Balplan DIC Lenses

[microb]

So I think I know why there are lenses above and below the DIC prism in the Balplan set up. I had thought the lenses meant that a Balplan was a 160mm/215mm no telan lens microscope, but it does have a telan lens, plus a correction doublet just above the objectives that basically is a common lens shared among the objectives to make things cost effective.

So in epi-illumination you want to control the distance between the epi set up and the back focal plane of the objectives so that even illumination can be set up. So if an adaptor adds distance there, that would alter the distance and lenses were added to the DIC adaptor to fix that.

[Scarodactyl]

Ah, I was wondering about that. I guess it makes particular sense since this seems likely to have been a later addition to the system rather than something planned from the start.
How did you like the results of this system after your initial testing, by the way? I have thought about seeking one out given my own epi DIC woes.

[microb]

How did you like the results of this system after your initial testing, by the way? I have thought about seeking one out given my own epi DIC woes.

I want to get the camera set-up, so I haven't really done any testing. Then I want to get the phase contrast set up and running to learn from that. Basically it's on the shelf waiting for parts. I haven't gotten images just yet until I get the camera tube going. Then I'll sell it.

If you want a DIC adaptor, I have two. I don't have an epi yet. I'll put the DIC adaptor into that set up. At least that's the plan. The problem is getting the parts for this starts to add up. I don't think referbing Balplans is a business model to recommend to anyone.

I dug up an Olympus stand and the Leica DMIL is on hold right now. So maybe I can try to the DICs with the BH2. There has to be an answer there somewhere.

[apochronaut]

Probably has a lot to do with the effect the common telescope lens has on the system. The common lens does do some correcting likely ; probably field flattening plus some peripheral ca. It also is the final magnifier in the system by about 5X and contributes to sending the ray bundle to the telan lens as an infinity bundle : else there would be no need for a converging lens in the head.
The epi illumination bundle, on the other hand has different requirements, and no doubt needs a lilttle help going backwards through a negative lens that has been engineered to stringent optical requirements, rather than reverse illumination requirements.