Nikon f/10 or Mitutoyo f/17.8 @ 5x

[jazzper]

I have the "classic" Nikon CFI 10X 0.25 Plan Achromat lens, which have been proven by Rik to give great results at 5 times magnification.
Now, the question is, would I get better results with the Mitutoyo 5x 0.14, considering its effective aperture of f/17.8 as opposed to the Nikons f/10 at 5 times mag.
The Mit is a nice lens, but the price is high, so if the difference is neglectable, maybe the money is better spent elsewhere.

[rjlittlefield]

I assume you are talking about the Nikon MRL00102 -- the gold barrel CFI60 series.

The results will be different. I have not run a head-to-head test of this pair, but from other tests I expect the Nikon will be sharper while the Mitutoyo will have much less chromatic aberration. (The Nikon has quite a bit of longitudinal CA -- blue halos and fringes especially in out of focus regions.) The Mitutoyo also has much longer working distance.

If you are not bothered by short working distance and chromatic aberration with the Nikon, then probably there are better uses for the money.

--Rik

[jazzper]

Thanks Rik. Yes it's the golden one and I guess I'll stick with it for now.
A test would be nice though - if only I knew someone who had both