Stereo question.

[Plasmid]

When it comes to Stereo microscopes, are the head and stands universal in dimensions? I mean the diameter of the head being able to fit other stands.

[PeteM]

There's a wide variety. My examples range from 44mm (with digital microscope stands even smaller) up to around 98mm for some American Optical. In between, there are some just fractions of a mm enough different to cause problems. Olympus, Meiji, Scienscope, Wesco etc. range from about 83mm to 85.5mm.

[Plasmid]

Thank you PeteM, would you happen to know how this is listed on the specs? Is it refered to as collar diameter or head diameter etc ?

[Scarodactyl]

The standard for mid to higher-end stereos is 76mm, and this is if not universal very widely used. Exceptions will include some older brands (such as old 60s Olympuses, Bausch and Lomb, American Optical) and budget introductory stereos based on old designs, as well as top-end stereos which often have a focus mount attached directly to the head, plus Meiji who has clung to their 84mm ring (though they now sell Chinese-made microscopes as well which will fit a standard 76mm ring). Explictly included are all NIkon SMZ scopes plus their numerous clones, any later Olympuses (I think 4045 and later maybe?) and the numerous clones, Leica M series and S series and Zeiss greenough stemis, plus almost any mid-range and up stereo you can buy from China, even the Meiji lookalikes will typically be 76mm and not 84.

[PeteM]

You can tell "Scarodactyl" is much more up to date and with better scopes. I rarely see these diameters listed in the specs. Here's a chart I keep for myself in fitting out used scopes for kids - don't count on this not having wrong measures or typos - but it might help with some of the older models:

Approx. diameter fitting:

44mm ---- New unknown focus stand & upright, 44mm hole
58mm -----Some sort of Nikon holder with spiral extension & small lens
60mm -----Olympus VT-II
62mm -----Older Nikon SZ-2 with round ring zoom control
73mm -----Larger Nikon, fits SZ-1 with side handles
76mm -----Leica/Wild? Olympus VM/VMZ Nikon SMZ-1 and SMZ-10
83+mm ---Olympus SZ-III & generic white focus blocks
84.3mm ---Meiji EMF,EMT,EMZ (Scienscope clone is just off this)
85.5mm ---Wesco/Luxo/Unitron trinocular
98mm ---- AO 569,570, 580 . . .
B&L semi-square StereoZoom 2,3,4,5,7

[Plasmid]

Thank you all this helps a great deal as I plan on using a mismatch head and base, will report back if it ends up working out.