Tough E-Mount not Fitting Some Adapters

[slothead]

I ordered one of these Fotodiox Tough E-mount replacements the other day and just got around to installing it this morning.  It seemed to be a fine and simple replacement... until I tried mounting a non-Sony lens!  I have at least three adapters which I use to mount non-Sony lenses (I have Nikon, Voigtlander,  Canon and Sigma/C/Y mount), but apparently all my adapters are of the same brand (I never noticed this before - they were just all 'cheap') - Fotasy.  None of these three adapters fit on the replacement E-mount ring from Fotodiox.  I can't live without the use of the adapted lenses, so I backed out of the replacement and reinstalled the OEM mount pieces.  A disappointment to say the least, and I am really not in the mood to replace all three adapters, nor do I serioulsy want to try and modify the replacement mount to accommodate the existing adapters.

After getting the Fotodiox replacement mount off the camera, I tried each of these adapters to see why they would not fit and it appears that they don't travel (rotationally) far enough to engage the mount lock pin.  They are each shy about 2-3 degrees travel (if that much).

Has anyone here encountered this issue, and if so, what (if anything) did you do about it?

Thanks,

[E.J. Peiker]

I have the Fotodiox tough E-mounts on my a7R and a half dozen or so adapters from various manufacturers and they all fit with not problem.  Are you sure you didn't have a small issue on the installation of the tough E-mount?  The reason I ask is on my first attempt to install it nothing would mount then I realized a small issue where I hadn't fit it just right and redid the installation after taking it apart and then everything worked.  I can't remember now exactly what the issue was but just that it wasn't seated absolutely perfectly.

[slothead]

EJ,
I have installed the 'plate' twice now (the second time because I thought I had found the problem).  After each installation the Sony lenses fit fine and locked perfectly, but the Fotasy-adapter-equipped lenses did not.  While they mated easily, they neither rotated into position (seemed like a long way off) nor did they come anywhere near locking.  What is interesting is that with the plate loose (not installed on the camera) the adapters fit it just fine and you could see the locking pin hole appear in the access hole in the plate.  It is only when the plate is on the camera that they don't fully rotate.  Thus I am also suspicious that I am doing something wrong, but I can't figure out what.

Thanks for your observations,

[slothead]

I want to comment on my recent testing/modifications.  Subsequent to installing the Fotodiox Tough E-mount on my A7R, this morning I installed it on my Sony a6000 with a completely different outcome.  The part installed flawlessly and then two different adapters (Fotodiox and Fotasy) mounted and locked as designed without issue.

The bottom line is that I am pleased with the Tough E-mount and will be buying a second one for my A7R (and in the meantime trying to figure out what I did wrong with its installation the first (and second) time.

[E.J. Peiker]

Interesting, must be some tiny little tolerance thing.

[mcbroomf]

There have been some posts on FM about the tough e-mount being difficult or not compatible with certain adapters.  Also some adapters are now being sold with a note that they are not compatible with the Sony A7s.  I mention this because while not a Tough e-mount it has an all metal mount. 

I have tough e-mounts on both of my A7r's and so far have not come across an adapter that won't fit.  I'm holding my breath for the A7rII though as it has the same mount as the A7s.

[slothead]

Thanks McBroom!  I never thought to look at Fred's place!  I've been investing my commentary (etc.) on DPReview and TalkEmount sites.  I'll go check Fred out.

[SangRaal]

There are at least 5 versions of the "Tough E-mount" that I am aware of; 1)gen 1 tough mount/ss 2) gen 2 tough mount in both brass and ss 3)tough mount light leak in both brass and ss. what specific one are you trying to use? I bought the original Tough Mount and ended up installing it on a friends nex6 after his mount was damaged in a skiing accident, it worked fine and made his ovalised mount area round again. I then ordered the "light leak tough mount" in brass that was much thicker and heavier duty and mounted it on my a7R, I had some initial issues mounting some e-mount lenses(Leica R with leitax mount and a native e-mount 35mm). My issue was the initial contact area of the bayonet mount. I decided to remove the mount and stone off what I thought was a bur, however after using the mount with several other lenses and adapters the mount eased up and works with all adapters and lenses that I have used.  Things you might check in your installation --- don't reuse  the foam gasket, snug up all 4 mounting screws equally before tightening and then tighten the screws in a cross wise pattern(like you would use to torque wheel bolts on a car) to keep the mount round and straight.

[slothead]

Thanks for your input Sangraal.  My A7r had no foam piece to leave out, and I did use proper equal tightening methods, but I didn't look for burrs and hadn't imagined I would be burnishing or grinding any of the mount.  I'll keep that in mind.  I have a lot more inspection to do with the new mount (that just arrived today).  I think you are right about the number of versions.  The two I have acquired are both the brass LT version.

... edit ...

I just tried refitting the second Tough E-Mount onto my A7r and the same thing occurred as with the last one.  One thing I noticed this time around though may have been what Sangraal referred to as the 'foam.'  What I found was a piece of very pliable sticky (I'll call it) tape around the outside of the plastic flange ring.  This didn't appear to interfere with the fit of the Tough E-mount, but then I noticed that the Tough E-mount was not sitting completely up against the face of the camera mounting area.  It was probably 1/3 to 1/2 a mm from the camera mounting surface.

Is this the 'foam' that you were speaking of Sangraal?

[E.J. Peiker]

Yes that plastic has to come out.  As I recall the Fotodiox instructions indicate that.

[slothead]

E.J., I went back and watched the Fotodiox video and it says nothing about taking out the flexible tape-like material.  Just to be clear, what I was surprised to see was not plastic, but a flexible tape-like adhesive-coated material outside the plastic flange plate.

[E.J. Peiker]

Probably posting a picture of it would be the best thing to make sure we are all talking about the same thing.

[slothead]

Probably posting a picture of it would be the best thing to make sure we are all talking about the same thing.

I'm not going to take it apart again just to take a picture of it EJ.  If I come up with some other reason for disassembly I'll capture a pic then.  For now I know that there is no way I am going to try and pull that film/tape out of there.  I know that I would never get it back in after realizing that it needed to stay there.

[E.J. Peiker]

At 2:30 in this video he talks about taking the plastic rign out that is in there with double sided tape.  In his case and in mine, the double sided tape came out when removing the plastic ring.  if in your case the double sided tape is still in there, you may want to get it out as it isn't suposed to be in there with the all metal mount.  Hope that clears things up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5EZP9Cf8E

[SangRaal]

Yes it is exactly that double sided foam tape that needs to be removed when you install any of the Photodiox tough mounts. whatever you want to call it gasket / double sided foam tape it is part of the stock lens mount not the camera.

[slothead]

OK, I opened it up again and while it was opened, I grabbed some snapshots and annotated them to show the 'tape.'  Here is one of them. 
Is this what you guys understand needs to come out?

[E.J. Peiker]

If you look carefully in the video, you will see that after he pulls out the old mount, that foam/tape stuff is not there on his camera.  You only see metal.

[slothead]

EJ I'm not convinced.  I was already to post that it was going to be repalced tonight based on your comment, but then I thought better and decided to go look at the video myself.  What I saw (see below) looks to me exactly like the tape in my images (a little moreso in the other picture - I've included that too).

Theirs (Fotodiox):



Mine:



One of the differences between mine and their process is that they are using the non-light-tight version that may not be interfered with by that tape.  The Light-tight type attempts to fill more of the open space and wants to take the space that that tape occupies.  This isn't a given however because you can't see in there when the new piece of metal is even close to being fully seated.  If I get the nerve, I may try cutting the top edge of that tape out so there will be less to no interference, but I am not that brave yet.  I may sound like a wimp, but I just got this camera and I am not ready to send it in for repair just yet.

I appreciate the help you guys have offered, but I'm just a little too 'camera-shy' (pun intended).

Thanks again,