Metabones has announced TruePDAF Technology for Micro Four Thirds, which they claim provides autofocus speed so fast that it is often practically indistinguishable from a native lens. It is specifically designed to improve performance in challenging scenarios, including low contrast, low light, edge-of-frame focus points, and macro distances.
When Metabones refreshed its Speed Booster and Smart Adapter product lines for Micro Four Thirds to “Mark II”, the initial announcement was that Mark I and Mark II ran the same firmware with the same performance. This is no longer the case with the introduction of TruePDAF Technology, which utilizes the better Mark II hardware by storing lens profile data of more than 100 lenses in firmware. When a match is found, the Speed Booster’s or Smart Adapter’s LED glows pink (instead of white) to indicate that additional lens metadata is conveyed to the camera. This is exactly the same kind of metadata that a native lens reports to the camera. With that extra information, PDAF performs well even under less-than-ideal scenarios, such as low contrast, insufficient light, AF points in the corners of the frame, and subjects near the lens’ minimum focus distance. In addition, IBIS effectiveness is increased, particularly near macro distances where 5-axis gives the most additional benefit over 3-axis.
The original Mark I hardware cannot support TruePDAF Technology due to processing limitations
How it works
The technology utilizes a database of lens profiles for over 100 lenses stored directly in the firmware. It then communicates the same metadata to the camera that a native lens would, enhancing face detection, autofocus, and 5-axis IBIS. When a lens match is found, the adapter’s LED will glow pink instead of the standard white.
Requirements for Use:
- Cameras: Ideally used with the Panasonic GH7 or G9 II for peak performance.
- Adapters: Compatible with the Speed Booster MK2, Smart Adapter M2, and the Cine Smart Adapter.
Firmware
Metabones is moving to a dual-tier firmware release model: odd-numbered releases are “cutting-edge” (MK2 only), while even-numbered releases focus on stability and bug fixes for both generations
Metabones recommends that if your lenses are not in the supported database, there may be minimal benefit to upgrading from a Mark I to a Mark II.
