60x objective for swift sw380T

[Accuruss]

All

So learning my new scope I'm deathly afraid of using the 100x not wanting to mess with oil (irony of all things considering where I work lol). I noticed everyone mentioning changing the 100x with a 60x objective so my question to other sw380 users is which 60x is Parfocal with the existing set and of similar optical quality? I am looking at the AmScope A60X-V300 or 60X Plan Achromatic, are these the ones?

[75RR]

All

So learning my new scope I'm deathly afraid of using the 100x not wanting to mess with oil (irony of all things considering where I work lol). I noticed everyone mentioning changing the 100x with a 60x objective so my question to other sw380 users is which 60x is Parfocal with the existing set and of similar optical quality? I am looking at the AmScope A60X-V300 or 60X Plan Achromatic, are these the ones?

Any DIN objective will do, as that is what the ones on the swift are.

DIN = Deutsche Industrie Norm = 45mm Parfocal distance



Be aware that high magnification/high Numerical Aperture (NA) dry objectives are quite fussy.

Very small working distance, very shallow Depth of field and the subject must be up against the bottom of the cover slip which must be precisely of the required thickness.

I mention this because you stated that you would be viewing "fossilized foraminifera, tiny trilobites and other Microfossils"

If you are up to the challenge then the next question is whether you should go Plan rather than Achromatic ... more money but a flatter field of view

[Accuruss]

I use .5mm concave slides on the fossils, not much choice here as they would get crushed under regular slides and that already rules out use of the 100x regardless.

[apochronaut]

As 75RR already clarified for you, 60X objectives require skill and precision in use. They are also as unsuited to being used with well slides almost as much as a 100X oil immersion objective is.
If you want to be looking at microfossils, they are 3 dimensional subjects, unless you section and polish them. Why did you buy a Swift 380T microscope? It is completely unsuited to your pursuits. If your fossils are in a 1/2 mm well of air, you don't need a coverslip and you need no cover objectives with epi illumination. You can safely yo up to 60X using epi illumination but the same rules hold. The depth of field is slight, just a few microns and the working distance less than 1/2 mm usually.

If your sample is immersed in an aqueous medium or in a mountant, a microscope fitted with long working distance objectives might work but the deep 3 dimensionality of your samples are still a problem for high magnification. Your best bet is to stick with as low a magnification as you can to retain a low N.A. and the resultant longer working distance and depth of field, then utilize 15X eyepieces. Good microscope companies made/make 15s with a wide field, long eye relief and full plan correction, just for such applications. I am not sure what the 15's or probably in this case 16's are like for a low cost Chinese mass marketed microscope but you cannot go to a higher magnification of eyepiece and gain anything.

[Accuruss]

The Paleo guys use metallurgical microscopes which are rather expensive, an objective on one of those is 2-3x the price of my scope. I get the samples already air mounted in a concave slide with cover or in a paper envelope for the larger ones I need to place in a slide myself. All are .2-1mm in size I wanted more magnification to look at the fine structures not just too see them.

The poor mans approach of using a regular microscope and an led lamp works quite well except the working distance plus I want to start exploring things that are not quite so long dead and smaller than a stereo microscope can see.

[Fen]

When I look at pictures of the sw380 it seems like it has the standard Chinese objectives, so I guess it should be fine? I've seen those on alliexpress for like 20 euro for the 60x model. Same factory, just unbranded and cheaper.

[Chris Dee]

All

So learning my new scope I'm deathly afraid of using the 100x not wanting to mess with oil (irony of all things considering where I work lol). I noticed everyone mentioning changing the 100x with a 60x objective so my question to other sw380 users is which 60x is Parfocal with the existing set and of similar optical quality? I am looking at the AmScope A60X-V300 or 60X Plan Achromatic, are these the ones?

Given your situation my approach would be a long working distance plan 40x objective, a 24 megapixel DSLR, and image stacking with Helicon Focus or similar. Not ideal, but a decent compromise given your restrictions and more workable than a 60x dry objective IMO.

[apochronaut]

Microscope objectives are all corrected to see through specific materials of specific refractive indices. Matching those refractive indices in your sample preparation to the specifications and capabilities of your microscope optical system ensures that you can maximize it's potential.
Using a transmitted light microscope with cover slip corrected obectives to view opaque objects in air with high magnification to see detail would require some very clever illumination techniques and no cover corrected objectives. They do make some inexpensive ones in India and China but I really think you have bought an apple to make orange juice, since it would seem thst mostly you need incident illumination.
They have some fairly cheap metallurgical microscopes out there, much better suited to your task. Perhaps the Swift can be returned?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Radical-40-600 ... 0005.m1851

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1200x-Binocula ... Sw339fE-1K

[PeteM]

The Paleo guys use metallurgical microscopes which are rather expensive, an objective on one of those is 2-3x the price of my scope. . . .

Where are you located? Metallurgical scopes formerly used in wafer inspection often show up at reasonable prices in high tech parts of the US (Europe etc.) like the Bay Area, Boston, Austin, etc. The $260 for a new Swift 380 would buy something like an older generation Olympus with Neo Plan objectives with brightfield, darkfield, and polarization. Be a nice complement to your Swift?

[Accuruss]

I'm keeping the swift as there are other things I wish to look at with it but adding a complementary scope eventually looks like the best solution. I'm in the Caribbean so if its on amazon or ebay I can get it no problem, alibaba and banggood not so much as they don't ship here direct.

I should point out the samples I get are left overs the paleo guys at work collect. They would use a 40x stereo scope to first look for something interesting, separate it and then move the metallurgical scope for closer inspection. Not only bugs (the oil field term for micro fossils) but they also look at the rock formation it came from, that part is way above my head as it all looks like black crushed rock to me as my interest are the micro fossils or at least the bits of them that's left over.

[Greg Howald]

If the object is thick you will be unsatisfied at 60x. Before doing that, turn off the scope illuminator and light the specimen with light from above, even if all you have is a bright flashlight.
Greg

[DonSchaeffer]

Good suggestion. Also try horizontal light. Mount a forcusable flashlights on a stand near the stage. I bought an ultraviolet flashlight on Amazon for about $20.

[Element 56]

All

So learning my new scope I'm deathly afraid of using the 100x not wanting to mess with oil (irony of all things considering where I work lol).

I understand you may not need the 100x now but down the road when or if you start getting into viewing other specimens you should learn to get get comfortable with oil immersion. It's certainly nothing to be afraid of and it will open doors for you down the road.

Kirby