Zeiss WL Modified with Tilt Top

[Charles]

I'm refurbishing a new purchase and wanted to get ideas of what it was used for. It appears to be a modified Zeiss WL where the top portion, turret tilts back. The focus block is in the upper portion and the lower portion has the stage and probably condenser on it's own rail which utilizes the quick connect/disconnect. The base is on an elevated base which allows for the 12V 60W or 12V 100W lighting system. The seller accepted my offer of $150 but shipping was $87 because of the weight and coming across from the other coast.

Maybe this was used in a lab where many samples had to be processed quickly, so it would be easier if the top could be tilted back, samples exchanges and the tilted back to review?

Pictures of before cleaning and refurbishing:

Zeiss WL Tilt Top.jpg (113.07 KiB) Viewed 7149 times

Zeiss WL Tilt Top2.jpg (89.01 KiB) Viewed 7149 times

Zeiss WL Tilt Top Back.jpg (76.88 KiB) Viewed 7149 times

The top of the focus block says Friz Instruments...so probably modified by them.

[PeteM]

Very cool scope.

Given the range of height adjustments, top and bottom, it also looks as if it could handle very thick or tall specimens.

One could also imagine something like a deep petri dish being viewed. Rather than crank up the head, flip it back and insert the next?

The fixed stage (e.g. not for focusing) could also be useful for something like electrophysiology work.

The slight surprise, for me, is that it comes with a standard stage.

[75RR]

There is something fascinating about such an odd beast. Makes one wonder what it does that an inverted microscope can not do?

Agree that the slide holder would seem to be in the way - dual use? It does after all only take a few seconds to change the stage on the WL

[MichaelG.]

No idea ... But I like it a lot
and at the price paid, I am sure it was a bargain.

MichaelG.
[envious]

.
Edit: May be worth asking here: http://www.fritzinstruments.com/

[Charles]

Thank you all!

This scope is a real mess. Everything, stage, turret, focus block, is frozen, and I have little hope the focus block is good. One side the knob just spins and the other side is frozen tight. I've disassemble as much as I can and I'm letting the frozen parts soak in some solvent and see if I can free up some of this. On the bright side, the trinocular head is good with good glass and optics. This trinocular head is a permanent 80/20 with no lever. More to follow...hopefully good!

[viktor j nilsson]

The focus block is in the upper portion and the lower portion has the stage and probably condenser on it's own rail which utilizes the quick connect/disconnect.

Did it come without a condenser and condenser carrier? From the pictures I can't figure out if or how you would attach a condenser.

[Charles]

No, it did not come with a condenser. The condenser would go onto a quick connect/disconnec fitting similar to the one which holds the stage, and would attach on the rail under the stage. It uses the same quick connect/disconnect fittings which the Zeiss WL, the larger Photomicroscopes and Universals use. With these quick connect/disconnec fittings, you can change the setup of your microscope in many different configurations very quickly.

[Charles]

The scope wasn't as bad a shape as I first thought. I got all the frozen parts moving after a good cleaning, especially the gears in the focus block. For the focus block problem, where the one side of the focus knob was just spinning freely, apparently someone tried to get the focus working, the one side unscrewed. I just turned the knob until it tightened up and all is well, coarse and fine focus work well. Still having trouble getting the circular stage to rotate and need to work on that a bit, but I had another circular stage.

Here it is all cleaned up and with a condenser, lighting, intermediate piece and different trinocular head:

Zeiss Tilt Top Parts.jpg (86.69 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

Zeiss Tilt Top.jpg (101.47 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

And all together:

Zeiss WL Tilt.jpg (127.8 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

Zeiss WL Tilt Left.jpg (111.73 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

Zeiss WL Tilted.jpg (133.21 KiB) Viewed 6578 times

[PeteM]

Now we're all really jealous. Looks like it's a beautiful and competent scope.

[Hobbyst46]

Magnificent !
Now that it is visible, tilting looks like a very attractive feature, that is missing in most microscopes...
I wonder if focusing can be locked, such that tilting back and forth does not move the head out of focus.

[75RR]

Turned out very well!

I wonder if it was designed to take the four-axis Fedorov stage, which out of the Standards will normally only fit on the GFL (fixed stage and rising nosepiece)

https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... rsal+stage

[Charles]

I wonder if focusing can be locked, such that tilting back and forth does not move the head out of focus.

Doran, I fixed everything to remain in focus by making sure the coarse focus is at it's lowest point on the focus block. I set the stage first to where I wanted it and then lower the head on the rail and fixed it where the specimen is in focus. The fine focus can still be utilized. Then, raising and lowering the tilt head, everything remains in focus. Changing the objectives may require a tweak of the fine focus as normal.

Overall, I'm very happy with it and will probably make it my main microscope.

[Charles]

I wonder if it was designed to take the four-axis Fedorov stage, which out of the Standards will normally only fit on the GFL (fixed stage and rising nosepiece)

It does have plenty of room for it.

[Charles]

I'm trying to dial things in and making sure optics are clear and work the camera.

Some pictures of some diatoms through the camera (Canon T3i) all single shots-no stacks. Disclaimer: I am not a photographer.
Objectives are Zeiss Neoflaurs 16X and 40X:
Trigonium and Arachnoidiscus (kind of overexposed)

Trigonium & Arachnoidiscus4.jpg (58.97 KiB) Viewed 6479 times

Arachnoidiscus

Arachnoidiscus4.jpg (187.34 KiB) Viewed 6479 times

Auliscus

Auliscus4.jpg (108.86 KiB) Viewed 6479 times

Arachnoidiscus

Arachnoidiscus4(2).jpg (145.59 KiB) Viewed 6479 times

[75RR]

Nice work!
Excuse the liberty

[Charles]

Nice work!
Excuse the liberty

Thank you. What did you do?

[75RR]

What did you do?

Not much, you had done all the heavy lifting already.

Used Photoshop but I think all photo editing software have similar controls.

Started with Image → Auto Color to broadly correct the greenish colour cast (does not always work well but when it does it saves a little time.)

Then used Image → Adjustments → Hue/Saturation to clean up the remnants.

Finished with Filter → Sharpen → Unsharp Mask (just a little - trick is to not to overdo it)

I think your new microscope is dialed in!

[KurtM]

Charles, just want to say thanks as always for posting your finds. That's a really cool scope I never would have known a thing about otherwise.

[Wes]

Charles, what power supply are you using for the 100W lamp?

Started with Image → Auto Color to broadly correct the greenish colour cast (does not always work well but when it does it saves a little time.)

What I like to do is make a new Curves layer, select the middle (gray) brush and click somewhere that is supposed to be gray. This automatically adjusts the white balance and gives you a nice neutral background.

[Charles]

Charles, just want to say thanks as always for posting your finds. That's a really cool scope I never would have known a thing about otherwise.

Hi Kurt. You know, I just can't resist something unique and something inexpensive.

[Charles]

Charles, what power supply are you using for the 100W lamp?

Hi Wes. I use the 8-12V power supplies. Either the tall grey one or the bottom white one works.

Zeiss Transformers.jpg (152.72 KiB) Viewed 6342 times