MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

I would like to buy this auxiliary lens that is intended for Orthoplan condensers.

You might want to place a request at the photomacrography forum as well. I remember mrsonchus sourced one there.

https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 767e23adac

You're right. Forgot to do that!

What is it ? No such a lens came with my Orthoplan. It is not mentioned in the Orthoplan manual or other materia I have.

It is not absolutely necessary but it does improve the way the condensor can set up the light in terms of the super-widefield light channel and view that the Orthoplan is capable of. Probably completely unnecessary if you only utilize 23mm eyepieces and photo eyepieces on it. Then again, why would anyone do that? There's the Ortholux II for that

The lens is mentioned somewhere in my materials. I'll try to dig it up.

There is OrtholuxII, yes. However, it seems there is much more both Orthoplan stands and accessories in the market. For me, the high quality and modularity, especially easy attachment of fluorescence device Ploemopak is of high value. Large field of view is nice ( I have 30mm wide field eyepieces), however I am not so convinced it is so critical in revealing new details from the sample as Leitz advertise. You eyes can't see so large field of view at a time and scannig the field by your eyes may also be stressing. This is not only my opinion as I red something similar from somewhere some time ago, however don't remember where it was. Anyway the large field of view gives me a nice feeling that I am more "in" the landscape of the sample. After using Orthoplan some time I get an anxious feeling when looking into a microscope with a normal field of view. But I think this psychological effect might have nothing (or only little) to do with getting the actual information from the sample.

Without the auxiliary lens the image is good for me. It might be very hard to find, and probably relatively expensive taking into account my poor economical situation for running my lab in which most costs are not related to microscopy .

Leitzcycler wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:15 pm

What is it ? No such a lens came with my Orthoplan. It is not mentioned in the Orthoplan manual or other materia I have.

Here's a snip from Leitz info,
This is the one I had in my Orthoplan's condenser.... They're not as expensive as you may think, about £40-£60 should be about right for the U.K. if you spot one.

mrsonchus wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:29 pm

This is the one I had in my Orthoplan's condenser.....

What an interesting-looking lens
... ‘though maybe it’s just a trick of the light

I would love to see a sectional drawing, or the detailed formula.

MichaelG.

mrsonchus wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:29 pm

Leitzcycler wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:15 pm

What is it ? No such a lens came with my Orthoplan. It is not mentioned in the Orthoplan manual or other materia I have.

Here's a snip from Leitz info,


This is the one I had in my Orthoplan's condenser....


They're not as expensive as you may think, about £40-£60 should be about right for the U.K. if you spot one.

The pic and info are not showing.

Rorschach wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:36 am

The pic and info are not showing.

They are still showing fine on my iPad

MichaelG.

MichaelG. wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 5:46 am

Rorschach wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:36 am

The pic and info are not showing.

They are still showing fine on my iPad

MichaelG.

Strange...I still can't see them. Appear as broken links.

Images hosted on google seem to behave weirdly. I can't see them either.

I can't see it either.

Should look like this:

Thanks 75RR! This one is visible.

I believe Perl over at the photomacrography forum may have one. You could send him a PM

Screenshot:
. .

MichaelG.

MichaelG do you still have the K4 and would you sell it?

I did send a question to Perl already at the other forum.

Edit: the images in your latest message are visible !

Rorschach wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 8:02 am

MichaelG do you still have the K4 and would you sell it?

I did send a question to Perl already at the other forum.

Edit: the images in your latest message are visible !

Crossed lines, I think

... I have never had a K4

My images are just a screenshot of what mrsonchus posted

MichaelG.

MichaelG. wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 8:44 am

Rorschach wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 8:02 am

MichaelG do you still have the K4 and would you sell it?

I did send a question to Perl already at the other forum.

Edit: the images in your latest message are visible !

Crossed lines, I think

... I have never had a K4

My images are just a screenshot of what mrsonchus posted

MichaelG.

Ok. I take full responsibility for the confusion

Opps, I'll see if I can import the images into the forum's host, back soon!

Should be OK now folks.

mrsonchus wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:50 am

Opps, I'll see if I can import the images into the forum's host, back soon!

Should be OK now folks.

It is, thanks John!

By the way, same problem in the old thread where you discussed the installation of this same K4 lens (the protruding screw). None of the images are visible here in the thread, yet they are all on google when you do an image search!

Rorschach wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:15 am

Ok. I take full responsibility for the confusion

Very gracious of you
... It’s no problem: I just didn’t want to see you disappointed

MichaelG.

How much the K4 lens really improve the image?

It is not mentioned in the older Orthoplan manuals or brochures. So it must be some kind of improvement made later?

I hope I can live without the K4 lens...

Leitzcycler wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2020 7:20 pm

How much the K4 lens really improve the image?

It is not mentioned in the older Orthoplan manuals or brochures. So it must be some kind of improvement made later?

I hope I can live without the K4 lens...

Several people who have it, have told me that it is either useful or important. One was of the opinion that it isn't very important.

Please see the attached screenshot. It is from the 1974 Leitz publication 'Image-forming and illuminating systems of the microscope. Objectives, eyepieces, condensers.' It is a 120 page tome of knowledge, highly useful. It of course lacks all of the truly new Leitz developed products of the late 70ies and there on.

In a couple days I have been able to source two K4 lenses for very reasonable prices. One goes into the 602 condenser and the other will rotate between the 402a and a to-be-purchased polarizing condenser for the Orthoplan. Reading on it and listening to people having used them, it seems clear that the K4 is especially useful to have on a 602 and potentially useful on those other Orthoplan system condensors.

The K4 lens is very hard to come by in itself, as a stand alone item. However, here's how you will find one or two quite quickly. First do an ebay search using 'Leitz condenser'. Within the results, check all the 600 series 'bathtub' condensor listings for a good photo of the underside. If there's none, ask the seller for it. Then compare the image with the two photos attached here. The thing is, 90% or more of the sellers haven't even heard of the K4 lens and often do not even know that the condenser they are selling might have one installed. That's how I found the two K4s in a matter of two days, most of which time was spent waiting for the sellers to pull the lens out from the belly to verify that it is K4 (as you can see from the above Leitz literature excerpt, there are many others, so you need to check).

Hope that helps a few of you who want to find a K4!

Here's a 600 series condenser that hasn't got any extra lens installed: Here's the underside of a 600 series condenser that has one of the auxiliary lenses installed: The images are not mine. I was rogue enough to just use imagery available among Ebay listings.


Edit: having the wrong aux lens on a condenser, and not knowing it, sounds like a recipe to get less than perfect results with your scope. A K1 in a condenser on an Orthoplan or a K4 in a condenser on one of the Leitzes that are not super-widefield might at least partly explain a certain 'lack of something' in the imagery.

Thanks for that very helpful note, Rorschach

I don’t have any present need for a K4 ... but who knows

What I do have, however, is an ‘academic’ interest in how Leitz designed and implemented these variations on the condenser theme.

The picture that John B posted is quite intriguing, because it appears to show a creamy white insert within the lens ... Could I please ask you to post pictures of your new acquisitions; to clarify whether this appearance is real, or just a trick of the light in which John was shooting.

Many thanks
MichaelG.

MichaelG. wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:33 pm

Thanks for that very helpful note, Rorschach

I don’t have any present need for a K4 ... but who knows

What I do have, however, is an ‘academic’ interest in how Leitz designed and implemented these variations on the condenser theme.

The picture that John B posted is quite intriguing, because it appears to show a creamy white insert within the lens ... Could I please ask you to post pictures of your new acquisitions; to clarify whether this appearance is real, or just a trick of the light in which John was shooting.

Many thanks
MichaelG.

No problem, once they arrive, I'll take some photos for you.

Thank You ... Much appreciated.

MichaelG.

Thanks, this is important information! After seeing the above pictures and looking my condenser there is actually an auxiliary lens. I never thought it is an extra lens. I took it out, however there is a text: "Laborlux" Now I am confused. Image seems to be ok as far as I understand. However, the condenser seems not to be the proper one for Orthoplan. At least in theory.

As the Laborlux is not a super-widefield scope and the K4 lens is specifically intended to cater for that aspect, one would imagine that there would be some difference in light quality.

Perhaps it doesn't manifest itself in all situations? Could it be that things like aperture, magnification, brightfield or darkfield, lamp power, field iris aperture, any field filters and light-path swing-out lens position affect this?

The two K4 lenses are on the way to me, one from Spain and the other from Russia.