MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Here are pictures of what has quickly become my favorite microscope. A reichert zetopan with interference contrast system. Got lucky as all prisms were in perfect condition. But the analyzer and slider were stuck. I had to open them up and very lightly re grease them. Same with the stage and binoc adjustment. The lower polarizer that sits below the condenser has a small brown burn mark in the center. It was originally equipped with a Binolux II lamp house which was sold off to afford a 20W LED system from Retrodiode (expensive but worth it). Its outfitted with a nikon plan 10x, plan apo 40 and 60x dry objectives both with correction collars. They work much better than the original objectives (non IK versions). I have not tried the 100x oil iris objective yet. I have an afocal method for photos using a zeiss 8x kpl objective in the photo tube and a cannon 50mm lens. I had been worried about the 0.7 NA condenser but ive read up that it only diminishes about 16% of the overall resolution when compared to a 1.4 NA condenser. I've posted a couple videos of it in action on the forum. Hoping to post many more.

Truly a thing of great beauty

MichaelG.

Thanks michael, its built like a tank too. I was trying to upload some more decent photos of it but they all turned sideways or were too large...I'll give it another go tomorrow.

As a fellow with Nikon CF objectives on a black vintage microscope stand, I applaud you! What eyepieces do you have on there? A CF PL the trinocular? But the ones in the binocular head don't look like Nikon CF?

houstontx wrote:...to afford a 20W LED system from Retrodiode (expensive but worth it). Its outfitted with a nikon plan 10x, plan apo 40 and 60x dry objectives both with correction collars. They work much better than the original objectives (non IK versions). I have not tried the 100x oil iris objective yet. I have an afocal method for photos using a zeiss 8x kpl objective in the photo tube and a cannon 50mm lens.

Hi, that is an amazing setup. Waiting to see results!
May I ask some questions:
1. Which color temperature is the LED?
I am using a RetroDiode illumination apparatus myself, a 10W cool white. Nearly two years, no problems. I am guessing that for a Zetopan, 20W is much better than 10W, especially for DF, DIC etc..
2. Is the combination of Nikon objective, Zeiss KPL eyepiece and Canon lens free of chromatic aberrations? Are those CF Nikon objectives?
3. How much of the field of view is covered by the 8X and 50mm lenses?
I am using Zeiss objectives, that need color compensation, with a 8X KPL and afocal 50mm/1.8 Canon prime lens for the APS-C camera. There are some CA effects (not seen through the bino, but visible in the photo images), depending on the objective.

Hobbyst,

Yes its the 20W system, color temp is 5000k, Cree LED. I think the 20W is absolutely necessary for DIC on the zetopan. I have posted a couple videos with it on the forum lately in the stentor dic thread.

Here is a crop of an image taken of the peritrich taken while shooting one of the videos. Seems to me there is a little CA with the nikon objectives, but not that much... The 40x and 60x are plan apo, and 60x works well with the 63x prism. I have also used a 50x Leitz NPL Fluotar 1.0 NA Oiled with the 40x prism and it gives amazing results.

I thought with the 8x and 50mm it equates to 1.6x so it seems to be good coverage. As of right now the camera rests on top of the zeiss bell adapter but I have ordered the dovetail to filter thread adapter. I haven't measured the distance from the eyepiece to the lens.

Here is a crop of an image taken of the peritrich taken while shooting one of the videos.

Many thanks for the clarification.

I have a Reichert 100x Plan IK as we a Plan 63x IK for 160mm tube length. If you are interested.

BTW, where is the IK prism? I don't see it in your image.

Regards,
Wayne

Does RetroDiode put a fan on them now? Or is that your improvement?

Mine don’t get too hot. I rest my hand on the one for the Wild Heerbrugg M20 while fine focusin and it never gets more than pleasantly warm.
Radazz

Radazz,

The led came with a fan. Its a bit loud, but not too bad. Mine is the 20W led maybe it gets a bit hotter?

Wabutter,

I think I'll stick with newer type objectives. The older reicherts are nice but they don't compete with objectives from the 80s/90s. If you look in the first pic the analyzer prism sits just below and to the left of the polarizer slider, there is a small silver knob and slider. Or Follow directly up from the objective barrel thats it.

Nice to see an old beauty still in it's glory.
You probably want to stick with Nikon, now that you have committed to it but I will mention these anyway. I have a 63X 1.0 oil immersion with a removable funnel stop for DF and a 100X 1.25 fluorite with iris diaphragm, both Reichert.

Beautiful Zetopn, a classic stand indeed, houstonix, thanks for sharing it in forum. I always mention these as: Reichert/Austria when talking about them, out of respect for this lineage.

I enjoy the baby sibling Reichert Austria Biozet trinoc stand. Again, thanks, houstonix

thanks all it is a great scope. I got lucky finding it. Once its dialed in its a very rewarding feeling. I feel more connected to it than any other scope I've used...My only issue is lack of 20x dic prism. Thinking about taking the one from my olympus bh2 and fit it into an empty slot in the condenser. Then I can sell the oly

by the way if anyone has an opak illuminator or reflected dic module for a zetopan please let me know!

best,

Chris