MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

After scouring the forums I refined my priority's:
Reversed nosepiece
Halogen primary lighting
Semi-plan obj's, plus a 60X
Kohler lighting
Amscope B530B has all the above for $400. So I end up with the highest dry magnification, better than mediocre
obj's, good illumination, and a controllable lighting I can grow with.
Sound like a reasonable deal ?
Dale.

Was looking at the AmScope B530B specs on Amazon, not sure that the objectives are semi-plan.
If you go to the bottom of the page to the what's in the box list they say achromat.

Remind me why you do not want a trinocular again? It is only 50 dollars more.
When you get fed up with sharing your binocular with a camera, having an alternative will make your day.
http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-T530B-Mag ... cope+T530B

Sound like a reasonable deal, Dale.

Is this your top budget $$$ ?

I would look for 20mm eyepieces rather than 18mm that come with this scope and a little better frame/stand.

Other than that, if this is your first scope I think you will be satisfied with the optics.

If you plan on photographing I think the triocular is a good idea in the beginning unless you are like everyone else and will soon have another microscope.

Best wishes,

lorez

AAArrrgh. You are right. I used the amscope filter to filter for semi-plan scopes, and NONE of the 9 scopes had them.
So I think I am out of the running for a high-res scope. I have no interest in imaging, just surfing for curiosity. I can now afford a better scope than I had in 1950, but it wouldn't take much to do that. I could barely discern a paramecium!
My budget was $600 incl the 60X. There are still a number of reverse nosepiece models under that limit.

I have a very nice AO 10 for sale that is mentioned somewhere on the group. Maybe that would be a good alternative. It has plan objectives and I know it will outlast any Amscope.

lorez

Thanks Lorez, I did search alot and there were so many different variable I could not form an opinion. For sure tho
outlasting would not be a problem as I am 72!!!
I did get some replies from a nice Amscope tech a few weeks ago. He said they do not sell semi-plan lenses as accessories. He was adamant that the B530B had true semi-plan obj's. The barrels on the B530B obj's are black,
while the non-plan achro's were chrome! I cannot find a review of this scope anywhere.
I put a scope wanted ad on the forum buy/sell section.
Dale

I looked at the Amscopes (including ones that are listed under "Semi-plan", but the black objectives do not appear to be marked as semi-plan, although I may not be able to tell from the pictures (usually those have "SP" marked or engraved on the objective barrel), and the specs list them as achromats, so things are not clear. However, I just want to add that "plan" or "semi-plan" determine how flat the field of view is and have no direct bearing on resolution, which is determined basically by the numerical aperture of the objective (other things being equal).

Dale, I think you will be happy with this scope. I have an Amscope and I like it although I did upgrade the obj,s to Plan. If you are like me you will find the 20x eyepieces worthless - empty magnification and the 60x a good alternative to the 100x OI.

Bonjour
JIMT a raison les oculaires 20 X il ne faut pas les utiliser car il apporte rien de plus a l'image juste un grossissement a vide.
Et un objectif de 60 X a sec est très bien, car moi même j"en possède un et ces une bon compromis entre objectif 40 x et le 100 x.
Car il faut préciser que objectif a immersion de 100 X on sans sert pas très souvent juste pour voir ou photographier des vraiment spécial et en plus une fois qu'on a mis une goutte huile a immersion sur la lamelle il faut faire très attention de ne pas il mettre les autres objectifs a sec.
Pour les débutants je conseille souvent les objectifs 4X, 10 X, 40, et le 60 X.
Et il faut juste utiliser la paire oculaires 10 X .
Cordialement seb

Dale, whatever you decide I hope you got one or two books on microscopy. BTW, don't know where you live but visit your library. They are a good source of books.
Best of luck. Let us know what you decide on.

JimT, Hi, I saw your images using the 60X obj, but no mention of what ocular. I guessed it was a 20X because
I think I read your saying that the 15X was useless? Most of the scopes have either a 15X or a 20X ocular. I am scouring the library here, but the books seem to fall into the ultra simplistic or the scanning electron camp. I made this cool excel chart with 17 scopes and 14 options. What I can't find for the life of me are comparison pictures of Kohler and non-Kohler
lighting. The alignment process for the Kohler lighting looks like it may be more hassle than I want.

Dale, Sorry about the information overload. The scope I have is like the one shown in the photo with the red background on the home page of the site I referenced. It has 10/18 eyepieces, 4,10,40,100X plan achromat objectives. 1.25NA Abbe condenser (possibly better) halogen illuminator with iris and filter. It is the top end at the time. Remember, as you have seem, there were many ways to configure the scope as they were all sold ala carte. Please bear with me as I try to get some photos, both of and through the microscope. I have not been tired long enough to be re-tired.

lorez

Lorez I have been poring over all the manuals at that site, what a massive undertaking for that scope. I shouldn't need
any pic's through the scope, but one of the scope probably. After all the reading I noted a few questions:
1. Is the stage a Microglide?
2. Is the sub stage light the one for binocular viewing?
3. Is the light intensity variable?
4. Is it the Microstar?
5. Oh yeah, and what year? The website has manuals for several years.
Does this sound like I am interested? Please take your time, I am re-tired and not tired
Dale

I'll try to fill in the blanks

1. Is the stage a Microglide?
Microglide may be a marketing term I am not familiar with. It is a rack and pinion driven double plate stage with an attached slide holder. There was a "glide" stage which was a round plate on a disc that was attached with grease and was pushed around with your fingers. Not common, but certainly not a bad design, if the grease was no too dry.
2. Is the sub stage light the one for binocular viewing?
The illumination is the latest, greatest of the design's life. It does not matter what sort of viewing body was used to any of the illumination styles.
3. Is the light intensity variable?
Yes, with a potentiometer on the front of the illuminator
4. Is it the Microstar?
Yes.
5. Oh yeah, and what year? The website has manuals for several years.
It's a later model but I'll have to check the serial number.

Ask all the questions you want, I'll make up the answers as we go.

lorez

"JimT, Hi, I saw your images using the 60X obj, but no mention of what ocular. I guessed it was a 20X because...."

I only use the 10x eyepiece. 25x came with the scope but they are not even heavy enough to be a paper weight.
My advice, stick with the 10's.

Dale,
Here are a couple of photos of the AO 10. This is the last of the series and newer than 1975. The scope is very clean and the objectives and eyepieces are without damage. There are some slight stains on the base, light wear on the stage, and there is the engraving of the college where the scope spent its life.

lorez

Looks real nice. Are the bulbs still available? You mentioned a few other scopes, but the names sounded scary expensive.
Dale.

There are plenty of bulbs available. The other scopes do not have the features of the AO.

lorez

Lorez, I just spent a few hours researching this scope, and it is highly respected. I found the bulbs at Amazon. Just 3 final
questions, I hope:
1. Does it still have the blue lighting filter disc?
2. Are the obj's the infinity corrected ones?
3. How much do want? I'm not a haggler.
I live in Seattle, so how bad would the shipping be?
Dale.

Dale, It's better to ask all the questions you can think of before you make your choice, rather than asking whether you did a dumb thing afterward.

1. Does it still have the blue lighting filter disc? Yes, and ND as well.
2. Are the obj's the infinity corrected ones? Yes. All AO objectives were infinity corrected after the Series 4
3. How much do want? I'm not a haggler. I'll send you a PM
I live in Seattle, so how bad would the shipping be? I can get a rough estimate and let you know.

lorez