How do you get best performance from raynox DCR-250 and DCR-150 as tube lenses?

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seta666
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How do you get best performance from raynox DCR-250 and DCR-150 as tube lenses?

Post by seta666 »

Hi,

I guess this has been discussed a zillion times but one more will not do any harm :D

I normally use DCR-250 reversed for APS-C and I used to use DCR-150 in normal position for FF but I would like to know how you are using them these days, both for APS-C and FF including distance from tube lens to objective to get best performance possible

I could run tests like crazy but I guess this has already be done by some of you

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Adalbert
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Re: How do you get best performance from raynox DCR-250 and DCR-150 as tube lenses?

Post by Adalbert »

Hi Javier,
I use the Raynox lenses in reverse and focus (via helicoid) to infinity for ff and crop.
Best, ADi

Lou Jost
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Re: How do you get best performance from raynox DCR-250 and DCR-150 as tube lenses?

Post by Lou Jost »

A warning: the best choices are not the same on FF as on APS. With the Raynox configurations, getting better center resolution comes at the expense of worse corners. On APS it pays to optimize center resolution, but on FF those corners will be unacceptable and it will be better to optimize for a more even resolution across the frame. These require different configuations. Robert O'Toole has done a lot of testing on APS and his solutions are the best for that size sensor. In my experience, on FF, the Raynox should be inverted from Robert's best APS set-up:

https://www.closeuphotography.com/tube-lens-test

lothman
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Re: How do you get best performance from raynox DCR-250 and DCR-150 as tube lenses?

Post by lothman »

Lou Jost wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 8:09 am
... In my experience, on FF, the Raynox should be inverted from Robert's best APS set-up:
Hello Lou,
since it is very easy to lose track in all those combinations for different sensor formats, it would help me a lot what your favourable setup is. Could you please provide some information about lens type, orientation, distance to sensor, distance to microscope lens...?

Thanks in advance
Lothar

Lou Jost
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Re: How do you get best performance from raynox DCR-250 and DCR-150 as tube lenses?

Post by Lou Jost »

I can only speak about the DCR 150 Raynox. I like camera lenses as shorter focal length tube lenses. For the APS set-up, use Robert's recommendations, linked above. He covers the Raynox and many other options very thoroughly. For FF use it facing forward, at the nominal distance to the sensor (ie, focus it at infinity). I do not recall the best objective-to-lens distance for my subjects but I do recall it wasn't too important. You could just try a couple of different distances and see how it looks.

In fact my tests showed me that there is no one best objective-to-lens distance; in my tests it depended on the relative importance of the objective's CA versus astigmatism and other abrrations. More space lessens some aberrations but increases others. It even depends a little bit on the subject, in particular how important are the corners. I think this accounts for the wide variety of different recommendations you can find here and elsewhere. I strongly suggest you do what we do, test some variations of your setup on your favorite kinds of subjects, using your favorite objectives. Use our recommendations as starting points (and if you are satisfied with the results, no need to worry further).

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