The C7adapters PL to Canon RF Mounts allows you to run PL cine lenses on any Canon RF mount camera.
With the RED Komodo, Canon C70, and Canon R5/R6 now available, there is going to be a growing need for RF mount adapters so that you can adapt a wide array of lenses to use on those cameras.
Both the RED Komodo, Canon C70, and the Canon R5/R6 are very capable cameras and some shooters will be using them as their main A camera or as a B or C camera. Some users will also want to run existing PL mount cine glass that they may already own or frequently rent. That’s where PL to Canon RF mount adapters come in.
One company that has been making adapters for a long time is C7adapters. C7adapters is a Polish company and they have adapters for a wide array of camera platforms and mounts. I actually own one of their ARRI ALEXA Mini & Amira Nikon G camera mounts. I have had this for quite a few years and it enables me to run Nikon lenses on my Amira.
C7adapters has a range of new PL to Canon RF mounts available. So let’s have a look at them.
Three different versions available
I like that C7adapters has made three different versions of the PL to Canon RF mount. The three versions that are available are:
So what is the difference and why make three different versions? I’m glad you asked. Here is what the various versions are intended for:
The PL mount – RF (light) doesn’t come with any lens support and it has been designed to work with drones, Steadicam, or whenever you need to keep weight to an absolute minimum. It has been manufactured to be as light as possible, while still providing a very solid and robust connection between the lens and the camera body. It is made out of very durable Duralumin alloy.
The PL mount – RF mount with a black locking ring is the “reference” model. The support foot can be moved on the top of the adapter and it can be used with a camera handle. This mount is the all-rounder if you will, and it is suitable for most applications.
The third version, the PL mount – RF is built like a tank. It’s a good choice for rental houses or for anyone wanting to run very heavy lenses without extra support. All working surfaces are made of stainless steel. The locking ring has extra “wings” which makes locking/unlocking easier.
Build Quality
The C7adapters are beautifully machined and well made. The quality and fit are excellent. The adapters are made out of aircraft-grade alloy and have a black/silver anodized finish.
C7adapters claims they have been machined with 0.005mm of accuracy. All of the adapters also allow you to focus to infinity.
Even the metal caps that come on the adapters are beautifully made.
The PL mount – RF, which is the most heavy-duty of the three mounts also has a stainless steel PL mount flange. This mount is exceptionally robust and I don’t think I have ever come across an adapter that is as solidly made as this one.
The only issue I found was with the PL mount – RF (light). When you place this adapter onto a camera and then attach a lens, the lens isn’t straight. Above you can see what I mean. This only happened with this adapter.
This is a major problem and one that I did not expect. I am not sure why this particular adapter was like this. I reached out to C7 adapters to find out what the problem was and it looks like I received a very early prototype version instead of a production model by mistake.
What do they weigh?
Here is what the three different adapters weigh:
| WEIGHT | |
| PL mount – RF (light) | 110g / 3.9 oz |
| PL mount – RF Mount | 376 g / 13.3 oz |
| PL mount – RF | 450 g / 15.9 oz |
As you can see, there is quite a difference between the weight of the PL mount – RF (light) and the other two adapters.
Use any PL mount lens
It doesn’t matter if you want to use a 60-year-old lens or a brand new one, this mount will work with just about any PL mount lens you can find. I tried the adapter with very old PL lenses as well as brand new ones. All the lenses worked perfectly and I could focus to infinity. The lens mounts also have a shimmable flange where you can use shims if you need to make any adjustments. Please note that these are optional extras and don’t come with the adapters.
Usability
All three of the C7adapters are straight forward and easy to use. The release rings are all very smooth and they lock down firmly.
I couldn’t find any faults with the adapters (apart from the off-center issue with the PL mount – RF (light) version that I was testing), and they work as advertised.
Competition
There is quite a few PL to canon RF mounts available on the market. These include:
- MTF LensAdapter PL to Canon R Mount Adaptor $522.95 USD
- Wooden Camera Canon EOS R to PL Mount Adapter (Pro) $499 USD
- KIPON Lens Mount Adapter for ARRI PL-Mount Lens to Canon RF-Mount Camera $389 USD
- FotodioX Vizelex CinePro ND Lens Mount Adapter for ARRI PL-Mount Lens to Canon RF-Mount Camera $199.95 USD
- FotodioX ARRI PL Lens to Canon RF-Mount Camera Pro Lens Adapter $119.95 USD
- ARRI PL Lens to Canon RF-mount T CINE Adapter (EOS R) $369 USD
- Vocas Canon R-mount to PL adapter including 15 mm support $696.44 USD
- Vocas Canon RF-Mount to PL-Mount Lens Adapter $499.62 USD
- Tiltaing Canon RF Mount to PL Mount Adapter $269 USD
Price
The three versions of the C7adapters PL to Canon RF mount adapters range in price from $250 USD up to $600 USD. Here is what they cost:
This makes them competitively priced against the competition, especially given their build quality.
C7adapters also makes PL to MFT, E-mount, L-mount, X-mount, and Z-mount as well.
Final thoughts
I can never understand why shooters buy the cheapest lens adapter they can find. If you are going to be putting a PL mount lens that may well cost tens of thousands of dollars onto your camera why would you buy the cheapest possible adapter available?
If you want a solid and more importantly, reliable lens adapter, then you should only be looking at the better options that are out there.
C7adapters has a very good reputation and from having used some of their adapters and lens mounts in the past I can confidently say that they are more than up to the task.
With the C7adapters you don’t get any lens wobble, you can focus to infinity and you end up with a very reliable and robust adapter that provides a solid bridge between your lens and your camera mount.
I personally like the adapters from C7adapters and MTF LensAdapter. I use adapters from both of these companies and I choose to because they are two companies that just specialize in making adapters. If you are going to specialize in one thing then it has to be good otherwise you will quickly go out of business.
I like how C7adapters gives you three PL to Canon RF mount options so you can choose the one that makes the most sense for the type of work you do.
The adapters are beautifully made, very robust, and easy to use. I highly recommend them if you are looking for a PL to Canon RF adapter. I would never recommend anything that I don’t personally use myself.
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