Zunow has announced a PL Mount adapter for the 5D that doesn’t require modifying the camera body and voiding your warranty. Currently, you can get a PL Mount for the 7D from Hot Rod Cameras that removes the mirror to get the lens close enough to the sensor, which then effectively kills the still image capability of the camera (you can only shoot stills in Live Mode). This has proven to be a very popular mod.
From Zunow:
This is the very first PL Mount where you don’t have to modify your Canon DSLR camera. This means you don’t have to send it away and hope it will get back to you in one piece. Also your standard Canon warranty will still be in affect when you use this adapter.
Thanks to the high quality optical glass inside the PL Mount we can create a perfect 35mm light circle around your full frame sensor. So you can film with your Canon DSLR without any distorsion or lost in depth of field.
The Zunow PL Mount 5D comes standard with a V-lock support plate. This will support your PL Mount with a heavy cinematic lens attached. Thanks to the V-lock system you can mount you DSLR onto every quick release adapter. So easy to use onto your tripod.
If you like to know more regarding this PL Mount please fill in our contact form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Price is projected to be $2800
Eric’s Take:
I have a lot of questions about this implementation though. For one, it says on Zunow’s site that this will also work on the 7D. Since the 7D’s sensor is much smaller than the 5D, there will probably the same crop factor that would you get using a full frame lens on the 7D. You would not get this crop factor on a 7D with a real PL Mount modification because cine lenses are designed for Super 35mm, which is what the 7D sensor is. The 5D sensor is too big, which is why it uses optical elements instead of a straight mount mod. Hot Rod Cameras makes a 5D PL Mount mod, but it only works on PL zooms that are zoomed in a bit, or PL primes that are designed for larger formats like 65mm. Second, because of the optical elements added, there must be a measure of light loss, like Canon’s teleconverters. Zunow claims “No Distortion”, but makes no other claims.
Some cinematographers choose the 5D over the 7D for video use for 2 reasons – slightly better low light performance, and the decreased depth of field from the full frame 5D sensor. Placing this PL Mount adapter on the 5D takes away it’s 2 main gains over the 7D. In fact, you could argue that it turns the 5D into a 7D with the PL Mount, and not a 5D with a PL Mount. If it does in fact cause light loss, then it would probably be a better idea to get the 7D with the PL Mount mod. You want to get every last photon out of your Ultra Primes. $2800 is a lot, but if you’ve been shooting PL lenses for awhile, then this price probably doesn’t phase you.
A cool alternative is Hot Rod Camera’s PL Mount adapter for micro 4/3 cameras such as the Panasonic GH1. Since these cameras have no mirror (they’re EVIL!) they only require a click-on adapter. Hot Rod’s basic system is only $1200 and includes a great support system so your tiny camera doesn’t break with a 30 lb lens hanging off of it. Coupling this with the firmware hack for the GH1, you get a pretty powerful little digital cinema setup.
It will be interesting to see how this new product tests out. I love how fast this industry is moving.
I saw this adapter at Cinec. Unfortunately the glass in the adapter takes up so much space that you’ll won’t fit 90% of cinema lenses. So forget any SuperSpeeds, Standard Speeds, Cooke S4i or Ultra Primes or Master Ptimes.
Modifying a 7D to PL at Hotrrod is $3250, and you can use any 35mm lens. $2800 for an adapter on the 7D and you can’t use most lenses, I don’t see the value.
AG
Thanks for the info A.G. If it doesn’t work with any of those lenses, I agree, what’s the point?
Is there any news about PL-mount to EOS, i just got the 5D Mark III and would love get a PL-mount that fits and work well with the camera.