Take your smartphone filmmaking to a new level with Beastgrip DOF Adapter MK3, the SLR/DSLR lens adapter for smartphones that uses EF-mount lenses compatible lenses.

We’ve not cared much about Kickstarter projects here at Pro Video Coalition because some of those projects never make it to the promised goal, but this one from Beastgrip is too good not to mention. With more than 500 backers pledging $182,725 to help bring this project to life, the DOF Adapter MK3 is about to become a reality and, as Vadym Chalenko, the founder of Beastgrip, said on December 7, the company aims to ship the product in March 2024.

The new Beastgrip DOF Adapter MK3 builds on the success of its predecessors and comes in a new, completely redesigned form. As smartphones become more powerful and able to compete, at certain levels, with larger cameras, it’s interesting to be able to pair them with lenses used on those cameras. That’s what the DOF Adapter MK3 does, and in doing so it allows to take smartphone photography and video to a whole new level, as the optical systems in smartphones are a limiting factor to explore the power of the sensors.

Beastgrip started four years ago, with a goal: to create powerful mobile photography and film-making gear that allow you to turn any smartphone into a professional camera rig. Vadym Chalenko  says that it all started “with just an idea and a 3D printer and with the amazing support of Kickstarter we’ve brought a full range of professional gear to life and have been a part of some of the most groundbreaking videos ever shot with a smartphone.”

Adapter is based on a Canon EF mount

Now the company introduces the DOF Adapter MK3, “to elevate your smartphone filmmaking to new heights by utilizing SLR/DSLR lenses and create breathtaking cinematic footage with a beautiful shallow depth of field. Capture the essence of vintage film aesthetics and enter a realm of endless creative possibilities.”

One example of the use of the new Beastgrip DOF Adapter MK3 is the short film ‘Epic Worlds’ starring Emma Myers and directed by Zee Ntuli, entirely captured with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

If you’re into smartphone filming and have EF mount compatible lenses that you would like to use, then the Beastgrip DOF Adapter MK3 is the tool for you. The adapter is based on a Canon EF mount, and it is compatible with many full-frame lenses. Utilizing a full-frame focusing screen provides optimal performance and compatibility across a wide range of lenses. Using crop sensor lenses with the DOF Adapter MK3 is not recommended, as this will result in severe vignetting. Lenses for mirrorless cameras can not be used, due to their short flange, so if you’ve sold all your old lenses to move to mirrorless… you’re out of luck.

Although the adapter uses the Canon EF mount, you’re not limited to Canon lenses as there is, in fact, a diverse selection of lenses from different brands that use the same mount. Beastgrip adds that  other lenses can be used, as long as there is an adapter ring o use them with the EF mount, and “these include Nikon F-mount, PL-mount, Pentax K-mount, M42, and Olympus OM-mount”

Vintage lenses are a great option

Manual focus control and open aperture are crucial aspects of the DOF Adapter MK3. As the DOF Adapter MK3 operates purely mechanically, your lens must have a manual mechanical focus control. Lenses such as the Canon STM series, which rely on electronic connections to the camera body for focusing, are NOT compatible with the DOF Adapter MK3. Lenses that offer manual aperture control must be set to their widest aperture to achieve the shallowest depth of field. Canon EF lenses, which lack a manual aperture control ring, generally have their aperture wide open by default and are also compatible with the DOF Adapter MK2.

Lenses with approximately 30 to 100 mm in focal lengths are the best to use with the adapter. A final piece of advice from Beastgrip for those eager to try this: fast SLR/DSLR lenses with aperture values ranging from f/1.2 to f/2.8 are recommended for optimal results. Generally, the faster the lens, the better the performance you can expect from the DOF Adapter MK3.

Vintage lenses are a great option for the DOF Adapter MK3, as they are more affordable and each has its own unique character. Although filming is the key reason to use the Beastgrip DOF Adapter MK3, photography may also be a reason to try the adapter, as it allows you to use different lenses with your smartphone. Your imagination is the only limitation here.

The Beastgrip DOF Adapter MK3 has a suggested retail price of $299.99 but Kickstarter backers could get it for $209 until the campaign closed, on December 7. There were also other options, which included the DOF Adapter MK3, Camera Rig, either the Beastgrip Pro universal rig or Beastcage for iPhone (available for iPhone 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max) and lenses at the best price ever in different configurations.