MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

So I recently acquired another Leitz Diaplan. I enjoy these scopes immensely. They are extremely well built and can be configured in a variety of ways. This one was perfect with the exception of a stage with stripped gears. It looked like a rail had loosened and the user attempted to force the stage movement, jamming up the gears. I had an extra stage I swapped in and ouila a complete scope.

There were 2 lamp houses available for the Diaplan, the LH103 and the LH103Z. The LH103 is a tungsten Halogen equipped lamp house while the LH103Z was designed more for florescence capable of accepting gas discharge lamps.

I now have both lamp houses.

Congratulations einman. Nice microscopes. I am not a Leitz expert, so on questions: The mico on the right hand has a kind of intermediate tube. What exacetely is the use of this? Is it for Analysator slide or is it to change magnification, maybe like the optovar usded by Zeiss?

It changes magnification. The idea was to eliminate the need for multiple eyepieces. I don't recall the technical term for it. I have a similar set-up on my Dialux 20. The head is a FSA GW-R with a top and rear phototube 30 mm eyepieces.

The scope on the left has the more basic set-up with the FSA-VR head single phototube 23mm eyepieces.

Nice microscope indeed. Makes sense to concentrate on one brand I think, parts all interchangeable.

So this is the rare Diaplan, a Leitz unicorn

How would you compare it with a late iteration Orthoplan or an Aristoplan? Pros and cons?

Sorry for the late reply. I generally do not frequent the forum during the spring/summer. Actually the Diaplan is far more common, especially now on the used market, than the Aristoplan which in realty did not sell very well. Not sure what you mean by Unicorn. It was an awesome stand but manufacturing costs exceeded where they had to be to compete. The Aristoplan was even more more expensive with options such as various head accessories and the placement of filters for Fluorescence within the stand itself. They shared many parts. I had the opportunity to purchase an Aristoplan but after reviewing it could not justify the cost differential over my fully optioned Diaplan. I preferred it over my Olympus BH-2 with widefield head etc. It is all in your personal preference, and as some have mentioned, focusing on a single brand allows parts to be interchanged etc.

Hi einman, good to hear from you old chap!
Beautiful 'scopes - simply exquisite, and of course eminently capable.

Always interesting to learn a little more re their positions in 'scope-world' with context too.

Congratulations my friend and thanks for a nice post.