The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Metabones "Speed Booster"

f6cvalkyrie

Well-known member
This is from the speedbooster with the Samyang 85/1.4
The combination gives a 63mm f1.0, equivalent to a 126/1.0 on the E-M5
Quite unique, I think



Good night for now,
Rafael
 

f6cvalkyrie

Well-known member
Today, I mounted my Nikkor 300/2.8 IF-ED on the speedbooster.
Still shooting in the garden ...



C U,
Rafael
 

f6cvalkyrie

Well-known member
I have a Leica Hektor 125/2.5 that I can adapt to Nikon F mount, so I just mounted it on the SB.

These are some flower shots from this combination









C U,
Rafael
 

greypilgrim

New member
I've popped just about every nikkor mount lens I have on the adapter and took some very boring test shots (palm trees in the distance, a sign on a telephone pole, etc...). There are definitely some lenses that display better sharpness than they do using a regular adapter. Most of the lenses balance well with the OM-d and the adapter. The only lens that feels somewhat awkward is a 300mm f5.6 Tamron SP. It also does not achieved good infinity sharpness until stopped down. Closer up sharpness was better.

Other lenses were surprisingly sharp even wide open. With the one exception of a 50mm f1.4 nikkor. It has some interesting characteristics wide open with the speed booster that I will have to play with.

Hoping to get out tomorrow to do some real shooting.

Doug
 

PeterB666

Member
Nice shots.

It would be interesting to compare it to the Panny 7-14...

A friend of mine has the 10-24 nikkor, hmmm.

Doug
Thanks Doug

I wouldn't consider the Panasonic 7-14mm as it isn't that easy to mount filters on it. You can with a special adapter that goes with 130mm filters but it is an expensive route and turns a compact lens into something quite awkward.

Other than the image quality, what surprised me with the OMD and Nikkor 10-24 with Speed Booster was just how easy it was to use. I rarely use auto focus with the 10-24 anyway as I tend to do a lot of pre-dawn or night photography and use a tripod. Even the tiny tripod mount on the Speed Booster worked well, slotting straight into my Arca Swiss style tripod head clamp.

I have written up a review of the Speed Booster on my blog site.

Metabones Speed Booster Review
 

brianc1959

New member
Thanks Doug

I wouldn't consider the Panasonic 7-14mm as it isn't that easy to mount filters on it. You can with a special adapter that goes with 130mm filters but it is an expensive route and turns a compact lens into something quite awkward.

Other than the image quality, what surprised me with the OMD and Nikkor 10-24 with Speed Booster was just how easy it was to use. I rarely use auto focus with the 10-24 anyway as I tend to do a lot of pre-dawn or night photography and use a tripod. Even the tiny tripod mount on the Speed Booster worked well, slotting straight into my Arca Swiss style tripod head clamp.

I have written up a review of the Speed Booster on my blog site.

Metabones Speed Booster Review
You bring up an interesting point with the use of filters on a speed-boosted 10-24. Have you tried it yet? I would have thought that a filter on this lens would cause vignetting unless you use a step-up ring.
 

greypilgrim

New member
Okay, here are some shots with minimal processing from this weekend. I only shot with 5 lenses and did not go after particular lenses so much as shot as I normally would, choosing the lens for the subject.

First up, on the sharpness improvement parade are shots from a Nikkor 200mm f4 AIS. I had closeted this lens for years as I was unhappy with its sharpness and aberrations on my digital cameras. This is the one that convinces me there is something to the claims as to sharpness improvement.

First, a boring seagull shot:



Here is a link to the full image for pixel peeping:

http://www.castleintheair.com/PicturesForPosting/PointLobos-7-13-13-23.Full.jpg

Next, some nesting cormorants:



Now some shots with a 20mm f3.5 AIS and a K1 extension ring:









And now some shots with a 75-150 F3.5 Series E:









 

f6cvalkyrie

Well-known member
I have a Series E 75-150 that I did not check yet against the SB.
Will try to do so in the next days.

I can confirm that the 80-200 f2.8 performs superbly on the SB !

C U
Rafael
 

turbines

New member
I have a Series E 75-150 that I did not check yet against the SB.
Will try to do so in the next days.

I can confirm that the 80-200 f2.8 performs superbly on the SB !

C U
Rafael
I am anxious to see more results the Series E 75-150. It is an excellent little zoom.
 

PeterB666

Member
You bring up an interesting point with the use of filters on a speed-boosted 10-24. Have you tried it yet? I would have thought that a filter on this lens would cause vignetting unless you use a step-up ring.
Not yet - I left my filters at home but I had my filter holder on and there was no vignetting.

When I first mounted the lens I did notice vignetting in the corners but that was indoors. I assume the vignetting is only at closer focus distances.

I don't expect too much in the way of vignetting but when using filters on any huge ultrawide lens, you do get gradual darkening on the sides due to the angle at which light is going through the filter. The path is longer towards the edges. I don't think it will be a huge problem.
 

f6cvalkyrie

Well-known member
Here's from the 75-150 Series E on the SB on the E-M5

At the long end, 150mm on the zoomlens, or 210 eq FoV


at the short end, 75mm on the zoomlens, or 105 eq FoV


Nothing wrong with this combo, IMHO

C U,
Rafael
 

greypilgrim

New member
I went back and looked at some recent shots with some of my nikkors prior to using the speed booster, and it appears there may indeed be some sharpness improvement. I am going to have to do more experimenting to see if that holds out.

Doug
 

turbines

New member
I would expect the centers to be slightly sharper with any lens but also the corners a bit softer. I believe that is a characteristic of the SB design.
 

brianc1959

New member
I would expect the centers to be slightly sharper with any lens but also the corners a bit softer. I believe that is a characteristic of the SB design.
You are correct that the Metabones SB will make the center sharper with any virtually any lens - I haven't found an exception yet. In the case of the micro four thirds version this sharpness increase is extended over most of the image field, and for most fullframe lenses the corner sharpness with the SB is about the same as without the SB, even though the SB is revealing more of the lens' field of view. An exception is lenses with really long exit pupil distances (greater than ~100mm), which tend to show slightly weak corners with the SB. However, most people will likely be interested in more compact lenses which happen to have fairly short exit pupil distances (in the 50-85mm range), and the SB is ideal for these lenses.
 

greypilgrim

New member
You are correct that the Metabones SB will make the center sharper with any virtually any lens - I haven't found an exception yet. In the case of the micro four thirds version this sharpness increase is extended over most of the image field, and for most fullframe lenses the corner sharpness with the SB is about the same as without the SB, even though the SB is revealing more of the lens' field of view. An exception is lenses with really long exit pupil distances (greater than ~100mm), which tend to show slightly weak corners with the SB. However, most people will likely be interested in more compact lenses which happen to have fairly short exit pupil distances (in the 50-85mm range), and the SB is ideal for these lenses.
Hi Brian,

Actually, I am interested in all focal lengths. Case in point the 75-150 series e, or the 200mm f4, 105mm f2.5... And then on the shorter end, mostly because of the characteristics of the lenses themselves (28mm f2, 20mm f3.5). The only midrange lens I have interest in is the 50mm f1.4 which gives me a crazy f1.0 (or 1.2 if I use the 50mm f1.8).

A non m4/3 question regarding the speedbooster on Fuji or Sony cameras. Your comments above seems to imply that they will potentially suffer from corner softness more than on m4/3 (assuming because of the different crop factor and the fact that on those systems, the entire image circle of a FF lens is used when a speed booster is attached)? Would this also be true of using a DX lens on m4/3 then (the corner softness)?

Thanks,

Doug
 

f6cvalkyrie

Well-known member
An exception is lenses with really long exit pupil distances (greater than ~100mm)
Hi, Brian !

I have a nice collection of (partly vintage) Nikkor glass from film time (full frame, thous). I'm using them on an SB, apparently without problem.
Could you tell us which lenses in the Nikkor portfolio show such really long exit pupil distances that they might suffer from softer corner performance on the SB ?

TIA,
Rafael
 
Top