Macro Lens Reviews/Testing
Pentax 100mm f/4 bellows, M42 mount
At present, I have about 60 lenses that can be used for macro and high-magnification imaging. Over the
last couple years, I have performed a moderate amount of testing on virtually all of them. I only recently
expanded my lens testing procedures to add numerical detail about corner sharpness. I will add more lens
reviews to this list as I finish additional testing on my other lenses.

Numerical testing is performed by way of Imatest (
imatest.com). Because macro lens testing is performed
at various magnifications (for me at least), and commercially available test patterns are made to work at a
single magnification, I had to develop my testing procedures to account for that limitation. The bottom line
is that I have to do a lot more work to get a similar amount of information.

I test the lenses in the macro magnification range from 1:4 to well beyond 1:1, depending upon the lens
and its usable range. Numerical testing in this magnification range is generally ignored with most lens
reviews that you find on the web.
Bellows Lenses:
Enlarging Lenses:
Microscope Objectives:
Macro Lenses:
Non-macro lenses (used for macro):
home
Nikon M Plan 10x/0.25 210/0
Glossary of Definitions
Nikon micro-Nikkor 105/2.8 AF-S VR
Nikon El-Nikkor 50mm f/2.8N
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AIS
Olympus 38mm f/2.8 auto bellows
Schneider Componon 28mm f/4
Nikon CF Plan 4x/0.13 160/0 Phase
Nikon micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 AIS
Nikon 35-70 mm f/3.3-4.5 AIS
Minolta 50mm f/3.5 auto bellows
Schneider Componon 135mm f/5.6
No-name cheap 4x/0.10 achromat
Nikon micro-Nikkor 200/4 AF ED-IF
Leica Photar 25mm f/2 bellows
Nikon El-Nikkor 105mm f/5.6
Nikon BD Plan 5x/0.10 210/0
Sigma 50mm f/2.8 DG macro
Nikon 135mm f/4 bellows
Schneider Componon-S 50mm f/2.8
Nikon M Plan 20x/0.40 210/0 LWD
Miscellaneous lenses:
Nikon Printing-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
Minolta 12.5 f/2 bellows
Spiratone 35mm f/3.5
Nikon CF PlanAPO 4x/0.20 160/0
Nikon micro-Nikkor 105/4 AIS
Canon 35mm f/2.8 bellows