Astyanax wrote: My thinking and need is purely resolution driven, colour is secondary.
That's a most important piece of information. Resolution is created in the microscope and then theoretically captured by the camera. I am one of those people who, while I recognize the convenience of purchasing a new , clean, microscope, that is made and performs to a certain standard, I also see that you are used to using a Vanox . If maximum resolution is your goal, no budget Chinese microscope is going to have that capability. A 40x .65 achromat or planachromat is a 40x .65. It isn't a 40x .85 , nor a fluorite nor an apo. You can buy a lot of resolution in a used microscope, for a lot less than any decent new Chinese microscope would cost. You also will get the benefit of old world craftsmanship and superb precision in construction, rather than a conglomerate of metal and plastic that once it breaks( and it will), might be very difficult to put right. Aluminum, cast iron, steel and brass can always be fixed; often not so with split, stripped or cracked nylon or plastic.
Here is another thought. Once you do get the resolution close to or at the level you require, you need to get that digitally captured. There is a lot of software out there to help with chromatic aberration , depth of field , sharpness etc. but the original image can only be improved so much. You have to bear in mind that it takes approx. a 20 mp. camera to equal the resolution of a high quality fine grain 35mm emulsion image, so for example ,starting with a basic 20x .40 N.A. planachromat and then capturing the image with a 5mp camera is never going to grant you a high resolution image.
Almost all cheaper microscopes have a 1.25 N.A. abbe condenser. Whether it has a flip top feature or not is irrelevant because that is only of value for the low power objectives and they don't even need a condenser, so if you are paying more for that flip top feature , it is basically a useless convenience. Getting a 1.25 abbe condenser with a microscope is a lot like getting pneumatic tires on a new car. If those two features AREN'T part of the respective packages, then just what is? Abbe condensers are not the best for photomicrography, whether kohler illuminated or not. Abbe aspherics are better, aplanatic achromats are even better and are pretty much mandated for microphotography , where higher resolution is being sought. Only the really high end Chinese scopes selling for well over 1000.00, would offer such options, however, it is almost routine to source those kinds of condensers for less than 100.00 to fit numerous brands of used scopes.I have bought two, 1.3 N.A. achromats in the past year for just over 100.00 for both of them, with which to upgrade two infinity corrected trinocular AO 20 microscopes.
I realize you are in Australia and your dollar and shipping considerations are a big factor but I am in Canada and I face the majority of the same restrictions , when dealing with the U.S. Despite my proximity, I get fleeced when packages cross the border. I know that finding a second hand scope that is the right price, with reasonable shipping and available, is a bit of a search but if you choose the right used scope, the potential for upgrading is built in, whereas a routinely priced Chinese scope is going to arrive in your hands at it's peak of performance, with limited or no upgrading possible. Many of them are not infinity corrected and even some of the ones that are( such as the Zeiss , made by Motic) have a unique optical correction and tube length, so might as well not be infinity corrected because compatibility with other objectives or components is unknown and not publicized. Those Zeiss , made in China optics ,aren't even compatible with other Zeiss optics!
Clearly, from my point of view; I would always go used. Used instruments are known quantities with celebrated performance.You will get a much bigger bang for your buck and any of those older instruments will last a lifetime.
, There is one feature that buying a used scope does require, that hopefully buying a new microscope will not require and that is patience. Sometimes it just takes frequent searching and looking to find those ideal upgrades to an older system but I kind of feel that the time is well spent when compared to the time it takes to search out another more expensive new microscope ,because the first one turned out to be oversold and wasn't really adequate.
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