Looking for an older scope... I think

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gnewt
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Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 4:17 am

Looking for an older scope... I think

#1 Post by gnewt » Wed Jan 13, 2021 5:13 pm

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for a little guidance on buying a microscope. I am using it for looking at soil samples, counting bacteria, protozoa and nematode types, etc. I was considering buying the i4 microscope from LW Scientific with plan or SP objectives, and maybe an LED Epi-Flourescence kit. But then I read a number of post here suggesting people could get an older scope with great objectives for good prices. So now I'm looking at used microscopes, but am a bit overwhelmed by the options. I'm looking for a microscope with:
-trinocular camera tube
-nice handling (course and fine stage adjusting; my cheaper OMAX microscope does not have the best fine adjustment handling in my opinon...)
-good objectives
-abbe condenser
-in good working condition (I don't have time or skill to get into DIY fixing up an old scope)
-i don't need darkfield (though that could be a nice addition), don't need polarizing light and don't need phase contrast.
-potential to add an epi-fluorescence kit, maybe, down the road. Can you get LED epi units for older microscopes?
I have been looking at an Olympus BH-2 model or BH-S. There are some models on ebay with good objectives around $1500-$2000 USD. I have found some on ebay with good objectives. Or maybe a Leitz?
It has been great to find this forum! Thanks all
Greg

Hobbyst46
Posts: 4277
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Looking for an older scope... I think

#2 Post by Hobbyst46 » Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:22 pm

There are high intensity commercial LED lamps for microscopy, including power supply and dimmer, by the name CoolLED. Pretty expensive. Can be attached to an Olympus BX microscope (and other microscopes), so I believe can be interfaced to a BH2 stand. One still needs the epi-illumination field aperture (to achieve Kohler conditions) and, of course, a cube with an appropriate dichroic mirror and emision filter. Depending on the Stokes shift - perhaps an excitation filter as well.

A post on either this or the photomacrography forum (can't remember which) has posted a DIY project - a three or more LEDs for epi-fluorescence. A couple of years ago. Must have been on an Orthoplan microscope but I might be wrong.

viktor j nilsson
Posts: 760
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:12 pm
Location: Lund, Sweden

Re: Looking for an older scope... I think

#3 Post by viktor j nilsson » Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:37 pm

Hobbyst46 wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:22 pm
There are high intensity commercial LED lamps for microscopy, including power supply and dimmer, by the name CoolLED. Pretty expensive. Can be attached to an Olympus BX microscope (and other microscopes), so I believe can be interfaced to a BH2 stand. One still needs the epi-illumination field aperture (to achieve Kohler conditions) and, of course, a cube with an appropriate dichroic mirror and emision filter. Depending on the Stokes shift - perhaps an excitation filter as well.

A post on either this or the photomacrography forum (can't remember which) has posted a DIY project - a three or more LEDs for epi-fluorescence. A couple of years ago. Must have been on an Orthoplan microscope but I might be wrong.
I think it's this one you are thinking about?
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... p?p=201937

It's an excellent build. I've collected most parts to build a similar setup. Probably will finish it in a couple of years. :roll:

Hobbyst46
Posts: 4277
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Looking for an older scope... I think

#4 Post by Hobbyst46 » Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:41 pm

viktor j nilsson wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:37 pm
Hobbyst46 wrote:
Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:22 pm
There are high intensity commercial LED lamps for microscopy, including power supply and dimmer, by the name CoolLED. Pretty expensive. Can be attached to an Olympus BX microscope (and other microscopes), so I believe can be interfaced to a BH2 stand. One still needs the epi-illumination field aperture (to achieve Kohler conditions) and, of course, a cube with an appropriate dichroic mirror and emision filter. Depending on the Stokes shift - perhaps an excitation filter as well.

A post on either this or the photomacrography forum (can't remember which) has posted a DIY project - a three or more LEDs for epi-fluorescence. A couple of years ago. Must have been on an Orthoplan microscope but I might be wrong.
I think it's this one you are thinking about?
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... p?p=201937

It's an excellent build. I've collected most parts to build a similar setup. Probably will finish it in a couple of years. :roll:
Yes, Viktor, Thanks for the reminder. And it was a Zeiss, not Leitz.

apochronaut
Posts: 6271
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Looking for an older scope... I think

#5 Post by apochronaut » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:19 pm

You mention good objectives . Do you mean high numerical aperture objectives or better colour corrected objectives ? or both? Semi, or fully apochromat objectives will immediately increase your numerical aperture and usually also be low fluorescence . High numerical aperture achromats may or may not be fluorescent friendly.

You specify an abbe condenser. Abbe condensers are the bare minimum for a microscope above student grade. They are quite limiting to high resolution imaging. Some of 1.3 or 1.4 N.A. are a bit better due to an extra lens . An aspheric abbe is better yet and even at a lower N.A. due to better peripheral corrections. You probably should be looking at achromat aplanat condensers, if you are also looking for "good objectives".

Hobbyst46
Posts: 4277
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Looking for an older scope... I think

#6 Post by Hobbyst46 » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:45 pm

If the chief aim of the microscope is fluorescence, epi-fluorescence that is, the condenser is less important.
High NA objectives on the other hand are very important for fluorescence. Low light calls for high NA.
IMHO, given that the fluorescence is a very limited assortment of wavelengths, probably 1-2 most of the time, color corrections are less important, although high NA usually goes with apochromats...

gnewt
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 4:17 am

Re: Looking for an older scope... I think

#7 Post by gnewt » Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:19 am

Wow thanks for the link. That is quite a DIY project.
Thanks for the guidance on objectives. New territory for me. Good to know about the limitation of a regular abbe condenser too. I did not know that. Much to learn...
There's a microscope here for example that checks a lot of my boxes and comes with some very nice looking objectives. Price wise, I have no idea if it's reasonable, but this is at about the top end of my budget. I see individual objectives such as these going for quite a bit. The epi-fluorescence is not currently important. It can wait, and might be a whole different future microscope set up. I guess I am looking for a "primary" / daily use microscope that offers clarity across the whole field of view, is comfortable to use for long hours, and build to last. Or whatever is the best bang for the buck on a modest budget. I will take a little a while to look probably. Unless this one is really a great deal that I should snap up...
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Olympus-BH-2-BH ... e#viTabs_0

PeteM
Posts: 2982
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:22 am
Location: N. California

Re: Looking for an older scope... I think

#8 Post by PeteM » Fri Jan 15, 2021 2:26 am

Regular SPlan (rather than SPlan Apo) objectives should do just fine -- and the linked BH2 doesn't have anything with greater magnification than 40x. Given that you want to clearly see bacteria I'd think something like a 60x or 100x PlanApo would be where you want to splurge?

That one is also missing the trinocular head you want - maybe another $250++ landed at your door and taxed if you buy it separately.

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