Gear of the 12 months: Gannon’s selection

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For somebody who writes concerning the newest and biggest digital camera gear, you is perhaps shocked to learn the way little new tools I exploit in my photograph work. Somewhat than utilizing the most recent RF mount lenses for my Canon EOS R, I’ve principally caught with older, tailored lenses from numerous movie cameras I’ve acquired over time. It’s for that motive my favourite piece of substances for the 12 months is Kolari’s EF-RF mount adapter with a built-in variable ND filter.
My typical package for photojournalism or motorsports work consists of my Canon EOS R with a Nikon Nikkor 50mm F1.4 AI, a Carl Zeiss 80mm F2 (initially hooked up to my Contax 645 digital camera) and a Sigma 500mm F4 DG OS lens, the primary two of that are tailored from their respective mounts to Canon EF mount earlier than being tailored to RF mount for my EOS R. If it feels like a little bit of a Frankenstein digital camera bag, it’s as a result of it’s. However there’s simply one thing about utilizing previous, tailored glass that retains me coming again for extra and Kolari’s third-party EF-to-RF adapter permits me to get much more versatility from the tailored lenses than was beforehand attainable when utilizing them on my Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

This lovely little bit of package is a Carl Zeiss 80mm F2 (Contax 645) lens tailored to a Canon EF mount by way of a Fotodiox adapter, which is then tailored to a Canon EOS R utilizing the Kolari Imaginative and prescient EF-RF mount adapter with the 2-10 cease variable impartial density filter inside.

Till not too long ago, I had used Canon’s fundamental EF/RF lens adapter when capturing with my older lenses. Whereas it labored, and enabled me to shoot as I had with the tailored lenses on my Canon EOS 5D Mark III (which nonetheless serves as my back-up digital camera), I knew I finally wished to benefit from the shorter flange distance of mirrorless cameras. Canon makes its personal EF/RF adapter with provision for drop-in filters, however after writing about Kolari Imaginative and prescient’s third-party choice earlier this 12 months, I knew that this adapter was the one I wished to go along with, because of optimistic experiences I’ve had with Kolari gear prior to now. So, I positioned my order for Kolari’s EF-to-RF adapter with its built-in 2–10 cease variable ND filter.

I had the filter at roughly 3 stops for this picture.

As I’ve come to anticipate from Kolari gear, the adapter impressed me proper out of the field. The development is strong and the drop-in 2–10 cease variable ND filter nearly feels over-engineered. Not like Canon’s equal, which depends on plastic components for its drop-in filter, Kolari’s is constructed of CNC-milled aluminum. This, mixed with the quick-throw ring for adjusting the power of the variable ND filter, makes for an exquisite expertise that feels proper at dwelling with adjusting the aperture and focus rings of the guide tailored lenses.
For the primary time ever,1 I used to be in a position to simply shoot broad open with each of the lenses in full daylight and benefit from their respective visible traits. This opened up an entire new realm of inventive prospects, and whereas I haven’t been to a motorsports occasion for some time, and have ceased freelance information assignments for the native paper, it’s already confirmed its use whereas out and about, and photographing my youngsters within the yard.

Whereas I might argue focus peaking is the most important technical benefit the change to a Canon mirrorless digital camera has afforded me, the second most impactful change is the elevated flange distance of the R-mount and the equipment that additional actual property makes attainable.

1 The entrance filter threads on each of the tailored lenses are bent from a long time of use, so front-mounted variable NDs had been by no means an choice.

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