Today’s Question: In reference to the recent question involving Xume Adapters, do these introduce any issues with vignetting on extreme(16-35mm) wide angle lenses? These adapters seem like a great idea but I’m concerned that the Xume system will position the filter farther away from the front of the lens than it would be if it were normally attached.
Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, for focal lengths shorter than about 24mm on full-frame sensors there is some vignetting introduced by the Xume Adapters, due to the filter being positioned further from the front lens element than would otherwise be the case.
More Detail: I know that the fine folks at Xume Adapters are aware of this issue, and that they are exploring options for mitigating the vignetting with wide-angle lenses. In the meantime, the Xume Adapters are best used with lenses with focal lengths of about 24mm or greater, or the equivalent focal length for cameras with other than a full-frame sensor.
For those photographers who are interested in learning more about the potential for Xume Adapters, you can see them in use in an episode of Tim Grey TV found here: