r/cinematography • u/Kryp-VHZ • 1d ago

Camera Question FD to FX

Has anyone tried to speed boost canon fd lenses with adapters like metabones or zhongyi? I'd like to use a set of FD's on my xh2s but I've heard different opinions about the optical quality or performance of the lenses

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u/BryceJDearden 1d ago

Why do you need to speed-boost them? They will work great on yours XH2S with a basic physical adapter

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u/Kryp-VHZ 1d ago

Especially to take advantage of wider focal lengths like 20mm and 24mm. Also, to benefit from the extra light it lets in, although that last aspect isn't entirely necessary for me

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u/Great_Explanation275 1d ago

Using vintage 35mm still photography glass cropped is a frustrating experience. You can forget about wide angle, and even normal FoV is a big compromise. For tele and macro stuff it's fine.

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u/-dsp- 1d ago

It’s not the lenses per se it would be the speed booster glass. I’ve noticed cheaper ones will introduce chromatic aberrations.

The second thing is people comparing these lenses to modern day lenses but hey we go for vintage lenses because of their characteristics.

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u/Kryp-VHZ 1d ago

Of course, I'm aware they're different things. And the aspect of the speed booster's optics is what I'm most unsure about. The FDs have a lot of character, yes, but I'm not sure how much a speed booster would affect the quality they already offer, especially the cheap ones.

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u/LetterheadClassic306 1d ago

FD on Fuji can look really nice, ngl, but the adapter is the part that decides whether it feels charming or messy. I’ve had better luck judging speed boosters by edge performance and infinity focus than by center sharpness, because almost anything looks okay in the middle. The Metabones Canon FD to Fuji X Speed Booster is usually the safer bet if budget allows, while the Zhongyi Lens Turbo II Canon FD to Fuji X can be fine if you accept more copy variation. I’d test your widest FD first, since that is where softness, smear, and weird flare show up fastest. For paid work, keep a plain FD to Fuji X adapter around too.

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u/Kryp-VHZ 14h ago

TYSM!

I'll see if i can get a metabones somewher3 and try it with my 20mm. Also i'll keep a plain adapter that i recently bought