Infinity objective on low-end zoom telephoto works fine

[Craig Gerard]

a more powerful flash may be in order

Yes, "Let there be Light!"

[Pau]

A Zoom objective have more lenses and groups than a prime, so is it an advantage or disadvantage with more or less of lenses and groups in the objective?

I think it's about the same with modern zooms. With zooms and other tele lenses the problem may be vignetting when you use them at focal length much shorter than the expected one to have less magnification

Had anyone done a test with a polarizing filter between the microscopic lense and the camera sensor?

The pol filter MUST be behind the objective. If you put it between the objective and the subject you are going to introduce spherical aberration, apart of loss you useful working distance. With infinites the ideal place is between the objective and the tube lens, in the "infinite space"
see here:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 21&start=0

[conkar]

Thank you all for your answers!

Nice setup Pau.

I'm planning to have my own macro-studio setup finished to the summer.

Just now I'm in the middle of testing lenses/objectives, stages, adapters and lightning.

For close-ups and 1:1 I will use the Canon EF 100mm f/2,8L Macro IS USM and for 1:1 to 5:1 the Canon MP-E 65 will do good.

At 10:1 a finite objective with extentions or bellows will serve it's purpose.

Right now I have an empty space between 5:1 and 10:1. I might tweak the MP-E 65 to do 7:1 - 7,5:1 with TC and extentions to hit that range.

I'm intrested to find good ways to hit that range beween 5:1 and 10:1.

A problem is the working distance to the subject, but I found a infinity correction relay lens that gives 33,5mm WD that I hope I can get good results with.

I plan to do a study on ticks in the upcoming summer and thats why I'm intresting in the range between 5:1 and 10:1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick


I like to thank all the admins/mods and members that contributes with pictures and interesting facts and information to this forum.

Thanks for your efforts!

Regards

/Conny

[ChrisLilley]

At 10:1 a finite objective with extentions or bellows will serve it's purpose.

Right now I have an empty space between 5:1 and 10:1. I might tweak the MP-E 65 to do 7:1 - 7,5:1 with TC and extentions to hit that range.

I'm intrested to find good ways to hit that range beween 5:1 and 10:1.

If you used the Nikon CFI60 Plan 10X/0.25 on a 200mm lens to get 10x, you could use it on a 150mm lens to get 7x.

[Simon W]

Hi, forgive me for a real ignorant question...If the CFI infinity objective is meant to be focussed @ infinity via the zoom, how do we change focus, eg for focus stacking?! I assume that this is just a technical term, we do actually change focus very slightly? Or have to move the target?

Finally, at say 10X/200mm, how sensitive is an average focus mechanism, would I need a focus rack like I've read Charles K. mention re. bellows, or can I get away with a careful hand and lots of patience?!

Thanks

Simon

[rjlittlefield]

Hi, forgive me for a real ignorant question...If the CFI infinity objective is meant to be focussed @ infinity via the zoom, how do we change focus, eg for focus stacking?! I assume that this is just a technical term, we do actually change focus very slightly? Or have to move the target?

Change the subject-to-lens distance, by moving either the subject or the camera+lens. It's like turning the focus knob on a microscope.

Finally, at say 10X/200mm, how sensitive is an average focus mechanism, would I need a focus rack like I've read Charles K. mention re. bellows, or can I get away with a careful hand and lots of patience?!

10X usually needs a focus step down around 10-15 microns (0.010-0.015 mm, about 0.0005 inch). This is very difficult to do by hand -- you really need something like a screw-driven rail or table, or a microscope focus block.

For much more discussion of focusing mechanisms, see FAQ: What's the best way to focus when stacking?.

You may also be interested in FAQ: How can I hook a microscope objective to my camera?

--Rik

[johan]

ChrisR

What was your 135mm lens?

I have been thinking of buying one of those 135mm f/3.5 zeiss jena's for my mitutoyo's.

Hello,

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but I happened to be reading this thread yesterday and saw this snippet. Since I already have one of those 135mm f/3.5 zeiss jenas, I did a quick testshot with it this morning with a Nikon Plan 10x/0.25 ∞ in case it might help someone.

Link to moth eye unsharpened, 112 frames, 5μ steps - http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7081/6904 ... 770c_o.jpg

Link to moth eye highly sharpened, 112 frames, 5μ steps - http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5272/6904 ... 0198_o.jpg

Note there was a fully compressed bellows between jena and cam, ie about 3cm of extra tube

[ChrisR]

Looks ...hmmm.

one of those 135mm f/3.5 zeiss jenas,.., about 3cm of extra tube

So it's focused at 74cm.
My fallible memory is that when I tried that with similar hardware, the image went off a bit.
I imagine you're using the bellows because it's easier to mount the thing? I have that too!
If you look close at the sharpened one by the way, the "noise" is lots of little jpeg compression squares

[johan]

Yeah the 'noise' is hideous! Sorry I don't understand the logic behind the 74cm figure, how is that obtained?

I used the bellows because I in other tests I wanted to see what it would look like with some extra bellows length. Thankfully I do have an M42 <-> K adapter! I'm pretty sure I have a spare moth in a freezer somewhere so I'll do a non bellows one over the w/e and see what the scales come out like.

[ChrisR]

135mm lens extended 3cm will focus near 74cm, ie definitely not at infinity. So the rays from the objective will have to diverge instead of being parallel.

[Waltermarkfish]

Hi please help
I bought a canon Eos 5d mii body and bought an adaptor to fit existing 70-300mm Nikon zoom lens and nikon objective 10x
I know I should buy a canon zoom lens but run out of cash
Is what I am doing very very wrong
Should I just wait till I have cash then buy a canon zoom
I doing macro photography
Starting out
Not started the new camera with the Nikon lens yet
I await your advice
Regards
Walter Mark

[ChrisR]

Any zoom we've tried that I can remember, vignettes (cuts the corners off, not just darkening) at other than the long end, even on DX/APS. So on a full frame camera you'd have to be lucky to avoid it. You might get away with it at the long end, giving you 15x, depending on...
Which Nikon 10x objective do you have? There are many different ones.

[Pau]

Waltermarkfish, what is the problem?

For use as tube lens you don't need an original Canon lens, just any adequate lens that can be fitted to the camera. Of course not all lenses work equally well as tube lenses and a 70-300 on full frame may be (or not) problematic about vignetting. But because you have the equipment, test it. I think it will work at 200mm or over.

[Waltermarkfish]

Hi Pau
I bought a canon eos body
I have a 70-300 zoom lens
I wish to connect the two
I bought an adaptor to connect nikon 70-300mm zoom to the canon body
The adaptor fits both
Here is the problem
I am afraid to start the camera -it's brand new
Canon said if the mirror gets damaged by the adaptor and zoom lens it will invalidate my guarantee
So bit afraid to connect the two
Have you any advice
Walter

[Pau]

Because I haven't this camera nor lens, I can't say it for sure, but because the Nikon has longer flange distance than Canon I think it would not be problematic if the lens does not protrude inside the adapter end.