Vintage Lenses for Sony FX6, FX3 & FX9

Vintage Lenses on the Sony FX6, FX3 and FX9: Canon FD, K35 and MoreHow to put vintage glass on a Sony FX6, FX3 or FX9: Canon FD TLS primes, the K35 zoom, cine-mods, adapters, coverage and support. Lens hire in London, N16.Sony's FX cameras give you a clean, sharp, modern image straight out of the box. Plenty of briefs want the opposite: warmth, softer contrast, flares and a bit of imperfection. The quickest way to get there is in front of the sensor. This guide covers the vintage lenses we hire that work on the Sony FX6, FX3 and FX9, and what you need to fit them.First: mounts and adaptersAll three cameras use Sony's E-mount. E-mount has a short flange distance, so most cinema and stills mounts can be adapted to it.

PL lenses need our PL to E-mount adapter on the FX6 or FX3. Our FX9 kit already comes with an E-mount to PL adapter.

EF lenses go on with our Metabones EF to E adapter.

Native E-mount lenses need nothing, like the Canon Dream Lens 50mm f/0.95 in our E-mount version.

Second: full frame or Super 35?The FX6, FX3 and FX9 all have full-frame sensors, and all three can shoot in a Super 35 crop mode. Lenses designed for 35mm stills cameras cover full frame. Most older cine lenses were made for Super 35 film, so they need the crop mode. Check the resolution you get in Super 35 mode suits your deliverables.Full-frame vintage lenses we hire

TLS Canon FD primes (PL): Canon FD stills glass from the 1970s and 1980s, rehoused by True Lens Services with cam focus, a circular iris and matched fronts. Our set is 14, 28, 45 (FD-X, T1.5), 100 and 135mm. Warm, gentle contrast and easy flares. Our Canon FD TLS guide goes into the details.

Canon FD Cine-Mod Prime Set (EF): 20, 24, 35, 50, 85 and 100mm. The same family of glass in a lighter EF conversion, with the Metabones adapter.

Leica R Cine-Mod Prime Set (EF): 16, 28, 35, 50, 90 and 135mm, with 180 and 250mm optional.

Nikon AIS Cine-mod Prime Set (EF): 15, 24, 35, 58, 85 and 105mm.

Mamiya 645 Sekor C Cine-Mod Prime Set (PL): medium format stills glass, so it comfortably covers full frame.

Super 35 vintage lenses (use the crop mode)

Canon K35 Zoom 25-120mm T2.8 (PL): the 1970s Canon cine zoom, and the natural partner to the FDs. It weighs around 5kg, so it comes with 19mm rods and a lens support. See our K35 zoom guide.

Zeiss Super Speed MKIII (PL): fast Zeiss cine primes at 18, 25, 35, 50 and 85mm.

Cooke Varotal 20-100mm T3.1 and 25-250mm T3.9 (PL): classic Cooke zooms with their own softer rendering.

Supporting heavier glassRehoused cine lenses weigh a lot more than modern mirrorless lenses. TLS lists its rehoused FDs at roughly 0.9kg to 2.1kg each, and the K35 zoom is around 5kg. Don't hang that weight off the lens mount, and the adapter, on its own:

Build the camera on rods and a solid baseplate, and use a lens support on longer lenses and zooms.

On the FX3, a heavy PL lens on a gimbal is rarely a good idea. Keep the FDs for tripod, dolly or Easyrig work, or use the lighter EF cine-mods.

The FX9 is the most comfortable body for heavier glass on the shoulder.

Which camera for vintage glass?We reckon the FX6 is the sweet spot: full frame for the FDs, built-in variable ND so you can shoot vintage lenses near wide open in daylight, and a body big enough to rig properly. The FX9 is great on the shoulder and already includes a PL adapter. The FX3 works too, but it has no internal ND, so add a variable ND or a matte box. Compare them on our Sony FX hire page.We now also hire the Sony FX5. It's Sony E-mount too, so the same PL and EF adapters apply, and like the FX3 it has no internal ND. Its open gate mode records the full 3:2 sensor in X-OCN RAW. Lenses made for 35mm stills, such as the Canon FDs, were designed for a 36 x 24mm frame, so they should cover it, but check the corners on a test before the shoot.Hiring vintage lenses in LondonEvery lens above is on our lens hire page with live day rates, and the Canon FD sets are together on our Canon FD lens hire page. Collection and returns are from Unit H1, 2 Leswin Place, London N16 7NJ, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. If it's your first hire, please register a production account. Not sure a lens will cover your camera? Call 020 7898 3322 or email rentals@weareyellowcactus.com and we'll check it.Frequently asked questionsCan I use vintage lenses on a Sony FX6, FX3 or FX5?Yes. All three are Sony E-mount, so PL lenses go on with a PL to E-mount adapter and EF lenses with an EF to E adapter. We hire both adapters.Do Canon FD lenses cover the Sony FX6 sensor?Yes. Canon FD lenses were made for 35mm stills cameras, so they cover the full-frame sensors in the FX6, FX3 and FX9.Will the Canon K35 zoom cover full frame on an FX6?No. The K35 25-120mm is a Super 35 lens, so use the camera's Super 35 crop mode.Does the FX9 need a PL adapter?Our FX9 kit already includes an E-mount to PL adapter, so PL lenses go straight on.Are rehoused lenses too heavy for an FX3 on a gimbal?Usually, yes. Rehoused primes are much heavier than mirrorless lenses. On an FX3 we'd keep them for tripod, dolly or Easyrig work and use lighter lenses on the gimbal.Where can I hire vintage lenses for Sony cameras in London?At Yellow Cactus, Unit H1, 2 Leswin Place, Stoke Newington, London N16 7NJ, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.

Canon FD lens hire London

Canon FD TLS rehoused primes guide

Sony FX hire London

Sony FX6 hire London

Sony FX9 vs FX6: which to hire

Lens hire London