Anyone try Metabones Speed Booster on a Nikon Mirrorless body?

[BruceSD]

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I own six Speed Boosters.  I just love using them on my micro four thirds and Fuji X bodies.  While I have many favorite lenses to pair with my Speed Boosters, among my favorite lenses to put on these Speed Boosters are Nikkor manual focus lenses.

I see that Metabones makes a Nikon G/F to Nikon Z Speed Booster.   https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1556110-REG/metabones_mbspnfg_nz_bm1_speed_booster_ultra_0_71x.html/overview   

This Speed Booster only works on an APS-C crop sensor camera (or I assume a full frame camera in crop mode).

Using a Speed Booster would: increase central sharpness, make field of view wider ( https://danielscottfilms.com/crop-factor-calculator/ ), increase light gathering by 1-stop, and create a thinner DOF.

Have any of you tried a Speed Booster on a Nikon mirrorless body?  What brand did you use?  What lens?  Did you like it?

[Erik Lund]

Very interesting question!

[Birna Rørslett]

Could easily be tested by using say a Metabones for m4/3, m4/3 to Z adapter, Z50, and a suitable lens.

You piqued my interest and I'll likely try my 50/1.2 AIS later today. This Nikkor performed favourably in combination with Metabones on my Panasonic cameras as a 35mm f/0.9 lens. I used the setup frequently some years ago, but its usage has declined due to other fields of application.

[Erik Lund]

Only other comment I have is that it doesn't work for E type lenses, they will be wide open, unless you cheat the lens in some way.

[Birna Rørslett]

Well, the m43-> Z approach doesn't work even with the Z50. Images are sharp, however you get vignetting. Thus, the genuine F->Z Metabones must be used. I rather put money into an FTZ adapter if not such exists in your gear line-up.

[BruceSD]

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As you say, the FTZ adapter is probably the better option.  It allows a full frame lens to be used in all its' full frame goodness on the entire full frame sensor of the Z6 or Z7 bodies.

Right now, I've got two ways that I shoot stills:
1. Full frame lenses on a Metabones speed booster on MFT bodies (and sometimes Fuji X bodies).
2. Full frame Nikkor (and Zeiss ZF lenses) on my Nikon DF full frame body.

My original question was based on my wishful thinking of maybe combining the best of both of the above methods so that the new "hybrid" method would enable me to do everything with just one kit.  But alas, it is not to be.  So, I'll just keep shooting method #1 for my extreme f/.8 and f/.9 bokeh photos, and method #2 for my "straight" photos.

[BruceSD]

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Also, my main hesitance in buying the Metabones Nikon F to Nikon Z Speed Booster is that it's only a .71x magnification.  I greatly prefer to use Speed Boosters with .64x magnification.

Why?  Because not only I believe that the .64x are better than the .71, but so does Dr. Brian Caldwell (inventor of modern day focal-reducers/speed-boosters).   Here's a quote from Dr. Caldwell from Nov 18th 2020 on DP Review forum-   "Bear in mind, the .64x Speed Booster XL is a considerable improvement over the original .71x Speed Booster for M43."

[Birna Rørslett]

I have to modify my initial response. Other Nikkors may produce less obvious vignetting than reported for the 50/1.2.

Thus, in a pinch, the suggested approach of using Metabones for m43, and the m43-Z adapter, can yield a lens 1 stop faster.

I shot earlier today with the 35/1.4 Nikkor, with is converted into 25/1 by the Metabones. However, I did lose the CPU linkage (my 35/1.4 AIS  is CPU-modified) so the Z50 falls back to unassisted manual mode. Which frankly is implemented very badly.

[Erik Lund]

I have to modify my initial response. Other Nikkors may produce less obvious vignetting than reported for the 50/1.2.

Thus, in a pinch, the suggested approach of using Metabones for m43, and the m43-Z adapter, can yield a lens 1 stop faster.

I shot earlier today with the 35/1.4 Nikkor, with is converted into 25/1 by the Metabones. However, I did lose the CPU linkage (my 35/1.4 AIS  is CPU-modified) so the Z50 falls back to unassisted manual mode. Which frankly is implemented very badly.

To retain CPU to camera information and functionality I would suggest that it should be possible to take the Boost out of the Nikon G/F to Nikon Z Speed Booster, ie the glass cell, and mount it inside an FTZ adapter.

[Birna Rørslett]

Now, that is a thought I hadn't considered. Well worth a try when we can join forces again, Erik. I have several FTZ adapters, 4 if memory serves. However, there might be insurmountable differences in build length between the Metabones F/G-Z and the FTZ.

[Erik Lund]

I'm pretty sure they are very precise same length, this we can of cause check if we have several of them one will fit also the glass cell must be perfectly aligned.
The other option is to take the electronics out of the FTZ and put them on the Speed Booster mounts definitely better re the optics

[Erik Lund]

After a coffee I'm sure it will be best to remove the electronics from the FTZ and modify and install them into the Speed Booster even though it will be much more Dremel work, the optical result will be undisturbed.

[Birna Rørslett]

Sounds like a project reliant not only upon heaps of coffee, but also some Dutch or Scottish "medicine" thrown into the mix.

You might be right about the Metabones for Z mount being the same length as the FTZ, by the way. I compared FTZ to the Metabones for m43 + m43-Z adapter, and that likely isn't a valid yardstick in this case.

[BruceSD]

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Nothing like f/0.80 bokeh!

[Andrew]

The onion-just perfect!