Searching For: Extention between intermediate tube and the observation tube for an IMT-2 Olympus Inverted Microscope

[FrankBrouwer]

Dear all,

I am not sitting straight behind my microscope (IMT-2 Olympus Inverted Microscope) because I need to lay my arms to high to sit straight behind my microscope. I am also sitting behind a microscope table with movable arm parts, but when I lower these more my arms will slide down. Someone that I know has a part between the intermediate tube and the observation tube that is called Olympus CK40-EPA 8A05607, see picture below.

Does someone has this part for sell or maybe another solution so I can sit easier behind my microscope.
Maybe it will be also nice to know the exact name of the part for searching.

[MichaelG.]

CK40-EPA is mentioned twice on page A-3 of this document,
https://www.alanwood.net/downloads/olym ... manual.pdf

… but frankly, I don’t understand what they are saying

MichaelG.

[PeteM]

Frank - here's a guess about your options (assuming I understand correctly that you want to raise the height of your eyepieces).

The picture you show is a bit confusing to me - it looks like it is sitting above some sort of camera (?) adapter (that numbered dial on its upper left side) rather than directly on a CK-40 microscope. A picture showing more of the microscope might help (as might reading Michael's link - which I haven't done before posting this).

In any case, Olympus made height extension adapters for its finite CH2 and BH2 microscopes. The CK40-EPA you show is likely the version for the CK-40 inverted scope. I'd think they it would work with the IMT finite scopes as well.

These adapters include a 1.25x lens inside the tube to refocus the image into the heads. You lose a tiny bit of light and can also start pushing an objective into empty magnification - but as long as you only put one of these intermediate adapters in line, they usually work fine.

Olympus also put a slot and an analyzer into the same 1.25x tube to allow an analyzer (polarizer) to be slid inside and out before the head. For the BH2, the model number for the more common analyzer type would be BH2-KPA. It works with most any Olympus finite microscope. As a guess, the less commonly seen BH2 "ergonomic" riser of the same height - but just the 1.25x lens - might be something like BH2-EPA.

You could search eBay for terms like "Olympus (height, ergo, ergonomic) riser." Make sure you get one for the finite microscopes with the 1.25x compensating lens. The infinity ones (BX, CX) are an empty tube - no lens.

There were also earlier versions of these height adapters and analyzers for the CH and BH series microscopes. The dovetails for the heads and stands have remained the same for these finite microscopes, but probably with slightly smaller fields of view.

So, it seems likely that either the riser shown in your pictures or even one of the BH2 versions would work for you. The analyzer types are more commonly seen and - if you want an analyzer - might be worth the $200 or so used ones cost. You might also check your friend's version to make sure it has a 1.25x compensating lens in it in case there's something unique about the finite heads on his CK40 (and perhaps your !MT2) heads.

[MichaelG.]

Thanks for posting that, Pete
… I understand a little better now.

MichaelG.

[Macro_Cosmos]

Any Olympus tube that houses correction lenses for the extension should work. The infinite versions are just mechanical raisers without correction optics, it could work but it will probably affect the viewing.

Or I suppose you can DIY a raiser and use longer tube objectives, like 210 instead of 160.