Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

Everything relating to microscopy hardware: Objectives, eyepieces, lamps and more.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
jomaiz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:59 am

Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#1 Post by jomaiz » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:04 pm

I have a binocular microscope with achromatic objectives for hobby, I wonder if it's worth substituting them little by little for plan achromatic objectives.

Could someone put the same photo (large size) with a plan and achromatic lens to see the difference?

thanks

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#2 Post by apochronaut » Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:22 pm

Depending on what microscope you are using and what you use it for, the extra cost might not be worth it. Knowing the microscope helps a lot because the brand will affect the cost, sometimes a lot.

If your samples are usually very thin and made up of a fairly defined or uniform specimen, then having plan objectives would even out the curvature of field and offer a more fully panaoramic flat field view. This is also true of some prepared slide specimens, some of which can be quite flat and uniform.
If your samples are thicker, along the lines of pond water samples or other matrixes with lots of suspended items in them, then plan optics offer only a small advantage, chiefly in a little better ease at tracking moving creatures, scanning the bottom etc.

If you are taking pictures, plan optics provide a flatter more uniform edge to edge image. Most achromats tend to give a little more lateral chromatic aberration and or flare towards the periphery, and that will show up as distortion towards the corners of the frame, in photographs. Plan optics also allow you to capture more of a wide field frame. Many dedicated microscope cameras, vignette the microscope field quite a bit in order not to capture the distortion in the field curvature.

The other thing is cost. If your microscope is Chinese, or one of the less expensive older brands, American Optical, B & L, PZO, older Japanese, English or an educational brand, like Fisher or Swift, a plan set of optics will not cost too much ; but to get genuine planachros for some of the more visible brands, like Zeiss or Leitz or more modern Olympus and Nikon could be expensive, although in many cases optics can be swapped over from brand to brand. Additionally, some plan optics require compensating eyepieces, in order to complete the plan performance.

Post the microscope brand and some options would immediately be known.


apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#4 Post by apochronaut » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:19 pm

Except that that is a terrible example. The magnification isn't even the same between the two examples shown , and the plan example isn't in focus in the center of the field.

User avatar
jomaiz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:59 am

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#5 Post by jomaiz » Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:07 pm

My microscope is an optika b-159, I observe stagnant water and some homemade crops.

I had seen those example photos, they are small and you can not see much difference.

From what you have said, I think it is not worth investing in flat objectives.

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#6 Post by apochronaut » Sun Feb 18, 2018 3:31 pm

Chinese objectives are increasing in price, too. Many sets are in the $400.00 range now, that not long ago, were 200.00. There is still this absurdly low priced 160mm tube set sold by an ebay seller that I have bought from in the past. He is communicative and fair.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-DIN-Plan-A ... XQ0pNRpfjW

User avatar
Crater Eddie
Posts: 1858
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:39 pm
Location: Illinois USA

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#7 Post by Crater Eddie » Sun Feb 18, 2018 3:48 pm

Wow, that would be an incredible price if the objectives were half way decent.
CE
Olympus BH-2 / BHTU
LOMO BIOLAM L-2-2
LOMO POLAM L-213 / BIOLAM L-211 hybrid
LOMO Multiscope (Biolam)
Cameras: Canon T3i, Olympus E-P1 MFT, Amscope 3mp USB

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#8 Post by apochronaut » Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:30 pm

It is and look what those nice people at Amscope want.....http://www.amscope.com/plan-objective-l ... -100x.html

charlie g
Posts: 1831
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 7:54 pm

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#9 Post by charlie g » Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:38 pm

Great question, jomaize, when to upgrade your microscopy workhorse stand. Thanks as always, apo, CE, hobbyist46, for 'fleshing out' the microscopy specifics, and sense of price-point considerations.

We all salute your microscopy endevors, jomaize....please share ( flesh-out) the specifics of your current stand( your microscope)...do you have need to image capture your observations?...so do you enjoy a trinocular head with your stand?

What collection of objectives do you currently enjoy on your stand? ? 4X, 10X, 20X, 60X, 100X-oil objective?...and what in stagnant waters do you sense to observe and pursue an acquaintance with?...the wee beastie rotifers/worms, nematodes, water bears, water mites, water fleas, algae...or will you also enjoy the protists: protozoa, microalgae, diatoms, ...gulp...bacteria...and more?

Perhaps make a decision if your current stand...allows/ permits 'upgrade optics'/ upgrade image capture optics ( camera adapter relay lens optics/ vrs dedicated image device, etc.)...how 'good' is your current stands substage condenser...how good is the light source?...does it 'make sense to upgrade' this stand you have now? If not...enjoy this stand and ponder if you need obtain a stand with excellent potential to accept upgrades.

I was so thrilled with live bacteria being observable...long before I had any means of 'image capture/ taking pics' of these experiences.

Please do not run up costs on what ( hopefully!) will be a starter stand...decide if your microscopy experience, and sharing with kind forums...if image captures add to your enjoyment...and 'first decide' if the current stand you have..is the stand to spend duckets on upgrade objective optics. My welcome to you , I enjoy live freshwaters microscopy..but this so tiny an aspect of microscopy paths!

Charlie guevara

JimT
Posts: 3247
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2014 1:57 pm

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#10 Post by JimT » Sun Feb 18, 2018 11:22 pm

The nice thing about plan objs is the edge to edge flat field. One still has to continuously focus as critters move around but IMO for stationary subjects they are worth it. Especially for the 4x and 10x objs. I upgraded for my scope and am glad I did.

User avatar
jomaiz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:59 am

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#11 Post by jomaiz » Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:20 pm

I will try to express myself as best as possible, my English is very bad.

As I said, I am starting in this hobby and I have not been long, for now I enjoy the protists that I am collecting from standing water, the bacteria seem more boring to me. I have also about 10 slides too.

I have the objectives 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x, all achromatic. The 4x barely use it, only to focus, I use much more 10x and 40x. I'm thinking of buying a 60x, I would use it a lot more than the 100x.

For now I really enjoy what I have, but I am one of those who "always want more", I suppose.

In photography I have more experience, and some time ago I decided that it was not worth paying double for an objetive, with fewer aberrations, I suppose it is a similar case we are talking about, isn´t it?

User avatar
Crater Eddie
Posts: 1858
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:39 pm
Location: Illinois USA

Re: Achromatic plan, is it worth it?

#12 Post by Crater Eddie » Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:31 pm

For what its worth, for pond life I find that I use a 20x objective the most and the 100x never.
And, I don't use my 60x as much as I thought I would.
CE
Olympus BH-2 / BHTU
LOMO BIOLAM L-2-2
LOMO POLAM L-213 / BIOLAM L-211 hybrid
LOMO Multiscope (Biolam)
Cameras: Canon T3i, Olympus E-P1 MFT, Amscope 3mp USB

Post Reply