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Metabones Speed Booster


k-hawinkler

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diglloyd blog - Metabones and Caldwell Photographic introduce Speed Booster

 

diglloyd blog - Metabones Speed Booster — Comments from the Designer

this reference has some interesting remarks by Brian Caldwell of Coastal Optics 60/4 UV-VIS-IR APO-macro fame. He developed the optical portion of the Metabones Speed Booster. Quote:

 

"The good news is that the performance of our 0.7x optics for micro 4/3 is really good, and I expect that some pixel peepers will prefer it over the NEX version. If you look at the MTF curves in the white paper you can see that the m4/3 version gives higher performance in the corners than the NEX version."

 

"The problem with Leica M lenses is that they have a significantly shorter working distance than DSLR lenses. The glass in the Speed Booster is packed very tightly, so that there is just barely enough wiggle room to do a factory adjustment on infinity focus. If we tried re-design in order to accomodate Leica M lenses the image quality would drop like a rock."

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It is just plain bullshit!

 

Do the math. There is no magic.

 

Decrease claimed focal-length, recalculate aperture, and there you are - a calculated faster aperture quite likely with new compromises to quality that purchasers pride will praise with elaborate, unjustifiable rationale.

 

Consider the add-on cost to lenses. Tally up. Learn up!

Edited by pico
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It is just plain bullshit!

 

Do the math. There is no magic.

 

Yes that's correct, there's no magic. The math and physics are sound. I'll wait for real-world results before passing judgement on the image quality or suitability for purpose, but given the designer's credentials I believe it deserves the benefit of the doubt.

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The Metabones Leica R Lens to Sony NEX Speed Booster arrived today.

Here are a couple quick shots with this configuration before it gets dark.

 

Sony NEX-7 + Metabones Speed booster + Leica APO-Telyt-R 1:4/280.

 

As one question was, whether the Speed Booster leads to softness in the corners, I took a shot of this fence.

 

ISO=100, 1/4000s, f=4 setting on lens

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ISO=100, 1/1600s, f=8 setting on lens

 

6000x4000 MP versions of these two images are posted here: 2013-01-16 Speed Booster - winklers' Photos

Another interesting lens to try out would be the APO-R 180/3.4 that I have.

There are also a number of comparisons I could perform.

 

For example, the Tele-Elmar 135/4 lens/lens head or any other Telyt-V, I could use on M9 with Visoflex III, and with adapters on D800E, NEX-7, NEX-5N, and E-P2.

These lenses I could also first turn into R-lenses and then use with the Speed Booster on NEX-7, NEX-5N.

Also, an R-lens comparison with adapter and booster on the NEXs might be of interest.

 

Of course, none of this would make much sense if my initial tests above already indicated a failed product.

 

What do you think? I always appreciate feedback. Thanks.

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The extreme corners seem to go soft & show some chromatic abberration, certainly not a characteristic of the 280. Other than that the results look good.

 

 

Doug,

 

Many thanks.

I think tomorrow I do control shots by replacing the Speed Booster with a Novoflex adapter.

One can then take as well an image with the M9 as focus is already achieved with a NEX.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/256040-focus-apo-telyt-r-280-4-a.html

Edited by k-hawinkler
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Interesting. Do you have any other R lenses to test with?

 

 

Hi monza,

 

Thanks. Yes I have the APO 180/3.4.

The APO 280/4 it seems to me is better in showing imperfections in the Speed Booster or camera as it is such a superb lens. Of course, it also would be interesting to see how optically inferior lenses get treated by the Speed Booster.

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Looking at the 100% images it looks like the MTF curves from the white paper for the NEX adapter is spot on, only the extreme corners are not up to the performance of naked lens on FF

Very impressive IMHO

Thanks for the early test images!

 

 

Hi,

 

You are welcome. Thanks for the feedback.

It seems worthwhile to me to investigate this device a little closer.

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Good to see Vivek is still active, his views/posts are always highly regarded!

 

Yes, I was happily surprised to read his posts again. (BTW, Vivek was the first person I knew who correctly tamed the Canon 50mm F/.95 mounted to an M. It took me four builds!)

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An interesting addition. I have a Telyt R 500/8 for a Ricoh GXR, that extends on this camera to a 750mm. Would be interesting to get the 500mm back. I would need a EOS to Leica-M backbone. Then I would really have an f-stop of 8.

 

The IQ seems to be as least as good as a tele extender, perhaps even better.

The cross check via Photoshop - as with tele extenders - is not possible in this case. But one could enlarge the metabones result back to the original view, as a check.

Jan

Edited by jan_kappetijn
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Interesting development and potentially good competitor to M(240) as R solution.

 

Fitted with Metabones SB (Speed Booster) Sony NEX & Fuji X cameras becomes full frame R solution - much cheaper than M(240) and there is no proof yet that new M is that much better than current M9.

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Interesting development and potentially good competitor to M(240) as R solution.

 

Fitted with Metabones SB (Speed Booster) Sony NEX & Fuji X cameras becomes full frame R solution - much cheaper than M(240) and there is no proof yet that new M is that much better than current M9.

 

I think that it will/would prove most valuable with wide angle lenses for these cameras, though some would like to use the Speed Booster with all focal lengths.

 

I will sit and watch both on the new M (240) and results on the Speed Booster. I recently took delivery of a FujiFilm X-E1 and am using it with the Novoflex R to Fuji X mount. I also have the Novoflex Rotating collar for larger and heavier lenses lacking a Rotating collar.

 

Rich

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

 

Sony NEX-7 + Metabones Speed Booster + Leica APO-Telyt-R 1:4/280 @ ISO=100, 1/2000s, f=4, OOC JPG

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Sony NEX-7 + Metabones Speed Booster + Leitz 14127 Adapter + Leitz Telyt-V 1:5.6/560 @ ISO=100, 1/500s, f=5.6, OOC JPG

 

 

Full resolution images are posted here:

 

2013-01-16 Speed Booster - winklers' Photos

 

2013-01-17 SpBoosterVignetting - winklers' Photos

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