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Metabones lens speed booster adapter, focal reducer
  • 873 Replies sorted by
  • SangyeSangye

    Didn't realize this, but the Nikon to MFT speedbooster makes AI/AI-s lenses stopless. To achieve this, stop the lens all the way down with the manual aperture ring, set the adapter to '8', mount it, and the speedbooster ring will steplessly control aperture for you. This might be common knowledge, but it sure was a nice surprise for me. My vintage Nikon prime collection all just became stepless - amazing.

  • GH2_fanGH2_fan

    @Brian202020

    Yes I do remember you doing so! Infact I think you (and another) were probably one of the first people who was looking into it!

    And then yes, the professional ones came out...which I think they probably saw your posts and took it upon themselves to create a business out of it!

    They probably had some sort of optics expert, engineer or professional to help create such lenses. This is what I wanted to know, on how they were able to overcome the problems you were having when you first started going on about the Focal Reducers :)

  • MikeLinnMikeLinn

    Voldemort wrote about BMCC and BMPCC oriented adapters at

    http://www.eoshd.com/content/11620/metabones-speed-booster-blackmagic-cameras-bmcc-bmpcc

  • JuMoJuMo

    Oh my god, these new speed boosters are blowing my mind. I love my FD to M43, but .58x is insane for the BMPCC! SWEET MERCY SAVE MY BANK ACCOUNT

  • mrbillmrbill

    @kazuo - I've seen three c/y adapters for Nikon now, and none have any glass in them. Couldn't say about the focus to infinity, sorry.

  • flabloflablo

    @Sangye I don't have any AI/AI-s Nikon to test, but the SB is not stepless, even when no lens is mounted. You really mean that it magically becomes smooth and clickless?

  • grierdillgrierdill

    My nikon speedbooster is stepless. All my nikon lenses have smooth aperture control if I use the speedbooster to adjust.

  • HillTop1HillTop1

    Why is this new speed boaster only works with the black magic family, anyone know?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Why is this new speed boaster only works with the black magic family, anyone know?

    I think not. But it'll require strictly FF glass for m43, I think. But not sure, as adapter glass can be too small.

  • brianc1959brianc1959

    @HillTop1 - the Blackmagic cameras differ from regular m4/3 mount cameras in two important respects:

    1) the sensor size is smaller 2) the outer surface of the coverglass/filter stack is closer to the actual sensor surface

    In other words, there is more room for the Speed Booster optics, and the required image size is smaller. As a result we were able to reduce the magnification, increase the speed, and maintain excellent image quality.

    However, because the new Speed Boosters take advantage of the extra space in the Blackmagic cameras the rear element protrudes too far to fit in normal m4/3 cameras.

  • CFreakCFreak

    @HillTop1 "Why is this new speed boaster only works with the black magic family, anyone know?"

    My guess is: optimized for the smaller sensors and lack of mechanical shutters in the BM cameras. It's explained in the chart at the bottom of their press release. Attached here:

    Screen Shot 2013-12-02 at 11.17.03 AM.png
    953 x 481 - 80K
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @CFreak

    Looks bad.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    Looks like you can't use this in conjunction with mosaics new filter coming out. Bummer. Guess we can't have it all :)

  • JuMoJuMo

    @VicHarris That is too bad, but we will be able to use the regular .71x Speedbooster on the BMCC with the Mosaic filter, correct? Since there isn't a Mosaic filter in the plans for the Pocket, that little BMPCC speedbooster is an amazingly affordable solution for the rectilinear super wide problem. In the same price range I've been looking at picking up a Switar 10mm, even with the very slight vignette - but not anymore! Metabones all the way.

  • actact

    Nikon's focus and aperture ring direction make me nervous because of my hand makes a mistake every time. It's opposite direction of all my Noktons, Zeiss ZE, Canon FD lenses. It prevent me of buying Sigma 18-35 and Metabones M43 combination. I'd very like if them make M43-to-M43(BMPCC) Speedbuster, I think it possible because it need optical correction anyway, but it not required to engineer MFT-to-MFT electronic adapter, there are already macro extension rings at market.

  • _OZ_OZ

    @act Just FYI: Sigma 18-35 Nikon mount focuses like your other lenses...not like actual Nikon lenses.

  • actact

    @_OZ Thanks for info! But, it sadly, buy adapter for only one lens... I had to sell new Zeiss Planar ZF because of focus direction and bought ZE (Canon mount). We need active Canon mount anyway.

  • GMCGMC

    @_OZ what is the focus throw on the Sigma 18-35? Is it like a quarter revolution from macro to infinity (like so many photography lenses) or more like manual glass (i.e. 3/4 revolution)?

  • oscillianoscillian

    @gmc

    Almost 160 degrees. Not perfect, but actually usable. Very smooth, damped ring action.

  • joesivjoesiv

    I wonder who's going to be the first to try to hack the physical shutter off their regular mFT cameras to use them strictly in video mode with one of these new adapters. The BMCC one might work well on non-oversized GH3 sensors. If you never touch photomode, you might be able to take out the shutter curtains without the camera knowing... ?

  • fatpigfatpig

    @act: I second the M43-to-M43 BMPCC speedbooster - that way I would never have to take it off.

    I emailed them about this option some months ago, when in this forum I was still told a speedbooster only for the BMPCC would be stupid. Well, it has happened now, but while it would be the best option for low budgets- I fear they just wont do it because they need profit and want to sell us different mount adapters.

  • brianc1959brianc1959

    @act - an m4/3 - to - m4/3 Speed Booster is not technically feasible. You would either have to use a bulky relay design that nobody would buy, or else you would have to sacrifice so much image quality that the device would effectively be useless.

  • bmorgan83bmorgan83

    yeah... m4/3 to m4/3 speedbooster not possible. the speed booster uses the flange distance that specific lenses were designed for as the space for the focal reducer to fit. Being that different camera systems have different flange distances for mounting the lenses, each speedbooster is designed with that in mind. So, being that the flange distance between a M4/3 mount and a M4/3 lens is 0... there could not be a M4/3 to M4/3 speedbooster.

  • JuMoJuMo

    If you don't read up and get a basic understanding of how it works, speed boosters might have you developing unrealistic expectations for a what focal reducer is capable of.

  • actact

    Never say never. We don't expected about any speedbooster about one year before. It's clear that focus length will change, but there is optical correction inside speedbooster. Just remind you about FD to EF adapters has optical correction of wrong focus lentgh, why such dioptric correction impossible at one piece of speedbooster?

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