On holiday at at St.Lawrence River, microscope info requested

[charlie g]

Hi all, our NY/US and Canada border river ( hello, apochronaut..please comment if/ when you can) cottage often has me enjoy night time microscopy on a kitchen formica table ( table older than me, maybee younger than my on holiday Carl/Zeiss Junior binoc/ bright-field stand).

This shiny black enamel stand is vintage, the individual mechanical stage dual control knobs totally prevent tracking fast moving organisms...while also constantly fine focus adjusting as you observe target organisms...a vintage microscope.

My request is for basic comments on this mixed German firms components...please comment, please advise me...thank you for visiting our St.Lawrence River holiday cottage kitchen microscopy.

Most crucial question of mine...please look at image: #068...Is the voltage: "15", or is the voltage: "6"...I'm not sure how to read this vintage transformers specs. .

This Carl/Zeiss Junior is fantastic visually, but I request advice on the objectives I placed on it's turrent, again thanks all for advice, for comments...charlie g

[charlie g]

The river shore scoop water sample provides more than a nights microscopy session of world views, it's always that 'microscopy world views' reality with a fresh collected/ fresh observed wetmount slide prep.

With no trinoc-head on this stand...I feel regret I can not image capture our river-neighbors...in highschool microscopy days..I would have enjoyed sketching my observations.

[charlie g]

Now for the set up I placed on this stands turrent...again..visually for me..wonderful observations with all the objectives...the Leitz Wetzlar , FL ( spec engraved on the objective barrel: "FL") 63/0.85, 160/ 0.17
has very tight working distance. All four objectives are parfocol .

My question...all internet/google sources ( including a 2017 excellent thread in this forum on 'types of objectives') imply 'oil-immersion'..or ' florezense'..speced on objectives..not my: " Leitz Wetzlar NPL Fluotar 6.3/0.20, 160/- ".

Leitz Wetzlar NPL Fluotar 16/0.45,. Why is it that this series of objectives ( right up to the 63X/0.85 objective) are not speced: 'oil-immersion?

I included a : Nikon/Japan "Flour 40/0.85, 0.11-0.23, with correction collar"...this objective has a serial number...none of the other objectives have serial numbers. Why no serial #'s on the Leitz Wetzlar NPL Fluotar objectives?

I'm using: " Carl Zeiss C 12.5" oculars with this stand... Carl Zeiss "Kpl 10X" oculars worked well..but I enjoy the C12.5x views.

My last question: why so short and 'stubby' these 12.5x oculars on this binoc stand? The views are crisp visually.

Thanks all for visiting this holiday microscope setup..please advise if you have time, charlie g.

[Sure Squintsalot]

Hey Charlie....where can I get my hands on that illuminator?

[PeteM]

Charlie, as I read that label, the bulb voltage is 6 volts, the amps are 2.5 and the VxA (VA) = 15. It's meant for 50-cycle power, but should be OK on 110 volts 60 cycles (but, often, not the other way around).

Leitz NPL Fluotars are commonly seen without oil immersion, right up to that .85na dry Fluorite objective you have. It's a very nice set of objectives if the eyepiece corrections are close.

I don't know why Leitz left off identifying numbers. Most of my Plan, EF, etc. Leitz objectives have a six digit identifying number, but not the NPL Fluotars.

[Hobbyst46]

Charlie, the KF Junior is fairly similar to my GFL.
Those original incandescent illuminators are indeed 6V 15W and come with that old-looking "Trafo" control box. The light is yellow. IMHO, they are not sufficiently bright (except for brightfield mode).
I replaced mine by LED fixtures - the later of which provides a 4000K/5000K color temperature and are very bright, which I prefer.
I prefer high eyepoint oculars. Either the original Zeiss KPL-W (NOT just "KPL") 10X/12.5X, or alternatively Olympus WHK 10X.
Do you have Zeiss objectives on that microscope or just Leitz objectives ? are they all parfocal with each other ?
About the stage - in those days, Zeiss offered at least four types of stage for the Standard microscopes, and some of them had coaxial X and Y stage movements. They sometimes appear on eBay though a little pricey.
They are attached by means of four bolts (screws). Perhaps the Junior stage can be replaced. Have to check the brochure again.

[MicroBob]

Actually the KF and the GFL are not as similar as their look would suggest. On the KF coarse and fine focus are connected and move the stage, a quit emodern solution. On the GFL they are independent and the coarse focus moves the arm of the microscope, a more traditional setup. Both are very beautiful in my eyes and work very well. Also both are made strong and precise and are finished very well.

[charlie g]

Thank you all for giving me piece of mind regarding specs on Steindorf/Berlin transformer. Many of your posts in an excellent 2017 thread in this forum ( differences and types of objectives) were very informative for me regarding my new holiday cottage microscope, it replaces the Meopta, Czech field microscope I enjoyed for years on holiday.

Squint...I purchased two Carl/Zeiss Standard Juniors very, very low cost decades ago...I may have another one of these illuminators in my cluttered shelves of stands. But I have a far superior illuminator, with variable transformer, that I enjoyed for decades , I'll include the Reichert/Austria trinoc Biozet stand, that goes with this bright field system All for extremely low cost..PM me if your liking the illuminator.

PeteM, thank you, thank you for explaining the transformers specs for me. From internet searches I found search results often came back with info on: Leitz NPL Fluotar's...I sense I have the earlier vintage objectives, mine are: LeitzWetzlar

NPL Fluotar objectives..Leitz Wetzlar speced on the objectives.

[charlie g]

Hobbyst46, thanks for your helpful comments ( and your many forum posts I benefit from). My reason for calling my new holiday cottage stand a: Carl/Zeiss Junior...internet images I encountered.

For me a tad 'freeky' that the online Junior stand is displayed on a green formica table! Our cottage formica table same color..I need to get a life.

The three Leitz Wetzlar NPL Fluotar objectives ( these are not: "Leitz NPL Fluotar " objectives..I sense my objectives are an earlier vintage than plain"Leitz" NPL Fluotars), and the Nikon/Japan Flour are all parfocal..but again...the

Leitz Wetzlar /Germany FL 63/0.85, 160/0.17 objective has a very, very tight working distance for my wet mount slide preps..I only employ it in the 80% interior area of my wet mounts...never near the cover slip border.

So with the C12.5 x oculars my observation magnification increments are: 78.75 x with 6.3/na 0.20 x objective, 200X with 16/na 0.45 x objective, 500X with the 40/ na 0.85 x Nikon objective. 787.5x with 63/na 0.85 objective.

All parfocal..but that 63x has such a tight working distance.

[charlie g]

I was fascinated about the organic form similarity of my Reichert/Austria Biozet, and this Carl/Zeiss Junior..both graceful stands with round ( not square) body., similar round bases.and the similar concepts in the substage illuminators for the Biozet, and the Juniors. I keep thinking of which master microscope design people influenced these organic round and graceful curves , and similar substage illuminators.

I was drawn to the organic round shapes, graceful curves on microscopes, and this 'poultry drum stick form' substage illuminators..the Junior, the Biozet, share with the immediate and chaotic end of WWII , breakaway microscope firm..and it's masterpiece: " Zeiss Opton W"..by that brief to exist firm: "Zeiss/Opton".

This curiosity lead me to eBay purchase the pair of Zeiss Standard Juniors...go figure.

[charlie g]

Microbob, thank you for you informative posts in this request for comments, and thank you for all your forum input.

Thanks for visiting my holiday cottage microscopy setup. all the best, charlie g, fingerlakes/US

[charlie g]

Immediate end of WWII, a group of Zeiss master microscope developers fled to' free world'...rather than be as a group transported to 'east Germany...or further away from 'the west'.

Their master piece microscope: " Zeiss Opton W"..did not gain market traction due it's higher cost than ( some might say) less splendid crafted microscopes.

My sense is this unique Zeiss Opton W, is the organic root of my dear Reichert/Austria Biozet, and of the Carl/Zeiss Standard Junior.

I'd love to understand the conections of these graceful/ well crafted/ shiny black enamel stands.

[MicroBob]

I wrote a bit about the separation of Zeiss after WW2: https://www.microbehunter.com/microscop ... 05#p110505

In this situation it must have been quite dramatic to realize that they had developed the W model and it wouldn't fit the market.
Maybe they were able to get a much better financial support and rethought the whole business on a much lager scope. The western Zeiss branch stayed at the height of development but they also produced huge amount of microscopes.

[apochronaut]

I doubt if there is any significant connection between the Zeiss Opton and Reichert. From two countries with similar but different histories and paths. Both East Germany and Austria suffered under a high level of Soviet influence but aside from likely passing a few employees back and forth over time, each morphed away from the enforced beurocratic restrictions of their respective low economic bases and planned future, eventually seizing a bright and successfull future.
They each carved out a different design ethic and engineered unique platforms. Zeiss became known as a juggernaut of a West German company and Reichert embarked on a completely different path, courtesy of the introduction of infinity correction into their design larder.

[charlie g]

Hi, and thanks, apo, for your historical insights. My sense is that by the time 'infinity optics for microscopes' was offered...these graceful and organic round shaped stands...with so, so similar substage 'poultry drum-stick illuminators '..were all long on market..or failures ( Zeiss Opton) in the market.

When, apo, did 'infinity optics in microscopes' be placed in the market? I sense it was long after the: standard junior, the zeiss Opton, the reichert/austria biozet were in production...please advise me on this, apo..and thanks for your comments.

charlie g