Adapter guide
Konica AR lenses on MFT
Yes, this works. Konica AR has a 40.5mm flange distance and Micro Four Thirds has 19.25mm, so a 21.25mm mechanical adapter with no glass fills the gap and infinity focus is preserved. Focus and aperture stay manual.
- Konica AR flange
- 40.5 mm
- MFT flange
- 19.25 mm
- Adapter thickness
- 21.25 mm
- Optical elements
- None required
Setting it up
Enable Shoot w/o Lens (Panasonic) or leave Release Priority on (Olympus and OM System), then enter the focal length for in-body stabilisation. The 2x crop doubles the apparent focal length, so a 50mm frames like a 100mm.
Automatic diaphragm with an AE (later EE) lock position on the aperture ring for shutter-priority bodies. Press the lock button and move the ring off AE to use the aperture manually.
Konica AR lenses and their field of view on MFT
Effective focal length changes with sensor size. The lens itself does not change; the smaller sensor simply captures a narrower part of the image circle.
| Lens | Focal length | Aperture | Frames like (Four Thirds (2x)) | Years | Used value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Konica Hexanon AR 50mm f/1.7 | 50mm | f/1.7 | 100mm | 1965-1980s | $40 to $150 |
| Konica Hexanon AR 57mm f/1.2 | 57mm | f/1.2 | 114mm | 1965-1970s | $500 to $1,600 |
Frequently asked
Do Konica AR lenses work on MFT cameras?
Yes. A plain Konica AR to MFT adapter works with no optics. Konica AR has a 40.5mm register and Micro Four Thirds has a 19.25mm register, so the adapter is a 21.25mm tube that puts the lens exactly where a Konica AR body would. Plain adapter ring. The 40.5mm register is the shortest of the classic 35mm SLR mounts, so AR lenses adapt to mirrorless but cannot reach infinity on any DSLR.
Do Konica AR lenses focus to infinity on MFT?
Yes. Because the adapter restores the native 40.5mm register, infinity focus is preserved and the full focus scale on the lens stays accurate. Adapters machined slightly short let the lens focus past infinity by a small margin, which is harmless; adapters machined long stop short of infinity, so buy from a maker with tight tolerances.
What focal length does a Konica AR lens become on MFT?
On Four Thirds (2x) MFT bodies (Lumix G, GH, GX; OM-D and PEN; OM-1 and OM-5) a 50mm lens frames like a 100mm lens on full frame; the aperture and depth of field at a given distance do not change.
More on this mount: Konica AR mount reference