New adaptor for using you Canon EOS lenses on GH1/ GH2/ AF101

FINALLY…there is a half decent adaptor that has been released that let’s me use my Canon EOS lenses on my Panasonic GH1 cameras and also on my AF101 which is coming next week. I bought it off of ebay, thanks to my friend Suresh Kara of Documovie for sending me the link. To buy one just do this search on ebay and it should come up with it. It’s made by Kipon and at around $125 plus shipping it’s a pretty good deal. Here is why.

EOS lenses have electronic apertures which means controlling the iris on non Canon EOS cameras has not been possible as they do not communicate. So you either have a Canon body with you, set the iris, lock it off and then take it off the body and stick it on your Panasonic or simply stick with one F-Stop and live with that. Not ideal at all.

This adaptor gets past this by having it’s own 14 blade iris. That in itself is pretty good, having that many blades with give you a smoother rounder bokeh on those lights, less hexagonal even when stopped down. It has a dial from 1 to 6 that is totally smooth for you to close or open your lens up. Just make sure the lens is wide open to start with. Having this totally smooth iris is a joy, so much better than clicky still lens irises or ones controlled from stills cameras which also are not smooth. Although on the AF101 the iris is controlled in a smooth way so this would not be an issue  if the lens could communicate with the camera. Of course the downside is the focus marks are slightly out on the lens as the adaptor sticks out a bit, but you can still get close up and infinity focus and of course you don’t have proper F-Stop marking. Also you cannot stop completely down as it will vignette. six is really the max, it goes past that but one some longer lenses it will not like it.  So not perfect…BUT, this is easily the best adaptor I have seen so far and it will mean when I use my AF101 I have all my wonderful array of EOS lenses to use now too!

One thing to be aware of, it only works with the EF range of Canon lenses, not the EF-S. I am going to check my Tokina 11-16mm F2.8. It should work as it does not work the same way as the EF-S lenses.

There are other adaptors coming out which won’t have these issues and I am very much looking forward to them as they will give total communication with the camera which will be great for the AF-101, these will be more money.

Birger mount

Birger Engineering are making one that will give iris, focus and maybe even IS control…not sure when it is coming out but keep an eye on their website! For now, this is the best solution and must buy if you have a GH1/2/ AF101 and have Canon EOS lenses and need to use them today.

GH2 with my 50mm F1.2 Canon L series

Kipon EOS to micro 4/3 adapter test from editman on Vimeo.

The Kipon adapter is a great piece of work. It is very innovative in that it has 14 aperture blades built in thus making it possible to adjust aperture on EOS lenses without any electronic coupling.

I put this test together to try out if it would vignette on different lenses and how DOF would be affected.

I used my GH13 camera on a tripod, pulled out one of my LED600 panels and one light stand to hold a ruler.

Lenses used in the test:

Canon 70-200/2.8 IS II L
Canon 100/2.8 L Macro
Zeiss 85/1.4 ZE
Zeiss 50/1.4 ZE
Zeiss 35/2 ZE
Olympus 14-35/2

I also tested how it worked with the Canon 16-35/2.8 L and found out over 24mm it’s safe without any vignette. But this lens does not gain much in stopping down aperture. It’s the 35, 50 and 85 lenses I tend to use the most so these where the most interesting to try.

62 comments

  1. I’d expect this to cause vignetting at narrow apertures with telephoto lenses – since the iris won’t be located at the nodal point of the lens.

    It will be interesting to see if you get this.

  2. I’m curious about this adaptor – it’s a great idea (perhaps let down by not taking EF-S glass) but I do wonder what the effect is of having the iris in the ‘wrong’ place in the optical path i.e. not in the lens itself. Presumably it vignettes as you close it down too?

      1. It would be interesting to know how the diameter of the iris when you’re at ‘6’ (and indeed the other numbers too). That way, knowing the focal length of the lens fitted you could work out the aperture, although I still think the iris is in the wrong place in the optical path…..

        It’s not perfect, and I wan’t to like it – i’m just not convinced it’s only a gimmick 🙁

      1. But I suppose that when the depth of field changes the vignetting is very important too. To place an iris behind glasses can’t work without vignetting, or I do not know how it works?? It is the same thing as to place a paperboard perforated in front of a projector. you reduce the luminous intensity, but you have a vignetting on the screen. Do you try this with a grey panel or white panel to check really the vignetting..

  3. Maybe I’m missing something, but for $700 for an electronic adapter between u43 camera and Canon lenses, I’d probably just buy a Canon camera. A GH2 plus the Birger adapter gets close enough to the cost of a 7D. I guess Canon doesn’t have a camcorder with APS sensor on it, so there is no Canon alternative to AF101, so they’re down for the count on that front.

  4. Once Birger gets there’s out (if it’s good with full IS support), I might be jumping ship to Panasonic. Canon is reacting TOO SLOW to all this. PLEASE, Philip, tell CANON to release a decent camera (no Moire and slightly sharper image is all I ask) SOON to compete with the GH2 and AF101, before all of us jump ship.

    Canon had such a lead, especially with all their awesome lenses and they are squandering it.

    So if Birger gets it right, Panny here I come!

  5. This makes me wonder if one could create an adaptor like this that simply adds an elliptical iris to your lens, giving you an anamorphic looking bokeh. I’ve tried it on the front of the lens with limited success but behind the lens seems like a better option.

  6. I bought this adapter a few days ago and it was the first time something from China came in less than 1 week. The shipping was super fast.

    As for the adapter, it is awesome. The build quality is great. The aperture does come a little close the the inside lens glass, but so far none of my lenses are scratched.

  7. The iris itself looks great quality in terms of build (like the ones in the vents in Alien…). I hate hate hate the electronic control of the iris that Canon insist on. I’m using Nikon lenses on my Canon just to get manual aperture control on the lens body. Come on, Canon.

  8. WOW that Birger mount sounds too good to be true, I hope it works on a GH1 with Tester 13s hack. Birger only mentions the AF100

    The wireless remote in the video Birger points you to of it working on the RED ONE looks incredible!

    So when are you going to show us another video shot on your GH2!

    Sorry to go slightly off thread, have you tried using C-mount lenses with the GH2s 1080p digital crop?

  9. Silly question… why hasn’t anyone done an EOS adaptor like this for EOS Camera’s? I know it sounds daft but wouldn’t it give us manual control of the iris… which is what we’ll need once April comes around again!

  10. Slightly off topic… but Philip, what about the new microphone you used during the Movember Gala, any news?

    On topic… How much I’d like to go with Canon, with this the GH2 may be the better option…

  11. Hello Everybody

    First time poster long time reader, love the blog.
    I was wandering if anyone has any advice about using this adaptor with
    the Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX AF 11-16mm F2.8 Canon Fit lens on the GH2?

    Im pretty sure it would be a decent enough setup for a wide. Starting at something like 20mm (35mm eqiv)?

    Any ideas?

    Cheers
    JC

  12. Hi Phil,
    which is the best adaptor for Nikon lenses? I heard something about Novoflex. Is is good choice?
    Is on market some adaptor for 4/3 lenses to use on Nikon?
    Example: can I put Nokton 25 to Nikon D300? Is it possible?

    Thanks.
    mk

  13. Having used this adapter on an AF101 with CP.2 and a couple of other lenses, the one thing I’d add is that it there is a bit of rotational play which would make using a follow-focus very difficult. I’m not sure if it’s just the 101/100 you get this on… but be warned. Otherwise, I agree, it’s a good (budget) solution.

    1. Thank you for posting this James, I’ve got that same rotational play issue with the Kipon on my GH2 (which I just bought this week), and until I found your post today I’ve not been able to find any other reports of this problem. Are you still using this adapter with your AF101? I’m a bit worried that this little bit of play could damage the mount on the camera side.

      Philip, have you experienced the same problem?

  14. i need some help gang. im a recent gh2 owner (been shooting slr stills for over 20 years) and i pretty much hate it. despise the evf, the controls are goofy and i just dont care for the image. i attribute most of the image issue to the panasonic glass (had the 14-140 and 20mm pancake. both of which ive sold) there are several things i enjoy about it. but thats not why im here…

    so. im left with two options:

    1. pick up an adapter like this and get some good old fast MF glass
    2. go back to where i started with a letus or sgblade rig lashed to the front of my hpx170

    so my questions to anyone who has used a m4/3 to ________ adapter is:
    1.did it get you the image quality you were looking for?
    2. image wise is there any difference between this adapter and the more expensive novoflex / rayqual offerings…

  15. I can’t get my Kipon m4/3 adapter to fir my Canon L Series lens. I have tried two adapters now (thinking that there was something wrong with the first one) and I can only get about a 1/16 of a turn before the adapter won’t properly screw on. Everything looks like it should fit but something isn’t right. Any ideas?

        1. Can someone help me?
          I have the Kipon adapter, and I try it with my GH1 using a Canon 50mm EF lens.

          When I start the camera, on the screen appear this message:
          “Check that the lens is mounted correctly”.

          What’s wrong? I don’t know what I have to do…there is a specific method to mount lens and adapter (maybe in a different initial order)?

          Thank you so much!

  16. I know we’re two years out on this post, but you said “I am going to check my Tokina 11-16mm F2.8. It should work as it does not work the same way as the EF-S lenses.”

    Were you able to confirm the Tok11-16 does indeed work with this Kipon? I don’t fathom how the lens is different than other EF-S but as long as it works that point is mute. I have the Kipon, consider getting the BMCC m43, would like to use this lens with it. Thanks.

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