fbpx

DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

Search

Submit A Story

Laowa has released a 0.7x focal length reducer for its 24mm f14 probe macro lens

Laowa has released a 0.7x focal length reducer for its popular and unique 24mm f/14 probe macro lens. Like all focal length reducers, this one allows you to view a wider field of view on sensors smaller than full-frame. In the case of APS-C and Super 35mm it brings the probe lens to just a hair under its full-frame field of view, while on Micro Four Thirds, you’ll get about the same field of view as you would on APS-C without the reducer.

Also like your typical focal length reducer, you get a slightly wider effective aperture, too. In this case, it brings that f/14 up to f/10, making things a little easier on your lights. There are multiple version of the adapter with mounts on one side for either the PL or EF mount lens and mounts on the other for either Sony E, Fuji X, Canon RF, Micro Four Thirds or L mount.

[Read More…]

The ZY Optics Lens Turbo 2 is a 0.72x speed booster for M42, EF and F mount lenses on Nikon Z bodies

ZY Optics has announced its new Zhongyi Lens Turbo II. It’s a 0.72x speed booster for Nikon Z mount APS-C cameras. There are three versions available that let you use full-frame M42, Canon EF and Nikon F mount lenses on the new system with a wider field of view than you’d otherwise get on an APS-C body. It also gives you an extra stop of light and brings back some of that shallow depth of field.

It’s not an autofocus adapter, like the Nikon FTZ and this is reflected in the price, but it does mean that when you’re shooting video, you’ll get to use some of those classic lenses that people have been using with their other cameras for years.

[Read More…]

Canon has released a 0.71x EF to RF speed booster adapter

by 4 Comments

Canon has announced a new EF to RF 0.71x speed booster adapter. Like the speed boosters from Metabones and similar items from Viltrox and others, it allows you to use lenses designed for a larger sensor on a camera with a smaller sensor while retaining a wider field of view and, as the name suggests, effectively increasing the light transmission.

The release coincides with the launch of the new Canon EOS C70 cinema camera, but could it add more fuel to the rumours that Canon is planning to ditch the EOS M camera system in favour of APS-C EOS R RF mount cameras?

[Read More…]

Metabones has released a Canon EF to RF speed booster to reduce the EOS R 4K crop factor

by 2 Comments

It might seem strange to produce a speed booster that converts full-frame lenses to full-frame. But with the Canon EOS R and EOS RP mirrorless cameras, when you’re shooting 4K video, you’re not exactly using the entire full-frame view of the sensor. The Canon EOS R has about a 1.75x crop factor, and the EOS RP has a 1.64x crop factor (similar to APS-C).

The new Metabones EF-RF Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x, however, helps to reverse this problem. It widens the view when EF lenses are used on the EOS R and EOS RP to 1.24x and 1.15x respectively when shooting 4K video.

[Read More…]

Metabones has announced a new set of Speed Boosters specifically for the Blackmagic Pocket 4K

by 6 Comments

Metabones Speed Boosters and focal length reducing lens adapters from other brands have become very popular over the last few years as more people take to smaller sensor formats like APS-C and Micro Four Thirds for shooting both stills and video. There are a number of them out there now, although Metabones continues to be held in the highest regard. Now, Metabones has announced a new series of seven Speed Booster adapters specifically designed for using various non-Micro Four Thirds lenses with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

[Read More…]

Canon is still working on focal length reducing “speedbooster” adapters

by 1 Comment

Canon has been working on their own focal length reducers. Lens adapters commonly sold under “speedbooster” or similar names, these adapters translate a larger projection circle, like that from a full frame lens, to the smaller sizes needed by APS-C and smaller sensors.

Now, a new Japanese patent discovered by Canon Rumors shows that Canon has filed patents covering at least four more reduced optical formulas.

[Read More…]

Canon is working on their own “speedbooster” style adapter to use EF lenses on M bodies

by 3 Comments

Lens adapters to put Canon EF mount lenses onto M mount bodies are nothing new. Canon’s had one for a while now. But when it comes to speedbooster style adapters, one company’s pretty much had the market sewn up, and that’s Metabones. But Metabones only produces such adapters for Sony, Micro Four Thirds and Fuji crop cameras. At least for now.

A new Japanese patent (2018185393) suggests that Canon will be working on their own, now, though, breathing some new life to their EOS M mount line of cameras – as well as their EF mount lenses as they make the push towards full frame mirrorless.

[Read More…]

The physics behind a 35mm f/0.9 lens for $350

by 1 Comment

For the wide aperture lovers, the way to get an  f/0.9-35mm lens for $350 has been here for a while (see video at the end of the post). However, did you know why using a 50mm, f/1.2 lens with a speed booster actually gives you an  f/0.9, 35mm lens? There is quite a bit of math involved but Jimmi Kai manages to squeeze a pretty understandable version of it into a nine minutes video. (Along with some other great tips and physics nuggets)

[Read More…]

A review of the $95 Viltrox Nikon F lens to Sony camera speedbooster adapter

by 3 Comments

The fact that I’m writing this review is the result of someones slip up, a happy accident and unexpected windfall for a mate. The VILTROX NF-E mount Focal Reducer Speed Booster.

Here’s the backstory, a close friend ordered a Viltrox basic adapter to use Nikon Ai lenses on his Sony A6000. We got him a great price on eBay, about $32.00 as I recall, and the adapter promptly arrived almost exactly on the due date.  It sat on his bedroom cupboard along with a little Nikon 35-70mm zoom he bought at the same time for several weeks, then a few days ago he finally brought the camera/lens/adapter combo to the coffee shop so I could show him how to shoot using manual focus with his A6000.

[Read More…]

Fotodiox Excell+1 And Metabones Speedboosters Compared; Lead Is Pretty Obvious

by 6 Comments

A few days ago we featured a new speedbooster adapter from Fotodiox, the Excell+1. The idea behind the booster is that is remaps the image crated by a full frame lens into a smaller sensor, thus both un-cropping the image and gaining a full stop of light.

Now, this is not the first speedbooster that has gone to the market, about one year ago Metabones introduced a similar series of speedboosters, but the pricing on the two products varies significantly. An Excell+1 would set you back about $160 where as a Meatabones adapter will cost between $490-$590.

Videographer Max Yuryev took the two adapters for a ride and the results seem pretty conclusive to me. You can watch the video above and make your mind alone.

[Read More…]

Recent Posts