WANTED: Nikon CFI Plan Apo Lambda 4x/0.20 WD 20 New or Used

Interested in used equipment to buy, sell, or trade? Post here to find other members with matching needs. Personal equipment only, no dealers please.

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Lou Jost
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WANTED: Nikon CFI Plan Apo Lambda 4x/0.20 WD 20 New or Used

Post by Lou Jost »

I've been repeatedly striking out on high-NA 4x objectives both here and on eBay, but my clock is running down. I will visit the US briefly Oct 31 and I need to take that opportunity to get a high-NA 4x apo lens to bring back to Ecuador. Anybody have one they want to sell? A VC objective with the same parameters would also work.

Alternatively, anybody know where I can buy a new one? I can't find a Nikon dealer online that sells this series.

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Lou, this may be a silly suggestion, but given your fondness for small sensors, have you considered pushing a Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 10X NA 0.28 down to 5X on a 100 mm tube lens, or even to 4X with an 80 mm tube lens?

--Rik

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Rik, you know me well. I already do that. Now I need to go lower, hence the need for the 4x.

Perhaps an alternative to the 4x is a 5x Mitu plus a Metabones Speedbooster to increase the NA. High NA is important because I want to use the Oly hi-res mode, and this is only useful if diffraction can be kept at bay....

mtuell
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Post by mtuell »

While it isn't in my budget :x , Edmund has the 4x/0.20 CFI Super Fluor new.

http://www.edmundoptics.com/microscopy/ ... ives/3663/

Good luck!
Mike

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Thanks, but that's not in my budget either. Also the less expensive Plan Apo should be better for my purposes: better lens coating, longer working distance and better color correction.

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Does anyone know why it is so hard to find new Nikon objectives for sale?

I can understand the rarity of used ones, but what's the sense of making and advertising objectives if they don't sell them anywhere?

dmillard
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Post by dmillard »

PM sent.

mtuell
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Post by mtuell »

I'm not totally sure. Certain lines are available from 3rd party distributors, like Edmund. (By the way, if NA 0.13 is high enough, there is a much cheaper Plan Fluor there.)

That said, it looks like you would order directly from Nikon for other products.

https://www.nikoninstruments.com/Where-to-Buy

For objectives, in the US or Ecuador, it is from their Melville, NY address. nikoninstruments@nikon.net is one way to contact them.

Mike

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Mike, thanks very much for that address. That will be very helpful.

The hi-res mode on the Oly is 80Mp on a tiny sensor, so the NA should be higher than 0.13 in order to make use of that mode. Even 0.20 is on the low side, but apart from the Nikon AZ 4x I don't think there are any low-m objectives with larger NA.

Thanks again,
Lou

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Post by rjlittlefield »

Perhaps an alternative to the 4x is a 5x Mitu plus a Metabones Speedbooster to increase the NA.
I don't understand what you're trying to say.

Whenever an infinity objective is used with a tube lens focused at infinity, and without an added aperture, the subject-side NA will be just what's written on the objective. Then the camera-side NA is related to that simply by the actual magnification.

Despite its fancy name, the Metabones Speedbooster is really just an image reducer, same as a teleconverter is just an image expander. Aside from different aberrations, it would have exactly the same effect as using a shorter tube lens.

What actual magnification are you going for -- that is, what size field to fill your sensor?

--Rik

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Mike, if you are interested in that Super Fluor, there is one for sale on eBay right now for $599:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-CFI-S-Flu ... 1604138421

I prefer an apo corrected version though this S Fluor sounds very nice.

mtuell
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Post by mtuell »

Doh!

If only I hadn't bought that 5x BD Plan today, I'd only be $500 short, instead of $599! :lol:

Besides, I've got an infinity corrected 4x E Plan. It has an NA of 0.1, which is half as good, right??? :cry:

Mike

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Rik, yes, I see that now. If the objective won't cover the frame at, say 3x with a short tube lens, then it won't do it with a Speedbooster either.

dy5
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Post by dy5 »

A new Plan Apo Lambda 4x just appeared on eBay, if you're still interested.
David

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Dy5, thanks very much for this news. A few days ago I bought an older non-Lambda version from a forum member, since I thought it was unlikely that a Lambda version would appear quickly.

Though the Lambda version could be better, I'm glad to get a known-good copy of an older version rather than playing the lottery with an unknown seller for the new version.

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