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Speed booster for NEX

Since there are so many EF adapters available, the Nex EF speedbooster appears to be one of the best bets for using different lens mounts on a Nex camera. Or might using two adapters with a single lens cause sufficient difficulties in having a good fit that it would be worth the expense to have separate speed boosters? What are people thinking about this?
John
 
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Vivek

Guest
I am getting an EOS SB and a bunch of adapters to use OM, M42, Nikon, Leica R, Exakta, T- Mount, etc lenses. I do not think anyone can afford to buy a bunch of Speed boosters.
I do not have any EOS lenses!

Likely, there will be issues with the extra adapters. One has to be careful though.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Can I ask you K-H whether you are seeing any sharpness degradation in the corners?

Hi Ben,

Great question. I asked myself the same thing and investigated it a little bit.
So, I displayed a bunch of characters on my 30" Apple Cinema Display and took images of them with these systems:

Sony NEX-7 + Metabones E mount - L/R Speed Booster + Leitz Bellows II + Leitz 16558 Ring + Leitz Tele-Elmar 135/4 lens head and
Nikon D800E + Nikon F- Leica M Adapter + Leitz OUFRO/16469 Ring + Leitz Bellows II + Leitz 16558 Ring + Leitz Tele-Elmar 135/4 lens head

Wide open the two images look like this:
View attachment 68140 View attachment 68141

As one can see at the left, there is still some vignetting caused by the Speed Booster for the Tele-Elmar 135/4.

So that you can decide for yourself, I have posted full resolution JPGs for f=4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, and 22.
The results for the APS-C size sensor NEX-7 with Speed Booster can be found here: 2013-01-20 NEX-7 SpB TE135f4 - winklers' Photos
The results for the FF sensor D800E ...................................... can be found here: 2013-01-20 D800E TE135f4 - winklers' Photos

What do you conclude from these tests?
I always appreciate feedback from all sides. Thanks.

With best regards, K-H.
 
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Vivek

Guest
What do you conclude from these tests?
I always appreciate feedback from all sides. Thanks.

With best regards, K-H.
Hi K-H, Thanks for sharing the results. Where is the exit pupil on the Tele Elmar 135mm with the bellows set-up?

Do you have the 100/4 Macro Elmar?

I suspect the results will be surprising with the APO Macro Elmarit 100mm with its internal focusing.

Quite frankly, I am surprised by the results of the NEX-7 going against the 800E.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Hi K-H, Thanks for sharing the results. Where is the exit pupil on the Tele Elmar 135mm with the bellows set-up?

Do you have the 100/4 Macro Elmar?

I suspect the results will be surprising with the APO Macro Elmarit 100mm with its internal focusing.

Quite frankly, I am surprised by the results of the NEX-7 going against the 800E.

Vivek,

Here is an interesting post by jpr2 on dpreview:

Metabones Speed Booster - Vignetting with Tele-Lenses: Sony NEX Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/50705213


Best, K-H.
 
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Vivek

Guest
K-H, I did not understand that post (and gives no information pertaining to the question I asked you). The SB you have , AFAIK, does not have any electronic contacts and even the one in Canon EOS mount, unless one uses EOS lenses, would have no lens information relayed to the camera.

(Incidentally, the color shifts that post is discussing is also present in your D800E image but in a different form)
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
K-H, I did not understand that post (and gives no information pertaining to the question I asked you). The SB you have , AFAIK, does not have any electronic contacts and even the one in Canon EOS mount, unless one uses EOS lenses, would have no lens information relayed to the camera.

(Incidentally, the color shifts that post is discussing is also present in your D800E image but in a different form)

Vivek,

I just checked and verified there are no electronic contacts on my Speed Booster.

I don't have the Macro Elmar.

Could you please elaborate on your question about the exit pupil?

Thanks, K-H.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
I decided to take pictures of the screen as one gets extremely strong moiré patterns in the viewfinder or the LCD panel when in focus. So, you really have to look at the full frame images at 100% to avoid the moiré patterns as every individual pixel of the monitor is clearly visible. At 100% view there are no color shifts visible with the D800E, at least to my eyes. But there are some in the corners with the Speed Booster.
 
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V

Vivek

Guest
Vivek,

I just checked and verified there are no electronic contacts on my Speed Booster.

I don't have the Macro Elmar.

Could you please elaborate on your question about the exit pupil?

Thanks, K-H.
K-H
If you go to the link you posted here (#54), the importance of the exit pupil is explained (as well as there are indications in the white paper with the ray diagrams as Robert pointed out). Simply, the farther the lens head is from the SB optics, the problems with enhanced vignetting and other ills.

Since you showed a shot with the Elmarit R 90/2.8 (post #89), that would be a good candidate to do the comparisons with the NEX-7 + SB and D800E, I think.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
K-H
If you go to the link you posted here (#54), the importance of the exit pupil is explained (as well as there are indications in the white paper with the ray diagrams as Robert pointed out). Simply, the farther the lens head is from the SB optics, the problems with enhanced vignetting and other ills.

Since you showed a shot with the Elmarit R 90/2.8 (post #89), that would be a good candidate to do the comparisons with the NEX-7 + SB and D800E, I think.

Hi Vivek,

Thanks. I have to go back to the reference in post #54 when I have more time.

Also, to be precise I don't have the Elmarit R 90/2.8 (post #89).
In fact I used the lens head of an old M lens, namely from the Elmarit 90/2.8, stuck the lens head in a short focus mount, and converted with on old Leitz adapter into an R lens. So, I suspect it will behave similar to the TE 135/4.

Best, K-H.
 
Thanks Vivek for your comment on adapters.
I do wonder whether the EF pins on the lens side of a Nex Canon speedbooster would interfere with lenses on a thin adapter, like for a Pentax K or Contax CY. If anyone is using adapters with a Canon speedbooster, please report on the fit!
John
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
I put the tripod at somewhat different distances from the 30" display for the two setups as I was only interested in looking at the corners.

Best, K-H.
I didn't read properly and didn't realise that they were not both on the nex. The left hand picture is to my eye softer. Is that the D800?
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
I didn't read properly and didn't realise that they were not both on the nex. The left hand picture is to my eye softer. Is that the D800?

Hi Ben,

No, the image at the left is with NEX-7 and Speed Booster.
The image on the right is with D800E.

Some of the Exif info is contained in the images on smugmug.

Best, K-H.
 

f/otographer

New member
Concerning the use of other adapters on top of the EOS SB for NEX, if you go to the metabones site for the EOS SB they have the following showing as "NOT SUPPORTED"

EF-S lenses
NEX-VG900 (see note 4)
Lens correction such as peripheral shading, CA and distortion
Focus confirmation "chip" (e.g. Dandelion)
M42 screw mount adapters (see note 6)
Stacking non-Metabones/non-Conurus mount adapters on top (see note 7)

And here are the included notes...

Note:

1.Requires lenses supporting distance information.
2.Autofocus disabled for Contax N and Contax 645 lenses.
3.A third party zoom lens may need to be registered with the Smart Adapter first in order to detect its maximum aperture. Autofocus is disabled for most third-party lenses.
4.This Speed Booster™ is designed to cover an APS-C image circle which is not big enough to cover a full-size 36mm x 24mm sensor.
5.Sony NEX cameras cannot display aperture values beyond f/1.0. If a f/1.2 Canon EF lens is used with the Speed Booster™, the resulting aperture is f/0.9 but the camera body displays f/1.0.
6.Some improperly-made M42 screw mount adapters may short the electronic contacts of the Speed Booster™ and cause damage to the Speed Booster™ and/or camera body.
7.Some manual focus lenses (e.g. OM 28/2.8, OM 50/1.8, Leica R 15/3.5) have rear protrusions which would damage the optics and/or housing of Speed Booster™. They need to be modified before they can be safely used on Speed Booster™.

Here is the direct link to the page.
Sony NEX System : Canon EF lens to Sony NEX Speed Booster

This is a little disappointing as I was hoping to buy the EOS SB and stock up on EOS adapters. Oh well. We will just have to try them out and see which ones work correctly. I am really waiting for the Minolta SR to NEX SB anyway. Or possibly the Sony Alpha SB. I really want to use one of these with my old Minolta glass, both MF and AF.
 
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mazor

New member
I am getting an EOS SB and a bunch of adapters to use OM, M42, Nikon, Leica R, Exakta, T- Mount, etc lenses. I do not think anyone can afford to buy a bunch of Speed boosters.
I do not have any EOS lenses!

Likely, there will be issues with the extra adapters. One has to be careful though.

vivek, I have used the older mark one Ef to nex smart adapter from metabones with thin nikon f to eos adapters on top, and the adapter has not shorted out smart adapter. I did ensure though I did not use a focus confirmation chip version of the adapter, as that prorudes futher into the housing and will touch the electronic contacts on the smart adapter.

Also the focus confim chip would no benefit with the smart adapter except to continuously fool it into thinking the aperture is constant, even when changed manually.
 
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Vivek

Guest
I have no use for the electrical contacts. i can disable them before use.

Yes, many old lenes have protrusions, lens baffles, etc that need to be carefully examined and perhaps trimmed (in case of some OM lenses by about 1 mm) before they can be mounted via adapters on the SB.

There is only one way to find out. :)
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
Hi Ben,

No, the image at the left is with NEX-7 and Speed Booster.
The image on the right is with D800E.

Some of the Exif info is contained in the images on smugmug.

Best, K-H.
I'm losing my mind, I'm so sorry, I meant the left (NEX) image is sharper, not sure why though, doesn't make sense does it?
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
I'm losing my mind, I'm so sorry, I meant the left (NEX) image is sharper, not sure why though, doesn't make sense does it?

Hi Ben,

I processed the NEX-7 images and applied some sharpening.
When I did the same with less sharpening for the D800E files the JPG files I got were larger than 50 MB each, so smugmug didn't accept them.
As it was already pretty late I posted the OOC JPGs instead.

Again, the only reason I posted the D800E images was to show the corner behavior of the lens on a full frame camera to contrast that with the lens being used on NEX-7 with Speed Booster.

Please, let's not over-interpret my images for what they were meant to show.
I am not a professional reviewer and have no interest in becoming one. :D

Best, K-H.
 
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