Olympus C5050 zoom macro test.

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Comparative tests of different macro configurations with Olympus C5050 Zoom digital camera regarding Chromatic Aberration (CA) and Depth of Field (DOF).

by Jens Birch
birchmail

All tests were performed by taking photographs, near the closest possible distance, of a black and white test pattern printed at 1200 dpi on a XeroxDocuPrint750 ink-jet printer.
The test pattern consists of several rows with a pattern of thin lines, mutually separated by 1 mm in the vertical direction. Each row consists several series of "tick-lines" with successively increasing mutual horizontal distance, starting with 0.1 mm and ending with 0.4 mm. In the center of each row, a number is printed with font size 2 pt. (The shortest tick separation, 0.1 mm, represents the average distance between the lines since the printer could not correctly reproduced the tiny features.)
The pattern was back-lit by a flourescent tube for which the white balance of the camera was corrected on a white surface. The pictures were taken in SHQ resolution (2560x1920 pixels low compressed JPEG). Images here are reduced to 400x300 in order to reduce download times.

Tested configurations (focal lengths are given as 35 mm SLR system equivalents):
1.   Super-macro lens setting. Distance ~30 mm. (This lens setting is bulit in to the C5050 which uses 56 mm focal length.)
2.   The camera lens in normal setting (no macro) at 56 mm focal length plus a Helikor 40 mm-diameter 20 diopters macro lens mounted on the Olympus CLA-1 filter holder in front of the lens. Distance: ~50 mm.
3.   The camera lens in normal setting (no macro) at 101 mm focal length plus a Helikor 40 mm-diameter 20 diopters macro lens mounted on the Olympus CLA-1 filter holder in front of the lens. Distance: ~50 mm.
4.   The camera lens set to 101 mm telephoto normal setting (no macro) plus an achromatic ~30 diopters multiplet-lens. Closest distance is ~30 mm. (I don't know how many lenses it contains but it was the central (out of three) groups of elements in a Sigma 35-70 mm Zoom SLR lens.) Picture of the multiplet together with the Olympus CLA-1 adapter which is 43 mm in diameter and the holder of the multiplet.

For each configuration, the Chromatic Aberration (CA) was tested by taking head-on photos of the printed pattern and the Depth of Field (DOF) was tested by taking photos at an oblique angle of 45°.

NOTE: I am in the process of including also some achromatic doublets (as alternatives to simple close-up type lenses as the Helikor +20) in this test, see this image. On the image you see from the left: +33 triplet, +20 doublet, +10 dublet, and, finally, Mount Gay XO contained in a Swedish Orrefors crystal glass container ready for úse... The test results will soon appear on this page.

CA tests:
Row numbers correspond to the configuration numbers given above.
Columns: 1. Show full picture overview. 2. Show 400x300 pixels in the image center. 3. Show the 400x300 pixels at the left edge of the image

1:1. Super-macro overview	1:2. Super-macro 400x300 pixels at center	1:3. Super-macro 400x300 pixels at left edge

2:1. 56 mm, 20 diopters overview	2:2. 56 mm, 20 diopters 400x300 pixels at center	2:3. 56 mm, 20 diopters 400x300 pixels at left edge

3:1. 101 mm, 20 diopters overview	3:2. 101 mm, 20 diopters 400x300 pixels at center	3:3. 101 mm, 20 diopters 400x300 pixels at left edge

4:1. 101 mm, ~30 diopters achromatic multiplet overview	4:2. 101 mm, ~30 diopters achromatic 400x300 pixels at center	4:3. 101 mm, ~30 diopters achromatic 400x300 pixels at left edge

Comments: The CA can be seen as a rainbow-like color separation around features close to the edges.
1. Super-macro exhibits strong CA and a barrel distortion is apparent.
2. 56 mm normal mode + 20 diopters close-up macro lens gives the same magnification as super-macro but with considerably more CA and an inverted barrel distortion.
3. 101 mm normal mode + 20 diopters close-up macro lens gives approximately 2x the super-macro magnification with considerably more CA and slightly inverted barrel distortion.
4. 101 mm normal mode + ~30 diopters achromatic multiplet as a close-up macro lens gives approximately 3x the magnification of super-macro but with no noticeable CA. The slight vignetting seen in the image is due to the adapter used, not the lens itself.

Bottom line: The camera exhibits strong CA at short focal lengths. Close-up lenses composed of one simple concave element introduces unacceptable CA. CA is not apparent at long focal lengths. Achromatic close-up lenses can be used with great results. (Why does nobody sell them?)

All images shown here are for aperture f4. The results for the larger and smaller aperture settings arebe summarized as : The largest aperture, f2 for S-macro and 56 mm focal length+20 diopters close-up lens and f2.6 for 101 mm focal length+20 diopters close-up lens, produced considerably worse chromatic aberrations while no CA was visible when using the achromatic multiplet. At aperture f8, images became slightly sharper. However, CA appeared to be the same, indicating that spheric aberrations also come into play.

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DOF tests:
Row numbers correspond to the configuration numbers given above.
Columns: 1. Show full picture overview. 2. Show 200x600 pixels in the image center with smallest aperture f8. 3. Show the 200x600 pixels in the image center with f4 aperture. 4. Show the 200x600 pixels in the image center with largest aperture, f2.6-2.0.

1:1. Super-macro overview (f8)	1:2. S-macro, 200x600 pixels f8	1:3. S-macro, 200x600 pixels f4	1:4. S-macro, 200x600 pixels f2

2:1. 56 mm, 20 diopters overview (f8)	2:2. 56 mm, 20 diopters 200x600 pixels f8	2:3. 56 mm, 20 diopters 200x600 pixels f4	2:4. 56 mm, 20 diopters 200x600 pixels f2

3:1. 101 mm, 20 diopters overview (f8)	3:2. 101 mm, 20 diopters 200x600 pixels f8	3:3. 101 mm, 20 diopters 200x600 pixels f4	3:4. 101 mm, 20 diopters 200x600 pixels f2.6

4:1. 101 mm, ~30 diopters achromatic multiplet (f8)	4:2. 101 mm, ~30 diopters achromatic multiplet. f8	4:3. 101 mm, ~30 diopters achromatic multiplet. f4	4:2. 101 mm, ~30 diopters achromatic multiplet. f2.6

Comments: As the photos are taken at 45° angle, the distance between each successive row is 0.7 mm. Super macro could not be used at the minimum distance since the lens diameter did not allow for that at 45°.
1. Super-macro exhibits ~1-5mm DOF and a strong perspective plus barrel distortion is apparent.
2. 56 mm normal mode + 20 diopters close-up macro lens gives ~1-4 mm DOF with much less perspective distortion but with an inverted barrel distortion.
3. 101 mm normal mode + 20 diopters close-up macro lens gives ~0.5-1.5 mm DOF but a slight inverted barrel is apparent.
4. 101 mm normal mode + ~30 diopters achromatic multiplet as a close-up macro lens gives gives <0.5 - <1 mm DOF but no apparent distortion. The slight vignetting seen in the image is due to the adapter used, not the lens itself.

Bottom line: Large DOF and perspective distortion goes together (as might not be a surprise). Close-up lenses minimizes the the perspective distortion compared tho the super-macro setting even when the same magnification is obtained. In super-macro the diameter of the lens makes it tricky to get very close to the subject fom an angle if it is at a flat surface. The longest distances are achieved with Close-up lenses which makes it easier to illuminate the subject.

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