Metabones Speed Booster

[Andy Wilkinson]

Note from Admin: See the full press release, photos at http://www.dvinfo.net/news/metabones...d-booster.html

I don't think I have seen this referred to yet on DVInfo (apologies if it has).

http://www.metabones.com/info/105-in...-speed-booster

Still at prototype stage. Sounds revolutionary, especially for FS100/700 etc. owners! (and BMC and GH2/3 owners when the M43 version becomes available).

Metabones Speed Booster lens test on Vimeo

[Jim Giberti]

I was reading about it recently, It almost sounds magical Andy.

But having just picked up a pair of GH3s to go with our Canon's it could be just great.
Using all my favorite L glass at actual focal lengths AND increased f/stop - seriously if ti works it's a silly good idea.

I'm picturing my 24-105mm f/2.8 on the GH3 and it looks good.

[Andy Wilkinson]

The physics works - I think it was covered by Kodak patents from what I've read (not sure if they are still valid or now expired...). The principle is also sometimes used in astronomical refraction telescopes/eye-pieces (funnily enough I bought one that uses this effect only this morning!)

Think of it as a 35mm equivalent full frame imaging circle refracted to now cover a much smaller circle (s35), hence the extra intensity/concentration of light and change in field of view (lenses appear to become wider as well as faster).

It's really down to the quality of the lens Metabones have used in the Speed Booster Adapter. Initial indications appear promising - but it is early days.

So, when this gets going people with NEX mount (and probably Micro 4/3 mounts next) will be laughing/a whole new world has opened up. Real flexibility. Wider and faster glass suddenly becomes abundant (and all they have to do is buy this adapter).

But for those of us with Canon EF mount cameras....like me and my C100 ....well, no benefit/change for us - but at least we've got some good EF glass which might come in handy....

Could be a good shake up of the market dynamics regarding full frame versus s35 (and other "crop factors" like M43) this one!

[Jack Zhang]

If Full Frame can be optically squeezed down to M4/3rds with the same principle, there is technically no crop factor limitation. If the combined price of the adapter and a set of good Nikon or Canon glass is less than a Voigtlander, I'll take one plus a GH3 in a heartbeat.

[Lee Mullen]

This sounds an exciting concept. I love the idea in principle you can make FF lenses like the 25-105mm work almost FF with a smaller sensor like the NEX.

Are there plans for a M4/3 version? I really hope so!! I have emailed Metabones several times but get no response!

[Andy Wilkinson]

Yes, apparently there are plans for a M4/3 version, or so I have read on various blogs of people who have tried using the prototype. This is also specifically listed in the Metabones announcement that I linked to above as well.

The thing that interests me is that concentrating a full frame Canon EF lens image circle onto an even smaller sensor (than the test seen above with a NEX s35 camera) should make the EF lens used behave even faster than the approx 1 stop improvement seen so far.

Really good news for M4/3 :-)

This changes everything!

Edit: Just read elsewhere on the web that someone who ordered this new EF to Sony E mount Speed Boost Adapter has had notification that its being shipped - already!

[Jim Giberti]

It could certainly make a big difference for us.
Canon cameras and Canon lenses but with no 60p we just acquired a pair of GH3s.

I got them with a 20mm Lumix and a 45mm Zuiko and was just about to get the 12-35mm and 35-70mm 2.8s
It would be pretty nice for my 24-105mm f/4 to work as a 35-150mm f/2.8
My 50mm 1.2 becomes a 70mm .90...my 85mm L becomes a 120mm F/1
All of my Canon glass is very sharp and contrasty to begin with...there's some real potential here.
Really interested in seeing these at near full frame with the kind of resolution that the GH3 produces.

[Chris Barcellos]

Quite interesting too for us VG20/VG30 users. I sure would like to hear about anyone who has used this with the VG series.

[Jack Zhang]

Anxiously awaiting the price for the Micro 4/3rds version. ~$600 for the E-mount version. I'd reckon that the concentration lens needs to be more powerful for the Micro 4/3rds version, so we'll see how that would affect the price.

[Jeremy Dallek]

Originally Posted by Jim Giberti

It could certainly make a big difference for us.
Canon cameras and Canon lenses but with no 60p we just acquired a pair of GH3s.

I got them with a 20mm Lumix and a 45mm Zuiko and was just about to get the 12-35mm and 35-70mm 2.8s
It would be pretty nice for my 24-105mm f/4 to work as a 35-150mm f/2.8
My 50mm 1.2 becomes a 70mm .90...my 85mm L becomes a 120mm F/1
All of my Canon glass is very sharp and contrasty to begin with...there's some real potential here.
Really interested in seeing these at near full frame with the kind of resolution that the GH3 produces.

Your focal length calculations are incorrect, it would make your lenses effectively wider, your 50mm 1.2 would be a 35mm .90 etc.

I was really hoping that the Micro 4/3 version would be a .5x instead of .7x, but I think they are keeping it .7x so you can use FX and DX glass and still cover the sensor.

[Chris Hurd]

Link to press release added to 1st post. That link is Metabones and Caldwell Photographic Introduce Speed Booster at DV Info Net

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

This is very interesting. I've been looking at buying the Panasonic 7-14mm for underwater photography and filming to get wider framing on my 4/3 body, but the Speed Booster would turn my 14-45mm IOS into a decent wider angle with benefit of faster f/stop (although I do already use full-frame ultra-wide lenses with my full-frame Canon bodies).
The main questions would be if it maintained image quality, image stabilizer, zoom speed and handling of the original lens. Judging by the hype, it seems that AF speed is slowed down. I'll have to see further tests first before I buy one.

I just realised my mistake...the Metabones would of course not turn any 4/3 lens into a faster/wider optic. Each lens used with the booster needs to be designed for a larger sensor than the sensor inside the camera body. Therefore it would need to be my full frame Canon and Nikon lenses used with the Metabones Speed Booster on the Panasonic GF or GH bodies.

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Andy Wilkinson

The thing that interests me is that concentrating a full frame Canon EF lens image circle onto an even smaller sensor (than the test seen above with a NEX s35 camera) should make the EF lens used behave even faster than the approx 1 stop improvement seen so far.

Really good news for M4/3 :-)

I suspect very strongly that there are practical limits to the amount of concentration that can be done - and they may well tie in to about 1 stop equivalent on the basis of what has so far been confirmed. Practically, that's likely to mean that although 4/3 format will benefit, it's likely to be proportionally less of a benefit than s35 - so good news for 4/3, even better for s35.

One bit of theory that seems to be being overlooked is that for a given sensor technology, sensitivity is directly proportional to sensor area - double the area and you double the native sensitivity. But that only translates to better low light performance if lenses with the same f stop are used in each case, and often lenses for bigger format cameras don't have as fast a maximum aperture.

What this means is that for a given lens, depth of field and sensitivity will be identical (assuming all else equal) for full frame without the adaptor, or s35 with. *IF* an adaptor was feasible for 4/3 to take full advantage of the lens power (so a 2 stop advantage/focal length halving) then there would likewise be no difference when used on 4/3 with such an adaptor. Practically, that's unlikely, expect 4/3 to still have a stop disadvantage to s35.

As said before - it is good news for 4/3 users, but even better for s35.

[Randy Johnson]

I have a couple questions mainly because I am looking at the new Sony camera VEX-50. 1. Can you zoom with the attachment? 2. what am I looking at in the video? Were they trying to show quality?brightness? or cropping? All I got from it was I now would like a drink.

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

I've just read the report by James Miller on Philip Bloom's site. James seems to think that not only is light intensity enhanced through the lens (to provide that lift in f/stop speed), but the actual image quality is enhanced too! That doesn't quite ring true in my head...but James' early tests seem to indicate that it is. All I can say at the moment is...Wow!

That will make me look at my prized L lenses and Nikkors in a brand new light...and even my Sigma lenses...Such as my 120-300mm f/2.8 OS lens + Canon 2 X converter.

I'm already drooling over my 120-300mm f/2 and 240-600mm f/4 zoom lenses on the GX1 and GH3, both with image stabiliser!