I bought a Diastar due to the favourable mention here.
It had 6 objs, 4, 10, 20, 40, 50, 100x and a standard condenser (.90). I changed the condenser for one with a lens below (1.25 - lens, not filter), from a diff Reichert brand.
Uh, at first I knew nothing about it and cursed it (didn't know the use of the diffuser and 4wheel filter wheels! Looked like shit at first; objectives dirty and the " condenser lift" stuck, too).
But step-by-step I did some trial-and-error, fixed it, the manual was 70% incomprehensible but I managed to get hold of it and I think it is, at least, as good as many of the newer scopes or better. The lens below cond and the 4wheels makes it possible to do some great oblique viewing etc. For darkfield there is the 100w halo (ooh, my electricity bill!).
I have lots of questions but follow the threads here. The only issue w it is an occasitional annoying shadow across the field diaphragm below but it would require dismantling the bottom. I do have, of course, lots of questions about compatibility, too (the scope is conspicuous by absence in DK
.Thanks for a wealth of info here, some extremely nerdy, some a bit nerdy and some just GREAT to start out on. Greeting & thanks, Niels.