Metabones Speed Booster

Glad to see someone finally did it! We had some experimenters here trying to make their own over the past couple of years, but the review makes it sound like MTF has really produced a solid well-performing product.

Curious about the patent issue though. These products could never come to market before because, AIUI, Kodak held a patent on this technology. If MTF has licensed it properly, then congrats to them, this is long overdue. If they haven't, then they may have issues down the road, but maybe Kodak's fiscal woes convinced them to license it finally?

Either way, an M43 BMC would become a Lot more practical with something like this!
 
Barry_Green said:
Either way, an M43 BMC would become a Lot more practical with something like this!
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m4/3 could probably even put a 2x reducer to good use! Standard full frame zooms (24-70 f2.8) would become 12mm-35mm f1.4 on a BMCC/GH2. Doesn't sound like anything other than 1.4x reducer is planned though.

Their whitepaper on the product is pretty interesting, apparently the adapter corrects a number of lens issues that would still exist even on a FF35 digital camera, and even improves telecentricity...
 
Wauw... straight to the top of the list over useful must have items. Have anyone found a reseller that is ready to offer them in EU?
 
I'd be interested to see how this works, i'd asked years ago whether full frame lenses could be adapted down to APS-C like this and was told a firm no way. Glad to see that i was right.

It would be an optical solution, so a real world test would be ideal.

I'd also like to see the adapter for different mounts, EF is pretty limiting.

Well done conorus (which i assume is the guy that did it)

cheers
Paul
 
This does look very interesting indeed! Does anyone know of a reputable European reseller for Metabones? Got to try one of these for my FS100.
 
Looks like a couple people did reviews of pre-production copies of this adapter:

http://bnaro.com/b/metabones-speed-booster-an-unbelievable-adapter/
http://philipbloom.net/2013/01/13/speedbooster/

Also metabone's whitepaper has quite a few compelling tests showing higher mtf and reduced filter-pack artifacts with the adapter when using older lenses. I'm sure there is some transmission loss and some optical loss, but that is probably fairly insignificant compared to the optical gains you get from utilizing 2x as many photons that otherwise were not hitting the sensor and from the miniaturization of the image circle.
 
paulcurtis said:
I'd be interested to see how this works, i'd asked years ago whether full frame lenses could be adapted down to APS-C like this and was told a firm no way. Glad to see that i was right.
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The main issue with doing this years ago is that large sensor cameras with no reflex mirror and with short flange distances did not really exist. You couldn't do this without a fair amount of room for optical elements. On the other hand, it might have been possible to make one of these to put medium format glass on 35mm, especially old rangefinders, but this EOS-NEX version really makes the most sense because FF35 glass is so accessible and so well designed for its price compared to most other formats because it is the biggest lens market and has been for decades.

Focal reducers have been used in a lot of other designs, but never really in a general purpose adapter. I've heard of 35mm cine lenses modified with reducers for use on 16mm to get really fast 16m lenses, and I always suspected the m43 f2.0 zooms olympus makes might just be another lens design with a reducer added on.

It would be kind of cool if metabones made a way to use the same optical reducer with multiple interchangeable mounts, but for the price its a good deal anyway, and they may make a killing if they are able to release this in a lot of really desirable mounts. One interesting use might be a PL lens to EOS version for putting PL Zeiss CP lenses on EF-mounts like Scarlet/C300/BMCC since CPs are quite popular but their big problem is they are dont go very wide or very fast and this helps on both fronts, and I have no doubt people looking at Sony's new F5/F55 cameras would love an EOS lens to FZ-mount version. Problem is a lot of popular cameras are not using short flange mounts so they can't really get adapters like this. Adapters like this will really help give a big boost to Sony's pro cameras since it really shows off the usefulness lens mount designs.

Sounds like a m43 version is coming, which is big news for BMCC/AF100/GH2 m4/3 users.
 
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nyvz said:
The main issue with doing this years ago is that large sensor cameras with no reflex mirror and with short flange distances did not really exist. You couldn't do this without a fair amount of room for optical elements. On the other hand, it might have been possible to make one of these to put medium format glass on 35mm, especially old rangefinders, but this EOS-NEX version really makes the most sense because FF35 glass is so accessible and so well designed for its price compared to most other formats because it is the biggest lens market and has been for decades.

Focal reducers have been used in a lot of other designs, but never really in a general purpose adapter. I've heard of 35mm cine lenses modified with reducers for use on 16mm to get really fast 16m lenses, and I always suspected the m43 f2.0 zooms olympus makes might just be another lens design with a reducer added on.

It would be kind of cool if metabones made a way to use the same optical reducer with multiple interchangeable mounts, but for the price its a good deal anyway, and they may make a killing if they are able to release this in a lot of really desirable mounts. One interesting use might be a PL lens to EOS version for putting PL Zeiss CP lenses on EF-mounts like Scarlet/C300/BMCC since CPs are quite popular but their big problem is they are dont go very wide or very fast and this helps on both fronts, and I have no doubt people looking at Sony's new F5/F55 cameras would love an EOS lens to FZ-mount version. Problem is a lot of popular cameras are not using short flange mounts so they can't really get adapters like this. Adapters like this will really help give a big boost to Sony's pro cameras since it really shows off the usefulness lens mount designs.

Sounds like a m43 version is coming, which is big news for BMCC/AF100/GH2 m4/3 users.
Click to expand...

That's a fair point about mirrorless cameras a few years back. I would like to see adapters between other brands and e mount. Of course the EF could have an adapter itself but a non electronic version would be great.

Of course we'd stop using the sweet spot for a full frame lens and we'll start bringing edges in so it's a balancing act.

Even so a great idea, and i hope there will be other versions out there.

cheers
paul
 
I wonder if this adapter also reduces the minimum focusing distance of the lenses? That would be really sweet.

Metabones is an INCREDIBLE company. I cannot believe the stuff they make. Metabones I was really good, but right after I got it, they came out with Metabones II (A lot better than Mark I), which I just bought about 3 days ago, and now this Speed Booster? I feel like I'm always about a day late with their products since they innovate so fast.

But I guess I'll live since I'm a long lens kind of guy as I love that compressed look and their 2 adapters somewhat compliment each other. But I might just have to get this at some point. Wait for some real world tests.
 
NO NO NO. NOT A THIRD THREAD!!!!!

STRIKE THAT! FOUR THREADS!

Can a Mod Please combine these three threads? My brain is hurting from having to read 3 4 threads!

Thread #1: Metabones Speed Booster, makes Nikon and Canon lenses wider and faster!!!!!
Thread #2: Metabones Speed Booster - Faster, Sharper, Wider lenses on APS-C and below...
Thread #3: New Metabones adapter coming for EOS=>M4/3 that makes the lens faster!
Thread #4: Metabones Speed Booster

Or maybe a whole new www.metabonesUser.com forum? :laugh:

(Sorry for the cross posting of this in all three FOUR threads. That sort of happens when there are three FOUR threads on the same topic.)
 
Barry_Green said:
Glad to see someone finally did it! We had some experimenters here trying to make their own over the past couple of years, but the review makes it sound like MTF has really produced a solid well-performing product.

Curious about the patent issue though. These products could never come to market before because, AIUI, Kodak held a patent on this technology. If MTF has licensed it properly, then congrats to them, this is long overdue. If they haven't, then they may have issues down the road, but maybe Kodak's fiscal woes convinced them to license it finally?

Either way, an M43 BMC would become a Lot more practical with something like this!
Click to expand...

I've looked up the patent (#5,499,069) Assuming this is the right patent (everyone's talking about "the patent" but I haven't seen anyone actually come up with "the patent" number) it was filed on May 24, 1994. The issue date was Mar 12, 1996.

Now I'm not a Patent attorney (although I AM a licensed attorney, just not an attorney for anyone on these boards!) under US Patent law, patents issued (or in the application process) before June 8, 1995, expire 17 years after ISSUE.

So... 1996 + 17 = 2013. My understanding is the patent should expire on March 12, 2013. If I were Metabones, I'd probably would have waited. Then again, with the Kodak patents being sold to Google, Apple, et al. maybe they thought they would be in the clear. Who knows if they will be or not.

Edit: For those who are curious (not that anyone would be except for someone like me!) here's the patent law that applies from back in 1994 (emphasis added):

Every patent shall contain a short title of the invention and a grant to the patentee, his heirs or assigns, for the term of seventeen years, subject to the payment of fees as provided for in this title, of the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention throughout the United States and, if the invention is a process, of the right to exclude others from using or selling throughout the United States, or importing into the United States, products made by that process, referring to the specification for the particulars thereof. A copy of the specification and drawings shall be annexed to the patent and be a part thereof.
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Guess I'm returning the E mount Rokinon Cine's for EF mount now LOL

35mm T1.5 becomes 24mm @T 0.95?

If that the case, my four lens Rok kit (14, 24, 35, 85) just became 8 lenses with both MB adapters!!!!!!
Am I wrong here?
 
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John Foundas said:
Guess I'm returning the E mount Rokinon Cine's for EF mount now LOL

35mm T1.5 becomes 24mm @T 0.95?

If that the case, my four lens Rok kit (14, 24, 35, 85) just became 8 lenses with both MB adapters!!!!!!
Am I wrong here?
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35mm T1.5 (F1.4) becomes ~25mm ~T1.1 (F1.0) Just divide focal length and Fstop/Tstop by 1.41x (or multiply by 0.71x)

I suppose you could use both adapters and carry half as many lenses, interesting idea. Problem is the "lens set" will have alternating optical characteristics, it might be a bit like carrying around a 5Dmk2 and 7D and alternately shooting on both to double your lens set. Half the time you're lenses will be 1stop faster and have better center and worse edge performance. In the end, the differences might not be noticeable if you aren't shooting wide open anyway and your style works with lenses that do not have a consistent wide open aperture.

But yes, I suppose you could basically carry a 24mm f1.4, 50 1.4, 85 f1.4 and they would double as 17mm f1.0, 35mm f1.0 and 60mm f1.0 with the speed booster on. 17, 24, 35, 50, 60, 85 is a solid lens set... and all T1.5 or faster. Might want to make the 85 f1.4 a 105 or 135 instead to cover a wider and more evenly spaced range, but I don't think there are many >85mm lenses that are f1.4 or faster. The nice thing about the 50mm and 85mm are they are the most common and usually best designs and are available as fast as F1.2 (speed booster wont go any faster anyway), which means you could use 50 1.2 and 85 1.2 lenses that would double as 35 f0.9 and 60mm f0.9 lenses!
 
keylight said:
NO NO NO. NOT A THIRD THREAD!!!!!
Click to expand...

I think you'll live :)

All the threads pertain somewhat to different versions of the adapter m43/NEX vs general info. This one is more among NEX and specifically FS700 users, and we will likely be the first ones using the adapter besides the testers since a m43 is not available yet.
 
John Foundas said:
Guess I'm returning the E mount Rokinon Cine's for EF mount now LOL

35mm T1.5 becomes 24mm @T 0.95?

If that the case, my four lens Rok kit (14, 24, 35, 85) just became 8 lenses with both MB adapters!!!!!!
Am I wrong here?
Click to expand...

Manual focus lenses should work fine with this adapter, right? You'll just have to remember that the markings on the aperture rings will be 1 stop faster. The current Metabones works perfect with manual lenses, so I hoping this remains the same with the Speed Booster adapter.
 
I'm happy to say that I've been testing a pre-production model as well and couldn't say anything until today. I've been using it on the FS100 with a few lenses I have that are full frame and I can tell you, this thing is AWESOME. Like the FS100 needs any more light coming into it, but that said, I was amazed at how great it did. I have the first metabones adapter and I can tell you the construction on this thing is SPOT on. Everything I didn't like about their earlier adapters has been solved (at least so far). To the point I'd want one of these and one without the lens in it so I can still use my APS-C target lenses as well.

As far as any sorts of distortion, strange reflections, color shifting, bohek modifying, so far, I've not seen anything of that nature. Most of my tests were indoors under low light. Metabones really did a cool thing here.

And I told them, if they could make something like this for the m4/3, just wow.
 
Rick, have you noticed any infinity focus issues with your lenses?

Will you be allowed to post test footage?
 
I have not noticed any yet, but honestly, I have not pushed the adapter yet. Everything I aimed the camera at I was able to get in focus, and it was nice and sharp. I've been prettty swamped with other tasks so have not had as much free time to work with it as I would like. The funny thing is, Metabones didn't tell me what I was testing only that it was something new, haha, so when I got it, I didn't even understand what I had till I shot through it. :P I saw "speed booster" but didn't expect what I saw!

As for footage, I will ask them. To be honest, I've not shot anything too interesting, mostly just pointing the camera and staring at the monitor :) I'll try to free up some time. I also need to get some of my lenses back from our other shooter to do some more testing.
 
Just (finally) canceled my preorder for an EF BMC.

I never thought EF made any sense for that camera. This makes the announced m43 the obvious choice, although still not quite what you'd really want.
 
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