$17 4x Amscope Objective vs $1000 Nikon 35mm Macro Nikkor

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ray_parkhurst
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$17 4x Amscope Objective vs $1000 Nikon 35mm Macro Nikkor

Post by ray_parkhurst »

I got my $17 objective based on RobertOToole's excellent 4x shootout:

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=36028

This objective is good enough to warrant comparison to the 35MN I recently dug out of mothballs. Here are the Center and Corner compos:

Image

Image

The 4x looks good in the center, but by the corners of APS-C is showing some degradation. Interestingly, while I matched magnification in the Centers, the Amscope changes in magnification toward the corners. This is fairly common to see, but usually it comes with a big IQ penalty. There is only a modest penalty with this 4x, with even the CA holding up reasonably well at the Corner.

mawyatt
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Post by mawyatt »

Ray,

I've had and used mine ever since Robert posted his colored pencil image. For $17~18 this is probably the best value available at 4X. Sure you may find a bargain old lens on eBay in this price range that has comparable IQ, but this is not an old surplus lens!!

Anyway, thanks for showing.

Best,

Mike
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

The 65mm Macro Nikkor could be better as 4x comes in its designed operating range. I don't have one. Same max aperture.
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Post by ray_parkhurst »

Unfortunately the 65MN does not live up to its reputation. Here it is at 4x vs the 35MN in the Center.

Image

I found the 65MN to be very capable in my shootout at 2.4x but at 4-5x, where it is supposedly optimized, it is disappointing. The above shot was stopped down 1 stop. It was much worse wide open.

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Post by ChrisR »

That's a pity/surprising. :|
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ray_parkhurst
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Post by ray_parkhurst »

ChrisR wrote:That's a pity/surprising. :|
The LoCA of the 65MN is fairly severe. I have owned 3 or 4 copies and all were the same. This last one was sharpest of the ones I've owned so I kept it since it's good to have as a reminder not to buy another one.

Edited to add: BTW, shooting with the 65MN at 4x requires an extended bellows. Not very convenient if you only have a single/normal bellows to work with.

RobertOToole
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Post by RobertOToole »

Excellent work Ray, your post has everything I look for in a shoot-out, and since I do not own any of the Macro-Nikkors so you are very possibly saving me some money!

Thanks for the mention also :-)

All the best,

Robert

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