B&L Panfocal Illuminator - Milling a New Lamp Housing

This is the place where collectors can discuss their passion.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
ebenbildmicroscopy
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2017 8:57 pm

B&L Panfocal Illuminator - Milling a New Lamp Housing

#1 Post by ebenbildmicroscopy » Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:43 pm

This Panfocal Illuminator was a recent Fleabay purchase and, as is the case with so many microscope components that are easily removed without tools, it was missing the actual illuminator. I've got some aluminum square stock that I will be milling to fit and an offshore LED illuminator as a lamp and switch donor. The brightness and consistency of the little very cheap LED illuminator is surprising.

I've included two pages of Bausch and Lomb catalog D-119 that, fortunately, show actual blueprint drawings of the Panfocal that can be enlarged to scale for scale measurements. I'm going to turn the matching knurled illuminator handle out of 304 stainless and install a modern small strain relief around the cord. I may paint the new illuminator in black crinkle finish because I've always liked the vintage look of the crinkle finish.

The LED illuminator heats up very little but I will mill heat sink slots underneath the mount of the circuit board. I'm also going to modify and re-install the diffuser that came with the LED.

I will post more pics as I carry out each step... TO BE CONTINUED...
Attachments
P9280032-min.JPG
P9280032-min.JPG (90.9 KiB) Viewed 3538 times
P9280031-min.JPG
P9280031-min.JPG (100.77 KiB) Viewed 3538 times
B&LD-119panfocal.jpeg
B&LD-119panfocal.jpeg (150.11 KiB) Viewed 3538 times
JeffO, aka "Ortho amore"
Leitz Ortholux I
Leitz Orthoplan
Leitz Macro-Dia Device
Zeiss GFL
Zeiss Standard
Zeiss Photomicroscope III
Zeiss OPMI 6S
B&L Stereozoom and Balplan

dtsh
Posts: 977
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 6:06 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Re: B&L Panfocal Illuminator - Milling a New Lamp Housing

#2 Post by dtsh » Wed Feb 17, 2021 3:10 pm

Ah, very interesting. I've been slowly working on adapting some of my scopes to LED as well, it would be interesting to know what the specs on your LED are and what driver you're using. I suspect mine are way over engineered and could be simplified greatly.

For those of us unfamiliar with panfocal illumination, care to *ahem* enlighten?

User avatar
ebenbildmicroscopy
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2017 8:57 pm

Re: B&L Panfocal Illuminator - Milling a New Lamp Housing

#3 Post by ebenbildmicroscopy » Wed Feb 17, 2021 4:13 pm

hello dtsh! I love "the enlighten-ment!"

I must admit, I am a reluctant Bausch and Lomb collector and have, only recently, acquiesced to collect examples on a very limited basis - primarily a Balplan, a Dynoptic, an old grey Widefield Stereomicroscope. I am first a Leitz Ortholux I and Orthoplan collector followed by Zeiss, and last (but not least) an American Optical enthusiast.

My training in microscope repair is primarily mechanical repair and machining. The German machinist I trained under considered the coaxial focus mechanism of the B&L Dynazoom to be the finest of any microscope... having said that, I am, by no means, an electrician and so chose the LED with *that* in mind. The little donor unit I bought on Ebay for $9 + $11.95 shipping. It has everything already wired up, including the switch... for the price, it was a win/win. I considered using the lamp source out of an old AO Spencer darkfield illuminator which, I think, was virtually the same original spec as the B&L. The self lighted AO Spencer darkfields are readily available on Ebay.

Regarding the Panfocal Illuminator itself, I will compare it to the Leitz 2 diaphragm Berek condenser, since they each feature aperture AND field diaphragms - this comparison is also made in the famous text "The Practical Use of the Microscope" by Needham. Excerpted from the B&L catalog D-119, "Microscope Illuminators," the Panfocal illuminator, "makes three types of illumination instantly available - bright field, dark field, and polarized light and when desired, a red, green, blue, or daylight filter... matching the N.A. of the condenser with that of the objective is rapidly accomplished without effort. The knurled ring graduated from .10 to 1.40 controls the N.A. setting and at the same time moves the lenses and aperture diaphragm in precise synchronization. The proper relationship between the seven lens elements of the condenser and the aperture diaphragm is always maintained."

I am eventually planning to do a YouTube video demonstrating the use of the Panfocal... more to come!
Last edited by ebenbildmicroscopy on Wed Feb 17, 2021 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
JeffO, aka "Ortho amore"
Leitz Ortholux I
Leitz Orthoplan
Leitz Macro-Dia Device
Zeiss GFL
Zeiss Standard
Zeiss Photomicroscope III
Zeiss OPMI 6S
B&L Stereozoom and Balplan

User avatar
ebenbildmicroscopy
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2017 8:57 pm

Re: B&L Panfocal Illuminator - Milling a New Lamp Housing

#4 Post by ebenbildmicroscopy » Wed Feb 17, 2021 4:26 pm

As a further indication of the complexity of the Panfocal condenser/illuminator, by comparing B&L 1958 price lists, a fairly complete 4 objective Model TT ("tri-ocular") Dynoptic would cost you around $670 USD, the Panfocal Illuminator by itself was listed (from the same source) at a hefty $240 USD!
JeffO, aka "Ortho amore"
Leitz Ortholux I
Leitz Orthoplan
Leitz Macro-Dia Device
Zeiss GFL
Zeiss Standard
Zeiss Photomicroscope III
Zeiss OPMI 6S
B&L Stereozoom and Balplan

dtsh
Posts: 977
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 6:06 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Re: B&L Panfocal Illuminator - Milling a New Lamp Housing

#5 Post by dtsh » Wed Feb 17, 2021 10:24 pm

Very interesting indeed.
You can't just drop the statement 'makes three types of illumination instantly available - bright field, dark field, and polarized light and when desired, a red, green, blue, or daylight filter... ' without more details or at least some images!
I can see from the drawing that it looks mighty intricate and get a hint of how some aspects might work. Makes me wish I had something like that for all my scopes.

User avatar
ebenbildmicroscopy
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2017 8:57 pm

Re: B&L Panfocal Illuminator - Milling a New Lamp Housing

#6 Post by ebenbildmicroscopy » Wed Feb 17, 2021 11:13 pm

While the Needham text references the Panfocal similarity to the Berek condenser, I would have to also mention (from the standpoint of 3 types of illumination) the Leitz Heine condenser which, with the turn of a knurled knob, accommodates rapid transition between bright field, phase contrast, and dark field illumination by utilizing a parabolic mirror in one of the condenser elements.
JeffO, aka "Ortho amore"
Leitz Ortholux I
Leitz Orthoplan
Leitz Macro-Dia Device
Zeiss GFL
Zeiss Standard
Zeiss Photomicroscope III
Zeiss OPMI 6S
B&L Stereozoom and Balplan

Post Reply