Thorlabs Super APO 10x

RobertOToole · Post by **RobertOToole** » Sun Oct 13, 2019 6:05 pm

This is interesting Thorlabs Super apochromat 10x. I knew they had a 2 and 4x but this is new, to me at least. Nice to see them with new scope products.

Its eye catching, at least you won't misplace it easily.

Collar is for coverslip correction down to 0.

The NA beats Mitutoyos HR 10x 0.42 but the Mity has twice the WD, 15. vs 7.7.

Only $7313.

Looked at the specs but like the other Thorlabs objectives the field number is only 22mm, well that would cover M4/3 sensor at least but in my experience Fn numbers are overly optimistic, at least with Nikon.

The installation is unusual, looks like a laser or scanning setup.

More details:

https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cf ... r=TL10X-2P

More specs:

https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9. ... up_id=9895

Scarodactyl · Post by **Scarodactyl** » Sun Oct 13, 2019 6:08 pm

I have wondered who is making these. Qioptiq? If so it isn't in their standard lineup.

RobertOToole · Post by **RobertOToole** » Sun Oct 13, 2019 7:49 pm

Scarodactyl wrote:I have wondered who is making these. Qioptiq? If so it isn't in their standard lineup.

Wondered the same thing but I don't think so, the Qioptiq lenses are made in Germany with a 16 week lead time and the 8x was $16,000 a year ago, this Thorlabs unit is a steal compared

The 1x looks like a Mitutoyo 1x, what do you think?

Mitutoyo?

Scarodactyl · Post by **Scarodactyl** » Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:15 am

I was thinking more their Optem guys than the German side (I guess those are the Linos guys?). I am honestly not sure how communication between the different divisions of a company like this works. Optem of course makes perhaps the best known mitutoyo clones (and OEM for EO, Leica and more), but I don't think anyone would call their nornal lineup superapo. Plus, you would think even if they were making them for thorlabs they would have them as an option for their in-house systems too.
I don't know if mitutoyo ever does unbranded oem work, though it is a bit hard to tell with everyone and their brother making clones of one sort or another.
But there can't be too many manufacturers capable of this, right?

RobertOToole · Post by **RobertOToole** » Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:31 am

Scarodactyl wrote:I was thinking more their Optem guys than the German side (I guess those are the Linos guys?). I am honestly not sure how communication between the different divisions of a company like this works. Optem of course makes perhaps the best known mitutoyo clones (and OEM for EO, Leica and more), but I don't think anyone would call their nornal lineup superapo. Plus, you would think even if they were making them for thorlabs they would have them as an option for their in-house systems too.
I don't know if mitutoyo ever does unbranded oem work, though it is a bit hard to tell with everyone and their brother making clones of one sort or another.
But there can't be too many manufacturers capable of this, right?

Forgot about Optem!

The Japanese manufacturers don't like to draw any attention to themselves. Like Cosina, they just stay under the radar and make nice optics.

Speaking of Optem, owned a 10X HR for about 2 weeks. Field was minuscule, I don't think it would even cover M4/3. That was a cursed lens.

Sold the lens to a Chinese eBay buyer. EBay sent the buyer a refund by mistake. Decided it was my fault even thought my account said different. Then decided I was correct and credited the funds back to me.

Optem 10X HR single frame

Mitutoyo 10x Single frame

Scarodactyl · Post by **Scarodactyl** » Mon Oct 14, 2019 10:43 am

Yup, the HR lens is meant to go on their zoom lenses to project onto tiny sensor cameras, so the wider field of view is only seen when zoomed out and thus significantly stopped down and at relatively low resolution, but the center has to be high resolution to accomodate all that zoom range. Leica uses them on stereos and zoom lenses as well for specific applications. Which is to say its poor performance in this context doesn't necessarily mean they can't so better, just that a lot of corners were cut because they could be in that context.

RobertOToole · Post by **RobertOToole** » Mon Oct 14, 2019 1:54 pm

Scarodactyl wrote:Yup, the HR lens is meant to go on their zoom lenses to project onto tiny sensor cameras, so the wider field of view is only seen when zoomed out and thus significantly stopped down and at relatively low resolution, but the center has to be high resolution to accomodate all that zoom range. Leica uses them on stereos and zoom lenses as well for specific applications. Which is to say its poor performance in this context doesn't necessarily mean they can't so better, just that a lot of corners were cut because they could be in that context.

Yes, right. I owned a Nikon 4x APO 0.40 for a short time. Superb sharp center area but ....

The Optem came with a scope setup so it kinda of landed in my lap. Otherwise I know to stay away now.

Best,

Robert

Macro_Cosmos · Post by **Macro_Cosmos** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 9:02 am

Scarodactyl wrote: I don't know if mitutoyo ever does unbranded oem work, though it is a bit hard to tell with everyone and their brother making clones of one sort or another.

They do. Those stuff are very hard to come by.
https://www.mastergt.com/files/Mitutoyo ... utions.pdf

A friend does claim to have one of their custom lenses, taken from some weird custom measuring thingo. It's giant and threadless. A 5x lens.

Macro_Cosmos · Post by **Macro_Cosmos** » Tue Oct 15, 2019 9:07 am

RobertOToole wrote: Optem 10X HR single frame

I do like this effect, but yeah... it can be so easily replicated in photoshop.

The EO 5x HR is a rebranded optem...
http://coinimaging.com/lens_tests_new.html?