Metabones "Speed Booster"

[kds315]

Metabones + Dr Brian Caldwell announced their new "Speed Booster",
actually a well known principle from astronomy, a focal reducer or telecompressor.

See here: Metabones - Metabones and Caldwell Photographic introduce Speed Booster

White Paper is here: http://www.metabones.com/images/metabones/Speed%20Booster%20White%20Paper.pdf

Test is here: An adaptor which claims to make your lens, faster, wider and better!! This is NOT an April Fool’s! | Philip Bloom

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Done that before for my sort of photography, see on my BLOG: Photography of the Invisible World: Search results for reducer

without reducer/telecompressor:

with reducer/telecompressor:

overall system changed from f4 to f1.6 and the focal length from 84mm to 34mm!

 

[monza]

There is a thread going here

 

[Vivek]

****

Done that before for my sort of photography, see on my BLOG: Photography of the Invisible World: Search results for reducer

without reducer/telecompressor:

with reducer/telecompressor:

overall system changed from f4 to f1.6 and the focal length from 84mm to 34mm!

I have fiddled around with such stuff based on Bausch & Lomb quartz-fluorite condensor stuff and i know the quality of results from such contraptions.

The "speed booster" in question, is a class apart. As Robert pointed out, there is thread going. Feel free to join in.

 

[kds315]

Sure, his design is certainly a professional one and not just simple playing around with optics as we tend to both like ;-) But it helps to understand and opens doors...

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

I was looking at buying a 200/2 for my micro4/3, but this makes me wait a little more, while the 300/2.8 + speedbooster = 210/1.96

At a fraction of the cost, I could even settle with some IQ deterioration !

Very promising, it seems to me !

C U
Rafael

 

[k-hawinkler]

I was looking at buying a 200/2 for my micro4/3, but this makes me wait a little more, while the 300/2.8 + speedbooster = 210/1.96

At a fraction of the cost, I could even settle with some IQ deterioration !

Very promising, it seems to me !

C U
Rafael

Hi,

Which 300/2.8 lens did you have in mind?

In order to use a lens with Speed Booster it would need to be at a minimum an APS-C sensor covering lens.
http://www.metabones.com/images/metabones/Speed Booster White Paper.pdf, page 3.
(It takes a little bit of time to download the pdf document!)

Also, according to Metabones announces 'Speed Booster' lens adapter for mirrorless cameras: Digital Photography Review, quote:

"Specialist accessory manufacturer Metabones and optics company Caldwell Photographics have jointly announced the 'Speed Booster', a lens adapter for for mounting SLR lenses on APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras that reduces the focal length by a factor of 0.71x and increases the maximum aperture by 1 stop."

"On APS-C mirrorless cameras it offers an effective crop factor of 1.1x, meaning a lens will behave very similarly to how it does on full frame; on Micro Four Thirds the effective crop factor is 1.4x."

So, if one started with an appropriate 300/2.8 lens on an m4/3 camera with Speed Booster adapter, one would end up with this virtual configuration:

300 * 0.71 * 2 mm = 426 mm and 1 stop faster than f/2.8 = f/2. So approximately that is: 420/2

So, in order to get to your desired virtual configuration of 200/2 you would need to start with a 140/2.8 lens.

I am sorry for butting in. No insult intended.
If I am wrong please point out my mistakes.

With best regards, K-H.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

I think that you are mixing Focal Length (the real one) that I was referring to, and Field of View equivalent, taking the sensor crop factor into account.

I am using a Nikkor 300/2.8 IF ED, it covers FF so it should be OK for micro4/3 with the speed booster. It will have FL (real one) of 210mm or an equivalent Field of View (compared to 24x36) of 420. And it will be f/1.96 (~ 2)

C U,
Rafael

 

[k-hawinkler]

Hi Rafael,

I think that you are mixing Focal Length (the real one) that I was referring to, and Field of View equivalent, taking the sensor crop factor into account.

Agreed, yes I did.

I am using a Nikkor 300/2.8 IF ED, it covers FF so it should be OK for micro4/3 with the speed booster. It will have FL (real one) of 210mm or an equivalent Field of View (compared to 24x36) of 420. And it will be f/1.96 (~ 2)

C U,
Rafael

Thanks for the clarification. I agree.

So, in the end with both methods an FX Nikkor 300/2.8 IF ED on a m4/3 camera with Speed Booster adapter will have an equivalent angle/field of view of that of a FF 35 mm film camera with a 420/2 lens.

Ignoring the field of view part, the Speed Booster indeed turns the 300/2.8 into a 210/2 lens with m4/3 mount and a restricted circular view.

If the 300/2.8 lens is used with a regular adapter on a m4/3 camera the FF equivalent angle/field of view would be that of a 600/2.8 lens on a 35 mm film camera.

Thanks again for your reply.

With best regards, K-H.

 

[paparazzi666]

For m43, Does anyone know what makers NikonF/CanonEf or others will be supported on m43 speedbooster?
When will it be available?
How much would it cost?
I really wanna check or invest in interesting lenses to use with my future SB for m43?

 

[Theodoros Fotometria]

For the speed booster to be used, there has to be enough space on the mount of the system that it is applied, when compared to the lens used original mount, (for example... Nikon (or other 35mm classic) to NEX (or other modern mirror less)). The adapter, acts as an "image area compressor", reducing the lens original image's circle radius length by root square (approximately 1/1.4 of the original), but not the amount of light. Thus, there is a stop's gain of light, while the image circle is still larger than an APS-c sensor... Yet the AOV is now very near to the original one of the lens... for example, a 24mm full frame lens shows an AOV that in FF would be equal to 26.5mm when used on a NEX mount APS-c camera. Compression of image area is supposed to retain the lens original total resolution, which should result on more resolution for a given image area, than an equivalent area out of the original image circle.

 

[sanveer]

I am an Indie Filmmaker, who, right now is trying to make the most of mobile filmmaking. I was wondering, whether anyone would be able to help me, to create a lens, for my mobile phone, which could increase the f-stop, by 1 stop.

 

[deejjjaaaa]

I am an Indie Filmmaker, who, right now is trying to make the most of mobile filmmaking. I was wondering, whether anyone would be able to help me, to create a lens, for my mobile phone, which could increase the f-stop, by 1 stop.

buy a better phone or small P&S... indie

 

[emr]

The Leica R to m43 Speed Booster is available now. Anybody given it a try?

EDIT: And C/Y to m43

Speed Booster

Speed Booster

 

[PeterB666]

The Leica R to m43 Speed Booster is available now. Anybody given it a try?

EDIT: And C/Y to m43

Speed Booster

Speed Booster

I have a couple of old CY mount lesnes but not of the quality that I would bother using the Speed Booster with.

If they would like to produce the Speed Booster in Nikon F mount with an aperture control for MFT lenses, I will definitely buy one. I would like to use the Nikon 10-24mm zoom on it and I have a few others as well.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Nikkor F and G to micro4/3 Speedbooster is now listed as available on the website !

Speed Booster

I just ordered one for use on my 300/2.8 and my 80-200/2.8

C U,
Rafael

 

[greypilgrim]

Heh, you beat me to it. I have been watching for this for a while. I ordered mine this morning to use with all my old nikkors. Yum.

If it turns out to work well, I am seriously considering a Fuji XE-1 with a Nikon Fuji speed booster when it becomes available just to get the actual (almost) focal lengths out of my nikkors.

That would be the first time I would be running with two concurrent primary systems (M43 and Fuji).

We will see. But definitely looking forward to the m43 speed booster.

Doug

 

[greypilgrim]

Mine is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. Could make for an interesting weekend ;-).

Doug

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Mine is "on the road", I'm really looking forward to it !

C U
Rafael

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

I just received mine today, couldn't resist the pleasure of running into the garden and shooting a few shots combining my nikkor 50/1.4 to the SB (combination giving 35mm f1.0)

Here ))

C U,
Rafael
​

 

[greypilgrim]

Mine arrived yesterday, but I couldn't get to it until after dark...

Definitely a solid feeling piece of equipment.

I played a bit in the house, but I don't have processed the images yet.

Lenses I intend to try with it:

20mm f3.5, 24mm f2.8, 28mm f2.0 (yum), 35mm f2, 50mm f1.4, tamron 90 f2.5 macro, 105mm f2.5 (ironically gives the same angle of view and max aperture as the 75mm f1.8 once attached to the speed booster), 75-150mm series e, 200mm f4.

Putting the lenses on the OM-D gave the camera a certain heft to it. Not in a bad way, but definitely a different feel.

Doug