MetaBones Speed Booster Adaptor

Philip Bloom just posted a review of the MetaBones Speed Booster that is expected to be announced tomorrow. His review covers the NEX mount version but a m43 version is also coming. It makes your Canon glass 1 stop faster, wider and better optically. Looks like the reverse of a TC.

http://philipbloom.net/2013/01/13/speedbooster/

"Further advantages are lens size. It’s very hard to find if not impossible a lightweight small fast 35mm lens. But now by using the lovely cheap as chips 50mm f/1.8 Nikon E Series pancake lens I can have a light weight small 35mm 1.2 that has increased MTF!! Brilliant."

"This MTF behaviour turns out to be typical of most lenses when used with the Speed Booster, namely: 1) both the Sony NEX and Micro Four Thirds versions give a dramatic MTF enhancement near the centre of the image; 2) the Micro Four Thirds version is better than the original lens used by itself over nearly all of the Micro Four Thirds format; 3) in the outer parts of the field the Sony NEX version has slightly reduced contrast relative to the Micro Four Thirds version where their image circles overlap; and 4) the Sony NEX version in the extreme corner of the NEX format has similar MTF to the original lens in its original image corner."

DEAR GAWD WHat will this do to my voigtlander X_X

Faster, wider, and better resolution is what we need - wonder why this hasn't been done before.

This sounds terrific - maybe even AF and Nikon F/MFT versions!

Thanks!

Let's see when they make a Micro 4/3 version.

--
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
God always take the simplest way.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
God is the tangential point between zero and infinity.
Aleo Photo Site

I read olympus patented similar adaptor for the om lenses.  I love metabones' products, and hope they release this for as many mount as possible for m43.

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:hinting
http://www.redbubble.com/people/hinting/art
https://plus.google.com/115255826572441766446/posts

Wow, this opens up a LOT of possibilities!

Metabones Speed Booster link at Diglloyd.com

C.Psarros

Regardless, I really can't wait for a µ43 version

Kodak now went bankrupt. Bulk of their patent portfolio has been recently acquired (last Friday actually) by a consortium led by Apple, Google and Microsoft. Maybe Kodak's demise and commercial availability of such devices are not coincidental? just a guess

If I remember correctly, the main reason we never saw a commercial 'speed booster' type of device in the past was because Kodak had a patent for it and therefore nobody else could make and sell one.

Isn't that pretty much a telecompressor-like adapter?

So, do I understand the MetaBones Speed Booster Adaptor correctly?

MetaBones Claims:
Increases lens speed by 1 f-stop, increases wide-angle by .71 multiplier, increases sharpness, increases shallower depth of field, and retains full autofocus capability?

So (doing a little rounding up on Panasonic lenses):

...a 7-14mm (14-28mm in 35mm equivalent) f4 becomes a 5-10mm (10-20mm) f2.8, 
...a 12-35mm (24-70mm) f2.8 becomes an 9-25mm (17-49mm) f2.0, 
...a 35-100mm (70-200mm) f2.8 becomes a 25-71mm (50-142mm) f2.0, 
...a 100-300mm (200-600mm) f-4-5.6 becomes a 71-213mm (142-426mm) f2.8-f4...

...and a 25mm (50mm) f1.4 becomes an 18mm (36mm) f1.0?

If it really works as stated, and with shallower depth of field... ...then...

...Wow?

And what about the 9-18, 12 2.0, 14 2.5, 12-50, 45s, 60, 75, 40-150, etc?

Cons?:  adds a little length and weight to m43s concept, and of course $599.00 out of pocket...

But, hey...

No. The booster is not suitable for (micro) Four Thirds lenses. It works like a mount adaptor for SLR lenses with a longer flange distance, but with some optics built in (and even electronics in some cases).

In fact, the booster may equate the reduced field of view when using FF lenses on APSC sensors or APSC-lenses on mFT sensors.

The white paper at http://www.metabones.com/images/metabones/Speed%20Booster%20White%20Paper.pdf is very well written and full of information.

This converter is for use with 3rd party lenses (e.g. Canon and Nikon) made for larger sensors, to fit them on a m43 body, not for native m43 lenses.

Okay... ...more homework to do - as I missed that it is not suitable for use between m43s bodies and lenses... ...sheesh - but thanks much for the swift reply and link.

wish they'd make one for Leica M lenses

--
Neil
http://about.me/buchangrant

Specialist accessory manufacturer Metabones and optics company Caldwell Photographics have jointly announced the 'Speed Booster', a lens adapter for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras that reduces the focal length by a factor of 0.71x and increases the maximum aperture by 1 stop. The Speed Booster also promises sharper images compared to using the lens with a simple adapter. The first version will allow use of Canon EF lenses on Sony NEX bodies, and will be available this month from Metabones' web site for US$599. Support for additional lens mounts (including Nikon F) and camera systems (including Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds) is also planned.

--
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
God always take the simplest way.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
God is the tangential point between zero and infinity.
Aleo Photo Site

It is weighting as much as a native MFT lens (194gr) and cost as much if not more (600$) : I don’t see much interest in that adapter for stills shooters, once you add the weight of an EOS lens. Plus it is made primarily for APSC mirrorless : they would get the original focal back, but not 4:3 users. So it is even less interesting for MFT photographers.

As for the rest, you are just relaying what the marketing says : reducing the image circle will of course make the original flaws appear smaller in the picture. What they don't tell you is how many flaws the piece of glass they stick in their adaptor will add.

Anyone wants to mount a heavy EOS lens on his small mirrorless camera and add 200grmore to it ?  And s willing to pay as much as a native mft lens for it ?

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rrr_hhh

I agree it will primarily be of interest to video shooters, and weight will be an issue for many MFT users.  OTOH, consider that you could mount the superb Samyang 35/1.4 and get an effective 50mm f/1 lens with fantastic IQ and electronic aperture control/EXIF (though manual focus) for about $1,000....  Heavy as an anvil, but intriguing nonetheless.

I gladly pay for one if it makes my manual Minolta legacy lenses all of a sudden become wider and faster!  You don't realize that this is one of the advantages of our systems, namely old legacy lenses have a lot of character and are incredible useable with much value...  Al

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Amateur Photographer of family mainly

If the m4/3 version is a 0.5x instead of 0.71x then I can definately see myself getting it, along with an EOS 28mm f1.8 (or equivalent), especially if it includes aperture and autofocus (even if slow).

A 14mm f0.9 lens that weighs 500g with aperture control (and maybe autofocus)..? YES PLEASE!



+1

For 600 dollars and 194 gr, the least we can wait for is an adaptor conceived for m4/3 and not something conceived for APSC and transformed for m4/3.

I mean it must be a x0.5 converter!

I think this techno-wonder is largely irrelevant to M43:

1).  M43 has plenty of native lenses, and this family of native lenses is growing...

2)  New adapter does not support AF for adapted lenses

I do not see any reason to come back to the future. I do not want to invest money into adapter that leads to nowhere.

Maybe this adapter makes sense for well known lens-less NEX family.   :-D.

Oh yes, for those who have collections of AF lenses from abandoned systems (EOS or others) - do not buy adapter, do not prolong the agony, go directly into M43.

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Looking for equilibrium...