brand you’re moving to. At least for those moving from Sony to Nikon mirrorless cameras, the Megadap ETZ21 adapter can make this transition easier.

Taken from the Megadap ETZ21 adapter product page: