Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

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Sure Squintsalot
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Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#1 Post by Sure Squintsalot » Mon May 30, 2022 10:18 pm

Seriously? $1,200 for this thing?
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Why are used name-brand petrographic mechnical stages so god-awful, friggin' expensive?
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You can't give away regular stages, and yet these things command a king's ransom! Even this thing, found in King Tut's tomb:
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Should I throw in the towel and spring for one of these?
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...and where am I gonna find a 1 volt power supply?

GerryR
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#2 Post by GerryR » Mon May 30, 2022 10:59 pm

The first two are expensive because they are "Nikon" and "Olympus." The third is less expensive because it is "used," and the last one is inexpensive because they cant figure out where the battery goes :roll:
By the way, I have used one of the inexpensive ones and they work acceptably well, even without a battery!

Scarodactyl
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#3 Post by Scarodactyl » Mon May 30, 2022 11:18 pm

The bio end of research gets tons of grant money and they can buy new scopes and surplus old ones all the time. Geologists do not, and they hold onto their microscopes until they die (assuming they aren't buried with them!) There's also the factor that grological microscopes are fundamentally the same as always while there have been huge strides in other fields but let's gloss over that.

BramHuntingNematodes
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#4 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Tue May 31, 2022 1:58 am

Wow for the price of that first one you could buy a mini mill and make one yourself
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

Alexander
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#5 Post by Alexander » Tue May 31, 2022 6:30 am

The first three are special stages designed for the rotatable tables of polarizing scopes. They are all very well build by reputable makers. The last one is Chinese crap made scopes from the same source.

apochronaut
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#6 Post by apochronaut » Tue May 31, 2022 10:24 am

You may do better looking for a Chinese or even better Indian made stage for their polarizing microscopes, rather than one of their cheap general purpose add on mechanical slide carriers.

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josmann
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#7 Post by josmann » Wed Jun 01, 2022 10:05 pm

These scope retailers usually price things way above the eBay market rate and without much logic. I know one that asks 1000+ for Olympus SPlanApo objectives and has the 100x priced higher than the much rarer 60x.

Basically, third or quarter the amount you see from the retailers and you're in the ballpark of a decent eBay deal.
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Sure Squintsalot
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#8 Post by Sure Squintsalot » Fri Jun 17, 2022 3:35 pm

josmann wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 10:05 pm
These scope retailers usually price things way above the eBay market rate and without much logic. I know one that asks 1000+ for Olympus SPlanApo objectives and has the 100x priced higher than the much rarer 60x.

Basically, third or quarter the amount you see from the retailers and you're in the ballpark of a decent eBay deal.
You were right! But I had to buy the POS microscope it was attached to!

Anybody want an old Leitz microscope that was stored underwater?

Cheap!

(serious inquiries only)

dtsh
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#9 Post by dtsh » Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:38 pm

Sure Squintsalot wrote:
Fri Jun 17, 2022 3:35 pm
You were right! But I had to buy the POS microscope it was attached to!

Anybody want an old Leitz microscope that was stored underwater?

Cheap!

(serious inquiries only)
Pics tend to help move things. I've got some Leitz finite objectives that don't have a body...

Scarodactyl
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#10 Post by Scarodactyl » Sat Jun 18, 2022 12:45 am

Also was it fresh water or salt water?

PeteM
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Re: Why are these mechanical stages so #$@&%*! expensive?

#11 Post by PeteM » Sat Jun 18, 2022 3:02 am

FWIW, the first three mechanical stages have a lower profile than the fourth cheap one. They're meant to allow a slide to move rotationally as well as in the x and y and still clear the objectives when the objective turret is rotated. It does cost a bit more to make them - and fewer are made.

That said, patience often finds a used one of the low profile ones available closer to $100.

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