The mirrorless revolution is changing the game and promises a world where most lenses can be adapted onto just about any camera. But there are important rules in this new world. Consider this your handbook.  Original Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash It has long been a rule of thumb that any DSLR lens can be mounted onto any mirrorless camera. If you have Canon or Nikon lenses, you can easily mount them onto anything with a Sony E-Mount. So with Nikon and Canon’s new lens mounts, I’m sure a lot of us are curious whether, for example, we’ll be able to mount the Canon 28-70mm f/2 on an a7R IV, or for that matter on a Nikon z6. Will these lenses be just as adaptable as their EF lenses, or are all the new lens systems mutually exclusive? An Intro to Lens Adapters Canon EF glass has been prevalent because of its quality, sure, but also its flexibility – you’re just as likely to see a Canon zoom on a C300 Mark II as you are to see it on a RED Weapon or sometimes even a Sony FS7.  That’s because of the prevalence of quality adapters. For an electronic lens system like EF or Nikon G you need something a little more complicated, but if you want to get even simpler than that, indie filmmakers still hunt down and actively shoot on vintage SLR lenses – all you need for that is a cheap metal adapter ring. Canon FD is a popular format, but I personally go for Pentax M42 mounts. $15 on Amazon and you’re in business. Image Credit: Ken Rockwell Not all lens adapters are created equal, though. And it’s not like you can stick any lens on any camera. To understand why one lens can be adapted when another cannot, you have to ask one simple question: what is the flange focal distance? In essence, it is the distance from the lens mount to the sensor (or film) plane on a given camera system. Lenses are designed to focus their image precisely at the film plane – no closer, no further. So the fundamental goal of adapting a lens is to correctly space it from the film plane of a foreign camera. Image Credit: Wolfcrow Flange Depth 101 Lenses from a system with a longer flange focal distance mount easily onto cameras with shorter distances, while cameras with very short flange focal distances are able to accept almost any lens from a longer-flange system. Canon’s EF mount has a depth of 44mm, making it a ready and willing host to the longer-flanged Nikon G lenses. Canon EF lenses cannot mount onto Nikon DSLR bodies, though. At least, not without corrective glass elements. Once you introduce these corrective glass elements, quality can fall off very quickly. The acrobatics these adapters are performing to get your image in place must be extremely precise, and most of the time you will find that they just don’t quite achieve the results you are hoping for. Maybe the sharpness of the lens is decreased. Maybe infinity focus is no longer possible. These are fairly expensive problems to solve, and frankly, if you have the money then you’re better off re-mounting your lenses anyways. Pictured: too much hassle So the question you are dying to know is: what is the flange depth for my lens? My camera? I’ve tried to compile as many mounts as I can think of in this handy-dandy chart. How to Read This Chart: A Users’ Guide There are two cardinal rules of lens adapting: Number one: The flange of the lens must be longer than the flange of the camera Number 2: The image size of the lens must match or exceed the sensor size of the camera You can’t stick a Sony E mount lens onto a Nikon D850, because the lens would need to be mounted far too physically close to the sensor. No can do. However, you could totally adapt a Nikon F lens onto a Sony E-mount camera. The adapter, in essence, acts as a spacer between the lens and the new host camera. You can create more space, but good luck taking it away. Similarly, even though you could probably technically mount a Micro Four Thirds lens on a Sony E mount camera – the flange depth is greater, after all – you wouldn’t really accomplish much because MFT lenses are designed for a sensor half the size of something like Sony’s a7R IV. In practical terms, this means that the chart flows downhill, but somewhat selectively. Broadly speaking, for a given lens to work with your camera body, it just needs to be higher on the chart than your camera’s mount. (Almost) anything above is a fair game. But anything below is almost certainly going to create more problems than it’s worth. Defending the Flange Depth of DSLRs If you have been reading this Lens Adapter Handbook closely, you may have noticed a couple of things. First off, there is not a single mount in the 30-40mm range. Not one. And secondly, DSLRs and SLRs overwhelmingly occupy the upper ranges (40mm+) while Mirrorless systems all hover around 20mm. What causes that, you ask? Mirrors. Lest we forget – SLR stands for “Single Lens Reflex,” meaning that one lens feeds the image to both the viewfinder mechanism and the film/sensor. And the mirror is what makes that all possible. It swings in and out of the path of the light, selectively allowing it to pass through to the image plane. Those swings need some room to occur – about 40mm, give or take. Mirrorless Flange Depth, Explained And below that, of course, you find the mirrorless cameras (and rangefinders). These systems have only the barest of requirements. Camera makers like to place filters in front of their sensors to manage the wavelengths coming into the sensor (IR  filters), and usually (but not always) include a low-pass filter to eliminate moiré. Past that, all they have to worry about is keeping the lens from knocking against the sensor and cram in any electronic connections necessary for autofocus and such. Ever wonder what 18mm from mount to sensor looks like? It’s surprisingly small in person. But even without a mirror, there are limitations. Modern digital cameras are more than just a sensor and a socket. IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) operates by moving the sensor itself to counteract small shakes and motions. To avoid catastrophic collisions between sensor and lens requires a little bit of wiggle room. Most cameras also feature Optical Low-Pass Filters that help clean up moiré and Infrared (IR) Filters that remove light pollution from outside the visible spectrum. All of this is to say that every single millimeter shaved off below 20 is a battle. Nikon is very proud of having made it down to a 16mm flange depth. What advantages that earned them remain to be seen. It is an extremely thin camera. Maybe that’s enough reason Bringing it Back: The Future of Nikon Z, Canon R, FUJIFILM X, and Sony E So knowing what we know now, the landscape seems fairly clear – Canon R lenses will be the most flexible with their 20mm flange depth allowing them to move downstream to Sony and Nikon bodies. Nikon Z-mount cameras, being the shallowest, will act as a sort of universal acceptor, taking Canon and Sony lenses with ease. The math checks out, but there is one major complication of having flange distances that are differentiated by just 2mm. The large gap between, for example, Nikon F’s flange depth at 44mm and Sony E’s 18mm depth left a solid 26mm where engineers could cram all the electronics required to get Nikon lenses talking to Sony bodies. Without those, you have no control over aperture, no autofocus, and no metadata. We will have to wait and see if those same functions can be achieved with only the 2mm of clearance between Canon R and Sony E mounts, or 4mm if you adapt to Nikon Z. If not, cross-system adapters may only be realistic for manual lenses. All that space isn’t just decorative Special Mentions, Outliers, etc Beyond straight adapters, you quickly get into a whole world of specialized tools, extra features, and all that jazz. They’re a little outside the scope of this handbook, but let’s do a quick lightning round of other variations on this theme. Anamorphic Adapters These adapters screw onto the front of your lens and convert them to an anamorphic field of view. They do not change your lens mount, they do not go between your lens and your camera. They create a wider image by horizontally squeezing the image onto the sensor. Focus Confirmation Some lens adapters, while not supporting any kind of autofocus, can still at least confirm when the image is or is not in focus. For Canon cameras, this means that the focus points in your viewfinder will blink red, and, if turned on, the camera will beep the same way it would with an autofocus lens. This can be helpful when using all-manual glass. Speedboosters This is probably the most common alternative to an adapter. Metabones (and many smaller brands) have created adapters that not only convert from one mount to another, they also convert from one image size to another. A full-frame lens can be refocused onto a Super35 sensor and look almost exactly the same as it would on a full-frame sensor. See also: LucAdapters, an emerging kind of speedbooster that is attached INSIDE the lens mount. Brand-Native Adapters Switching lens mounts is a huge risk and the source of a lot of potential problems. It is a necessary evil as lens technology develops and new features come into play. The introduction of autofocus brought with it a wave of lens mount updates, and the mirrorless revolution has brought another. And with each wave, camera manufacturers try to smooth the transition to their new platform with a custom adapter that brings their old lenses to their new platform. Canon and Nikon have both introduced top-notch lens adapters at relatively low prices to help their current users transition smoothly into their mirrorless lineups. Although somewhat forgotten now, Sony did the same at the introduction of their E-mount in 2010. Because these adapters come straight from the original manufacturers, there is no reverse-engineering required, no guesswork, and no compatibility problems. They know their own lenses, and they know their own cameras. These adapters are the gold standard for speed,  accuracy, and consistency. In Conclusion Adapting DSLR lenses onto mirrorless bodies is a wonderful way to expand your lens selection and broaden your creative choices. Between the Panasonic Lumix S1, the Canon EOS R, and the Nikon Z6, I expect we will be living in an adapter-heavy world for the next few years. These cameras are innovative and powerful, but they all suffer from their shallow native lens pools. If the electronic adapters can be sorted out, Canon may find itself in the very interesting position of having the most adaptable lenses mount on the market. Their choice of a deeper flange depth than Sony or Nikon is perhaps a cunning strategic move. Remember: adaptability flows downhill. As long as your lens has a deeper flange than your camera body and the image circle is big enough, everything will work out just fine. It’s already starting to become a reality Do you stick with native lenses? Are you already mixing and matching? Are there any questions left unanswered? Let us know in the comments!

The FotodioX Vizelex Cine ND is a smart adapter that allows you to access the wide range of Canon EF lenses with your medium format FUJIFILM G-Mount camera. Here’s why that’s not as crazy as it sounds. The FUJIFILM GFX100 and the FotodioX Vizelex Cine ND For shooters on the  G-mount cameras, such as the GFX100, adapters are a necessary part of the experience. By my count, FUJIFILM has, to date, built 9 lenses for this system. There are third-party lenses as well, sure, but nothing like what you see in even their X-mount lineup. With such slim pickings available natively, the next logical step is to look at using lenses from other manufacturers and mounts. Meet the FotodioX Vizelex Cine ND Make no mistake, this is a professional product. It is designed and constructed to fit perfectly and consistently, with an all-metal body and a chrome-plated brass mount. It features their “Fusion” AF system, that allows for full EXIF transmission and control of all electronic functions – including stabilization. The adapter also includes a physical switch that allows you to easily toggle your camera between Medium Format mode and 35mm mode, depending on how heavily your lens is vignetting. They have also helpfully included another switch that moves you from Aperture Priority mode to Program and back again. And of course, the full range of focus is guaranteed – to infinity, and beyond! But that’s only half of this product. The other half is the built-in Variable ND, which blocks anywhere from 1 to 8 stops of light. This lovely feature is made available because of the difference between the required flange depth of the Canon EF lenses and the much shallower depth of the G mount system. This is similar to what you see in Canon’s EF-R adapters, and I’m very happy to see this feature spreading out to other formats as well. An ND filter between the lens and the sensor will preserve more optical quality. And plus, it is just more convenient than re-mounting every time you switch lenses. We love cinema cameras with built-in ND, and now that feature is slowly becoming available to mirrorless shooters through adapters like the FotodioX Vizelex Cine ND. Image Credit: FotodioX What about Vignetting? Canon didn’t design their EF lenses for medium-format cameras. The largest sensor they officially cover is Full-Frame, or 35mm. So take it as a default assumption that they will vignette around the edges on a FUJIFILM GFX camera. With the resolution of these medium format cameras, you can probably afford some cropping. But depending on the lens, that might not be necessary. In FotodioX’s tests, which you can see above, the classic Canon EF 24-105 f/4 behaved very differently at either end of its zoom range. Tilt-shift lenses, as well, tend to cover the full sensor. In other words, experiment a little. Don’t count on full coverage, but maybe don’t rule it out either. So what do you think – does the utility of the EF lineup make this a tantalizing opportunity, or is the FotodioX Vizelex Cine ND just another accessory you didn’t need? Let us know in the comments!

KIPON announced a new PRO line of adapters for PL and LPL mount lenses and 0.7x speed boosters for selected medium format lenses. The adapters feature precisely manufactured bodies from strong stainless material and the possibility to add shim papers. They will be available for most popular mirrorless mounts  – Sony E, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z, EOS R-mount, L-mount, FUJIFILM G-mount, and RED cameras. The adapters are available now. KIPON PRO cine adapters The Shanghai-based company KIPON is known mainly for its lens adapters and affordable manual focus lenses. Back in March 2018, we informed you about their Canon-EF to FUJIFILM X-Mount autofocus adapters. Now KIPON releases a new PRO line of adapters. What kind of adapters are these exactly? KIPON PRO Cine Adapters for PL and LPL Mount Lenses First group of new PRO cine adapters from KIPON are adapters without an optical element. They are designed for PL and LPL mount cine lenses, so these adapters naturally do not support autofocus or aperture operation. They only support full manual operation. All PRO adapters are manufactured with high precision using strong stainless material with very good abrasive resistance. KIPON says there will be no tolerance change for lens and body mount side even after years of use. There is also a possibility to add shim papers of various thicknesses to all PRO adapters to ensure precise (back-)focusing. Shim papers with different thickness for KIPON PRO cine adapters The PRO adapters will be available in the following versions: PL to Sony E-mount PL to Micro four thirds PL to Nikon Z PL to EOS R-mount PL to L-mount LPL to Sony E-mount LPL to FUJIFILM G-mount (GFX medium format cameras) LPL to RED cameras mount PL to LPL-mount   KIPON PRO cine adapters can also be stacked Another part of the PRO series of KIPON adapters are adapters with optical element reducing the focal length and aperture number by 0.7x. They are designed to accommodate medium format lenses with large image circles or PL lenses. They will be available in the following versions: BAVEYES HASSELBLAD V to LPL 0.7x BAVEYES PENTAX645 to LPL 0.7x BAVEYES PL to Micro four thirds 0.7x BAVEYES PL to Sony E-mount 0.7x Price and Availability According to KIPON, these adapters are already available now. We will update this post if we receive buy links from our partners B&H and/or CVP. The company claims they will develop more models for the new PRO product line in the future. What do you think of the new PRO adapters from KIPON? Do you have experience with other KIPON adapters? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Metabones announced new series of Speed Booster adapters especially designed for Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (BMPCC4K). The redesigned optics provide better sharpness when shooting with low aperture numbers. They come in standard versions – ULTRA 0.71x and XL 0.64x, and for Canon EF mount, Nikon G mount, and ARRI PL Mount. The adapters can only be used with the BMPCC 4K, they cannot be mounted on any other M43 camera. Speed Booster Adapters for BMPCC 4K. Source: Metabones Although there are now many lens adapter manufacturers, when it comes to Speed Boosters – adapters with optical elements – Metabones is still providing unmatched image quality. They offer a wide range of adapters for various lens mount and large number of SLR lenses. One of those adapters are Speed Boosters for micro four thirds cameras. These Speed Boosters can be used with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, but the image can sometimes get soft when shooting with low aperture numbers. That’s why Metabones releases new series of Speed Booster adapters especially designed for the BMPCC 4K. Metabones Speed Boosters for BMPCC 4K The new series of Metabones Speed Booster is especially designed for Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (BMPCC4K). The optics were designed by Caldwell Photographic. The adapters come in standard versions – ULTRA 0.71x and XL 0.64x. Both versions are similar to the standard Micro four thirds Speed Booster adapters, but the optics have been re-designed to optimize for the filter stack thickness of the Blackmagic cameras, which is substantially thinner than that of standard M43 cameras. Speed Booster Canon EF Standard and Cine Adapters for BMPCC 4K. Source: Metabones I will not dive too deep into the filter stack thickness topic here. If you want to know more about it, there is a useful article on Lens Rentals blog about it. The thickness of the camera’s filter stack is an important component of the overall optical design, and the re-designed optics ensure that the new Speed Boosters can achieve the same high performance with the BMPCC 4K as the Speed Booster versions for standard M43 do with other M43 cameras. As I mentioned, this is especially critical at wide apertures (fully open). Speed Booster Nikon G Adapter for BMPCC 4K. Source: Metabones In addition to the new optical designs, the new series of Speed Boosters also features a longer tripod mount to match the height of the BMPCC4K camera body. This way the camera and the Speed Booster can be mounted firmly on the same quick release plate. Speed Booster ARRI PL Adapter for BMPCC 4K. Source: Metabones Both versions – the Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x and XL 0.64x – are available with Nikon G lens mount, with Canon EF lens mount and with Canon EF CINE lens mount. The ARRI PL lens mount is available in ULTRA 0.71x version only. The Canon EF CINE lens mount creates a positive lock for a secure electronic connection, and together with the matching length of new the tripod mount, allows for a rock-solid mechanical setup, which is important when using follow focus attachments. Crop factors table. Source: Metabones The new Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x for BMPCC4K uses 6-element 4-group optical design incorporating ultra-high index tantalum-based optical glass. According to Metabones, optical performance of the new Speed Boosters will even improve MTF of any lens attached to it. Here are the MTF charts with commentary taken directly from Metabones website. MTF Charts for the Spped Booster ULTRA. Source: Metabones All of the charts show the optical performance of the Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x when mounted behind an ideal “perfect” lens. Figures 1 through 3 show MTF at 10, 20, and 40 lp/mm as a function of image height for output apertures of f/0.9, f/1.0, and f/2.0, respectively.  At the maximum aperture of f/0.90 (i.e., with an f/1.2 master lens) the sharpness and contrast are extraordinary across the entire image circle. At just one-third stop down to f/1.0 the performance is equal to or better than the best photographic lenses used at their optimum apertures. An additional stop down to f/2.0 yields performance that is rarely encountered in photographic optics. In practice, what all of this means is that the new Speed Boosters will always enhance and never degrade the performance of the attached master lens. Figure 4 shows that there is less than 1 stop of corner illumination falloff even wide-open at f/0.9. There is no vignetting at all after the output aperture reaches f/2.82. Figure 5 shows that rectilinear distortion added by the Speed Booster ULTRA is negligible at less than 0.7%.   The new Speed Booster XL 0.64x for BMPCC 4K uses 7-element optical design to achieve high optical performance at apertures up to f/0.80 (with a full-frame f/1.2 lens). Here are again the MTF charts with commentary taken directly from Metabones website. MTF Charts for the Spped Booster XL. Source: Metabones Figures 1 through 3 below show MTF at 10, 20, and 40 lp/mm as a function of image height for output apertures of f/0.8, f/1.1, and f/1.81. At f/0.80 (i.e., with an f/1.2 master lens) the sharpness and contrast are extraordinary out to an image height of 5.1 mm, which is the limiting image height of the BMPCC4K camera’s FHD video mode.  Beyond 5.1 mm the performance drops gracefully, but remains very good even in the extreme corner of the full Blackmagic sensor. Note that as the master lens aperture is reduced to f/1.8 and then f/2.8 (corresponding to output apertures of f/1.1 and f/1.8, respectively) the performance improves everywhere, especially in the extreme corners. Figure 4 shows that there is only about 1 stop of corner illumination falloff even at f/0.8. There is no vignetting at all after the output aperture reaches f/3.42. Figure 5 shows that rectilinear distortion added by the Speed Booster XL 0.64x is negligible at less than 0.8%. (MTF data is a full diffraction-based calculation that assumes the Speed Booster is attached to a perfect master lens having an exit pupil distance of 100mm.  Note that the MTF calculations do not take into account sensor-induced apodization effects, sometimes called “pixel vignetting” or “pixel shading”, so actual results at large apertures are likely to be better than the calculations indicate.) (Illumination data assumes a perfect master lens with an exit pupil distance of 100mm and zero vignetting.  The slight falloff shown at f/2.8 is due to cos4 effects alone, as the mechanical vignetting is zero.  Actual results will depend on the exit pupil distance and vignetting characteristics of the master lens used.) An important note – this new series of Metabones Speed Booster adapters is designed exclusively for the BMPCC 4K. They cannot be attached to any other M43 cameras such as JVC, Olympus or Panasonic. The BMPCC 4K Speed Booster adapters are now available for pre-order and the prices are between US $490 and $720 depending on the version. They should ship in mid August. Do you use some kind of lens adapter with the BMPCC 4K? How are you satisfied with the optical quality? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Metabones, a company that is known for making premium, innovative lens adapters, has just released their new Metabones EF to EOS M Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x. This adapter allows you to mount full-frame Canon EF lenses on Canon EOS M cameras, while “increasing” the native aperture of the lens by one stop and reducing the crop factor by 0.71x. Let’s take a look at it!  Canon EOS M Cameras Initially launched in 2012, the Canon EOS M line of cameras never really drew too much attention. Many EOS M cameras were launched, like the EOS M/M2/M3, the M10 that we reviewed, and the latest EOS M50, which is currently the top-of-the-line camera of this ecosystem. The EOS M50 is a pretty decent camera, it features a 24.1MP CMOS APS-C sensor, and can record in 4K UHD at up to 25 frames per second, and in 1080P at up to 60 frames per second. It’s not the most excellent camera of all time, but if you are looking for something compact and intuitive, it can get the job done. Image credit: Tinh Khuong The real problem with EOS M cameras is the lack of quality native lenses. There are only four zoom and three prime lenses available in EF-M mount. Also, with the launch of the new line of EOS R mount cameras, I doubt Canon will continue to develop any new glass for the EOS M line. So – here comes Metabones with their new Canon EF to EOS M Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x. Metabones EF to EOS M Speed Booster ULTRA Metabones is famous for making quality lens adapters. Back in 2013, they were the first to introduce an EF to E-mount “Speed Booster” adapter with a lens inside to reduce the crop factor of the camera and even more, increase the aperture of the lens by one stop. This new Metabones EF to EOS M Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x is no different. It will reduce the 1.5x crop factor of EOS cameras down to 1.07x and make your lens one-stop faster. For example: it “converts” a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 into the field-of-view of a 17-50mm f/2.0 on an APS-C sensor and a Canon 50mm f/1.2 to a whopping 35.5mm f/0.9 field-of-view. It is compatible with all full-frame Canon EF lenses. Also, it is compatible with EF-S lenses, but you’ll need to modify your glass, which may result in vignetting. When using the adapter, most of the features of the camera and lens are natively supported, like image stabilization and autofocus, except lens aberration correction. The EXIF metadata is changed to reflect the faster aperture and shorter focal length. Image credit: Metabones The Speed Booster ULTRA uses an advanced 5-element/4-group optical design by Caldwell Photographic Inc. that, according to Metabones, helps to “achieve extraordinary optical performance with improved corner sharpness, distortion and reduced vignetting.” Pricing and Availability A few adapters are already available if you want to mount EF glass on an EOS M camera, from companies like Canon, Commlite, Fotga and so on. But none of these adapters can do what the Metabones Speed Booster does. Only Viltrox has a Speed Booster for EOS M, but we don’t know about its quality as we haven’t touched it yet. The Metabones EF to EOS M Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x is available right now for $479. What do you think of this new Metabones Speed Booster adapter? Do you use Canon EOS M cameras? Do you already own some Metabones lens adapters? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments!

In order to really transform your Sony FS7 / FS7 II into a real ENG camera, you have to employ some kind of  2/3″ zoom lens which is a versatile tool to use if you happen to shoot fast-paced reality shows or news programs. The new Sony LA-EB1 B4 mount lens adapter is exactly that. When combined with the CBK-FS7BK Build-up Kit you’re up to the task. But the resulting ENG-style FS7 won’t come cheap! A Sony FS7 II paired with a Fujinon ENG zoom lens. The vital link? A brand-new Sony B4 mount. Sony LA-EB1 B4 lens mount If you want to go on the ENG journey, you might want to take closer look at the new LA-EB1 B4 mount adapter Sony has announced, alongside the CBK-FS7BK build-up kit. With it, you can use regular B4 2/3″ ENG lenses with your FS7 / FS7 II and the nice thing is that this adapter only costs you 0.6 stops of light. What is the gain, you ask? Deploy any standard 2/3″ ENG style lens to the FS7 / FS7 II and your good to go. These lenses are not exactly cheap but compared to cine zooms with equivalent zoom ranges they come as a present. Sony LA-EB1 B4 mount adapter. While a B4 adapter for this camera is not a new thing, the LA-EB1 B4 adapter stands out here because it’s able not only to communicate with the lens attached and power it directly, but it also sends lens data straight to the viewfinder of the camera hosting it. So again, think ENG here: all the mission-critical information is right in front of you – without extra cable clutter and accessories. Fs7 II with CBK-FS7BK build-up kit and LA-EB1 E/B4 mount adapter (and a 2/3″ ENG zoom lens).  Pricing and Availability The LA-EB1 B4 mount adapter will cost you US$5.600 (5.000€). That’s a pretty penny, when the FS7 II already costs around US$9.000 (8.100€). Just as with the The CBK-FS7BK called build-up kit, the new B4 mount adapter won’t be available until December 2019. Plus, and that might be vital, the according Sony CBK-FS7BK build-up kit (V-mount / audio extension, shoulder pad/plate and dedicated EVF) already costs around US$7.300 (6.500€). So the grand total is about $ 21.900 (19.521 €), which is not cheap at all. A proper XDCam will cost you about the same but without an EVF and without the battery plate.. Links: Sony LA-EB1 What do you think about using the FS7 / FS7 II as an ENG camera? Is it the future of TV? Are the days of traditional ENG camcorders over? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

SLR Magic have developed the Anamorphot 1.33x -65 to include focusing gears, further expanding the follow focus functionality for anamorphic filming. For a few years now, SLR Magic has been a great choice for filmmakers aiming to achieve the look and feel of anamorphic, without spending lots and lots of money on high end lenses. However, due to the design of the adapter, it wasn’t possible to focus simultaneously with the lens itself or use follow focus units with it. (In his Anamorphot 1.33x -65 review, Johnnie explains the issue in details). Understanding the needs of the camera operator and focus puller, SLR Magic have updated the adapter with focusing gears, which has also lead to the possibility of using synchronized follow focus systems for both the taking lens and the anamorphot adapter. Mind you that this solution is not absolute in terms of focusing accuracy but as Andrew from SLR Magic explains in the above video, it is good enough especially considering the price of Synchronized Follow Focus Control unit and the lens being a T2.9 one. Synchronize Follow Focus Control With PDMovie A popular setup combination has been the FUJINON MK lenses and SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x 65, in which both the lens and adapter now have geared focus rings, but at different diameters. This poses difficulties when trying to achieve synchronous focusing of both units, this is where PDMovie comes in. The PDMovie Live 3 is a wireless follow focus system, that can synchronize both the Anamorphot adapter and FUJINON MK lens focus barrel rotation, even though both units have different angle of rotation and barrel size. It is possible to map the end points with the PDMovie Live 3 device, so both the lens and adapter stay synchronized when focusing remotely. Although there are quite a few synchronized follow focus systems available out there (from Chrosziel and Teradek for example), these are rather expensive. The PDMovie system is considerably lower cost. It would be great to see SLR Magic integrating the focusing gears into all of their Anamorphot adapters, which would take away the complications of attachable focus gear rings or manual focusing, especially as the lenses are being used on a range of productions up to high end. Would the updated SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x 65 adapter with lens gears solve your follow focusing problems? Does the PDMovie remote follow focus solution appeal to your needs? Let us know in the comments.

Last month we reported about the new Anamorphot 65, an anamorphic lens adapter by SLR Magic that can mount to lenses with 82mm front thread like SLR Magic’s own micro cinema primes and FUJINON’s MK family of lenses. There is also a chance that by the time you read this review, this promising adapter will be available for preorder.  SLR Magic Anamorphot 65 anamorphic adapter on a Sony a7 III camera Nino, my colleague, caught up with Andrew from SLR Magic during this year’s CineGear to discuss the new product, yet it was time to actually test it and put it through its paces. The Anamorphic Lens Routine First thing first: Why should one actually consider “shooting anamorphic”?, well, the answer is clear. If you are looking to mimic the true aesthetic of cinematic looks, then shooting with an anamorphic lens is the way to go. As this is a product review I will not go deep into the subject anamorphic filming, but please consider heading to our cinema5D essentials episode where Li-Lian and I were aiming to explain what anamorphic filming is all about…. Ok, so if shooting with anamorphic lenses has the benefit of producing a unique look, why is it not too widely spread? In short: budget and training. TRUE high quality anamorphic lenses simply coast A LOT, far beyond the budget of most independent filmmakers. There are, of course, ways to track and purchase vintage anamorphic lenses, but this is not too easy. Speaking of anamorphic – I urge you to visit our friend and content contributor, Tito Fernandez’ YouTube channel, where he demonstrates a great deal of knowledge and shares valuable tips for anamorphic lens and adapter lovers. The question remains: If true anamorphic lenses are expensive, what is the next best option? The answer is, “adapters”. The idea of putting an anamorphic lens adapter in front of spherical lenses is nothing new and can actually make a lot of sense, as most of us already own many of those wide spread zooms or primes, so why not make use of those and attach an adapter to them? (I’ll leave this question open, hoping to hear answers from you guys in the comment section below). In the past, I’ve already tested SLR Magic’s entry level anamorphic adapter, the Anamorphot 40 compact adapter, but besides the fun I had exploring shooting in anamorphic, this specific adapter left me feeling that probably, there are no shortcuts when attempting to create a high quality device. SLR Magic Anamorphot 65  The SLR magic Anamorphot 65 The new Anamorphot 65 is a completely different story. First the specs: 1.33x adapter to be used with modern cameras having a 16×9 sensor image size Rear Mounting Thread 82mm, perfect to be attached to SLR Magic Micro Primes, some SIGMA lenses, and the FUJINON MK 18-55mm and 50-135mm Outer 112mm diameter thread for optional filters Outer 114mm diameter barrel for attaching a matte-box Weight: 1.7 lb / 0.78 kg SLR Magic Anamorphot 65 112mm filter thread The FUJINON MK 18-55mm and MK 50-135mm  The above two FUJINON MK lenses were introduced about 2 years ago and since then, managed to capture the heart of many filmmakers. The quality for their price is great and their size and weight is perfect for many shooting occasions. I’ve tested the adapter on the E-mount version of the lenses, but this is the place to remind everyone that FUJINON will soon start shipping their own X-mount version of the lenses, bearing some extra benefits for users, as the lens will be able to communicate with most FUJIFILM camera bodies. Speaking of which, there are modified FUJINON MK lenses to M4/3 mount, so practically speaking, those lenses will fit on Olympus or Panasonic cameras too. The SLR magic Anamorphot 65 was built with both mentioned lenses in mind and I have to admit that mechanically speaking, the fit is perfect. Set your full frame camera to APS-C/Super 35mm option Attaching the Anamorphic Adapter to the FUJINON MK Lens For best optical performance, please perform a lens back focus check prior to attaching the lens adapter to the FUJINON lens itself. Right after, the  procedure of putting the adapter on the lens is fairly easy, although, for whatever reason, it was a bit easier for me to attach the adapter to the FUJINON MK 50-135 than to the MK 18-55. After the attachment, make sure to place your camera and lens/adapter on a flat surface to ensure correct aligning of the adapter and lens. On the camera front – if working with a full frame camera like the Sony a7XX – don’t forget to change to APS-C/Super 35mm in the menu settings. As a side note, it is unfortunate that there is no “de-squeeze” function in those Sony a7XX cameras, as what you see in the LCD/VF is NOT what you get! On the positive side, since the adapter is lightweight, it is possible to work handheld and even without lens support, although if you do have the opportunity to add support, please do so. Photo exported from the timeline. Quality of the adapter glass “off-center” is good too! The SLR magic Anamorphot 65  – Lens Adapter Performance For the last few days I was running around equipped with the Sony a7 III, two FUJINON MK lenses and the adapter. I can report that I liked what I saw, but with some reservations. In terms of which lens to use, the FUJINON MK 50-135 looks to be the obvious choice, as its complete focal length can be used when the adapter is attached to it. The thing is that the starting point of 50mm is too narrow for my taste and in addition, sharp focusing was extremely challenging for me and as a result, much of the footage I took when using this lens, seemed to be a bit off. Now, switching to the FUJINON 18-55mm, it was as if the adapter just got a new life. Although focusing was not always easy, (more about that in a second), the images I was able to capture were simply wonderful. I really like the fact that the adapter is able to keep sharpness almost from edge to edge. So where’s the catch? As predicted, you can not use the complete offered lens focal length but rather a part of it, starting at 30mm – which is almost perfect for anamorphic work. On the narrow side, 55mm is a bit to short, but for planned projects, where you have the possibility to be closer to your subject of interest, it will certainly do. Dual focus necessity. Lens and Adapter. Distance markers are matching The SLR magic Anamorphot 65 – Main Concern So far so good, but as with many other products, there is this little (big) thing that makes the overall user experience, when using the lens adapter, far from being perfect. It’s the double focus procedure necessity, meaning, focusing must be preformed on both, the lens and the adapter itself. The good news are that the marking on both is very similar and as the anamorphic adapter was made with the FUJINON MK lenses in mind, the alignment is perfect, so if your focus mark on the lens is 10ft. just turn the adapter focus ring to the same number value in order to achieve perfect focusing. It’s not that we haven’t seen it before, but in this case it is simply a pity, as it does take time to focus both. Moreover, there is absolutely room for mistakes. I really wonder if it is possible to build a “custom handle” that can be attached to the lens focus ring on one side and the adapter focus ring on the other, in order to simplify the process of focusing. (Sorry, I can’t think of a solution to make the life of focus pullers any easier)… SLR Magic Anamorphot 65 on a FUJINON lens. My favourite is the MK 18-55mm Conclusion This time I’ll base my conclusion on three points: Price, usability and optical performance. Price is a subjective thing. I do think that for what you can get when working with this anamorphic lens adapter, the price is manageable. Usability is were this attachment scores the least. It is the double focus procedure that will slow you down when working and on top, might cause some hesitations when focusing during filming (and lets face it, as the resolution goes up, the days of soft images are numbered)… When it comes to optical performance, I really like what I saw (I especially salute SLR Magic for staying in-line with the FUJINON’s MK lenses’ performance and not choosing to go the “crazy flares” path). The combination of SLR Magic’s Anamorphot 65 together with the FUJINON MK 18-55mm is perfect to use when budget is a concern yet an anamorphic look is desired. Now I just need to invent something to focus both at the same time…. The above video was edited on Adobe Premiere CC latest edition. Shot on Sony a7 III, PP7 (S-Log 2), mostly on 800 ISO, and treated with Film Convert. Music used in the above review is taken from Art-list Music theme: Me and You by Oliver Michael  Do you like the quality of the footage shot with this anamorphic adapter? Would  you like me to upload the anamorphic file for you to download and observe at home? Let me know in the comment section below.