shared reference silicon wafer for comparisons

[Lou Jost]

Still worth it. And if someone can bring a bunch into the US when travelling, the price goes down a lot.

[chris_ma]

Still worth it. And if someone can bring a bunch into the US when travelling, the price goes down a lot.

True.
I‘ll check with my friend, should be no problem since he‘s also into photography and even experimented with macro stacks a while back.
I‘ll see how many I can order at the time.

[Bakwetu]

I just bought one for being sent to Sweden, shipping cost was 4 euro for me, so there is a big difference depending on where it is shipped.

[Lou Jost]

Chris, which version is the one in the photos by Adalbert above?

[lothman]

problem is that german post doesn't allow items to be shipped as letters anymore, only parcels.

depending on padding on the packaging untracked parcel shipping cost is 5-9EUR to the EU and 9-16EUR to the rest of the world.

tracked it's 14EUR to the EU, 37EUR to the USA and 46EUR to the rest of the world.

"Warensendung international" is the solution Deutsch Post offers, but then you have to register at Deutsche Post. It is about 6,70.-€ to USA tracked with signature from the buyer when receiving. In case of loosing the shipment you can get back up to 20.-€. So for such small/cheap item even the seller is covered.

This is the service I use to ship my Nikon Labophot fine focus gears worldwide since years now. So I would say for a Forum-member envelop, handling and shipping cost is around 10€. If needed I could do/help on shipping.
regards
Lothar

[chris_ma]

Good info about the shipping, thanks lothar.

Chris, which version is the one in the photos by Adalbert above?

I ordered this one:
https://www.bw-optik.de/restposten/test ... tpraeparat

The second pic seem to show the same chip as Adalbert. Will verify once it arrives.

[Lou Jost]

Yes, that does look like his.

[Macro_Cosmos]

I believe I've found an almost ideal silicon chip, it's not too colourful, features fine detail of various sizes, and I should be able to get a bunch more.

What's better, there's grids, dots, and lines of fine detail. It should work all the way down to 20x or perhaps even 50x. There's many small patches that my 10x Mit can't handle.

4 or 9 of these chips can be placed together to form a larger target. I've been increasingly salty and annoyed at another chip that just doesn't want to be stitched into a panorama, should have given up 2 days ago, oh well.

I'll provide the panorama tomorrow morning or so, should be able to put it out.

If it turns out to be a winner, I'll order a bunch more and whoever's interested can have some. I'll send it via Australia Post in an envelope, should cost $5 or so.

If not, I will keep searching I guess. I've been reading posts on that Germany site, seems like getting the chip would be a pain for anyone outside of Europe. Taking some to America would work, but I am somewhat paranoid. I don't think it's a good reason to bring a bunch of silicon chips out of a country, as it could be a sensitive matter. That said, I doubt the customs people know anything and have a copy of the webpage saved on the phone just in case it raises eyebrows.

[Macro_Cosmos]

Here it is:

Full resolution: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/495 ... e99c_o.jpg

Shooting info: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcmicrosc ... otostream/

There's a ton of information everywhere. Lighting wasn't perfect as highlights were unfortunately blown out.

Starting top left:
1. There's some numbers on the top left.
2. Going down pass that patch of 弓-like pattern, a patch containing lots of fine detail, some of which are pixel level. The purple/magenta patches have lines
3. Going down further, grids and lines of fine detail. Purple/magenta patches have lines that the lens was just barely able to resolve
4. Each major patch contains a lot of pixel-level information that cannot be seen at 50%
5. Blank space has lines, distortion can be tested that way
6. There's mesh-like patters and lines at 45deg
7. Bonding patches can be used to test CA and LoCA, the snaking patterns work too

Cons would be it's still kind of too colourful.

Either way, fascinating chip. Far better than this:


Spent several days trying to get the panorama work, failed. Got annoyed and stacked 2 low-Mag (Schneider Xenon-Sapphire at 4x) shots, called it a day. Photoshop hates the lack of detail in the middle, refuses to align. I'm not going to manually stitch it, due to lighting, there's vastly different zones of subtle colour shift, I'm not dealing with that.

[jfiresto]

... "Warensendung international" is the solution Deutsch Post offers, but then you have to register at Deutsche Post. It is about 6,70.-€ to USA tracked with signature from the buyer when receiving. In case of loosing the shipment you can get back up to 20.-€. So for such small/cheap item even the seller is covered....

You can also fully insure Warensendung International packages up to at least 500 euros, but you have to add the insurance for a nominal fee when you mail the package at a post office or postal agent. Not all realize you can add it, or at first, how to.

[chris_ma]

... "Warensendung international" is the solution Deutsch Post offers, but then you have to register at Deutsche Post. It is about 6,70.-€ to USA tracked with signature from the buyer when receiving. In case of loosing the shipment you can get back up to 20.-€. So for such small/cheap item even the seller is covered....

You can also fully insure Warensendung International packages up to at least 500 euros, but you have to add the insurance for a nominal fee when you mail the package at a post office or postal agent. Not all realize you can add it, or at first, how to.

checked out warensendung, but one would have to register and send at least 20 packages per year, so for me not running any business probably not cost effective in the end.
but uninsured normal parcels are not that costly either, and as mentioned I'll see if my friend can take some over to the US.

[lothman]

checked out warensendung, but one would have to register and send at least 20 packages per year, so for me not running any business probably not cost effective in the end.
but uninsured normal parcels are not that costly either, and as mentioned I'll see if my friend can take some over to the US.

I have that account and could do the shipping. Chris did you get a quote for the reference chips from BW Optik in larger quantity?

@forum members: who would be interested? I think chip + shipping could be done for 30$.

it is this model:
https://www.bw-optik.de/restposten/test ... tpraeparat

Edit - Good News:
I just emailed BW-Optik for larger quantity and they found out my phone number and called me back. So there are 20 Chips available which they would sell to me for less than 10€. So Chip with shipping could be done for 20$ for forum mebers if we are enough - otherwise price is slightly higher.

Edit 2 - List of interested members:
1x Angal
3x Macro_Cosmos
1x JoeD
1x Dolmadis
2x dmillard
2x JohnDownie

[Macro_Cosmos]

I'll have one too, Sydney, Australia.
Let me ask some friends as well. Maybe I'll take 2 or 3 copies and bring to China next year for them, if you're ok with it.

[joeD]

checked out warensendung, but one would have to register and send at least 20 packages per year, so for me not running any business probably not cost effective in the end.
but uninsured normal parcels are not that costly either, and as mentioned I'll see if my friend can take some over to the US.

I have that account and could do the shipping. Chris did you get a quote for the reference chips from BW Optik in larger quantity?

@forum members: who would be interested? I think chip + shipping could be done for 30$.

it is this model:
https://www.bw-optik.de/restposten/test ... tpraeparat

Edit - Good News:
I just emailed BW-Optik for larger quantity and they found out my phone number and called me back. So there are 20 Chips available which they would sell to me for less than 10€. So Chip with shipping could be done for 20$ for forum mebers if we are enough - otherwise price is slightly higher.

Edit 2 - List of interested members:
1x for Swizerland

Hi, i would like to get one please,
thank you

[dolmadis]

So Chip with shipping could be done for 20$ for forum mebers if we are enough - otherwise price is slightly higher.

I would be happy with USD 20 all in. One please.

BR

John