The Sony VAD-RA adaptor is a well designed and manufactured mechanical item. This adaptor is a 'must have' if you own a Sony DSC-R1 and want to use the accessory lenses made for it.
Unfortunately, Sony did not anticipate the popularity of the R1 camera and did not produce enough of these adaptors to meet the demand. I bought a mint DSC-R1 camera in December 2009. At first, I wasn't thinking of buying the add-on lenses or adaptor, but when I found both lenses at a reasonable price, I picked them up. A month before I bought the lenses, I had looked at the VAD-RA adaptor on Sony's website and could have bought a refurbished one for $59.95. The original retail new was $79.95. When I needed the adaptor, they were all gone.
I ended up paying $300 for a new one from a vendor here on Amazon. I'm not complaining, but at about 4 times the retail price, I felt a bit abused. The last time I checked, the current price from the same vendor was $499 new and $399 refurbished. Ouch!!!
Rarely, a used one may show up for sale, but if you Google this item, you'll find only one vendor that has any left.
Too bad that there isn't an under-employed machinist out there that could produce a usable substitute for this 'utility' type of item.
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