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12-19-2016, 01:16 PM - 2 Likes   #1
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ZY Optics 20mm f/2 with 4.5:1 macro ratio...

Looks interesting for $200.
It'll be interesting to see the quality of this lens.

Nice to see more lenses in PK mount

Petapixel article: ZY Optics Unveils 20mm f/2 4.5x, a Super Affordable 'Super Macro Lens'
ZY Optics: Mitakon 20mm f/2 4.5X Super Macro Lens - Mitakon - ZY Optics (Shenyang Zhongyi Optics )

12-19-2016, 01:27 PM   #2
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Interesting indeed. If it is reasonably sharp at f/4 it should produce meaningful detail at 4.5x; if it is usable wide open then 10x might be more than just empty magnification too. Note that the magnification range runs all the way from 4.5x down to ... 4x. So it's a specialized lens.
12-19-2016, 06:31 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by bertwert Quote
Looks interesting for $200.
It'll be interesting to see the quality of this lens.

Nice to see more lenses in PK mount

Petapixel article: ZY Optics Unveils 20mm f/2 4.5x, a Super Affordable 'Super Macro Lens'
ZY Optics: Mitakon 20mm f/2 4.5X Super Macro Lens - Mitakon - ZY Optics (Shenyang Zhongyi Optics )
Super
12-19-2016, 11:05 PM   #4
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For a 20mm f2.0, its front element is remarkably small. Using thin lens optics, of course, a focal length of 20mm and focal ratio of 2 only requires a lens diameter of 10mm. Not expensive, either. I'll be interested to see how it performs in general use (as distinct from photos taken for publicity purposes).

12-20-2016, 01:10 AM   #5
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4.5:1 at 20mm?! Working distance must be approximately zero... Sounds like a microscope objective pre-mounted on a photographic adapter, maybe?

Last edited by Doundounba; 12-20-2016 at 06:22 AM.
12-20-2016, 02:04 AM   #6
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Too bad it can't focus at infinity, but its a specialized lens. I wonder what the greatest working distance is...
12-20-2016, 06:40 AM - 1 Like   #7
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I wonder if there's any glass back in the wider part of the assembly, or if that's just the mount, short helicoid, and empty extension. Because it seems rather odd that the magnification range is so limited, given their claim that the lens is usable up to 13x on additional extension. Why not use a helicoid with more than 10mm of range?

12-20-2016, 07:40 AM   #8
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No filter threads, probably because of a negligible working distance.

I can get ~5.6× magnification with my Pentax Auto bellows at full extension and a 35mm Spiratone macro lens. But not having to deal with the bulk of a bellows unit would be a big plus if you need that much magnification. Working space is negligible.

Canon's MP-E 65mm f/2.8 magnification range is from 1 to 5×, @ 5× the price. I'm not sure if it focuses to infinity.

Maybe Thomas Shahan will get a review copy and give us a hands-on look at this lens.
12-20-2016, 08:17 AM - 2 Likes   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by redpit Quote
Too bad it can't focus at infinity, but its a specialized lens. I wonder what the greatest working distance is...
It looks similar to the Olympus Zuiko Auto-Macro 20mm f/2 with maybe a slightly more recessed first element. If so, the working distance would be approximately 20mm*(1 + 1/magnification) - 6 mm. At 4X, you'd have maybe 19mm gap between the lens and subject and at 13X, it would be down around 15-16 mm.
12-20-2016, 08:19 AM   #10
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If my guess is correct and the wider part of the lens is just mounting etc., I'd rather have the lens itself with, say, an RMS thread for mounting, as with the Canon MP20. With the ZY lens mounted as it is, getting magnifications in the range from around 5x to 8x is going to be fussy because of the need to add small amounts of extension via short tubes. I'd rather have the convenience of a bellows for such work; at this magnification it's going to be focus stacking and while this is possible hand held (see Don Komarechka's snowflakes) for me this would be mainly a studio lens. Speaking of the MP20, I'd be really interested to see how it compares to this new offering. I have the MP35, but not the 20.

Edit: good find on the Olympus, this could well be based on that design. Which has all the glass at the top, as I expected.
12-20-2016, 08:37 AM   #11
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It does look suspiciously like that Olympus. The front element assembly on the Mitakon does look a little narrower overall, which might make light placement a little easier.

If it's just a simple built in extension going from 4x to 4.5x, I wonder why it's so small? It looks like the front element hardly moves and that there would have been room for more extension.

3rd party reviews will be interesting.

QuoteOriginally posted by Not a Number Quote
Canon's MP-E 65mm f/2.8 magnification range is from 1 to 5×, @ 5× the price. I'm not sure if it focuses to infinity.
There's no infinity focus on the MP-E, its minimum magnification is 1x. More expensive, but I'd consider it if it was in a Pentax mount. I agree that there's something to be said for not having to fanny about with bellows and all sorts of other adapters.
12-20-2016, 09:44 AM   #12
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Although the 10 mm range of motion on the lens seems disappointing, it's probably intentionally limited because: 1) it avoids crashing the lens into the subject; and 2) high magnification macro is more about moving the camera away from the subject than moving the lens toward the subject.

In going from 4X to 5X magnification, for example, the lens only moves 1 mm closer to the subject but the camera has to back up 19 mm. And between 4X and 13X, the lens only moves 3.5mm closer to the subject while the camera backs up about 176 mm. The higher the magnification, the less the lens moves and the more the camera moves.
12-20-2016, 10:07 AM   #13
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Crashing into the subject isn't likely a problem with how I'd envision using this lens. The helicoid wouldn't be used to set the focus, but the magnification, followed by moving the camera/lens combo until your subject is in focus (handheld or on a rail).

An advantage to a longer built-in extension is what baro-nite had suggested. With a 20mm built-in helicoid (for example), you could comfortably jump over 12mm worth of extension tubes to get overlapping magnifications as you step your way up with stacked tubes, this would be a jump in convenience imo. The strength of this lens seems to be compactness, and being able to continuously vary the magnification on tubes and maintain the compactness would seem ideal, especially if you're looking to try some hand held field focus stacking.

Once you step up to a bellows to get into higher magnifications, this built-in extension (mostly) stops mattering and you've also given up this compactness.

I do wonder how close it is to the Olympus, a quick ebay check puts the Mitakon at a much lower price point.
12-20-2016, 11:38 AM   #14
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Half of me thinks this is a really cool thing. Especially in K-mount rather than some weird adapter solution.

The other half of me wishes it were a 20mm f2.0 with 1:4.5 magnification rather than 4.5:1 but that focused to infinity...

A decent 20mm f2.0 for $200 would be awesome...

-Eric
12-20-2016, 12:24 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by TwoUptons Quote
A decent 20mm f2.0 for $200 would be awesome...
Sure, but it would be a completely different beast, and no way it could match those specs at that price.
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