Nauticam newest MFO-1

[Davide DB]

I saw a FB post of @pcremoneabout this new wet lens and it's strange nobody talk about it...

 

Quote

Introducing our newest Water Contact Optic, the Mid-range focus optimizer or MFO-1. The MFO-1's main function is to cancel the focus distance limitation of macro lenses underwater and provide ample focus distance for different sizes of subjects which were previously limited by using SMC-1 or CMC lenses.  The MFO-1 also greatly improves optical performance by minimizing aberration

 

 

https://www.nauticam.com/products/mid-range-focus-optimizer-1-mfo-1

 

[Troporobo]

I don’t understand this at all.  I use a 60mm lens on m4/3 with a flat port and it will focus just fine at any distance from macro to infinity.  I don’t see any “aberrations” either.  What am I missing?  

[ChipBPhoto]

2 hours ago, Davide DB said:

I saw a FB post of @pcremoneabout this new wet lens and it's strange nobody talk about it...

 

 

 

https://www.nauticam.com/products/mid-range-focus-optimizer-1-mfo-1

 

 

Thanks for sharing @Davide DB !  

I've heard the name, but details have been unknown.  This could be interesting.

 

 

Edited Sunday at 09:18 PM by ChipBPhoto

[bvanant]

Changes the focus range of the macro lens, resulting faster acquisition of focus with much less hunting.

 

I wasn't award that my focus range was limited with any of the u4/3 macro lenses.

Bill

 

[Chris Ross]

10 hours ago, Troporobo said:

I don’t understand this at all.  I use a 60mm lens on m4/3 with a flat port and it will focus just fine at any distance from macro to infinity.  I don’t see any “aberrations” either.  What am I missing?  

It seems to be saying it gives you more working distance when using something like an SMC-1 on a 100mm macro lens.  Perhaps need to wait for it to appear in the port chart to see what sort of changes it will make.

[hedonist222]

The MFO-1's main function is to cancel the focus distance limitation.

 

Maybe early days and hence the cryptic marketing blurb, but it looks like they've managed to reduce (doubt they can eliminate) the minimum focusing distance. 

 

Info from the internet: 

#81501 MFO-1 (yellow circle)

The main features are:

1. The focusing distance can be within 1 meter, eliminating the focusing distance limit of macro lenses (SMC is within 10cm).

2. Improve the overall picture quality.

3. The distance, range and size of photographed objects have increased a lot of possibilities.

It is expected to ship at the end of November, priced at $12,000

#nauticam #smc3 #mfo1

 

 

[hedonist222]

Just now, hedonist222 said:

The MFO-1's main function is to cancel the focus distance limitation.

 

Maybe early days and hence the cryptic marketing blurb, but it looks like they've managed to reduce (doubt they can eliminate) the minimum focusing distance. 

 

Info from the internet: 

#81501 MFO-1 (yellow circle)

The main features are:

1. The focusing distance can be within 1 meter, eliminating the focusing distance limit of macro lenses (SMC is within 10cm).

2. Improve the overall picture quality.

3. The distance, range and size of photographed objects have increased a lot of possibilities.

It is expected to ship at the end of November, priced at $12,000

#nauticam #smc3 #mfo1

 

 

 

Although I remain confused at the first point above. 

 

Most macro lenses working distance  (i.e. the minimum focusing distance to record a 1:1) is always less than 1 meter anyways.

[Davide DB]

46 minutes ago, hedonist222 said:

It is expected to ship at the end of November, priced at $12,000

 

Nauticam site reports 457 USD

 

[hedonist222]

43 minutes ago, Davide DB said:

 

Nauticam site reports 457 USD

 

Yep. 

Definitely not US dollars.

Copied from a Facebook page in a far eastern language (could be Hong Kong or Taiwan dollars).

 

[Davide DB]

Ok, I'm a M43 shooter so from Nauticam port chart I get:

 

14-42mm:

 

 

Leica 45mm macro:

 

 

So I would expect that the maximum working distance will increase somehow.

[Floris Bennema]

23 hours ago, Troporobo said:

I don’t understand this at all.  I use a 60mm lens on m4/3 with a flat port and it will focus just fine at any distance from macro to infinity.  I don’t see any “aberrations” either.  What am I missing?  

The minimum focus distance of the 60mm lens is 19cm. For this reason I only use it in clear water.

[Troporobo]

Re-reading the announcement and thinking about everyone’s replies, it does seem to be about increasing the maximum focus distance when using a close-focus diopter.  I remain confused.  If I want to do that, I just flip the diopter out of the way and with that the maximum becomes infinity.  Why would I want another lens to cancel the effect of an accessory lens that can instead just be removed?  Hmmm . . . 

[ChipBPhoto]

I've done some checking around today and details remain thin at the moment.  The only thing confirmed is it is a stand alone lens, not used in conjunction with the SMC/CMC, which is what I figured.

 

If it can reduce the MFD for a normal macro lens (i.e. Sony 90 w/ 28cm MFD) and still have a substantially longer focus range than an SMC/CMC, that would be quite useful.  There have been plenty of times I wanted to get closer to the subject, but the MFD would not allow the lens to focus, while at the same time not wanting the extra magnification and super shallow DoF of the SMC/CMC.  This would also match up with the name "Mid-Range Focus Optimizer" in macro terms.  

 

Again, this is just me interpreting the verbiage, but I have no idea if this is actually what it does.

Guess we'll know more in the next 30-60 days....

 

Edited 6 hours ago by ChipBPhoto

[Isaac Szabo]

Yeah Chip that's how I interpreted it too - with the important addition of improving image quality. I've long been bothered by the sharpness loss towards the edges with macros behind flat ports. Some diopters improve that, but then I lose the ability to focus on many of my normal macro subjects. So if this does what I think it does, it will be a welcome addition for me. 

[ChipBPhoto]

43 minutes ago, Isaac Szabo said:

Yeah Chip that's how I interpreted it too - with the important addition of improving image quality. I've long been bothered by the sharpness loss towards the edges with macros behind flat ports. Some diopters improve that, but then I lose the ability to focus on many of my normal macro subjects. So if this does what I think it does, it will be a welcome addition for me. 

Agreed!  In a FB comment I found by Alex Tattersall, it appears we may have it right.  He’s claiming a focus range on a Sony 90 to be about 2cm - 1m, with improved sharpness.  If correct, that would fantastic! 
 

That said, I’m waiting for the official confirmation and hands on testing.

 

[Isaac Szabo]

32 minutes ago, ChipBPhoto said:

Agreed!  In a FB comment I found by Alex Tattersall, it appears we may have it right.  He’s claiming a focus range on a Sony 90 to be about 2cm - 1m, with improved sharpness.  If correct, that would fantastic! 

 

Wow that does sound fantastic!

[RVBldr]

If that's true, I see a potential to use the 90mm in blackwater, which eliminates the current MFD on the 90mm and makes it unsuitable on the Sony. If so, this gives a potential option to the sub-par 50mm macro.

[ChipBPhoto]

15 minutes ago, RVBldr said:

If that's true, I see a potential to use the 90mm in blackwater, which eliminates the current MFD on the 90mm and makes it unsuitable on the Sony. If so, this gives a potential option to the sub-par 50mm macro.

100% agreed!!

 

[Dave_Hicks]

The Nikon 60mm macro will focus at damn near 0cm range behind a flat port. No diopter required.

 

From what I am reading, the SubSea+5 on a Nikon 105mm does about the same thing this MFO-1 does, at about 1/2 the price. It reduces the MFD from about 25cm to maybe 10.

[Isaac Szabo]

What primarily interests me is improving the image quality without losing focus range (though being able to focus closer is nice too). A 60mm on full frame behind a flat port loses quite a bit of sharpness towards the edges. I notice the same thing with the Sony 90mm though to a slightly lesser degree. Does the SubSea +5 improve image quality or just allow you to focus closer? And does it also maintain focus range out to a meter or so?

Edited 51 minutes ago by Isaac Szabo