Sony · Sony A → Sony E adapter
Sony LA-EA3 — Sony A → Sony E adapter
Pure pass-through electronic adapter — no SLT mirror, no internal motor. Relies entirely on the body for AF.
At a glance
- Vendor
- Sony
- Release year
- 2013
- Body-side contacts
- 9 pins
- Flags
- firmware-updatable —weather-sealed —requires glass —
What this adapter preserves
Compatibility for Sony A lens on a Sony E body (computed from the lensmount dataset — open the Sony A to Sony E adapter page for the full verdict, flange clearance, and adapter caveats).
- Focus: Full AF
- IS: IS / IBIS preserved
- Aperture: Electronic aperture
- Infinity focus: Reaches infinity
What it does
On modern E-mount bodies with on-sensor PDAF, the LA-EA3 drives SSM / SAM (in-lens motor) A-mount lenses with full AF, but screw-drive A-mount lenses are manual-focus-only because nothing turns the screw.
Lighter and shorter than the LA-EA4 by ~115 g; preferred when every lens in the kit is SSM / SAM. Cannot meaningfully focus on bodies without on-sensor PDAF.
Common questions
- Will the LA-EA3 drive screw-drive Minolta A-mount lenses on the a7 IV?
- No — the LA-EA3 has no internal motor. Only SSM / SAM A-mount lenses (those with their own in-lens AF motor) retain autofocus through it.
- Why pick LA-EA3 over the newer LA-EA5?
- Smaller and lighter. If every A-mount lens in your kit is SSM / SAM, the LA-EA5's added screw-drive motor is dead weight you don't need.
- Does it support full PDAF on modern E bodies?
- Yes — on bodies with on-sensor PDAF (a7 III and later), the LA-EA3 delivers full sensor-wide AF coverage with SSM / SAM A-mount lenses.
Head-to-head comparisons
Mounts on either side
Other adapters worth comparing
More from Sony
Same lens-side mount (Sony A)
- Sony LA-EA5 — onto Sony E · 2020
- Sony LA-EA4 — onto Sony E · 2014
Same body-side mount (Sony E)
- Sony LA-EA5 — from Sony A · 2020
- Sigma MC-11 — from Canon EF · 2016
- Metabones EF-E Mark V — from Canon EF · 2017
- Metabones Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71× EF-E — from Canon EF · 2014
- Viltrox EF-NEX IV (EF-E) — from Canon EF · 2018
- Techart LM-EA9 — from Leica M · 2022
- Voigtländer VM-E Close Focus — from Leica M · 2015
- Sony LA-EA4 — from Sony A · 2014
- Fotodiox Pro EF-NEX — from Canon EF · 2018
- K&F Concept M42-NEX Pro — from M42 · 2018
- K&F Concept Nikon F-NEX Pro — from Nikon F · 2019
- K&F Concept Pentax K-NEX Pro — from Pentax K · 2019
- Urth M42 to Sony E — from M42 · 2019
- Urth Leica M to Sony E — from Leica M · 2020
- Kipon Baveyes EF-FE 0.7x — from Canon EF · 2017
- Novoflex SONY/OM — from Olympus OM · 2016
- 7Artisans M-FE — from Leica M · 2018
- Commlite CM-EF-NEX HS — from Canon EF · 2018
- Commlite CM-ENF-E1 Pro — from Nikon F · 2018
- Fotodiox Vizelex ND Throttle EF-NEX — from Canon EF · 2014
- K&F Concept C/Y-NEX — from Contax · 2018
- Urth Contax/Yashica to Sony E — from Contax · 2020
- K&F Concept MD-NEX — from Minolta SR · 2016
- K&F Concept PK-NEX — from Pentax K · 2016
- Fotodiox FD-NEX — from Canon FD · 2011
- Urth Olympus OM-E — from Olympus OM · 2020
Keep exploring
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