Metabones® adds phase-detect autofocus (PDAF) support for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Alpha 7R2

(Download PDF version: Press Release here)

Vancouver, Canada, September 18, 2015: Metabones^® adds phase-detect autofocus (PDAF) support for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Alpha 7R2 to its EF-mount Speed Boosters and Smart Adapters through firmware update version 1.8, available from Metabones' web site for download.

Free of any potential misalignment issues, on-sensor phase-detect autofocus is capable of attaining excellent accuracy. Overall, phase-detect autofocus offers a significant performance improvement over contrast-detect autofocus, and for shorter focal length lenses the autofocus speed approaches that found in digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. Performance, features and limitations of our solution are comparable to other on-sensor PDAF systems involving adapted DSLR lenses on mirrorless cameras, such as A-mount lenses on Sony Alpha 7R2 with LA-EA3 adapter, Four Thirds System DSLR lens on Olympus OM-D E-M1 with MMF-3 adapter or Canon SLR lens on EOS M3 with Mount Adapter EF-EOS M.

Limitations include:

During video recording there is no AF (Olympus) or only slow contrast-detect AF (Sony).
Continuous AF may have unsatisfactory performance (phase-detect AF) or not supported (contrast-detect AF).

Also added to Metabones firmware update version 1.8 is fast contrast detect AF for other Olympus cameras including E-M5II, E-M5, E-M10 and E-P5. Contrast-detect AF accuracy on Olympus is lens-dependent with most Canon-brand lenses introduced over the last 10 years working satisfactorily. However, some older Canon lenses and some third party EF-mount lenses may not be able to achieve pinpoint-accurate focus on Olympus cameras with contrast-detect AF. These lenses should be used on OM-D E-M1 instead.

In addition, AF support for JVC GY-LS300 is added to this new firmware version. Existing Panasonic contrast-detect AF support is enhanced with 24p added as a supported frame rate for single-autofocus (AFS) during video recording.

By simply downloading and running Metabones App Version 1.8, new autofocus support is added to the following Metabones products:

EF-E Smart Adapter Mark IV (model number MB_EF-E-BM4)
EF-E Speed Booster ULTRA (model number MB MB_SPEF-E-BM2)
EF-E T Smart Adapter Mark IV (model number MB_EF-E-BT4)
EF-E T Speed Booster ULTRA (model number MB_SPEF-E-BT2)
EF-Micro Four Thirds Smart Adapter (model number MB_EF-M43-BM1)
EF-Micro Four Thirds Speed Booster (model number MB_SPEF-M43-BM1)
EF-Micro Four Thirds Speed Booster S (model number MB_SPEF-M43-BM2)
EF-Micro Four Thirds T Smart Adapter (model number MB_EF-M43-BT2)
EF-Micro Four Thirds T Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x (model number MB_SPEF-M43-BT4)
EF-Micro Four Thirds T Speed Booster XL 0.64x (model number MB_SPEF-M43-BT3)

The following discontinued products must be updated by factory service. Please contact Metabones customer service for details.

The original EF-E Smart Adapter
EF-E Smart Adapter Mark II
EF-E Smart Adapter Mark III
The original EF-E Speed Booster

Metabones®, together with its allied partners Caldwell Photographic and WBDesign, is the pioneer and leader of two key technologies which have catalyzed the transition from the DSLR to the mirrorless. Speed Booster® (winner of the 2013 TIPA Best Photo Accessory Award) makes lenses brighter, wider and sharper, and Smart Adapter™ breaks the lens mount compatibility barrier by electronically integrating interchangeable single-lens reflex (SLR) lenses and mirrorless cameras. Metabones offers a comprehensive range of adapters covering most popular lens mounts, as well as some rare and exotic ones. "Always on forefront of innovation without ever setting aside practicality as a professional tool" perhaps best epitomizes Metabones' philosophy.

Downloads links:

Firmware update for EF-E Smart Adapter MARK IV and EF-E Speed Booster ULTRA (Windows)

Firmware update for EF-E Smart Adapter MARK IV and EF-E Speed Booster ULTRA (Mac)

Firmware update for EF-M43 (Windows)

Firmware update for EF-M43 (Mac)