Tilta has officially launched the Nucleus Auto Focus Adapter (E to PL), a lens mount adapter that brings phase-detection autofocus to fully manual PL cinema lenses when paired with Sony E-mount cameras. The adapter works with Tilta’s Nucleus-M II and Nucleus Nano II wireless lens control systems, translating the camera’s native AF data into motor-driven focus movements. It is available for pre-order starting at $269, with shipping scheduled after April 7, 2026. After first teasing the concept back in August 2025 and showing a working prototype at Inter BEE 2025, Tilta is now making the Nucleus Auto Focus Adapter officially available. The product addresses a real tension in professional filmmaking: cinematographers love the character and optical quality of vintage and high-end cinema lenses, but those lenses are entirely manual, which can make them impractical in run-and-gun, documentary, or small-crew scenarios where a dedicated focus puller is not available. How the system works Unlike LiDAR-based autofocus solutions that independently measure subject distance, the Nucleus Auto Focus Adapter taps directly into the camera’s own phase-detection autofocus system. The adapter reads AF data from the sensor of compatible Sony cameras, including the FX3, FX30, and FX6, and translates that information into precise motor commands sent to a Nucleus-M II or Nucleus Nano II motor via Tilta’s standard 7-pin cable connection. Because the system relies on the camera’s native AF engine, it inherits all of the camera’s subject recognition capabilities. That means Sony’s face detection and eye tracking work with PL lenses that were...
Published By: CineD - Yesterday