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Camera and lens mount guide

By OneProGear · Published · Updated

Match lenses to the camera before you buy. Blackmagic's Pocket 4K and Studio 4K use Micro Four Thirds, the 6K Pocket and Studio cameras use EF, Cinema Camera 6K and PYXIS use full-frame L-Mount, EF or PL, and URSA Mini Pro swaps mounts. Adapters change the fit, never the coverage.

camera-lens-mount-map guide cover

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  1. Start with the camera, not the lens

    A lens mount is a fixed flange distance plus a pattern of lugs that lock the lens on. Adapters work in only one direction: a lens made for a longer flange distance can go on a camera with a shorter one, with the adapter filling the gap. Micro Four Thirds (MFT) and L-Mount are short. EF is longer. PL is a cinema standard with a long flange distance and a locking ring. B4 is the bayonet mount used on 2/3-inch broadcast lenses.

    When a camera's spec says "active" mount (active EF, active L-Mount, active MFT), the camera can control the iris and focus on compatible lenses. A basic, passive adapter loses that control.

    Once the lens fits, check coverage next: the lens's image circle has to match the sensor. The adapter's product photo will not tell you that.

  2. Micro Four Thirds: Pocket 4K and Studio 4K Pro G2

    The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and the Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro G2 both have an active MFT mount and a Four Thirds sensor, about 18–19 mm wide.

    MFT lenses cover these sensors natively. A focal reducer (often sold as a speed booster) lets some EF stills lenses cover Four Thirds and gain about one stop of light. A plain EF-to-MFT adapter gives you a tighter, cropped view instead, and can leave dark corners with some lenses.

    The SmallRig Lens Mount Adapter Support for the BMPCC 4K is a support, not an optical adapter. It holds up a heavy adapted lens so it does not sag and strain the Pocket 4K's plastic mount. Use it whenever the adapter plus lens is long.

  3. Super 35 EF: Pocket 6K Pro, Pocket 6K G2, Studio 6K Pro

    The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 and Studio Camera 6K Pro all have an active EF mount and a Super 35 sensor, about 23 × 13 mm. The Studio Camera 6K Pro also takes power over Ethernet and 12 V power through an XLR socket.

    Canon EF stills lenses and EF cinema lenses cover Super 35. Full-frame EF lenses cover it too; the outer part of their image circle simply goes unused.

    Canon RF lenses cannot go on an EF camera through a simple adapter, so do not plan an RF stills kit around one of these bodies. All three cameras share the same mount and sensor size, so lenses and working habits move easily between them.

  4. Full-frame L-Mount and the EF and PL PYXIS versions

    The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K and PYXIS 6K have an active L-Mount and a full-frame sensor (36 × 24 mm). The PYXIS 12K also uses L-Mount, with a large-format sensor of about the same size. L-Mount lenses from Leica, Panasonic and Sigma, plus L-Mount cinema lenses, cover them. EF lenses need an adapter to L-Mount; whether focus and iris still work from the camera depends on the adapter.

    The PYXIS 6K EF has a locking, active EF mount and the same full-frame sensor. Super 35 EF cinema lenses will show dark corners when you use the full sensor. The PYXIS 6K PL has a PL mount with /i lens-data support. Use PL cinema lenses that cover full frame, not just Super 35.

  5. URSA Mini Pro: one camera, four mounts

    The Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 comes with an EF mount and can swap to URSA Mini Pro PL, B4 or Nikon F mounts. The URSA Mini Pro 12K comes with PL and can swap to EF or F. Extra mounts are separate parts, so check which mount your camera has before you buy lenses.

    The URSA Mini Pro B4 Mount takes 2/3-inch broadcast zoom lenses. It has a locking ring and built-in correction optics, and its image area is much smaller than Super 35, about 10.6 × 5.9 mm. Choose B4 when you want a broadcast zoom and a TV-style picture, not to stretch a small broadcast lens across the whole sensor.

    The SmallRig Lens Adapter Support for the Nikon FTZ is for Nikon's FTZ adapter on a Nikon camera, not for the URSA.

  6. Sony cinema cameras: check the mount on Sony's sheet

    Sony's cinema and compact cameras include the FX3, FX30, FX2, FX5, FX6, FR7, BURANO and VENICE, plus the ILX-LR1. Most are built around Sony's E-mount. FE lenses are Sony's full-frame lenses and cover the full-frame bodies such as the FX3, FX6 and FR7. The FX30 has a smaller Super 35 sensor.

    Before you buy lenses, confirm the exact mount and sensor size for your model on Sony's spec sheet.

    The Sony FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS is a long zoom; the FE in its name tells you it covers full frame. Confirm the mount and filter size on Sony's page.

    If you plan to adapt Canon RF, Nikon Z or other stills lenses, check flange distance and coverage first. Those combinations sit outside this map.

  7. Coverage matters more than the adapter

    Each sensor size needs a lens with a big enough image circle:

    • Four Thirds (about 19 mm wide): covered by MFT lenses and anything larger
    • Super 35 (about 23 mm wide): covered by Super 35 cinema lenses and full-frame stills lenses
    • Full frame (36 × 24 mm, as on the Cinema Camera 6K and PYXIS 6K): needs full-frame L-Mount, EF or PL lenses

    A Super 35 PL lens on the PYXIS 6K PL will leave hard dark corners.

    An adapter only changes how the lens attaches; it cannot make the image circle bigger. Lens supports, like the SmallRig ones for the BMPCC 4K and the Nikon FTZ, stop the mount from straining but do not add coverage. Choose the camera whose own mount matches the lenses you have, or plan for lenses in that mount, before you spend on adapters. Active mounts are the ones that still control the iris from the camera.

What you need

  • The camera's lens mount, from the maker's spec sheet
  • The camera's sensor size, which the lens has to cover
  • The lens mount you already own, or the one you are ready to buy into
  • An adapter only when the mount distances allow it, plus a support if the adapter and lens are long

A lens that will not mount is a paperweight. A lens that mounts but leaves dark corners (called vignetting) is a slower paperweight. This guide maps the lens mounts on popular Blackmagic and Sony cinema cameras, the sensor size each lens must cover, and when an adapter helps.

Two terms first. Flange distance is the gap between the lens mount and the sensor. Image circle is the size of the picture a lens throws onto the sensor; it must be at least as big as the sensor, or you get dark corners.

Start with the camera, not the lens

A lens mount is a fixed flange distance plus a pattern of lugs that lock the lens on. Adapters work in only one direction: a lens made for a longer flange distance can go on a camera with a shorter one, with the adapter filling the gap. Micro Four Thirds (MFT) and L-Mount are short. EF is longer. PL is a cinema standard with a long flange distance and a locking ring. B4 is the bayonet mount used on 2/3-inch broadcast lenses.

When a camera's spec says "active" mount (active EF, active L-Mount, active MFT), the camera can control the iris and focus on compatible lenses. A basic, passive adapter loses that control.

Once the lens fits, check coverage next: the lens's image circle has to match the sensor. The adapter's product photo will not tell you that.

Micro Four Thirds: Pocket 4K and Studio 4K Pro G2

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and the Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro G2 both have an active MFT mount and a Four Thirds sensor, about 18–19 mm wide.

MFT lenses cover these sensors natively. A focal reducer (often sold as a speed booster) lets some EF stills lenses cover Four Thirds and gain about one stop of light. A plain EF-to-MFT adapter gives you a tighter, cropped view instead, and can leave dark corners with some lenses.

The SmallRig Lens Mount Adapter Support for the BMPCC 4K is a support, not an optical adapter. It holds up a heavy adapted lens so it does not sag and strain the Pocket 4K's plastic mount. Use it whenever the adapter plus lens is long.

Super 35 EF: Pocket 6K Pro, Pocket 6K G2, Studio 6K Pro

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 and Studio Camera 6K Pro all have an active EF mount and a Super 35 sensor, about 23 × 13 mm. The Studio Camera 6K Pro also takes power over Ethernet and 12 V power through an XLR socket.

Canon EF stills lenses and EF cinema lenses cover Super 35. Full-frame EF lenses cover it too; the outer part of their image circle simply goes unused.

Canon RF lenses cannot go on an EF camera through a simple adapter, so do not plan an RF stills kit around one of these bodies. All three cameras share the same mount and sensor size, so lenses and working habits move easily between them.

Full-frame L-Mount and the EF and PL PYXIS versions

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K and PYXIS 6K have an active L-Mount and a full-frame sensor (36 × 24 mm). The PYXIS 12K also uses L-Mount, with a large-format sensor of about the same size. L-Mount lenses from Leica, Panasonic and Sigma, plus L-Mount cinema lenses, cover them. EF lenses need an adapter to L-Mount; whether focus and iris still work from the camera depends on the adapter.

The PYXIS 6K EF has a locking, active EF mount and the same full-frame sensor. Super 35 EF cinema lenses will show dark corners when you use the full sensor. The PYXIS 6K PL has a PL mount with /i lens-data support. Use PL cinema lenses that cover full frame, not just Super 35.

URSA Mini Pro: one camera, four mounts

The Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 comes with an EF mount and can swap to URSA Mini Pro PL, B4 or Nikon F mounts. The URSA Mini Pro 12K comes with PL and can swap to EF or F. Extra mounts are separate parts, so check which mount your camera has before you buy lenses.

The URSA Mini Pro B4 Mount takes 2/3-inch broadcast zoom lenses. It has a locking ring and built-in correction optics, and its image area is much smaller than Super 35, about 10.6 × 5.9 mm. Choose B4 when you want a broadcast zoom and a TV-style picture, not to stretch a small broadcast lens across the whole sensor.

The SmallRig Lens Adapter Support for the Nikon FTZ is for Nikon's FTZ adapter on a Nikon camera, not for the URSA.

Sony cinema cameras: check the mount on Sony's sheet

Sony's cinema and compact cameras include the FX3, FX30, FX2, FX5, FX6, FR7, BURANO and VENICE, plus the ILX-LR1. Most are built around Sony's E-mount. FE lenses are Sony's full-frame lenses and cover the full-frame bodies such as the FX3, FX6 and FR7. The FX30 has a smaller Super 35 sensor.

Before you buy lenses, confirm the exact mount and sensor size for your model on Sony's spec sheet.

The Sony FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS is a long zoom; the FE in its name tells you it covers full frame. Confirm the mount and filter size on Sony's page.

If you plan to adapt Canon RF, Nikon Z or other stills lenses, check flange distance and coverage first. Those combinations sit outside this map.

Coverage matters more than the adapter

Each sensor size needs a lens with a big enough image circle:

  • Four Thirds (about 19 mm wide): covered by MFT lenses and anything larger
  • Super 35 (about 23 mm wide): covered by Super 35 cinema lenses and full-frame stills lenses
  • Full frame (36 × 24 mm, as on the Cinema Camera 6K and PYXIS 6K): needs full-frame L-Mount, EF or PL lenses

A Super 35 PL lens on the PYXIS 6K PL will leave hard dark corners.

An adapter only changes how the lens attaches; it cannot make the image circle bigger. Lens supports, like the SmallRig ones for the BMPCC 4K and the Nikon FTZ, stop the mount from straining but do not add coverage. Choose the camera whose own mount matches the lenses you have, or plan for lenses in that mount, before you spend on adapters. Active mounts are the ones that still control the iris from the camera.

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Buy this as a kit

Ready-made run-and-gun filmmaker kits. Swap any part or change quantities on the kit page.

Compare the run-and-gun filmmaker kits →

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