Revealed: Metabones EF Sony E-Mount adapter optically defective

[Andrew Reid]

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[img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/metabones-eos-adapter-nex-7.jpg[/img]

UPDATE: [url="http://conurus.com/intro"]Metabones inform me they have fixed the latest adapters with an anti-reflective part. If your adapter suffers from reflections, if yours has any of the issues below, simply contact Metabones and send your adapter back for a service[/url]

As if the initial non-functioning firmware with the NEX 5N and NEX 7 wasn’t bad enough, it appears Metabones will have to completely re-design the recent EOS lens to E-Mount adapter.

[url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/7415/revealed-metabones-ef-sony-e-mount-adapter-optically-defective/"]Read full article[/url]

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[allenjnl]

Since there aren't any optics inside the adapter, you might consider putting self adhesive "flock paper" on the surfaces that might be causing the reflections inside the adapter bore. I'm not defending the OEM shipping a product with problems, but being able to put Canon glass on your camera is a pretty exceptional capability. I know I'd try it before I sent it back. Telescope builders use it inside the tube to eliminate reflections and increase contrast. It's available at a lot of places, may be cheaper elsewhere, but here's a link just FYI.
[url=http://www.edmundoptics.com/products/displayproduct.cfm?productid=1502]http://www.edmundoptics.com/products/displayproduct.cfm?productid=1502[/url]
It's worth a shot for $20.00, you've already got 400 bucks in the thing.

[Andrew Reid]

The point here is that Metabones have shipped in the first instance an adapter that is incompatible electronically with the NEX 7 and 5N, and seriously defective with internal reflections. That is not a minor thing!

If anyone is going to fix this thing, Metabones are. Not me.

[wondo]

as i said...

sorry yours is flawed, although the ghosting etc. needs a little further investigation.

tested it with all my canon L-glass, some hartblei shift&tilts and even lensbabys now and nothing bad happened.

the firmware problems are another issue, and it`s a bad move from metabones to have you pay for shipping...

 

[crunch]

Did you contact the manufacturer? Our adapter came a few days ago, and the inside is already covered in felt-like material to avoid reflections, and aperture works with both the FS100 and the Nex 5N. (tested)

[conurus]

Dear Mr Andrew Reid,

First, thank you for your reviews and criticisms. We @conurus discovered the internal reflection issue in January and immediately notified Metabones about it. Metabones' remedy was to apply black felt material on the inside of every adapter. Again only the first batch was shipped without the black felt material treatment and had a problem with internal reflection. All subsequent ones shipped in February and March were shipped with the black felt material already installed.

All customers who ordered the first batch of adapters have been notified to reject the delivery and return the adapter to sender. For those who have taken delivery and subsequently returned the adapter to Metabones for firmware update, Metabones took that opportunity to install the black felt material in order to curb the internal reflection problem that you found. Our testing concluded that after the black felt treatment the adapters no longer suffer from any internal reflection or ghosting problems, and thank you wondo for confirming that with his/her Canon L glass.

So Mr Andrew Reid, please kindly advise if your optically defective adapter had the black felt material installed. If not, it was a negligence on the part of Metabones' firmware update service for which Conurus would apologize on their behalf. If the black felt material is already installed and you still experience a problem with internal reflection, please advise us so and we will have to go back to the drawing board and redesign the adapter.

We appreciate all constructive criticism. We are always listening and gathering end-user feedback from various sources, including monitoring the Internet for new forum posts, blogs and reviews (such as this one). Even so, the quickest way to get a problem resolved is to contact Metabones directly. Excuse me for stating the obvious but it is *us* who correct and fix problem. Even if all the rest of the world is aware of the issue they would not be able to do a thing to address it. If you find something, please let us know directly. If the first thing you do is to post it, we may not always be able to find your post and as a result we may not always be able to resolve the issue. If you always directly inform us about issues you find, not only us, but the photographic/cinematographic community at large would be very much appreciated!

[conurus]

Update: just spoke to Metabones on the phone about this ghosting incident. I was told that the name "Andrew Reid" was a very familiar name to them, as they have already printed out the shipping label for you and will ship as soon as your adapter is returned for firmware update. They said your adapter never came back - which implied your adapter may be missing the black felt treatment that everyone else had, and it may imply that you are reporting is a problem that we resolved over a month ago. Please advise us if that is not the case.

[Andrew Reid]

I informed you (Conurus) several times directly before writing about it on the blog. I also asked for a fully working review unit so you have had plenty of time to deal with this.

I can only write about what I am shipped as a paying customer like everyone else. The entire first batch was faulty. Not sure how many others are. I didn't design it, did I?

The Cinema5D review features an adapter with no felt but updated firmware! What the hell is wrong with Metabones in HK? Do you decide to fix one thing but leave the other a secret, or just decide only to fix it for certain customers, not all of them?

I appreciate that both the firmware and reflections are now fixed, but mine isn't. Also these were major problems that the bare minimum of testing would have picked up on way before it shipped. As if the problem isn't bad enough, your first customers have been badly treated. Had I known it any different, wouldn't have needed to post this article at all. I write about what I use.

[conurus]

Dear Mr Andrew Reid,

First, let me state that we deserve to be spanked for the quality problems with the initial batch. We had no excuse for having shipped it, that was a grave mistake and poor judgement on our part. We issued a recall before anyone had received the shipment, but by that time it was already too late. We learned a lesson from that and we sincerely ask for your kind forgiveness. We admitted to our mistake in front of the world by issuing a recall and we want to be able to move on. I sincerely wish one day we would be unshackled from this historical baggage and focus on bringing the photographic/cinematic community more new and innovative products, instead of draining our energy dealing with this PR stunt for the rest of our existence.

Due to extreme shortage of our stock, we may not be able to fulfill every request even if it is from a member of the press. That you were not afforded the opportunity to use the latest fixed adapter for your review was unfortunate, but our hands were tied and we were not doing that to you or eoshd on purpose. I hope you would understand that point.

I was not sure what you meant by being badly treated. If you meant the hassle of having to ship it back, you could have refused delivery of the defective unit and have it returned to sender. If you had not done that, Metabones promised to reimburse return shipping. If by having been "badly treated" you meant not sending you a spare review unit, sorry, but we really don't have stock! We @conurus had a grand total of ONE (1) Smart Adapter and that gives you a glimpse of how short we are on stock. Sorry, but we really didn't mean to not cater to your needs but we really, really have no stock in order to be able to help you. Unfortunately that means you would have to return your unit first and we fix it, but sorry we don't have a spare to help you with your downtime.

You as a member of the press and we as a product innovator both share a common goal: it is in the best interest for both of us for reviews to be up-to-date. Neither of us want outdated information to be reported. As this incident proves, that is very hard to achieve unless you discuss and communicate with the manufacturer. Conurus had never received any email from you until today. Granted, I was not sure what exactly happened on the Metabones side, but generally, they forward us every customer email that we would need to act upon. In any case, if you had in fact informed them about the ghosting issue they would have told you that a remedy was readily available. While we were not able to provide you with the spare review unit, at least we would have been able to provide information, if you had asked for it. Anyway, I wish to express my appreciation for your blue ink update of your ghosting problem report.

When I called Metabones on the phone, I was told that every adapter returned for firmware update also received anti-reflection treatment at the same time. Are you sure the cinema5D unit really had no anti-reflection treatment? If that was indeed the case, I will call them again to find out why any Ver.01 adapter would have received no anti-ghosting treatment. Conurus delivered Ver.01 to Metabones on January 30 and I would need to discuss with them and find out exactly when the anti-reflection treatment was first shipped. (I was under the impression it was before the firmware, but I could be mistaken on the exact date.)

Bo-Ming Tong
Founder
Conurus
Vancouver, Canada

[Andrew Reid]

A superb explanation, and thank you. You are forgiven.

If the Metabones side had communicated as well as that, I wouldn't have felt so let down by the experience. Admittedly, those who got the first batch were very unlucky to have such a problem. Now I know it is fixed, solved, history - I am far happier. Even 3 days ago I wasn't told by Metabones about the felt treatment so didn't know about it being fixed for the 2nd batch. In fact at time of communicating my problems I assumed Metabones and Conurus were dealing with things as one company, so that is why you didn't hear from me. I didn't think to seek out a separate contact at Conurus because I assumed Metabones was dealing with everything.

[naptunian]

This is why I avoid the first batch of any new product.  I prefer to read reviews about any new products first to see if it lives up to the marketing description.  Mind you, it was an inner struggle to hold off ordering one.  I really don't like shooting my Canon lenses wide open.

A suggestion for the next batch, wouldn't it be better to allow users to do firmware upgrades by installing a regular USB connection?

Users will be upgrading to new NEX bodies in the future.  It's impractical to send it back to the manufacturer for a firmware update.