Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Like some other people we know around here <koff>, I just can't seem to stop patrolling eBay and pouncing on bargains when I discover them. I'm trying to show some restraint to prevent the necessity of having to buy a larger house, but couldn't help myself and fell for this baby recently. These old Buffalo Spencer and AO Spencer stereoscopic microscopes are killer! I swear they were built by jewelers, and you have to start getting pretty fancy before you achieve finer resolution ... assuming clean optics. As an old telescope maker and general tinkerologist, I have always enjoyed fiddling around with fine glass, so I find freshening up optical instrument innards enjoyable.
On the left is an AO Spencer Model 26L circa 1950 that I picked up earlier, and on the right my newly-acquired Spencer Buffalo "Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L" (as stated in the old catalog), circa 1944.
I have all the eyepieces that were originally offered with these scopes: 9X, 12X, 15X, and 18X. Now I'm on the prowl to fill in all the objective pairs I'm missing; originally available being .7X, 1X, 2X, 3X, 6X, 8X. These two both have 1X, 3X, and 6X. If I gettum all, magnification range will be 6.3X to 144X. Is this fun or what?
And for those of you who aren't hip to it yet, the "Holy Grail" of stereo scopes is lower magnification, not highest. If you haven't yet tried stereo microscopes, you're in for a real treat!
On the left is an AO Spencer Model 26L circa 1950 that I picked up earlier, and on the right my newly-acquired Spencer Buffalo "Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L" (as stated in the old catalog), circa 1944.
I have all the eyepieces that were originally offered with these scopes: 9X, 12X, 15X, and 18X. Now I'm on the prowl to fill in all the objective pairs I'm missing; originally available being .7X, 1X, 2X, 3X, 6X, 8X. These two both have 1X, 3X, and 6X. If I gettum all, magnification range will be 6.3X to 144X. Is this fun or what?
And for those of you who aren't hip to it yet, the "Holy Grail" of stereo scopes is lower magnification, not highest. If you haven't yet tried stereo microscopes, you're in for a real treat!
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Congratulations (but you are embarking on a slippery slope )
Sure!KurtM wrote:Is this fun or what?
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Of course I would think this is fun! Good find and good looking scopes Kurt!
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Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Very handsome instruments!
CE
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LOMO BIOLAM L-2-2
LOMO POLAM L-213 / BIOLAM L-211 hybrid
LOMO Multiscope (Biolam)
Cameras: Canon T3i, Olympus E-P1 MFT, Amscope 3mp USB
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Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Great workhorse microscopes of the past, with very nice, very smooth and precise 3 position revolving nosepieces. They came in several different combinations of objectives. The 1,3 and 6 combination had the suffix G attached, so these are 26LG and 25LG , respectively but I guess any combination was available because models 25LB and 26LB were open nosepiece models, which theoretically could be custom fitted.
Later versions of these, in keeping with the modernization of the 50's were painted grey and older versions going back into the 30's had 30mm Ramsden eyepieces. I don't know when the switch to 23.3mm eyepieces occurred.
Later versions of these, in keeping with the modernization of the 50's were painted grey and older versions going back into the 30's had 30mm Ramsden eyepieces. I don't know when the switch to 23.3mm eyepieces occurred.
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Man, I wish you woulda warned be about that a dozen or two microscopes ago. Help, I've fallen and I can't get back up!gekko wrote:(but you are embarking on a slippery slope )
Phil, thanks, as always, for the information.apochronaut wrote:Great workhorse microscopes of the past...
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Hey Kurt,
Cool scopes, they look like they are in great shape too!
Gots to love the Black Beauties.
Rod
Cool scopes, they look like they are in great shape too!
Gots to love the Black Beauties.
Rod
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Hey Rod, great seeing you around once again. When are you going to start posting some of your micro-photography? I swear you were taking some of the prettiest pictures I was seeing anywhere!
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Thanks Kurt, you are very kind.KurtM wrote:Hey Rod, great seeing you around once again. When are you going to start posting some of your micro-photography? I swear you were taking some of the prettiest pictures I was seeing anywhere!
Yes, as the weather turns cold here, I will be spending more time at the MICRO-scope vs the TELE-scope. Had a nice season of Observing and Paddling but that is mostly over for a while (except maybe the occasional cold weather attempt with the Telescope).
I spent part of today getting the Microscope station in order. Made a dust cover for the One Ten - it deserved better than the two plastic shopping bags I was using. I plan to gather some fresh water samples tomorrow from three or four sources that will keep me busy for the winter.
So yes, Watch for some new stuff soon.
See ya there.
Rod
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Finally found a suitable stand for my AO Spencer Model 26! Putting them together has converted the Model 26 into a Model 25, so now I have two. The more the merrier, I always say...
AO Spencer c. 1951 on the left, Spencer Buffalo c. 1944 on the right.
The AO Spencer sports a very beautifully engraved "GRADUATING DEPT." down its spine, and I was told it was used by the Bosch company for making surveying instruments in California, only surplussed recently when the plant relocated to Malaysia. It evidences more wear on the outside than the Buffalo Spencer, but the optics are absolutely pristine as far as I have been able to determine, even inside the prism housings and paired objective assemblies. My guess is the workers in its former lab really knew how to clean and care for fine optics, as makers of surveying equipment might. At any rate, it's wonderful to see.
The Buffalo Spencer, though older, is in nearly original condition, what I call a "time capsule". Note the glass stage is nearly perfect and unscratched, a very rare thing to see! A couple small edge chips, and a ding in the right prism housing, are about all that keep it from rating pristine condition. The optics appeared to have never been cleaned, or at least, not in a very, very long time. But they're spotless now, thanks to a lengthy and laborious cleaning process. And as hoped, I haven't run across a single scratch or mark yet on any of the lenses of optical surfaces.
What I consider the single most astonishing fact about these scopes is that they came to me for just over $50 each on eBay.
But it probably needs to be mentioned that these models have relatively modest working distances, and are therefore not suitable for many applications. I'll turn to my AO Spencer Cycloptic for examining pond water sample containers, or pulling splinters out of fingers. But the tack sharp optics and higher magnifications of the Model 25/26 can't be surpassed for studying things like coins, rocks & minerals, butterfly/moth/etc. wings, fresh diatom slimy-strews, etc.
AO Spencer c. 1951 on the left, Spencer Buffalo c. 1944 on the right.
The AO Spencer sports a very beautifully engraved "GRADUATING DEPT." down its spine, and I was told it was used by the Bosch company for making surveying instruments in California, only surplussed recently when the plant relocated to Malaysia. It evidences more wear on the outside than the Buffalo Spencer, but the optics are absolutely pristine as far as I have been able to determine, even inside the prism housings and paired objective assemblies. My guess is the workers in its former lab really knew how to clean and care for fine optics, as makers of surveying equipment might. At any rate, it's wonderful to see.
The Buffalo Spencer, though older, is in nearly original condition, what I call a "time capsule". Note the glass stage is nearly perfect and unscratched, a very rare thing to see! A couple small edge chips, and a ding in the right prism housing, are about all that keep it from rating pristine condition. The optics appeared to have never been cleaned, or at least, not in a very, very long time. But they're spotless now, thanks to a lengthy and laborious cleaning process. And as hoped, I haven't run across a single scratch or mark yet on any of the lenses of optical surfaces.
What I consider the single most astonishing fact about these scopes is that they came to me for just over $50 each on eBay.
But it probably needs to be mentioned that these models have relatively modest working distances, and are therefore not suitable for many applications. I'll turn to my AO Spencer Cycloptic for examining pond water sample containers, or pulling splinters out of fingers. But the tack sharp optics and higher magnifications of the Model 25/26 can't be surpassed for studying things like coins, rocks & minerals, butterfly/moth/etc. wings, fresh diatom slimy-strews, etc.
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
For the life of me, I can't understand why people need more than one stereo scope or microscope for that matter!
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Kurt,
You get all the cool stuff!
That is a great looking matched pair. The stage glass is amazing on the one, must have been treated very well indeed.
Congrats on finding the stand.
Rod
You get all the cool stuff!
That is a great looking matched pair. The stage glass is amazing on the one, must have been treated very well indeed.
Congrats on finding the stand.
Rod
Re: Spencer Buffalo Stereoscopic Microscope No. 25L
Congrats Kurt on your...err..growing family! It 'must be in the air' , last week from an honest eBay seller I purchased a Spencer Buffalo,USA vintage No.51S (flat base with the removable glass stage plate..no mirror) stereo stand.
These shiny black enamel stands are gorgeous, all the best, charlie guevara
These shiny black enamel stands are gorgeous, all the best, charlie guevara