Metabones has introduced Nikon G-type versions of its Speed Booster lens adapter for Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX cameras, which include a control ring for aperture setting with lenses that don't have aperture rings of their own. The Speed Booster itself is a lens adapter that that reduces the focal length by a factor of 0.71x, and increases the maximum aperture by 1 stop, effectively allowing lenses to give very similar angle of view and depth of field control on APS-C mirrorless cameras as they do on full frame. The Nikon G-type adapters are available to buy now for $429 from Metabones' website.
Metabones introduces Nikon G-type Speed Booster for NEX and Micro Four Thirds
- Thread starter OldCorpse
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Andrew Gupta
Active member
Nikon G lenses are exactly the kind of Nikkor lenses that digital cinematography guys didn't buy because they had no manual aperture controls. Meaning, if this thing isn't entirely compatible with Nikkor AI, AI-S, and NON-AI lenses -- this is the dumbest adapter ever made.
Nikon G lenses came after the Nikon AF-D series. They're entirely electronically controlled by the camera body -- like Canon EF lenses. So -- no manual (on the lens) aperture control. If you were to go shopping for the absolute newest lenses from Nikon -- they'd all be G lenses.
Nikon lenses prior to G and DX had manual iris control on the lens body -- and this is one reason why they've been so successful in this relatively newer "digital cinematography" era.
That is actually incorrect.
Nikon G lenses actually do have a mechanical iris control on the lens. I exclusively use only nikon lenses because of that reason. Also because I can't stomach to be another drone in the army of canon zombies. This fantastic adapter like every other readily available nikon adapter will give you silky smooth aperture control without the use of anything canon. Sweet!
Andrew Gupta
Active member
Okay, this is an uninteresting conversation, but I'll play...
No, they don't. Nikon S, SC, H, AI, AI-S, E Series, AF, and AF-D have marked dials on the base of the lens that precisely indicate f-stop. Nikon G and DX lenses do not -- the iris is controlled from the camera body. Three or so years ago adapters for G and DX lenses began to appear on E-bay -- but the problem with them is there is no precise way to measure f-stop -- you're guessing it. Even the G adapters that have markings (like the metabones) -- the markings are relative to the lens being used -- so you're still doing some guesswork. Guesswork is not acceptable to me and other pros who need to precisely know the f-stop being used.
I don't understand how this is relevant to anything. Cameras are tools, like hammers. They do jobs. Getting emotionally tied to camera brand names is as dumb as getting emotionally connected to hammer brand names. I entirely understand being heavily invested in a specific lens system -- but this has nothing to do with "zombies."
Have you used this adapter? How do you know it's "fantastic"? Seriously -- have you tested a prototype? "every other readily available nikon adapter" -- I don't know what this means. There are different brands at different prices with different build quality. Some adapters are celebrated, others have claims of various breaks and lens jams. "silky smooth aperture control" entirely relates to the lens -- and I've owned about $15k of Nikkor glass over nearly two decades -- and although the focus is "silky smooth" on many AI and AI-S lenses, the iris control is pretty much constant and not "silky."
Respectfully, you're wrong.
As I noted above -- adapters for G lenses do not allow for precise f-stop measurements. You're doing guesswork. And, as various G lenses have different f-stop ranges -- you're guessing according to each lens. If you like this, fine. For professional applications this is not a good situation.
Any F mount ever made? So, you're telling me that G lens adapters now precisely control the iris on S, SC, H, AI, AI-S, E-Series, AF, and AF-D lenses? There are no problems with the NON-AI lenses? If this is so -- that's great. And, if this is so, why does anyone bother making non-G lens adapters?
Where do you get "clickless" from? The metabones web site specifies "aperture ring covers a 8-stop range with half-stop markings." The word "clickless" appears no where.
The bottom line here is that I own a lot of Nikkor glass and may very well buy this adapter -- but -- I need to know that the G lens "feature" doesn't interfere with NON-AI, AI, AI-S, and AF-D lenses. Their web site doesn't make this clear -- instead, their web page makes it appear to be tailored for G lenses -- exactly the lenses video guys haven't been buying up these past five or so years. Also, their "incompatible" list at this point includes wide angle S and AI-S lenses -- and this raises the question -- why and what other issues await us?
No, they don't. Nikon S, SC, H, AI, AI-S, E Series, AF, and AF-D have marked dials on the base of the lens that precisely indicate f-stop. Nikon G and DX lenses do not -- the iris is controlled from the camera body. Three or so years ago adapters for G and DX lenses began to appear on E-bay -- but the problem with them is there is no precise way to measure f-stop -- you're guessing it. Even the G adapters that have markings (like the metabones) -- the markings are relative to the lens being used -- so you're still doing some guesswork. Guesswork is not acceptable to me and other pros who need to precisely know the f-stop being used.
I don't understand how this is relevant to anything. Cameras are tools, like hammers. They do jobs. Getting emotionally tied to camera brand names is as dumb as getting emotionally connected to hammer brand names. I entirely understand being heavily invested in a specific lens system -- but this has nothing to do with "zombies."
Have you used this adapter? How do you know it's "fantastic"? Seriously -- have you tested a prototype? "every other readily available nikon adapter" -- I don't know what this means. There are different brands at different prices with different build quality. Some adapters are celebrated, others have claims of various breaks and lens jams. "silky smooth aperture control" entirely relates to the lens -- and I've owned about $15k of Nikkor glass over nearly two decades -- and although the focus is "silky smooth" on many AI and AI-S lenses, the iris control is pretty much constant and not "silky."
Respectfully, you're wrong.
As I noted above -- adapters for G lenses do not allow for precise f-stop measurements. You're doing guesswork. And, as various G lenses have different f-stop ranges -- you're guessing according to each lens. If you like this, fine. For professional applications this is not a good situation.
Any F mount ever made? So, you're telling me that G lens adapters now precisely control the iris on S, SC, H, AI, AI-S, E-Series, AF, and AF-D lenses? There are no problems with the NON-AI lenses? If this is so -- that's great. And, if this is so, why does anyone bother making non-G lens adapters?
Where do you get "clickless" from? The metabones web site specifies "aperture ring covers a 8-stop range with half-stop markings." The word "clickless" appears no where.
The bottom line here is that I own a lot of Nikkor glass and may very well buy this adapter -- but -- I need to know that the G lens "feature" doesn't interfere with NON-AI, AI, AI-S, and AF-D lenses. Their web site doesn't make this clear -- instead, their web page makes it appear to be tailored for G lenses -- exactly the lenses video guys haven't been buying up these past five or so years. Also, their "incompatible" list at this point includes wide angle S and AI-S lenses -- and this raises the question -- why and what other issues await us?
I understand what you are shooting at me in the last post, from the way I read your first post it sounded like you where saying that there was no feasible way to control the iris mechanically on a g series lens. Its my understanding and past experience with my current g lens adapter that I can use any f mount lens made. I own a variety of ai and ai-s lenses plus a couple of non ai lenses and they all work great. You can choose whether to stop all the way down with the lens aperture ring then use the adapter to adjust iris or you can adjust the adapter iris all the way open and use the lenses aperture ring. You are correct when saying there will be no markings for what stop you are at,minus the fact that this adapter will have stop markings on the barrel, not saying they will be 100% correct with all lenses. My current g lens adapter that I use with my 11-16 gives me what I call "clickless" iris that makes adjusting the iris more fluently . for me I don't need markings for what I do because I use waveforms or just the meter in the corner of the AF screen to get correct exposure. Yes its nice to have numbers but for me personally, I don't need them 99% of the time.
Cheers
Cheers
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