Quick Test of WeMacro vs. Mitutoyo 5X

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:45 pm

mawyatt wrote:These images were from the D800E in 16 bit TIFF format

So then a 36x24 mm sensor, at rated magnification, 5X on sensor?

It would be nice to see comparison with a flat highly detailed subject, say white paper with black toner dots all over the field.

--Rik

mawyatt · Post by **mawyatt** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 3:41 pm

Rik,

Yes 5X on a full frame FX sensor (Nikon D800E, 36MP). I don't have a laser printer, mine are all ink jet. This coming week I'll check at the office, but may take some time before I get back to this as I've taken the system apart for now.

Best,

Mike

hero · Post by **hero** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 3:46 pm

In a related vein, I would really, really love to see such a test done to compare the Mitutoyo and WeMacro 10x objectives, because I am so not ready to shell out $800+ right now...my addiction to macro is not yet that severe as I cling to what remains of my sanity

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 4:07 pm

mawyatt wrote:I don't have a laser printer, mine are all ink jet.

The B/W machine at your local copy shop is a good thing to try. That's what I've used since I've been working at home.

--Rik

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 4:37 pm

Oddly formatted, but an interesting "read" on some of this discussion.
http://www.dantestella.com/zeiss/achromat.html

Also an interesting piece:
http://www.csun.edu/~rprovin/tmb/definition.html

ray_parkhurst · Post by **ray_parkhurst** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 5:15 pm

Charles Krebs wrote:Oddly formatted, but an interesting "read" on some of this discussion.
http://www.dantestella.com/zeiss/achromat.html

Also an interesting piece:
http://www.csun.edu/~rprovin/tmb/definition.html

So the first paper is fairly loose and gives justification for lenses like the Apo Rodagon D, which are very well corrected but don't have 3 crossings. The second paper is far more stringent and adds distortion correction to the apo definition. No wonder the term is so loosely used in industry.

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Sun Jul 30, 2017 5:33 pm

It was interesting to read about the two main kinds of CA: magnification differences between colors, and focal plane differences between colors. Now I know why one of the Photoshop defringing tools changes the size of the image as you use it.

Macrero · Post by **Macrero** » Fri Aug 04, 2017 4:19 am

Interesting comparison and quite surprising result regarding CA. I'd like to see a stacks comparison to assess the difference in resolution.

Anyway, you can get an used Mitu 5 for no much more than the cost of the chinese objective. A no-brainer for me.

mawyatt · Post by **mawyatt** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:12 am

mawyatt wrote:Rik,

Yes 5X on a full frame FX sensor (Nikon D800E, 36MP). I don't have a laser printer, mine are all ink jet. This coming week I'll check at the office, but may take some time before I get back to this as I've taken the system apart for now.

Best,

Mike

Rik,

I did get a quick shot of the WeMacro and Mitutoyo 5X with a image from laser printer showing the carbon particles. These are single shots with a D500 (my D800 is tied up in another setup now) and a Nikon 200mm F4 Q "Tube Lens". Subject laser printed paper is in a light tent with 6 strobes for illumination.

As you can see the WeMacro compares favorably in the center but has some CA and reduction in sharpness creeping in on the edges if you follow the in focus areas away from the center. The crops are from the lower left side image edge to allow the CA and sharpness comparisons.

Best,

Mike

WeMacro 5X

Mitutoyo 5X

WeMacro 5X

Mitutoyo 5X

ray_parkhurst · Post by **ray_parkhurst** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:27 am

Coverage definitely looks weaker on the Chinese lens. Looks like it is probably fine for APS-C but not so great on FF.

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:50 am

Also note the minor magenta/green LoCA in the first picture: magenta tint on the top half, green tint in the bottom half of the picture.

ray_parkhurst · Post by **ray_parkhurst** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:53 am

Lou Jost wrote:Also note the minor magenta/green LoCA in the first picture: magenta tint on the top half, green tint in the bottom half of the picture.

I see a similar LoCA effect on the Mit lens as well.

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:55 am

I hadn't noticed it on mine, but then I usually don't shoot such uniform subjects, so I might not have noticed.

hero · Post by **hero** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 11:13 am

Given how difficult it was to discern any differences in the initial sample images, I am honestly a bit shocked at the results from the toner-on-paper testing. Guess I'm gonna have to save up my pennies for a Mitutoyo.

In a related vein, I've read the FAQ and related posts several times over but I still can't figure out what pieces I need to attach a Mitutoyo (say, 10x) to my camera. I've got a 5D3 and presently the only candidate tube lenses I own are a 100/2.8 macro and a 70-200/2.8 zoom. I have a 300/2.8 as well but at 6 pounds and a front element exceeding 100 mm in diameter, it's obviously out of the question.

ray_parkhurst · Post by **ray_parkhurst** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 11:38 am

A Nikon 200mm f/4 AI is a good bet and fairly cheap. You'll also need the parfocal adapter from Nikon to EOS. I've had good luck with the non-AI version as well, though I'd recommend the later QC variant. If you're putting it on a Canon with an adapter, I don't think you need to ensure it has been AI converted.

Black / White subjects with high local contrast edges are certainly better for discerning CA than colorful / saturating ones, but they also don't show certain aspects of CA (like purple fringes) that only seem to show well when saturation occurs.