Speedbooster / Focal Reducer with Shortest Flange Distance- One for Many Lensmounts

[PannySVHS]

Hallo,

 

I know I could google in an instant what flange and mounts go along.

Question is of the practical side though.

I´m asking for your pratical experience about the right mount for a speedbooster to use other

cheepo adapters on. So I put lenses of different mounts on one and the same speedbooster.

F.i. with an EF booster I could adapt Nikon lenses, M42s are adaptable on FD.

I would love to find a solution to mount FD, Minolta and Pentax on the same focal reducer.

Didnt find a no hassles way to adapt FDs to an EF mount, fi.

What are your experiences with an one 4 all mounting solution?

Thanks and cheers,

Marty

[mercer]

I read somewhere that you can use a thin MD to ef (no glass) adapter to a focal reducer and it works. Never tried it myself though. 

I think M42 will mount to MD too. Again no first hand knowledge. 

[Cinegain]

For this reason and the fact I also shoot with multiple bodies in use, I also have multiple focal reducers, that in the form of both the Metabones Nikon - M43 XL and the ZY Optics/Zhongyi/Mitakon Lens Turbo II EF - M43.

From the earlier days the R.J. Lens Turbo Nikon - M43 and dedicated FD - M43 too, but in some problematic situations you might end up with light bouncing around causing some blue/magenta spots to appear in your image. And I did have problems (that got solved by excellent customer service) with the FD glass, where the construction didn't really allow for it to survive the shipment and the optic elements came loose and started to scratch up.

So... for the ease of use and operation I've got the Metabones XL Nikon version. I don't really need the fancy electronic bits on the Canon adapter that drive up the price anyways, although it does allow a more flexbile mounting option, like you've mentioned. That's my reasoning for the 0.64x XL adapter in Nikon mount (aperture control as well). If you're fine with something around 0.71x, I think you could just pick up a ZY Optics/Zhongyi/Mitakon Lens Turbo. Probably the best value out there. Latest versions are actually pretty solid. R.J. Lens Turbo... he was one of the first to come out with a solid alternative, but lately I haven't seen anybody raving about it since new options have appeared. There's the Kipon BAVeyes which as mentioned before is a cooperation with IB/E Optics (BAV, Bavaria, Bayern, Germany, the guys behind Handevision). From a Japanese test report they seemed to be very soft in the corners and filled with purple fringing more so than the others. I'd say besides the rebranded/brandless cheap focal reducers on eBay and such, those would be the last to consider. One other option that's part of something different comes from Aputure. They now have that DEC Lensregain of course that looks to be interesting.

I do sometimes just throw K&F (Kent & Faith) Concept adapters in front, like on the Canon mount a C/Y to EOS. Though for Minolta and Pentax for example I only have adapters to M43, so I couldn't really tell you. Best to go over at http://kentfaith.com/product-172.html perhaps and/or check eBay for such listings. They usually tell you if the adapter will do infinity focus or requires and is equipped with a corrective lens. I believe someone (Andy Lee?) once mentioned that if you look closely the Leica R Metabones can be had for a good deal and is a flexbile means of adapting other mounts. But I haven't done the math on that/am not sure about adapters. -- Ah, that table by Bror (below) made me 2nd guess this. That was ancient talk and actually the other way around; it was when we were still hoping for something flexible and he suggested butchering (for reduced flange distance) the Leica R mount to increase mounting options.

[BrorSvensson]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance here is a list of all the flange distances, all the once with longer flange distance than what you are mounting on works.

[PannySVHS]

35 minutes ago, BrorSvensson said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance here is a list of all the flange distances, all the once with longer flange distance than what you are mounting on works.

That is a great table to gain info from. Thank you. I´ve been checking that one out before. I highly value you guys´ practical experiences.

Handling a solution with one focal reducer for as many adaptable mounts possible. The wikipedia table gives info about the technical conditions.

You guys are the valuable source of the practical side of it. Has anybody tried adapting a Pentax or Canon FD lens to a Konica F mount?

1 hour ago, Cinegain said:

From the earlier days the R.J. Lens Turbo Nikon - M43 and dedicated FD - M43 too, but in some problematic situations you might end up with light bouncing around causing some blue/magenta spots to appear in your image. And I did have problems (that got solved by excellent customer service) with the FD glass, where the construction didn't really allow for it to survive the shipment and the optic elements came loose and started to scratch up.

Great to hear that, confirming my experience with the RJ in bright sunlight. Giving nasties in colors, a native m43 lens would not.

Actually it is not that great to hear that, if you know what I mean

1 hour ago, mercer said:

I read somewhere that you can use a thin MD to ef (no glass) adapter to a focal reducer and it works. Never tried it myself though. 

I think M42 will mount to MD too. Again no first hand knowledge. 

MD to FD would be very nice indeed for now, using my cheapo FD RJbooster with that beautiful 35mm 1.8 you had recommended to me!

[BrorSvensson]

i would personally go with the canon eos one, you can mount nikon, contax c/y, olympus om, m42 ,pentax k and of course use canon eos with electronic connnections on the speedbooster.

[jase]

Canon FD is the mount with the shortest flange distance for which a speedbooster exists to my knowledge, to answer your question. You could now check whether there exists adapters lets say from FD to EOS, etc...

Nikon is one of the mounts with the longest flange distance, so you wont be able to adapt as much lenses as with a shorter mount like FD or EF.

[tupp]

33 minutes ago, BrorSvensson said:

i would personally go with the canon eos one, you can mount nikon,...

Some Nikkor lenses cannot work with the Metabones EF speedboosters.  Those EF speedboosters have a flange surrounding the front optical element that is positioned slightly forward from that front element.  The protective metal "tongue" on the back of some of the Nikkor lenses hits this forward flange, preventing the lens from being mounted.

 

Presumably, this forward flange exists to disallow mounting EF-S lenses (which might vignette).  However, as in many other instances in which the manufacturer tries to "protect" the user from his/her own ignorance, the protective feature simply prevents professionals (and others who know better) from getting what they want.

 

Also, the EF speedboosters are about 30%-50% more expensive than those with other mounts.

[mercer]

4 hours ago, Cinegain said:

From the earlier days the R.J. Lens Turbo Nikon - M43 and dedicated FD - M43 too, but in some problematic situations you might end up with light bouncing around causing some blue/magenta spots to appear in your image. And I did have problems (that got solved by excellent customer service) with the FD glass, where the construction didn't really allow for it to survive the shipment and the optic elements came loose and started to scratch up.

This is the problem I am having with the Fotodiox Excel+1. I bought it pretty cheap on eBay, but any direct light and the center becomes a hexagonal mass of low contrast Smurf haze. When indoors, or not in direct sun, it is actually not bad, but that blue hexagonal haze... Ugh. I think I may send it back and pick up a Mitakon. 

[andy lee]

I have 4 Canon EF to m4/3 Metbones XLs and they are the ones I use the most to adapt other lenses to , EF mount is the most versatile mount to use .

 

[tupp]

18 minutes ago, andy lee said:

I have 4 Canon EF to m4/3 Metbones XLs and they are the ones I use the most to adapt other lenses to , EF mount is the most versatile mount to use .

Again, folks should be aware that some Nikkor lenses cannot be mounted (with an adapter) to a Metabones EF speedbooster.

[bunk]

Adapterrings of different brands with the same mount defiate enough to make mounting of one brand of a lens on one and the same speedbooster a frustrating experience. Let alone mount different brands of lenses with their repsective adapterrings one and the same speedbooster.

In my experiene you should not use one speedbooster for severall mounts. 

I tried for my C/Y lenseses, Yashinon 45-135 and nikkors with a ef-mft speedbooster. In the end none of the lenses would reach infinity or stay parfocal. Once I found out the Yashinon is "parfocal" with a slight modified speedbooster, I kept the glass in the speedbooster fixed in that position. I then adjusted the C/Y lenses so they would reach  infinity ...which is a relative easy job with C/Y lenses. I'am pretty sure that if I mount those adjusted C/Y lenses on a dedicated C/Y speedbooster they would be way off.

For my nikkon glass I bought a n/g-m4/3 speedbooster.

4 hours ago, tupp said:

The protective metal "tongue" on the back of some of the Nikkor lenses hits this forward flange, preventing the lens from being mounted.

Nothing a rough wetstone or iron vilings can't get rid off. I think I removed around 5mm from the metal tongue (aluminum) of my 20-35mm nikkor and it mounted just fine with adapter ring on the ef speedbooster.

[Cinegain]

Yeah, I was thinking SB XL: Canon or Nikon. But... I do more Nikon-mount stuff already (mostly zooms from Nikon, Sigma, Tokina, etc), so it would be nice to have a single adapter that works for most of my needs; including aperture control. And it was cheaper than the Canon, of which I had no intention of using the electronics of anyways; so why pay to include that? Still, for like the Contax Zeiss stuff, EF-flexibility was factored in... so I decided to get a separate focal reducer in the form of the Lens Turbo II, which ultimately gives me two focal reducers for dual set-ups and the nicest flexibility, performance and value. And the few K&F Concept (which I've switched to from Fotga) adapters seem to work well. Got one from Leinox that's decent too. The choice I guess depends on the lenses you use most and what you've got budgeted for focal reducing.

[Justin Bacle]

Py speedbooosters (MItakon & RJ) are both in MD mount. Which allows me to mount both MD & M42 lenses. As for the Canon EF mount. I think you need to get another speedbooster.

Minolta MD and Canon EF mounts have flange distances way to close (43.5 mm & 44 mm respectively) to be adaptable from one to another.

I do not have any experience with canon FD mount though, sorry.

[PannySVHS]

12 hours ago, bunk said:

In my experiene you should not use one speedbooster for severall mounts. 

I tried for my C/Y lenseses, Yashinon 45-135 and nikkors with a ef-mft speedbooster. In the end none of the lenses would reach infinity or stay parfocal. Once I found out the Yashinon is "parfocal" with a slight modified speedbooster, I kept the glass in the speedbooster fixed in that position. I then adjusted the C/Y lenses so they would reach  infinity ...which is a relative easy job with C/Y lenses. I'am pretty sure that if I mount those adjusted C/Y lenses on a dedicated C/Y speedbooster they would be way off.

 

 

Hallo guys,

 

thanks for contributing so much to this topic! @bunk Thank you for sharing your practical experience. If I summarize for my own conclusion:

-EF most flexible

-one booster for many mounts not without varying problems

-of the cheapo adapters, RJ is not the best, rather take ZY Optics/Zhongyi/Mitakon Lens Turbo,

this from @BrorSvensson´s experience

 

For the short run, I would like to mount Minolta MD glass on FD focal reducer. Anyone found an adapter for mounting MDs on FD?

Haven´t found anything. Flange distance is 42 for FD, 43.5 for MD.

1.5mm difference might be too short for an adapting solution though. Pretty sure of that.

 

cheers

 

[BrorSvensson]

4 minutes ago, PannySVHS said:

 

Hallo guys,

 

thanks for contributing so much to this topic! @bunk Thank you for sharing your practical experience. If I summarize for my own conclusion:

-EF most flexible

-one booster for many mounts not without varying problems

-of the cheapo adapters, RJ is not the best, rather take ZY Optics/Zhongyi/Mitakon Lens Turbo,

this from @BrorSvensson´s experience

 

For the short run, I would like to mount Minolta MD glass on FD focal reducer. Anyone found an adapter for mounting MDs on FD?

Haven´t found anything. Flange distance is 42 for FD, 43.5 for MD.

1.5mm difference might be too short for an adapting solution though. Pretty sure of that.

 

cheers

 

i personally used the mitakon lens turbo ii with canon eos mount, you cant have electronics for eos lenses but you also dont risk breaking the electronics in the lens turbo with other adapters because there are none.