Chinese optics company Kipon, known for its lenses and optical adapters, released two new 0.62x focal reducers for medium-format cameras.
Built in collaboration with the optical experts at Module 8, most recently featured on PetaPixel for ‘The Tuner‘ variable-look cinematic lens system, the new 0.62x focal length reducers enable photographers to use 6×7 format lenses like the Pentax 67 and Hasselblad V system to cover medium-format cameras with 44 by 33-millimeter image sensors, like the Fujifilm GFX, Hasselblad X, and Pentax 645 systems. That said, Kipon’s new reducers come in GF and LPL formats, so they must be further adapted for specific medium-format cameras. 6×7 frame sizes vary a bit, but a Pentax 67 image area is 70 by 55 millimeters. The Kipon 0.62x focal reducers enable lenses to offer a much wider field of view and an aperture one and a half stops brighter.
Iain Neil, a longtime optical expert at Cooke, designed the optics. While with Cooke, Neil led the company’s in-house lens designs and worked on many major motion pictures. Neil has won an incredible 13 Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements. He has also won two Emmy Engineering Awards and a Fuji Gold Medal Award. Before co-founding Module 8 with Moment’s co-founder, Mike Thomas, Neil worked with Panavision and Leitz Cine lenses. As far as résumés go, few are as impressive as Neil’s.
Kipon’s new focal reducer has been built primarily with cinema in mind, especially with a view toward upcoming medium-format cinema cameras, like the GFX Eterna. The company is also aiming the 0.62 reducer at the Blackmagic Ursa 17K and Alexa 65.
This is not Kipon’s first foray into focal length reducers for the Fujifilm GFX system. In 2021, the company launched the 0.8x focal reducer for adapting (and reducing) Hasselblad V, Mamiya 645, Pentacon 6, Hasselblad V, Pentax 645, Pentax 67, and Contax 645 lenses on GFX cameras.
Kipon isn’t focusing solely on reducers for medium-format cameras and cinema applications. Alongside the two new 0.62x focal reducers, the optics company is working on a 1.3x expander, which will increase the effective length of a lens at the expense of a slower aperture, like the teleconverters many sports and wildlife photographers use on their telephoto lenses.
Kipon’s new 0.62x focal reducers are not yet available in the company’s store, but they are expected to ship within the next two weeks. Pricing has not been disclosed.
Image credits: Kipon / Module 8
