My New Olympus BX40 -first images

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mrsonchus
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My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#1 Post by mrsonchus » Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:02 pm

Hi all! I know - I really should have posted some images by now.

Here are a few images of the new BX40 - and when I say new, of course it's a 90s 'scope but actually hadn't so much as a fingerprint upon it - looked unused, or virtually-so.....

The BX40 I now have with Canon 200D atop.
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Various views around the beauty...
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A few quick images through 'scope with Canon DSLR and Canon's 'Utility v3' tethering software.
An epidermal-peel I took today while preparing some pieces of Foxglove stem (and ovaries as it happens) for fixative (should make a nice set of slides I think) simply water-mounted with coverslip, brightfield.
I like the way this stack has enabled the focus to move into the interior of the stomatal-pore somewhat, very nice detail for a water-mount, nice and clear. So far so good...
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A stomate from the epidermis of a Daffodil ovary TS - again nice detail for a single image, especially of the continuation of the epidermal cuticle around the 'doors' of the pore. Rather nice detail also of cytoskeleton and vacuoles within cells. Stained with Alcian-blue and Safranin.
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I think these are Teliospores of rust-fungus, beneath the epidermis of Sonchus.arvensis.
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This is 40x phase-contrast at ludicrously-high ISO (the std 30W halogen barely manages especially with the use (as here) of a green filter, image in mono with camera. Stained slides aren't much use (nor are they intended to be of course) with phase-contrast, but all my current slides are stained... This is part of the vascular bundle (xylem vessels) of a Sonchus.oleraceus in TS.
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Here is the same in brightfield, far better as expected.... Above the xylem is a 2-3 cell thick cambium and above that the phloem vessels and their companion cells (which 'load' sugars and other substances into and out of the phloem tubes).
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LS along xylem vessels. The central vessel is a mature secondary vessel-element and shows typical 'bordered' (elliptical-elongate) pits in the (dead) secondary cell-walls. These vessels are formed after cell-elongation has finished as their rigid structure would cause them to fracture if they were formed earlier, during primary growth. The vessel-walls formed during primary growth need to be able to accommodate cell elongation stages and so will have helical or circular (lignin) bands that fulfil this requirement - a readily observable character that allows identification of primary vs secondary xylem.... The vessel that has been torn by the microtome knife, to the left of the bordered pitted vessel, is such a vessel with helical lignification...
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Oh yes, here's a rudimentary darkfield image of the aforementioned epidermal-peel (of a Foxglove stem) as provided by the 'DF' position of the BX40's phase contrast condenser. Not the best but definitely of use....
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That's about all I had time to put together this evening.

I love this BX40's clarity and sheer resolution of detail. I have a nice-looking (oh-my I really hope so......) UPlanApo DRY 60x 0.9 n.a. with correction-collar infinity objective arriving tomorrow which will hopefully serve me well as my 'high-dry' go-to before the dreaded 100x oil is needed. I'm hoping the correction-collar will help this objective to perform to it's best as the 60x dry objectives are horribly sensitive without one..... Fingers very firmly crossed - I'll post images when I get it up & running.....

More tomorrow hopefully....

John B.
Last edited by mrsonchus on Fri Jul 19, 2019 12:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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PeteM
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#2 Post by PeteM » Fri Jul 19, 2019 12:32 am

Looks terrific, John. It was great you were able to find a complete scope, with trinocular head, a phase condenser, and an excellent complement of objectives.

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#3 Post by Roldorf » Fri Jul 19, 2019 7:47 am

Hi mrsonchus

Congratulation that's a very nice microscope. Have you posted on how you came by it? I would really like to know the story.

Alan
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#4 Post by MichaelG. » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:18 am

I have already expressed my admiration and envy, on the other thread
... So just a couple of points:
1. I do hope your new objective proves worthy of this magnificent instrument.
2. Could we please see the darkfield image ?

MichaelG.
Oh yes, here's a rudimentary darkfield image of the aforementioned epidermal-peel (of a Foxglove stem) as provided by the 'DF' position of the BX40's phase contrast condenser. Not the best but definitely of use....
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#5 Post by Hobbyst46 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:39 am

Congratulations, mrsonchus ! beautiful instrument !

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#6 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:23 am

PeteM wrote:Looks terrific, John. It was great you were able to find a complete scope, with trinocular head, a phase condenser, and an excellent complement of objectives.
Hi Pete, yes the 'scope was fitted in what Ibelieve is the 'BX40F' configuration - I think.....
It had the trinocular head, the first part (i.e. the black part) of the photo-train and a reasonable set of objectives which were:
10x Achromat BF
40x Achromat BF
10x Achromat Phase
40x Achromat Phase
Remaining 5th slot empty.

The quality of the Achromats, which I expected to be 'quite ordinary' compared to my now-sold Orthoplan and it's PlanApo objectives, was simply a revelation.Crisp, clear, virtually plan across the 22mm FN of the std BX40....
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#7 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:31 am

MichaelG. wrote:I have already expressed my admiration and envy, on the other thread
... So just a couple of points:
1. I do hope your new objective proves worthy of this magnificent instrument.
2. Could we please see the darkfield image ?

MichaelG.
Oh yes, here's a rudimentary darkfield image of the aforementioned epidermal-peel (of a Foxglove stem) as provided by the 'DF' position of the BX40's phase contrast condenser. Not the best but definitely of use....
Oh...good-grief I hope-so too Michael....
The darkfield image is the last one taken of the epidermal-peel of the Foxglove.

Here's another at 40x of a fungal-intrusion between epidermal cells of an infected Sonchus.sp,
Only the built-in DF of the condenser but pretty good - this is a stained slide so the image is a little 'sub-optimal' shall we say...
ws_18_07_19_049.jpg
ws_18_07_19_049.jpg (39.7 KiB) Viewed 13709 times
I'll try to get a better DF image of something interesting.
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#8 Post by MichaelG. » Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:39 am

The darkfield image is the last one taken of the epidermal-peel of the Foxglove.
Thanks, John ... but my point was: There's just a little box there, containing the word 'Image'

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#9 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:41 am

Hobbyst46 wrote:Congratulations, mrsonchus ! beautiful instrument !
Thanks Hobby' - I'm really pleased with it as I had hankered for a more recent high-end 'scope for a while, and had had my eye on the Olympus BX range for some time. The BX40 was the one within my financial reach, I would of course have loved a BX50 series with the std polariser fitted (something that I'll add to the BX40 but will cost me a considerable amount...) - the slotted nosepiece and intermediate analyser fitted between nosepiece and head. I consider myself very lucky indeed to have been able to buy this beauty -

My Dear Wife said I should go ahead and buy it, the Orthoplan's sale hopefully would offset the cost! As it turned-out I sold all of my Orthoplan equipment including the magnificent 'scope itself within 2-weeks, and more than recouped the cost of this beautiful BX40!
That was more than I had imagined and turned-out very well for me, thank goodness! :D
The BX40 oozes quality in use, and optically it's absolutely superb.
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#10 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:42 am

MichaelG. wrote:
The darkfield image is the last one taken of the epidermal-peel of the Foxglove.
Thanks, John ... but my point was: There's just a little box there, containing the word 'Image'

MichaelG.
URK - sorry Michael - I must have messed-up the shared-link, have a look now! :oops:
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#11 Post by Hobbyst46 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:07 am

Hi mrsonchus,
UIS2 optics are cutting edge coating technology from Olympus.
About the DF - 40X image: did you oil the condenser to the slide?

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#12 Post by 75RR » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:26 am

Looking very nice! Glad it has turned out well :)
... the 'scope was fitted in what I believe is the 'BX40F' configuration - I think.....
It had the trinocular head, the first part (i.e. the black part) of the photo-train and a reasonable set of objectives which were:
10x Achromat BF
40x Achromat BF
10x Achromat Phase
40x Achromat Phase
Remaining 5th slot empty.
Given the objectives it came with you have probably not tried Phase Contrast yet, unless you have gone on an epic shopping spree ;)

However in the meantime, you can obtain COL using the condenser annuli with the Brightfield objectives.

You will need to try out various permutations but you should be able get some good results.
Last edited by 75RR on Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#13 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:37 am

Hobbyst46 wrote:Hi mrsonchus,
UIS2 optics are cutting edge coating technology from Olympus.
About the DF - 40X image: did you oil the condenser to the slide?
Hi hobby' - no it was used dry, just a very quick job.
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#14 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:41 am

75RR wrote:Looking very nice! Glad it has turned out well :)
... the 'scope was fitted in what I believe is the 'BX40F' configuration - I think.....
It had the trinocular head, the first part (i.e. the black part) of the photo-train and a reasonable set of objectives which were:
10x Achromat BF
40x Achromat BF
10x Achromat Phase
40x Achromat Phase
Remaining 5th slot empty.
Given the objectives it came with you have probably not tried Phase Contrast yet, unless you have gone on an epic shopping spree ;)

However in the meantime, you can obtain COL using the condenser annuli with the Brightfield objectives.

You will need to try out various permutations but you should be able get some good results.
Hi 75' - yes there's a rather quickly prepared phase image above of the stained slide of xylem - but far from ideal as a subject I'm afraid. The 'scope also came with the correct Olympus green filter for phase, which I used, with the camera set to monochrome too...
As you suggest, I've a few options to try-out using the phase condenser an it's set of annuli - I'll post some attempts as I explore this 'scope....
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#15 Post by 75RR » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:53 am

My bad, had Brightfield on the brain for some reason.

Not sure how effective COL will be with plant sections but worth a try.

As to Phase, I would only use the green filter with something like diatoms where resolution is particularly important.

It would be interesting to see some Phase results without it.

All this of course when you find the time ... more of a winter thing I would say!
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#16 Post by Crater Eddie » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:58 am

What an excellent looking instrument! In very capable hands too.
For some reason I still can't see the very first image.
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#17 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 12:29 pm

Crater Eddie wrote:What an excellent looking instrument! In very capable hands too.
For some reason I still can't see the very first image.
CE
Try it now Ed'.
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#18 Post by Crater Eddie » Fri Jul 19, 2019 12:59 pm

That fixed it John, thanks. Thanks also for all your wonderful images!
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#19 Post by MichaelG. » Fri Jul 19, 2019 1:36 pm

mrsonchus wrote:
MichaelG. wrote:
The darkfield image is the last one taken of the epidermal-peel of the Foxglove.
Thanks, John ... but my point was: There's just a little box there, containing the word 'Image'
URK - sorry Michael - I must have messed-up the shared-link, have a look now! :oops:
All good now, John ... much appreciated

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#20 Post by PeteM » Fri Jul 19, 2019 3:34 pm

John, while your phase objectives are likely plain achromats, I think your brightfield objectives are a step up - Plan achromats. As you say, excellent contrast and nice wide fields of view.

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#21 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 4:00 pm

PeteM wrote:John, while your phase objectives are likely plain achromats, I think your brightfield objectives are a step up - Plan achromats. As you say, excellent contrast and nice wide fields of view.
Correct my friend, the BX40 'scope came with 10x and 40x Achromats of both phase and brightfield - but I found a nice set of 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x oil, PlanC N UIS2 objectives (as in images posted) and snapped them up for a good price - I sold the 10x and 40x Achromat brightfield objectives only yesterday - I still have the 10x and 40x Achromat phase-contrast objectives as the phase on this 'scope is far better than it was on the Orthoplan.....

What I can honestly say though is that those Achromats were about 95% as good as the UIS2 objectives!
The BX40's optics are superb - even at the base Achromat level. I expected them to be inferior to the Orthoplan's PlanApochromats that I had, but if anything they are superior - probably more a function of 'scope age and technology differences, maybe?
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#22 Post by Hobbyst46 » Fri Jul 19, 2019 4:01 pm

PeteM wrote:John, while your phase objectives are likely plain achromats, I think your brightfield objectives are a step up - Plan achromats. As you say, excellent contrast and nice wide fields of view.
There are also Plan Olympus infinity corrected objectives for the BX41 microscope, that are neither UIS nor UIS2 I believe, and are marked "Plan". If I get a chance to test them I will post some.

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#23 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 4:36 pm

Hobbyst46 wrote:
PeteM wrote:John, while your phase objectives are likely plain achromats, I think your brightfield objectives are a step up - Plan achromats. As you say, excellent contrast and nice wide fields of view.
There are also Plan Olympus infinity corrected objectives for the BX41 microscope, that are neither UIS nor UIS2 I believe, and are marked "Plan". If I get a chance to test them I will post some.
As far as I know, the ones marked PlanC N are actually supplied with the CX 'scopes, while the ones marked Plan N are supplied with the BX series. The ones marked only Plan are the UIS series 1 objectives, the Plan N are the UIS 2 objectives.
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#24 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 4:54 pm

The 60x UPlanApo with collar arrived today and is now sitting pretty in plance of the UIS 2 100x oil objective in the BX40's nosepiece!

A couple of images just taken,
Image

Image

Image

I'll have a proper try-out of the 60x tomorrow as I'm not sure yet how the collar is used properly! :D
There is an index-mark that lines-up with the left-end of the scale i.e. 0.11µ when it's turned fully that way, and another that lines-up with the right-end of the scale i.e. 0.23µ when it's (the collar) turned fully that way. At the mid-point of 0.17µ there's no index but the 0.17 is directly facing the user i.e. dead-center.
Do I need to focus normally with the 'scope's fine-focus with the collar set midway at 0.17µ then optimise focus with collar-adjustment, or do I focus with the 'scope with the collar set to the (nominal) thickness of the slide's coverslip (I use thinner slips of 0.16µ routinely) before fine-tuning with the collar? I need a quick visit to Olympus' web-pages I think!
Not sure just yet how it's done properly (optimally).....

Great to have this option rather than going on to the oil 100x.
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#25 Post by MichaelG. » Fri Jul 19, 2019 6:02 pm

Funnily enough, John ... I was reading this page only a couple of days ago:
http://olympus.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/an ... ction.html

It's really rather good.

MichaelG.
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#26 Post by MicroBob » Fri Jul 19, 2019 6:48 pm

mrsonchus wrote:Do I need to focus normally with the 'scope's fine-focus with the collar set midway at 0.17µ then optimise focus with collar-adjustment, or do I focus with the 'scope with the collar set to the (nominal) thickness of the slide's coverslip (I use thinner slips of 0.16µ routinely) before fine-tuning with the collar?
Hi John,
congratulations to you nice new microscope! I hope you keep on showing your interesting work as you did in the past.
I don't have this objective but I have Zeiss Jena and Lomo Apo 40:1 0,95 objectives. Here I just start with an average collar setting and optimise both settings while observing. This is not too difficult to do. The focus doesn't change much when adjusting the collar.
Have you ever measured the thickness of your cover slips? Usually they vary quite a bit within the same package and you only get tight tolerances for a really inflated price.

Bob

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#27 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:02 pm

Thanks Bob - this link has a good interactive tutorial and instructions - it seems starting at 0.17 is the preferred but not essential way to start with correction-collar adjustments....
Pretty much as you say after that Bob, a mix of both 'scope and collar adjustments to optimise....
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#28 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:05 pm

MichaelG. wrote:Funnily enough, John ... I was reading this page only a couple of days ago:
http://olympus.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/an ... ction.html

It's really rather good.

MichaelG.
Thanks Michael - the dratted Java won't run on my version of Chrome it seems..... :(
But, I think the link I found and posted below is the same, and this one will run on my Windows 10 Chrome Version 75.0.3770.142 (Official Build) (64-bit)
It wouldn't run on Microsoft's Edge browser either....
John B

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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#29 Post by MichaelG. » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:40 pm

Apologies, John ... I should have checked immediately before posting


I'm using a Mac, and have just tried the link
Java Security blocked the Application, and gave me a warning; then offered me an update
Note: Your Windows version might have different numbers
Java.jpg
Java.jpg (101.67 KiB) Viewed 13573 times
... I will try again and let you know.

MichaelG.
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Re: My New Olympus BX40 -first images

#30 Post by mrsonchus » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:47 pm

I temporarily disable my antivirus suite but to no avail. A quick search revealed that Chrome no longer supports Java... It seems to be the same for MS Edge as far as I can tell....

Thanks for trying though.
John B

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