A new product aims to solve not one but three common issues for Micro Four Thirds (MFT) shooters. The Aputure DEC LensRegain is an adapter that allows full-frame lenses to almost completely retain their field of view — and it’s also a wireless follow focus and speed booster.
Aputure’s 2015 model worked as a wireless follow focus or an EF lens adapter and speedbooster, but not both. The LensRegain, released earlier this week, works without limiting users to just one of the device’s functions.
The wireless focus allows photographers to adjust the focus or aperture on the lens wirelessly. While the addition of built-in Wi-Fi on many cameras allows for control of exposure settings, the focus on the lens isn’t something the Wi-Fi in the camera’s body can connect to. The device also acts as a follow focus, allowing videographers more control over how fast (or slow) to focus moves in and out.
While the earlier model also allowed for touch-free and wire-free manual focus, the device couldn’t work as a lens adapter at the same time. The lens adapter feature allows MFT cameras to use full-frame lenses without so much of a crop factor. Normally, a full-frame piece of glass on the smaller sensor creates twice the focal length (or “zoom”), since the lens is casting the image onto a smaller area. That crop factor may be great if you’re trying to get in close for wildlife shots, but not so much if you’re trying to get a wide-angle view and an 18mm becomes a 36mm. The adapter doesn’t reduce the entire 2x crop factor, but turns it into only a 0.75x crop, brings lenses pretty close to the perspective of full frame.
A couple of the reasons for using full-frame lenses even on smaller cameras are the quality and wide apertures. But the LensRegain will also triple as a speed booster, allowing lenses to capture another full stop of light. That means the high-end, full-frame lens not only has the correct perspective, but works like an even faster lens. According to Aputure, an f/1.4 lens, with the adapter, will work as a f/1.0 lens, allowing for greater flexibility in low light.
The Aputure isn’t the first adapter on the market — it faces direct competition with the Metabones T Speed Booster, but also offers the wireless follow focus and sits at a lower price. The LensRegain is currently listed for $599.
