FS7: Success with Commlite Adapter

Just a quick update regarding the Commilte adapter with the new firmware.

It's now 1/8th of a turn to each iris stop very fast. The display in the viewfinder is updating much quicker too. Totally usable :)

Will try my Speedbooster Ultra shortly to compare.
 
'rinder- what do you mean by "now 1/8th of a turn to each iris stop"? That suggests that full turn of the dial results in an 8 stop iris change.

With the v1.10 update I am getting a 2-stop change per full stroke of the dial with the Commlite adapter and a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8. Roughly 5 strokes of the dial to go from f/2.8 to f/22.

FYI- This is all a stepped iris change, folks. Regardless of whether you are using the Metabones of the Commlite. There are times where we have no choice but to use this stepped iris change in-shot but it is not a professional manner of adjusting exposure in-shot. Or at least not up to the professional standard that I want in my work. I try to avoid iris change in shot as a result of it being stepped when using EF glass. I find myself cutting so that I can reset the exposure and then REC-roll again. I know, I know...some argue that the steps are so small that they are acceptable. But that's akin to arguing that "almost in focus" is acceptable.
 
As in when I give 1/8 of a turn to the iris wheel from f2.8 it goes to f3.2 another 1/8th turn will get me to 3.5 and so on..
 
By the way I'll answer my own question here- the commlite does not work with the tamron 24-70 VC or the 70-200 VC newest versions
 
My Commlite adapter works fine for dialing in exposure, as others describe. But, I have only been able to get it to autofocus once with my Canon EF-S 15-85mm and a Canon EF 70-200 f/4 L-series lens. It searches, but never achieves focus. Auto-iris, absolutely no response at all, not even searching. Is all that we can expect to get with this adapter manual iris control?
Thanks, and I'll take my response off the air.
 
I was under the impression that the Metabones were awful for autofocus too. If you really want AF then native E mount or adapted A mount are the ways to go.
 
There are "those times" when AF is really nice to have. And in fact, I use it a lot on my 70D to set or check focus — can't really shoot with it live because of the searching. On the other hand, it's new "follow focus" can be really handy. The point is that AF and AE are both tools that I like to have available. I'm sure the zoom for the FS7 that we have back-ordered will have auto features, which is one of the nice things about having a video-style lens. It would just be nice to get full utility out of all the features of my Canon lenses. After all, the Commlite has a bunch of electronic contacts, so they must be good for something.
 
The only way you can get auto focus and zoom control is with Sony e mt lenses - the Metabones won't do it with Canon either. I've been trying the Spony PZ 18-105 and 2 versions of tyne 18-200 and I'm not vtol happy with how the auto focus is working in the FS7 - apparently much better on the FS700 - go figure- why screw up something that was working. The manual focusing on both lenses sucks m, its the worst I've ever encountered in a lens - kind of a moving target . Very disappointing to me as I wanted those semi auto lenses for R&G.
 
There is just something odd going on because the camera will successfully engage autofocus ONCE after first turning the camera on. After that, fuggitaboutit. The adapter and the camera just aren't playing nice in that respect. But clearly, if it can do it once, then it CAN do it. Wonder how something that involves a third-party item gets its compatibility groove on? Sony? Commlite and Sony?
 
Ben, if that's really the case, then why would Sony provide a rebate for a free Metabones Series II adapter? I'm no marketer, but it would appear that with the introduction of this camera, Sony is in a position to take a lot of customers away from Canon who would have bought a C-series camera (we're one of them). Those folks who are considering the FS7 but have a 5D or a C-100 or even C-300, have a lot of great glass that they don't want to waste. I'm sure Sony knows that repurposing that Canon glass on their camera is an important selling point. As i inferred, it was with us. Hell, with another cheapo adapter, I can use all of my old FD lenses on this camera. Of course, entirely manual, but it's great to blow the dust off of perfectly good lenses and put them to use again.
 
They're not doing that over here - just for US customers I believe.

As for the rest you CAN use your canon lenses but that doesn't mean you can suddenly use autofocus as a replacement for pulling focus manually. Furthermore, Sony giving the promise of it all working great as par tof their marketing and then once you've bought in you realise all the issues with the metabones adapters mean you really you need e mount lenses. Double win for them.
 
Now also finding that the camera's Image Stabilization, "Steady Shot," doesn't engage the the Canon lens' image stabilization (yes, it's switched on). What is with THAT? That so totally sucks for anything handheld. Will any of the other adapters allow the camera and lens to talk to each other?
 
davdonn said:
Now also finding that the camera's Image Stabilization, "Steady Shot," doesn't engage the the Canon lens' image stabilization (yes, it's switched on). What is with THAT? That so totally sucks for anything handheld. Will any of the other adapters allow the camera and lens to talk to each other?
Click to expand...

Hi Davdonn,

Thats really bad news, is that only with the Commlite adapter or with the Metabone?
If thats true, the only lens offers steady shot and good manual focus is the 28-135/4 lens, which we had not seen a review yet...
 
This discovery was with the Commlite adapter. I will test out a Metabones MarkIII with Lenny Levy tomorrow on my Canon AF-S 15-85mm IS lens. It's important that I get Steady Shot to function with that lens since it's a pretty ideal hand-held, R&G lens. That said, I haven't played in the Sony world for years, so uncertain how much of these snafus are due to pilot error. Additionally, I don't see my lens listed as tested and approved to work with the Metabones adapters, but that doesn't mean it won't. It will be good to get a cross check with Lenny tomorrow. I'll report back.
 
So, tested out my Canon AF-S 15-85mm IS lens with the Metabones MarkIII and autofocus works, whereas it doesn't consistently with the Commlite adapter. So, I'm going to be ordering the free Metabones Mark II adapter from Sony. Also, looks like image stabilization works regardless of which adapter. I believe they're both passing a current on to the lens to activate IS. And since it's a Canon lens, I shouldn't expect to engage Sony's Steady Shot because I guess that's for Sony E-mount lenses.
 
Now another issue discovered with the Commlite NEX to EF adapter — in shooting with my Canon f/4 70-200 L lens at 180 f/second, the iris randomly closes down in what is the opposite of a flash. The picture just goes black for a brief moment while shooting. So at that slo-mo setting, the sequence is ruined by these intermittent black-outs (a fraction of a second in duration). Anyone have any idea what that is about? Another thing that has me eagerly awaiting delivery of my Metabone Mk. II, presuming it's an adapter issue and not a camera issue.
 
David, If you have the lens this weekend you could bring it by. I now have my Mark II from Sony and the Mark II i'm borrowing. That's pretty weird. i was thinking of getting a Commlite as a backup but that story scared me.

Lenny
 
yeah, definitely can come by. I don't want to prematurely lay the blame on the Commlite, but I know that the Metabones was having a problem with the reports of "flashing." This is just the opposite, where the iris closes down and opens back up very quickly, spontaneously. Very weird. Hey, it could be pilot error, too. I'm still learning to fly this thing.
 
I'm around tomorrow and have a producer friend coming ( i expect anyway ) in the afternoon to do some comparing of stuff. You are welcome to swing by for a couple of minutes . you don't have a Canon 24-105 f4 do you? I want to compare that to the one I got from B&H . Have a Sigma coming - Man I will be so glad when all this comparing gear is over!!!!
 
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