MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Hi ! Sorry for my bad english, I buy this microscope from a guy. This is a contrast phase microscope from Spencer but I can find the model on the internet. Can you help me with that ? What is the value and it is a good microscope or not ? It coming from an old hospital in my country. I have to buy the bulb too. Thanks you

That is either a #3 or a #5. It is a liitle hard to tell from the small photos. The #3 was the small research stand and the #5 was the larger research stand but they look very similar from a distance. It would be a little unusual for that model of circular stage to be mounted on a #3 but possible. From a few small details that I can see, I think a #5, which isva very fine microscope.

It is also hard to tell if it has a phase condenser. The condenser that I see through the stage does not look so. If it is phase, it would be very unusual for that model of microscope. I have never seen another. However, the objectives are silver in colour, so they are not apochromats, which would be the normal ones fitted to either the #3 or the #5.

If you could post a larger picture from the side, I could tell for sure. It looks like it may have Bausch & Lomb eyepieces.

The illuminator is obviously not Spencer. If you post a picture of the bulb, it may be fairly easy to point you in the direction of a replacement.

New picture

For the bulb, I don’t have the old one

Here is the light.

It is a Research # 5, made in 1952 or possibly 1953. The condenser is an odd one, having some of the features of the fine focus achromatic condensers usually mounted on one of those stands but carrying a more conventional abbe type condenser lens section. This must be one of the earlier single annulus phase condensers that they made. If the condenser is removed, does the top section thread out to change the annuli? Does it have an annulus installed?

It has objectives typical of the era, achromats of 3.5X, 10X, 43X and 97X are they? The three upper magnifications should have phase designations on them.
There were a number of phase options in that series of objectives with the 7 coloured identification rings. Six or seven per magnification. Are those objectives marked with any phase designations? The 3.5X objective appears to be mounted on a collar of some kind.

The illuminator appears to be an older quality illuminator. The name on the transformer is unknown to me. Is the same maker's name on the illuminator itself?
The proper bulb may take a little detective work. It looks like a push and turn type, locked in by the 3 tabs. What is the diameter of the socket for the bulb and the output voltage of the transformer?

edit.

I took a closer look and it has a 3.5X, a 10X and two 43X. Possibly , there are two different 43 X phase types, or one is not phase?