Wave plates on Ebay

[PeteM]

Just thought I'd give a heads up on this source. I recently received a 32mm quarter wave plate from this seller. Normally, a wave plate of optical quality is in the $100 to $200 range. The cheap substitute - stretched plastic film -- is cheap but problematic. While the exact same 32mm wave plate as the one I received (for $17) doesn't seem currently available, the others shown here might well do for simple polarization and DIC. Same seller also provides some nicely done chemical crystal slides, linear polarizers cut to diameter, phase annulli, and darkfield stops. Prices have always seemed fair and the items packed well and quickly delivered.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/techno2020/m.h ... 7675.l2562

[viktor j nilsson]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274396219802

Could this be the one you got? Different seller, suspiciously similar name!

[PeteM]

Mine was 32mm sandwiched between glass. Maybe same material. Wouldn't surprise me if your link is the same seller, under a different name.

[Saul]

Mine was 32mm sandwiched between glass. Maybe same material. Wouldn't surprise me if your link is the same seller, under a different name.

How it is performing ?

[PeteM]

It works well. In an initial casual view don't see a difference between it and a pricey Leica 1/4 wave plate. The seller's listing said there were slight inconsistencies in the glass-polymer-glass sandwich but they didn't seem to affect the view. That was my experience as well. Might have seen something had it been closer to an image plane - this was on top of a polarizer on top of the field lens on a DIC scope.

The ones currently available don't seem to have a glass cover, so some greater care would need to be taken with them.

The phase and darkfield rings have been OK as well. Appear to be laser cut out of Delrin in a wide variety of sizes. My only complaint was somewhat fuzzy edges on one of the smaller annuli.

Ditto the polarizers. They don't go quite as dark to extinction as an OEM Lecia, Nikon, or Olympus linear polarizers costing 20x as much even used, but are entirely satisfactory for casual use. I've used a few to replace delaminated polarizers in A.O. gear. When proper glass mounted photo polarizers are available, from good brands, they seem to be a bit better.

[microb]

Edmund Optics sells 50x50mm films for quart, half and full for $12 to $18:

https://www.edmundoptics.com/f/polymer- ... ilm/14827/

[Wes]

What about this one?






https://www.ebay.de/itm/MIKROSKOP-KOMPE ... SwimRe3d1u