The very first stock of NEX Speed Boosters is shipping on the Metabones site and on [shoplink 36380 ebay]eBay[/shoplink]. What about the MFT versions? Manual focus lenses such as Nikon, Leica R, Contax C/Y, Contarex, ALPA and Rollei will be supported in March, 2013. To get notified when the MFT version will be available you may also save this eBay search on Slidoo (you can change the search country in settings).
Metabones writes that the m4/3 version also reduces focal length by a 0.71x factor. So, the combined focal length multiplier of a m4/3 camera and Speed Booster is 1.4x. (2x from camera x 0.71x from Speed Booster.) The optics are optimized for the smaller sensor size.
That said there are plenty of new tests you have to read to learn more about the quality and features of the new adapter. Dpreview (Click here), EosHD (Click here) and Lensrentals (Click here) tested the Booster. And Robert from LR writes: “The Speed Booster does what they said it would do, much to my shock and surprise“. Overall from what I have seen now the adapters delivers what it promises. And personally I hope they will also make the OM Speed Booster. Suddenly my small collection of OM lenses will be faster…that’s so cool!
Short question:
[poll id=”174”]
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List of OM prime lenses. Click on the link to check the price and auctions on eBay: [shoplink 28869 ebay]21mm f/2.0 and 21mm f/3.5 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28870 ebay]24mm f/2.0 and 24mm f/2.8 and 24mm f/3.5 shift lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28871 ebay]28mm f/2.0 and 28mm f/2.8 and 28mm f/3.5 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28872 ebay]35mm f/2.0 and 35mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/2.8 shift lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28873 ebay]40mm f/2.0 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28874 ebay]50mm f/1.2 and 50mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/2.0 macro and 50mm f/3.5 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28876 ebay]55mm f/3.5 macro lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28880 ebay]85mm f/2.0 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28881 ebay]90mm f/2.0 macro lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28882 ebay]100mm f/2.0 and 100mm f/2.8 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28884 ebay]135mm f/2.8 and 135mm f/3.5 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28885 ebay]180mm f/2.0 and 180mm f/2.8 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28886 ebay]200mm f/4.0 and 200mm f/5.0 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28887 ebay]250mm f/2.0 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28888 ebay]300mm f/4.5 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28889 ebay]350mm f/2.8 lens[/shoplink],, [shoplink 28890 ebay]400mm f/6.4 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28891 ebay]500mm f/8.0 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28892 ebay]600mm f/6.6 lens[/shoplink], [shoplink 28893 ebay]1000mm f/11 lens[/shoplink].
85 Responses
can’t wait for the m43 version and turn a 24 f1.4 to 34 f1 beast!
You’ll have to sit and wait for a long time…
Speedbooster will turn a 34mm F/1.4 into a 24mm F/1 instead.
He probably means an equivalent of 34mm. (24mm x 0.7)x2
yeah…ok…this is confusing and the equivalent part makes this so confusing. LOL!
According to the formula above in the post…Bruno is correct.. When Metabones makes an adapter for a MFT camera it will convert a 24mm f/1.4 to a 33.6mm f/1.
There will be a 1.4x factor on the focal length.
Sorry…I meant Van Weddings is correct.
You have it wrong. It makes your lenses wider by .71
Hence 50mm f1.4 x .71 = 35.5mm f1
http://www.metabones.com/buy-speed-booster
Oops sorry didn’t see that you put MFT in the sentence at first. This is confusing once you add in multiple sensors and their crop factors.
for me this interesting for using legacy wide angle lenses on E-M5, to help them to have FoV a bit closer to what they have on film camera.
It is interesting for Nex and other mirrorless APSC : their native lenses would return to their original angle of view. But I don’t see the point for MFT. Also it remains to see whether the wide angles wouldn’t turn out magenta on the Nex, or whether you wouldn’t encounter other problems in the corners.
Call me a sceptic untill I see more users reports using a wide choice of lenses at all focal ranges.
Excellent product, but way too expensive. Much better to just buy a native wide aperture lens. Speed boster cost + legacy lens cost = Voigtlander price. Perhaps some benefit if you already have a bunch of legacy glass, but otherwise not really viable at current prices.
+100!
I have a bunch… 😉
Little overcalculated..
Voigtlander 25mm = 1200$
m43 SpeedBooster = ~400$
for 800$ You can buy plenty of legacy lenses (f1.4 to match voigtlander ~f1): Canon FD 50/1.4=100$, 28/2.8=40$ …
If you need only 1 lens – Voigtlander is ok, but If you use many lenses, You have one SpeedBooster for a bunch of lenses.
The Speed Booster list price is $599.
That’s a big difference from your wishful thinking $400.
I doubt a M4/3 unit would be any less than a NEX adaptor’s $599 price.
Well, it depends on which mount you are interested. NEX/X-C/Y and NEX/X-Leica R are listed for $399, so I’d expect μFT-OM for example to also be $399. The $599 are for the active ones like EF.
Yep… I’ll second that +100, and raise you another 100… 😉
Voigtländer and SLR Magic seem to be filling the ultra- wide aperture niche perfectly. I vote for less complexity with fast native M4/3 mount lenses.
So, with the Speed Booster will you need another lens adaptor for in addition to the Speed Booster? I doubt they’ll be making M42 and L39 screwmount adaptors.
+1
IF ones bunch of lenses have all come from the same tree, then maybe a realistic item to purchase.
If, on the other hand, one has a whole bunch of lenses from different trees then one will need to to wait until they make the adaptable version at a reasonable cost.
Also if one has 10 lenses from a range of manufacturers and a pet lens amongst those lenses. It is possible, buying an adapter for that lens, the results may not be as expected. It may well be the little runt lens turns out to be the shining beauty after all. But one did not buy that adapter.
The speed booster gives you more options, because you can still use the lens at its normal focal length with just a cheap adapter in place of the speed booster. And if you have two or three lenses with that mount, then you now have four or six.
e.g. for about the same price as a single Voigtlander lens, you could have a speedbooster plus these:
Vivitar 24/2.0 = 48/2.0 & 34/1.4
Canon 50/1.4 = 100/1.4 & 70/1.0
Rokinon 85/1.4 = 170/1.4 & 119/1.0
I take it there’s still no release date for the MFT-EOS version?
The EOSvlenses lack an aperture ring. This creates all kinds of problems.
And yet they already have an NEX-EOS model. The aperture alone can’t be the problem. But I do wonder what the difficulty is in making an active MFT-EOS adapter as there is just nothing on the market yet that isn’t ridiculously bulky and require external power.
I want Canon FD/new FD mt. version.
I’ll buy it if there is a way to mount my Pentax K lenses on it.
As I’ll still shoot film, my Pentax LX side by side with an OM-D with speed booster will be brilliant
Yes, I also want a Canon FD version. Seems odd they are not making one with their initial offerings, for I thought the FD lenses are one of the most popular adapted lenses.
@Uberzone
FD mount register distance is 42mm and EOS 44mm, ALPA one (in the pipeline) is 37.8mm , so it is technically possible…. but nobody would buy EOS version then as FD would be more flexible..(apart AF benefit):D
Best one would be Konica AR (40.5mm ) so with adapters you could mount much more lenses
I’m still curious what this does for resolution. I mean, if you use leica-glass on a smaller sensor. lines per milimeter will improve, but by how much? to the point that you want to be shooting your 50mm summicron on an OMD rather than your 7D?
too expensive, but if someone hava a lot FF lenses, there is some intresting options:
Tamron 90/2.8
5 brands of lens will need 5 adapters. Rob a bank.
too expensive, but if someone hava a lot FF lenses, there is some intresting options:
Tamron 90/2.8 macro – > equiv. ~130mm f/2 macro
Sigma 105/2.8 macro – > equiv. ~150mm f/2 macro
Sigma 150/2.8 macro – > equiv. ~210mm f/2
Canon 300/4 – > equiv. ~430mm f/2.8
Canon 400/5.6 – > equiv. ~570mm f/4
Canon 85/1.8 – > equiv. ~120mm f/1.2
Canon 100/2 – > equiv. ~140mm f/1.4
Sigma 20/1.8 – > equiv. ~30mm f/1.2
Sigma 50-500 f/4-6.3 – > equiv. ~70-700mm f/2.8-4.5
Canon 85/1.2 – > equiv. ~120 f/0,9 ?
…
Your calculations are “upside-down”
Calculations are correct if it is considered the focal length of a field of view equivalent to FF cameras…
Though, the actual focal length is not correct, an 85mm will become (actually become, not look like or be equivalent) a 60mm (rounding), given the crop ratio that sensor does it will have a FoV equivalent to 120mm.
the cheap Samyang 85mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/1.4 might actually be quite nice (they already are for the price), but they sure makes things bulky…
What will glass quality be like though?
Supposedly really good. That is why you are paying $400 for it. Time will tell though.
in micro43 version IQ will be better then in NEX version
it will take image only from the centre, NEX version compreses FF corners
Panasonic GH3 with metabones and Canon 400mm f/5.6, as equivalent 570mm f/4 (near 600mm) will be very good option for wildlife photography
old and chaep Canon 100/2 as 140 f/1.4 lens – image only from the central part – very nice
macro lens are usually very good optically, metabones takes image from the central, therefore IQ will be very good – we will get equivalent x1,42 of FF lens and f/2 for each macro
I believe the MFT version will also compresses from the FF center. If all it does is just take it from the center, then it’s more like a regular adapter instead of a “tele-compressor” as it’s called.
And I have no idea why people keep saying this is way too expensive. Stop being so cheap. If it’s a very well-made optical glass, and so far the NEX version shows that it is, then it’s worth the price. Hopefully it can control the aperture of Canon lenses, though. Got a bunch of Canon lenses in the office (ie. 85mm f/1.2L!)
Probably if APS lens is mounted to the speedbooster instead of FF lens
No Canon FD??? That sucks hard!!!
Pretty hard…
Calculations by Metabones are BS, surely YOU HAVE TO attach the camera and this will further multiply the focal lenght!
e,g 50mm won’t be 35mm (as on the picture) , but 50*0.71*2=70mm
sorry, but better to use NEX with Metabones and save some money…
Yes..I think that the pictures at the top of the page are incorrect too…if they refer to “equivalent” perspective. i.e. ,,,when you put a 50mm f/1.8 lens on a Speed Booster and attach it to an OMD what you see thru the camera will be a 70mm f/1.2 “equivalent” perspective. Technically the lens will be converted to a 35mm, but then you have to use the 2x factor to get your equivalent view on MFT, which is 70mm.
This is very confusing to me…
The pictures at the top of the page would refer to how the Speed Booster would work when changing a legacy lens onto a NEX in technical not “equivalent” change. On the Sony NEX the 50mm f/1.8 legacy lens and Speed Booster combo would have an “equivalent” perspective of approximately 50mm…correct???
That is not corrdct.
The focal reducer DOES change the focal length, the camera does not change the focal length.
So, it will be 0.71x focal length, and not 2 x 0.71 x focal length.
Field of view is another thing really. Due to the ‘crop factor’, a 35mm lens on m4/3 has a field of view equivalent to a 70mm lens on a 35mm camera, but the focal length is still 35mm.
So metabones is right in saying a 50mm/1.4 will become a 35mm/1.0 due to the reducer.
Focal length is a property of a lens system and can be changed by reducers and tele converters (both of which add extra optics to the system), but it is totally independent of sensor size.
Correct. Metabones just didn’t mention the field of view part. Maybe from a marketing point of view.
I voted no : at the price it is sold, why don’t buy a native lens : thei will be smaller and lighter than the speed booster.
It may be interesting for video shooters (a niche market) but not really for stills shooters who bought into MFT for size and weight.
Will this boost the focal length of MFT lenses-ie is it a spacer also? Im thinking wider fisheye etc than if attached direct….
at the end they are manual lenses and for that nothing better than focus peaking with a nex, we are talking of gettng the lenses to an insane 1.0 for example, all of the sudden we are talking at focusing at a very specific point on the images, i finding hard to think of focusing an omd that way (have both systems)
Manual focusing @ f0.95 is no problem at all with focus magnification. Just practice a bit. It really depends on the lens you’re adapting. I have a couple of manual lenses that are really finnicky to four (Nikon 60mm f2.8D macro) and others that are a snap… Voigtländer 25mm, Pentax 50mm f1.4 SMC Takumar, Nikon 105mm f2.8 AI-S macro).
Me? I’ll stick with fast, native M4/3 lenses, unless there’s some real advantage to the Speed Booster. If it’s necessary to buy a SB with specific mounts, rather than using ONE Speed Booseter and using multiple adaptors for different mounts… like the old flat metal mount adaptors for 35mm cameras… then it’s not so appealing.
It takes only a little bit practice: in fact I personally find weird to “trust” focus peaking, but if I had it in my OMD-Em5 I’d learn to use it as well. As far as Metabones product: I will wait for more photo examples. What I’d like to have is a high quality wide angle lens (already have Zuiko12mm), or a fuji x100s (I know it’s a lot out of topic 🙂 )
Focus peaking is better at quickly getting close enough to acceptable focus. It is however less accurate then magnified view for manual focus, so for an f1 lens, it is rather doubtful that focus peaking will be a better or even the only ‘solution’, rather the opposite actually.
I use manual lenses as much as native zooms. I find the magnification feature of the OMD very easy to use and very fast. Just assign it to fn2 (Example).
Compose, fn2, fn2, focus, shutter.
Or leave the first fn2 on and then compose, fn2, focus, shutter.
Far more accurate than FP.
Your comment is awaiting moderation
Why?
Admin, your filter has seemingly gone mad. What’s wrong with my post? I thought it might be the word shoot so I reposted using shutter that’s gone to government control as well.
I’m more interesting in adapting APS-C lenses, especially their F2.8 zooms and getting F2 zooms, that will never be made as native lenses anyway. But as many have said, with the kind of MF aids m4/3 currently offers, it wouldn’t be a very wise thing to do.
As for primes, fast wides will still be in short supply, since there are none of them for APS-C and FF wides will not be wide on m4/3 even with the Speed Booster. As for other focal lengths, there are sub F1 native lenses in 17.5, 25, 35, 40 and 50mm.
So, as with the native MF lenses, the Speed Booster will be a much more useful tool if focus peaking or digital split image comes to m4/3 bodies…
so… can you attach the apsc/nex speedbooster to the m43 speedbooster and get a FF image in m43 with a 2 stop gain??? =D
when you say aps-c lens do you mean EF-S lens? Cause EF-S or DX lens are not supported.
http://www.metabones.com/sony/ef-e-speed-booster
i meant use a FF lens, ie say el cheapo canon 50mm 1.8II with nex speedbooster, and then attaching that rig to the m43 speedbooster. but now that i think about it rationally, its probably not possible due to the extended flange distance of two speedboosters? or is it?
when you say aps-c lens do you mean EF-S lens? Cause EF-S or DX lens are not supported.
http://www.metabones.com/sony/ef-e-speed-booster
I thought their white paper stated that efs/dx would work on m43 due to smaller image circle.
“EF-S or DX lens are not supported.”
That is true for NEX Speed Booster.
Funny to see the harbingers of bad luck.
Even if Jesus came for a second time, you’d still put him on the cross 🙂
Mythology and Photography are different… most of the time. 😉
I bought into the Metabones Speedbooster for NEX, but I won’t for m4/3.
However, I would purchase for m4/3 if the 85mm full-frame, remained 85mm, i.e.,the adapter delivered the original field of view. I would be all over that one!
“I would purchase for m4/3 if the 85mm full-frame, remained 85mm, i.e.,the adapter delivered the original field of view. I would be all over that one!”
+100
http://www.43rumors.com/ft3-olympus-patent-rumors-adapter-with-integrated-wide-lens-and-adapter-with-swd-auto-focus/
It would be nice if it did that, just to use one’s film lens especially if you are shooting both. Otherwise I don’t not think it would be very useful for the money; but it might be fun.
Snooze. Adapted MF lenses are fun for toying around, but I’ll take a stable of native AF glass any day. Let all the snooty adapted MF shooters have their fun with their antique glass.
video is really what this is meant for and why they made the NEX version first, specifically for fs-100 and fs-700 shooters. manual focus is what video users need anyway. i wouldn’t buy this for stills but would buy for video
I like AF lenses, but I still MF a lot, as it’s the way I learned how to do photography in general. My favorite lens I have it the CV Nokton 25mm, I love the fact it’s MF only.
Bigoted and uneducated as well. A combination which will mark you.
For the price of this adapter you can buy an APS-C DSLR that actually balances properly with APS-C or FF glass.
It’s tempting to buy one with the shortest flange distance so it could accept the most adapters (OM especially).
The only thing that worries me is all the stray light bouncing around: even the OM 50mm 1.8 has very noticeable contrast reduction at the largest aperture setting mounted on a four thirds camera.
A cheap NEX is more of an attractive combo I’d say since it would have focus peaking.
There was a post here many moons ago of an olympus 0.5 adapter patent? This one. http://www.43rumors.com/ft3-olympus-patent-rumors-adapter-with-integrated-wide-lens-and-adapter-with-swd-auto-focus/
Is this why we get yet another apsc converted item. And not a 0.5 as we would want. Not for ‘technical’ reasons but because Oly holds a patent.
So Olympus is the real reason there is no micro 43 adapter. Metalbones wont pay them.
So Olympus get busy and make your own.
What is it with this confusing ALPA naming? Call it for what it is, ALFA or ALPHA.
Newer seen this issue in naming before Speedbooster came to be!
Alpa is a Swiss camera company
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpa
The way I see SpeedBooster for m43 is not in its usability to obtain fast lenses in the wide and normal range but rather in giving me an extra stop on my telephotos while shortening them back a little more for better portrait usability.
It will make some very interesting combinations when used with 85mm f1.4 100mm f2 etc. 🙂
Less bulky than with native to m43 adapter to. Because Speedbooster is a little shorter.
I know I’ll get mutilated here for raising the DOF equivalence issue but is it correct that in addition to the focal length, f-number for depth of field will have to be multiplied by 1.4 with this adapter too?
I.e. a 55/1.2 will become a 77/1.7 in terms of FOV and DOF with this adapter?
Its actually the other way round. It gets faster than the original.
Jim you forgot to add that the speed improvement is limited it cannot input better than f 1.26 and output better than 0.90
Presumably a physical limitation, related to throat size??
Yes, I know it gets faster and shorter, but when mounted on m43 it then goes 2x longer for FOV and presumably 2x longer for DOF too…
So as far as I understand a 55/1.2 becomes a 39/0.9 when combined with this adapter, which then effectively serves as a 78/1.8 in terms of FOV/DOF when mounted on an m43 body, right?
No. It becomes a 78/0.9 and giving higher resolution.
That big diagram picture you have at the start of the article has it ass backwards.
Using FF lens on a cropped sensor increases the effective focal length/FoV.
Mounting it through a focal reducer (ie the MB speed booster) removes the cropping effect.
So a 50mm lens on a speedbooster is a 50mm lens. Only faster.
There must be like, eleventy billion, other articles on the web explaining this….