Hmm, where to begin?

What is your microscopy history? What are your interests? What equipment do you use?
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apatientspider
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Hmm, where to begin?

#1 Post by apatientspider » Mon Mar 07, 2016 9:30 am

Well first off, hello from another Texan; my name is Jim W. (- the same Jim previously mentioned by Kurt M.) I had been familiar with the Microbe Hunter online magazine, but I first happened upon this forum while looking for more info about Spencer model 5 research microscopes, having acquired one from Ebay a few months ago. After lurking for a month I've decided to join in. I was once a member of the Yahoo Microscope group for a short while, but soon found it a bit too professionally oriented to suit my hobbyist taste. Although I know about the Yahoo amateur group that was subsequently formed some years back, I find this one much more user-friendly and easier to navigate than any Yahoo groups. Great site y'all have here.

Like one recent poster, my first microscope was a toy one made by the A.C.Gilbert Co. back in 1962 when I was twelve or thirteen years old. It magnified up to 1000 times! Never mind that one couldn't see much with it at that power, it was still pretty neat at lower magnifications. I soon wanted something better - something like the beautiful black scopes I'd see in old books I checked out from the school library at the time. Unfortunately, by then they were no longer made in this country, and even used ones were priced well beyond the resources of a kid from a single parent family. But someone gave me a catalog from the Lafayette Electronics Co. that contained a decent collection of both hobbyist and student microscopes, as well as two black "professional" models. One - their best scope - was a binocular model similar to a Spencer #13 or a Bausch and Lomb Dynoptic, priced at $250, and totally out of the question for a fourteen year old kid; that was three weeks pay for some folks back then. The next best was an F-829 monocular for a hundred bucks. So I scrimped and scraped, mowed yards, scrounged pop bottles for the deposit on them, baby sat, and even sold my bicycle to raise that money. Took nearly a year, but I did it - first hundred dollars I'd ever had at one time in my entire life.

I had a good time with that microscope, but subsequently lost interest in such things in high school. Later, when I came home from a stint in the Navy, I ended up selling it for a measly fifty bucks. I have always regretted that. Some years ago, back around 2002, I was at an antique festival in Warrenton, TX. and ran across a fine old Spencer MLH13 with its case at one of the booths. Of course, I knew what it was just as soon as I saw it - it was the kind of scope I had dreamed of owning as a kid. It looked like it only needed a bit of cleaning, so on a whim I bought it. As soon as I approached the vendor about it he insisted he would not take less than one hundred fifteen dollars for it, no how, no way. Well, he certainly got no argument from me concerning the price - my only doubts were as to whether I needed any more toys or tools. But in the end sentimentality won out and I bought the thing.

That Spencer started me on quite a journey. I had not looked through a real microscope in nearly thirty years, so I went to the county library to see if they maybe had some books with which to refresh my memory and renew my knowledge, but they had nothing at all on the shelves! And the card catalog had been replaced by a computer system; I had never used a computer before in my life. I got the librarian to help me borrow a few books through the inter-library loan system; I had to find titles by looking in the bibliographies attached to several encyclopedia articles.

About this time a buddy of mine got a personal computer and invited me to have a look on the internet for used books. To make a long story short, I soon became so enthralled with the Web's resources and in particular the used equipment I could find on Ebay, that I obtained an old Gateway 2000, Windows 95 computer and learned to use it. It was a gift from an acquaintance who had upgraded. I've become more and more computer literate ever since, bought more microscopes and books, and downloaded many free books and articles on microscopy as well as other subjects. I have always had a personal home library - nearly a thousand titles both fiction and non-fiction, almost every book I have ever read since I was eight - I've been a bibliophile for many years. But it just pales in comparison to what I have available to me online. And frankly I have that old Spencer microscope, found in an antique stall, and a whim to thank for it.

Later, when I get a chance to take some better photos and/or resize the ones I have, I'll post some over in the My Microscope section. Mine are all old black, 160mm TL Spencers except one Bausch and Lomb Dynoptic. Nothing really that special or unusual excepting the number five I recently bought and am refurbishing. Certainly nothing near the caliber of the more modern equipment many of you use. But they please me.

Regards,

Jim

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#2 Post by zzffnn » Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:00 pm

Welcome to the forum, Jim W.

You are not far from Kurt and me, I guess?
I like vintage AO Spencer too - they are elegant, versatile and well built.

You said, in your other post, that your well-corrected NA 1.3 condenser has 5 elements (did you take it apart or you read about it somewhere)?

Do you have an AO C159 90x NA 1.4 apo objective and have you tried it with pond water sample? I imagine if may be difficult to use due to RI mismatch at such high NA. C158 90x NA 1.3 may be easier to use?

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#3 Post by apatientspider » Mon Mar 07, 2016 2:14 pm

zzffnn wrote:Welcome to the forum, Jim W.

You are not far from Kurt and me, I guess?
I like vintage AO Spencer too - they are elegant, versatile and well built.

You said, in your other post, that your well-corrected NA 1.3 condenser has 5 elements (did you take it apart or you read about it somewhere)?

Do you have an AO C159 90x NA 1.4 apo objective and have you tried it with pond water sample? I imagine if may be difficult to use due to RI mismatch at such high NA. C158 90x NA 1.3 may be easier to use?
Hi, Fan,

I grew up in Houston, but moved to the Tomball/Magnolia area almost thirty-four years ago.

Regarding the NA 1.3 condenser: mostly I've read in the Spencer literature that it had five elements, but I have also partially disassembled the one that came on the research model five. It for sure has at least two elements in the bottom half and several more in the top part that screws off. So I would assume the catalog info is correct. Physically it is a much smaller in diameter condenser than either the achromat NA 1.40 or the wide angle NA 1.40 - both of which I have also managed to accumulate.

Actually I am quite wary of disassembling lens groups, because I don't really have the proper tools or training. One surprising thing about this one we are discussing is that the front or bottom lens appears to either be cracked or suffering from delamination - and yet, it still appears to focus a usable image. Or perhaps my eye is too inexperienced to tell the difference. Probably the latter. Fortunately I have another identical, undamaged, NA 1.30 with which to replace it.

I have not refurbished the microscope enough yet to look at anything with it other than a few prepared slides. As received it had only one apochromat objective - a 20x. I own an AO/Spencer 90x NA 1.30 apo and the 44x apo with correction collar which came from another source, but haven't tried the 90x for anything yet. The 90x is going to need some serious cleaning inside - I actually found a dust bunny in it - and may prove to not be usable. I also have a 60x NA 1.40 apo I should be able to use on the microscope, and I have the NA 1.40 achromat condenser to go with it. I got them off Ebay from someone who didn't seem to know what they were.

I accumulated all these various apos and condensers fairly cheaply from various auction lots on Ebay from sellers who seemed to know little about microscopes. I also have several matched pairs of compens eyepieces to go with all this. I had thought I might find a way to use some of them on my model 13, but when the opportunity presented itself to get the research stand at less than I would ever have thought - about $200 - I figured why not take a chance on it?

So now I own much more microscope than I really actually need, but it sure is nice to have and use. Judging from the image I get with the 20x apo that came on it, this will probably become my favorite instrument. My eyes are getting old and it is nice not to see much color fringe around the object. I have never looked through anything but achromats before, and I'm gonna get spoiled in a hurry.

Regards,

Jim

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#4 Post by zzffnn » Mon Mar 07, 2016 2:35 pm

Thank you, Jim, for your kind comments.

I live mid way between you and Kurt, in medical center. Maybe around 60 min drive to you and 45 min to Kurt.

Next time you see good deals on NA 1.4 condensers and objectives, please kindly let me know. I can be reached at zzffnn at hotmail dot com.

I could use a NA 1.4 objective, when my pond protists are fat/thick enough to touch underside of cover slip (otherwise, I would just use my LOMO water immersion apos). With good prepared slides, NA 1.4 could be useful too.

I got a ROW Rathenow NA 1.4 condenser almost for free, and its online photos make it look like it does not have good correction and multiple lenses: http://m.ebay.pl/itm/ROW-Rathenow-1-4-m ... nav=SEARCH

Another issue I have with some vintage apos is that I could not find their rare compens eyepieces, or their eyepieces have tiny top lenses that don't agree with my poor eyes (glasses).

Also, darkfield funnel stops for vintage apos are difficult to find. Iris versions are even rarer and more expensive........
Last edited by zzffnn on Mon Mar 07, 2016 3:10 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#5 Post by apochronaut » Mon Mar 07, 2016 2:45 pm

Hello, Jim. Welcome. It's always good to have Spencer enthusiasts around. Such artfully, constructed instruments.
The Spencer 90X apochromats, seem to be a bit prone to crazed cement. I have had about 8 of the 90X 1.3 pass through my hands over the years and 4 of them had broken down cement somewhere. Fortunately, I kept all the parts and have been able to build up several out of the duds. I still have spare lens components , so if yours eventually turns out to have de-lamination. I may have the right bits to fix it.
You will enjoy your apochromats. Over time, using achromats will become like a batter swinging two bats.
Bausch & Lomb, made a directly competitive group of apos, beginning around 1918, with all the same lenses in all the same conformations, except the 1.5mm 113X 1.3 N.A . Spencer's go back to around 1905 or earlier. It seems that up until W.W. 1, B & L and Zeiss had a co-ooperative marketing arrangement, with each company handling some of the other's products at home. Until the Great War, B & L likely sold Zeiss apochromats, in the U.S.
I have been able to do direct comparisons of quite a lot of the Spencer and B&L lines of apochromats. Spencer lenses are more fully corrected than the B & L but have slightly poorer contrast. It is possible that the small amount of spurious chroma that the B & L lenses produce is the cause of " apparent" increased contrast. The Spencer lenses end up being the more pleasant to use.
Which stage, does your microscope have? Most seem to have come with an R stage, with the circular rotating stages being the cream of the crop.

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#6 Post by apochronaut » Mon Mar 07, 2016 4:10 pm

zzffnn wrote:
Next time you see good deals on NA 1.4 condensers and objectives, please kindly let me know. I can be reached at zzffnn at hotmail dot com.
I'd take a shot at this one, Fan. Despite my comments above, at the 1.4 level, there really isn't too much to choose between them and it has been a while since I compared them.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MICROSCOPE-PART ... SwFNZWzT-M

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#7 Post by apatientspider » Mon Mar 07, 2016 5:37 pm

apochronaut wrote:Hello, Jim. Welcome. It's always good to have Spencer enthusiasts around. Such artfully, constructed instruments.
The Spencer 90X apochromats, seem to be a bit prone to crazed cement. I have had about 8 of the 90X 1.3 pass through my hands over the years and 4 of them had broken down cement somewhere. Fortunately, I kept all the parts and have been able to build up several out of the duds. I still have spare lens components , so if yours eventually turns out to have de-lamination. I may have the right bits to fix it.
You will enjoy your apochromats. Over time, using achromats will become like a batter swinging two bats..............................

Which stage, does your microscope have? Most seem to have come with an R stage, with the circular rotating stages being the cream of the crop.
Thanks, Apochronaut. And thanks as well for the information and the offer of repair parts should I need them.

To answer your question, my research number five came with one of the rectangular stages rather than a more desirable round one. According to Spencer literature obtained over at PS Neeley's xmission.com site my stage is the combination and mechanical stage P with the control buttons on only one side. According to their 1935 research microscope catalog the combination and mechanical stage R with concentric controls was the one designed for the number five, and the stage P like mine was intended for the number three scope. However, I have seen three research number fives with stages like mine in just the last two months on Ebay - one of which I bought.

It has caused some confusion. The first one I saw I mistook for a model number three, the seller not having listed it as a research model or including photos of the right hand side showing the condenser fine focus not present on a number three. It was an extensively damaged instrument being sold as parts and I was outbid anyway. The next one appeared a few weeks later and by then having realized what model it was, I tendered a best offer that was accepted. I saw a third example only a few weeks after that, which the seller - experienced with microscopes - had mistakenly listed as a number three expressly because of the stage. But I could see that it was a number five - the model number was engraved right on top of the arm - so I emailed him and informed him so just as a favor. He changed the listing and it sold for considerably more than I had paid for mine. It received only a few bids, but I have a feeling the winning bidder was prepared to go much higher.

Oddly enough a research number three was listed and sold within the space of a few hours just last week, and it incorporated the combination and mechanical stage R with the concentric controls. So evidently all the stages could be made to interchange and whichever was ordered depended on what one wished to pay.

By the way - I'm in the market for a Spencer 10x apochromat objective to finish outfitting my scope if you happen to have or run across one for a reasonable price. Has to be usable, of course, not just for display purposes.

Regards,

Jim

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#8 Post by apatientspider » Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:21 pm

zzffnn wrote:Thank you, Jim, for your kind comments.

I live mid way between you and Kurt, in medical center. Maybe around 60 min drive to you and 45 min to Kurt.
You are entirely welcome, Fan. Sixty minutes from the Medical Center to where I live? Lol!
Well if it's the right direction, not daytime or rush hour perhaps.
Next time you see good deals on NA 1.4 condensers and objectives, please kindly let me know. I can be reached at zzffnn at hotmail dot com.
Will do.

I got a ROW Rathenow NA 1.4 condenser almost for free, and its online photos make it look like it does not have good correction and multiple lenses: http://m.ebay.pl/itm/ROW-Rathenow-1-4-m ... nav=SEARCH

Another issue I have with some vintage apos is that I could not find their rare compens eyepieces, or their eyepieces have tiny top lenses that don't agree with my poor eyes (glasses).

Also, darkfield funnel stops for vintage apos are difficult to find. Iris versions are even rarer and more expensive........
I took a look at that. Is it possible it could be just a three element Abbe rather than a two, ie. a wide angle or aplanat? Those are sometimes NA 1.40. In fact, as I said before, I have an example of the one Spencer made and superficially it resembles their achromatic NA 1.40, but it has only three elements rather than five.

I don't know what to tell you about the compens eyepieces. As you say, they usually have to match the apo objectives and vintage American and European ones from anyone but the leading companies of the day are rare to find. They don't often show up and when they do they are usually expensive. And as you say, the eye lenses are usually the small type - although I saw a late model pair of AO 10x with the larger diameter lenses go for a single bid of $49 last week. Should have bought them myself, I suppose, but I didn't need them.

I have to wear glasses now to read anything but the computer screen, but fortunately I don't need them for the microscope - which is probably part of the reason I find looking through a microscope to be so pleasant - binocular models anyway.

Regards,

Jim

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#9 Post by zzffnn » Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:53 pm

Thank you Jim for your kind comments.
I saw that pair of AO compens too :mrgreen: but did not bid as I don't know whether I would go with Spencer or B&L for NA 1.4 objective.

Your research #5 is a beautiful instrument. Are you into pond water protists too, or what is your main microscopy subject of interest? I use oblique and darkfield on protists a lot, also like polarization / chemical crystal / minerals sometimes.

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#10 Post by apochronaut » Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:00 pm

Thanks, Apochronaut. And thanks as well for the information and the offer of repair parts should I need them.

To answer your question, my research number five came with one of the rectangular stages rather than a more desirable round one. According to Spencer literature obtained over at PS Neeley's xmission.com site my stage is the combination and mechanical stage P with the control buttons on only one side. According to their 1935 research microscope catalog the combination and mechanical stage R with concentric controls was the one designed for the number five, and the stage P like mine was intended for the number three scope. However, I have seen three research number fives with stages like mine in just the last two months on Ebay - one of which I bought.

It has caused some confusion. The first one I saw I mistook for a model number three, the seller not having listed it as a research model or including photos of the right hand side showing the condenser fine focus not present on a number three. It was an extensively damaged instrument being sold as parts and I was outbid anyway. The next one appeared a few weeks later and by then having realized what model it was, I tendered a best offer that was accepted. I saw a third example only a few weeks after that, which the seller - experienced with microscopes - had mistakenly listed as a number three expressly because of the stage. But I could see that it was a number five - the model number was engraved right on top of the arm - so I emailed him and informed him so just as a favor. He changed the listing and it sold for considerably more than I had paid for mine. It received only a few bids, but I have a feeling the winning bidder was prepared to go much higher.

Oddly enough a research number three was listed and sold within the space of a few hours just last week, and it incorporated the combination and mechanical stage R with the concentric controls. So evidently all the stages could be made to interchange and whichever was ordered depended on what one wished to pay.

By the way - I'm in the market for a Spencer 10x apochromat objective to finish outfitting my scope if you happen to have or run across one for a reasonable price. Has to be usable, of course, not just for display purposes.

Regards,

Jim[/quote]

I don't have a 10X to spare but they show up every now and then.
Regarding the stages. All of the stages could be fitted to any microscope. Often in illustrations, you will see the most elaborate and expensive stage fitted to the top shelf bodies and lesser stages to the more modest stands but any stage could be ordered on just about any stand. The P stage was not significantly less expensive than the R stage, so it is less common. I have had 6 # 3 stands and 4, # 5 stands and by far the most common stage is the R, with 6 of those instruments carrying R stages. One #3, I owned was fitted with a plain stage with stage clips.
If you look at the model numbers, the models 3, 5, 7 etc. are numbers for the stand only. Additional to that would be a selection for a viewing body, with B for instance, the code for a straight binocular tube, L for inclined.. The research or R stage would add an R to the code, and a centering condenser mount would add an H to the code. If there were to be apochromatic objectives , then the code apo would be added as a suffix. So, a research #3 stand fitted with an inclined binocular, an R stage , a centering condenser and 3 apochromats, would be a 3LRH APO. If it was a monocular microscope leaving the factory, it would be a 3MRH APO. The choice of condenser was matched to the objectives. If you ordered achromat objectives, then you would get a 1.25 abbe. If you ordered apochromats, you would get a 1.3 achromatic-aplanatic, unless you ordered a 1.4 N.A. apochromat, at which time your choice of 1.4 abbe or 1.4 achromat-aplanat would have to be made.
Last edited by apochronaut on Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#11 Post by apochronaut » Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:35 pm

apatientspider wrote:
zzffnn wrote:
Another issue I have with some vintage apos is that I could not find their rare compens eyepieces, or their eyepieces have tiny top lenses that don't agree with my poor eyes



Actually, Fan. Due to the higher N.A.'s of apochromats, 10X eyepieces were not the normal eyepiece. They made them primarily for circumstances where their might be mixed achromats and apochromats on a stand. The smaller eyelens and somewhat restricted f.o.v. of the 10X, cut the peripheral aberrations the achromats would have shown off, giving them a reasonably good image, with better center sharpness than a huygens would have provided. 12.5X and more normally, 15X compens have a much larger eyelens and eye relief, as well as a larger f.o.v. and were intended as the default oculars. This is why the high mag. oil immersion objectives made by most companies in the mid century era, were 90X. ..... 15 x 90 is 1350X, or a just perfect peak magnification for a 1.3 N.A. objective( apochromats can exceed the 1000X N.A. rule by about 5%). You will find that the 15X compens will be a better choice for your application.

apatientspider wrote
I don't know what to tell you about the compens eyepieces. As you say, they usually have to match the apo objectives and vintage American and European ones from anyone


Not so. Compens eyepieces, almost always must be from the same mfg as the objectives. Spencer compens are not over corrected enough for B & L apochromats. 10X B & L compens seem to work o.k. for pre-war Zeiss Jena. Older, Baker low power compens, seem to work o.k. for Spencer.

Field of view is a wild card factor with compens eyepieces. If the mfg. deliberately installs a field stop in the eyepiece , which allows only the center corrected image to the eyelens, as is the case with a lot of the 10X or 8X, then those from two different manufacturers might appear to be fairly compatible, yet the 15X from the same two mfg. , which allow for a maximum f.o.v. with apochromats only, could easily show cross use aberrations.
[/quote]

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#12 Post by KurtM » Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:59 am

What a delight to see Jim here! Some of you may recall my occasional references to a mentor who patiently worked with me through the steps of setting up Kohler illumination using my Spencer Model 13 that I found in an antique store, and Spencer No. 735 research lamp which he recommended I buy off eBay to "power" it. I'm talking about the classic deal where you focus the lamp's filament image on the substage condenser iris, etc., etc. As long as I live I'll never forget the first time it all came together -- the view almost literally caused me to fall off my stool with astonishment at the wonderfully improved lighting and contrast. Well, here's the man himself! It was under Jim's generous (and again, very patient) tutelage that I purchased many accessories I probably never would have ventured into otherwise, like a dark field condenser, and even helped me get my first phase contrast scope (AO/Spencer Series 2) and (the oft-mentioned on this forum) Ortho-Illuminator. Also helped me know which books to buy, and today I have dozens on my bookshelf that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Image

I loved your intro Jim, you mentioned a lot of personal stuff I've never known about before! Specifically, I can't remember your ever having told me about being re-introduced into microscopy by a Spencer Model 13 found at Warrington. I also had my interest reignited by a Model 13 that I stumbled across in a Galveston antiques store. I've probably forgotten about your story, and expect you remember mine (the man has a remarkable memory, folks, although he'll probably deny it, lol).

Really super to have you join in, sure hope you enjoy it! I have a feeling you and Phil (alias apochronaut) are gonna have lots to talk about if nothing else. You're also sure to get a bang out of Charles' scope collection, which he generously posts pictures of often (hey Charles, maybe you can welcome Jim aboard with some Spencer No. 3 & No. 5 porn?).

EDIT: Ah, I see you've already had a taste! 8-)
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
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email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#13 Post by apochronaut » Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:17 pm

Those are pretty ugly objectives, you have on there, Kurt. There are these nice polished chrome bodied ones, with very elegant , finely grooved grip rings. They are precisely embossed with delicate black lettering, too. The words, SPENCER LENS CO...BUFFALO.N.Y.... can clearly be seen around the upper portion of the barrel, along with the specifications around the lower section, examples of which are 4mm-N.A.0.85-44X or HOM.IMM.-3mm-N.A.1.25-60X.
I noticed too that that # 735 illuminator is noticeably down in the mouth and is looking quite blue, probably out of embarrassment, I would guess.

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#14 Post by charlie » Tue Mar 08, 2016 5:42 pm

lol Kinda reminds me of calling a guy's wife ugly Phil; Some things may be better left unsaid! :-)

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#15 Post by apatientspider » Tue Mar 08, 2016 7:04 pm

apochronaut wrote:Those are pretty ugly objectives, you have on there, Kurt. There are these nice polished chrome bodied ones, with very elegant , finely grooved grip rings. They are precisely embossed with delicate black lettering, too. The words, SPENCER LENS CO...BUFFALO.N.Y.... can clearly be seen around the upper portion of the barrel, along with the specifications around the lower section, examples of which are 4mm-N.A.0.85-44X or HOM.IMM.-3mm-N.A.1.25-60X.
I noticed too that that # 735 illuminator is noticeably down in the mouth and is looking quite blue, probably out of embarrassment, I would guess.

Don't make fun of Kurt's Olies, Phil. After all, the poor guy dug them out of a dumpster, you know. :D (Sheesh - the things that get thrown away in this country!)

Regards,

Jim

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#16 Post by rnabholz » Tue Mar 08, 2016 7:38 pm

apochronaut wrote:Those are pretty ugly objectives, you have on there, Kurt. There are these nice polished chrome bodied ones, with very elegant , finely grooved grip rings. They are precisely embossed with delicate black lettering, too. The words, SPENCER LENS CO...BUFFALO.N.Y.... can clearly be seen around the upper portion of the barrel, along with the specifications around the lower section, examples of which are 4mm-N.A.0.85-44X or HOM.IMM.-3mm-N.A.1.25-60X.
I noticed too that that # 735 illuminator is noticeably down in the mouth and is looking quite blue, probably out of embarrassment, I would guess.

Oooh ooh, teasing Kurt! Can I play too? He is always mocking the posing positions of my meiofauna.

So Phil, are these the objectives Kurt is supposed to have if he were doing things properly?
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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#17 Post by rnabholz » Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:20 pm

Forgive me for losing sight of the purpose of this post.

Welcome Jim, you have found a great group of folks to hang out with. Look forward to getting to know you better.

Rod

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#18 Post by apatientspider » Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:42 pm

Hey, Kurt:

Thanks for the warm welcome and kind words. It's gratifying to see how far you've come in the hobby and to know I had some small part in it.

Speaking of books, recently I found a used copy of George Needham's The Practical Use of the Microscope for a reasonable price. Great book - very encyclopedic in it's treatment of the equipment and techniques in use during the late 1950's. In particular there is a simple and clear explanation of numerical aperture, and how it is derived, that you should read.

The last time I had a copy of this book in my hands, I think I was about fifteen years old. I didn't get much out of it, as I recall - too much theory, too much un-affordable equipment, and no cool experiments to appeal to a young boy. But I can sure appreciate it now. Preview a copy from a public library, if you can - or just take my word for it and get a copy. I wish it were available for perusal online, but it doesn't seem to be.

Regards,

Jim

apatientspider
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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#19 Post by apatientspider » Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:45 pm

rnabholz wrote:Forgive me for losing sight of the purpose of this post.

Welcome Jim, you have found a great group of folks to hang out with. Look forward to getting to know you better.

Rod
Thank-you very much, Rod. Nice set up you have there.

Regards,

Jim

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zzffnn
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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#20 Post by zzffnn » Tue Mar 08, 2016 9:33 pm

Many here would probably faint, out of revulsion, when they see my ugly Franky (Frankenstein hybrid scope made from Nikon/LOMO/Bausch&Lomb/Lego/LED) :mrgreen:

I don't mind though. It is like my Boston Terrier's looks, people either think he is ugly (my mom is one of those people) or consider him adorable.

Phil stopped talking taste with me shortly after a few email exchange :twisted:

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#21 Post by KurtM » Wed Mar 09, 2016 4:51 am

Phil, Jim speaks the truth - those OLY objectives came out of a dumpster, alright, and while detracting from looks AT the scope, sure improved the images THROUGH it. Maybe I should revisit the situation and find some higher quality Spencer objectives that keep up with or surpass the OLY lenses. Until then, form follows function in my world!

While I'm afraid it's true that I tend to make fun of Rod's meiofauna poses, I have nothing snarky to say about his equipment, and even less on the results he gets with it! Just trying to keep your head from getting too daggum big, Rod (a dirty job for sure, but somebody has to do it). :P

Fan, it always warms my heart to see you and Franky keeping Phil slightly off balance. Bless you for tackling that work. :lol:

Finally, to Jim: I have that book! I remembered your talking of it, and also finally came across a copy for a reasonable price after a lengthy and patient hunt. I'm glad you refer me to the part on N.A., because owning a book doesn't always mean I remember I have it, and/or that I stick my nose in it when I should. I'm sure I read that part before, but as close as I am to having a handle on it now, I really must read it again ... in a few weeks when I get back home. Hope I remember! :roll:
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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Re: Hmm, where to begin?

#22 Post by zzffnn » Wed Mar 09, 2016 1:38 pm

Kurt, would you please tell me the GPS coordinates of that "dumpster" :mrgreen: I am flying over there. I am making a baby Franky and he needs a neck and a nose.

Joking aside, I forgot to mention this:

Even though Phil does not like the looks of my Frankies (I have a few other little Frankies too), he kindly helped me in building those into highly capable monsters.

He has been very tolerant of my peculiar needs, tight budget and ignorance. So DIY mad scientists, when they need peculiar parts, should contact Phil. I know many microscopists and dealers, but very few have the knowledge or patience that Phil has.

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