This is one of them, a 1937 B&L I think maybe HSEAT

[Bemoc]

Here is the link, https://imgur.com/a/GxoVebY, and I am a lousy photographer. The illuminator is an AO. Don't know why they eyepieces look spotty, must be a reflection. It all works great but needs collimation probably and maybe a new owner who understands it better.

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Gorgeous classic you have there. Those are the best Compens eyepieces of that generation in my opinion-- good relief and fov. They will perform badly on all those lenses with the exception of the fluorite immersion lens. I don't quite recognize the condenser. It looks like the usual Abbe but for that conical bit at the top. Are there any markings on it?

The coarse focus tension I think can be adjusted via some screws in the setup. It's substantially similar to my Dynoptic, so I can take a look. The fine focus is an enclosed lever system you probably don't want to disassemble unless you are comfortable putting futzy, small machine parts back together in the exact configuration you found them in. That mirror is in good shape just like you describe, and that illuminator is awesome. You just stick a bulb in there and point it at the mirror. I believe it has a focus and an iris, and the blue filter is to make the incandescent light less yellow. Wonderful machine, and if you can find some of the later big eyepieces, it uses much more like a modern instrument than it should.

[Bemoc]

Thank you, Bram! And exactly as you said, I found last night that I could tighten the coarse focus with those screws; just as you said, I decided not to touch the fine focus, having learned my lesson on another microscope about it; and what objectives do I need to buy? These work ok but I need practice looking down those long tubes. The condenser has not a peep of info, I have checked every mm with a good usb cam. Hmmm. So if I wanted to sell it, and I've decided that I do, what would a fair price be, or am I in the wrong forum category?

[BramHuntingNematodes]

You could either look for the apochromats for it or more of the fluorites, both of which work with the compens eyepieces, or get some wide field eyepieces which will work with the achromat objectives. The latter is easier, although you end up with less resolution.

They don't go for a lot of money, unfortunately, being not quite old enough to be antique, but also still quite obsolete by contemporary research standards. They are relatively common in the US as they are so sturdy that they hardly can break. I would say with the illuminator and the fluorite lens you could expect 100-200 bucks.

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Also "hyperplane" eyepieces work with this system and could be useful for afocal photography, particularly with the middle power objectives, as they introduce some additional planar corrections.

[Bemoc]

Hot damn, a veritable fortune compared to my outlay. Still, somehow to me, it is not my favorite by far. The only microscopes I have that I prefer less include a fake/antique mini brass monocular in a fake/antique wooden box, a Monolux toy, and maybe even my Amscope M500. On the opposite end, I am crazy about my Denticator Plak-A-Scope, though it is seriously in Sick Bay with a poor prognosis in the short term. Maybe I'll post pics of it next. Go figure. I guess it's like love.

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Yeah, I'd like to see it. I enjoy learning about the speciation of industrial production.

[Bemoc]

I was just thinking that I'd like to see your '42 setup. Link me?

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Here it is:

There is the afocal setup in that wooden box. Inside I have a 12.5x compens just like yours. This has the "pigeon-breasted" head, and was probably the first generation to feature this head, maybe even the first year.


Apochromats are easy to spot. They have brass cases. This 20x is the sharpest lens I own I think. The 1.4 NA immersion lens could also give it a run. I only have the 43x fluorite on this one as although I have a 45x apo and a 47.5 apo, both with correction collars, they both have lens seperation. One is severe, and the other is moderate, so the fluorite gives the best image. Those correction collar high-dry apos are somewhat difficult to find, but they come along now and then. Trouble is they are usually attached to a scope listed for hundreds of dollars as several on the 'bay are right now.


Here is the high NA achromat condenser that goes with this scope. These always seem to have a thick slide requirement of 1.5-1.6mm. I've seen like half a dozen of them, and they all have this thick slide requirement. Contemporaneous AO achromat condensers don't, so I don't know exactly why the B&Ls show up like that, if B&L made different kinds of this achromat condenser, or what. The gunboat-gray iris the board's own Apochronaut gave me.


This eyepiece, the WF-22 NOT the WF-23, gives this scope new life. I finally overhauled my slightly newer flat field Dynazoom outfitted with Balplan lenses and have been able to get some really good views from it, so I thought going back to this old Dynoptic would disappoint--but with this eyepiece it's pretty incredible how good and crisp these old optics look.


So you probably noticed that the scope has some cosmetic issues. It's a special scope though; it's got a story. I got it from the estate of a retired atomic scientist. I don't know exactly what his history with it was, but here is the Brookhaven badge and


here is the old Hanford Engineering Works badge. They opened up the Hanford site as part of the Manhattan project in 1943, the year after the serial number says this scope was made, and performed biological experiments on livestock exposed to radiation there. I believe this scope was likely used in that effort.


The mechanical stage has a pinion missing and a rather idiosyncratic graduation rule.


And here is the darkfield paraboloid condenser with, and I am pretty happy with these, a nearly complete set of funnel stops.

[Bemoc]

VER-ry nice! Did you show your custom illuminator? I'll need to look again. I admit to not knowing what about half of what you said was, but I'll look it up. I love learning new things. I have noticed those pigeon-breasted models, saw a number while trying to ID my 1937. What is the optical benefit of such an arrangement? I thought those came out in 1941, but heck what do I know? I can't wait to try real darkfield or polarization or phase. I do have a polarizing filter kit but so far am not that interested. Why not? Because I don't look through microscopes to see "cool" images, I look to get a better understanding of something. I don't get it yet, it just seems like getting a feature without a benefit. If it helped me to see organisms better I'd be all for it. I think I'll have phase when I put the Denticator back together.

As far as cosmetics go, lol! Wait until you see my heaps, my faves. I have a Spencer monocular, a giant of a thing from I think 1956, which looks quite a bit like yours, grafitti-wise. Came from the University of ... Illinois,? Indiana? I will look. Those frat dudes of yore! It is my 4th favorite despite having just two objectives, (no more will fit on the nosepiece), and even though it is quite ugly. I call it my Big Sexy Beast, due to it's size and shape mainly.

Say, you aren't in or near Athens are you? If so, I know of a nice Leitz-Wetzlar (early 60s) with good optics and case and in great condition there for $35. I was thinking about asking a friend to pick it up for me, but haven't, due to my realization that I might want to learn about the ones I have. I know, I've mentioned that thrice now, should suffice. Oh, I'm from Georgia long ago so still have folks there I can enlist for such a mission.

Have you ever tried to tilt your B&L back a bit? I noticed it has a similar spanner screw setup to mine. How do you do it, if so? One thing I don't love about my B&L is that I'm kinda short and cannot quite climb the thing to view comfortably. If I could tilt mine back...

[BramHuntingNematodes]

I was raised in Athens but have since moved to West Cobb. Alas.

Polarizing scopes are very useful for geological specimens, and sometimes you can see minerals in a nematode's guts with it. Phase is best for organisms, or DIC, but you don't find DIC in my price range generally. You should post pictures of the Plakascope, since I bet someone will be able to recognize its manufacture and will be able to suggest compatible phase objectives with your condenser.

I never tried to tilt it back-- in fact I made the lab bench it rests on and the stool I sit on for ergonomics instead. Seems like maybe more trouble that way, but I'm prety comfortable making furniture, and a sturdy lab bench is a good microscope accessory.

[ed] The illuminator is being worked on as I convert to high-power, high-CRI SMD LEDs. I was previously using a high-CRI LED bulb which gave good light but had a suboptimal die configuration as well as a lot of flickering when being filmed.

[Scarodactyl]

The b&l dynoptic does tilt. Whole scope tilting is a wonderful ergonomic feature in routinely used scopes, and I'm a bit surprised it has fallen out of favor aside from gemological setups.

[Bemoc]

I'm going to try it on mine right now. First I'll try that very small spanner-type screw thing on the back/bottom of the arm. What else could it be for? I'll likely end up just taking the arm off accidentally but I must try. Do you have any tips for those kind of screws, since nobody ever seems to have the right tool? I modify tweezers but if the screw is really tight, my tweezers slip and scratch the knob surface. Ouch! Today I will try putting a cloth over the knob, apply the tweezer tool through it. I'll let you know because I think you also have one of these screws. Athens - me too, went to grade school there, lived on Ogelthorpe Terrace. I was there the very first day, then months and years, the very first day of mandated racial integration in the schools. You?

[Bemoc]

Hi Scary. I agree about the tilt. It is one of the things I love so much about my Big Sexy Beast (Giant med-school 1956 Spencer two-objective monocular). It is so smooth in every way. The balance engineered in, that which enables so smooth and effortless tilting to any angle, is considerable. Maybe the 8th Wonder of the World, like Stonehenge. How in the heck did they do that?

I'm chickening out on the tilt until I get more info. The screw comes out with ease, but I haven't removed it because ... what if it is somehow part of the fine focus, or integral to the stage or condenser movement up and down? Gak!

[Scarodactyl]

I'm going to try it on mine right now.

It should just tilt with hand pressure.