20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

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ray_parkhurst
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20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by ray_parkhurst »

I had another thread on this but could not find it, so will start a fresh one.

I tried using a 50x Mitty BD for my stylus imaging but the mag was too high, and coverage at reduced mag was insufficient. Plus the IQ was surprisingly similar to the 40x ELWD Nikon, though with improved CA. Overall I'm finding that I don't want to go much beyond 20x for this work, and reverted to the 20x MM objective. The 20x BD ELWD Nikon has worse CA than the MM. My question is if the Oly 20x BD has better CA than the Nikons. I see a few for sale right now, but don't want to spend the $ if it isn't going to give me an advantage over the Nikon BD and MM objectives. Does anyone have experience to compare? Thanks...Ray

Scarodactyl
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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by Scarodactyl »

I haven't used one for a while, but as I recall with the correct tube lens and eyepiece corrections thr neosplans perform much like fluorites. Without the correcting optics they're not going to be amazing.
Feeling like a mitty 20x is too expensive for the project?

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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by ray_parkhurst »

Scarodactyl wrote:
Thu Sep 01, 2022 2:41 pm
I haven't used one for a while, but as I recall with the correct tube lens and eyepiece corrections thr neosplans perform much like fluorites. Without the correcting optics they're not going to be amazing.
Feeling like a mitty 20x is too expensive for the project?
Well, there would be no correcting optics unless I could do all the correction in the tube lens, which seems unlikely. So I guess the Oly 20x is out.

The Mitty 20x is not ruled out, but I was hopeful for the Oly.

Scarodactyl
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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by Scarodactyl »

Yeah, the tube lens does something (enough to ruin mitty corners on aps-c with some sort of distortion) but the majority of CA correction is in the eyepieces.
Olympus's eyepiece corrections are the weakest od their era but still enough to be steictly needed imo. Recently tried an olympus 2x fluorite on my bh2 with non-compensating pieces and olympus whk eyepieces, and without the olympus eyepieces the image was dire. The newer infinity objectives of course don't need compensations but they're awfully popular and expensive.
Is your nikon elwd finite or one of the CF Plan infinity ones?
In the end though the mitutoyo 20x is hard to beat. You can always try something like a lu plan fluor or an nir plan apo or something or other but it eon't probably be cheaper.

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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by ray_parkhurst »

Scarodactyl wrote:
Thu Sep 01, 2022 4:42 pm
Is your nikon elwd finite or one of the CF Plan infinity ones?
In the end though the mitutoyo 20x is hard to beat. You can always try something like a lu plan fluor or an nir plan apo or something or other but it eon't probably be cheaper.
The Nikon 20x ELWD BD is finite. I have so far preferred finites, which is why I use the MM objectives rather than my 5x and 10x Mitties. I will probably never make the switch to infinites on my main system, but since I built a second system specifically for higher power work, I could potentially go infinite, especially since I'm using the HRT2i with it.

Edited to add: the 20x Oly was a no-brainer regarding lighting. Since the WD is so short, the only option was the Neo/BD version to get correct lighting angles. The same is true for the 50x Mitty, as it turns out that the WD is quite reasonable, yet the BD illumination diameter is in a good range to give proper angles for illuminating the stylus wear patches. Thinking about the 20x Mitty, with 20mm WD, I need to decide if the BD would even work, or if the illumination diameter is too small and thus gives too high-angle light. Ideally I'd like to ensure minimum direct reflection from the flat wear patches hitting the lens. Assuming the BD and normal lenses have the same lens mechanics, then the nose is 29mm diameter. With 20mm WD, this gives ~36deg from vertical for the highest-angle lighting on the BD version. Might be OK.

Question...do the 20x have same reputation as 10x as being difficult to find used in good condition? I see some used 20x, including BD, and am wondering if it's worth trying one or do I need to buy new?
Last edited by ray_parkhurst on Thu Sep 01, 2022 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Scarodactyl
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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by Scarodactyl »

Just wondering if the infinity CF ones might be a bit better performers since they're a later design, and even still sold today. But I have only really tried the 50x cf apo which is very nice but no good for this application.

Scarodactyl
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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by Scarodactyl »

Missed the edit. I think I've bought three used 20xes at this point, all at lower than typical prices of course and all three were good at least on aps-c. Your luck may vary though, I've only gotten a few duds.

Pau
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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by Pau »

The 20X I use for macro is the Oly LMPlanFl 20/0.40 UIS (modern infinite for no cover glass, 12mm WD) With a 200mm tube lens it works very well on APSC. I don't think that it would cover FF nor match the performance of the Mitty but if you can find it at a reasonable price like I did I think that it is a serious option.
Pau

ray_parkhurst
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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by ray_parkhurst »

Pau wrote:
Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:49 am
The 20X I use for macro is the Oly LMPlanFl 20/0.40 UIS (modern infinite for no cover glass, 12mm WD) With a 200mm tube lens it works very well on APSC. I don't think that it would cover FF nor match the performance of the Mitty but if you can find it at a reasonable price like I did I think that it is a serious option.
Interesting. The "ULWD" 20x is only 11mm WD. 12mm is great for my purposes. Do/did they make a Neo/BD version?

Pau
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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by Pau »

Do/did they make a Neo/BD version?
Sure, take a look at:
http://www.foromacrosmuymacros.com/viewtopic.php?t=858
Pau

ray_parkhurst
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Re: 20x NeoSPlan ULWD objective quality

Post by ray_parkhurst »

So now the question is if I should go for the Oly or the Mitty.

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