THE LENSES
Canon 35MM f/2.8 Macrophoto Lens
Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens
Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 Scanner Lens
Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 5X 0.14 objective @ 3x
Nikon 3x Measuring Microscopes Objective
Olympus Zuiko Auto-Macro 38mm f2.8
Qioptiq Mag.x LD Plan APO 5x / 0.20 Objective @ 3x
Schneider Kreuznach Componon S 50mm f/3.5 Fixed Aperture lens
Tominon 35mm f/4.5 Lens
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
A series of images was made with each lens in 5 micron steps. This was repeated for each aperture. Then the sharpest frame was then chosen using Photoshop at 100% actual pixel view. Separate images were selected for center, edge, 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. None of the images are stacked. Since only one sample of each lens was used in this test it should give you a good idea of how a lens can perform but it doesn't mean that your own lens will perform at the same level. The Tominon lens used in this test was the best out of 4 samples. The Componon S used here was the best out of 3. Some lenses are very consistent like Nikon 3X MM, and Mitutoyo M Plan. Performance variability can be a factor with some lenses.
comparing images at 100% view
Click on any image below to view a larger version in a Lightbox viewer, but this will only be the largest size image if your screen/window is large enough. The size of the image sent to your device is based on the screen size. The comparison images below are 2500 pixels across. To check the size of the image you are looking at, look up at the URL window at the top of the browser, the address should have 2500w at the end. 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.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
Un-cropped 3x wafer image resized to 1500 pixels with the crop areas highlighted in blue.
Schneider Kreuznach Componon S 50mm f/3.5 Fixed Aperture lens Vs. Tominon 35mm f/4.5 Lens
The first two lenses, the SK Componon S 50mm, and the Tominon 35mm f/4.5 Lens, are the two lowest cost lenses of the group by a significant margin, each can be bought on Ebay for as little as $25-35 USD. The SK lens was mounted in reverse for this test, where the Tominon was mounted normally.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
Looking at the center crop image on the far right both lenses are sharp, the Componon S may have a slight advantage, but the SK lens has glowing pink fringing. In the other crops the Tominon is sharper and has a lot less chromatic aberrations. The SK's lateral CAs drop off as you move away from the center and towards the corners but unfortunately so does the sharpness. The Tominon was easily worth the $35, the Componon S, not so much.
The Tominon 35mm is a lot better than the SK Componon S at 3x.
Canon 35mm F2.8 Macrophoto Lens Vs. Nikon 3x Measuring Microscope Objective Lens
These two lenses cost about the same on the used market, about $200-300 USD. The Canon 35mm MP lens was shot at f/4 for this test.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
Both the lenses here are very sharp in the center and edge crops but they also both show some pink fringing. I would judge this comparison as a win for the Canon MP35 since the corner performance is better. The Canon MP35 is better at 3x than the Nikon 3x MM lens.
Olympus Zuiko Auto-Macro 38mm f2.8 Vs. Tominon 35mm f/4.5 Lens
This comparison isn't really fair since the Tominon is a much slower lens and is in a completely different price class as the Olympus 38mm bellows lens. The Tominon costs about $35-50, the Olympus can easily go for more than $300 on the used market. For this test the Zuiko 38mm lens was shot with f4, the Tominon at f4.5.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
At 3x both of these lenses are comparable in sharpness, with a slight edge going to the Tominon in the micro lettering, but the Tominon has a lot less problem with chromatic aberration. The Olympus has pink fringing from the center all the way to the corners, look at the reddish blacks in the Olympus crops compared to the deep true blacks of the Tominon. Looks like lateral CA suppression was not high on list when it came to designing the Olympus 38m f2.8, and the Canon MP35, which is from the same era, 1980 or so.
In terms of sharpness, this comparison was closer than you would expect, considering that the Olympus is a f2.8 lens so it has the potential to be much sharper than the slower Tominon. The results here show that a faster maximum aperture doesn't mean much if the lens is not sharp at that wider f-stop. At 3x the Olympus is sharpest at f/4, so this gives it a slight advantage in fine detail sharpness over the Tominon with a slower f4.5 maximum aperture.
The Tominon 35mm has better overall image quality thanks to good chromatic aberration suppression. The Olympus sharpness is okay if you don't mind pink fringing and a higher price tag.
Canon 35MM F2.8 Macrophoto Lens Vs. Canon-MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo lens
The 35mm Canon was best at f/4, the 65mm Canon was best at f3.5.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
Both these lenses are sharp edge to edge. Both lenses have some lateral CAs edge to edge. The Canon 35mm bellows lens is slightly sharper but has slightly more CAs then the MPE65. In image quality they are close, but I give the advantage to the 35mm lens only because its much less expensive and much easier to use thanks to the compact size. The big black squared off barrel of the MP-E 65 is hard to light around in the field and studio.
Canon 35MM F2.8 Macrophoto Lens Vs Tominon 35mm f/4.5 Lens
The 35mm Canon was tested at f/4, the Tominon f/4.5.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
This is a tough comparison, the Canon 35mm sharpness is impressive, even in the corners, the Tominon is a little less sharp but has much better CA suppression. You could make very nice images with either lens for sure but the Tominon is 90% as sharp as the Canon but for only about 10-15% of the cost and its better corrected. But if you want the sharper lens and don't mind some CAs, the Canon is a great choice also.
Canon 35MM F2.8 Macrophoto Lens VS. Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 Scanner Lens VS.
This is the first time I have tested the Minolta Scan Elite 5400 at 3x. It does very well, one of the very best at 2x - 2.5x so this comparison should be interesting. The 35mm Canon was tested at f/4.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
Looking at the full-size crop images carefully, the Canon 35mm is very slightly sharper in the center area but in all the other crops the Minolta is definitely sharper. The amount of chromatic aberrations in these crop areas really shows the difference between the two lens designs. The Minolta is APO (apochromat) corrected, the Canon 35mm has the amount of correction that was common in that era for consumer lenses so there is pink fringing in the most areas of the image when viewed at 100%, see the micro-lettering crop for an example of fringing.
The Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 lens has the advantage over the Canon 35mm f2.8 MacroPhoto Lens that just doesn't not have the same level of optical correction to compete.
Canon-MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo lens Vs. Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 Scanner Lens
The Canon 65mm MP-E was used at f3.5 for the test.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
The results here are similar to the previous comparison with the Canon 35mm, the Canon MP-E is also slightly sharper in the center, but, in the other 4 areas the Minolta is sharper with better detail. The same case here with chromatic correction, although the MP-E does a better job suppressing CAs than the 35mm MP lens. See the micro-lettering crop to compare CA levels of both lenses.
The Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 lens has a clear advantage over the Canon MP-E 65mm lens at 3x.
Click on any image below to view a larger version in a Lightbox viewer. To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in any image viewer.
the Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 5X/0.14 Objective Vs. MINOLTA DIMAGE SCAN ELITE 5400 SCANNER LENS
Objectives typically outperform lenses at 4x magnification and higher, thanks to a faster aperture, so this comparison should be interesting with a highly-corrected lens like the Minolta 5400, but the Mitutoyo is also very well corrected. The Mitutoyo M Plan was pushed down to 3x using the Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 125mm f/2.5 SL lens as a tube lens.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
In the two center area crops found on the far right, the sharpness is very similar, but if you look closely the M Plan has an advantage in the fine details, look at the small brown vertical bars in the center crop to see the difference. In the blue square crops, the Minolta looks great but the Mitutoyo looks even better with more fine detail and contrast. In the micro-lettering crop area, the 'Poly-Contact-Metal' and numbers are very similar, a superb job from both lenses for sure. In the corner crop on the far left, the results are similar until about half-way out, the Mitutoyo suffers from a drop-off in sharpness, the Minolta is consistently sharp to the edge. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the Voigtlander was the limiting factor here, it is not, its one of the very best tube lenses, see https://www.closeuphotography.com/tube-lens-test
Looking at the differences in chromatic aberrations is a different story, there is not much difference between the two lenses, both show almost no CAs in the crops except for the center area crop on the far left side where both lenses show some minimal pink fringing. This was a surprised to see.
Overall the level of sharpness from the Mitutoyo beats the Minolta in all the areas except the very out edge of the corner crop but the Minolta is very close in most areas especially the micro-lettering crop. This really is a win for the Minolta when you consider how close these two really are. There is no way to have guessed that the Minolta 5400 could come this close to the image quality of the Mitutoyo 5x!
The Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 5X/0.14 Objective beats the Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 scanner lens outright in terms of sharpness and resolution, not a big surprise here. The Minolta is also a winner as its the best non objective in this test, and that it is very close to the Mitutoyo in sharpness and CA correction, that is amazing!
The Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 5X/0.14 Objective Vs. The Qioptiq Mag.x LD Plan Apochromat 5x / 0.20 Objective
Both objectives were pushed down to 3x with a 125mm tube lens, the Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 125mm f/2.5 SL lens.
To see an images in a new browser tab, right click, or two-finger press, and select Open in a New Tab or New Window from the menu. You can also right click, or two-finger press, and select Save Image As and compare the images in an image viewer.
The contrast, sharpness, and amount of fine details in the Mag.x crops are unreal. You can predict the resolution from an objective by using the simple fact that a wider numerical aperture = higher resolution. The Mag.x has NA, or numerical aperture or 0.20, which is a nominal aperture of approximately f/2, and an effective aperture of f/12.5, the Mitutoyo 5x NA is 0.14, or a nominal aperture is f/2.98, an effective aperture is f/17.86. That is more than a full stop difference, so the Mag.x should have a big advantage in sharpness, and it does, not a huge surprise.
The performance of the Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 5X/0.14 Objective pushed down to 3x is really good. For more details on the Mitutoyo 5x: https://www.closeuphotography.com/mitutoyo-5x-m-plan-apo-objective/
The performance of the Qioptiq Mag.x LD Plan Apochromat 5x / 0.20 Objective performance pushed down to 3x is near perfect. For more on the Mag.x 5x: https://www.closeuphotography.com/qioptiq-magx-5x-objective/
CHROMATIC ABERRATIONS AT 200%
So why do the chromatic aberrations seen here in the test seem to be a lot more apparent than you have see with your own similar lens? The camera used in the test had chromatic aberration compensation (lens compensation) turned off. All lens corrections are set to zero in the RAW convertor used to process the test images. You never bothered to look for CAs at 100% or 200% view in Photoshop. The silicon wafer target used in this test has a lot higher contrast and sharper features then you will can find on a natural target like a butterfly wing. The test here is extreme and when you are processing your own images with your own camera and your own RAW convertor you may never even notice any CAs with your lens.
The lenses with the least amount of chromatic aberrations:
Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 Scanner Lens
Qioptiq Mag.x LD Plan Apochromat 5x / 0.20 Objective
Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 5X/0.14 Objective
Tominon 35mm f/4.5 Lens
The lenses with the highest level of chromatic aberrations:
Canon 35mm F2.8 Macrophoto Lens
Olympus Zuiko Auto-Macro 38mm f2.8
Schneider Kreuznach Componon S 50mm f/2.8 len
Typically lenses suffer from CAs, or chromatic aberrations, which appears as pink fringing around near-vertical edges. Different wavelengths are magnified by slightly different amounts by the lens, this results in a softening of the edges and a pink fringe. Minimizing chromatic aberrations is one of the most important goals of a lens manufacturer. Lens designers correct for CAs by combining different lens elements with different dispersion properties, or different refractive indexes but this is makes a lens more expensive and complex.
THE BEST at 3x
Overall Best Lens: Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 Scanner Lens
The Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 has the highest image quality I have found in the 2x magnification range, and now at 3x. How Minolta designers managed to produce such a tiny lens that can perform like this from 1x to 3x is an accomplishment. Most lenses that are highly optimized for a narrow magnification range and will typically see a drop in performance outside the designed range. The Minolta is one of the lowest cost lenses in this group and is an ubelievable value, considering the fact that is costs a fraction of a new Canon MP-E 65 for example, it's a steal. A detailed report on the Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 Scanner Lens is available here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/minolta-dimage-scan-elite-5400-lens/
Best Objective: Qioptiq Mag.x LD Plan Apochromat 5x / 0.20 Objective
This is a high resolution, built-to-order objective that has, by far, the best image quality I have ever seen, but they are no longer available on the used market now, although they were available for a few years. New they are special order, hand-built item with a 10 week delivery and $8,000+ price tag. A detailed test on the Qioptiq Mag.x LD Plan Apochromat 5x / 0.20 objective is available here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/qioptiq-magx-5x-objective/
Not the Absolute Best Objective but Still Excellent: Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 5X/0.14 Objective
A detailed test of the Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 5X/0.14 objective is available here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/mitutoyo-5x-m-plan-apo-objective/
Overall Best Lens Value: Tominon 35mm f/4.5 Lens
This lens is not anywhere near as good as the Minolta 5400 but it costs a lot less, and it beats the Olympus 38mm and Componon S at 3x. Since this lens is only about $35-45 USD on Ebay, it's within any photographers budget. A detailed test of the Tominon 35mm is available here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/tominon-35mm/
THE WORST at 3x
Disappointing at 3x: Olympus Zuiko Auto-Macro 38mm f2.8 lens and the Canon 35mm f2.8 Macrophoto Lens.
Both of these lenses produce good consistent sharpness over a nice big image circle but both these suffer from pink fringing, even in the center! The fact that these lenses are almost 40 years old now isn't really an excuse since the Tominon 35mm is almost 50 years old, yet it suppresses CAs like an APO lens.
Worst Overall Performance: Schneider Kreuznach Componon S 50mm f/3.5 lens. This lens has very good center sharpness, at least in the center, but the lateral CAs were a problem. This lens is does not have an iris so its at a disadvantage. The performance would be better at least one stop down from f3.5.
LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION
The Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 Scanner Lens test is available here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/minolta-dimage-scan-elite-5400-lens/
A detailed test of the Tominon 35mm is available here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/tominon-35mm/
A detailed test on the Qioptiq Mag.x LD Plan Apochromat 5x / 0.20 objective is available here on Closeuphotography.com: https://www.closeuphotography.com/qioptiq-magx-5x-objective/
For more details on the Mitutoyo 5x: https://www.closeuphotography.com/mitutoyo-5x-m-plan-apo-objective/