Looking for some additional sizes of F-Theta lenses for my machine while browsing the net for the least expensive deal in the world I suddenly wondered if there is a noticeable difference in quality between them? What I mean, e.g. parameters like distorsion, trasmittance or … I don’t know.
There is no quality data available on any reasonably priced lens, nor we are able to test these ourselves. Does anyone have experience of certain brands of lenses being better or worse than others, or if not whole brands but single pieces can be faulty or beyond specs? or is this difference (if there is any) or risk insignificant?
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I have the same animal as you …
I get all of mine from Cloud Ray… They have decent quality. Saying that, I’ve seen the commercial version of the same lens. Cloud Ray cost me < $75, but the commercial version is over 10 times that at around $800. I would hope one is better than the other.
I’ll do without at $800 a lens or really buy the lower cost one.
I have factory F460 (300mmX300mm) and I have two smaller with a focal distance of 100mm (70mmX70mm) and 160mm (110mmX110mm)… They all do the job… all from Cloud Ray at 1/10th the price of the commercial stuff.
Keep in mind the shorter the lens the more critical focus is required…
Good luck
Thank you for the kind encouragement. My machine came with two lenses, a 175x175 F254 and a 220x220 F330. I decided to buy two additional ones: 110x110 F160 and a 300x300 F420
I though about the 70x70 F100 as well, but decided the 110mm is quite close, don’t know, will buy that also if needed. (the target could be smaller beam diameter for some miniature font on jewelry?, or the stronger beam, maybe for cutting thin metal, something small, don’t know).
The main question, I do not know yet what I will be lasering some time. The current main purpose of my machine is marking machine plates (stainless steel, aluminum, certain plastics) I have a JPT MOPA 60W since a week.
Got mine from Cloud Ray on the first of the month… So I’m just learning also…
They had sent me a coupon for the purchase of the machine a knocked off a couple of hundred… the spouse picked it up and didn’t use the coupon… so they sent me a bunch of materials to work with and a couple lenses.
Make sure you check… I’m very close to the work with a 100mm, my acrylic measuring ‘stick’ is 116mm. There is a lower limit to short focal lengths. I only have a couple of cm that I can lower mine any more, so some of the short lenses won’t work on the MP-60 model.
I’ll probably pick up something like the 220x220 that you have. I have used the 300, it’s probably the F420… It’s kind of confusing to name them the way they do… that or I’m not smart enough to figure it out.
I know the focus on a shorter lens is very critical.
Good luck