RobertOToole wrote:
I got lucky on the ITL200....and....Two things got me thinking something was not right. I always check for infinity focus and this is what I got with the Thorlabs set up next to the alternative set up I used:
Also they quote the lens as APO for CAs in visible light but the test images were anything but APO corrected.
BTW I do plan to test the ITL200 on my D850 sometime in the near future.
The low contrast flare issue I fixed before I take a single image. I expect it from all lenses. All the manufacturers sell shiny tubes it seems. Schneider Kreuznach's entire industrial V-mount line needs flocking, can you can believe that! The only tubes I find that are flocked from the factory are Canon's excellent old M39 tubes!
Robert
Absolutely, I was confused about this when mounting the lens as well, I have it setup with accordance to the website, however nothing whatsoever is in focus. I had to play with the variable SM2 tubes to get infinity, the results weren't that good either; haloing and corner fuzziness -- you name it.
It's kind of amazing how the tubes being at $50+ a pop lacks any anti-reflective treatment. Old nikon extension tubes have such treatments, even the cheap extension tubes, 58mm type, found on ebay has this sort of coating. I know someone who is able to apply these coatings, might have a visit next year and get my SM2 tubes treated.
Also if anyone is considering the SM2 system, buy a 52mm reverse mounting adapter, it can be screwed in securely for safe mounting.
I highly recommend the BR-2 or BR-2a official nikon 52mm reverse mounting adapters, these are made
better than the $93 thorlabs one, the internal is also coated with anti-reflective material. Oh and it's $15-$30 off ebay all day. Pay less for higher quality, who doesn't like that? I wish I knew.
If one wants to mount an f-mount lens to the tubes, get the K3 tube, such as this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NIKON-K1-K2-K3 ... on+k3.TRS5
They usually come in a set. Don't pay that 114 for the thorlabs version.