asking advice on purchase of a finte optics cmpnd scope

[jackieone]

I seem to be unable to send PM to other members of the forum, as evidenced by the "OUTBOX" containing a message which should have been sent several days ago to Charlie G.

Anyway, Charlie G, if you can contact me re: the microscope you mentioned you had for sale, I'm hoping you have better luck with the PM than I am having...

Hope this message reaches you!

[charlie g]

Hi, jackieone, as your great videos of: yellow scorpion, and of rotifers, and of amoeba show ( thanks for sharing these to forum)..with your two types of microscopes, your foundation is solid (for now!), microscopes breed day, or night.

Perhaps trick out your Swift SW350B microscope with 20X, and 60X 160 tube length objectives, mostly keep that oil-100X in it's storage vial ? Try other objective than the 4X , keep that 4X handy to switch back onto nose piece ?

I was surprised you have no use of through the eyepiece observing, but that being your observing style...with your Hayear 500 camera..indeed you do not need a trinocular microscope head.

I can sell you Nikon 20X, Nikon 60X, or Biomed 60X objectives, filters ( polarizer, neutral density, all these filters you can just plop on top field lens on the scopes base, polarizer filter in eyepiece)..and glass ware to better use your Tomlov DM201Max table microscope, etc., etc. coverslip sizes, etc. gear.

I know vendors on Amazon often do not print the correct specs on their for sale microscope optics...but...but I have two concerns with your two microscope listed specs...

The Tomlov DM201Max lists: "1300X" for magnification range..I,m not clear on "1300x" as spec for magnification range..perhaps forum members might explain this listed spec.( something to do with screen magnification?).

And the microscope manual for the Swift SW350B lists working distance for your 40X objective as: "0.29mm" ?!! That seems awfully too little WD for a 40X DIN 160/ 0.17 objective? Probably I'm wrong.

My thoughts are trick out your microscope nosepiece with objective mags between 10X, and 60X . I doubt your 20X eyepieces are useful..but explore 15X, or lower than 10X eyepieces..don't buy my vintage trinoc SteinDorf Berlin!

Is that your created microscopy site, 'See with me, microscopy'? all the best, charlie guevara

[jackieone]

Hi Charlie g - Unfortunately, the Swift developed issues with not allowing light past the diaphragm to the slide, and I had to send it back. Also, the Tomlov had serious issues with the camera literally going OUT of focus before filming, then going back INTO focus when the video was stopped. Tomlov couldn't offer any advice to fix it, so it went back too.

Now, I'm microscope-less. Empty desk, nothing to look through. Ugh,

I'm really a two microscope hobbyist: one is the Tomlov digital-type microscope for larger things (like slugs and scorpions! Ahhh!) and also a compound microscope for the real nitty gritty beauties close up and personal!

I have previously purchased these objective lenses: 4x, 20x semi-plan and 40x semi-plan, but have no microscope to put them into yet.

I'm wearing thick coca-cola bottle glasses, with astigmatism and double vision in one eye, which is why looking through binocular eyepieces is just not comfortable for me. I like viewing on an LCD screen or laptop, it's pretty exciting! And no neck strain, LOL!

I know the Tomlov microscope specs are greatly exaggerated; they all are, it's all zoom magnification. But I did get some nice rotifer, ciliate and paramecia video from it, by manually re-adjusting the focus after the video started (what a pain that was). I keep the bottom of the digital microscope at about 1.5 cm from the specimen to get the photos and videos and use zoom up to 3x (that's about top end, the 4x and above magnification is pretty awful). I use concave microscope slides, so the lifeforms are swimming around in there, and I get them back home before the water dries out and kills them all.

So at some point I will probably get another Tomlov or something similar for the bigger specimens, but I do need a compound microscope also.

So, that's where I'm at. And of course, if you have compound microscope suggestions, I'm listening. I appreciate all the time you've spent helping me out with this superfun hobby. I know I have more questions than answers, but that's never going to change. That of course is part of the fun.

And, yes, I've created "See With Me Microscopy" to share the fun I'm having with this hobby! I also have another channel called "My-Fi Saloon", because I create music and accompanying videos when I'm not microscoping. Is that even a word? LOL!

Talk soon, hoping you may have some additional suggestions for me re: compound microscope.

[charlie g]

Hello again, jackieone. Quality/ extremely low cost monocular 160 TL (finite optics ) are all over the internet...and you might have guessed..I have many to sell very low cost.

Again I suggest you go into this terrific forums archived threads on: 'microscope bench', on image captures, on maintaing at home microcosms

I am very upset that all this forums collection of 57 issues of: "MicrobeHunter magazine" are now only downloadable if one pays for a printed copy. In numerous recent threads I intended to post into the thread with

articles I contributed to: "MicrobeHunter magazine"...all these forum member contributed images and content are now: 'behind a pay wall'...sigghhh.

But you really should consult the archived threads in this great forum, jackieone.

Quality 160 TL (finite optics) monocular scopes..I have plenty to offer low cost+shipping cost...also occulars, objectives, microscopy glassware.

all the best, charlie g BTW..Please change this title of your thread from:'Charlie G' to (as I requested) asking advice on purchase of a finte optics cmpnd scope, in forum you should reach out to all this good forums community for advice.

[macnmotion]

Quality 160 TL (finite optics) monocular scopes..I have plenty to offer low cost+shipping cost...also occulars, objectives, microscopy glassware.

You don't happen to have a Nikon 0.52 condenser for the TMD Diaphot (circa 1985) laying around, do you?