Schneider Componon-S 100mm f/5.6 Tube Lens Test

[RobertOToole]

To show the image quality of the Componon 4/35 lens stacked on an average tube lens, something other than the Makro-Symmar or Mejiro line scan lens, I've updated my Componon 35mm f/4 test page with results with the Componon-S 100mm f/5.6 tube lens and created a new page for the 5.6/100 also.

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

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



See the full test on my site for more details on the 4 different iris mounts this lens comes in.

COMPONON-S 5.6/100 QUICK REVIEW

What I like

-Small compact size
-Excellent performance value as a tube lens
-Good availability on the used market
-Good range of iris mounts

Things I am disappointed with

-Aperture shape with the 5-blade iris

Things I don't need

-lens cement delamination (Schneideritis) is common with this model
-Schneider lens cells are normally only hand-tightened so they can tend to loosen over time.

2.9x Test Setup
Front lens: Schneider Componon 4/35 lens reverse mounted
Rear lens: Schneider Componon-S 5.6/100 lens normally mounted focused at infinity

Stacked lens nominal test aperture: f/2.8
Stacked lens effective test aperture: f/8.2

Camera: Sony α6300, model # ILCE-6300
Sensor size: APS-C 23.5 × 15.6 mm. 28.21 mm diagonal. 3.92 micron sensor pitch
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

For this test a stack of images was made with 2 micron steps, and was repeated for each aperture. The sharpest frame was then chosen using Photoshop at 100% actual pixel view. Separate images were selected for center, edge, and corner if 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.

Click on the image below to view it in a new window at the full 2500 px width.



The 2.9x sample has nice details and good sharpness with decent consistency across an APS-C sensor.

Overall I give the CPN 5.6/100 tube lens a recommendation with an image quality rating of good overall. Sharpness is good and CA correction is decent. Not the best TL out there but also far from the worst.

More TL tests with the Componon 4/35 coming soon.

Questions, comments welcome.

Best,

Robert

[naturepics43]

Robert,

Thanks for sharing your great lens test results, not just this one but all of them. I visit you site often and read and reread your lens tests often. Your recommendations have been very helpful. I really appreciate all the time and effort you spend doing these lens tests and sharing the results.

Thanks again,

Allen

[RobertOToole]

Robert,

Thanks for sharing your great lens test results, not just this one but all of them. I visit you site often and read and reread your lens tests often. Your recommendations have been very helpful. I really appreciate all the time and effort you spend doing these lens tests and sharing the results.

Thanks again,

Allen

Glad to hear. I'm doing my best the help others learn from all the testing I've done, and most importantly learn from all the equipment buying mistakes I've made over the years.

The only downside to testing is I've been photographing less and less macro in-the-field, which is what I really love to do.

I've got some more interesting findings I plan to post over the next couple of days before head off to Japan for a 2 week work trip.


Thanks for taking time to add the comment!

Best,

Robert

[ChrisR]

Another illuminating test.

Just to confirm - you're not using limiting central paper apertures in these combos?

[Macro_Cosmos]

Wait a second, do I have the exact same chip??

This would be a massive coincidence if true. It also means that our tests can be compared since the subject is controlled. I'll photograph it with a macro lens after finishing my EO 10x VS Mitty 10x shots.

[Macro_Cosmos]

Alright, a lot different than I thought, but similar structure.
I know nothing about these, but if I was to guess, they might serve similar purposes?

16-shot panorama, Edmund Optics 10x Plan Apo lens.
I'll tweak it later and post a full resolution shot. There's obvious sharpness variation because I didn't crop out the bits outside of the centre portion, which I didn't care about, only 2 shots were actually needed if I considered edge to edge frames. Still really happy with the result.

[Miljenko]

Another well prepaired and performed lens review by one and only Robert OToole. I have bought this lens last year supposing it will be nice tube lens when 100mm is needed since some objected my use of hard to find Agfa 4/107 scanner lens. Before getting this incredible Agfa I was using dirt cheap Nikon 100mm f/2.8 Series E but that one was sold pretty soon after getting 4/107. Addmitedly, except those 3 I never tested any other 100/105mm lenses in TL role.
Those 3 were tested within 3 year span with the same taking lenses, with one standing out as the best 50mm found so far: 3M 8.05x (I measured it as 50mm f4.0). Thanks to standardized MTF Imatest way of measuring resolution and CA, it is possible to compare different lenses at such huge time frame.
As seen in chart below, 3M/Componon-S combo gives great resolution and CA but other two perform even better. Nikon 2.8/100 which can be bought at 1/3 S-K Componon-S price provides about 15% higher resolution while standing out with CA at incredible 0.006 pixel area. Agfa 4/107 gives still acceptable 0.26 CA but the resolution is head and shoulder above other two at 3500 LW/PH.



Keep up the great, inspirational work, Robert.

[RobertOToole]

Another illuminating test.

Just to confirm - you're not using limiting central paper apertures in these combos?

Hi Chris,

Good question.

For this test the 5.6/100 was wide open and the front lens was slightly stopped down. No aperture disk was used.

Typically I will check if a center aperture is better as part of the test. In most cases, but not all cases, the front factory aperture location is best.

I'll make sure to make a note about the tested aperture in the future.

Best,

[RobertOToole]

Alright, a lot different than I thought, but similar structure.
I know nothing about these, but if I was to guess, they might serve similar purposes?

16-shot panorama, Edmund Optics 10x Plan Apo lens.
I'll tweak it later and post a full resolution shot. There's obvious sharpness variation because I didn't crop out the bits outside of the centre portion, which I didn't care about, only 2 shots were actually needed if I considered edge to edge frames. Still really happy with the result.

Close, they do look a little similar at first glance. That would have been something if they matched, what are the chances?

One auction on eBay says they stock several million disks in stock, from 1 inch to 12 inches. I had the idea to visit but turns out they are 5 states away. That would have been fun to check them out and pick up some new designs.

Best,

Robert

[RobertOToole]

Another well prepaired and performed lens review by one and only Robert OToole. I have bought this lens last year supposing it will be nice tube lens when 100mm is needed since some objected my use of hard to find Agfa 4/107 scanner lens. Before getting this incredible Agfa I was using dirt cheap Nikon 100mm f/2.8 Series E but that one was sold pretty soon after getting 4/107. Addmitedly, except those 3 I never tested any other 100/105mm lenses in TL role.
Those 3 were tested within 3 year span with the same taking lenses, with one standing out as the best 50mm found so far: 3M 8.05x (I measured it as 50mm f4.0). Thanks to standardized MTF Imatest way of measuring resolution and CA, it is possible to compare different lenses at such huge time frame.
As seen in chart below, 3M/Componon-S combo gives great resolution and CA but other two perform even better. Nikon 2.8/100 which can be bought at 1/3 S-K Componon-S price provides about 15% higher resolution while standing out with CA at incredible 0.006 pixel area. Agfa 4/107 gives still acceptable 0.26 CA but the resolution is head and shoulder above other two at 3500 LW/PH.

Keep up the great, inspirational work, Robert.

Hi Miljenko,

I agree with the results

The 5.6/100 IQ is decent but nothing special as far as tube lens performance goes.

At least they are easy to find and can be picked up for cheap.

They work well for me as the 5.6/100 diameter is small enough to slip inside an SM2/M52 lens tube.


Best,

Robert

[chris_ma]

One auction on eBay says they stock several million disks in stock, from 1 inch to 12 inches. I had the idea to visit but turns out they are 5 states away. That would have been fun to check them out and pick up some new designs.

would actually nice to have identical wafers spread out over forum members so that tests could be done to compare lenses across continents

[viktor j nilsson]

Alright, a lot different than I thought, but similar structure.
I know nothing about these, but if I was to guess, they might serve similar purposes?

16-shot panorama, Edmund Optics 10x Plan Apo lens.
I'll tweak it later and post a full resolution shot. There's obvious sharpness variation because I didn't crop out the bits outside of the centre portion, which I didn't care about, only 2 shots were actually needed if I considered edge to edge frames. Still really happy with the result.

Close, they do look a little similar at first glance. That would have been something if they matched, what are the chances?

One auction on eBay says they stock several million disks in stock, from 1 inch to 12 inches. I had the idea to visit but turns out they are 5 states away. That would have been fun to check them out and pick up some new designs.

Best,

Robert

I have two 6" silicon wafers that I picked up from that 'kaijusears' guy on eBay when he was selling random wafers very cheaply for charity ($8.50 each). One of the ones I got is the exact same one that you were using in your 1x sharpness test:

https://www.closeuphotography.com/sharp ... pness-test

Here's a very poor mobile phone shot of mine (took it late last night and didn't realize until now how poor it was):

[ChrisR]

I tried a Nikon 100mm f/2.8 series E a way back, I found it very poor as a TL with a couple of objectives.compared with a 105 macro, 100mm (or 105mm) Rodagon,
It's a reasonable "taking" lens so I don't think it's a faullty copy. Perhaps it would have been better with a limiting aperture interposed.

[Macro_Cosmos]

I have two 6" silicon wafers that I picked up from that 'kaijusears' guy on eBay when he was selling random wafers very cheaply for charity ($8.50 each). One of the ones I got is the exact same one that you were using in your 1x sharpness test:

https://www.closeuphotography.com/sharp ... pness-test

Here's a very poor mobile phone shot of mine (took it late last night and didn't realize until now how poor it was):

Kaijusears is a very cool bloke, I got a bunch of photomasks from him, which are incredibly good for testing various aspects of microscope objectives due to the fine detail, flatness, and high quality substrate used.
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=41092
The CA test I did here used one those photomasks.

I have a distortion target arriving soon, on top of various CAs, I also have a reliable way to test for distortion. My custom tube lens has about 3% distortion which is extremely obvious when photographing beyond 5x. Would like to quantify that number.

[Lou Jost]

would actually nice to have identical wafers spread out over forum members so that tests could be done to compare lenses across continents

This really would be an excellent idea. Why don't we act on it? Find one with really fine detail (preferably with those nice resolution test patterns on it) and either buy dupes and sell to others on the forum to recover costs, or cut one into pieces with a glass cutter and send the pieces to others.

Robert, I'd love to split or buy a duplicate wafer with you. Do you have duplicates of one with a fine test pattern? Or could you choose a source for a given known-good type which has multiple copies, so we could all buy one?