Sony Endorses Metabones Smart Adapter with Rebate Offer

Sony is offering the Metabones Canon EF to NEX Smart Adapter II as a rebate when you purchase a Sony NEX-FS700 or NEX-FS100 NXCAM. The offer is valid now until the end of August.

End Users can receive a Metabones EF Lens to NEX Smart Adapter (MARK II), after purchases of a Sony NEX-FS700U, NEX-FS700K, NEX-FS100U and THE NEX-FS100UK series Professional Camcorder during the promotion period from a Sony Authorized Reseller, Reseller of a Sony Authorized Distributor or directly from Sony. Eligible product must be ordered by and shipped to the end user within the promotion period in order to qualify for this rebate.

Check out this old post with the Canon EF to NEX Smart Adapter used on a Sony NEX-FS100 to see the features of the lens adapter.

Sony's rebate offer is great news for Metabones. Let's hope Sony is helping out Metabones with further development of new NEX lens adapters.

For more details go to the Sony NXCAM Metabones EF Adapter Rebate Offer page.

Metabones Speed Booster Review by LensRentals

Canon 50L Sample on NEX-7 with Metabones Speed Booster
(effective 35mm f/0.9)

LensRentals posted their review of the Metabones Speed Booster. The Speed Booster lens adapter tested was a Canon EOS to Sony E-mount variant mounted on a Sony NEX-7. The lenses used were all Canon EF autofocus lenses, 14mm f/2.8 L II, 50mm f/1.2 L, and the 135mm f/2.0 L. The Speed Booster promises a one stop light improvement and a 0.7x focal length conversion. The lenses are effectively converted to 10mm f/2, 35mm f/0.9, and 95mm f/1.4 as seen by the Sony APS-C sensor.

So what was their conclusion after their test?

I think it was pretty obvious that I came armed for battle, ready to slam this product as some marketing overhype. I was wrong less correct than I might have been. The Speed Booster does what they claimed it would do, much to my shock and surprise. It creates a wider-angle, greater aperture lens while retaining resolution and acutance.

Read the whole Metabones Speed Boooster review with samples at the LensRentals blog.

Metabones Speed Booster on Sony NEX-7

Thanks to Roger and LensRentals for the images shown above.

Metabones Speed Booster NEX Lens Adapter

NEX-7 with Metabones Speed Booster Lens Adapter with a Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens

Metabones Speed Booster Sony NEX Lens Adapter Test by James Miller

So what does the Metabones Speed Booster NEX lens adapter do?

• Increase aperture by 1 stop. e.g. f/1.4 becomes f/1.0, which means more light to the sensor.
• Increases MTF, which means better resolution all across the frame compared to a standard lens adapter.
• Provides a focal length multiplier of 0.71x, NEX's APS-C 1.5 * SB 0.71 = 1.065, a 35mm lens = 37.7mm equivalent focal length.

Metabones Speed Boost Sony NEX Lens Adapter

The EF E-mount Speed Booster Lens Adapter shown above also provides automatic electronic aperture control, image stabilization with IS lenses, EXIF information, and autofocus (albeit slow.)

Read more about the Metabones Speed Booster from the Metabones web site and white paper.

It's pretty amazing what the NEX has spawned from the third party manufacturers.

NEX Canon Lens Autofocus Adapters Coming?

Canon 50mm EOS Lens on Sony NEX-7 with Autofocus

Here is a second video showing a NEX camera controlling the autofocus drive of a Canon EOS / EF lens. The lens used was the Nifty Fifty, Canon 50mm f/1.8 on a Sony NEX-5 and a NEX-7.

The new NEX-5R with a hybrid autofocus system (Phase Detection and Contrast Detection designed for speed and accuracy) should improve the autofocus speed shown in the video. Canon's EOS-M mirrorless compact camera uses the same hybrid autofocus system.

Our assumption was wrong - the Canon stepper motor (STM) lens is not necessary for the NEX to control the Canon autofocus drive. The Canon EOS to NEX adapter with AF drive shown can control a standard EOS lens. The Canon EOS-M requires an EOS M Mount adapter to drive the same lens.

If you have Canon EOS lenses and want a light, compact camera to use them on - this seems to be the best option so far.

Canon 50mm EOS Lens on Sony NEX Autofocus Drive from MX Camera

It's only a matter of time when these Canon EOS to NEX E-mount AF Drive adapters show up for sale online. Thanks MX Camera!

Here is the first video.

Canon EOS Autofocus on Sony NEX?

Canon 40mm STM Activates NEX Autofocus Points

Here is a video from Muk Camera Service showing a Canon EOS 40mm STM lens on the NEX-5. The EOS to NEX E-mount adapter seems to allow for autofocus, which is a first.

The previous EOS to Nex smart adapter by Conurus can only control the aperture on EOS lenses. The EOS lenses must be focused manually.

Could the stepper motor, STM, in the Canon 40mm lens aid in allowing NEX cameras control autofocus? We do not have any details except for the video below.

Canon 40mm STM autofocus on NEX-5

NEX-5N and Canon 40mm STM Lens

Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens on NEX-5N by Bob Israel

Bob I. posted some samples from his newest lens, the Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM lens. STM designates the stepper motor in the lens which allows the new Canon T4i to mimic the Sony NEX's continuous autofocus during video.

The Canon 40mm STM is mounted on the NEX-5N via the Conurus / Metabones EOS to NEX E-mount Smart Adapter. The Smart Adapter allows the NEX to control the aperture of the EOS lens. See our previous post here. The 40mm STM is a pancake lens and is less than an inch in thickness.

Here are some samples from the Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens, Conurus/Metabones EOS to NEX Smart Adapter, and the NEX-5N.

Photos by Bob Israel

Thanks Bob I!

Sony NEX-7 vs 5D Mark III vs D800 DxOMark Sensor Battle

Let's see how the Sony NEX-7's APS-C (23.5x15.6mm) sensor does against the latest generation of full frame (24x36mm) sensors. DxOMark rates the NEX-7's sensor at 81 and the new Canon 5d Mark III garnered the same score. The Nikon D800's sensor, made by Sony, gets a score of 95 - the highest on DxOMark for a full frame camera.

The NEX-7 provides a slight advantage in dynamic range against the 5d MkIII at low ISOs - 320 and under. Color depth is a push between the two cameras and the 5d MkIII's larger sensor and larger pixel pitch gives it the edge at high ISO shots.

Take a closer look at the DxOMark comparison for yourself. Overall the NEX-7 is still one of the best APS-C sensors. It provides a great sensor in a neat versatile little package.

4K Ready NEX-FS700 NXCAM Camcorder Introduced

4 Days with the NEX-FS700 by Andrew Young

This is the newest camera of the NEX system. It is a pro level camcorder dubbed the Sony NEX-FS700 NXCAM. The camera builds on the NEX-FS100 with most of the requested features like the built-in ND filter and the 3G-SDI interface. The NEX-FS700 is also 4K ready, soon 4096 x 2160 video can be captured with an NEX camera.

The video above by Andrew Young shows the versatility of the NEX-FS700 for video - 240fps in HD, 400fps in 480p, autofocus tracking with Alpha mount and E-mount lenses, most adaptable lens mount, lightweight and compact.

The video below is a walkthrough of the NEX-FS700 which shows the user interface. There is a zoom rocker which means that a new E-mount powered zoom lens for video is inevitable.

Features of the NEX-FS700 Camcorder:

• 4K “Exmor” Super 35 CMOS sensor
• Super slow motion at 10x at full HD or 40x at lower resolutions
• E-mount interchangeable lenses offer a wide choice of lenses
• Built-in ND filters
• 3G-SDI interface and HDMI
• SEL 18200 lens supplied
• Zoom Rocker for future E-mount lenses

Sony NEX-FS700 Walkthrough with .Sardo.

NEX-FS700 NEX-FS100 Side by Side

Thanks Andrew and Sardo!

Sony NEX-7 135mm Lens Battle Part 2

The 135mm Lens Battle Combatants Part 1 for Larger Pictures

Here is the second part of our NEX-7 135mm Lens Battle. Part 1 discussed 135mm lens handling on the NEX-7. We tested three prime lenses (Canon 135/3.5 LTM, Konica 135/3.5, Minolta 135/3.5 MD) and two zoom lenses (Canon 70-200/2.8L, Olympus 75-150/4). The zoom lenses were set at 135mm approximately. The lenses tested are around $100 or less with the exception of the Canon zoom.

The shots were taken at wide open aperture (f/2.8, f/3.5, or f/4) and the at f/8. We have labeled each sample a color and a number. The NEX-7 or lens was on a tripod, ISO100, and JPG Fine output. The samples below are arranged as follows:

• One is shot wide open. It shows the full scene with standard editing.
• One Crop is shot wide open with no editing. It is a 100% crop.
• Two is shot at f/8. It shows the full scene with standard editing.
• Two Crop is shot at f/8 with no editing. It is a 100% crop.
• Three is shot at f/8. It shows the full scene with standard editing.

Here are the samples. Please comment on which samples you like best.

Blue Sample

Red Sample

Green Sample

Orange Sample

Yellow Sample

This post will be edited with the answer key.

Here is the answer key for the sets above: blue, green, orange, red, and yellow. These 100% crops of the RAW file developed by Adode Camera Raw with Daylight white balance. Thanks for participating.

Sony NEX-7 135mm Lens Battle Part 1

Composite of Four 135mm Lenses at f/8 with the NEX-7

Here is a first part of our 135mm focal length test used on the Sony NEX-7. This gives us an equivalent FOV of 202mm. We don't really shoot much at this focal length but we wanted to see how the NEX-7 and the various 135mm lenses worked with each other. These lenses are around the $100 mark with the exception of the Canon zoom. The lenses tested are:

• Canon 135mm f/3.5 LTM
• Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L EF
• Konica Hexanon 135mm f/3.5 AR
• Minolta 135mm f/3.5 MD
• Olympus 75-150mm f/4 Auto Zoom

First let's rate the handling. The Minolta and the Konica are the lightest of the group. This makes them the easiest to handle. The Olympus zoom is next and is most versatile being a zoom lens but it is longer than the Konica and Minolta. The Canon LTM is heavier than the first three but is the most compact in size. The aperture ring is at the end of the barrel and when adjusted, it also adjusts the focus. The Canon EOS zoom is the biggest and heaviest of the group. We do not have the Conurus EF NEX Smart adapter so we cannot change the aperture.

The NEX-7 was set on Aperture Priority, ISO100, and 2 sec self-timer. The camera or lens was set on the tripod. Here are the pictures of the 135mm lenses with the NEX-7.

Sony NEX-7 with 135mm Lenses taken with NEX-5 with 18-55mm Lens

Canon 135mm f/3.5 on NEX-7 via LTM to M Adapter > M to NEX Adapter

Canon 70-200 f/2.8L on NEX-7 via Canon EOS to NEX Adapter

Konica 135mm f/3.5 on NEX-7 via Konica AR to NEX Adapter

Minolta 135mm/f3.5 on NEX-7 via Minolta SR to NEX Adapter

Olympus 75-150/4 Zoom on NEX-7 via Olympus to EOS adapter > EOS to NEX Adapter

We'll post the images on Part 2 of the NEX 135mm Lens Battle.

The images from the 5 lenses above are posted in Part 2.

NEX EOS Smart Adapter Review by Bryant N

Bryant N. posted his review of the Conurus EOS Smart Adapter for NEX cameras. He was impressed with the build quality, the lens release mechanism, complete control of EOS lenses by the NEX-FS100 Super 35 Camcorder, and EOS image stabilization powered by the NEX. He found a couple of bugs that were easily solved. The best part for us was the IS testing - it looks like Conurus has a winner on their hands.

Testing EOS Image Stabilization (IS) with the NEX-FS100 NXCAM

The button on the adapter is a Wide Open button to ease manual focusing. It's called the depth of field (DOF) preview button in the video.

See our previous post about the Conurus EOS smart NEX lens adapter for more info.

Thanks Bryant N.!

NEX-FS100 vs Arri Alexa-Panasonic AF101-Canon 5d II

Sony NEX-FS100 vs by Niklan B.e.M.

Our German skills are based on Google Translate but if you are interested in filmmaking the video will be easy to translate. Niklas and his colleagues tested the Arri Alex, Canon EOS 5d Mark II, Panasonic AG-AF101 and the Sony NEX-FS100 in the following categories:

• Rolling Shutter
• Low Light Capability
• Dynamic Range
• Skin Tones

Here is what Google Translate gave us when we entered the summary from the video:

Panasonic AG-AF101 €5400

• Poor Compression
• Lacked Detail
• Unnatural Look

Canon EOS 5d Mark II €2500

• Poor Compression
• Balanced Picture
• Good Dynamic Range

Sony NEX-FS100 €5500

• Good Compression
• Natural Look
• Good Dynamic Range

Arri Alexa €50000

• Best Compression
• Best Look
• Best Dynamic Range
  

Thank you Niklas!

Canon EF Smart Adapter on NEX-FS100 Camcorder

Sony NEX-FS100 with Conurus Smart EF Lens Adapter

Here is a video by Luc Buelens showing the Sony NEX-FS100 Super 35mm Camcorder and the Conurus Canon EF Smart lens adapter with aperture control. The NEX-FS100 is shown to control the Canon 50mm f/1.4, 17-40L, and 70-200/f4L. Unfortunately the Canon 300mm f/4 lens did not work properly with the NEX Canon EF Smart Adapter.

Read more about the NEX EF Smart Adapter from our post here.

Sony NEX-FS100 with Canon 17-40L

Check out more videos by Luc Buelens.

Thanks Luc!

Canon EF Sony NEX Smart Lens Adapter by Conurus

Control Canon EF Lens Aperture on NEX Cameras

The adapter most Canon EOS users are looking for is now available for ordering. The Conurus Canon EF to Sony NEX/E-mount Smart Lens Adapter allows the NEX to control the EOS lens' aperture. The NEX can control the EOS lens aperture in both Program and Shutter modes. The aperture can also be changed through the camera in Aperture and Manual modes.

The EF to NEX Smart Adapter works with most Canon EF and EF-S lenses. Image Stabilization (IS) on EOS lenses is also fuctional. The only feature not working is of course Autofocus.

Here is the description from Conurus.

This Smart AdapterTM has the following features:

■ True electronic integration of aperture diaphragm - let camera automatically choose aperture in P or S exposure modes, or dial in yourself on the camera body in A or M modes.
■Powered by camera body. No external power source required.
■Wide open button (opposite of depth-of-field preview function) makes manual focusing easy.
Disclaimer: we are NOT licensed, approved or endorsed by Sony or Canon. This product is developed independently without any involvement of Sony or Canon.

Canon to NEX Smart Adapter Co-developed with Metabones.

Click here for more details on the Conurus Canon EF/EOS Sony NEX Smart Lens Adapter.

Sony NEX-7 Best ILC Popular Photography

Sony NEX-7 Gets Good Grades from Popular Photography

Popular Photography has published their Sony NEX-7 test results online and on your newsstands and they seem to like it. Here is a quote from popphoto.com,

Sony’s NEX-7 is currently our pick for the best ILC (interchangeable-lens compact)on the market. It combines outstanding image quality with solid ergonomics and, in addition to the normal array of preset shooting modes, plenty of useful options.

A quick comparison to the Olympus Pen E-P3 popphoto test shows that the NEX-7 bested it in most categories except for Color Accuracy - 7.8 vs 7.7 very close. The NEX-7 at ISO 6400 scored an Acceptable 2.9 on the Noise Meter while the E-P3 garnered an Unacceptable 4.6.

The NEX-7 also topped the Canon EOS Rebel T3 in all of popphoto's test criteria. The T3 resolved 2190 lines per picture height, while the NEX-7 resolved an Excellent 2740 l/ph. At ISO 3200 the T3 had Noise levels were Unacceptable at 3.0 - the NEX-7 were at a Moderate 2.4.

Check out Popular Photography's online test of the NEX-7 to learn more of their testing methods and how the NEX did so well.

Sony NEX-7 with Carl Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 Sonnar ZA

Thanks popphoto!