The Raynox DCR-250 is a very popular supplementary add-on macro lens, that over the last few years, has become known as a high-performance tube lens. The lens was one of the best tube lenses in previous tests, so I am very interested to see how the Raynox compares to one of the best enlarging lenses that I have found in testing, the Componon-S 5.6/135. This lens was best out of a group of seven in a recent test here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/135mm-tube-lens-test. How does the Schneider Componon-S 135mm lens compare against the Raynox DCR-250, when used in a stacked configuration with the Componon 2.8/35 machine vision lens?
Both of these lenses sell for about the same cost, the Raynox is available at camera shops and on eBay from $60 to maybe $100 new. The Componon-S 5.6/135 is a well known enlarging lens but is unknown entity as a tube lens. I paid less than $100 for a mint condition late model Componon-S 5.6/135 in late 2019. A quick eBay check finds these available from $49 to just under $100.
All of the lenses in this post were purchased without any discount or commission from anyone, this test does not contain any affiliate links, ads or visitor tracking as there are on commercial for-profit lens review sites.
Quick Specs
Schneider Componon-S 135mm f/5.6 Lens
Focal length: 135mm
Optical Design: 6 element / 4 group Plasmat-type lens
Filter threads: M49 x 0.75
Lens mount: M50 x 0.75
Note: Latest model with the blue aperture window. This lens also makes a very nice 135mm taking lens and works great with the DCR-250 installed on the front for macro work.
Raynox DCR-250 +8 125mm Lens
Also sold labeled as:
Raynox DCR-250 2.5x Super Macro Lens
RAYNOX MACROSCOPIC LENS MODEL M-250
Raynox 35mm MacroExplorer Model CM-2000 2.5X lens
Strength: +8 diopter
Focal length: 125mm
Optical Design: 3 element / 2 group, Hi-index, multi-coated optical glass element, triplet-type lens
Filter threads: 49mm x 0.75
Lens mount: 43mm x 0.75
Note: This lens is also a great supplementary add-on diopter lens for macro work.
3.5x TEST SET-UP
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
Flash: Godox TT350s wireless flash x 2 with one Godox X1s 2.4G wireless flash transmitter
Vertical stand: Nikon MM-11 with a Nikon focus block
For this test a stack of images was made with 2 micron steps, and was repeated for each aperture. The sharpest frame was then chosen using Photoshop at 100% actual pixel view. Separate images were selected for center, and corner if needed. Each image was processed in PS CC with identical settings with all noise reduction and lens correction turned off, all settings were zeroed out (true zero) and the same settings were used for all of the images. All of the images shown here are single files.
3.5x Test setup: Raynox DCR-250 Vs Schneider Componon-S 5.6/135
Front lens setup: Schneider Kreuznach Componon 35mm f/2.8 reverse mount wide open at f/2.8
Effective aperture at 3.5x: f/9.8
Rear lens setup:
Raynox DCR-250 setup for best image quality
Reverse mount
Infinity focus
50mm extension between front and rear lens
Wide open
Notes: When using the Raynox DCR-250 as a tube lens, image quality in the center and corners definitely improves when used in reverse. Corner sharpness improves by adding 50mm between the rear lens and the Raynox. Note that when using the Raynox in reverse, image quality improves, but field curvature also increases.
Componon-S 5.6/135 setup for best image quality
Normal mount
Short focus, past infinity
Minimum distance between front and rear lens
Stopped down one stop to f/8
Image quality was slightly better in the corners with short focus, that is past infinity. Image quality suffers with any type of distance between front and rear lenses. Image quality improves by stopping down the lens to f/8, corner shading is noticeable at f/9 and beyond.
100% center crops: Raynox Vs Componon-S
These two lenses are so amazing close in the center it’s almost impossible to differentiate the two images, both are excellent. Very minimal chromatic aberrations and lots of fine detail from both lenses.
The biggest difference between the two images? The Componon-S image was slightly deeper blacks.
100% Off-center crops: Raynox Vs Componon-S
Both lenses are slightly shaper off center than in the center area. The Raynox might be just slighlty sharper, the Componon-S has slightly more contrast. Looking at the number 6 in the lower left corner, you can see more of a drop-off in sharpness with the Raynox image.
100% Corner crops: Raynox Vs Componon-S
Comparing the larger 3 and smaller 85 in the black strip, the numbers are very sharp in both crops, the tiny 85 looks very slightly sharper in the Raynox image. Componon-S has more contrast and less field curvature. The number 10 in the Raynox frame in the lower left is fuzzy, where the same area in the Componon-S image is sharp.
Final RESULTS
The level of sharpness and CAs out of both tube lenses is impressive. You can’t go wrong with either of these for use with an APS-C sensor. The most noticeable differences are field curvature and contrast, where the Componon-S lens has an advantage over the Raynox. It’s a shame that the Raynox field curves so much when it’s used in reverse, the Raynox stack needed 20 more images to get the same elements in focus as the Componon-S.
How does the Schneider Componon-S 135mm image quality compare against the Raynox DCR-250 when used as a tube lens? The performance of the Componon-S is excellent, even better than Raynox. The Componon-S 5.6/135 lens also makes a fine telephoto lens, the Raynox does not. Also consider the the fact that the Raynox mount is all plastic, the Componon-S is all metal.
The Schneider Componon-S 135mm is highly recommended.
2500 pixel image sample: Componon-S 5.6/135 with Componon 2.8/35 at 3.85x
Click on the image below to view a larger version in a Lightbox viewer with a dark background. To see an image in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. The full size image will be 2500px across and have 2500w at the end of the image URL. If the image size is anything smaller you can easily change the number to 2500 manually and press enter to bring up the largest image. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As to save the image.
Componon-S 5.6/135 with Componon 2.8/35 at f/2.8 stacked for 3.85x
tube lens links for more information:
More information on the DCR-250 on the Raynox Japan site:
http://www.raynox.co.jp/english/dcr/dcr250/indexdcr250eg.htm
Tube Lens Test 2018, comparing 18 different tube lenses:
https://www.closeuphotography.com/tube-lens-test
150mm tube lens test here on Closeuphotography.com:
https://www.closeuphotography.com/150mm-tube-lens-test
More about the Raynox on this site:
https://www.closeuphotography.com/raynox
https://www.closeuphotography.com/raynox-tube-lens
Tube lens tests on D800E full frame on Photomacrography.net:
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23898
Tube lens / Variable Focus Assembly on Photomacrography.net:
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17248
Trying Raynox DCR-250, DCR-150 and 6X as tube lens on NEX-5N on Photomacrography.net:
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18145
What is a tube lens?
A tube lens is one part of a stacked lens configuration. Stacking lenses, also called coupling lenses, is a technique to increase magnification where you mount a longer focal length lens, the tube lens, on the camera, and a second shorter focal length in reverse, face-to-face on the rear lens which is set to infinity focus. Together the front lens + tube lens combination has the potential to resolve more than either of the lenses setup for close-focus with extension. Ideally a tube lens will allow the front lens to project a sharp image onto the the sensor, from center to the corners without adding any aberrations.