Head-to-head · Canon EF → Sony E
Metabones EF-E V vs Viltrox EF-NEX IV — premium vs budget EF→Sony FE
Both adapt Canon EF lenses onto Sony E-mount bodies with phase-detect AF, IS pass-through, and electronic aperture. Metabones' Mark V is the long-running reference design with a deeper per-lens compat chart and broader Canon + Tamron G2 coverage; the Viltrox EF-NEX IV trades AF refinement and certified-lens depth for roughly a quarter of the price.
Side-by-side specifications
| Spec | Metabones EF-E Mark V Metabones · 2017 | Viltrox EF-NEX IV (EF-E) Viltrox · 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Lens side | Canon EF | Canon EF |
| Body side | Sony E | Sony E |
| Release year | 2017 | 2018 |
| Body-side contacts | 11 pins | 9 pins |
| Firmware-updatable | Yes | Yes |
| Weather-sealed | No | No |
| Has glass (focal reducer) | No | No |
Differences that matter
Certified-lens chart depth is the headline split. Metabones publishes a versioned per-lens compatibility list with each firmware release (v0.55 → v0.79) covering Canon EF L USM, Sigma Global Vision EF, and Tamron G2 EF lenses explicitly. Viltrox's chart is broader-but-thinner — most popular EF lenses focus, but Viltrox doesn't publish per-lens behaviour notes the way Metabones does, leaving the photographer to test their specific combination.
Continuous-AF tracking on modern PDAF Sony bodies (a7 III / a7 IV / a7R V / a1 / FX-line) is where the price gap shows. Metabones' v0.69 / v0.79 firmware delivers reliable Eye-AF subject tracking on EF L USM glass and Tamron G2. Viltrox's v2.10 added a1 / a7 IV Eye-AF stability but tracking aggression lags Metabones noticeably on fast subjects — Viltrox's own product page recommends it for static or slow-subject work.
Contact count differs. Metabones EF-E Mark V routes 11 body-side contacts to the lens; the Viltrox EF-NEX IV routes 9. In practice both forward Canon's full EF protocol for AF / IS / aperture / EXIF on USM / STM lenses — the extra contacts don't unlock additional Canon-side features. But the difference is visible if a photographer cross-references contact diagrams to evaluate third-party EF lens edge cases.
Firmware update flow is the same shape — micro-USB on the side of the adapter, vendor's Windows / macOS updater — but cadence differs. Metabones publishes firmware roughly twice a year tracking new Sony body launches; Viltrox firmware updates have continued since 2018 but cadence is less predictable, with longer gaps between releases.
When to pick which
Pick the
- Your EF kit is Canon L USM zooms (24-70 II, 70-200 III, 100-400 II) or Tamron G2 (28-75, 70-200) on a modern PDAF Sony (a7 IV, a7R V, a1) — Metabones' chart explicitly covers those combinations with per-firmware tracking notes.
- You shoot fast continuous-AF subjects (action, wildlife, event coverage) where tracking aggression matters — the Mark V's AF tuning is closer to native FE than the Viltrox.
- You want a manufacturer that publishes a versioned per-lens chart — useful for verifying a specific lens before buying second-hand.
Pick the
- Budget matters — Viltrox typically retails at ~$100 against ~$400 for the Metabones, a 4× price gap that matters when the adapter is a try-out for casual EF lens reuse rather than a working tool.
- Your EF lenses are static-subject work (portraits, product, landscape, slow video pulls) on a modern Sony — Viltrox's single-shot AF is reliable, and the tracking gap matters less when the subject isn't moving fast.
- You only own one or two EF lenses you're considering keeping vs selling — Viltrox is the right risk-adjusted bet to test the workflow before committing to a more expensive adapter.
Common questions
- Is the Viltrox EF-NEX IV good enough for an a7 IV or a1?
- For static-subject work, yes — v2.10 firmware (2021) added Eye-AF stability on a7 IV and a1. For fast continuous-AF (sports, birds in flight, action), Metabones EF-E Mark V's tracking is noticeably more aggressive and a closer match to native FE 70-200 / 100-400 GM behaviour.
- Why does the Metabones cost 4× the Viltrox if they both do the same job?
- Per-lens AF tuning depth and chart publishing cadence. Metabones authors per-Canon-and-Tamron-G2 firmware entries with explicit behaviour notes, and updates twice a year tracking new Sony body launches. Viltrox covers a broader set of lenses generically but doesn't publish per-lens behaviour notes — a price-vs-precision trade-off rather than a feature gap.
- Does either adapter preserve EF lens IS on Sony bodies?
- Yes — both forward IS commands to the EF lens's built-in IS unit unchanged. Combined with Sony body IBIS (a7 III and later), the dual-stabilisation pairing works as on a native FE lens on both adapters.
- Can I use Sigma Global Vision EF lenses on either adapter?
- Yes on both, but Sigma's own MC-11 has the deepest per-lens AF tuning for Sigma Global Vision EF (24-70 Art, 35 Art, 150-600 Contemporary). Among the two compared here, Metabones EF-E Mark V edges Viltrox on Sigma Art tracking but neither matches the MC-11 on a Sigma-heavy EF kit.
Open the individual adapter pages
- Metabones EF-E Mark V — full spec, firmware history, per-lens compat notes
- Viltrox EF-NEX IV (EF-E) — full spec, firmware history, per-lens compat notes
- Canon EF to Sony E adapter page — every adapter for this mount pair, verdict, format notes
Keep exploring
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