p.1 #1 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
Laowa has an optical converter that enlarges the image circle of FF 35mm lenses to cover the 44 X 33 image circle. Here is a link to their page describing it:
It basically works like a 1.4 teleconverter that expands the image circle and loses a stop of light. So, say a 25 f/1.4 lens for FF 35 becomes a 35mm f/2 lens for 44 X 33. I am interested because I have a bunch of wider and fast Milvus and Otus lenses that I think would potentially be really nice on the Fuji GFX. So my Milvus 18 f/2.8, 25 f/1.4, 35 f/1.4, 85 f/1.4, and Otus 55 f/1.4 become 25 f/4, 35 f/2, 50 f/2, 80 f/2, 120 f/2 lenses on the GFX. Especially the 35 f/2 and 50 f/2 would offer options that I don't currently have and may never be made, and although I have a 24 f/4.8, and 80 f/2, and a 120 f/4 I would love to compare these option to the MF lenses that I have.
Anybody out there have any experience with this converter? It would be great if it doesn't affect the image quality much, but I worry that it might degrade the image too much.
p.1 #2 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
I got one a couple of weeks ago, but other than some brief tests, haven't had much time to try it properly. First impressions: wide open, it's quite good centrally but loses a lot toward the ends. It improves greatly when stopped down, as you'd expect.
As you probably know, it has a "dumb" mount, so it won't work with electronic aperture lenses. In my case, that's most of those that I want to adapt (Zeiss ZE mount), but not a huge deal since I want to use most of them wide open for flowers anyway.
My biggest reason to get it, though, is to use the unique Laowa 15/4 macro on the GFX. I'll probably want to use it stopped down quite often, which is no problem since it has a real aperture ring. It comes out to about 21/5.6 and goes 1:1 (impractical at that magnification, however) and will give me some truly unusual compositional opportunities. I also want to use it on my Trioplan 100/2.8, which actually covers very well on its own, but this way I get two out of one.
I'm expecting to start actually using it next month.
p.1 #3 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
I had one on loan for a couple of days and I didn't get it. Everything was worse than just cropping.
Perhaps it would work with slow lenses stopped down a lot, but with fast lenses you get mechanical vignetting and/or curvature of field from hell, as well as crappy resolution. Wouldn't even think of buying this thing instead of using the lenses on a smaller sensor, or crop.
Most of your lenses will vignette to some degree on the GFX sensor. However, using 1:1 still gives you a larger area than 24x36 and that's only a tiny bit larger image circle required. But, like many of us, you will probably find the GF lenses so much better (if/when you try one) that it's barely worth it with adapted FF lenses.
p.1 #4 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
DannyBurkPhoto wrote:
I got one a couple of weeks ago, but other than some brief tests, haven't had much time to try it properly. First impressions: wide open, it's quite good centrally but loses a lot toward the ends. It improves greatly when stopped down, as you'd expect.
As you probably know, it has a "dumb" mount, so it won't work with electronic aperture lenses. In my case, that's most of those that I want to adapt (Zeiss ZE mount), but not a huge deal since I want to use most of them wide open for flowers anyway.
My biggest reason to get it, though, is to use the unique Laowa 15/4 macro on the GFX. I'll probably want to use it stopped down quite often, which is no problem since it has a real aperture ring. It comes out to about 21/5.6 and goes 1:1 (impractical at that magnification, however) and will give me some truly unusual compositional opportunities. I also want to use it on my Trioplan 100/2.8, which actually covers very well on its own, but this way I get two out of one.
I'm expecting to start actually using it next month....Show more →
Thanks Danny. That is very helpful. I was hoping for a bit better performance, but it still may be worth trying. My Milvus and Otus lenses are all F mount, so I would get the F mount adapter and the advantage with the F mount lenses is I could stop them down with the real aperture ring. I am hopeful that the Milvus 18, 25, & 35 f/1.4 would all be decent for landscapes 2 to 3 stops down from wide open. Perhaps the adapter just won't allow decent edges and corners, however. I will probably get it and compare the Milvus lenses with the lenses I already have. If it doesn't work, I suppose I can always sell it and I won't be out too much money. If you do start shooting with yours, please share your results. I would love to know what you find.
p.1 #5 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
Makten wrote:
I had one on loan for a couple of days and I didn't get it. Everything was worse than just cropping.
Perhaps it would work with slow lenses stopped down a lot, but with fast lenses you get mechanical vignetting and/or curvature of field from hell, as well as crappy resolution. Wouldn't even think of buying this thing instead of using the lenses on a smaller sensor, or crop.
Most of your lenses will vignette to some degree on the GFX sensor. However, using 1:1 still gives you a larger area than 24x36 and that's only a tiny bit larger image circle required. But, like many of us, you will probably find the GF lenses so much better (if/when you try one) that it's barely worth it with adapted FF lenses. ...Show more →
Thanks for reporting your experience. I plan to use it with fast lenses stopped down a lot, and I think I will give it a try. I do appreciate your words of caution. As far as adapting lenses, I have adapted all sorts including a lot of medium format lenses and they vary a great deal in performance. Some are fantastic, others not so much. I have some really nice FF 35mm lenses that barely make the 1:1 crop and I hate having that little compositional flexibility. It is true you can always crop the lenses back to where they cover the image circle and for my purposes that is almost always enough megapixels as it gives you something in the 32 to 35 mp range, but this does come with a cost in other areas too such as dynamic range. The only question is whether the cost of cropping or the cost of this converter is bigger. It would be nice to put that to the test and if I get the converter that will definitely be one thing I will be looking at. Thanks again for relaying your experience.
p.1 #7 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
Here's a sample with the Laowa 15/4 macro and MFC converter. It's a 3-frame focus stack (probably f/11), but hopefully it will give someone an idea of what to expect. For certain uses such as this, I'm pleased with it and would buy it again.
p.1 #8 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
DannyBurkPhoto wrote:
Here's a sample with the Laowa 15/4 macro and MFC converter. It's a 3-frame focus stack (probably f/11), but hopefully it will give someone an idea of what to expect. For certain uses such as this, I'm pleased with it and would buy it again.
I got one in the end and mostly like it, but for landscapes in the end I decided to go with the GF 23 and 32-64. I got quite nice results with the Magic Format Converter and the Zeiss Milvus 18 f/2.8, 25 f/1.4, and 35 f/1.4, but for landscapes I did have a preference for the native Fuji lenses. I am keeping the Magic Format Converter for the Milvus 35 f/1.4, which makes a wonderful fast wide angle portrait lens on the Magic Format Converter.
p.1 #11 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
Preliminary results: Basically I think this is a cure worse than the disease.
-To get the same horizontal field of view at 16mm as full frame, I had to shoot at 14mm on GFX (Sigma 12-24 Art). That's 14mm * 1.4 * .82 = 16mm (I think that's how it works.)
-Loss of micro-contrast.
-Subtle glowiness around edges of objects, almost like a soft-focus filter.
-A hair less sharp.
However:
-No noticeable barrel distortion.
-No more smearing at the edge of frame.
I want to test it more before posting samples. And maybe compare to 35mm mode. How does this adapter affect aperture values? f/11 * 1.4? Is that just for the equivalent amount of light transmission or does it also change the depth of field?
p.1 #12 · Has any one tried the Laowa Magic Format Converter?
engardeknave wrote:
Preliminary results: Basically I think this is a cure worse than the disease.
-To get the same horizontal field of view at 16mm as full frame, I had to shoot at 14mm on GFX (Sigma 12-24 Art). That's 14mm * 1.4 * .82 = 16mm (I think that's how it works.)
-Loss of micro-contrast.
-Subtle glowiness around edges of objects, almost like a soft-focus filter.
-A hair less sharp.
However:
-No noticeable barrel distortion.
-No more smearing at the edge of frame.
I want to test it more before posting samples. And maybe compare to 35mm mode. How does this adapter affect aperture values? f/11 * 1.4? Is that just for the equivalent amount of light transmission or does it also change the depth of field?...Show more →
It is like a stop narrower aperture than listed on the lens. So if the lens says f/11, it is like f/16 and that is for both light transmission and depth of field.
As usual the exact focal length depends on the aspect ratio you pick. 14 * 1.4 * .73 = 14mm if you go with a 4 X 3 aspect ratio, but if you go with 3 X 2 yes you get 16mm. If you shoot 4 X 3 or squarer, the lens has basically the same field of view as it has on FF 35mm.
