How to select lighting? [SMZ-U]

[SanFran77]

Hi,

I have a Nikon SMZ-U with two objective lenses. For the first one (the Extra-low Dispersion ED1), I have a ring light, but for the ED2 which has a much smaller working distance, the ring light does not focus the illumination where it has to be, instead the center of the image stays without illumination and a ring of light is shown around it. I am wondering how to think about lighting in the first place, is there a good primer on the internet that introduces this topic for stereoscopes? And second, is "working distance" part of the specs of a ring light, or how do I find one that fits to the ED2 lens? Thank you!

[Scarodactyl]

Yes, the working distance range is part of the spec, though chinese suppliers don't always provide that information.
A good alternstive is a dual gooseneck 100w halogen illuminator or modern LED equivalent. The poseable arms are nice for directing light where it's needed.

[SanFran77]

Using a gooseneck might be a better, more flexible idea, such as in this video: https://youtu.be/_Ej9QxMO9XM?si=8m4t1TFyK-mOH_fH

The working distance for the ED2 is quite low though, around 4 cm is my guess. But because I don't have the light ring around it, I should be able to get as close as I want to. There are crazy price differences for illumination on the market. I have seen anything from less than 50 USD to more than 500. Is there an easy way to find quality products?

[einman]

You used to be able to purchase a gooseneck led light from Ikea. That was one of my favorite set-ups. You can also find quite a few microscope illuminators on E-bay at very reasonable prices.

[PeteM]

In addition to the gooseneck LED lamps, I'll use LED flashlights held in stands or on articulating arms. The ones with the 18650 lithium-ion batteries are bright, dimmable, and last a long time before needing a recharge. They're easily positioned from near vertical to raking angles. Multiple sources are easily added (this stand has three arms). With some lamps (including the one attached in the picture), I'll add a linear polarizer to the end. Combined with the any-angle ability of the arms and a polarizer on the objective, it allows near-complete control of the light.

The best arms are made by suppliers like Noga. However, some of the much less expensive Chinese clones (more like $18 versus $80) are entirely satisfactory for holding a lamp.

I'll sometimes use a ring light for this scope (not shown), which attaches to the silver ring at the bottom of the objective and, surprisingly often, LED transmitted light - also with transmitted polarization - which is the bluish glow at the bottom of the stage.
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Articulating arms for LED lamps.jpg (131.26 KiB) Viewed 3015 times

[SanFran77]

Thank you both for sharing your setups, that was very helpful!