Speed booster for the LT?

[dia3olik]

Good points Jacek!

 

[Mitch Gross]

I think the question about e-mount was about being able to add readily available speedbooster adapters to the camera. I assume electronic control would be useful but not a deal-breaker since an e-mount (or perhaps mft) would still allow easy access to many adapters with focal reducers.

Certainly seems like an MFT mount would make a lot of sense for sharing adapters and lenses and focal reducers with Panasonic's gh4/5/5s cameras as b-cams.

Except electronic communication is still needed for most lenses, so still an issue.

 

[Mitch Gross]

Yes it would, but even with the EF/PL mount removed the remaining lens mount turret FFD is still longer than a E Mount, so it just will not physically work, same for a MFT mount, the FFD is shorter than the camera allows. A EF Mount FFD is 44mm, and a PL FFD is 52mm as previously pointed out. Even if the EF mount is say 10mm thick, that leaves the turret at 34mm, so a 18mm E mon t or 19.25mm MFT Mount is not going to physically work, which is why I said this was a non starter to begin with.

So much information, except you're wrong. The neutral mount on the VariCam LT (what's left when you remove the EF or the PL mount) is shallower than the Sony E mount. I think the Flange Depth is about 16mm. That's pretty tight, until you realize that the threading of that neutral mount is on the outside of the part on the camera, so it is entirely possible to make a piece that screws onto the neutral mount and includes a 2mm (or so) thick flange plate and a tightening nut to form a perfectly functional "dumb" E-mount.

In theory it could be done, and it would then support the two Fujinon lenses. It's just a question if there was a business model to support making any.

 

[Mitch Gross]

IF the V35 had swappable mounts, I may have bought one last year. My dealer was selling one of their demo units and approached me before they advertised it(so to speak) with a price that was too good to pass up(less than an LT), but being stuck at PL only* keeps it out of the running for me, because I'm sitting on ~$30K worth of Canon CN-E primes that are EF mount. At least the LT can swap between PL and EF, BUT it's not a great system. It takes way too long to change the mount vs. FZ and you need tools, unless you wanna fly fast and loose and not tighten the retaining screws on the mount collar(which I actually started doing when I had the demo unit).

The VariCam 35 and VariCam Pure use the same mount system as the VariCam LT. The difference is that the VariCam LT is the only one with the electrical interface and control for EF lenses. But you could absolutely use a VariCam 35 with an EF lens mount and then use manual lenses such as your Canon CN-E Primes.

Also, tightening the set screws on the VariCam mounts really is the Panasonic engineers using both belt and suspenders. It really isn't necessary and the mount stays in place just fine. If I was sending the camera up on a helicopter rig then I'd tighten the set screws, otherwise it makes no difference. Without bothering with the set screws, switching the lens mounts is super-fast, taking just a few seconds to swap.

 

[Erik Wittbusch]

There's still a question to rise.
Why Panasonic did not come up with a short FBD neutral mount?

As Jacek/Optitek already said, one can do it.
But we'd need at least 20-30 people actually purchasing it before the price becomes reasonable.

I'm willing to take the lead and search for interest. If there's enough EVA owners out there, we can do it with Jacek/Optitek, who has already proven that he can do it in the past with different mounts.

I think it's wise to wait some month until we have more actual owners of the cam. In the summer I'll try to set up a thread and a group buy hopefully.

Feel free to PM me and you'll be added to the list of people who are interested in a neutral mount for the EVA1.

 

[Milan O.]

In theory it could be done, and it would then support the two Fujinon lenses. It's just a question if there was a business model to support making any.

And Veydra lenses too, I guess.
If a "dumb" E-mount like that could be sold for about the same price as the active PL-mount, it would be a very interesting option. I've seen some people complain about the Varicam LT's weight. With an E-mount, lighter lenses can be used. I have no clue of course how many LT:s have been sold (to make development and manufacturing profitable), but for documentary film makers the two Fujinon MK lenses are cheaper, lighter, faster and have a greater focal range than the Fujinon 20-120, so there might be a market for the E-mount.
I have two cine zooms now but I'd be tempted to sell them and get the MK lenses instead, if an E-mount was available.

 

[Alex Derrick]

I'm a Varicam LT owner, and I'd be interested in any kind of extra mount options that would potentially be created. The camera is already a sort of swiss army knife of capture devices, and opening up the mount to more glass is something I would invest in at a heart beat.

EF/PL cover almost all of my needs tho. What can't on EF/PL after adapting the lens mount?

 

[Denny16]

The question of adapting a “dumb” E Mount, or even a active E Mount (not too likely) would require a license from Sony, as it is their Patented Mount?

As for the two Fujinon zooms, MTF Services is making a MFT Mount mod for them, so perhaps you can have the Canon EF Mount conversion done as well? Just a thought.
Cheers.

 

[optitek]

The question of adapting a “dumb” E Mount, or even a active E Mount (not too likely) would require a license from Sony, as it is their Patented Mount?

As for the two Fujinon zooms, MTF Services is making a MFT Mount mod for them, so perhaps you can have the E Mount conversion done as well? Just a thought.
Cheers.

Emount IP is owned by Sony but it is available. From my understanding however it is really difficult to obtain the license. Only big companies and few and far between at that....

 

[Denny16]

Thanks, confirms what I thought. So an E Mount conversion is another non-starter unless Panasonic can get the required license.
Cheers

 

[optitek]

Panasonic and other Japanese companies seem to be pretty open to system overlaps these days. Canon mount on EVA1? Unthinkable 10 years ago!!!!

 

[cyvideo]

The question of adapting a “dumb” E Mount, or even a active E Mount (not too likely) would require a license from Sony, as it is their Patented Mount?

As for the two Fujinon zooms, MTF Services is making a MFT Mount mod for them, so perhaps you can have the Canon EF Mount conversion done as well? Just a thought.
Cheers.

Sadly Denny this has proved not to be easy thing to achieve. Both Fujinon and Duclos have stated this. That 44mm flange back distance of the EF mount would mean a very expensive new optical rear end to be designed for these lenses. Matt Duclos said:

" “In our efforts to adapt the Fujinon MK line to Canon EF mount, we overcame several hurdles, but simply couldn’t fit the optics into a new housing economically. In order to accommodate a Canon EF mount, we would have had to redesign and manufacture about 20-30% of the lens itself which would have put the final product into a much higher price bracket than we were comfortable with.”

More info on these links:

http://www.newsshooter.com/2017/07/16/duclos-lenses-sony-fz-mount-kit-for-fujinons-new-mk-zooms/

https://www.cinema5d.com/fujinon-mk-lenses-can-be-adapted-to-mft-mount-and-fz-mount/

Chris Young

 

[Run&Gun]

The VariCam 35 and VariCam Pure use the same mount system as the VariCam LT. The difference is that the VariCam LT is the only one with the electrical interface and control for EF lenses. But you could absolutely use a VariCam 35 with an EF lens mount and then use manual lenses such as your Canon CN-E Primes.

Also, tightening the set screws on the VariCam mounts really is the Panasonic engineers using both belt and suspenders. It really isn't necessary and the mount stays in place just fine. If I was sending the camera up on a helicopter rig then I'd tighten the set screws, otherwise it makes no difference. Without bothering with the set screws, switching the lens mounts is super-fast, taking just a few seconds to swap.

Very interesting, Mitch. Good to know. I can't believe my rep never told me that(maybe they didn't know). Kinda mad, now...

Even with no data being passed from the primes to the body, I wouldn't be in any different position than right now when I use them on my F55 with the Optitek(oddly enough, my still lenses show up just fine, but my primes do not, not that it's a deal breaker).

 

[Noel Evans]

Also, tightening the set screws on the VariCam mounts really is the Panasonic engineers using both belt and suspenders. It really isn't necessary and the mount stays in place just fine. If I was sending the camera up on a helicopter rig then I'd tighten the set screws, otherwise it makes no difference. Without bothering with the set screws, switching the lens mounts is super-fast, taking just a few seconds to swap.

Id wondered that in the past and had thought I could probably bag those set screws, the sleeve tightens down enough.

 

[Mitch Gross]

Id wondered that in the past and had thought I could probably bag those set screws, the sleeve tightens down enough.

Every other camera just used a sleeve nut. So just use the sleeve nut on the LT and don't bother with the set screws. If you're going to leave the mount in place for a long time then go ahead and use them, but if you're a swap back & forth kind of shooter then don't bother.

 

[brianc1959]

In theory: maybe.
In reality: no way.

Instead of the EF or PL mount adapter, the VariCam LT's neutral mount is quite shallow. It may be close enough to allow an adapter to Sony's E mount. Just barely.

BUT...

An EF - to - LT Neutral Mount Speed Booster should be pretty straightforward - assuming there's not too much mechanical and optical "stuff" in front of the sensor - , and would add a path to high quality low cost f/2 zooms and f/1 primes for your camera. Huge numbers of Speed Boosters are sold to Sony FS7/FS5 users for this exact purpose. You've already got the electronics worked out between the LT and the EF mount. So . . . . .???

 

[optitek]

An EF - to - LT Neutral Mount Speed Booster should be pretty straightforward - assuming there's not too much mechanical and optical "stuff" in front of the sensor - , and would add a path to high quality low cost f/2 zooms and f/1 primes for your camera. Huge numbers of Speed Boosters are sold to Sony FS7/FS5 users for this exact purpose. You've already got the electronics worked out between the LT and the EF mount. So . . . . .???

Brian is it possible to make .53x SB cover apsc just by increasing the diameter of the BMPCC (SB) elements?

 

[brianc1959]

Brian is it possible to make .53x SB cover apsc just by increasing the diameter of the BMPCC (SB) elements?

I assume you mean trying to modify the existing 0.58x BMPCC Speed Booster. The issue is there is just not enough room. As you can see from the layout there are already two places with edge contact. Trying to double the image circle by enlarging elements is impossible because you would wind up with negative edge thicknesses. The other issue is that the 0.58x Speed Booster is designed to work well over a 14.5mm image circle, and if you try to increase much beyond that the aberrations quickly get very large.

Designing ultra-low magnification (i.e. 0.5x - 0.6x) Speed Boosters for m43 and APS-C is possible, for only for very special cases such as lenses with unusually large working distances.

 

[optitek]

I see what you mean- thank you for the explanation this is very useful.

 

[Erik Wittbusch]

Still, a 0,7x Speedbooster would be a wonderful option for us.
Thank you Brian and Jacek.
If you need any assistance from an EVA1 owner, just contact me.
I'm happy to get that running!