Focal reducers?

B

Brian@202020

Veteran
There is a thread in the GH2 section about focal reducers. I was wondering if anyone has been continuing to test this technology? In case you haven't read about what focal reducers do, theoretically the can take a lens intended for a full frame still camera to reduce the focal length in half while also reducing the f-stop by 1. Example: a 50mm f1.4 Nikon lens built for a full frame still camera could theoretically become a 25mm f1 on a Micro 4/3 camera. As some of you know, the rumor is Olympus did this with the 14-35mm and 35-100mm zooms. If this technology could be perfected and put into lens adapters such as the Birger Mount, I think people would pay thousands for the product.
 
Sure they would. Problem is, Kodak apparently owns the patent on it and isn't too keen to license it to small guys. I've read dozens of threads about people experimenting with focal reducers and folks who have tried to make products on the tech, usually ending in the patent issue.

Apparently Olympus' design avoids the patent issue because it's actually built into the lens, whereas the patent involves using an add-on accessory or something, although I could be completely remembering this wrong.
 
Barry_Green said:
Sure they would. Problem is, Kodak apparently owns the patent on it and isn't too keen to license it to small guys.
Click to expand...

Well that sucks. Maybe Kodak should make the product then. If it was just a DIY product that someone conveniently sold the parts to assemble it, I would also think that would be a way around it.
 
The way Kodak's going, they could sure use a product that people actually want to buy, so ... yeah... someone should make it!
 
That's funny- I was going to put one I developed into my Nikon ProLock adapter. It's not afocal and It "only " reduces the FL by 30% and speeds up the lens by 1/2 stop.
But a FF lens would end up covering APSC format at least and DX lens will easily cover M4/3. I ran some tests in projection and it looks very decent- not as good as the lens only but pretty close - and considering that it's faster some degradation is to be expected.
The only drawback is that by the time I put the glass and the mount together it gets pricey and I'm not sure if this segment of the industry can carry a $1200 price tag on even the most sophisticated mount/optical adapter combo...
What do you think?
 
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