Panasonic GH4 vs Sony A7R II in low light - Speed Booster Shootout

[ilariobiraghi]

Thx you so much Reinaissance. Actually a good challenge could be:

mft Nocticron f/1.2 vs SpeedBoster + Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II.

If I'm right, in this case Canon wins in low-light. But as you said Nocticron without SpeedBoster remain sharpest. In your opinion, which between the two set handles better the noise? I mean... Canon is faster but softer with SpeedBooster (and without IS), while Nocticron darker but sharper (and IS). So if I shoot in 4K and then downscale to HD, which lens will give me less noise?

Thx a lot.

[TheRenaissanceMan]

Thx you so much Reinaissance. Actually a good challenge could be:

mft Nocticron f/1.2 vs SpeedBoster + Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II.

If I'm right, in this case Canon wins in low-light. But as you said Nocticron without SpeedBoster remain sharpest. In your opinion, which between the two set handles better the noise? I mean... Canon is faster but softer with SpeedBooster (and without IS), while Nocticron darker but sharper (and IS). So if I shoot in 4K and then downscale to HD, which lens will give me less noise?

Thx a lot.

The Speedbooster combo, again, will give you more light and therefore less noise. It does, however, cost way more, have much lower image quality (until stopped down to as the same or smaller aperture than the Nocticron), and is much, much heavier. 

Another factor to consider: The Speed Booster combo will have a stop more light/less noise than the Nocticron, but because the Nocti is so much sharper wide open, you could use noise reduction in something like Neat Video and still end up with crisper results.

[Brian Caldwell]

The Speedbooster combo, again, will give you more light and therefore less noise. It does, however, cost way more, have much lower image quality (until stopped down to as the same or smaller aperture than the Nocticron), and is much, much heavier. 
Another factor to consider: The Speed Booster combo will have a stop more light/less noise than the Nocticron, but because the Nocti is so much sharper wide open, you could use noise reduction in something like Neat Video and still end up with crisper results.

In this example, the quality of the Speed Booster is really degraded by the Canon 85/1.2, which isn't a very good lens.  Try putting a 55mm Zeiss Otus on a m43 Speed Booster Ultra if you want to see the state of the art in large aperture lens sharpness.

[ilariobiraghi]

Thanks you both for the advices!

[TheRenaissanceMan]

Right. To clarify, seeing as how Brian is here, the Speed Booster does not degrade the quality of the lens. The problem is that the 85mm f/1.2 is a terrible performer to begin with until you stop it down to f/2-2.8. It's more of a special-purpose portrait lens than an all-purpose short tele.

[KarlonCromwell]

Right. To clarify, seeing as how Brian is here, the Speed Booster does not degrade the quality of the lens. The problem is that the 85mm f/1.2 is a terrible performer to begin with until you stop it down to f/2-2.8. It's more of a special-purpose portrait lens than an all-purpose short tele.

I am glad your clarify that the 85mm isn't a waste. One just has to know it's purpose.

[kidzrevil]

In this example, the quality of the Speed Booster is really degraded by the Canon 85/1.2, which isn't a very good lens.  Try putting a 55mm Zeiss Otus on a m43 Speed Booster Ultra if you want to see the state of the art in large aperture lens sharpness.

the canon 85 f1.2 isn't a good lens ? lol are you actually like.....serious ?

[Brian Caldwell]

the canon 85 f1.2 isn't a good lens ? lol are you actually like.....serious ?

Earlier in this very old thread a comparison was made between the Canon 85/1.2 + Speed Booster and the Nocticron for m43.  If indeed the Nocticron is the sharper of the two (likely), then my point was that the problem lies in the Canon 85/1.2 and not the Speed Booster.  After all, the latest generation of Speed Boosters is capable of improving on Zeiss Otus sharpness even while increasing the speed to f/1.0 or faster, and I can prove it.

So, the 85/1.2 is a fine lens, but if pure sharpness is your metric then it is outclassed by a Zeiss Otus, and is even further outclassed by a Zeiss Otus + Speed Booster.  Seriously.

[kidzrevil]

Earlier in this very old thread a comparison was made between the Canon 85/1.2 + Speed Booster and the Nocticron for m43.  If indeed the Nocticron is the sharper of the two (likely), then my point was that the problem lies in the Canon 85/1.2 and not the Speed Booster.  After all, the latest generation of Speed Boosters is capable of improving on Zeiss Otus sharpness even while increasing the speed to f/1.0 or faster, and I can prove it.

So, the 85/1.2 is a fine lens, but if pure sharpness is your metric then it is outclassed by a Zeiss Otus, and is even further outclassed by a Zeiss Otus + Speed Booster.  Seriously.

Oh. I was thrown off by the fact you said that the canon 85 wasn't a good lens. Didn't know you meant it wasn't a good lens in comparison to the Otus which pretty much outclasses the majority of lenses available for purchase to date.

[Brian Caldwell]

Oh. I was thrown off by the fact you said that the canon 85 wasn't a good lens. Didn't know you meant it wasn't a good lens in comparison to the Otus which pretty much outclasses the majority of lenses available for purchase to date.

No problem!  The original points made in older resurrected threads like this often get pretty obscured.