Adapter guide
Konica AR lenses on Sony E
Yes, this works. Konica AR has a 40.5mm flange distance and Sony E-mount has 18mm, so a 22.5mm mechanical adapter with no glass fills the gap and infinity focus is preserved. Focus and aperture stay manual.
- Konica AR flange
- 40.5 mm
- Sony E flange
- 18 mm
- Adapter thickness
- 22.5 mm
- Optical elements
- None required
Setting it up
Enable Release w/o Lens, set the SteadyShot focal length by hand so in-body stabilisation matches the lens, and use focus peaking or the magnifier for manual focus.
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 Sony E
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 | Full frame | Frames like (APS-C (1.5x)) | Years | Used value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Konica Hexanon AR 50mm f/1.7 | 50mm | f/1.7 | 50mm | 75mm | 1965-1980s | $40 to $150 |
| Konica Hexanon AR 57mm f/1.2 | 57mm | f/1.2 | 57mm | 86mm | 1965-1970s | $500 to $1,600 |
Frequently asked
Do Konica AR lenses work on Sony E cameras?
Yes. A plain Konica AR to Sony E adapter works with no optics. Konica AR has a 40.5mm register and Sony E-mount has a 18mm register, so the adapter is a 22.5mm 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 Sony E?
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 Sony E?
On full frame Sony E bodies (a7, a7R, a7S, a7C, a9, a1, FX3) the focal length is unchanged: a 50mm lens frames as a 50mm. On APS-C (1.5x) Sony E bodies (a6000 to a6700, ZV-E10, FX30) a 50mm lens frames like a 75mm 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