Scoper wrote: ↑Sat Mar 30, 2024 8:37 pm
On a B&L SZ7 the accessory lenses use a different mounting system than the other scopes of the SZ series.
Has anyone offered an adapter that allows more commonly available accessory lenses to be used on this scope?
B&L themselves made an adapter that allows accessories for the rest of the StereoZoom series 'scopes to be attached to the StereoZoom 7. It was called the cat. no. 31-27-34 converter, and was offered to allow the use of the 31-34-83 vertical illuminator, 31-36-05 ring illuminator, and probably (I assume) certain of B&L's other ring illuminators (e.g. cat. nos. 31-36-15, 31-36-17, 31-28-18, and 31-28-23) on the StereoZoom 7. Interestingly, the converter was also used as the mount/housing for the 31-27-35 lens shield for the StereoZoom 7, and so if you cannot find the converter on its own, you can acquire one by purchasing a lens shield and unscrewing the glass.
Here, you can see the converter attached to the 31-34-83 vertical illuminator:
The lens shield looks like this:
I have seen used examples of the lens shield pop up that were missing the black foam seal adhered to the upper surface of the glass visible in the picture above. That seal is required to fully protect the StereoZoom 7's objectives from the environment, but of course is unnecessary if you plan to remove the glass and use only the converter component.
Now, just because you
can mount accessories for the other StereoZoom series 'scopes to the StereoZoom 7 doesn't necessarily mean that you should! Based on @BramHuntingNematodes' and @Scarodactyl's experience/advice, I suspect that the supplementary lenses for the other StereoZoom series 'scopes would work poorly. But, accessories that B&L advertised for use with the converter, such as the vertical illuminator or ring light couplers, can probably be assumed to work reasonably well. Which brings us to your next question...
Scoper wrote: ↑Sat Mar 30, 2024 8:37 pm
Also are any adapters that allow a LED light ring to be attached to the SZ7?
In combination with a ring light adapter/coupler with a ∅38mm thread (compatible with the other StereoZoom series 'scopes), the 31-27-34 converter can be used to adapt a ring light to the StereoZoom 7, and acquiring those parts would probably be the easiest way for you to attach your LED ring light to your StereoZoom 7 (assuming that your ring light is not so heavy that it would stress the spring that holds the converter in place).
This eBay listing for a B&L ring light includes both a converter (actually, a lens shield missing the foam seal) and a ring light adapter (possibly the 31-36-06 coupler?), and $50 OBO doesn't seem like too bad a price to grab it just for the parts you want—shoot the seller an offer and see what they'll take!
In case it's helpful to have an extra photo—and for anyone who might read this thread after the eBay link dies—here's a picture of the lens shield + ring light coupler that the seller PM'd me when I reached out with a question about that listing:
Interestingly, the combo of converter/lens shield + ring light adapter/coupler wasn't the only method devised for attaching a ring light to the StereoZoom 7. Here, you can see how one of B&L's earlier fluorescent ring lights (cat. no. 31-33-23) was mounted using a post and bracket screwed into the power pod's illuminator station:
Dolan-Jenner offered similar adapters for mounting certain of their fiber optic ring lights to StereoZoom series 'scopes, including the StereoZoom 7. Here's adapter 360-3 MAP, for mounting ring lights A3739P and A3739M to the StereoZoom 7 (for low magnifications, an adapter 360-3A MAP was also offered):
Some Dolan-Jenner products were rebranded and catalogued by B&L, including a post-mounted 4-point fiber optic ring light specific to the StereoZoom 7; the entire system was sold as cat. no. 31-30-50-05, and its individual components were cat. nos. 31-30-50 (illuminator), 31-30-51 (4-point adapter), 31-30-56 (4-point fiber optic), and 31-30-61 (4-point post and handle).
Scoper wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 12:57 am
For those who own a 3D printer, I would think there would be a market for SZ line of adapters/converters.
Actually, someone has 3D printed their own ring light adapter for a StereoZoom 7 and made the design freely available! See this link:
Adding some better lighting to a Bausch & Lomb 'Stereo Zoom 7'. (In case that link goes dead,
here's an archived version).