Some of those after-market adapters require that you put the camera into "Release w/o Lens" in Menu | Setup

I did this same test with mine, a cheap adapter from china, an old minolta lens 50mm f11.4 that i bought at a yard sale for $5 on my NEX-5

If i put the camera into "Release w/o Lens" - Disable" mode, i get "shooting tips" at the bottom button and "cannot recognise lens".

When I enable "Release without Lens - enable" mode, i get "MF assist" and it will take the picture

This should solve it, but here are a couple other things you can try if not...

Have you also tried putting the camera into M or P mode?

Is there any shop near you that might let you try the original Sony LA-EA1 adapter? I know it's way more expensive, but just as a test. It may be that the camera is expecting the electronic connection to the lens since this is an AF lens.