Canon ENG B4 Lens on GH1

OK. So I just bought a Fujinon a14x8.5 BEVM-28 lens from Ebay. Anyone have any updated suggestions on a m43 adapter for it? I'm guessing I should look for one with a tripod mount built in, right? If not, any rail suggestions? For over a decade I was a local tv news photographer, so I am very familiar with this lens. It also explains why once I knew these lenses could be used with my GH1 that I had to get one. I just hope I won't be disappointed!
 
Once you get one of these lenses most people want to find a way to power them. To that end, does anyone know where I can find a 12-pin hirose connector to D-tap, wired for Fujinon lenses? There apparently used to be some available on eBay and Amazon, but all appear to be unavailable now. You would think there would be more cables like this available as these lenses get more popular, not less.
 
Is there a chance that you will have more B4 to FD adapters manufactured? I have a couple of B4 lenses and anxiously await adapting them to my GH2! I am also very excited to now be registered on DVXuser.com.
 
Sven Jakobs said:
Is there a chance that you will have more B4 to FD adapters manufactured? I have a couple of B4 lenses and anxiously await adapting them to my GH2! I am also very excited to now be registered on DVXuser.com.
Click to expand...

Why go from B4 to FD mount when you can go directly from B4 to Micro 4/3 ? The adapters have been out for a while. There are two versions available, a basic one and a deluxe model with a really strong tripod mount:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170888639649
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180961839328
 
You know, guys, I don't have a GH2, or any B4 lenses - though I bid on one a year ago on Ebay ...

Plus, I already have about 150+ abandoned projects lying around the house. Things like the cutom B&W ink sets that I mixed for my Epson 7600, which has sat for at least a year; my ink jet pigment transfer prints - to stacks of fine art papers; the aluminum coated printing surfaces, with stacks of raw almunnum, along with aluminum polish and coating medium; batteries I bought to rejuvinate 3 different Quantum flash units about 2years ago - that I never installed - and which are now also dead and worthless; the 7 old flash heads that I bought on eBay to repair, that all need new tubes, which tubes are stashed in another box in a different part of the house, and the soldering iron and multoi tester are god knows where ...

Not to mention the ceiling repair where we had a water leak 2 years ago, or the leaking toliet that I haven't fixed in 6 months - though I do have the kit somewhere ...

In other words: Could you please, please, PLEASE stop posting these really cool niche projects? My wife is already ready to kill me ... :):huh:

OK, carry on ...


Best,
Michael
 
Yup, it connects to the 8-pin connector. I've got these two to provide power to the lens through the 12-pin cable hanging off of it:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12v-to-1...ltDomain_0&hash=item2a21bbf067#ht_1723wt_1232
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...+DC+Rechargeable+CCTV+Li-ion+battery&_sacat=0

Best part is, I also have an external power adapter for the GH2 (below), so I can technically power everything from a single battery (9v GH2, 12v lens).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/17087128022...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_3433wt_1166

I was using both batteries last weekend at drifting (lots of recording time and zooming in/out), one to power my GH2 and one to power my monitor + lens, and they both lasted for the entire 7hr day (say 2/3 of that time shooting). Pretty much a day's worth of normal shooting in one battery.
 
Blue Bomber said:
Yup, it connects to the 8-pin connector. I've got these two to provide power to the lens through the 12-pin cable hanging off of it:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12v-to-1...ltDomain_0&hash=item2a21bbf067#ht_1723wt_1232
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...+DC+Rechargeable+CCTV+Li-ion+battery&_sacat=0

Best part is, I also have an external power adapter for the GH2 (below), so I can technically power everything from a single battery (9v GH2, 12v lens).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/17087128022...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_3433wt_1166

I was using both batteries last weekend at drifting (lots of recording time and zooming in/out), one to power my GH2 and one to power my monitor + lens, and they both lasted for the entire 7hr day (say 2/3 of that time shooting). Pretty much a day's worth of normal shooting in one battery.
Click to expand...

Great!

Yes, I use a similar setup. I built the power cables to connect the servos to the battery and have several batteries that I sourced when I owned an electronics manufacturing company. Actually, I have more cables than lenses so I might be selling some of them if there's a market for them.

I never used an external zoom control on these lenses though, so Thank You for sharing!!!

Anthony :)
 
Yeah, didn't even think they had something like that, then I stumbed on it after doing some research on the pinouts to make my own controller. Never found the pinout info, but found Varizoom. Got lucky on the price. They also have another controller for the focus, though it's hand operated, and looks like it can be DIY'd pretty easily (just a handle, cable, and a gear in a block).
 
The benefit of going from B4 to FD is that you can use an FD 2x adapter instead of the Ex-Tele feature, since Ex-Tele can become very noisy in low light with a high ISO. Someone posted a comparison of these two methods and I can't remember the outcome (however the 2x adapter does create some F-loss).

I don't have a B4 to m4/3 adapter (although I have two B4 lenses) and I don't have a B4 to FD adapter, so I can't test the methods either- but I would be more than happy to if someone were to provide!
 
Sven Jakobs said:
The benefit of going from B4 to FD is that you can use an FD 2x adapter instead of the Ex-Tele feature, since Ex-Tele can become very noisy in low light with a high ISO. Someone posted a comparison of these two methods and I can't remember the outcome (however the 2x adapter does create some F-loss).

I don't have a B4 to m4/3 adapter (although I have two B4 lenses) and I don't have a B4 to FD adapter, so I can't test the methods either- but I would be more than happy to if someone were to provide!
Click to expand...

If you just get a B4 lens that has a built-in 2x extender, then you don't have to go through all that. You can use the built-in 2x extender on the lens to cover the full micro 4/3 sensor, and just get one adapter, a B4 to micro 4/3 adapter, which are easy to find these days, rather than a B4 to FD adapter, which are not easy to find.
 
Last edited:
Hi guys
Inspired by you I have bought a Fujinon 16x ENG lens, but with B4 bayonet removed (see pics attached). As I am going to make some adapter for using it with GH2, would anybody please measure and tell what is the size of the B4 bayonet itself? I mean: how much distance it adds? Or in other words: how much longer my adapter should be - because of lack of B4 bayonet? I know focal flange B4 is 48mm, but have no idea how much it would be without the bayonet...
 

Attachments

  • 2.jpg
    2.jpg
    131.3 KB · Views: 0
  • 5.jpg
    5.jpg
    117.1 KB · Views: 0
valdi99 said:
Hi guys
Inspired by you I have bought a Fujinon 16x ENG lens, but with B4 bayonet removed (see pics attached). As I am going to make some adapter for using it with GH2, would anybody please measure and tell what is the size of the B4 bayonet itself? I mean: how much distance it adds? Or in other words: how much longer my adapter should be - because of lack of B4 bayonet? I know focal flange B4 is 48mm, but have no idea how much it would be without the bayonet...
Click to expand...

Well, it depends on the particular lens model - lots of them use different types of mount hardware that goes on the end---there is no standard B4 mount that fits on all lenses. You will just have to measure it yourself. Yours looks like an Eagle A16x9.5B. Pretty much the only way to know without having an identical lens is just to do what I do: hold it up to the camera, focus on infinity, back focus in the middle (on the dot marking), point at something far off, turn the focus magnifier on your camera, and then adjust the lens distance from the camera/adapter until the image is in focus. Then measure. It's kindof a pain, but it ensures you get it right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top