# 4/3 + speedboster = astro hack?



## YellowJersey (Aug 6, 2015)

So I was watching Matt Granger's review of the metabones speedbooster adapter and during the technical part of the video (the first 9 minutes or so), I hit upon an idea that_* MAY*_ be a boon for wide angle astro work. 

This may be crazy, which is why I included the question mark in the title. I'm posting it here to see if it has merit, not to boast about its virtues. Ok? Ok. 

The basic idea is thus: 

1) Take a 4/3 camera, preferably one with the best high ISO performance available. 

2) Take a wide angle lens, preferably the fastest you can get. (thinking a Nikon or Samyang 14mm 2.8 or the Tamron 15mm 2.8). Alternatively, you could go for a 24mm or 35mm 1.4 and sacrifice exposure length for extra light via wider aperture. 

3) Slap a metabones speedboster on the combo. If you're using a 2.8, then now you have a 2. If you have a 1.4, you now have a 1. (you'll still have to reduce your exposure time as even with the metabones you're still going to have a bit of a crop factor) 

This would double the amount of light hitting the sensor than had you used that same lens on a full-frame or APS-C body, allowing a brighter exposure at high ISO or allowing you to lower your ISO and rely more on the raw light of the scene. 

I suppose the major caveat here is whether any 4/3 sensors can handle high ISO the way full frame or APS-C can. 

Anyway, just a little idea I had. Maybe there's some merit to it, maybe there isn't. 

Here's a link to Matt Granger's video review, if you're interested. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydPUkBMu6lQ


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