For trade: microscope (DIC etc.) scopes & optics

[Scarodactyl]

Congrats! I've had an eye out for both of those, glad you found them.

[PeteM]

Bump. Past items mostly found, but now looking for a 60x (or possibly 40x) Nikon Eclipse Plan Fluor or Plan Apo dry objective with a correction collar. I may have something of greater use to you to trade, or cash.

Also now have four spare DIC microscopes. One is a Nikon Eclipse with a good selection of objectives and prisms. Another is an Olympus BX, similarly complete. Ask for details if interested. I've been able to put these together for about half the typical eBay $8-12K prices and can pass the savings along. Hope to keep them together and complete, rather than sell off the parts. There are some options available to customize these in terms of the heads, objectives, and number of prisms included.

Also have two Zeiss DIC microscopes - nicely-made finite Zeiss WL and Standard 18 models - and more affordable.

[PeteM]

First post updated again. Most items found.

Now looking for Olympus SZH10 parts (focus and iris units) and a Leica DM stand and "B" prism. Lots of items still available for trade.

[tlansing]

Hi Pete,

Can you post photos of the DIC scopes that you have?

Tim

[PeteM]

Hi Tim,

If there's a scope you're interested in, feel free to PM for details and pix. I'm buried in scopes coming in and going out for my Micronaut program and would have to pull them out of storage to take pix. So far, about 100 donated to our Children's Museum, Lagoon Scientist program, and families with super interested kids who can't afford them. About a hundred have been sold at or below cost to families with kids. There are a hundred more waiting to be fixed up or in storage.

The Zeiss DIC scopes include two Standard 18 and a WL with 100-watt lamps. One of the later individual prism type and two with the single slider and three condenser prisms. These were the most affordable to put together. One of the Standard 18's has some delamination around the prism edges that shows up a bit at the lowest magnifications if there are otherwise relatively clear fields.

The Nikon Eclipse has a Universal condenser with L-M-H prisms and a Nikon C-ND DIC turret with PF10, PF20, PF 40, and PF/PA100 objective-side prisms. An assortment of objectives, including some plan fluorites and plan apos, are available. This one might best go to someone who already has an E600 to save on shipping, though I have an Eclipse stand retrofitted to LED that can provide adequate illumination.

The Olympus BX is on a BX40 with a U-READB and 4-place DIC nosepiece with the sliding prism and both its tungsten-halogen illuminator and a brighter 20-watt Retrodiode illuminator. Various objective and prism options. It's a nice scope but non-standard enough (the BX40 conversion for DIC and LED) that it's likely best seen in person or bought by a knowledgeable user.

Also have most of the parts for a second Leica DM system and the bottom Universal condenser for a Nikon finite system. My first choice has been to sell stuff to local people willing to be mentors (so far, three DIC scopes to local teachers at bargain prices) but am happy to trade or sell with trusted MicrobeHunters. Regards, Pete

[zzffnn]

Very nice work, Pete!

Which Zeiss DIC prism arrangement is more versatile for mismatched objectives please, especially vintage short objectives such as LOMO water immersion (non-plan) apos?

I still have not set up my Nikon (stand) - PZO (DIC condenser and heads) - LOMO (objectives) yet. Have too many other projects going on.

Do you happen to have a 210TL Olympus LWD MPlan 20 0.40 no cover (metallurgical) objective for sale?

Thank you.

[PeteM]

Hi Fan,

The earlier Zeiss DIC systems with the upper sliding prism are probably more forgiving. The fixed prisms (inserting into a nosepiece) are restricted to their designated objective, in my experience, unless you're very lucky. Between sliding the other type, tweaking the condenser rotations, and lowering the condenser a bit if needed - you're more likely to find a decent match with some non-OEM pairing with the sliding upper prism. It's still a crapshoot but with better odds.

The sliding-type upper prisms often permit a range of "artistic" effects as well as a standard DIC image. The fixed prisms take less fiddling to get a standard, repeatable DIC effect.

Sorry to say, the only Olympus MPlan 20x objectives I have from that era are not LWD.

With respect to your PZO system -- In trying a few options -- I've found that my PZO DIC upper and lower prism set, mated to an Olympus BHT, works pretty well with Nikon finite CF and CFN (don't recall the exact matches right now) objectives and eyepieces. A Zeiss WL might also be a good stand to host the PZO prisms - just for the all-black cool factor and having a very capable stand. In your case, a stand with an adjustable stage height (to accommodate short-barrel Lomo objectives) and an interchangeable nosepiece (to easily swap and try objectives) will make life easier. Both the Olympus BHT/BHS and the Zeiss WL fit that bill.

I've also found that the PZO prisms work nicely when translated to an Olympus finite universal condenser, with the PZO20x working with a 10x SPlan and the PZO40x working with a 20x SPlan. I had to buy a proper Olympus finite prism to cover the 40x Olympus SPlan. Up top, there's the usual and hard-to-find Olympus finite DIC slider. I've also had good results using PZO prisms for Olympus BX at those same magnifications (PZO 20x for 10x and PZO 40x for 20x) plus at 100x - but still not a good match at 40x.

[tlansing]

Hi Pete, Hi Fan

Thanks, Pete, for the detailed information on the scopes you have and some background on your Micronaut project. I am curious whether you ever come across the Zeiss slider II for DIC that is used with a Zeiss Photomicroscope.

Fan, I don't know if you have ever visited the German Mikro-Forum (thank goodness for Google Translate and DeepL), but there was a recent post on third party lenses that can be used with the old Zeiss DIC system (single slider with an Inko DIC condenser). Here is a link: https://www.mikroskopie-forum.de/index. ... ic=43653.0

Tim

[PeteM]

Tim, I'm using one of the "type II" sliders in one of the Standard 18 systems. By re-orienting the prism carrier it works just the same as the "type III." I suspect (but am not sure, not having had a Photomicroscope or thought much about it) that it would be more difficult to do the reverse - and use a type III in that unit.

[PeteM]

The first post has been updated once again. I'm now hoping to find - for trade or sale:

- UCL phase contrast condenser for Leica DMLS/DMLB
- Leica 2S1 (Ph2) phase ring
- Nikon 50/55i stage
- Nikon Eclipse PA20 DIC prism