10x Objective Test: Mitutoyo M Plan Vs 3 Nikon Objectives

[RobertOToole]

I have some new test results to share, this time at 10x magnification.

After receiving a new 10x objective last week I decided to run a few tests to compare:

-Mitutoyo M Plan 10x against 3 Nikon 10x objectives that I have on hand
-Thorlabs ITL200 in different configurations
-Mitutoyo 10x and Nikon CFI Plan pushed down to at least 6x

10x Objective Test

Nikon LU Plan 10X 0.30 BD objective, Nominal aperture: f/1.52, effective aperture: f/16.66

Nikon CFI Plan Achromat 10x 0.25 MRL00102 objective, Nominal aperture: f/1.8, effective aperture: f/20

Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 10X 0.28 objective Nominal aperture: f/1.62, effective aperture: f/17.86

Nikon 10x 0.20 MM TM objective lens, Nominal aperture: f/2.27, effective aperture: f/25



Test Setup:

Camera: Sony A6300
Sensor size: APS-C. 23.5 × 15.6 mm. 28.21 mm diagonal. 3.92 micron sensor pitch
Tube Lens: Thorlabs ITL200, a detailed review of this lens is available here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/thorlabs-itl200/
Flash: Godox TT350s wireless flash x 2 with one Godox X1s 2.4G wireless flash transmitter
Vertical stand: Nikon MM-11 with a Nikon focus block

A series of images was made with each lens in 2 micron steps and the sharpest frame was then chosen using Photoshop at 100% view. Separate images were selected for each crop area as needed. Each image was processed in PS CC with identical settings with all noise reduction and lens correction turned off, all settings were zeroed out (true zero) and the same settings were used for all of the images. All of the crop images shown here are single files. None of the crop images are stacked.

Test wafer crop areas outlined in blue



Center crop area at 2000 pixels. To see this image full size just right click on the image and open in a new window or tab, or better yet, choose save image as and view the image with the browser app or the image viewer app of your choice.

I strongly suggest that you view the full size crop images, these smaller images are downsized and not as sharp.



Off center crop area at 2000 pixels. To see this image full size just right click on the image and open in a new window or tab, or better yet, choose save image as and view the image with the browser app or the image viewer app of your choice.



Corner crop area at 2000 pixels. To see this image full size just right click on the image and open in a new window or tab, or better yet, choose save image as and view the image with the browser app or the image viewer app of your choice.



Extreme corner crop area at 2000 pixels. To see this image full size just right click on the image and open in a new window or tab, or better yet, choose save image as and view the image with the browser app or the image viewer app of your choice.




Bonus CA test images:

This image makes looking at CAs a little easier. The rectangle shaped box is right at the extreme upper left corner of the wafer image.




10x test results:

Best: The Mitutoyo M Plan 10x. Affordable, even at retail price, and excellent balanced IQ even down to 6x.

The Nikon CFI Plan 10x makes a nice entry level lens or a main 10x lens if you don't mind less sharpness and some mild CAs.


ITL200 configurations

200MM FOCAL LENGTH TUBE LENS: THORLABS ITL200

Setup: Thorlabs ITL200, normal mount, beyond infinity (short) focus
Image quality: Poor results, heavy field curvature, CAs in the corners with some corner softness.
Setup: Thorlabs ITL200, reverse mount, beyond infinity (short) focus
Image quality: Poor results, lots of field curvature, less CAs than normal mount.
Setup: Thorlabs ITL200, normal mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Poor results, sharp center but field curvature, soft corners, CAs.
Setup: Thorlabs ITL200, reverse mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Excellent results from center to corner with zero CAs and mild field curvature.

Best image quality: Thorlabs ITL200, reverse mount, infinity focus

ITL200 image sample at 2500 pixels. To see this image full size just right click on the image and open in a new window or tab, or better yet, choose save image as.

You really have to view and/or download the full size 2500 pixel image, the 1000 pixel image below is very soft.



Pushing down the 10x M Plan

With infinity-corrected objectives you can change the tube lens focal length to create different magnification ratios at the camera sensor, without compromising the color correction. To calculate the system magnification for different tube lens and objective combinations, you can use this simple formula; Effective magnification = Marked magnification x the new tube lens focal length / the system tube lens focal length.

To see how far I could push down the 10x M Plan I tried the Makro-Symmar and Raynox 125 to push the 10x M Plan down the magnification to around 6x. I also attempted to push the magnification down further to 5x with a 100mm tube but the image quality was not acceptable.

120MM FOCAL LENGTH TUBE LENS: SCHNEIDER 120MM F5.6 MAKRO-SYMMAR
Setup: Schneider 120mm f5.6 Makro-Symmar, normal mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Poor results, soft corners, heavy corner shading.
Setup: Schneider 120mm f5.6 Makro-Symmar, reverse mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Poor results, softer corners and heavier shading than normal mount.

125MM FOCAL LENGTH TUBE LENS: RAYNOX 125MM FL 43MM MOUNT LENS
Setup: Raynox 125mm FL 43mm mount, normal mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Overall good with field curvature and some corner softness.
Setup: Raynox 125mm FL 43mm mount, reverse mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Excellent results with only mild field curvature and very mild CAs.

100mm tube lens: Unusable results on APS-C

Best results at 6x: The Raynox 125mm reverse mounted at infinity focus made a nice, clean sharp image at 6x but there was a slight drop in corner sharpness so if corners are something important I wouldn’t recommend pushing the 10x M Plan past 6x unless of course corners are not that important.

This image is 2500 pixels across and was made with the Raynox at 6x.

To see this image full size just right click on the image and open in a new window or tab, or better yet, choose save image as and view the image with the browser app or the image viewer app of your choice.

You really have to view or download the full size 2500 pixel image, the 1000 pixel image below is very soft.



Pushing down the Nikon CFI Plan 10x

120MM FOCAL LENGTH TUBE LENS: SCHNEIDER 120MM F5.6 MAKRO-SYMMAR
Setup: Schneider 120mm f5.6 Makro-Symmar, normal mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Unusable results, heavy vignetting.
Setup: Schneider 120mm f5.6 Makro-Symmar, reverse mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Unusable results, heavy vignetting.

125MM FOCAL LENGTH TUBE LENS: RAYNOX 125MM FL 43MM MOUNT LENS
Setup: Raynox 125mm FL 43mm mount, normal mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Center good, excellent corners, mild CAs.
Setup: Raynox 125mm FL 43mm mount, reverse mount, infinity focus
Image quality: Excellent center, fair to good corners, mild CAs.

100mm tube lens: Unusable results on APS-C

Best 6x tube lens: RAYNOX 125MM, normal mount, infinity focus.


For the full test with notes and comments on my site follow this link, these pages have just been posted so please excuse the typos:

https://www.closeuphotography.com/10x-lens-test

For more information on the M Plan 10x:

https://www.closeuphotography.com/mitut ... -plan-apo/

For more information on the Nikon CFI Plan APO:

https://www.closeuphotography.com/nikon ... objective/

Questions, comments welcome.

[jkbordoloi]

Thank you. I find your website very informative.

[Adalbert]

Hello Robert,
Thank you very much for the great test!
Best, ADi

[RobertOToole]

Thanks ADi, and jkbordoloi, I had completely forgotten about this 10x test!

Best,

Robert

[Scarodactyl]

The nikon plan 10x is a reliably good lens and has become very popular--was this the test that first called it out as a good performer? I use one on my E800 and it even does well with DIC. I wonder sometimes about the Chinese nexcope/generic version of the lens--it might even be from the same production line. Would it be more like a Nikon plan 10x or an e plan 10x?

[RobertOToole]

The nikon plan 10x is a reliably good lens and has become very popular--was this the test that first called it out as a good performer?

The gold 10x s also known as also know as the CFI Plan Achromat 10x MRL00102. I have to give Rik credit for this one, from what I remember, I found about the lens from one of Rik's posts but can't remember post name or topic.

I use one on my E800 and it even does well with DIC. I wonder sometimes about the Chinese nexcope/generic version of the lens--it might even be from the same production line. Would it be more like a Nikon plan 10x or an e plan 10x?

It wouldn't surprise me at all. Nikon is well know for licensing others designs, like Minolta, and Nikon has used a few Tamron patented designs in the current Z optics line-up. One of my old lenses, a 500mm f/4 Nikon AF-S telephoto was a Minolta design licensed by Nikon for production. I had planned on doing a blog post on this subject but I never got around to finishing it! (also found the Macro Varon and Scanner Nikkor lens patents in my research but thats another subject).

Should add that its not just Nikon licensing other manufacturers designs to save money in the quest for more corporate profits. Zeiss has been caught red handed using Tamron designs more than once.

Best,

Robert

[rjlittlefield]

The gold 10x s also known as also know as the CFI Plan Achromat 10x MRL00102. I have to give Rik credit for this one, from what I remember, I found about the lens from one of Rik's posts but can't remember post name or topic.

That would probably be viewtopic.php?t=9664 "Infinity objective on low-end zoom telephoto works fine".

But to be fair, I just got lucky. Really I was only looking for some infinity objective to play with, and that one turned up. As I wrote in the post: "Oh, and the objective cost $29.50 on eBay. What's not to like?"

It was somebody else (I cannot find the post) who pointed out that I had gotten hold of an excellent fairly new Nikon objective for a very attractive price. Never underestimate the value of luck...

I think that thread was also where I first commented that

It's a good community -- lots of ideas, lots of sharing. We can move much faster and better as a group than we can individually.

All that continues to be true, and there's no luck involved in that part!

--Rik

[RobertOToole]

That would probably be viewtopic.php?t=9664 "Infinity objective on low-end zoom telephoto works fine".

Thats the one!

From 2010!

Best,

Robert

[Bob-O-Rama]

That's very useful info as I am looking for a 10x.

Quick question: are 2 micron steps small enough? On my 20x ones I am using 1/3rd micron steps and that is just about good enough to focus on a particular layer, though the objectives I have at NA=0.75 and 0.40 respectively, so perhaps that makes the depth of focus shallower enough where that is needed.

-- Bob

[rjlittlefield]

Quick question: are 2 micron steps small enough? On my 20x ones I am using 1/3rd micron steps and that is just about good enough to focus on a particular layer, though the objectives I have at NA=0.75 and 0.40 respectively, so perhaps that makes the depth of focus shallower enough where that is needed.

DOF goes as 1/NA^2, so larger NA makes a huge difference. Using the 1/4-lambda rule for green light, nominal DOF at NA 0.75 is about 0.8 microns. At NA 0.40, it's a little over 3 microns.

But at NA 0.30, the widest of Robert's tests, nominal DOF is almost 6 microns. So yes, for Robert's tests 2 microns should be small enough by a good margin.

--Rik