First Purchases: Two AmScopes

What equipment do you use? Post pictures and descriptions of your microscope(s) here!
Post Reply
Message
Author
mikemarotta
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2022 1:27 am
Location: Texas
Contact:

First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#1 Post by mikemarotta » Tue Mar 15, 2022 5:45 pm

I bought these at ShopGoodwill.com each with 1-cent shipping and Buy-it-Now, not auction bid, for $49 and $59. I also bought prepared slides from another source.
Amscope Pair 3 (s).jpg
Amscope Pair 3 (s).jpg (280.07 KiB) Viewed 3334 times
They need to be cleaned but they seem to work well enough. One has places in the turret for four objectives but it only came with three. I set up my cellphone with my Celestron NexYZ adapter and took about a dozen snapshots with the smaller instrument.
Sponge Gourd array.jpg
Sponge Gourd array.jpg (199.48 KiB) Viewed 3334 times
These two ultimately will be passed on to younger folk. I am still shopping for something more serious and now have Bookmarks for AmScope, Microscope World, Microscope Central, and New York Microscope, in addition to my first choice (of course), Zeiss.

Thanks.
Mike M.
-----------------------------
Michael E. Marotta
Technical Writer

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#2 Post by apochronaut » Tue Mar 15, 2022 5:51 pm

Why Zeiss?

mikemarotta
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2022 1:27 am
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#3 Post by mikemarotta » Tue Mar 15, 2022 6:22 pm

I used to work for Zeiss. I did a year-plus as a contract instructor and technical writer. Mostly, I trained operators of coordinate measuring machines, but I also translated a lab manual from German to English. I don't care what the subject is -- planetariums, laser surgery, rifle scopes, metrology, whatever -- you say "Zeiss" and no one says, "Buy [this] instead because it is just as good."

I understand and appreciate Oliver Kim's advice, advocating for the good-enough microscope. And on the road between here and the best for myself, I might stop off at Good Enough Junction. That was why I bought these. If I take them apart to clean them and cannot get them back together right, the loss can be absorbed and written off against the learning curve.

Thanks,
Mike M.
-----------------------------
Michael E. Marotta
Technical Writer

PeteM
Posts: 2983
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:22 am
Location: N. California

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#4 Post by PeteM » Tue Mar 15, 2022 7:36 pm

Zeiss still makes superb high end microscopes - think $50K or so. I'd have to agree with Phil (Apo), though, that their new low end scopes (think sub $2K or so) offer modest performance at a relatively high price.

One could likely buy an older Zeiss Standard with phase contrast and Neofluar objectives for around $600. Add a brighter LED lamp and it would be far better than anything Zeiss might now offer new in a phase scope at thrice the price.

Phill Brown
Posts: 603
Joined: Mon May 24, 2021 1:19 pm
Location: Devon UK.

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#5 Post by Phill Brown » Tue Mar 15, 2022 8:24 pm

The chances of getting back down to one microscope really are not good from here.

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#6 Post by Greg Howald » Tue Mar 15, 2022 8:26 pm

In your photo, the scope on the left is a model M148. It retails at about 90.00 dollars. The one on the right is an M500. It goes for about 150.00 dollars. The objective missing is 100x oil. They are readily available.
The 148 will be more difficult to focus as it has course focus only. Both will provide excellent images.
Enjoy. :) Greg

Dubious
Posts: 426
Joined: Sun May 09, 2021 7:55 pm

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#7 Post by Dubious » Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:41 pm

Phill Brown wrote:
Tue Mar 15, 2022 8:24 pm
The chances of getting back down to one microscope really are not good from here.
Yes, it's hard to find young microscopists (in need of a scope) fast enough to keep the herd from growing :D

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#8 Post by Greg Howald » Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:11 pm

The main problem you face is that you bought two of them
They tend to multiply, most especially if kept to close together. My place is not as bad as some others. At this point I only have 12. :lol: Be careful. Greg

mikemarotta
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2022 1:27 am
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#9 Post by mikemarotta » Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:51 pm

Greg Howald wrote:
Tue Mar 15, 2022 8:26 pm
The one on the right is an M500. The objective missing is 100x oil. They are readily available.
Thanks. $40.99 from AmScope. I was not concerned, really. Having played with these, I found that the two 4/0 .10 160/017 are not interchangible. I put the one from the M148 in the M500 and the stage would not go down far enough for the objective to focus. So, I hesitate to buy a replacement for the missing 100x oil. How do I know that it will work?

Before I bought these, I bought some textbooks, including an instructor's edition for Fundamentals of Light Microscopy by Douglas Murphy (Wiley, 2001).

I cleaned the M148 again this morning. I have not done much with the M500 yet.

Best Regards,
Mike M.
-----------------------------
Michael E. Marotta
Technical Writer

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#10 Post by apochronaut » Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:41 am

The Chinese have used several parfocal systems over the years. They were originally influenced by the Japanese J.I.S. system but then also by outliers from that system, Nikon and Olympus, the latter who used both the Leitz 37mm system and then switched to Bausch & Lomb during the era of Occupied Japan.
Lately for basic instruments such as the two you have bought, they seem to use a 45mm parfocal system with a 160mm tube length for the higher end educational instruments and I think a 36mm parfocal system for others. J.I.S. would be a 170mm tube but I think the Chinese used a 160mm tube.
So, the two microscopes you have purchased are two separate parfocal systems, one 45mm D.I.N. and the other likely 36mm , so there is a 9mm difference in the necessary stage to objective distance in order to focus.

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#11 Post by Greg Howald » Wed Mar 16, 2022 4:06 am

A finite 160 objective from Amscope will work for your m500. The objectives for the 148 are called short barrel objectives and will mount on the m500 but will not focus.
Amscope does not sell objectives for the 148, so any finite objective you order will work. :P. Greg

User avatar
woyjwjl
Posts: 325
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2022 1:55 pm
Location: Wuhan, China

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#12 Post by woyjwjl » Wed Mar 16, 2022 6:34 am

apochronaut wrote:
Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:41 am
The Chinese have used several parfocal systems over the years. They were originally influenced by the Japanese J.I.S. system but then also by outliers from that system, Nikon and Olympus, the latter who used both the Leitz 37mm system and then switched to Bausch & Lomb during the era of Occupied Japan.
Lately for basic instruments such as the two you have bought, they seem to use a 45mm parfocal system with a 160mm tube length for the higher end educational instruments and I think a 36mm parfocal system for others. J.I.S. would be a 170mm tube but I think the Chinese used a 160mm tube.
So, the two microscopes you have purchased are two separate parfocal systems, one 45mm D.I.N. and the other likely 36mm , so there is a 9mm difference in the necessary stage to objective distance in order to focus.
Please ask: in order to adapt to the 26mm caliber, I installed a 25mm Neo eyepiece on the BH2 system using the adapter, resulting in an increase in the length of the objective lens by 5mm. Now the result is that the imaging of the eyepiece is good and the imaging of the three eye head gh4 is blurred.

Simply put, will increasing the eyepiece length affect the camera imaging?

To be clear: if you don't toss about these, the system is all right.
无法抵抗的低价格<br />Irresistible low price
无法抵抗的低价格
Irresistible low price
image_editor_1647412548123.jpg (79.11 KiB) Viewed 3219 times
Micrographers from China, thanks to the forum for providing a platform for exchange

User avatar
woyjwjl
Posts: 325
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2022 1:55 pm
Location: Wuhan, China

Re: First Purchases: Two AmScopes

#13 Post by woyjwjl » Wed Mar 16, 2022 6:53 am

The projection lighting is obviously blurred. Is Neo objective not suitable for projection lighting?
投射照明<br />投射照明<br />Projection illumination
投射照明
投射照明
Projection illumination
P1000851neo 20.jpg (150.18 KiB) Viewed 3214 times
Falling illumination
Falling illumination
neo BD.JPG (103.71 KiB) Viewed 3214 times
Falling illumination
Falling illumination
neo 1.JPG (106.84 KiB) Viewed 3214 times
Micrographers from China, thanks to the forum for providing a platform for exchange

Post Reply