A quality Chinese microscope

[coominya]

I was trolling gumtree and came across this little $30 offering, and since it was close, decided to have a look. Needless to say I bought it, quite a decent monocular and if nothing else a great ornament for the shelf.

The mechanics are all smooth, bar the condenser rack (stiff old grease) and the optics are clear as a bell. It was obviously made while Mao was still in power, before the new economy.


















From one of the sample slides that came with it.
Evening primrose pollen. 400x

[MichaelG.]

Nice find !!
... It looks a very 'honest' instrument.

MichaelG.
.
Edit: I've just found this video of a Harman, with the same model designation:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cVUOOddvRt8
... Is this its successor ?

[desertrat]

I have one just like that, or nearly so. I bought it from a nationwide discount tool company named "Harbor Freight Tools" around the year 2000. Harbor Freight no longer sells microscopes like that.

I think the objectives are 36mm parfocal, and I don't believe they're coated. For awhile several years ago, these Chinese microscopes could be bought with coated optics for a slightly higher price before coated optics became standard and no longer optional.

For the older style achromats, which used simpler optical designs than modern objectives, the lack of coatings isn't a big deal if the optics are otherwise good in performance. There is slight difference in contrast. I don't hesitate to use uncoated antique objectives on my A/O 4 Series scope.

My Chinese scope is no longer fully functional, because I pulled the mirror and pivot off it to complete a simpler microscope to give to a young relative.

I agree the optics look good for general viewing, but I discovered they don't perform as well on diatoms as they should for their marked N.A.

However, the Chinese objectives are much better than some I bought from Surplus Shed several years ago, made in India. The price was so low I had to try some out. I got five objectives, 4X, 10X, 20X, 40X, and 100X for 60 USD, or 12 USD each. Their performance was about what one would expect at that price for a new objective. The 100X oil immersion was useless, producing a fuzzy image only at the edge of the field in the 2 o'clock position. I guess that would be bad optical centering.

Almost all my microscope related purchases are internet bottom fishing expeditions. Sometimes I haul in a gem. Other times it's rusty tin cans.

[coominya]

Nice find !!
... It looks a very 'honest' instrument.

MichaelG.
.
Edit: I've just found this video of a Harman, with the same model designation
... Is this its successor ?

Good find Michael, definitely a much later model based on the objectives. If I would hazard an opinion I would say it's a Chinese copy of an old Chinese product because the engineering is not the same at all.

Compare these, the first pic is a screen grab off your video, the second an image I took on the scope I bought.

[coominya]

The 100X oil immersion was useless, producing a fuzzy image only at the edge of the field in the 2 o'clock position. I guess that would be bad optical centering.

2000 hey? Well that should have been an older one I'd imagine. Over the next couple of days I'll test the oil obj on mine and post a pic ( a smartphone over the EP pic)

[desertrat]

The 100X oil immersion was useless, producing a fuzzy image only at the edge of the field in the 2 o'clock position. I guess that would be bad optical centering.

2000 hey? Well that should have been an older one I'd imagine. Over the next couple of days I'll test the oil obj on mine and post a pic ( a smartphone over the EP pic)

Hope I didn't cause confusion. The oil immersion on the Chinese scope was OK. It was the Indian oil immersion from Surplus Shed that was no good.

[coominya]

Mine came with a little bottle but it's jammed in the circular wooden holder at the very back of the box. The 100x objective was not in the turret either but separate in the ep/obj holder and may have never been used. The older woman I bought it off said she bought it new when she was at uni for her sociology degree.

What I find amazing is how little light it needs to illuminate a specimen. An LED desk lamp 3 feet away floods it with light.

[zzffnn]

This may be the same "Jianan" company, as the brand logos look the same:
http://www.jnoec.com/en/about.asp

I don't know why the online one says it was established in 2005 though. "Jiannan" simply means south of river and people living in that area near Shanghai generally are well educated.

coominya's scope may be a copy of old Zeiss design.

There is another "Taiyuan" optical instrument company near Beijing China. That one once produced the highly acclaimed TWX-1 portable military microscope.

Then there are many more no name factories elsewhere.

[Essaouira]

Hi,

I have another Jiannan scope, you can see it here:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3052&hilit=madrid

I find it really fantastic, small but superb quality, on par with Zeiss Jena, in my opinion.

Best,
Javier

[coominya]

I find it really fantastic, small but superb quality, on par with Zeiss Jena, in my opinion.

Best,
Javier

That is a beautiful microscope you have there Essaouira, I love the black enamel finish on it.