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LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 8:02 pm
by Dmi3n
Greetings to everyone. I live in Russia and there are many cheap LOMO microscopes available for me as I have some contacts in institutes and univesrsities who ocasionally upgrade their gear so old but still good (often they were on the shelf 99% of time) microscopes are sold dirt cheap or even thrown away. I know pretty much about LOMO microscopes and can fully service them from re-greasing to machining new parts. So I can find pretty much any microscope for you, from student Biolam to research Lyumam, service it properly if needed and ship to you for good price. Also I can find individual objectives, eyepieces, parts, anything. I can sell it via Ebay to provide guarantees. PM me if you need anything.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 3:09 am
by jmp
Hi Dmi3n,

My first microscope was one of those ubiquitous BIOLAMs, which I still have and use. Recently I aquired a few more LOMO models that I'm restoring: a Metam-IQ, a Laboroscope and an Invertoscope (I'm quite fond of this last one).

I've been keeping an eye on Ebay but some parts are a bit hard to find there, so I'm going to take advantage of your kind offer to do some part hunting. Right now I'm interested in TQA 20x and 10x objectives, these are long working distance objectives for the inverted microscopes, and in a 10x QPA phase objective for the Laboroscope. If you happen to stumble upon any of those let me know! I'd be happy to by them from you through Ebay.

Other parts I'd be interested to get my hands on, eventually, are the EPI arm of a LUMAM, to upgrade the Laboroscope (since the rest of the microscope body is the same for both models), and perhaps the variant of the oblique condenser for the Laboroscope.

Besides hunting for parts I'm also looking for information about the DIC module for the Invertoscope. From the little that I've been able to grasp from bits and pieces on the Internet, it looks to me that its not real DIC but more of an oblique illumination hack, perhaps you know more about this?

Regards,
jmp

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 8:23 am
by Dmi3n
jmp wrote:
Tue Feb 18, 2020 3:09 am
Hi Dmi3n,

My first microscope was one of those ubiquitous BIOLAMs, which I still have and use. Recently I aquired a few more LOMO models that I'm restoring: a Metam-IQ, a Laboroscope and an Invertoscope (I'm quite fond of this last one).

I've been keeping an eye on Ebay but some parts are a bit hard to find there, so I'm going to take advantage of your kind offer to do some part hunting. Right now I'm interested in TQA 20x and 10x objectives, these are long working distance objectives for the inverted microscopes, and in a 10x QPA phase objective for the Laboroscope. If you happen to stumble upon any of those let me know! I'd be happy to by them from you through Ebay.

Other parts I'd be interested to get my hands on, eventually, are the EPI arm of a LUMAM, to upgrade the Laboroscope (since the rest of the microscope body is the same for both models), and perhaps the variant of the oblique condenser for the Laboroscope.

Besides hunting for parts I'm also looking for information about the DIC module for the Invertoscope. From the little that I've been able to grasp from bits and pieces on the Internet, it looks to me that its not real DIC but more of an oblique illumination hack, perhaps you know more about this?

Regards,
jmp
Hi jmp, unfortunately those newer microscopes are quite rare at used market because they are still used in work in laboratories. If I find anything, I'll PM you. As far as I know, there was no mass-produced LOMO DIC modules, only some prototypes.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 7:35 pm
by jmp
Hi Dmi3n,

Seems I can't reply via PM (registered recently, can receive but not send PM). Any way, thanks for the info, and yes, please send me the PDF that you have for the Biolam P-1. The model sold in the US specifically mentioned DIC as an option for it. Then there's this:
Image
This is a filter that is a perfect fit for the P-1, it has a polarizing filter and a slit beneath it but no trace of a Nomarski prism. That's why I get the impression that this filter is more for oblique lighting that anything else.

Saludos,
Jmp

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:38 am
by Dmi3n
jmp wrote:
Fri Feb 21, 2020 7:35 pm
Hi Dmi3n,

Seems I can't reply via PM (registered recently, can receive but not send PM). Any way, thanks for the info, and yes, please send me the PDF that you have for the Biolam P-1. The model sold in the US specifically mentioned DIC as an option for it. Then there's this:
Image
This is a filter that is a perfect fit for the P-1, it has a polarizing filter and a slit beneath it but no trace of a Nomarski prism. That's why I get the impression that this filter is more for oblique lighting that anything else.

Saludos,
Jmp
Hi jmp. I have seen many P-1s for sale, but none of them had this filter. I'll upload manual at google drive soon and send you the link.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:10 pm
by MicroBob
HiJmp,
for the PZO DIC system there was a slit condenser as one option. It is used in combination with a prism above the objective and gives a 3D DIC effect but more oriented that the effect that results from the use of a prism condenser.

Bob

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 4:16 pm
by jmp
Thanks for the info Bob. I've found some references to that slit condenser from the PZO in the forums.

Regards,
Jmp

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 8:28 pm
by Dmi3n
PZO system is called DIC after Pluta as I recall, he was one of Nomarski's collegues or students. Maybe you can find his original article on the net.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 10:22 pm
by MichaelG.
Interference microscopy of polymer fibres*
M. Pluta
First published:December 1972 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2818.1972.tb01061.x Citations: 156
† Presented at the ‘Micro‐72’ meeting, Oxford, 10 April 1972.

____________

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf ... .tb01061.x

Sorry ... I haven’t yet found a free download; but many University Libraries will have access.

MichaelG.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 1:40 am
by jmp
Thanks Dmi3n and Michael. I got Pluta's paper, will be an interesting read.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2020 3:27 pm
by jmp
Just found on the web a brochure from a re-branded LOMO BIOLAM P-1 inverted microscope here. It shows that indeed DIC was possible for 10x and 20x using 2 separate filter/prism sliders with this microscope. The bigger slider, shown in the photos in previous posts, has a slith and a polarized filter and sits in a slot that is located between the condenser lens and the collimating lens of the light source. The smaller slider holds the prism that sits between the objective and ocular when inserted into the light path. This is similar to what Microbob described about the slith condenser option for the PZO.

Given that is unlikely for this particular prism slider to appear on ebay, I wonder if adapting the prism from another DIC system, such as the one shown here from a Zeiss Universal, using a 3D printed frame would have any chance of working at all, or if its worth at all trying. Would be quite convenient to be able to quickly switch between bf-phase-dic using filters (since I have the phase sliders). I guess that I can get away with just oblique illumination using custom filters that I can 3D print myself, and avoid the trouble.

Jmp

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Thu May 28, 2020 4:30 pm
by riorio44
Hello dmi3n, I was wondering if you or anybody else had a user manual for the Lomo Polam-213M?

Thanks in advance!

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 10:49 pm
by kville79
Just curious, how much could you get a petrographic microscope with a Fedorov stage for?

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 10:14 am
by alandavison
I am looking for information on the Lomo Polam P-211 petrological microscope. I can only find bare bone specs. I would appreciate help with operating instructions, catalogues, accessories etc.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:07 am
by apochronaut
Dmi3n wrote:
Sun Mar 01, 2020 8:28 pm
PZO system is called DIC after Pluta as I recall, he was one of Nomarski's collegues or students. Maybe you can find his original article on the net.
Pluta was an engineer at PZO, I believe. Wrote many papers about Interference contrast microscopy. PZO never called their systems DIC. They called it polarizing interference microscopy. I'm not sure they used Nomarski prisms . They may be Wollaston or de Senarmont prisms.

The PZO slit condenser was a modification of the Goerz condenser, which was marketed from the 50's to the 80's as a 3-D condenser. The Goerz has an addition that DF can be employed as well.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:51 pm
by Dmi3n
apochronaut wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:07 am
Dmi3n wrote:
Sun Mar 01, 2020 8:28 pm
PZO system is called DIC after Pluta as I recall, he was one of Nomarski's collegues or students. Maybe you can find his original article on the net.
Pluta was an engineer at PZO, I believe. Wrote many papers about Interference contrast microscopy. PZO never called their systems DIC. They called it polarizing interference microscopy. I'm not sure they used Nomarski prisms . They may be Wollaston or de Senarmont prisms.

The PZO slit condenser was a modification of the Goerz condenser, which was marketed from the 50's to the 80's as a 3-D condenser. The Goerz has an addition that DF can be employed as well.
Thanks for interesting information. By the way, I have the aforementioned MOM-Goerz 3D-condenser but have to adapt it for use on my microscpe. As soon as I ll find a way, I will post a review.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:51 pm
by Dmi3n
alandavison wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 10:14 am
I am looking for information on the Lomo Polam P-211 petrological microscope. I can only find bare bone specs. I would appreciate help with operating instructions, catalogues, accessories etc.
Unfortunately Polams are very rare even in Russia, I will try to find some info for you.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:06 am
by alandavison
I have found this Lomo 213 manual on a German site. Reference to the site are on MicrobeHunter.
Polam-311-ru.PDF
I have downloaded a copy, but I do not know if copyright applies.
However, a search for the above should find it.
It seems comprehensive, but is in Russian cyrillic.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:23 am
by alandavison
Possible errror correction and update.
Reference is:-
mikroscopfreunde-nordhessen.de/dateien/polam-311-ru.PDF
So this refers to the P-311/312. It looks very similar to the 211, but has a lighting system mounted where the turret would be.
There will be a lot of information on what the knobs & adjusting screws do.
There is also a pdf on the P211, as stated, but it is just an image and specifications. Not very detailed.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2020 10:17 am
by Dmi3n
alandavison wrote:
Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:23 am
Possible errror correction and update.
Reference is:-
mikroscopfreunde-nordhessen.de/dateien/polam-311-ru.PDF
So this refers to the P-311/312. It looks very similar to the 211, but has a lighting system mounted where the turret would be.
There will be a lot of information on what the knobs & adjusting screws do.
There is also a pdf on the P211, as stated, but it is just an image and specifications. Not very detailed.
Unfortunately I couldn't find any literature about it. Again, it is very rare scope on the secondary market, they are still in use. My friend has one in his institute's lab but the manual is long lost, as it often happens.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2020 4:21 pm
by Zuul
Are Lomo (or Lytkarino) stereo microscopes available to you very often? I don’t know how many (or none?) were made with trinocular heads, but that would very interesting.

Re: LOMO microscope hunting for you

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:40 am
by Dmi3n
Zuul wrote:
Sun Sep 20, 2020 4:21 pm
Are Lomo (or Lytkarino) stereo microscopes available to you very often? I don’t know how many (or none?) were made with trinocular heads, but that would very interesting.
Stereomicroscopes themselves are widely available here but relatively expensive (300$ and more for new MBS-10, older models are cheaper). Trinocular head for them called МФУ (MFU) is very rare, seen it maybe 2-3 times on russian sites for 150-200$ alone.