Schneider Componon-S 135mm vs Raynox DCR-250 Tube Lens Test

[RobertOToole]

This is a follow up to the 135mm enlarging lens test posted earlier this week: https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=41183

This time I am testing the Schneider Componon-S 5.6/135, the best lens in that test, against the Raynox DCR-250.

The full test on my site:

https://www.closeuphotography.com/135-c ... ox-dcr-250

QUICK SPECS
SCHNEIDER COMPONON-S 135MM F/5.6 LENS
Focal length: 135mm
Optical Design: 6 element / 4 group Plasmat-type lens
Filter threads: M49 x 0.75
Lens mount: M50 x 0.75

RAYNOX DCR-250 +8 125MM LENS
Also sold labeled as:
Raynox DCR-250 2.5x Super Macro Lens
RAYNOX MACROSCOPIC LENS MODEL M-250
Raynox 35mm MacroExplorer Model CM-2000 2.5X lens

Strength: +8 diopter
Focal length: 125mm
Optical Design: 3 element / 2 group, Hi-index, multi-coated optical glass element, triplet-type lens
Filter threads: 49mm x 0.75
Lens mount: 43mm x 0.75


3.5X TEST SET-UP

Camera: Sony α6300, model # ILCE-6300, also known as: A6300
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, 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. All of the images shown here are single files.

3.5X TEST SETUP: RAYNOX DCR-250 VS SCHNEIDER COMPONON-S 5.6/135

Front lens setup: Schneider Kreuznach Componon 35mm f/2.8 reverse mount wide open at f/2.8
Effective aperture at 3.5x: f/9.8


Raynox DCR-250 setup for best image quality

Reverse mount

Infinity focus

50mm extension between front and rear lens

Wide open

Notes: When using the Raynox DCR-250 as a tube lens, image quality in the center and corners definitely improves when used in reverse. Corner sharpness improves by adding 50mm between the rear lens and the Raynox. Note that when using the Raynox in reverse, image quality improves, but field curvature also increases.

Componon-S 5.6/135 setup for best image quality

Normal mount

Short focus, past infinity

Minimum distance between front and rear lens

Stopped down one stop to f/8

Image quality was slightly better in the corners with short focus, that is past infinity. Image quality suffers with any type of distance between front and rear lenses. Image quality improves by stopping down the lens to f/8, corner shading is noticeable at f/9 and beyond.

Crop Areas Highlighted



100% CENTER CROPS: RAYNOX VS COMPONON-S



100% OFF-CENTER CROPS: RAYNOX VS COMPONON-S



100% CORNER CROPS: RAYNOX VS COMPONON-S



Test Results

The performance of the Componon-S next to the Raynox was excellent, the results surprised me, I did not think the Schneider would do this well against the DCR-250.

I spent a lot of time on this test trying different setups, maybe a dozen at least, so check the notes above for the details. There is no way I'm going to post samples from each setup, there are too many, so check the notes or let me know if you have any questions about the setups.

The main difference was field curvature introduced when reversing the Raynox. Forward was not as bad but the corners were much weaker. Also the Componon-S had more contrast overall.

The Componon-S 5.6/135 is an excellent tube lens, and is very reasonably priced and easy to find on the used market, I would not hesitate to recommend this lens.

Questions or comments? Post them below.

All the best,

Robert

[RobertOToole]

Added a 2500 pixel sample to the test page.


Click on the thumbnail image below to open a larger image in a new window. Also you can right or two finger click and select open in new tab or window or you can always save as and view the image with another app.





Componon-S 5.6/135 + Componon 2.8/35 at f/2.8 for 3.85x.


-Normal mount
-f/8 aperture for the rear lens
-f/2.8 aperture setting for the front lens
-Minimal distance between lenses
-Short focus


Clean, sharp and consistent edge to edge!

[EricRed]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I've been experimenting with stacked lenses. I make ever effort to focus the tube lens as sharply as possible on a distant object, at infinity. When you say "short focus, that is past infinity", I take it you mean focus to infinity and then bring the lens in toward the camera a small amount.

Do you have any guidelines on how much to defocus? Just the smallest amount? Until things get pretty soft? I haven't read much about this technique other than briefly in a recent post that I can no longer find.

Eric

[JKT]

I presume the softness in the lower left corner of Raynox corner crop is due to field curvature? In that corner I don't see how it could be anything else.

[RobertOToole]

Hi Eric,

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I've been experimenting with stacked lenses. I make ever effort to focus the tube lens as sharply as possible on a distant object, at infinity. When you say "short focus, that is past infinity", I take it you mean focus to infinity and then bring the lens in toward the camera a small amount.

Yes, I do the same when I am shooting with a new tube lens, I set it up for sharp focus at infinity

Some lenses, and the Componon-S in this test, worked slightly better past infinity, short, or less extension than needed for infinity.

In 2018 I ran a huge tube lens test and spent something like 5 hours testing a big pile of lenses. I started out by shooting each lens at infinity, past infinity, 100 feet, 25 feet. Quickly looking at the results, the beyond setting seemed to generally lead to good results, the rest had almost no effect. I ended up have to start the test over the next day since I lost my test notes, so the final test you can see here, I tested at infinity and short or beyond infinity:

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

Do you have any guidelines on how much to defocus? Just the smallest amount? Until things get pretty soft? I haven't read much about this technique other than briefly in a recent post that I can no longer find.

Eric

Yes, with my variable tube I give it a couple of turns. In my experience the corners go soft if you turn the extension down too much. For the Componon-S in this test it was about 3mm, which is quite a bit, more than 5-10 turns on my studio setup.

Best,

Robert

[RobertOToole]

I presume the softness in the lower left corner of Raynox corner crop is due to field curvature? In that corner I don't see how it could be anything else.

Yes, true, the Raynox in reverse setup had a narrow band of depth of field compared to the Componon-S. Kind of a bummer unless you are shooting something curved like a potato chip

[Miljenko]

Very useful comparison, Robert as always. Thank you for that!
And smashing cover photo Who is your designer?
Best regards,
Miljenko

[RobertOToole]

Very useful comparison, Robert as always. Thank you for that!
And smashing cover photo Who is your designer?
Best regards,
Miljenko

Do you really like it?


I must be doing something right, that was my favorite version out of about 5 designs I tried.


The funny part? I have something like $50K in nice optics and I use, and love, my little Canon S110 point&shoot, its 12MP and perfect for web photos!


Click on the 2500 px sample, if you haven't already, nice and clean, w/super details at f/2.8!


Best,

Robert

[Oscar_macro]

Thank you for all these tests and share them, they are a great help!

[RobertOToole]

Thank you for all these tests and share them, they are a great help!

Glad you find these helpful, and thanks for taking time to comment.

Robert

[Bakwetu]

Thanks for the test, they look quite similar in performance, except for that field curvature in the edges. Would that clear up with stacking?

[RobertOToole]

Thanks for the test, they look quite similar in performance, except for that field curvature in the edges. Would that clear up with stacking?

Yes it would, the Raynox was more curved as it moved away from the center. I believe it took something like 50% more frames than the Componon, 100 vs 50 maybe...at the same steps (2 or 4 microns).

Best,

Robert

[Bakwetu]

ah yes, that is something I haven't thougth about. The amount of extra work and time because of larger stacks is worth considering.