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Speedbooster : Question + an idea

Started Sep 11, 2018 | Discussions
PhotosByHall Contributing Member • Posts: 600
Speedbooster : Question + an idea

Hi all,

I've done a bit of research, but please put me straight if I'm wrong.

1. I simply cannot decide whether to get a new mirrorless system. I have a Nikon 1, and while I love the reach and the size, i would like a better system for portraits.

As I shoot Canon SLRs, the M5 seems like a good buy, it's very cheap on MPB.com and I have about another £100 to trade in, so I can get the state of the art for about £400. I shot some great portraits on the original Eos M camera, but traded it in for better AF and more reach without mounting enormous and heavy L glass on the EF-M.

Now, I have read that you can get a speedbooster to mount Canon EF fit easily for Sony \ Fuji, but there is less info about the Canon version. I have a 50mm nifty fifty and some lensbaby optics I got cheap I would like to shoot on this body, as it will be my third "special effects" body when I shoot a wedding.

Does anyone have any experience, or anything they would suggest?

2. I had an idea - which might be optically impossible - but would be interested in an experts opinion.

A speedbooster is manual focus only, because you are mounting EF to EF-M. What if the connection was EF both sides? You would then put pass through contacts on it a la an auto focus extension tube. You'd then fit the speed booster into the EF->EF-M adapter and you'd have an autofocusing speedbooster that lets you mount full frame on the EF-M cameras!

Is this optically impossible? I don't believe it already exists...

Cheers!

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nnowak Veteran Member • Posts: 9,076
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea
1

PhotosByHall wrote:

Hi all,

I've done a bit of research, but please put me straight if I'm wrong.

1. I simply cannot decide whether to get a new mirrorless system. I have a Nikon 1, and while I love the reach and the size, i would like a better system for portraits.

As I shoot Canon SLRs, the M5 seems like a good buy, it's very cheap on MPB.com and I have about another £100 to trade in, so I can get the state of the art for about £400. I shot some great portraits on the original Eos M camera, but traded it in for better AF and more reach without mounting enormous and heavy L glass on the EF-M.

Now, I have read that you can get a speedbooster to mount Canon EF fit easily for Sony \ Fuji, but there is less info about the Canon version. I have a 50mm nifty fifty and some lensbaby optics I got cheap I would like to shoot on this body, as it will be my third "special effects" body when I shoot a wedding.

Does anyone have any experience, or anything they would suggest?

2. I had an idea - which might be optically impossible - but would be interested in an experts opinion.

A speedbooster is manual focus only, because you are mounting EF to EF-M. What if the connection was EF both sides? You would then put pass through contacts on it a la an auto focus extension tube. You'd then fit the speed booster into the EF->EF-M adapter and you'd have an autofocusing speedbooster that lets you mount full frame on the EF-M cameras!

Is this optically impossible? I don't believe it already exists...

Cheers!

A standard EF to EF-M adapter is just wired straight through. There is no logic in these adapters. The Sony E mount and Canon EF-M mount both share an 18mm flange distance. Metabones makes Canon EF to Sony E SpeedBoosters with full AF. I have personally taken an original SpeedBooster and newer SpeedBooster Ultra and converted them to EF-M mount using donor parts from generic EF to EF-M adapters.  Yes, it is possible and AF and IS work properly.

I did these conversions a few years ago when mirrorless options were more limited. However, it is not worth the effort.  You will have several hundreds of dollars just in the donor parts.  Add in the const of an M5 and you will have spent enough to easily purchase a good full frame camera.  Even with the best SpeedBooster, your lenses will still perform better on their native format.  Also, the weight of a SpeedBooster is actually fairly significant.

If you are looking at the cheap $100 SpeedBooster clones that show up on eBay, don't bother.  The optics are not good at all.

Brd022 Forum Member • Posts: 87
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea
1

Viltrox has confirmed that they will be releasing ef/ef-m speedbooster with af this year.

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lumenite Senior Member • Posts: 1,208
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea

PhotosByHall wrote:

Hi all,

I've done a bit of research, but please put me straight if I'm wrong.

1. I simply cannot decide whether to get a new mirrorless system. I have a Nikon 1, and while I love the reach and the size, i would like a better system for portraits.

As I shoot Canon SLRs, the M5 seems like a good buy, it's very cheap on MPB.com and I have about another £100 to trade in, so I can get the state of the art for about £400. I shot some great portraits on the original Eos M camera, but traded it in for better AF and more reach without mounting enormous and heavy L glass on the EF-M.

Now, I have read that you can get a speedbooster to mount Canon EF fit easily for Sony \ Fuji, but there is less info about the Canon version. I have a 50mm nifty fifty and some lensbaby optics I got cheap I would like to shoot on this body, as it will be my third "special effects" body when I shoot a wedding.

Does anyone have any experience, or anything they would suggest?

2. I had an idea - which might be optically impossible - but would be interested in an experts opinion.

A speedbooster is manual focus only, because you are mounting EF to EF-M. What if the connection was EF both sides? You would then put pass through contacts on it a la an auto focus extension tube. You'd then fit the speed booster into the EF->EF-M adapter and you'd have an autofocusing speedbooster that lets you mount full frame on the EF-M cameras!

Is this optically impossible? I don't believe it already exists...

Cheers!

As far as I know, there is a seller at ebay who customizes the EF-to-EFM focal reducer with others' parts and resells it. It means that it is not a factory product, but its cost is not inexpensive, although it supports AF and IS. Some bad effects come along, of course.

Anyway, for what focal length or range do you need the converter? Now EOS Ms have 22mm/2 for 35mm equiv, 32mm/1.4 for 51mm, and 50mm/1.8 for 80mm.

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nobuchika Regular Member • Posts: 287
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea

PhotosByHall wrote:

A speedbooster is manual focus only, because you are mounting EF to EF-M. What if the connection was EF both sides? You would then put pass through contacts on it a la an auto focus extension tube. You'd then fit the speed booster into the EF->EF-M adapter and you'd have an autofocusing speedbooster that lets you mount full frame on the EF-M cameras!

Is this optically impossible? I don't believe it already exists...

Cheers!

It unofficially exists. A guy in Korea handmakes these from autofocus capable adapters and sells them on ebay for about $300. I've had one for a while.

In general speedboosters are meant for video, not really photography, to help negate sensor crop factors while using fast FF primes and allow extra stop of light so lower ISO can be used.

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Dareshooter Veteran Member • Posts: 5,842
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea

lumenite wrote:

PhotosByHall wrote:

Hi all,

I've done a bit of research, but please put me straight if I'm wrong.

1. I simply cannot decide whether to get a new mirrorless system. I have a Nikon 1, and while I love the reach and the size, i would like a better system for portraits.

As I shoot Canon SLRs, the M5 seems like a good buy, it's very cheap on MPB.com and I have about another £100 to trade in, so I can get the state of the art for about £400. I shot some great portraits on the original Eos M camera, but traded it in for better AF and more reach without mounting enormous and heavy L glass on the EF-M.

Now, I have read that you can get a speedbooster to mount Canon EF fit easily for Sony \ Fuji, but there is less info about the Canon version. I have a 50mm nifty fifty and some lensbaby optics I got cheap I would like to shoot on this body, as it will be my third "special effects" body when I shoot a wedding.

Does anyone have any experience, or anything they would suggest?

2. I had an idea - which might be optically impossible - but would be interested in an experts opinion.

A speedbooster is manual focus only, because you are mounting EF to EF-M. What if the connection was EF both sides? You would then put pass through contacts on it a la an auto focus extension tube. You'd then fit the speed booster into the EF->EF-M adapter and you'd have an autofocusing speedbooster that lets you mount full frame on the EF-M cameras!

Is this optically impossible? I don't believe it already exists...

Cheers!

As far as I know, there is a seller at ebay who customizes the EF-to-EFM focal reducer with others' parts and resells it. It means that it is not a factory product, but its cost is not inexpensive, although it supports AF and IS. Some bad effects come along, of course.

Anyway, for what focal length or range do you need the converter? Now EOS Ms have 22mm/2 for 35mm equiv, 32mm/1.4 for 51mm, and 50mm/1.8 for 80mm.

M doesn't have a native 50mm .

davev8
davev8 Veteran Member • Posts: 4,833
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea
2

i have never seen the point of speed boosters as for the the same money and weight as APSc body+ booster you can buy a FF body ..you can buy a gray market 6Dmkii for £1000GBP a 6Dmki for less in the UK..i see second hand SonyA7 FF MILC from £350 A7r and A7s from £450 and A7ii from £600

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-a7-FE-E-Mount-Full-Frame-Camera/323394631161?hash=item4b4bd275f9:g:8SMAAOSwV05bcUYr

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My 5D IS a MK1 classic
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There is no argument for FF vs APS-c (or m43) with shallow DOF..as it's a law of physics and a very subjective personal thing if you want to make use of the shallow DOF only FF can offer
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Wildabobalore Regular Member • Posts: 407
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea

Can you link a statement from Viltrox confirming this? I emailed them last week and they replied saying that they are no longer currently developing the EF-EFM Speedbooster and cannot give a timeframe on when one would be announced.

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Brd022 Forum Member • Posts: 87
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea

Wildabobalore wrote:

Can you link a statement from Viltrox confirming this? I emailed them last week and they replied saying that they are no longer currently developing the EF-EFM Speedbooster and cannot give a timeframe on when one would be announced.

I was referring to this link on CR: https://www.canonnews.com/speedbooster-coming-to-ef-m-soon

That's sad what you've posted It looks like you got the latest info

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bowserb Forum Member • Posts: 94
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea
1

While it might only be a novelty, if Metabones released an EF to EFM speedbooster for their usual $699, I would buy it.  A lot of money for a novelty, but I see lenses we already have, for example:

50mm F1.2 acting like a 50mm F0.8.  Talk about a low light king!

85mm F1.8 as an 85mm F1.2

100mm F2.8 macro being a 100mm F2.0 macro

35mm F2 is a 35mm F1.4

70-200 F2.8 looking like 70-200 F2.0

14mm F2.8 looking like 14mm F2.0

500mm F4 looking like a 500mm F2.8

In practical terms, it wouldn't mean much, but it sure would be fun!  I might switch to nothing but night photography!

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nnowak Veteran Member • Posts: 9,076
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea

bowserb wrote:

While it might only be a novelty, if Metabones released an EF to EFM speedbooster for their usual $699, I would buy it. A lot of money for a novelty, but I see lenses we already have, for example:

50mm F1.2 acting like a 50mm F0.8. Talk about a low light king!

85mm F1.8 as an 85mm F1.2

100mm F2.8 macro being a 100mm F2.0 macro

35mm F2 is a 35mm F1.4

70-200 F2.8 looking like 70-200 F2.0

14mm F2.8 looking like 14mm F2.0

500mm F4 looking like a 500mm F2.8

In practical terms, it wouldn't mean much, but it sure would be fun! I might switch to nothing but night photography!

Speedboosters don't quite work like that.  Aperture increase by one stop and focal length is multiplied by 0.71.

Here is what your lenses become on a Speedbooster

50mm f1.2 becomes 36mm f0.9

85mm f1.2 becomes 60mm f0.9

100mm f2.8 becomes 71mm f2.0

35mm f2.0 becomes 25mm f1.4

70-200mm f2.8 becomes 50-142mm f2.0

14mm f2.8 becomes 10mm f2.0

500mm f4.0 becomes 355mm f2.8

Here is where your theory really falls apart.  You are now mounting these lenses on a Canon APS-C crop sensor camera which has a 1.6X crop and is 1-1/3 stops behind full frame.  Using the above lenses on a M series camera in combination with a Speedboostes nets you the following full frame equivalents....

50mm f1.2 becomes 57mm f1.4

85mm f1.2 becomes 97mm f1.4

100mm f2.8 becomes 114mm f3.2

35mm f2.0 becomes 40mm f2.2

70-200mm f2.8 becomes 80-227mm f3.2

14mm f2.8 becomes 16mm f3.2

500mm f4.0 becomes 568mm f4.5

While the Speedbooster improves the lenses on a crop sensor, the lenses will still work better natively on a full frame camera.

davev8
davev8 Veteran Member • Posts: 4,833
Re: Speedbooster : Question + an idea

bowserb wrote:

While it might only be a novelty, if Metabones released an EF to EFM speedbooster for their usual $699, I would buy it. A lot of money for a novelty, but I see lenses we already have, for example:

50mm F1.2 acting like a 50mm F0.8. Talk about a low light king!

85mm F1.8 as an 85mm F1.2

100mm F2.8 macro being a 100mm F2.0 macro

35mm F2 is a 35mm F1.4

70-200 F2.8 looking like 70-200 F2.0

14mm F2.8 looking like 14mm F2.0

500mm F4 looking like a 500mm F2.8

In practical terms, it wouldn't mean much, but it sure would be fun! I might switch to nothing but night photography!

or you could have a FF body and click the ISO up 1 stop and get the same result

-- hide signature --

Attention Dislexsic i mean dyslexic person... This post will have many although spell checked, spelling and grammatical errs ..its The best its going get so no need to tell me its bad i know it is .....................................................................................................
My 5D IS a MK1 classic
..........................................................................................................
There is no argument for FF vs APS-c (or m43) with shallow DOF..as it's a law of physics and a very subjective personal thing if you want to make use of the shallow DOF only FF can offer
...........................................................................................................
Political correctness....somebody being offended on someone else's behalf....who that someone doesn't give a damn in the first place ....David Appleton
..................................................................................................
quoting irrefutable facts may get you branded a racist ..even if no race is involved .......David Appleton
.....................................................................................................
The word ‘racism’ is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything — and demanding evidence makes you a ‘racist.’”........Thomas Sowell

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