Sony 200-600 Lens on a Nikon Z9? Does it really work?? - The Megadap Adapter ETZ21 PRO

We test the Megadap Adapter Pro to see if you can use the full functionality of the Nikon Z9 with the Sony FE 200-600 Lens. In depth Autofocus , Video, And Hit rate tests.
LONG video so use the chapters.
Watch to see the results and our advice on if you should or who should buy this based on our tests.

Use the chapters to move around to the subjects you are interested in.
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00:00 - introduction
00:25 - The Megadap Adapter
04:42 - Why?
04:52 - Attaching the Adapter
07:57 - Sony 200-600 AF Tests
21:18 - Nikon Native Lens AF Tests
26:01 - Adapted Vs Native AF Results
26:24 - Sony Hit Rate
31:33 - Nikon Native Hit Rate
34:06 - Adapted Vs Native Stills Results
34:54 - Video Comparisons and Results
37:41 - My Conclusion

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SOCIAL MEDIA & WEB

WHO I AM.
My name is Scott West and I am a nature and wildlife photographer located in Alaska. I am very lucky to live in a place surrounded by amazing landscapes and even more amazing wildlife.

☊ MUSIC

Best Wishes
Scott

[daustonian]

Thanks for doing such a comprehensive review. I’m your exact test case and have been looking for a review of this adapter.

I have a ton of Sony glass but am tired of the lack of updates via firmware. I used to shoot Nikon in the F2, F3 days and so the desire to return is there.

I rented the Z8 and tried the Megadap E21 with the latest firmware and had similar results. I think for portraits and even predictable action, it works, and this will allow me to be selective in which Nikon glass to add first. Thanks again for all the work!!

[VABrowneMDPhD]

Thanks for making this video. Interesting experiment! I’m impressed with the engineering prowess that allows lenses from different manufacturers to work on the Nikon Z bodies. From your previous videos, the Fringer EF to Z adapter works really well except for not being able to use the optical image stabilization. In this video, it’s clear that the Nikon Z 180-600 works so much better than the adapted Sony lens! The Nikon PF series of lenses are so sharp, fast, lightweight, and more affordable than the traditional 400 mm f/2.8 and 600 mm f/4 lenses. They are quite compelling for wildlife photographers.

[Inclinado]

Thanks for this video.
Nikon shooter here. I really want to keep my nikon up with nikon, and upgrade to mirrorless.
I was almost giving up nikon bc sony have many more lens options, specially 3rd part.
This is perfect. I can now get a z6ii with is a fantastic camera, and use sigma and tamron lens.

[georgetran]

I am a long-time Nikon user but I like the mirrorless technology so I bought my Sony a7R3 and 200-600mm before I got my Z7 and Z9. Then, I bought Megadap ETZ21 with the expectation that I can use Sony 200-600mm on my Nikon Z bodies but I was disappointed that with the AF performance. However, Megadap is good for landscape photography or static objects. I believe the problem is the Nikon Z Flange-back distance is 16mm and the Sony E Flange-back distance is 18mm. If the thickness of the Megadap ETZ21 is not 2mm, it could affect the AF speed and performance on the Z bodies. Thank you so much for sharing your thorough test.

[MTBD]

Awesome vid, good info on the quirks of adapted 200-600!

[hielkeklooster]

Having considered the Z8 or the Z9 and being frustrated with the Z6Ii and not trusting the autofocus system, watching this video really show how much the Z9 improved in that department

[theclifbar]

I think I may have found the solution to the AF "pulse" on the Sony. There is an "AF Fine Tune" feature on the Z cameras in the "wrench" menu and many places (including Fringer's manual, but not Megadap) mention that adapted lenses may benefit from a fine tune adjustment. I tried it on my Megadap-ted lenses and the ones needing adjustment do focus faster with less hunting after the AF Fine Tune. Hope this helps.

[travislucas]

Wild Alaska aka Adapter King. Thanks man this is valuable info. I bought one of the EF-NZ II adapters after we messaged on instagram. It’s been awesome so far.

[nickh]

I see that pulse behaviour with my Sony A7iv and 200-600...Makes me think its more the lens than the adapted combination..I could be wrong of course....Just about to go Z8 but will be trying this combo before I rush to go to the N.180-600... Cheers for the vid...Very interesting.

[timothyduvernet]

Are there the same problems with the other Sony to Z adapters? I have the Techart and I haven't experienced the same issues. Further, is it possible that different focus settings would benefit the adapted lens vs. the native lens? It would have been interesting to see how the Sony lens performs on a Sony body to see how much better it might be.

[petersuvara]

Had the exact same problem with the ETZ21 original using this combo. It did this weird flutter. The AF performance on native lenses was always just that much better. Can’t beat native.

This is one of the reasons I ended up selling all of my Sony gear.

[JRodPhotoArt]

This is a good combo and i have tested it. It works great !!!

[Monique.]

Happy birthday Scott! What are your thoughts about the new Canon RF 200-800mm?

[keeganflahive]

cannot wait for you to get your hands on the RF 200-800mm lens that canon released

[don_at_large]

Good informative video. As I invest in Nikon it is a comfort to know I can use my Sony lenses, until I am ready to purchase Nikon lens. Makes sense to me.

[beardedbokeh]

I have been looking for a video specifically about this. There isn't enough Z9 adapted lens videos with this amount of information, most just go "its works!" or "it kinda works" and leaves a lot to speculation. Being unable to get my hands on a 180-600 (sold out everywhere) and currently using a 200-500 F mount lens, the 200-600 looks like a viable go between for now (photographing youth sports) and this video addresses a lot of my questions and concerns. Thank you!

[JeffandLeslie]

Considering it's putting a Ford engine in a Chevy truck, I'm really impressed with how the Sony adapted to the Nikon Z series. Not perfect and it seemed native was a bit better. Looks like this may be an option for someone who shoots both systems and only wants to invest in one telephoto lens.

[sergeyananiev]

Thank you for the informative review! I am actually quite happy with performance of the ETZ21 Pro on my Nikon Z fc camera and just enjoy how good Sony 11mm/1.8f is doing in astrophotography 😊. But I am facing a problem, which you did not mention in your review: distortion correction does not work inside the camera. One needs Lightroom to apply correct Lens profile manually, which is strange because all other things are working. Did you experience such a problem? If yes, how did you solve it?

[capturingmychaos]

Also it seems to me that this adapter is fine for things that don't need fast AF so portraits, landscape and product photography would be fine. Sports, wildlife, wedding and street photography could be frustrating experiences.

[robertocassago]

Hello, thank you for this video. How it the autofocus performance of this combo (Z9 and sony 200-600) in comparison with the native lens 180-600?