Spoiler alert. These are the top finishers in this test.
This started out initially as a simple test of a new Nikon scanner lens, but before I knew what I was getting into, it expanded to include almost 20 lenses including a few line scan lenses and two macro lenses. The final results did give me exactly what I was hoping for, and, as usual, there were some big surprises and some major disappointments, see the Lenses That Didn’t Make it section at the bottom of this page. In the end the test results were definitely worth the effort, I hope you find the information as interesting and informative as I did. Be sure to visit the Lens Setup Notes near the bottom of this page for setup details on each lens.
All of the lenses in this test were purchased without any discount, incentive, or commission from anyone or any company. This test and all the other content on my site is completely independent and free from industry influence. I do not show ads, benefit from your purchases, use any affiliate links, or take money from anyone in the photo industry. Almost all photo sites on the web today are run for profit. I create content for this site for fun in my free time.
1.4x Lens Lineup
Canon MP-E 2.8/65 1-5x macro lens
Linos Rodenstock Magnagon 5.6/75 scanner lens
Linos Rodenstock Magnagon 4/75 scanner lens
Minolta DiMAGE Elite AF5400 scanner lens
Rayfact GF 2x 4/80 line scan lens
Rodenstock Scitex 5.6/80 scanner lens
Scanner Nikkor 2.8/45 scanner lens
Schneider Kreuznach Makro-Symmar 5.6/80 line scan lens
Schneider Kreuznach Macro Varon 4.5/85 line scan lens
Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 4/80 line scan lens
Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 4/80 Makro-Iris line scan lens
Schneider Kreuznach M-Componon 4/80 macro lens
For this test I chose a vintage 1980s Xerox silicon wafer for the high contrast details, and plenty of super-fine micro-lettering. Best of all the disk is perfectly flat and will not warp, bend, or twist during the course of the test as natural targets such as butterfly wings like to do.
100% View crop Images: Center-edge-corner
The images below are in order of increasing sharpness, so the softest lens first and the sharpest lens last. The best method to examine the sharpness of each lens is to right click (PC) or two finger click (Mac) and save any images you would like to compare.
See the detail crops below this section, these make looking at image details a lot quicker and easier.
Click on any of the images below to open a new larger window, you can also press the right mouse button, or two finger press a touch pad, and open in a new tab or choose ‘save as’ to view and compare images in another app of your choice such as Preview or PhotoMechanic.
Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 4/80 line scan lens
Schneider Kreuznach M-Componon 4/80 macro lens
Linos Rodenstock Magnagon 4/75 scanner lens
Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 4/80 Makro-Iris line scan lens
Rodenstock Scitex 5.6/80 scanner lens
Linos Rodenstock Magnagon 5.6/75 scanner lens
Schneider Kreuznach Makro-Symmar 5.6/80 line scan lens
Canon MP-E 2.8/65 1-5x macro lens
Schneider Kreuznach Macro Varon 4.5/85 line scan lens
Minolta DiMAGE Elite AF5400 scanner lens
Rayfact GF 2x 4/80 line scan lens
Scanner Nikkor 2.8/45 scanner lens
100% View detail crops
Click on any image to open it in a image viewer in a new window. You can always right button or two finger click on any image and save as to view it in another application.
Images are in order of increasing sharpness, the last being the sharpest.
Test Results
All of these 12 lenses did a decent job at 1.4x. The top 5 were excellent, and the top 4 were all very close. The Scanner Nikkor was awesome at 1.4x. The Rayfact GF is very close and image at 1.4x is more amazing considering the lens is best at 2x. The Macro Varon images were fantastic as always. The Minolta 5400 was very close but is better at higher magnifications like 1.5-2x.
The order is one to twelve in order of decreasing sharpness, first being the Scanner Nikkor.
1. Scanner Nikkor 2.8/45 scanner lens
2. Rayfact GF 2x 4/80 line scan lens
3. Minolta DiMAGE Elite AF 5400 scanner lens
4. Schneider Kreuznach Macro Varon 4.5/85 line scan lens
5. Canon MP-E 2.8/65 1-5x macro lens
6. Schneider Kreuznach Makro-Symmar 5.6/80 line scan lens
7. Linos Rodenstock Magnagon 5.6/75 scanner lens
8. Rodenstock Scitex 5.6/80 scanner lens
9. Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 4/80 Makro-Iris line scan lens
10. Linos Rodenstock Magnagon 4/75 scanner lens
11. Schneider Kreuznach M-Componon 4/80 macro lens
12. Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 4/80 line scan lens
The Canon MP-E image was flat and very sharp but the red fringing around details could be better. The Makro-Symmar did a good job with sharpness and nice CA correction, a very good all around result. The Magnagon 75 preset lens was bit sharper in the corners than the Scitex 80. The Componon 4/80 results show that maybe there is some difference with the Makro-Iris version. More than one copy of each of these 4/80 lenses in both mounts was tested. I have a feeling the Makro-Iris version is put together at a higher spec than the green stripe BV-L lens. There is not supposed to be any difference optically. The M-Componon was one of two units tested and the results from both were disappointing.
Test SETUP
Camera: Sony α6300, model # ILCE-6300, also known as: A6300
Sensor size: APS-C. 23.5 × 15.6 mm. 28.21 mm diagonal. 3.92 micron sensor pitch
The Sony A6300 camera was used for this test with my Thorlabs SM2 studio setup vertically mounted on a Nikon MM-11 stand for this test. For each lens and each aperture setting focus was bracketed and the sharpest image was chosen at 100% view in photoshop. Manual mode was used at ISO 100. To avoid any sharpness loss due to vibration, two Godox TT350S units were used at 1/128th to 1/32nd power. To avoid any change in light angle, the flash units remained in place and never moved over the entire test, mounted on a flash bracket that is bolted to an optical breadboard.
Sony Raw image files were processed in Ps CC ACR with all noise reduction turned to zero, and lens correction profiles disabled. All settings were zeroed out and the same white balance setting used for all the images. You should know that with Sony lenses (and Leica, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic) chromatic aberration correction is baked into the RAW file using opcodes that cannot be disabled.
All of the test images are single frames, none of the images were stacked. To avoid focus shifts with aperture changes, a series of images were made at 10 micron steps at each aperture. Each lens was shot from wide open to f/5.6 to find sharpest image. The sharpest images were chosen at 100% actual pixel magnification, cropped and saved in Photoshop CC.
LENS setup NOTES
For best results all these lenses were tested for best direction, forward or reverse, and aperture, wide open or stopped down at 1.4x. As a rule all lenses were tested with hoods or shrouds in place and adapters and lens tubes were all flocked.
Canon MP-E 2.8/65 1-5x macro lens
Tested at f/4.5
Optimized for 1-5x
Normal forward mount
Linos Rodenstock Magnagon 4/75 scanner lens
Tested at f/5.6
Optimized for unknown
Normal forward mount
12 blade iris
More info: https://www.closeuphotography.com/rodenstock-linos-magnagon-lens
Linos Rodenstock Magnagon 5.6/75 scanner lens
Tested at f/5.6, fixed aperture
Optimized for 0.25x to 3x in the Fuji C550 Lanovia scanner
Reverse mount
Red filter installed at the factory
More info: https://www.closeuphotography.com/rodenstock-magnagon-75mm-scanner-lens
Minolta DiMAGE Elite AF5400 scanner lens
Tested at f/4
Best at 1.5x - 2x
More info: https://www.closeuphotography.com/minolta-dimage-scan-elite-5400-lens
Rayfact GF 2x 4/80 line scan lens
Tested at f/5.6
Optimized for 0.5x forward and 2x reverse
Reverse mount
More info: https://www.closeuphotography.com/nikon-rayfact-gf-lens
Rodenstock Scitex 5.6/80 scanner lens
Tested at f/5.6 fixed aperture
Optimized for use in Scitex flatbed scanner
Reverse mount
Scanner Nikkor 2.8/45 scanner lens
Tested at f/2.8
Optimized for 1.3x
More info: https://www.closeuphotography.com/scanner-nikkor-ed-7-element-lens
Schneider Kreuznach Makro-Symmar 5.6/80 Line Scan Lens
Tested at f/5.6
Optimized for 1x. Mag. range is 0.5 to 2x
Normal forward mount
More info: https://www.closeuphotography.com/makro-symmar-80-test
Schneider Kreuznach Macro Varon 4.5/85 line scan lens
Tested at f/4.5
Optimized for 0.5-2x
Normal forward mount
More info: https://www.closeuphotography.com/macro-varon
Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 4/80 line scan lens
Tested at f/4.5
Optimized for 0.5x
Reverse mount
Green stripe BV-L mount lens
Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 4/80 Makro-Iris line scan lens
Tested at f/4.5
Optimized for 0.5x
Reverse mount
Schneider Kreuznach M-Componon 4/80 Macro Lens
Tested at f/4.5
Optimized for 1x and higher magnification
Normal forward mount
Lenses that didn’t make it
In all about 20 lenses were setup for this test but some failed to make to the photography stage and others failed to perform well enough to be included in the results.
Schneider Kreuznach APO-Digitar Colortrac 5.6/80 scanner lens
Factory Rec. Mag: unknown
Issue: out of range/poor corner sharpness at 1.4x
Schneider Kreuznach APO-Digitar Colortrac 6.7/80 scanner lens
Factory Rec. Mag: unknown
Issue: out of range/poor corner sharpness at 1.4x
Canon MacroPhoto Lens 2.8/35
Factory Rec. Mag: 1.8x-5x
Issue: out of range/could not setup for 1.4x
Tominon 4.5/35
Factory Rec. Mag: 5x-7.5x (excellent results at 2-3x)
Issue: out of range/could not setup for 1.4x
Schneider APO-Componon 4/45
Factory Rec. Mag: 0.5x-2x
Issue: out of range/poor corner sharpness at 1.4x
Schneider APO-Componon 2.8/40
Factory Rec. Mag: 0.5x-2x
Issue: out of range/poor corner sharpness at 1.4x
Schneider Componon-S 2.8/50
Factory Rec. Mag: 0.5x-2x
Issue: out of range/poor corner sharpness at 1.4x