Sony produces 5 major versions of their A-mount to E-mount lens adapters: LA-EA1, LA-EA2, LA-EA3, LA-EA4, and LA-EA5. 1 and 2 are designed only for APS-C capture, and their baffles even cause issues with some third-party APS-C lenses. 3, 4, and 5 are designed to accommodate full 135 format capture. The even 2 and 4 adapters have a similar focusing system as the A-mount SLT camera bodies. The 1, 3, and 5 adapters do not. The 2, 4, and 5 adapters have their own focusing motor for mechanically coupled lenses.
Sony’s LA-EA adapters don’t support first-party A-mount teleconverters or power zoom lenses.
LA-EA1 (discontinued)
Sony’s original A-mount adapter for the original NEX 3 and 5 cameras. It didn’t support AF when first released. It received a firmware update that allowed very slow contrast-detect AF with A-mount lenses with internal motors. Sony later allowed phase-detect AF. This is the only LA-EA adapter with a removable tripod foot.
LA-EA2 (discontinued)
Sony’s second A-mount adapter for NEX cameras. This one contained a SLT mirror and the discrete phase-detect sensor from the A55/A580 cameras. It also had an autofocus motor to drive mechanically coupled lenses. It even allow continuous video AF in the manner of A-mount camera bodies (aperture locked to F3.5 or wide-open for dimmer lenses). The most recent camera bodies have dropped AF support for this and the similar full-frame LA-EA4 adapter.
LA-EA3 (discontinued)
This adapter was originally bundled with the Sony NEX-VG900 Full-Frame Camcorder a year before Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras were released. It supports AF for motorized lenses with the original firmware. Sony updated the firmware after the A9 was released to allow AF-C tracking up to 10 FPS. It does not have an autofocus motor to drive mechanically coupled AF lenses.
LA-EA4 (discontinued?)
This is essentially a full-frame version of the LA-EA2 adapter. The most recent camera bodies have dropped AF support for this and the LA-EA2 adapter. The Monster Adapter company developed a replacement PCB that allows the LA-EA4 to use on-sensor phase-detect with several screw-driven lenses. The Monster Modified adapter does work on the recent cameras mentioned above. The modified adapter has rather limited compatibility, but the firmware is occasionally updated.
LA-EA5
This is the latest full-frame adapter. It acts like the updated LA-EA3 on older cameras. But on the most recent cameras it supports on-sensor phase-detect autofocus with screw-driven lenses. It is the only LA-EA adapter without a tripod foot.
Capabilities by Camera
- Full-frame E-mount cameras support A-mount Lens Compensation including DT lenses.
- APS-C E-mount cameras don’t support A-mount Lens Compensation.
Below is a general summary of the autofocus capabilities and limitations of these adapters by Sony E-mount camera body arranged roughly chronologically.
NEX to A5100/A6000/A7/A7R/A7S/A7SII/A7II(original firmware)
- Contrast-detect/video AF-S LA-EA1/3/5 with motorized lenses
- LA-EA2/4 AF
- All LA-EA adapters limited to LO frame rate AF-C
- LA-EA1 requires firmware update for AF
A6300/A6500/A7II(updated)/A7RII/A7III/A7RIII
- Phase-detect LA-EA1/3/5 with motorized lenses
- Contrast detect AF/video AF-S with LA-EA1/3/5 with motorized lenses
- LA-EA2/4 AF
- All LA-EA adapters limited to LO frame rate AF-C
- LA-EA1 requires firmware update for AF
A9/A9II
- LA-EA3 updated to support 8/10 FPS AF-C with motorized lenses
- LA-EA5 supports 8/10 FPS AF-C with motorized lenses (no screw-drive AF)
- LA-EA1/2/4 and original firmware LA-EA3 limited to LO frame rate AF-C
- A9 has contrast-detect/video AF-S with LA-EA1/3/5, A9II does not
- LA-EA1 requires firmware update for AF
A6100/A6400/ZV-E10/A7C
- Phase-detect LA-EA1/3/5 with motorized lenses
- LA-EA2/4 AF
- All LA-EA adapters limited to LO frame rate AF-C
- No LA-EA1/3/5 contrast detect/video AF-S
- LA-EA1 requires firmware update for AF
A6600/A7RIV
- LA-EA4 and LA-EA5 both support screw-drive AF
- Updated LA-EA3 and LA-EA5 support 11/10 FPS HI+ frame rate AF-C
- LA-EA1/2/4 and original firmware LA-EA3 limited to LO frame rate AF-C
- No LA-EA1/3/5 contrast detect/video AF-S
- LA-EA1 requires firmware update for AF
A7SIII/FX3
- LA-EA1/3/5 phase-detect with motorized lenses
- LA-EA1/3/5 limited to LO frame rate AF-C
- No LA-EA1/3/5 contrast detect/video AF-S
- No LA-EA2/4 AF support
- No LA-EA5 screw-drive AF
- LA-EA1 requires firmware update for AF
A1/A7IV
- LA-EA5 screw-drive AF
- Updated LA-EA3 and LA-EA5 support up to 10 FPS AF-C
- Updated LA-EA1 still limited to LO frame rate AF-C
- No LA-EA1/3/5 contrast detect/video AF-S
- No LA-EA2/4 AF support
- LA-EA1 requires firmware update for AF