NikonGear'23

Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: Macro_Cosmos on August 24, 2019, 10:08:35

Title: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Macro_Cosmos on August 24, 2019, 10:08:35
I acquired this lens earlier in the year, finally got around to subjects where I really needed it!

I briefly tested this lens at both 0.5x and 2x. At 0.5x, it does cover full frame, offering great results. At 2x (reversed), it's the best I've ever seen. Contrary to the datasheets, with 0.5x, the lens does cover fullframe and I can't see much loss of resolution in the corners.

Mounting this lens is pretty simple. I use a M45x0.75 int M52x0.75 ext adapter then the M52x0.75 int to Thorlabs SM2 adapter, using enough extension to reach 2x and 0.5x, then taking note of the amount of extension required respectively.

Mounting filters is tricky, the threads are both external ones which filters also are. I've ordered a custom adapter to turn the M45 external threads into M52x0.75 internal ones, this way I can mount polarisers and bandpass filters if needed. Having the lens reversed makes things even more annoying, maybe I'll get an M45 extension tubes made.

Here's the results:

Papaya seeds:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48564549791_bff0d26598_h.jpg)

Grape Chalcedony:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47972315038_11b84e7c10_h.jpg)

Sand from Coalcliff Beach, NSW:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48593594492_aac8060350_h.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48605436242_c13a73fa99_h.jpg)

Going to get more exposures done later tonight. The Papaya seeds and sand were taken using the method of cross polarisation, you can see absolutely no loss of sharpness and resolution, which is expected from an sApo lens from the PN line. Images are created using my studio setup, light source is polarised, with VIS pass lens installed. This is becoming my favourite lens, as the 0.5x configuration is useful for subjects such as sand as well.

Other stuff:
Nikon D810, Hoya Fusion Antistatic CP-L, Stackshot rail.
Lens at f3.5 where 0% vignetting is realised.
More information here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcmicroscopy/albums/72157701743160252 and https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcmicroscopy/albums/72157710385462947

Thanks!
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Seapy on August 24, 2019, 12:17:55
Amazing, this sort of subject fascinates me, thank you for posting and for the the Flicker links.

I have the Laowa 25mm f/2.8, 2.5x - 5x lens on my wanted list, I tried it at UK Digital, the day after I bought my D800, I was stunned by the power of the lens.  I took hand held, a photograph of the tip of a ball point pen and could see the reflections of the shop interior in the tiny 0.7mm ball!

Please can you tell me the stacking increments or the total depth of the stack in the coloured sand shots, I think you quoted 121/124 shots for the sand.  I am trying to grasp the scale and dimensions of the images.  I am planning to make my own stacking rail, I have many ideas but no experience of micro stacking.  I am thinking hydraulics, I was going to make electronics and stepper motor rail like stackshot but it all seems very flimsy, I would rather something solid and heavy like a big hydraulic ram and a tiny metering pump of some sort to provide the motivation.

Edited for clarity
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Birna Rørslett on August 24, 2019, 12:34:15
Amazing optical quality and impeccably executed stacking, I'd say. Just a personal wish one could have a broader magnification range than just 0.5 and 2X.

Agree with Robert (seapy) that the Stackshot rail, although superficially robust, lacks sophistication and is in some respects "flimsy". The latter in particular applies to the camera platform and the awkward manner in which a camera mounts onto it. There are also play and unfortunate lateral movement in the rail during its operation.

The Laowa 25/2.8 (2.5-5X) is certainly not an APO design yet factoring in its low price and very decent optical quality, a bargain if one requires this magnification range.
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Seapy on August 24, 2019, 14:21:54
Birna, thank you for your valued comments, my opinion wasn't based on experience of using the stacking device but on my impression of it's apparently minimalistic construction.

The magnification involved with these lenses is so great we are moving into a different realm from the normal definition of rigid.  This calls for mass and solid construction.  I just need to understand what scale of movement is required to achieve optimum stacking increment distance.  I have looked at charts but this is real world, charts are just numbers and convey very little beyond raw data.

I have a hydraulic puller which achieves ten tons of force with finger pressure by multiplying the size of the pump piston by the size of the pressing piston, also obviously the relative distances travelled, which is what I am interested in here.

Maintaining perfectly straight movement during travel is vital as I see it, accompanied by a solid camera mount and perfect repeatable alignment.
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Macro_Cosmos on August 24, 2019, 15:19:58
Amazing, this sort of subject fascinates me, thank you for posting and for the the Flicker links.

I have the Laowa 25mm f/2.8, 2.5x - 5x lens on my wanted list, I tried it at UK Digital, the day after I bought my D800, I was stunned by the power of the lens.  I took hand held, a photograph of the tip of a ball point pen and could see the reflections of the shop interior in the tiny 0.7mm ball!

Please can you tell me the stacking increments or the total depth of the stack in the coloured sand shots, I think you quoted 121/124 shots for the sand.  I am trying to grasp the scale and dimensions of the images.  I am planning to make my own stacking rail, I have many ideas but no experience of micro stacking.  I am thinking hydraulics, I was going to make electronics and stepper motor rail like stackshot but it all seems very flimsy, I would rather something solid and heavy like a big hydraulic ram and a tiny metering pump of some sort to provide the motivation.

Edited for clarity

The Laowa 2.5-5x is a solid lens which is extremely good, especially for the price. I have an in depth review here: https://macrocosmosblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/23/laowa-venus-optics-25mm-f-2-8-ultra-macro-lens-long-term-review/

Here's a list of typical increments I use:
1x: 50um (Printing-Nikkor 105mm)
2x: 30um (Rayfact 95mm)
2.5-5x: 15um - 30um (Laowa 25mm)
5x: 3um (Mit M Plan 5x HR)
10x: 3um (Mit M Plan 10x)
20x: 1um (Mit M Plan 20x)
50x: 0.5um (Mit M Plan 50x)

1-20x I use the stackshot, for 50x, I do it manually.

For the sand, it's the 2x so I use 30um. If you visit my flickr page and navigate to the description, I have the increment used listed. As for the size of the sand, it's pretty much the same as rice grains. I've attached it.

The Stackshot is not flimsy at all, it's far from flimsy actually. The only downside of the stackshot would be the 2um resolution, hefty pricetag, and fair amounts of backlash and wobble due to the lead screw. By wobble, I mean as the stack progresses, you will see the image move. The Stackshot controller is able to counter this wobble however, it's really no big deal.

How are you going to implement the hydraulics though? Are you sure a hydraulic ram is able to handle increments in microns whilst having predictable backlash, such as lead screw rails?
Moreover, that platform you're talking about seems to be vertically translated, which means your camera will be kept stationary, right? The photographical interest goes onto the platform. In this case, it's a mess.

Your lighting must go onto the platform too. As the subject travels along the Z axis, if lighting stays stationary, it's going to change the result. If you use small speedlights or constant lighting, this might not be an issue, but studio strobes, I don't think it will work.

Then is the ram able to travel back to the precise point you set it at after the stack? For stacking, I have liveview on, I adjust the rail till everything is out of focus, then adjust it till something is in focus, mark that. I will then adjust further into the subject until nothing seems to be in focus again, which is marked too. The rail then translates back to my original point, the first marker. Due to backlash, it will travel a bit further or stop too early, which stackshot compensates for. In optomechanics, we call this "Bidirectional Repeatability". High end rails score <2um, which corresponds to just two exposures for 20x stacking, no big deal, leave enough room.
Obviously, one can just calculate the depth needed and put the position A at where there's only a tiny amount of subject interest in focus, then let the rail go forward said amount. I am working on a system that allows this. Doing so will decrease the amount of shots needed for a stack, which allows an ultimately faster workflow. Wish stackshot is able to give feedback on the length travelled, which is entirely possible in my opinion.

Amazing optical quality and impeccably executed stacking, I'd say. Just a personal wish one could have a broader magnification range than just 0.5 and 2X.

Agree with Robert (seapy) that the Stackshot rail, although superficially robust, lacks sophistication and is in some respects "flimsy". The latter in particular applies to the camera platform and the awkward manner in which a camera mounts onto it. There are also play and unfortunate lateral movement in the rail during its operation.

The Laowa 25/2.8 (2.5-5X) is certainly not an APO design yet factoring in its low price and very decent optical quality, a bargain if one requires this magnification range.
Thanks! The PN95 should do alright with a macro attachment, I've yet to try though.

The movement is fundamental to all lead screw rails. The Stackshot is expensive already. Higher end rails from companies such as THK and Thorlabs are priced in the 2000+ range, and that's without a dedicated controller. An entire package where everything is sorted would cost over $5000. The good thing is that these rails can be bought on the used market for cheap prices, and adapted to the Stackshot controller. So putting everything in perspective, the Stackshot, along with the Wemacro rail are decent. The Wemacro especially has a resolution of 0.925, not as much backlash, and it's cheaper. The ideal off the shelf solution would be to mount the wemacro rail onto the stackshot controller, or DIY something based off Arduinos and surplus THK rails.

The mounting of the stackshot is indeed stupid and flimsy. They justify this by claiming the majority of their customers do not use the arca-swiss system, which they also said such customers should use it. Stackshot offers an add-on: https://www.cognisys-inc.com/store/adapter-plate.html One must also get a clamp to go with it, so that's an extra $150 just to get a reasonable mounting solution. Another issue is the elevated centre of gravity, becomes an annoyance since my setup is vertical.


Birna, thank you for your valued comments, my opinion wasn't based on experience of using the stacking device but on my impression of it's apparently minimalistic construction.

The magnification involved with these lenses is so great we are moving into a different realm from the normal definition of rigid.  This calls for mass and solid construction.  I just need to understand what scale of movement is required to achieve optimum stacking increment distance.  I have looked at charts but this is real world, charts are just numbers and convey very little beyond raw data.

I have a hydraulic puller which achieves ten tons of force with finger pressure by multiplying the size of the pump piston by the size of the pressing piston, also obviously the relative distances travelled, which is what I am interested in here.

Maintaining perfectly straight movement during travel is vital as I see it, accompanied by a solid camera mount and perfect repeatable alignment.
Optimal system will have:
1. No backlash
2. No lateral wobble (impossible)
3. Bidirectional repeatability of 0 (impossible)
4. High vertical loads
5. Sophisticated controller (Stackshot 3x is very comprehensive)

For minimal backlash and lateral wobble, you can get linear translation stages featuring micrometers, Newport make good ones. I've made a simple tutorial on how to convert one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHSsmG0JaVg
This is a purely manual solution though. Piezoelectric actuators can make it automatic, but I've never tried that. Those adjusters are also very expensive and fragile, which means the used one could just be dead.

This rail also should have negligible wobble, but the price and vertical load ratings aren't the best: https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=3423

I don't think the hydraulic ram idea will work to be honest, better off finding a used stackshot 3x controller (can be had for $250-$300) and DIY a high precision THK rail to control.

Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Birna Rørslett on August 24, 2019, 15:46:34
I see we largely agree on the pros of the Laowa 25/2.8. Manual focusing is not an issue for me and the add-on collar is an expensive joke, one does well without it. The LoCA is to some extent triggered by illumination properties as well as the subject itself and the extent of stacking performed. I do wish LoCA was better taken care of in the optics, though.

I modified my specimen of the 25/2.8 with a CPU (G-mode only) thus it can fully communicate with all Nikons, even the newest Z models.

A pity the Laowa is unsuitable for UV photography :(
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: bobfriedman on August 24, 2019, 16:09:11
do you have a picture of the setup?
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Seapy on August 24, 2019, 16:37:02
Macro, thank you very much for such a detailed and comprehensive reply, very much appreciated.

I only looked at the Callala Beach coloured sand on Flicker, where I am unable to find the increment data, checking now, the Callala Beach sand does indeed have the increment data.

I shall re-read your reply to absorb as much as possible, i find this subject fascinating.

Quote: "I don't think the hydraulic ram idea will work to be honest,"

Now that is just what I wanted to read!!!  No greater incentive* to productivity and ingenuity than a challenge!  ;D  *Except perhaps 'the last minute'...

It's my intention to create a macro bench, I have already mentioned it on this forum, I have a 50Kg slab of polished green slate to act as the top, I have a very heavy hydraulic ram with a 2.625" chrome rod for the pillar which will rise and fall.  The macro movement to be made with a smaller ram which can be aimed from the top of the pillar and can be pointed at any angle, towards the subject, the camera being mounted on the end of that ram.

I don't intend reverse repeatability, see no point, I expect to take a series of images with the camera/lens being driven towards (or away from) the subject. With the rams I have in mind I don't anticipate any linear deflection from straight (wobble?) the distance of engagement in the ram body should make any deflection (wobble?) unmeasurable over the expected total distance of travel, axial rotation might be an issue... Which if the lens isn't on the axis, could cause parallax issues. Intend to ensure lens axis and ram axis match

The design of the pump will probably be fundamental to incremental accuracy.  I intend to make it infinitely variable, governed by a micrometer.

I am assuming you mean 1um as 1,000 of 1 mm, or 1,000,000 of a Metre.  So 30um would be 0.03 of a mm?  This can be monitored by attaching a digital calliper to the travel and making a trial run, photographing the digital calliper readout at each stop.
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Macro_Cosmos on August 25, 2019, 16:00:42
I see we largely agree on the pros of the Laowa 25/2.8. Manual focusing is not an issue for me and the add-on collar is an expensive joke, one does well without it. The LoCA is to some extent triggered by illumination properties as well as the subject itself and the extent of stacking performed. I do wish LoCA was better taken care of in the optics, though.

I modified my specimen of the 25/2.8 with a CPU (G-mode only) thus it can fully communicate with all Nikons, even the newest Z models.

A pity the Laowa is unsuitable for UV photography :(
LoCA wouldn't be a big issue when stacking luckily, and most of my subjects won't exacerbate it. The Laowa 25mm is just an ordinary ED lens. That hood yeah it's a flimsy joke that does no good. Mine was stuck on too long, which I had to pull off with force. The adhesive was ripped off and I ended up with a sticky mess.


do you have a picture of the setup?
I can list the components I used to adapt the lens. If you're asking for the studio setup I use for stacking, I don't have a photo of it... and I don't intend to show it. Sorry about that.
It's basically an optical breadboard with various optomechanical components mounted to make life easier. It's really just a fancier film enlarger.


Macro, thank you very much for such a detailed and comprehensive reply, very much appreciated.

I only looked at the Callala Beach coloured sand on Flicker, where I am unable to find the increment data, checking now, the Callala Beach sand does indeed have the increment data.

I shall re-read your reply to absorb as much as possible, i find this subject fascinating.

Quote: "I don't think the hydraulic ram idea will work to be honest,"

Now that is just what I wanted to read!!!  No greater incentive* to productivity and ingenuity than a challenge!  ;D  *Except perhaps 'the last minute'...

It's my intention to create a macro bench, I have already mentioned it on this forum, I have a 50Kg slab of polished green slate to act as the top, I have a very heavy hydraulic ram with a 2.625" chrome rod for the pillar which will rise and fall.  The macro movement to be made with a smaller ram which can be aimed from the top of the pillar and can be pointed at any angle, towards the subject, the camera being mounted on the end of that ram.

I don't intend reverse repeatability, see no point, I expect to take a series of images with the camera/lens being driven towards (or away from) the subject. With the rams I have in mind I don't anticipate any linear deflection from straight (wobble?) the distance of engagement in the ram body should make any deflection (wobble?) unmeasurable over the expected total distance of travel, axial rotation might be an issue... Which if the lens isn't on the axis, could cause parallax issues. Intend to ensure lens axis and ram axis match

The design of the pump will probably be fundamental to incremental accuracy.  I intend to make it infinitely variable, governed by a micrometer.

I am assuming you mean 1um as 1,000 of 1 mm, or 1,000,000 of a Metre.  So 30um would be 0.03 of a mm?  This can be monitored by attaching a digital calliper to the travel and making a trial run, photographing the digital calliper readout at each stop.
I try to include the stacking information, sometimes I lose them and sometimes flickr just fails to load the description. For those ugly and uninspiring studio desert stacks, I just focus on different spots and wish it works, which it never does. A D850 or me not thinking about eating it while creating the stack will fix this.

That 50kg slab of yours will definitely come in handy for higher mag. Mount a breadboard on top and you got yourself a stable surface with numerous mounting options. Stuff like this has the potential to work better than active vibration dampening.

The conundrum of bad repeatability can be fixed with being liberal with stacks anyway. Often or not my stack consist of 500 exposures which I end up tossing half of it, whatever. The camera is a tool, and moreover, electronic shutters theoretically won't deduct the life of the camera. That is a must for high mag. as shutter shake will ruin an image. One issue is the raw output... some cameras output raw files that are 12-bit or even lower. For microscopy, one wants the best base files with the least readout noise possible. I use that stacking method primarily because I'm too lazy to actually figure out the distance required. It's infinitely better to have the system focused at the tip of the stack and travel a certain distance into the subject anyway.

With lateral movements, you lose megapixels. The amount lost depends on the severity of the wobble at the magnification. It becomes evident at 10x and beyond. I personally don't care much, 36mp is plenty for me, it's too much as the Mit 10x and 20x lenses aren't able to resolve that much. The ideal camera spec would be 24MP, no OLPF, low base ISO and low readout noise. I just downsample the 36MP shots I get. If I move to the D850, I will get a ~20MP downsampled shot, ideal.

Yes, 1um is 1 micrometer, or one micron, or rather 1µm == 0.001mm. 30um is 0.03mm. I think you made a mistake, because I see 0.03 of a mm as 1/0.03=33.33...mm. Three-one-hundredth of a mm, I see as 1mm*3/100, I could be wrong.

A caliper won't work, those usually have 10um resolution at most, unless you're loaded and you can afford the swiss-made Slyvac: https://www.sylvac.ch/products/calipers/s_cal-pro-micron-detail
But then the readings aren't that reliable, you'd want to calibrate it with a precision calibration block that is made to have a <0.1um precision, those are beyond ridiculously priced. What you should use is a digital indicator, such as this one: https://www.sylvac.ch/products/digital-indicators/digital-indicator-s_dial-work-cbg-detail (I'd love their nanometre version!)
One can get used Mitutoyo ones for less than $200 off fleabay.

Either way, it's preferred to move the camera. My setup actually allows the specimen to be adjusted, as the lighting I use is extremely light and easy to mount onto the platform. The hydraulic idea will work for larger mag. that's for sure. Good luck with the implementation and prove me wrong :) Always fun to DIY!

 



Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Macro_Cosmos on August 25, 2019, 16:58:18
Rice grains:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48617402276_0a1f33f741_h.jpg)
https://flic.kr/p/2h59TTJ


Small balls used for crafting projects/art
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48617777232_cae082c6e8_h.jpg)
https://flic.kr/p/2h5bPmu
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Dr Klaus Schmitt on August 29, 2019, 11:51:39
impressive results! Congrats!
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: golunvolo on August 29, 2019, 13:11:59
Impressive. Those rice grains have angaged for a long time.  :)
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Akira on August 29, 2019, 17:21:22
Amazing closeups!  If you have a UV flashlight, the minerals and rice grains should look even more interesting!
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: bobfriedman on August 29, 2019, 23:45:14
I can list the components I used to adapt the lens. If you're asking for the studio setup I use for stacking, I don't have a photo of it... and I don't intend to show it. Sorry about that. It's basically an optical breadboard with various optomechanical components mounted to make life easier. It's really just a fancier film enlarger.

here's mine. https://pbase.com/bobfriedman/image/161259960

Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Dr Klaus Schmitt on August 30, 2019, 00:34:05
here's mine. https://pbase.com/bobfriedman/image/161259960

Impressive Bob, looks like an optics lab!  ;)
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: bobfriedman on August 30, 2019, 12:35:37
Impressive Bob, looks like an optics lab!  ;)

need to fire it up again. but I am always interested in the setup especially when someone posts excellent results.
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: ColinM on August 30, 2019, 17:37:46
Impressive Bob, looks like an optics lab!  ;)

Don't know about you Klaus, but I quite like this optics lab from elsewhere on Bob's photo page

(https://pbase.com/bobfriedman/image/166742536.jpg)
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: bobfriedman on August 30, 2019, 22:38:07
Don't know about you Klaus, but I quite like this optics lab from elsewhere on Bob's photo page

(https://pbase.com/bobfriedman/image/166742536.jpg)

the secret ingredient to successful photography.. ;)
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Dr Klaus Schmitt on August 30, 2019, 23:46:24
the secret ingredient to successful photography.. ;)

Certainly so ... afterwards!! ;-)
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Macro_Cosmos on August 31, 2019, 11:11:01
here's mine. https://pbase.com/bobfriedman/image/161259960

That's an impressive setup!
Mine is similar looking, I use a large Newport SG Honeycomb board and my setup is vertical, using thorlabs' 95mm optical rail, XT95B-600 to be exact. I don't use speedlights.
I rebuild put mine into a horizontal setup in 5 minutes, that orientation is usually used for experiments for my job.

I'd suggest SM2 tubes, the SM2 collar, and a cheap long arca-swiss rail for the tubing, allows centre of gravity to be placed in the middle instead of at the back. You will have to flock the tubes yourself. I roll flocking adhesives and put them in, simple.

Goniometers are nice, I have a dozen of those but have yet to incorporate them into my setup.

I also see a polariser, presumably it goes in front of the objective? For objectives, that's not a good idea. Get some cheap film, cut them, and tape one to the back of the objevtive adapter; also polarise the lights.
Rotating the polariser is going to be difficult, this should work nicely (attachment).
Just use double sided tape and put it onto the cover, allows rotation. I have one of these for the SB-910 speedlights I used to own.

One major annoyance of such a large setup is dust. Even though mine is used daily, dust builds up. I'm going to order a cover from China when I can be bothered or get too annoyed with cleaning weekly.

Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: bobfriedman on August 31, 2019, 12:31:44
I also see a polariser, presumably it goes in front of the objective? For objectives, that's not a good idea. Get some cheap film, cut them, and tape one to the back of the objevtive adapter; also polarise the lights.
Rotating the polariser is going to be difficult, this should work nicely (attachment).
Just use double sided tape and put it onto the cover, allows rotation. I have one of these for the SB-910 speedlights I used to own.

you are correct that the polarizer in the setup was placed there for storage.. and it never worked when I did try and use it.. poorly thought out but I saw it on eBay and through I would give it a try... I will investigate your link and I have purchased film since I first posted that picture but have yet to try it.

some of my results.. https://pbase.com/bobfriedman/new_macro_trials
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Macro_Cosmos on September 02, 2019, 20:44:49
you are correct that the polarizer in the setup was placed there for storage.. and it never worked when I did try and use it.. poorly thought out but I saw it on eBay and through I would give it a try... I will investigate your link and I have purchased film since I first posted that picture but have yet to try it.

some of my results.. https://pbase.com/bobfriedman/new_macro_trials
Nice stacks! I like the somewhat harsh lighting too.

Here's a polarised light 20x stack, which sucks:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48666772876_ca1b6f1591_h.jpg)

Depth is lacking and the entire thing looks flat and boring. It's pretty hard to get it right, and trying to fix a problem with something that brings more problems isn't really working. I need to experiment more.
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Akira on September 02, 2019, 21:18:41
Here's a polarised light 20x stack, which sucks:

Depth is lacking and the entire thing looks flat and boring. It's pretty hard to get it right, and trying to fix a problem with something that brings more problems isn't really working. I need to experiment more.

Is this a closeup of scales of a morpho butterfly?  Looks like an extremely challenging subject of complicated structure.
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Snoogly on February 18, 2023, 03:03:04
Is this the same? If so, $1 seems a bit of a bargain.

http://www.easycnc.org/industrial-lens/nikon/lens-rayfact-ofm20119mn.html

Ah, looking deeper I discovered this:

“For products price$1.00 at the website, it means PRICE TO BE CONFIRMED and will be updated later. If you are interested in the products, please kindly contact us for more details and best offers!!!!!

The pictures in the product page are all taken in kind and displaying the actual condition of the product itself.

All the products listed at the website, both NEW and USED, are in good working condition for your satisfaction.”

But it may be worth a punt for folks with more than $1 to spend!
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Birna Rørslett on February 18, 2023, 11:35:41
Well, that site allowed me to purchase the lens for $1. Whether this is a scam will surface in due time. However, I did get an order confirmation at that price point ....
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Snoogly on February 18, 2023, 19:37:33
Well, that site allowed me to purchase the lens for $1. Whether this is a scam will surface in due time. However, I did get an order confirmation at that price point ....

You are braver than me. I chickened out as soon as I read that info about $1 items.
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Birna Rørslett on February 18, 2023, 22:39:29
Well, I paid just $1 + the inevitable surcharge for Fedex. Not risking *that* much and if this pans out to be a purchase-bait then my credit card insurance will cover. I do have an official order confirmation for the lens at $1 ....
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Snoogly on February 25, 2023, 21:59:15
Well, I paid just $1 + the inevitable surcharge for Fedex. Not risking *that* much and if this pans out to be a purchase-bait then my credit card insurance will cover. I do have an official order confirmation for the lens at $1 ....

Any news? ;-)
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Birna Rørslett on February 25, 2023, 22:16:25
They refunded my expenses.....
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Snoogly on February 26, 2023, 02:51:53
Was worth a punt!
Title: Re: Nikon Rayfact OFM20119MN (PN95) at 2x
Post by: Dr Klaus Schmitt on March 14, 2023, 07:41:43
Agree with Robert (seapy) that the Stackshot rail, although superficially robust, lacks sophistication and is in some respects "flimsy". The latter in particular applies to the camera platform and the awkward manner in which a camera mounts onto it. There are also play and unfortunate lateral movement in the rail during its operation.

This is why my friend here in Germany designed, builds and sells much sturdier ones with 0.3 micron repetition precision...sells those to museum etc for professional work, but also ambitious amateurs (micro mount crystals etc)
https://www.stonemaster-onlineshop.de/fotografieren/stacking/stackmaster-studio/ (https://www.stonemaster-onlineshop.de/fotografieren/stacking/stackmaster-studio/)