Chrosziel Meta Mount E-PL Released – Electronic Metadata and Lens Control

Lens AccessoriesIBC 2022

by Olaf von VossSeptember 9^th, 2022

German cine accessory manufacturer Chrosziel has just announced a new and apparently very handy lens adapter: the Chrosziel Meta Mount E-PL bridges the gap between your precious PL-mount cine lens and any (Sony) camera with an active E-mount. Furthermore, the Meta Mount not only delivers metadata from the lens to the camera but also lens control data to the lens when a broadcast lens is used.

There you have it, that first paragraph was just about all there is to say about this new Chrosziel Meta Mount E-PL adapter. But let’s do the work and dig a little deeper, shall we?

Mounting a lens on a non-native mount on the camera side can be daunting. It’s not just about mechanics, it’s about precision! If the lens is even 1/10 of a millimeter too far from the sensor plane, it will be difficult to get the infinity focus right. So if you have to use an adapter, make sure you get a very good one.

Chrosziel has a reputation for supplying very precise tools for the film industry, especially camera support accessories, but also matte boxes, and lens motors. This time we’ll take a look at the Chrosziel Meta Mount, as this device is a kind of hybrid: it’s a mechanical lens adapter for mounting PL lenses on Sony E-mount cameras. But it’s also an electronic bridge that transmits lens data signals from the attached lens to the host cameras and, conversely, provides lens control data from the camera to the lens when using a lens with servo units.

Chrosziel Meta Mount E-PL

As with everything else, a rich feature set comes at a price. In the case of the new Chrosziel Meta Mount, it’s mainly the size; the thing isn’t exactly tiny. Still, it offers a lens support socket and several data ports, such as a 12-pin Hirose and a 5-pin Lemo connector for controlling and powering ENG lenses with servo motors attached.

Sony FX9 / FX6 / FX3 cameras (I think the Sony FX9 is the main target here for this product) can be used to control the lens (focus/iris/zoom) via hand grips, RCP, or the camera’s web GUI.

Lens data flows through the internal contacts of the mount itself. LDS (Lens Data System) and Cooke/i protocols are supported. With this data, it becomes much easier to accomplish visual effects in post-production, as the necessary data such as iris setting, focus distance, and zoom focal length are recorded along with the actual footage. The data can also be displayed in the viewfinder, of course.

Since we discussed precision earlier in this article, the Chrosziel Meta Mount is shimmable and comes with a dedicated shim set for fine-tuning the flange distance.

Here’s a rundown of the main specifications:

• E Mount camera to PL mount lens
• Contact and electronics for Metadata communication
• 12-pin Hirose out for ENG lens control
• 3/8″ lens support socket
• USB Type min A-B (for firmware updates only)
• Power supply 10-16V (Lemo compatible 0B 5-pin)
• Power consumption max. ca. 350mAh @ 12V

Pricing and availability

The Chrosziel Meta Mount is available for pre-order and delivery is expected to start at the end of September. Pricing is $3,850 / €3,850, which is not cheap, but as mentioned earlier, if you need a high-performance and precise tool for your work, especially when optics are involved, you should not hold back spending money and rather compromise elsewhere.

Link: Chrosziel website

What do you think? Would such an adapter be helpful for your workflow? Share your experiences in the comments below!