[UV, VIS, IR] Lyman Alpha deep UV lenses V - Oncostele orchid

Today shots of a Orchid hybride (Oncostele Wildcat 'Golden Red Star') in reflected ultraviolet photography with a NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha I f2.8/100mm UV-VIS-NIR lens. UV filters used was the Baader-U filter for the Lyman Alpha 100mm, rear mounted. All shots were done at f2.8 as the Lyman Alpha lens has no iris. Light source used was two different Nichia 365nm UV-LEDs, one a cheap Convoy S2 UV mini torch.

[click on image to see a larger one]

For reference, visible light shot (UV-Nikkor 105mm):
 

Lyman Alpha I lens UV using Baader-U filter and Convoy S2 UV LED:
 

Lyman Alpha I lens UV using Baader-U filter and Convoy S2 UV LED:
 

Lyman Alpha I lens UV using Baader-U filter and strong Nichia UV LED:
 

This orchid has a very specific UV pattern, its petals are very UV dark, but its lower petal lip has on the lower center a very UV bright spot as well as on its center "nose" formation an UV reflecting spot and all this gets nicely visible, also with this Lyman Alpha I f2.8/200mm mirror only lens.

I have written about the Nye Lyman-Alpha lenses previously HERE and about this Orchid HERE
 
Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

[UV, VIS, IR] Lyman Alpha deep UV lenses IV - Oncostele orchid

Today tests shots of a Orchid hybride (Oncostele Wildcat 'Golden Red Star') in reflected ultraviolet photography with a NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha II f1.1/90mm UV-VIS-NIR lens in comparisoon with my UV-Nikkor 105mm lens. UV filters used was the Baader-U and the IDAS 340nm filter for the UV-Nikkor and a UV transmitting stack of UG11+S8612 as well as a 340nm filter for the Lyman Alpha 90mm, both rear mounted. All shots were done at f4.5 for the UV-Nikkor resp. f1.1 as the Lyman Alpha lens has no iris. Light source used was Xenon flash.

[click on image to see a larger one]

UV-Nikkor 105mm Visible Light:
 

UV-Nikkor 105mm Baader-U filter:
 

UV-Nikkor 105mm Baader-U filter (whitebalanced):
 

UV-Nikkor 105mm 340nm IDAS filter:
 

Lyman Alpha II 90mm UG11+S8612 filter:
 

Lyman Alpha II 90mm UG11+S8612 filter (whitebalanced):
 

Lyman Alpha II 90mm 340nm filter:
 

UV-Nikkor vs Lyman Alpha II 90mm in UV:
 

UV-Nikkor vs Lyman Alpha II 90mm in UV (whitebalanced):
 

UV-Nikkor vs Lyman Alpha II 90mm in UV (340nm):
 
This orchid has a very specific UV pattern, its petals are very UV dark, but its lower petal lip has on the lower center a very UV bright spot as well as on its center "nose" formation an UV reflecting spot and all this gets nicely visible.

Both lenses are very different animals so to speak, that Lyman Alpha II f1.1/90mm has extremely shallow DOF as compared to the f4.5 / 105mm UV-Nikkor lens, as well as some bent field, but it shows a very useful UV transmission. That rear mounted 340nm seems not to be the clearest filter, as the resulting image was a bit cloudy, not the fault of the lens.

I have written about the Nye Lyman-Alpha lenses previously HERE and about this Orchid HERE
 
Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

[UV, VIS, IR] Lyman Alpha deep UV lenses III

Today tests shots in reflected ultraviolet photography with a NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha I f2.8/200mm UV-VIS-NIR lens. UV filter used was my work horse UV transmission filter, the Baader-U, rear mounted. All shots were done at f2.8 as this lens has no iris. Light source used was daylight at a dull and rainy day.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Roof detail approx. 30ft/10m away:
 

Window detail approx. 30ft/10m away:
 

Absence of CA, easily seen on the stainless steel exhaust tubes approx. 60ft/20m away:
 

Closeup shot of an African Violet, approx. 3ft/1m away, using Nichia UV LED (365nm):
 

This lens has a UV transmission in the 190-400nm range of 85-88% and a resolution of 25lpm at infinity and 60lpm at 300mm distance and covers full format (maker data).The test images certainly confirm its usefulness.

I have written about the Nye Lyman-Alpha lenses previously HERE
 
Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

[UV, VIS, IR] Lyman Alpha deep UV lenses II

Oh well, it has been five years, but now I finally infinity-converted these very special lenses...

Back a little in time: When in 2012 I was able to acquire three prototypes of those lenses, made 1992, which came from the estate of the inventor, Richard Nye and his company, Nye Optical of La Mesa CA, I was very excited to find such lenses able to record in deep UV. But they turned out to be a bit tricky to convert and adapt to digital cameras. Now with mirrorless ones, it looked rather promising...

So, these scientific lenses Mr Nye invented and custom made, were for deep UV recording (capable to even work beyond 200nm, especially made to record the 121nm Lyman alpha lines, hence the name). It is a catoptric (reflex) Cassegrain design, which came in f2.8/200mm and f1.1/90mm (and some other) versions for full format cameras, but also for intensifier tubes and video cameras (25mm image circle, like the f1.1/90mm), with focusing from 250mm to infinity and some adjustable 50mm resp.18mm back focal length. And now I have them working on my Panasonic GH4 camera....

[click on image to see a larger one]



Inside the aluminum housing resides an about 25mm (1") thick quartz (ZERODUR most likely) mirror block, front aluminized plus a secondary mirror (most likely made of the same material) held by an adjustable metal "spider" in front of that first one. Quite built like a small 90mm diameter Cassegrain astronomical telescope.

DOF at one (1) meter (3ft) is as thin as a razor blade when using the Lyman Alpha f1.1/90mm lens and that doughnut shaped bokeh etc. makes it fun to use.

Here now a few images in visible light, UV will follow, weather permitting...

The very thin DOF of course generates those doughnut shaped bokeh bubbles, but by chosing a proper i.e. less noisy background it can be "tamed".

I have written about those lenses before HERE


Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos

[UV, VIS, IR] Lyman Alpha deep UV lenses

Well, an old collectors rule is "everything comes to him who can wait" - that it would be 16 years from when I first learned about that lens and personally had contact with its inventor Richard Nye, I had not really expected.

Now a few days ago I was able to acquire three prototypes of those lenses, made 1992, which came from the estate of the inventor, Richard Nye, who has passed in 2007, then 77 years old. His company, Nye Optical, La Mesa CA, unfortunately does not exist anymore.

So, the scientific lenses he invented and custom made were for deep UV recording (capable to work beyond 200nm, especially made to record the 121nm Lyman alpha lines, hence the name - only in vacuum or nitrogen atmosphere of course), but having no chromatic aberration also in VIS and IR. It is a catoptric (reflex) Cassegrain design, which came in f2.8/200mm and f1.1/90mm versions for full format cameras (43mm image circle), but also for intensifier tubes and video cameras (25mm image circle), with focusing from 250mm to infinity and some adjustable 50mm resp. 18mm back focal length.

[click on image to see a larger one]



Inside the aluminum housing resides an about 25mm (1") thick quartz (ZERODUR most likely) mirror block, front aluminized plus a secondary mirror (most likely made of the same material) held by an adjustable metal "spider" in front of that first one. Quite built like a small 90mm diameter Cassegrain astronomical telescope.

DOF at one (1) meter (3ft) is as thin as a razor blade when using the Lyman Alpha f1.1/90mm lens and that doughnut shaped bokeh etc. makes it fun to use. So here a first visible light shot:



Additionally a short test video I shot using that lens:


which shows its dreamlike/surreal/ethereal rendering of images.

Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos