Good Optika offer - should I go for it?

[lubobul]

Hi all,

I am entirely new in the hobby and currently don't own any microscope. I have become keen to get into the hobby because of 2 main reasons:

1. I own a relatively good newtonian telescope and as I like exploring the night sky for myself I decided I'd also love to explore the miniature world all around me. On the other hand the telescope hobby already gives me some relatively good understanding of optics and I have very "down to earth" expectations.
2. Oliver Kim from MicrobeHunder has inspired me a lot with his youtube videos and I am sure I'd like to invest into the hobby and start exploring.

Long story short, I have put aside a budget for that reason and have spent quite a bit of time looking through the options I have. However, it is hard to really find any user meaningfull feedback for the different low-end brands. That said, I have stopped my eyes on the following:

https://www.astroshop.eu/bright-field-m ... ed/p,25401

on top of that I manage to get another 9% discount over the current discount, don't ask me how for now. Which amounts to 344 euros.

I have done my bit of research and I am sure I want bino view microscope + 4-60x dry objectives + condensor.

Please, let me know what do you guys think about:

1. Price VS what I get
2. Anybody here with experience with the Optika brand? Please, share it!
3. Should I go for it?

Thanks in advance.

[75RR]

Hi lubobul, welcome.

However, it is hard to really find any user meaningful feedback for the different low-end brands.

While it would seem that there are several different low end brands, what there really is are several American and European microscope resellers that have 're-badged' the standard Chinese brands.
If you buy enough of them, they will put any name you like on them.

Here is an article that will hopefully help to clarify things:

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/art ... oscope.pdf

[apochronaut]

First I would make sure about the accuracy of the advertisement. It clearly states that the magnification of the instrument is 600X. This would usually imply that the highest magnification objective fitted to it is a 60X and when multiplied by the standard 10X eyepieces the resultant magnification is 600X. Such a magnification limit usually means that the instrument is of a student grade.

However, the instrument pictured , is clearly fitted with a 100X oil immersion objective, so the potential magnification of the instrument pictured is 1000X, or the normal expected of a modest lab microscope.

I would want to clarify, just what you are getting for 377.00 E.

That inconsistency raises another question. If such a glaring error could be made in an on line ad, designed to enhance the company's repute, then how competent would they be as a dealer, service provider. They are after all called the AstroShop.

I was once in a telescope shop and was treated to a display by one of the salesmen, who was quite knowledgeable regarding telescopes. He commented to me on how inferior microscope eyepieces were compared to telescope eyepieces. I hadn't realized up until that point that there was a competition. Perhaps he should have included pop bottle spectacle lenses in the fray as well, just to keep it more open.
To prove his point , he placed a 1 1/4" Plossl eyepiece OVER the microscope tube and showed me how huge the field of view was. Well, it was but it was so uncorrected with massive amounts of peripheral distortion, flare and chromatic aberration that the image was completely unusable. He seemed to miss that point and as well that manufacturing very wide field eyepieces for microscopes required a very high degree of fine tuning to overcome those potential defects and the resultant eyepieces would be very expensive.
I've never been comfortable when telescope enthusiasts sell microscopes. Far too often they are just a business add on and they know very little about them.

[billbillt]

Don't worry about negative comments here on your choice... I would just look at AmScope.. I think you can get the same or similar setup from Amscope usually for less money.. Chinese scopes are fine for hobby use unless you are a boring perfectionist that leads a very dull life..

Regards,
BillT

[Hobbyst46]

Welcome, lubobul.
I would not buy a binocular microscope. In my opinion, the condition for enjoying a microscope is two available eyepieces for viewing all the time, AND a third tube port for a digital camera. Whether an inexpensive USB/eyepiece camera or a sophisticated DSLR or whatever. Upgrading from binocular to trinocular is more expensive and often not as easy as buying a trinocular to start with.

[billbillt]

Hi lubobul,

Take a look at this Amscope on Ebay...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AmScope-40X-25 ... rk:21:pf:0

It is a trinoc and seems to have better features than the Optika.. The 2500X must be taken with a grain of salt.. You will learn this later...

BillT

[75RR]

Do not rush into buying a microscope, particularly not from ebay.

Where are you located?

[lubobul]

Thanks for all your answers.

Do not rush into buying a microscope, particularly not from ebay.

Where are you located?

I live in Bulgaria, Europe. I am generally looking for EU retailers.

Just to clarify, as I mentioned, I more or less know what to expect and what I want. 4x to 60x is good for me, to begin with. I am intentionally not looking for any oil immersion objectives. Also I want a binocular head, because I know myself. I could spend hours of cold winter evenings staring through the telescope eye piece. I am expecting to spend even more time when looking through a microscope and I imagine I would appreciate the joy of using both eyes. Something I am not privileged with when using my telescope...

I am more or less looking for either a better alternative to what I posted or some general advice about things I've overlooked

Thanks.

[apochronaut]

I hope you caught my point about the microscope ad you posted. The description and picture don't match, so I think it would be wise to question them further so you get what you are looking for.

To add further. There is a microscope enthusiast in Romania( Bucharest, I believe) who sells on ebay. He seems quite knowledgeable. You might contact him. He is at least fairly close to home and might be of assistance to you with regards to options in Eastern Europe. I can send you his email if you like.

[lubobul]

Hey,

I hope you caught my point about the microscope ad you posted...

yeah you have a good point and I got it. The reason why I am fine with that is, because I have shopped a bunch of times from this online shop, of course telescope stuff I am talking about. I don't wanna make it sound like an add, but I am quite pleased with their service. However I dropped an email asking about the objective and if regardless of the picture I will get what's in the description.

To be honest I would be happy if anybody has experience with that brand or even the same scope, to at least share his/her experience

[Hobbyst46]

In the following link, a UK seller lists the same microscope model:
https://www.philipharris.co.uk/product/ ... x/b8r05555
I am not sure that prices are the same, it depends on the VAT.

But, what I notice in the specs on the UK link, is that the microscope comes with a LED lamp of color temperature 6300K. Not all microscopists like it, it gives a strongly violet-bluish tinted light. Of course, it can be "warmed up" with amber filters.

Camera images are even more affected by the violet-blue than eye vision.

Moreover, the LED is said to be 1W. I am in doubt about the brightness you will get, especially for darkfield, should you wish such modality.
FWIW.

[billbillt]

"Moreover, the LED is said to be 1W. I am in doubt about the brightness you will get, especially for darkfield, should you wish such modality."

Replacing the 1W LED with one of a higher wattage should prove very little problem... I have found them all very simple to do.. You just have to keep up with the current draw..

BillT

[75RR]

I am more or less looking for either a better alternative to what I posted or some general advice about things I've overlooked

Somethings in microscopy are convenient or nice to have ... these two suggestions transcend that and verge on being a necessity.

1) Plan objectives. (It is important when observing that everything on the same plane is in focus.)
2) Trinocular head. (2 ports for you, one port for the camera) If at some point you wish to keep photographic records or share what you have seen.