Nikkor 50mm f/2.8N vs Mitutoyo M-Plan APO objective - Best 3X lens?

[@phila8226]

Well done Allan! Covered all the bases.

[@khanscombe619]

Brilliant! I'm impressed. I did grab my (old model) EL Nikkor 50/ f2.8N off enlarger & popped it on the Nikon PB-4 & D300s. All this time I was fiddling w/ different glass from dedicated macro and this one just does it easy & clean as well. I haven't even reversed it yet so I'm g4rabbing that ring to try next.

[@DannyGibsondgpix]

Superb information delivered in an easily understood way - thank you! Ben following you since finding the Stewart Wood interview and been binging my way through. Truly great channel! I'm a macro togger from Northern Ireland

[@zhuanjifarms5050]

Thank you for all of your entertaining nuts and bolts approach. Have learned a lot from you. You're all that and then some ma man!

[@stuartblink]

Really nice comparison. The Mitutoyo is still a dream lens for me at the moment. I took my first image yesterday with the 50mm EL Nikkor N and my ‘new’ PB6 bellows thanks to your help on Patreon.

[@jezmink]

Great face-off Allan I enjoyed your detailed review, you are the Macro Master.😀

[@IanWilkinson]

I've been binge-watching (and thoroughly enjoying) your videos recently, since bumping into your Zerene vs Helicon comparison a couple of weeks ago. This has re-ignited my interest in the genre (sorry, horrible word!) since the demise of Google+ about four years ago, where I used to share a quite a bit of high-ish magnification stuff. My setup was the Canon MP-E 65 attached to a Sony A7R. I'm curious to know whether or not you might have had any experience with that lens and, if so, how its IQ might compare with these two optics

[@SteveKershaw]

Great video, thanks If you wanted to achieve ultimate IQ at 3x of a subject filling the frame, would you consider shooting a pano set at 5x with the Mitutoyo and stitching? this wouldn’t be to have a bigger file to print, this would be to have a sharp image corner to corner

[@kimpilegaard5828]

Thank you for a very interesting comparison of the El-Nikkor 50mm/2,8 and a short focused Mitutoyo 5x. Have you ever tried to mount the El-Nikkor on a relay lens? E.g. using a 200mm relay lens would result in 4x magnification. Often a relay lens improves the optical quality. I do not know whether the El-Nikkor should be reversed or not in this case, but it might be worth a try.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Hi KIm, you are the second person this week to make that suggestion. I have never done that and to be honest, I am not sure how it would work. it seems that the stacking of these lenses would create a lot of distortion and a variety of aberrations - but I may be all wrong about that - I have a bunch of diopters and other 200mm options and I will give it a try this week. I will mention your comment at the livestream tonight - you may be on to something!

[@ChesoLari]

Complimenti, mi piacerebbe vedere la comparazione tra mitutoyo e laowa 25, magari sia a un RR 3 che 5, speriamo ci possa essere

[@martyzielinski1442]

You seem to be neglecting a minor but important subtlety here, Allan. Unless I’m mistaken, the Nikkor 50mm enlarger lens is optimized for a 10:1 magnification ratio. The ideal print size therefore, would be a 10x15 inch print from 35mm negative. Nearly all 50mm enlarger lenses are likely to be similarly corrected. (I recall 80mm lenses are 8:1, 105 being 6:1, and certain longer focal lengths dropping to 5:1 or 4:1. But don’t quote me). As such, your comparison here is using the Nikkor at a considerably longer working distance than would be optimal.......

[@gerardurbatus2014]

Bravo Allan ! very interesting and educativ .The big difference is the price under Mitutoyo and Nikkor N !

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Yes - there is and it is something I really should have mentioned (forehead slap!) - I will add something to the video description to that effect - thanks! Allan

[@ozgemmo3445]

Allan what was the benefit of using the Raynox forward-facing instead of reverse-facing in this experiment; I don't believe you mentioned why? Cheers

[@oscarlopez2052]

Mr allan can you recomend a enlarger lens to scann 35mm negatives with bellows and a dslr thanks for your help

[@AchimTheEagle]

It's always a good idea to make a few test shots with different apertures before taking the full stack. ^^

[@abittwisted]

What is your opinion of the Spiratone 75mm Flat Field Macro f3.5? Im awaiting adapters for my Sony.

[@SomeonewithaSony]

Robert O’Toole says not to leave any infinity space between the objective and Raynox - to reduce aberrations etc, when short focusing at 124mm. Maybe that’s why some of the results were not stellar in the corners?

[@SomeonewithaSony]

How would these compare to the Mitutoyo short-focused with the DCR-150 but at 144mm? Now I’m also curious how these both compare to the Laowa 25mm at 3x….hmmmm

[@scotimages]

I bought the Nikkor halfway through watching. Thanks. Had been considering the Mitotoyo or a Chinese clone.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

You will love that lens!

[@ozgemmo3445]

Allan, a brilliant and extremely useful comparison! Firstly, could I please, respectfully, ask you to consider stopping all music (even your reduced volume background music) once you actually commence speaking in your videos? I, and I am certain all your viewers, simply hang on your every word and, for me, I find all music distracting in the extreme while you talk and as a consequence lose track of what you are saying? No doubt this simply reflects my age and declining hearing acuity! Nevertheless, I tremendously appreciate all your videos and want to hear your every word! Now, moving on, I have a question which your viewers may also find relevant for some of them: I am at the cross-roads in deciding which Mitutoyo to purchase; the 5X or 10X and presuming I will eventually purchase one of these Mitutoyo's? In Aussie $'s the 5X is approx, $1,300 and 10X $1700 (at today's rates which either one, is a huge outlay for me) and from our previous discussion regarding my interest in photographing crystal inclusions in transparent gems using microscope objectives (which at this stage, I have no experience using), think the 10X might be a tad too powerful a magnification, although a great many useful inclusions are

[@victormultanen1981]

maybe the difference here is the 50 mm lens may cover full frame camera sensor.

[@grussell4194]

You’ve been feeding the bear beer a gain I see.