Recommendations for a cheap...

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MickH
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Recommendations for a cheap...

#1 Post by MickH » Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:13 am

A little levity for the weekend. :lol:

Have a great weekend everyone!
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MicroBob
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#2 Post by MicroBob » Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:32 am

:lol:

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mrsonchus
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#3 Post by mrsonchus » Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:51 pm

HeHe! :D
John B

Greg Howald
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#4 Post by Greg Howald » Sat Feb 06, 2021 1:39 pm

Ain't it the truth.😃

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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#5 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Sat Feb 06, 2021 3:39 pm

I mean I guess. I've seen some classy, complete scopes you can buy that are just fine for less than a $100. Some less than $50. There's no upper limit, but if you just want to look at tardigrades or ciliates or some leaves or whatever it's pretty cheap!

I don't I'll give out recommendations though when people ask that question because whenever I say, "here's a $40 CBS scope it's fantastic!" or "how about this 3 magnification B&L stereo for $50 it will last another century!" or "check out this extra cool Tiyoda for under a $100" or "this monocular dynazoom is cool and you can change the head later if you like it it's $40 for goodness sake this was once a very expensive device used professionally the asker barely ever even acknowledges the advice, let alone takes it.
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#6 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Sat Feb 06, 2021 3:44 pm

There are three really swank Spencer binocular scopes right now outfitted with full apos and achromat condensers on the well known auction site right now and I would be surprised if the two without a circular stage fetch more than $200
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

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MickH
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#7 Post by MickH » Sat Feb 06, 2021 5:32 pm

@Bram, unfortunately those must be the wrong side of the pond for me. I quite fancy a decent stereo. At $50 it might even be worth paying the delivery charges.
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ImperatorRex
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#8 Post by ImperatorRex » Sat Feb 06, 2021 6:08 pm

I personally think Microscopy is a cheap hobby. The initial investments may look high, but the items will last forever. If you you buy second hand scopes you probabely could even resell the stuff without loosing any money. There are no membership fees or running operating cost.

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MickH
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#9 Post by MickH » Sat Feb 06, 2021 6:22 pm

Ummmm, it's a joke. 😉
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#10 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Sat Feb 06, 2021 8:29 pm

MickH wrote:
Sat Feb 06, 2021 5:32 pm
@Bram, unfortunately those must be the wrong side of the pond for me. I quite fancy a decent stereo. At $50 it might even be worth paying the delivery charges.
I might be living in an embarrassment of riches here as far scope deals go, that's true.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

Sabatini
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#11 Post by Sabatini » Sun Feb 07, 2021 12:58 am

:lol: good one!

Challenger007
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#12 Post by Challenger007 » Mon Feb 15, 2021 10:25 am

MickH wrote:
Sat Feb 06, 2021 5:32 pm
@Bram, unfortunately those must be the wrong side of the pond for me. I quite fancy a decent stereo. At $50 it might even be worth paying the delivery charges.
It is worth paying for the delivery of high-quality equipment. It is not cheap and good. And it never did. It's important to understand that good things will always come at a premium.

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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#13 Post by MickH » Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:26 am

Challenger007 wrote:
Mon Feb 15, 2021 10:25 am

It is worth paying for the delivery of high-quality equipment. It is not cheap and good. And it never did. It's important to understand that good things will always come at a premium.
My point precisely. 👍🏼
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HowardHopkinson
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#14 Post by HowardHopkinson » Mon Feb 15, 2021 12:13 pm

I think microscopy is reasonably cheap. Of course one can spend a great deal of money if one is so inclined.

However, the most expensive hobby I've ever had and a bottomless money pit is astrophotography.
My setup is fairly cheap and it still runs at well over 3,000 pounds.
Swift SW380T compound microscope.
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#15 Post by dtsh » Mon Feb 15, 2021 3:08 pm

I think it's entirely possible for someone to spend not much money and still get very good value for the money. Around here, a little patience can easily outfit a person with a professional grade compound and a stereo for less than $500, or less than $250 if you're willing to accept something less well made or missing a few non-critical pieces. That's not a lot of money for instruments which should last many, many years.

I think many of us, myself included, get used to seeing very high end gear and our expectations tend to rise higher and higher along with the prices paid, but these aren't required. My Cycloptic stereo and my AO10 combined cost nowhere near $500 for example.

I encounter many people who see my gear (microscopy or astronomy) and they think, "Holy-moly, that's got to be EXPENSIVE!!!" but it doesn't have to be. As always, it pays to understand what's available and dilligent research on what to get pays off for those who invest wisely.

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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#16 Post by apochronaut » Mon Feb 15, 2021 3:20 pm

BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Sat Feb 06, 2021 3:44 pm
There are three really swank Spencer binocular scopes right now outfitted with full apos and achromat condensers on the well known auction site right now and I would be surprised if the two without a circular stage fetch more than $200
One of them however, represents a cobbled together system. That series 4, is not an Apostar. It's a series 4 with on apochromat and three brass achromats stuck in it, with at least 2 of them being the same magnification. The series 5 does represent a possibly decent buy, if it goes below 400.00 but even there, you are getting 5X compens eyepieces which are almost useless for everyday microscopy. You are then going to have to source at worst a 10X compens set and better yet a 15X compens set. The last matched pair of 15X Spencer compens eyepieces on ebay were mis-marked as B & L and languished on the surplus seller's site for a year or so. Finally, a forum member picked them up for a series 3. It doesn't make a lot of sense to mismatch apochromatic objectives and eyepieces. Then there is little point in having apochromats.
This brings up a point. While I understand the frustration of taking on a hobby, only to be faced with costs in the thousands, the reason for that is that there are skills involved in acquiring desirable tools cheaply. There are still lots of really good prices on superb used microscopes and accessories. It takes some experience to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I am in a similar boat when it comes to shipping. I am on the other side of the pond too, when it comes to shipping. Being strapped to the U.S. by a 5000 mile border, provides zero benefit when it comes to shipping. That 5000 miles might as well be an ocean. A lot of U.S. shippers aren't willing to figure out how to ship economically too. If I buy an objective from 50 miles away in New York state, I can expect to be asked to pay 25.00 to have it shipped, plus possible customs fees.
The answer is to learn your chops as to what to buy.
Generally speaking, it is still possible to put a really fine microscope system together for under 500.00, I'm talking first rate optics, likely even phase contrast or DF in the package. If it is a student or hobby BF system you are after, then 100.00 to 150.00 is in the cards.
You just have to know what to look for.

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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#17 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:34 pm

If you can believe it, those three are three different Spencer scopes with app lenses, one of which with a circular stage, than the first three I was thinking of which all sold Feb 8.

But point well taken. Learning about the production of these old instruments is a big part of the hobby if you don't want to pay a lot
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#18 Post by Roldorf » Tue Feb 16, 2021 7:27 am

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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#19 Post by apochronaut » Wed Feb 17, 2021 3:41 am

BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:34 pm
If you can believe it, those three are three different Spencer scopes with app lenses, one of which with a circular stage, than the first three I was thinking of which all sold Feb 8.

But point well taken. Learning about the production of these old instruments is a big part of the hobby if you don't want to pay a lot
The two older instruments have apochromats, the series 4 is a hodgepodge.. The series 4 has only one apochromat objective. The others are just older achromats, which were brass.
Spencer emerged with a full slate of Spencer designed apochromats just after the Spanish flu epidemic. ( They had had previous ones designed by the German, Kellner but had advanced beyond those) .You can imagine what they were going through at the time ; now, since we have a similar environmental condition but a better vision of the causation. They knew there was an agent for the flu, because they had the ability to micropore filter serum, yet it went cloudy again after filtering. They knew that there was a biological cause for flu but it was very small. If only they had a microscope to see it. They didn't know that it would ultimately prove to be an impossibility for a light microscope and would require a revolution in microscopy to achieve that goal.
The early Spencer apochromats were lacquered brass, just like every other objective. The lower section, which carried the lenses was likely iridium plated, possibly paladium.They don't corrode. You can see one of them in the nosepiece of the one for sale with the high focus, perhaps a model 13.
Sometime in the 20's , Spencer changed the plating of the apochromats to gold, with iridium for the front lens bezel. It stayed that way until about 1955 when they went with brushed chrome.

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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#20 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Wed Feb 17, 2021 4:54 am

Very nice. I haven't had much hands on experience with Spencer or AO stuff, but I really enjoyed the older threads about your #5 and reading what I can about them.
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#21 Post by EvieLay » Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:06 pm

Lol that's funny :D
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Re: Recommendations for a cheap...

#22 Post by Challenger007 » Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:49 am

BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Wed Feb 17, 2021 4:54 am
Very nice. I haven't had much hands on experience with Spencer or AO stuff, but I really enjoyed the older threads about your #5 and reading what I can about them.
Gaining experience is not a problem if there is such a desire.

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