I was looking for recommendations recently on Nikon lens to Canon EOS mount adapters, so I sent out a call for help on Twitter. I got a lot of feedback, but the responses were varied, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to determine a real consensus. So I started digging a little deeper, to see what options were out there. There’s quite a few people offering adapters, and they range in price from $10 to nearly $300. They are all optics-free, metal adapter rings. What could possibly account for this price disparity? It turns out there are several good reasons.

One of the higher-end models offers the ability to control aperture on Nikon G lenses, which have no manual aperture ring. So clearly that one is going to carry a premium. For the others, the general consensus is to stick to certain midrange affordable brand names. For instance, in a comparison test Cameratown found no functional difference between a $30 Fotodiox and a $250 Novoflex. That being said, feedback on these cheaper adapters varies wildly. It also turns out that “functional difference” means different things to different users. Some people don’t seem to care if their lens can no longer focus to infinity (a common issue with cheaper adapter rings).

The word on the street about the no-name eBay adapter rings is that some are ill-fitting, there may be some slip when you twist the lens after mounting. That could be annoying (or shot-ruining) when pulling focus for video. In the case of brass adapters, apparently they have the potential to bend under heavy use (using big telephoto lens for instance) and you run the risk that it won’t detach from your lens. Another issue that some have noted with cheap adapters is that they are not always made to proper tolerances and if so, lenses cannot focus to infinity. Or perhaps you’ll hit infinity before you are supposed to on the lens…the lens distance marks don’t match reality. Tolerances are important…this is a lens after all. And if the lens is not parallel to the sensor, you could find that your adapter messes with lens sharpness. Generally in the corners.

Bottom line? There is no easy answer on the cheap, no-name adapters. Some work, some don’t. Caveat emptor, and if it breaks your lens you get to keep both pieces. Here’s a list of all the recommendations I’ve been offered, el-cheapo & name-brand, ordered by price with commentary.

Misc No-Name Nikon to Canon adapters – $10-$50-ish. I’ve noted good feedback on various forums about the adapters that eBay seller kawaphoto offers. Feedback via Twitter and on various forums is generally that Kawa adapters fit tight and are well-machined, but the locking pin may not fare well with repeated use. Most users seem to be buying multiple Kawa’s so they can leave them on the lens.

Cinevate Nikon to Canon EOS adapter – $30. Has some custom machining to solve an issue with the Zeiss ZF lenses that have a hard infinity focus stop. Does that mean they fixed poor machining tolerances on an existing adapter design? If out of stock at B&H, you can order directly from Cinevate for $40.

Adorama Nikon to Canon EOS adapter (supposedly a Fotodiox-produced adapter) – $45. This one seems relatively popular in forum discussions, with some users swearing by it and some swearing at it. At this price, this is likely the Fotodiox Consumer model (see note below).

Bower NF-CE Nikon to Canon EOS adapter – $55. Nobody seems to be talking about this one.

Fotodiox Pro Nikon to Canon EOS adapter – $80. This is the Pro (black) model, anecdotally said to be built in a pro machine shop with tighter tolerances. Apparently the Consumer (silver) model is machined from cheaper metal in an “ordinary” machine shop manned by unwashed heathens.

Haoda Nikon AI to Canon EOS – $170 (on sale till 5/18/10 for $79). Has electronics to support autofocus confirmation and limited metering modes.

Cameraquest adapters for just about any mount, including Nikon to Canon, for $180. Their website should bring back memories of 1996 web design and the BLINK tag, so enjoy the eye-bleeding stroll down memory lane. Generally the feedback on this adapter is overwhelmingly positive, unless discussing the price.

Novoflex Nikon to Canon EOS adapter – $271. Seems to be respected from a quality standpoint. Other adapter options via their adapter finder here.

16:9 Nikon G to Canon adapter – $236. This Nikon G to EF adapter (produced by Novoflex) that has electronics options (focus confirm, metering, etc) and a lever that can operate the aperture on Nikon G lenses (which have no manual aperture ring). It is my understanding that this is the only adapter option for Nikon G-lenses.

If you use one of these brands and have some opinions, please let us know with a comment below. And let me know if I’ve missed any adapter brands, I’ll be happy to update this post as new information comes in. Happy shooting!