A look at the Birger Engineering Canon EOS mount for the Panasonic AF cameras

ETHICS STATEMENT: I have not been paid to do this review. I asked for a demo unit to review and was supplied with it. I will be returning it as soon as Erik bugs me for it back!

I know everyone is waiting for this to come out…me too. Lots of people have loads of lovely Canon glass but can’t use the damn things due to that pesky electronic aperture of the EOS lenses. Nikon were decent enough to make their aperture in the G Series lenses a simple mechanical switch. So to use Canon glass on the AF100 we could either use the not very good Kipon adaptor with secondary iris blades, or else a dumb adaptor, which means setting the aperture while attached to an EOS camera first, then locking it off and putting it on the AF100 camera. What a drag.

Well this mount from Birger Engineering was announced a while ago and we are all eagerly awaiting it. I contacted Erik Widding asking if I could try out either the FS100 version or the AF101 version. He shipped me this one (which is better for me as I don’t actually own an FS100…yet)

It’s pre-production so not perfect. Larger than the production model, and there will be a wireless version too. I don’t know pricing. I don’t know availability so don’t ask. Like you, I want it to come out yesterday, not just for the AF101, but for the FS100 and the F3. It’s a fantastic piece of kit. Controls the iris as expected, and the follow focus part is smooth as butter. I want one as much as you do…check out my video look-see below…

38 comments

  1. looks excellent, bravo birger and thanks philip!

    hey you know on ebay you can get a m43 to sony NEX adapter for about $30, maybe the collimation might not be perfect but it means you could get that glass on your f3 without delay !

      1. Great stuff! Help me out here. If I’m using this adapter with an AF100 / Canon 85mm1.2 (or any other full frame 35mm lens for that matter) how do it cropo on the M43 sensor? You can use the Able Cine Field of View Comparator thingy to help me slow brain through this. Seems like there would be a 2.1x crop factor but I’m not sure if the distance from back of lens to sensor using the Birger adapter changes that more or less.

        The Birger website is a bit lean on specific info.

        http://blog.abelcine.com/2010/09/29/field-of-view-comparator/

  2. Awesome stuff. I did notice that there is s slight jump when focusing starts to kick in. I am guessing this is backlash from the canon focus gears from rest to motion. The Macro lens did not have this as apparent but the 50 was a pretty noticeable move.

    Thanks for the peek!

  3. Now I may be a plank but surely if you just set all your EOS lenses on a DSLR to wide open then take them off then you can’t alter the iris?
    Using a Kippon would then be fine, especially if you wont be able to afford the Birger when it comes out?

  4. Thanks Philip. Using the Kipon for now with EF lenses. Also bought the slow 14-140 Lumix and is good outside with lots of light. The Voightlander Nokton f0.95 is nice also. Used for indoor trade show interviews with natural light. But just dying for the Birger. I feel bad, I pester Eric and the lady that answers every 3 weeks. They maintain their composure and reply nicely saying….. nothing yet 🙂
    Cheers!

  5. Sony should support this adapter in getting to market asap Im sure they would see a rise in sales of the FS100.

    Makes perfect sense for the market they are trying to capture. I personally cant justify spending the £5k and buying new zeiss glass for a setup which is only marginally better than my 5d. If it takes too long there will be a new camera along to replace it.

  6. Hi philip, I’d value a lot your opinion on this issue. I’ve followed most of your posts on the AF100. You’ve probably heard about the flare/ghosting controversy on the AF100. Is it true that it affects more the AF100 than other cameras? It’s the only issue that has kept me from buying it until now, otherwise it meets my production needs. Thanks

      1. it only comes with the external controler (aperture + ff) ..?
        for point&shoot footage I’d like to use it on GH2, so I’d like to
        take advantage of lens IS + aperture control and focusing at the lens itself ..
        won’t work eh? …

        greets, Wick

  7. Hi Philip, great video! I would love such an adapter for my Nikon G lenses. Is this also in development? Are there other alternatives except the adapters that don’t communicate between the lens and the body? Thanks!

    1. you dont need it for g seris lenses bart. just got to mtf services and get one there. g series lenses iris are a mechanical lever. check it out when you look at the back of the lens. a simple g lens adaptor can control this.

  8. Hi Philip,

    I have used the Birger mount with my Red for about 2 years now and the biggest challenge has been with the controllers tendency to require a new calibration with lens changes that in effect lose the markings for that lens on the follow focus. I am very curious as to the new FF and if it can remember each lens and retain the distance markers on the FF ring. Have you tested this?

    regards,

    noel

  9. Hey Philip,

    i was wondering, I’m using the lumix 100-300mm on the AF as i shoot surfing and wanted to start using that lovely canon glass.. would this be the best bet? thank you.. love your work.

    jimmy.

  10. Hi Philip first of all thank you so much for all of the hard work you put in sharing your knowledge. You almost have to be a saint to answer the vast amount of questions you’re asked everyday. Only the true greats can do this no matter what you’re field of expertise is. Well done!

    On topic: Do you feel that the birger mount does a better (smoother) job in pulling focus than say a zeiss zf with a normal follow focus? Or is it more the fact that you can use your ef glass with some of these cameras without the hassle?

    kind regards,

    Daniel Jawadnya

  11. Hi Philip,

    What’s the remote focus control like in terms of operation? Does it ‘space out’ the focussing to make control easier, or does it require turns as small and difficult as the actual focus rings on the lenses?

    Cheers,

    Mark

      1. hmmm… I can see the Birger Canon EF to mFT mount is available from CVP now, but I still can’t find one for the FS100/FS700 – FS700 is out end of June and I want my Canon lenses to work on it!

        Anyone know where I can buy one? … That is if they’re producing them yet!

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