Adi

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Adalbert
Posts: 2425
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Adi

Post by Adalbert »

Hello everyone,
I‘m new here so firstly I would like to introduce myself.
My name is Adi, I like to take the photographs and I’m preparing and completing my first equipment for the macro-photography.
Does anybody know if I can connect the (infinite) NIKON CFI (CFN) 10x to the CANON EF 70-200L 1:4 USM/IS ?
If yes, what would be your recommendation?
BTW, what about the sharpness of the infinite and finite lenses of NIKON 10x ?
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Adi

Pau
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Location: Valencia, Spain

Post by Pau »

Hi Adi, welcome aboard!

You just need a M25 (female, the objective mount) to M67 (male, the lens filter mount) adapter,
http://www.rafcamera.com/en/adapters/ad ... ad-adapter

or you can do it in two or more steps, like M25 to M42X1 and M42X1 to M67, or M25 to M52 and M52 to M67...

All that combos can be purchased online for small prices.

The first option is simpler, the second one will allow to mount intermediate parts like an iris diaphragm useful in some cases
http://www.rafcamera.com/en/m25-to-m42-thread-adapter + ...

I use with good results this setup http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 7184#67184

But FIRST be sure about your objective mount, CFI objectives have m25x0.75 mount but older CF infinites and current entry level CFI BE have RMS mount. "CFI (CFN)" is a confusing naming.
Pau

Adalbert
Posts: 2425
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Post by Adalbert »

Hello Pau,
Thank you for the answer!
This is the information, which I have been looking for and your setup with the tele from CANON is exactly that, I wanted to have.
Would you tell me please if you can set the focus automatically using e.g. Helicon Remote ?

BTW, are there any other differences (e.g. optical) between CFI m25x0.75 and CF/CFI BE with RMS ?
If not than I would prefer the RMS, because I have already an adapter M42 to RMS.
What is your opinion about CFI BE? Do they have the same quality and sharpness as CFI ?

Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Adi

Pau
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Location: Valencia, Spain

Post by Pau »

I never used the BE, but Rik did, and if I recall well the performace was pretty similar but the working distance shorter. Here you have som tests:

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 166#104166

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 520#130520

I focus manually turning the microscope base fine focus knob. You can focus with some limitations with the USM motor through Canon Utility and very likely with other software, but I have no experience, just I've tested the C. Utility funcion. Other people can get you better advice
Pau

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Adalbert wrote:Would you tell me please if you can set the focus automatically using e.g. Helicon Remote ?
This works well, within certain limits, if the rear lens uses internal focusing so that the objective does not move.

See http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=14569 for discussion.

--Rik

Adalbert
Posts: 2425
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Post by Adalbert »

Hello Pau,
Thank you for the links!
I have already tested the “EOS Utility” and “Helicon Remote” but only with the CANON macro lens without microscope-lens. Hopefully they will work with the Canon connected to Nikon too :-)
Bye, Adi

Adalbert
Posts: 2425
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Post by Adalbert »

Hello Rik,
Thank you for the link!
Which NIKON 10 x lens would you recommend me?
I have CANON EF 70-200L 1:4 IS/USM and CANON EF 100L Makro IS.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Adi

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

There are three lenses I have personally used and could recommend to use this way. Which one is best depends on your budget and what you care about.

1. Nikon CFI60 series bronze barrel, part number MRL00102, http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=9664, working distance 10.5 mm. This lens has the widest field.

2. Nikon CFI BE, part number MRN70100, http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=16348, working distance 6.7 mm. This lens is the cheapest.

3. Mitutoyo 10X NA 0.28 M Plan Apo, working distance 33.5 mm. This lens is the most expensive but has much better handling of color.

All of the Nikon objectives have longitudinal color aberration that tends to produce blue/purple tinging. This is worst in out-of-focus areas and tends to disappear on stacking, but effects can persist in sensitive subjects. See http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 672#147672 for illustration. This is using a different tube lens than you will have, but I think the comparison of Nikon versus Mitutoyo will be the same.

One other objective that may come up but I do not recommend is the Nikon CFI60 series black barrel MRP70100. At image center it is similar to the other Nikons, but the MRP70100 seems much more vulnerable to vignetting.

--Rik

Adalbert
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Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Post by Adalbert »

Hello Rik,
Many thanks for the info!
I’m an absolute beginner therefore Mitutoyo is not for me at the moment :-)

BTW, I’m testing the focus-stacking software now.
I have three candidates: Zerene Stacker, Helicon Focus and Picolay (OK, this is freeware)
Up to now I have already posted 5 tests in the Austrian and German forum and I also started a survey concerning usage of the software. You will not believe but the freeware is winning :-)
Bye, Adi

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

I would be interested to read the review. Can you provide links to the other forums?

--Rik

Adalbert
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Post by Adalbert »

Hi Rik,

In my tests you mostly can find the results of the stacking without any comments.

1.) Austrian test 1
https://mikroskopie-forum.at/index.php/ ... #post13635

2.) Austrian test 2
https://mikroskopie-forum.at/index.php/ ... Programme/

3.) Austrian test 3
https://mikroskopie-forum.at/index.php/ ... -Software/

4.) Austrian test 4
https://mikroskopie-forum.at/index.php/ ... -Software/

5.) German test 1
http://www.makro-forum.de/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

I processed the images with the different bugs a test.



The surveys are still running so I only can show the current status:

1.) Austrian survey:
https://mikroskopie-forum.at/index.php/ ... -Software/


2.) German survey 1:
http://www.mikroskopie-forum.de/index.php?topic=24460.0


3.) German survey 2:
http://www.focusstackingforum.de/t312f6 ... rmate.html
I asked for the stacking software and for the JPG/RAW.

Bye, Adi

Adalbert
Posts: 2425
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Post by Adalbert »

Hello Rik,

What do you think about the following offer ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIKON-PLAN-10X- ... Swv-NWXJJd

BTW, maybe you could recommend me a well-tested NIKON-dealer?

Thank you in advance.

Bye,
Adi

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

Hi Adi

You could try your local Nikon distributor.

These were UK prices, fairly recently.
I expect you also would have to pay about 20% tax on import fromthe USA?

The BE is very good value!
http://photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27205

Adalbert
Posts: 2425
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:09 pm

Post by Adalbert »

Hello Chris,

Actually I didn’t want to buy any new lens :-(
Do you know the link to the price list ?

I only have found something like that :
http://www.nikoninstruments.com/en_DE/P ... mat-Series

Thank you in advance.
BR, Adi

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Adi,

Thank you for the links to your reviews and surveys.

Given the stacks that you've processed, and the level of discussion in those threads, it is easy for me to believe that the freeware is winning.

Before I explain why that is, I should tell you my background so that you understand where I am coming from. I have done focus stacking a lot since 2004. I helped Alan Hadley with some of the algorithms in CombineZP. Before 2008, I recommended Helicon Focus as "best of breed", although I was becoming frustrated with it. In 2008-2009, I wrote Zerene Stacker to address my own needs. When other people wanted to use Zerene Stacker too, I started selling licenses. Since then, I have been answering all the email to support@zerenesystems.com , in addition to frequent discussions here at photomacrography.net. I'm not sure how many stacks I have looked at while helping other people. I suspect around a thousand of them, ranging from newbie disasters to Nikon Small World winners and magazine covers.

Since reading your reviews, I have been wrestling with how to provide you the best guidance that I can. I have decided that the best approach is to just speak plainly. I apologize in advance if this causes any discomfort.

Now, about your tests...

What you have basically done is to determine which software produces the least bad results, when used incorrectly, to process stacks that have serious flaws in the shooting.

If this is the level of skill that you intend to maintain, then your test results so far will be very valuable to you.

But if you intend to get much better, as I expect you do, then your test results so far don't mean much, and at worst they pose a significant risk of leading you astray.

I assume that you have come to photomacrography.net because you like the quality of images that are shown here. If that's correct, and you want to produce images of the same quality, then we will be happy to help you do that.

--Rik

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