Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

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Kalleboy
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Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#1 Post by Kalleboy » Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:34 am

Hello
Which microscope brand(model) has the best mechanical build and usability ?
Pros:
- Hardened steel parts(wear resistant), lots of quality ball bearings, replaceable wearable parts and such.
Cons:
- Lots of easily wearable soft: aluminium, brass or even horrible plastic used in important parts like in cogwheels/gears found like in modern 1990< Cheaply made Zeiss microscopes. I like to avoid them.

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75RR
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#2 Post by 75RR » Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:12 pm

Sounds like you want a no nonsense built like a tank Lomo

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Petrographic-Mi ... SwxH1ULb6z
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

einman
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#3 Post by einman » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:16 pm

In terms of build quality I favor American Optical, Reichert, Bausch & Lomb, Nikon, Olympus, and older Zeiss scopes pre 1990.

The AO's were built like tanks as were the B&L's. Olympus built fine scopes especially the BH-2. The older Zeiss scopes were also built like tanks.

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zzffnn
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#4 Post by zzffnn » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:30 pm

My favorite mechanical build is Reichert Zetopan and its Leitz equivalent (of which I cannot remember its name). And the Zeiss Photomic as well.

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Crater Eddie
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#5 Post by Crater Eddie » Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:07 pm

75RR wrote:Sounds like you want a no nonsense built like a tank Lomo

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Petrographic-Mi ... SwxH1ULb6z
Fine looking instrument. Looks kind of familiar.
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apochronaut
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#6 Post by apochronaut » Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:51 pm

Kalleboy wrote:Hello
Which microscope brand(model) has the best mechanical build and usability ?
Pros:
- Hardened steel parts(wear resistant), lots of quality ball bearings, replaceable wearable parts and such.
Cons:
- Lots of easily wearable soft: aluminium, brass.
cons: Easily wearable brass? Brass was the material of choice for important castings , sacrificial parts and those at risk of corrosion on the finest instruments. It provided weight to the instruments, conferring stability and in pairings such as dovetails and rack and pinion sets the more easily replaceable of the two could be made of the slightly softer than steel, brass, so that the more labour intensive to replace part, such as the pinion gear, could remain in good shape. If both the rack and pinion were steel, then both would wear. Brass is also relatively non-corrosive, an important feature in labs where gases and reagents might be in abundance. In some cases two very similar instruments, one average and the other research grade, would be partially distinguished by the lesser having a cast iron base and the latter having a heavier cast brass base. Brass is expensive and sadly, the extreme competiion that emerged in the 1960's in the microscope industry, spelled the death knell of the use of brass and bronze components in all but the very best and costly instruments. Stainless steel has replaced it in some applications where corrosion resistance is of importance.

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75RR
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#7 Post by 75RR » Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:36 am

Fine looking instrument. Looks kind of familiar.
I believe Boris is the name that escapes you ;)
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

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Radazz
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#8 Post by Radazz » Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:04 pm

Kind of partial to brass, myself. I enjoy my Wild Heerbrugg M20s a great deal.
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Yann E.
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#9 Post by Yann E. » Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:53 pm

Kalleboy wrote:Hello
Which microscope brand(model) has the best mechanical build and usability ?
Pros:
- Hardened steel parts(wear resistant), lots of quality ball bearings, replaceable wearable parts and such.
Cons:
- Lots of easily wearable soft: aluminium, brass or even horrible plastic used in important parts like in cogwheels/gears found like in modern 1990< Cheaply made Zeiss microscopes. I like to avoid them.
Hard to give a definitive answer here, but I would go for (ok, I already did ! :mrgreen: ) Leitz Orthoplan & Ortholux 1, Reichert Zetopan, Zeiss Universal/Photomicroscope/Ultraphot, Olympus Vanox AH (1st version), Zeiss Jena Amplival & Vertival... You can't really go wrong with these or a few others in the same league.
Actually, most if not all research grade modular microscopes of the pre-electronics era are extremely well built with quality material.

And I second the comments on brass, quite slow to wear unless you are really hard on it, corrosion resistant and self-lubricating to some extent (less than bronze though).
You can only die once, but you'll enjoy it for a lifetime...

watchmaker
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#10 Post by watchmaker » Thu Feb 09, 2017 10:43 am

I am a watchmaker and have 3 different scopes at 3 different workstations. AO 570 on boom for micromachining, B&L SZ7 w/ 31-15-74s for inspection and micro-photographs (love Toupek!) and a Nikon SMZ 1B on boom w/ .5x Barlow for use at the bench. (Amazing what you can buy on ebay if you are patient; seems to come in waves).

I have cleaned the mechanicals in all three to remove the stiff plastilube and replace with Molykote.

In my opinion, all three are mechanically excellent and are like Swiss machine tools, made to be disassembled and serviced and put go back together as original. I do not remove internal optics though. All three are very well sealed and internal dust is not an issue and the B&L SZ7 seems tight enough (rubber gasket at field end) to even resist fumes in manufacturing work.

All three are parfocal and remain centered throughout the zoom. They are aesthetically pleasing to use.

When I received the Nikon, it was packed poorly and the zoom tube was knocked off its mounting (cupped holes on each end with a ball bearing instead of coned screws, very nice detail). When remounted, it was perfect. THAT tells a lot.

Oktagon
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Re: Best mechanical build on which microscope brand ?

#11 Post by Oktagon » Sat Feb 11, 2017 7:12 pm

Almost any German, Swiss and Austrian scoped made perforé 1980's is going to be very high quality instrument, es[eciall it is as made as a research grade scope. Zeus Ultraphots Photomics, Universal, Standard WLS and even GFLs are prime examples. Leitz Ortholux, Orthopplan, Wild M20. Make your pick!

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