Differences between EF-RF adapters by Canon, K&F, and Meike

[ochia03]

I am looking at getting an EF-RF adapter for my new R50. What is the difference between the 179CAD Canon adapter, or the 64 CAD K&F concept adapter or the 72CAD Meike adapter? Is there any reason I should spend so much more on the canon first party verion?

[Waddizzle]

When Canon first introduced the R Seties oof cameras, the market was flooded with third party mount adapters. Almost none of them worked properly.  

Problems ranged from error codes to batteries being drained overnight to damaged cameras.

[March411]

When I transitioned from DSLR to Mirrorless I owned a fairly decent stable of EF lenses. My thought was to purchase the body and then slowly replace my EF lenses. 

I purchased the Meike adapter thinking that it was a simple pass through from the lens to the body, not so simple. The Meike when used with some EF lens would rack and had challenges locking focus. I still owned my 90D and my 5d Mk IV so it wasn't a huge issue so I decided to test adapters. 

I test the adapters you mentioned as well as Vello, Commlite and both of the Canon adapters. The third party adapters were inconsistent and rarely worked 100%. Focus racking, metadata missing, poor or no ability to use burst shooting, rapid battery drain and error 70 messages occurred with third party while the Canon adapters were simply an extension to the lens, zero issues. 

RF lenses have a 12-pin connection to the camera, while EF lenses have 8 pins. This allows RF lenses to communicate with the camera faster and more efficiently. My thoughts on the adapters it this: while using an EF lens on an EOS R system camera and a third party adapter you may experience limitations because third parties have not perfected the communication protocols of the lens, adapter and body. 

It's just my opinion but it's worth the additional expense to have consistent a reliable performance. I only use Canon at this point. I hate equipment failures when I am shooting.

[deebatman316]

Another thing to note is that EF-RF Mount adapters are not changing RF Mount communication to EF Mount communication. The camera detects what lens is mounted and switches communication protocols based on the lens mounted. All the EF-RF Mount adapter is just an extension tube that puts the EF lens at the correct distance away from the image sensor.

[ebiggs1]

Always, always stick with Canon brand gear for Canon gear unless you have and there is a good reason not to.

[jrhoffman75]

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@deebatman316 wrote:

Another thing to note is that EF-RF Mount adapters are not changing RF Mount communication to EF Mount communication. The camera detects what lens is mounted and switches communication protocols based on the lens mounted. All the EF-RF Mount adapter is just an extension tube that puts the EF lens at the correct distance away from the image sensor.

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Despite this, discussions here, on FB and other forums report problems with third party adapters that go away when the Canon brand product is used.

[deebatman316]

My response was to Marc. But I always recommend using the Canon brand adapter. 3rd Party adapters cause all sorts of problems. 

[March411]

ebiggs nailed it for this specific item, I say that because both of us have used third party lenses when we couldn't find what we needed from Canon.

The bottom line....

Authentic Canon adapters communicate with the same language and logic of other Canon camera components/products ensuring 100% functionality. This results in improved overall performance as it pertains to AF, and automatic functions within the R systems advanced features. There is no programming logic in the sense of altering the lenses performance or enhancing or adding additional features it merely guarantees the electronic signals are transmitted correctly.

The basic Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R is primarily a mechanical spacer that maintains the correct flange distance, the distance from the lens mount to the sensor. However, it is not a dumb adapter as it contains electronic contacts to facilitate communication between the EF or EF-S lens and the R systems camera body permitting autofocus, IS and aperture control to function properly.

Some will say that third party adapters perform as well as the Canon adapter. Others state that they have experience with the lenses racking and not locking focus quickly, the loss of certain functionalities such as auto-focus or auto-exposure. Personally, I have experienced challenges with third party and my thought process is this…..

Why spend a significant amount of money on camera assets and skimp on a piece of hardware that functions as a communication gateway between your lens and camera body. Peace of mind and consistent performance in the field are worth the small added expense to purchase authentic Canon adapters that result in not having challenges with my gear.

[ebiggs1]

“… it is not a dumb adapter as it contains electronic contacts to facilitate communication between the EF or EF-S lens and the R systems camera body permitting autofocus, IS and aperture control to function properly.”

 A valid point.

Going from 8 contacts to 12 indicates there more than a simple ‘spacer’ involved.

”Why spend a significant amount of money on camera assets and skimp on a piece of hardware that functions as a communication gateway between your lens and camera body.”

I have never understood that either.