Scenes Seen/Test Pics For A Review: Pentax 67-Hasselblad XD 0.62x – Kipon Baveyes Focal Reducer – Pentax 67 165mm f/2.8.

Scenes Seen/Test Pics For A Review: Pentax 67-Hasselblad XD 0.62x – Kipon Baveyes Focal Reducer – Pentax 67 165mm f/2.8. @kipon_global @sec_carrboro

Subtitle: And I shall call you Franken-67.

Story time.

2020.

Eric obsesses over a Kipon Baveyes Hasseblad V to Sony FE focal reducer adapter. After a sale price and a push from my better half, I purchased said adapter…

…and wrote about said adapter. Not once,…

My Hassselblad CFV II 50c Pacifier: Kipon Baveyes 0.7x Optical Focal Reducer

…not twice,…

And I shall call you Franken-blad. Kipon Baveyes 0.7x Hasselblad to Sony part 2.

…but three times.

A frankly frivolous fifty mm and medium format fakery free for all.

So… I like it.

Kept it for a good while. Somewhere in there, I went for a digital medium format spin with the Pentax 645D.

Vintage Digital: Pentax 645D Follow Up. Come for the absurdity. Stay for the practicality.

Even used it during a wedding as a second shooter.

Also used it for a bridal session.

I eventually moved on from the 645D, but the Kipon Baveyes remained. That is until…

2025. Part 1.

Enter GFX.

Through a roundabout sequence of events, I traded quite a bit of kit for a GFX100S.

Week 1 WIth The GFX System: What I Have Learned So Far.

The short version:

1. Have wanted a GFX camera since they were announced, but the price.
2. Twice threatened to trade for a GFX 50SII, but was undone by Contrast only AF.
3. Fujifilm released the GFX100RF and I wanted in.
4. Hamish reminded that fast glass was not on the table.
5. Around this time, I realized that 1st GFX100S bodies had dipped well into my strike zone if I was willing to trade some gear that I prozed.
6. I traded gear that I prized.

Included in that trade fit was the Hasselblad 501c. Do I have regrets?

Nope.

The GFX100S has been far better than I could have ever expected. After a wedding…

Wedding Session Afterthoughts: FUJIFILM GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR.

…a other sessions like a maternity one,…

Photographed My First Maternity Session… And Found A great Local Photo Space.

…I am well pleased.

Then…

2025. Part 2.

As I was minding my own business one day, I noticed a message in my Instagram inbox from a month ago (I am trash at social media.) from Kipon. Turns out they had also followed me at some point. (I am Mr. finger on the pulse over here.) The message exchange started with:

I would have been happy there. But soon after, I was offered two of their new focal reducer adapters. Seems they have been following my little gear churn odyssey since they offered up two GFX camera adapters. And I said yes, of course.

So… Lenses. I was not concerned. I expected my local camera shop…

An Ode to a Camera Shop: Southeastern Camera, Carrboro, NC

…would come through, and they did. The goal was a wide-ish lens and a portrait lens for each.

Took each lens for a quick spin. I am familiar with the Hasselblad 50mm f/4 because…

…it is a lens I used to own. Bought off a legend that I interviewed for my first-ever KEH Spotlight blog post back when I wrote for them for a couple of years. Professor Lonnie Graham.

A Legend Purchased From A Legend: Hasselblad Distagon 50mm f/4

A great lens with film…

…and digital, adapted to full-frame Sony with the Kipon Baveyes focal reducer.

The portrait lenses are nice, but the 67 55mm f/4 piqued my interest when I was testing them all. Similar to the Hasselblad 50mm…

…in focal length, but two words set it apart. Close focus.

And it is both tack sharp and captures colors well. I am not surprised. I have used and owned numerous Pentax 645 lenses…

This Old Lens (Medium Format): SMC Pentax-FA 645 45-85mm F4.5

This Old Lens (Medium Format): SMC Pentax-FA 645 80-160mm F4.5

This Old Lens (Medium Format): SMC Pentax-FA 645 200mm F4

…and Hasselblad V lenses,…

This Old Lens (Medium Format): SMC Pentax-FA 645 75mm F2.8

Took a $150 Hasselblad lens out and here are all 12 frames: Hasselblad Zeiss Sonnar 150mm f/4

…and the Pentax lenses easily hold their own against the ZEISS-branded Hasselblad lenses.

So, why not the usual go-to lenses for each?

The 67 105mm f/2.4 and the V 80mm f/2.8.

This Old Camera: Hasselblad 501c – V Series Camera

Both work out to a mid 60mm full frame equivalent focal length. The camera shop had both. I did not ask for them, though. I guess I just wanted something different.

The lens used in the first post was the 67 55mm/4.

Scenes Seen/First Test Pics For A Review: Pentax 67-Hasselblad XD 0.62x – Kipon Baveyes Focal Reducer – Pentax 67 55mm f/4.

Now I turn my attention to the 67 165mm f/2.8. This is the first portrait length medium format film lens I have used with an aperture brighter than f/4. And those prior lenses were great at creating subject isolation.

So this f/2.8 lens should be fun.

The occasion.

Portraits of my son and folks at the camera shop, with a few scenes seen in between. Here are the pics.

On to the camera shop for show and tell.

Let the portraits begin.

<Cut and paste from the 67 55mm f/4 post.>

Sweet merciful Minerva, this lens is great. I am in trouble because I now must have this lens.

Thoughts.

About the lens?

See the last two sentences before thoughts above, I find no fault with this lens at all.

• Very sharp.
• Great colors.
• Very pleasing bokeh.
• Wonderful rendering.

About the adapter?

I will save the bulk of my comments for a formal review to come, but for now…

• Exceedingly well made.
  • No surprise there. Just like the Hasselblad to Sony FE focal reducer.
• A fine-looking thing.
• The focal reducer reaps great benefits by filling the sensor.
• No noticeable vignetting.
• Maintains access to Infinity focus.

Here is the features list from their website:

1. Designed by Iain Neil (Module 8) in Switzerland
2. Increase the aperture 1.5 stop
3. 0.62x wider shooting range
4. Built in 5 groups of 7 high-quality optical glasses
5. Focus at infinity is available

Well done, Kipon.

That is all for now. Next up will be one of the Hasselblad lenses.

Happy capturing.

-ELW