MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

I picked up several boxes of microscope components from a facebook sale. Parts used to belong to a university Mechanical Engineering research professor who evidently had a knack for taking vintage scientific equipment home, he has since passed and his son has been clearing out his clutter. Lucky for me, his son's unwanted clutter is my treasure.
But there are a lot of things I haven't seen before, while I can make some good guesses (Lots of stuff for reflectant light and spectrography in here) I really have no idea what it is.

For this post I just kept it to the Zeiss stuff, there is some Minolta, Olympus, and Leica stuff as well.. but Zeiss was the most plentiful.

In the first photo, the two large round items are intermediate pieces, which goes between the viewing head and objectives. The left one is for analyzers but also can be used for a single DIC beam slide (the insert in it now is an analyzer which would also need a condenser with polarizer to give polarize microscopy) and barrier filters, the one on the right is an optivar for different magnifications...usually has 1X, 1.6X, 2X and PH. The large tube thing is a photo relay tube. The rectangle slide near the top is barrier filters for fluoroscope and can also be inserted in the left intermediate piece. At the top is a flip top condenser.

The second photo has two quick disconnect units for holding condensers and used on the WL or larger Universals and Photomicroscopes. You also have various filters in the round boxes. The two rectangle metal slides are stage micrometer for measuring. The round piece with a handle in the bag is for single objective holder used mostly in metallurgical scopes.

The third photo has an epi-illuminator with two different inserts

The fourth and fifth photo looks like it's for a surgical stereo scope.

Thank you Charles! This will help a lot in finding out which scopes and systems these can be used with!

I think image 4 is for a Zeiss OPMI.
Image 5 shows an older Zeiss-Winkel drawing attatchment. I don't know this type, I have a newer model. To use it you probably have to adjust microscope and room lighting to the right match. It is worth a try even today and still has it's uses IMO.

MicroBob wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 3:17 pm

I think image 4 is for a Zeiss OPMI.
Image 5 shows an older Zeiss-Winkel drawing attatchment. I don't know this type, I have a newer model. To use it you probably have to adjust microscope and room lighting to the right match. It is worth a try even today and still has it's uses IMO.

Threw the drawing tube on a petrographic scope and was really surprised to see how well it work! Definitely a keeper!

Charles wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 2:26 pm

In the first photo, the two large round items are intermediate pieces, which goes between the viewing head and objectives. The left one is for analyzers but also can be used for a single DIC beam slide (the insert in it now is an analyzer which would also need a condenser with polarizer to give polarize microscopy) and barrier filters, the one on the right is an optivar for different magnifications...usually has 1X, 1.6X, 2X and PH.

Thanks for clarifying this Charles. I've wondered for a while now which intermediate piece you need for setting up DIC on a WL scope. The one with the optovar unit would not work for DIC since it doesn't have the prism slot?

Wes wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 5:28 pm

Charles wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 2:26 pm

In the first photo, the two large round items are intermediate pieces, which goes between the viewing head and objectives. The left one is for analyzers but also can be used for a single DIC beam slide (the insert in it now is an analyzer which would also need a condenser with polarizer to give polarize microscopy) and barrier filters, the one on the right is an optivar for different magnifications...usually has 1X, 1.6X, 2X and PH.

Thanks for clarifying this Charles. I've wondered for a while now which intermediate piece you need for setting up DIC on a WL scope. The one with the optovar unit would not work for DIC since it doesn't have the prism slot?

Wes, Both can be used for DIC. It depends on which DIC system you have. The Optovar one would need a analyzer and then individual DIC prism holders for each objective which matches up the the DIC condenser with the S and T on the cover. The one with the large slot can be used for the older single beam DIC slide which matches up the the DIC condensers with the white arrow on the cover. You can see the two different intermediate pieces and DIC systems below:

Charles wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 6:19 pm

The Optovar one would need a analyzer

I somehow forgot about the existence of the new DIC system, you are correct. So in this case how do you get an analyzer inside the piece with the Optovar? Is it a makeshift solution or is there an intrinsic design feature that allows it?

Wes wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 6:36 pm

Charles wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 6:19 pm

The Optovar one would need a analyzer

I somehow forgot about the existence of the new DIC system, you are correct. So in this case how do you get an analyzer inside the piece with the Optovar? Is it a makeshift solution or is there an intrinsic design feature that allows it?

Yes, some (but not all) of them have a built in analyzer which can be swung in and out by a lever in the back. If you look closely at the back of the Optovar on the white WL you can just see the silver lever.

Charles wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 6:41 pm

Wes wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 6:36 pm

Charles wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 6:19 pm

The Optovar one would need a analyzer

I somehow forgot about the existence of the new DIC system, you are correct. So in this case how do you get an analyzer inside the piece with the Optovar? Is it a makeshift solution or is there an intrinsic design feature that allows it?

Yes, some (but not all) of them have a built in analyzer which can be swung in and out by a lever in the back. If you look closely at the back of the Optovar on the white WL you can just see the silver lever.

OK, I see now.. didn't know that, thanks a lot for clarifying! Would it be too much to ask for an image that shows the lever in case I ever go on to purchase one of these?

Photograph kindly sent by Charles when I was attempting to put a DIC system together.

75RR wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 7:16 pm

Photograph kindly sent by Charles when I was attempting to put a DIC system together.

Great! Thanks 75'

I see it now, good to know what to look for.

When setting up Zeiss DIC systems it is important to know that there were actually three versions.
There is a document from Spike Walker that describes this fairly comprehensively.
The first two versions were fairly similar and components are not easy to distinguish.
I would call the Versions "uralt", "alt" and "neu".
75RR's image shows version "neu".
For Zeiss DIC "alt" I have written an manual to select and setup the right components: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HfVbP4 ... sp=sharing
For the intermediate tube here the slider III is used. When only a slider II (intended for Phomi and Universal) is available, the intermediate tube can be turned by 180° und slider II can be used.

Bob

MicroBob wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 7:53 pm

When setting up Zeiss DIC systems it is important to know that there were actually three versions.
There is a document from Spike Walker that describes this fairly comprehensively.
The first two versions were fairly similar and components are not easy to distinguish.
I would call the Versions "uralt", "alt" and "neu".
75RR's image shows version "neu".
For Zeiss DIC "alt" I have written an manual to select and setup the right components: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HfVbP4 ... sp=sharing
For the intermediate tube here the slider III is used. When only a slider II (intended for Phomi and Universal) is available, the intermediate tube can be turned by 180° und slider II can be used.

Bob

Here is a link to some Zeiss DIC instruction leaflets.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1543&p

And here are the two different DIC systems, one with the single beam slide and the other with individual objective DIC slides:

MicroBob wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 3:17 pm

I think image 4 is for a Zeiss OPMI.
Image 5 shows an older Zeiss-Winkel drawing attatchment. I don't know this type, I have a newer model. To use it you probably have to adjust microscope and room lighting to the right match. It is worth a try even today and still has it's uses IMO.

Image 4 is an Zeiss OPMI beam splitter, with a monocular tube and 20x eye piece. Not something I could use, probably going to try and find someone who can use it.