Experience in action in Blackwater with Monster LA-FE1 + Nikon AF-S 60 Micro + Sony A1

[Giancarlo M.]

Hi everyone, I wanted to share with everyone my experience with the Monster Adaptor LA-FE1 with Nikon AF-S 60 micro and Sony A1.
Last year, after seeing acquaintances using the Monster+Nikon 60 micro combination on Sony bodies I wanted to look into it further and eventually decided to try this combination.
I was advised to use the Monster's FW 6.0 which is supposed to be better performing and after a bit of testing with the Nikon 60 lenses we realized that only the serials from 22 onwards worked better, the 20 and 21 series were slow.
Ground tests, were very encouraging, AF was good and tracking was also working well.
But like all things, in the end the real test is in actual use.
I spent 10 days in Anilao in early March and had a chance to try it out.

During the dives I saw right away that this combo would go a little down on smaller subjects with little contrast ( small jellyfish, mantis shrimp larvae, ect.) while it worked better on higher contrast subjects ( paper nautilus, squid est).

Unfortunately, however, the situation worsened when the camera froze completely. It happened to me 2 times in the water and once on land before diving.

The camera froze for 5-10 minutes and only then turned on again, while on the last day, I panicked a bit because it wouldn't turn on again. After trying 2 original batteries, I tried a Patona battery and only with that battery did it turn on with the Sony 90 macro, with the Monster+Nikon it would not turn on.

The next day my Sony A1 started working properly again.

A similar situation happened to my friend Scipione who was on vacation with me and has the same configuration as me.

I wanted to report this experience to prevent others from making this mistake. 
I cannot tell you, whether it is a communication problem with the camera body or something else.
My friend with Sony A7RIV did not have these problems, according to him.

 

Edited Friday at 11:33 AM by Giancarlo M.

[Davide DB]

Thanks for the feedback Giancarlo.

Maybe it would be important to write a few lines to the company that makes the Monster Adapter as well.