Ray, could you show a comparison of Printing Nikkor 2,8/105 mm vs. APO-EL-Nikkor 5,6/105 mm and the Rodenstock/Scitex 110 mm/ 5.0 This EL-Apo-Nikkor has been sold for really astronomical prices, also,ray_parkhurst wrote:...I started a thread a while back asking that question. But so far I've seen no responses with anything that is better, or even as good, as the PN's.
and as far as I remember, you wrote in your thread, that you have tried this and also the Rodenstocks. This would be nice to be seen,
if you find you precious time...
About the new Schneider 80 mm -- I called the R&D office in Germany lin august 2011 and could speak with the "father" of this optical design, per coincidence. He told me, that the still available Schneider 60x APO-Macro-Componon 60mm /f4 - for a "general macro-use" plays in a comparable resolution league, shows on the other hand a wider enlargement range as the new Varon. The new high-prized Varon is constructed for a special range of sensor sizes in industry and therefore limited and specialized (like the printing-nikkor...).
This I think, is nice to hear for our "playing around" in macrophotography. He did not try to "convince" me, that the new lens would show significately enhancements for our concerns. The new varon is over 4 times the price of the apo-macro-componon ...
Regards,
christian