Good place to buy a microscope in Austria

[thomas.schwarz]

I am looking for a good place to buy a used microscope for microbehunting in Austria or Germany that fulfills these criteria:
1) Top four brand (Olympus, Nikon, Leica, Zeiss)
2) Can pay 2 or 3 thousand dollars and have a great trinocular/USB microscope (albeit without fancy filters or contrast)
3) Over time I can add DIC, Phase Contrast, and similar contrast improvements and $$ allow
4) Something like this place, but in Austria or Germany https://www.spachoptics.com/
5) a preconfigured, tested microscope, because I am a newbie and dont want to get a "project" microscope

Any tips? In other words, I am willing to get into a used microscope (take on the risks and config complexity) in order to get the better stage, focus, general mechanical quality of a top brand microscope. So something like:
* Olympus CX 41 looks perfect https://www.spachoptics.com/OLYMPUS-CX4 ... ergo-2.htm
* BH-2 Also great https://www.spachoptics.com/BHTU-p/olym ... -phase.htm, but did I read that BHTU has problems with DIC?

...but in Austria or close?

[thomas.schwarz]

Ah, looks like CX == no DIC
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=27127

[Hobbyst46]

I would consider and decide whether to choose an infinity-corrected or finite (160/170mm) optics microscope. For example, the Olympus CX and BX lines take infinity-corrected objectives. Same for Zeiss "Axio" microscopes. Objectives and other accessories for such microscopes, although of superior optical quality, will be considerably more expensive than their parallels for finite optics. Parts are not interchangeable between finite and infinite. The Olympus BH2- type microscopes take 160mm finite optics.

[PeteM]

Spachoptics seems to want top dollar for most of its stuff.

I don't know the market in Austria or Germany. Perhaps someone like MicroBob would have better insight. Here on US Ebay, with a bit of patience you should be able to get a very good quality phase contrast microscope, complete with a trinocular head, for under $1500. This would be something like an Olympus BH2 (BHS best), a Nikon Labophot (Optiphot even better), a Leitz Laborlux (D,11,12 etc.), a Leica DMLS, a Zeiss Standard with phase contrast and a trinocular etc.

A new Chinese phase microscope is another possibility. The drawback being that these are not "system" microscopes. Even to the extent they offer options like better objectives and DIC, those will be extremely costly new and rarely if ever available used. If you eventually want DIC, a darkfield condenser, better objectives, etc. -- then it will pay to learn which of the system microscope models (listed above) can be readily upgraded.

There is likely a microscopial society near you -- and its members might be able to point you to a great microscope at a fair price.

Happy holidays.

[apochronaut]

You are right in the heart of Reichert country, which gives you a leg up on the possibility of landing one of the more compact, infinity corrected Reichert models made between 1972 and into the 90's. I say more compact, because a Univar or Polyvar both have pretty large footprints but there were more benchtop friendly models such as the Neovar 2 and Diavar 2 , which both used infinity corrected optics. The Neovar 2 used the AO 34mm parfocal infinity corrected system , so many of the accessories available for the long running early( 1962 on) AO infinity microscopes can be adapted to it and the Diavar 2 used the 45mm infinity corrected system , common to the post 1970 Reichert designs and the post 1985 AO designs, so many of the adaptions and optics from that system are adapted to it.

The infinity optics of those 45mm parfocal systems are still close to state of the art, and compared to their optical quality, prices are exceptionally low. They are not easy to find here in N.A. but you might have a pretty good chance of finding particularily a Diavar 2, in Austria. Worth a look around, irregardless of who the dealer is.

[MicroBob]

Hi Thomas,
I have never bought from them but they have a good reputation: Immel optics. They sell mostly Zeiss microscopes.

Bob

[zufar]

Hello Thomas,

I believe that these two sources satisfy your criteria
http://www.thilo-immel-optics.de/komplettmikroskope.htm
https://www.mikroskop-online.de/mikroskopverkauf.html
I believe that both sources are reputable, though I bought microscope parts only from Thilo.
You may also check http://www.usedmicroscopes.co.uk/
They have limited listing, but try writing them.

For 3000 you definitely can get phase contrast and even DIC microscope if you shop around. Also, it may be a good idea first to try cheaper microscopes to understand them, their capabilities and limitations. There are many subtleties when buying used microscopes. For example, if you choose to go with Olympus BH-2, you may want to get a system complete with trinocular adapters and eyepieces, because hunting for them later could be a lengthy experience. You may also want to understand what objectives you would want. If you are spending that much, then your BH-2, for example, should have at least Splan or better SplanApo objectives. DIC systems for BH-2 tend to be quite expensive, around 3 thousands, but BH-2 are great microscopes and are very expandable. Basically, for long term upgradability going with Zeiss, Leitz or Olympus is indeed a better idea than buying new small brands like Bresser, etc.

Since you probably speak German, try asking for advice at https://www.mikroskopie-forum.de/ which is another great resource.
Best of luck and happy microbe hunating!
--Zufar

[thomas.schwarz]

Awesome friends. I really appreciate this. So many great points. I will take the advice of all posts here. Really valuable for me. Thank you. I will follow up with results....

Happy holidays and happy microbe hunting

[thomas.schwarz]

one more link just ran across, some pricey, some in the scope of this thread:
https://wie-tec.de/Durchlicht
https://wie-tec.de/Nikon-Labophot-2-Mik ... Dunkelfeld

[PeteM]

Thomas, Most everything in both links looks to be about 3x what I'd expect to pay used. If those happen to be reliable dealers, it's worth some upcharge. Not that much IMO.

The Zeiss Universal if truly a complete transmitted DIC, with all lenses good, looks the best priced of the lot IMO.