MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

An update on this. The 25x NPL Fluotar produces an extremely nice DIC effect. This isn't very surprising, I suppose, as that was written on the tin. However, in my very quick tests, I noticed that both the 10x Plan star lens and the 6.3x PL Fluotar star lens produced DIC as well. Probably not as goo...

After using them side by side for a couple of days, I am mostly using them for micro minerals and gram class meteorite work, I have found I like the szh with the little extra optical reach. Also I have the ergonomic head for the oly and the traditional on the m8. Looks like the m8 will be staying a...

What an interesting read, thanks to all of you. It's not like I hadn't already made up my mind years ago but reading the above further justified my decision to stay away from anything new when it comes to my personal microscopes. I stick to late 80ies and 90ies as that is what I see as the golden ag...

FredH, many thanks for the info and the photos, extremely helpful! What you describe sounds exactly like what I am having here. I will likely forget the Bertrand lens in both scopes now and in the future. Having a phase telescope should be enough. The phase mask mechanism I will try to fix later on ...

I am working on setting up two used Olympus IMT-2 phase scopes that my unit recently bought used. Both have the ULWCD ultra long working distance phase condenser with all the proper phase annuli and the four original phase objectives (4x, 10x, 20x and 40x). I am not able to focus on the annuli for s...

No real experience on the Nikon stereos but I didn't fall in love with the Olympus ones. I found Wild to be perfect for my use and needs. Newer Zeiss is good too but those are expensive and the cheaper ones like Stemi 2000, despite being otherwise good quality, lack the expansion options of a CMO-ba...

Progress! Made a tool for that nasty screw and opened up the condenser, removed the turret. There indeed is the S 25 DIC prism in one slot but all the others are empty. Labovert_S25_DIC_condenser_prism.jpg Above the universal condenser in the stand, there is what appears one of the couple options fo...

I learned yesterday that this condenser is a ULU condenser, not the regular UK condenser that usually came with a Labovert. It is because of this one being the FS (fixed stage) variation. Not all DIC parts and condenser parts are compatible, some are specific for the condenser type. Working distance...

I now have the Labovert in hand. Every mechanical control operates very smoothly, including XY and (very importantly!) both coarse and fine focus. These scopes have a focus mechanism that is notoriously difficult to fix if stuck. This is the FS version meaning fixed stage, so the objective nosepiece...

Wayne & apochronaut, thank you so much once again! I need to delve into this properly when I have more time. Right now I'm fixing two new (to us) Olympus IMT-2 scopes for teaching purposes at my unit.

It is possible to put a Leica or Wild PlanApo on the M8. Some of these have a 65mm thread as opposed to the 60mm on the M8. All you need is a simple adapter which Leica used to make (also for 50mm, ie. the Wild M3B/C/Z). There were even adapters to put a 50mm thread objective on a 60mm or 65mm threa...

I have a friend who enjoys playing the ukulele. He stared with one ukulele about two years ago. He now owns about twenty instruments and is always lusting after a new ukulele. I never really understood this urge until my microscope arrived. I have a Swift 380T and I really like it and am enjoying u...

I may have an extra, original Plan 1x for the M8. What would you offer for it?

And two photos of the Plan Fluor 40x (no mention of 'IK', also no mention of 'Apo') and the Plan Fl Apo IK 10x:
Two photos of the polarizers. The condenser is very heavy for it's size:

A second photo of the 40x Plan phase: Then the Plan Apo Oel Iris 40x (no mention of 'IK' on this one):

Here's images of the objectives on the unit's Polyvar.

First of the 40x lenses has badly worn markings, but 'IK' is visible:
Next is a Plan Iris IK 40x:
Then the 40x Plan phase:

dumb question but there are no interchangeable parts between the M3 series and the M8 correct, in particular objecctives or heads? I have an M3, and extra parts but assume they are different scopes except for EPs of course. The binocular and trinocular heads are totally interchangeable between them...

Since it seems that a lot of people didn't have these user manuals, just the one for the Polyvar Met (which is quite a bit different and does not cover many important aspects at all), I thought scanning them in good quality would be the obvious service for the community to do. Also, I have never fou...

Thanks again, good info! As the unit's Polyvar will be used quite a lot in teaching, we will definitely use a dry 40x during those times. Having students mess around with immersion is just dumb, asking for trouble. So no, that will be reserved for other, more experienced users. I have now scanned al...

Thanks apochronaut & wayne & others!

Seems there are options, which is good. I'll need to consider the options and react when a suitable candidate comes across.

There was a Leica made adapter to attach the M10 trapezoidal column to these Leica bases. But pretty much impossible to find these days. However, I have the blueprint for it from Leica and had a machinist friend manufacture one for me. You can see the adapter in this thread: https://www.microbehunte...

Does anyone have the separate leaflet user instructions for Olympus IMT-2 DIC/NIC? The scope manual doesn't say much about the DIC system. I have already installed the DIC condenser and the prism slider plus the necessary objectives. Use seems to be pretty straight forward. For using DIC, one needs ...

Hmm... found this thread and opened it with high hopes, but alas, the multi-immersion 16/0,5 plan-neofluar from Zeiss up the thread is for 160mm tube length, unfortunately. There are modern Zeiss oil immersion objectives (actually some of them are for multiple immersion medias) from Zeiss but they s...

That is interesting stuff! The Polyvar in our unit, which I assembled today, has five different 40x objectives. Three came with the scope and two in a parts package. This lead me to think that maybe having two nosepieces for transmitted would be a good idea. One would be for dry objectives and the o...

I think you will need Z-stacking also when using a stereo microscope, at least for a great majority of subjects. Depth of focus will not be enough when using single shots. Maybe at the lowest mag range and when observing subjects that are relatively flat you might not need Z-stacking. For photograph...

I am always interested in anything that has to do with the Polyvar lineage, optics etc.

apochronaut wrote: ↑

Thu May 02, 2024 9:11 pm

Rorschach, could you measure across the thread of one of your condenser barrels?.

Sure: it is 33mm.

I rescanned the order guide with the missing pages 4-5. Here is a link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HhM2HyAzNMdE8AE4c2A4quvVBtE7T9v4/view?usp=drive_link This link will take you to the Polyvar 2 4 page brochure, it is the only version I have https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hFPQUz4G04OTbKi9GY4d-...

Thanks Wayne! So that is when the Plan Fluor-Apo objectives came out, for the Polyvar 2. Interesting!

The InfraPol and the PolySpec sound intriguing!

It makes me wonder if they made an apochromat/aplanat for a while, then just went with an achromat/aplanat. If such a condenser exists, it might have been the only one made by anyone. I have come across no other. Prior to the 1960's some companies made condensers that had R.M.S. threads. Researcher...