By technical editor Matt Allard:
Fotodiox have just released the Excell +1. A budget priced focal length reducing adapter that allows you to mount Nikon or Canon FD lenses onto a Micro 4/3 camera (no EOS model as yet). Similar to the popular Metabones Speedbooster it also uses corrective optical glass built into the adapter itself. This increases the field of view and as a byproduct also makes the resulting image about one stop faster.
The adaptor also features aperture control – you can control exposure even with Nikon G lenses which don’t have a manual iris. It will be interesting to see just how good these adaptors are optically given the low price.
Using the Excell +1 with the BMPCC’s Super16 sized sensor and a 50mm lens will give you a full frame equivalent of 103mm, instead of the usual 144mm. On a M 4/3 sensor the same 50mm lens using the Excell +1 would be 70mm instead of 98mm.
Below is a chart describing how the EXcell +1 works with crop factors on certain cameras. While the company is only offering the M4/3 and BMPCC actors currently it looks like they will have a larger range available shortly given the the cameras listed on the chart.
As a launch offer Fotodiox is retailing the Excell +1 for $139.99 US instead of the usual $159.99 retail. In addition, if you order before July 22nd Fotodiox will throw in the Light Cannon Creative Adapter which is similar to the Excell +1 but give a soft focus effect.
Edit – In light of numerous negative comments online about image quality of the Excell +1 from early adopters, Fotodiox published another video which goes to great lengths to point out that the Excell +1 is not a direct competitor to the Speedbooster and is not going to give comparably sharp results at wide apertures above f2.8. I would advise anyone serious about buying the Excell +1 to watch this before clicking the ‘buy’ button.
