Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

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einman
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Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#1 Post by einman » Sat Sep 19, 2015 12:58 am

Just got a Nikon SMZ-U. Beautiful optics! Incredible contrast. Very large FOV. I am most definitely a fan. It still needs some work so I will have to dismantle it and lube it up. The Photo/Bino/photo slider is stuck in photo position but that should be a simple fix. It came on the illuminated base that allows for darkfield. I was demonstrating it to my wife using some pond water with Ostracods. I had to impress her she was threatening to ride me out on a rail.

I need to purchase an adapter with a lens or a longer tube as I get vignetting with my camera. I will post some pictures if wanted later. My camera is currently pulling duty on a micro slide rail taking photos of ants.

I put 3 other stereoscopes on E-bay for sale to offset the cost incurred. My second favorite (now 3rd) Amscope ZM-1T, a Ken-a-vision and an AO cycloptic trinocular on E-bay. If anyone is interested feel free to contact me.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#2 Post by gekko » Sat Sep 19, 2015 1:04 am

Congratulations!

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#3 Post by einman » Sat Sep 19, 2015 1:16 am

I am excited. I have wanted one for several years. My Nikon SMZ-2T is a beautiful scope but the SMZ-U is a step above in terms of resolution, contrast and FOV. Great price as well. Long story attached as the seller tried to pull a fast one I believe. It arrived damaged. When I informed the seller he filed a claim with Fedex. Fedex wanted to pick it up to evaluate the damage. When I spoke to the seller it became apparent he intended to take the offer from Fedex and keep the scope to resell it. Apparently he sold it for too little damaged or not.

After many discussions in which I informed him any compensation from Fedex should be mine as it was "my" scope that was damaged, I chose to keep it. I have corrected most of the issues associated with the shipping. I still have to re-align the pole on the illuminator base as it is bent slightly.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#4 Post by Charles » Sat Sep 19, 2015 3:55 pm

Congratulations on your new purchase! Of course you will post pictures of it, right?

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#5 Post by einman » Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:51 pm

Here are some photos:
Image
Image
Image

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#6 Post by einman » Sat Sep 19, 2015 7:01 pm

It is now my belief the scope was damaged before he sent it. Thorough examination of the packaging yields no clues as to how the damage was incurred. Perhaps that is why he was so quick to file the claim and despite the fact I told him I was ok with the scope, damaged as it was, he kept insisting I let Fedex look at it. Oh well..I am content. Though not as he advertised it it was still a good deal.
Last edited by einman on Sat Sep 19, 2015 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#7 Post by gekko » Sat Sep 19, 2015 8:54 pm

A beauty!

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#8 Post by KurtM » Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:36 am

einman wrote:I am excited. I have wanted one for several years. My Nikon SMZ-2T is a beautiful scope but the SMZ-U is a step above in terms of resolution, contrast and FOV.
I'm curious on a couple points here: First, seems to me that any optical difference between those two scopes would constitute some pretty fine points; to wit, I wonder if I could see what you're talking about? What kind of specimens are you looking at, and how are you judging the improvement in resolution and contrast? Mind you I'm no expert, just a hobbyist/enthusiast, but always eager to learn.

Secondly, how did you become aware that the SMZ-U is a step up in the first place, what caused you to "get the hots" for it? Did you get a look through one first, or going by specs, or what?

Whatever - congratulations on a splendid score, I'm envious for sure! :ugeek:
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#9 Post by einman » Sun Sep 20, 2015 3:40 am

KurtM- I have owned and still own multiple stereoscopes. I currently own a Bausch & Lomb Stereoscope 7. I purchased multiple SZ7's before I finally settled on this one ( though I have several partial pods). The majority were either out of alignment or the optics were degraded due to use for electronic purposes. I have and currently own several Chinese models including an Amscope ZM-1t, a Ken-a-vision T22001, and sorted other brands not really worth mentioning. I currently own a swift 80 series as well as an American Optical Cycloptic 56M. My last major purchase, prior to the SMZ-U was the Nikon SMZ-2T.

With each purchase I sought to obtain better resolution as measured per specs at the lowest possible price. Specification for stereoscopes generally involves the NA and the resolution given as line/mm or micrometers. Resolution being the smallest distance discernible between two points. As manufacturers have improved their optics the NA's have increased, as well as the resolution, with the 2 being related by various equations about which I won't pretend to be very knowledgeable. In addition they have sought to increase zoom ratios as well. In short the measure of the lowest to the highest magnification.

Unless you employ a micrometer or use such items as a slide with diatoms etc. the easiest way to observe changes in resolution is by the crispness of the image as you increase magnification. One reason it took me so long to purchase this scope is because I often wondered if the performance improvements would be worth the cost of admission. To be clear I NEVER pay what the average asking price is for a scope on E-bay. Patience is a virtue. Having never seen any of the stereoscopes I own prior to purchasing them, I was taking some chance in terms of cost/benefit ratio with each attempt to "upgrade". I must say the B&L SZ7 is an impressive scope, given the age, with specs still close to many of the newer lower end Nikon/Olympus scopes in terms of lines/mm but has a smaller FOV and poorer contrast. It has a resolution of 300 lines/mm with a 10X eyepiece and 1X auxiliary objective. Though I have not seen the specs with the 2X auxiliary objective, based on an old ad (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac6 ... ode=ancham) i imagine it would be roughly 600 lines/mm. Interestingly enough, current manufacturers often tout resolution, claiming "best in class", but you have to dig to get the actual numbers in most cases. This could be because they now offer a choice in objectives including apos with varying magnifications. The higher mag objectives give you better resolution, that is they increase the ability to discern the distance between 2 points thus more lines/mm. So when they do give out the resolution in terms of lines/mm it is with their highest available mag auxiliary objective. Unfortunately, I do not have all the specs so I simply used those as a starting point. Keep in mind I have spent hours in researching these scopes with every purchase before I let loose of my money. Also keep in mind that many times I sold my current scope when I upgraded to offset the cost of the "upgrade" .

For comparison to the B&L which was the standard in its day, 1960's:


Olympus SZX-7 ~300 Lines/mm with 1X objective at 56X 600 lines/mm with the 2X objective at 112X
Olympus SZX9 same as SZX-7 higher zoom ratio
Olympus SZ51 max 415 lines/mm
Olympus SZ61 max 424 lines/mm
Olympus SZX12 max 800 lines/mm


Nikon smz 1500 with 1.6X objective 630 lines/mm
Nikon SMZ-800 640lines/mm with 2.0x objective (planapo)
Nikon SMZ1000- 300 lines/mm with 1x objective


So where is the improvement, at least in the lower priced lines, that is those scopes costing less than 5 figures?

-Improved ergonomics
-improved CA
-Higher zoom ratios
-Larger Working Distances


Those who have had the privilege of owning or using both the Olympus SZH, SZX-9, and the SMZ-U tend to favor the SMZ-U over the SZH but say the SZX-9 is a tad bit crisper but not significant. I was tempted to go for a used SZX-7 or SZX-9 for this reason but this deal came up.

So now after throwing all this out there (and I have a lot more) how do you determine if the SMZ-U is worth the cost differential over the B&L 7 or the SMZ-2T? You have to try them. Literally put them side by side and compare.

The difference between the B&L SZ7 and the newer scopes lies mostly in the contrast, FOV, working distance and required lighting. Not as much in the resolution as you might think.

In short The SMZ-U has a much larger FOV, a brighter image, and better contrast. After some experimentation, I found this is in part due to superior eyepieces. The eyepieces that come with the SMZ-U have a much wider FOV and are just plain better. The 20X has an FOV of 15 vs the SMZ-2T at 12.5. I put the SMZ-U eyepieces on the SMZ-2T and lost some working distance but gained in clarity and FOV.

My question ever since I purchased the SMZ-2T was- Is it worth the price difference to upgrade to an SMZ-U? SMZ-2T's go for about $1000 with stand on E-bay while SMZ-U's go for about $2000, on average, with a broad variation in stands available etc. Is the SMZ-U worth a $1000 more vs the SMZ-2T. My answer is NO! However, it has its advantages beyond optics. For example, when photographing you can take photos and still observe the specimen through both eyepieces. You can't with the SMZ-2T. The SMZ-U is also modular. You can add or replace damaged components rather easily. You can not with the SMZ-2T, or any of the other scopes mentioned for that matter.

Given I paid less for this SMZ-U then the avg price for an SMZ-2T..took some dickering and a lot of patience but.. it was worth it. Even my wife saw the difference right away and she was pissed I bought it. In fact when she looked into it her first comment was --wow this has better image and I don't have to use one eye! You would have to have read an earlier post to understand that statement.

And when compared to a new Chinese Amscope ZM-1T costing about the same price, ..the used SMZ-U is superior in every way. Of course I am referencing the price I paid.
Oh and the Amscope ZM-1T is not as good as the SMZ-2T either, but the difference lies mostly in the contrast and lower magnification with a 1x objective.

It is my opinion that marginal improvements come at great cost in microscopy. When you buy used you eliminate much of that great cost.

Hmm..I have rattled on enough. I have lots to say in terms of working distance between all these scopes but I will save that for another day.
Last edited by einman on Mon Sep 21, 2015 12:28 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#10 Post by einman » Sun Sep 20, 2015 4:06 am

Well! Apparently my wife really liked this scope as she presented me with a cover she made in her "lab" which she calls her sewing room. As a matter of note. Her primary sewing machine cost more than all my scopes put together. She uses a Janome MC12000. So whenever she gets too cranky about my scopes I casually mention her sewing machine. Her strongest response is centers on the fact mine is only a hobby ..whereas with her machine she actually makes things the family can use. Hmmmm....

Image

Not my first choice in colors.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#11 Post by apochronaut » Sun Sep 20, 2015 8:21 pm

" lemon yellow".

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#12 Post by KurtM » Mon Sep 21, 2015 12:14 am

Thanks for the detailed reply, einman. I can relate to pretty much everything you said. I have a fairly ridiculous collection of microscopes myself, some of which are VERY nice (got incredibly lucky), but I'm always drooling over something even nicer. :roll:
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#13 Post by einman » Mon Sep 21, 2015 12:26 am

KurtM wrote:Thanks for the detailed reply, einman. I can relate to pretty much everything you said. I have a fairly ridiculous collection of microscopes myself, some of which are VERY nice (got incredibly lucky), but I'm always drooling over something even nicer. :roll:

Ha ha ..I believe most of the regulars who post are all in the same position. It is an addiction. I think mine stems back to the 70's when we used what I seem to recall was a 60 series American Optical monocular in biology class. I grew up in a very humble family and the thought of owning such a fine instrument was just a dream. So now that I am older, a lot older, and have the financial means I cant't seem to kick the habit of purchasing microscopes from the 60-90's. They are just fine instruments. I also enjoy the older scopes as well but have only purchased a couple of those pre 60's scopes. Compared to the newer scopes made of plastic, with little in the way of support from the manufacturers, the good ole days are gone. The newer scopes may be technologically and optically superior but just don't retain the craftsmanship nor what I believe to be the pride of the original founders as demonstrated in the design and materials of the older scopes.

I find it interesting that Leica has even taken to requiring websites to remove older technical manuals and brochures for older Leitz models. They may claim copyright etc. but it is obviously to retire the finer older scopes still in service. You don't see other manufacturers following their lead.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#14 Post by zzffnn » Mon Sep 21, 2015 4:28 am

einman,

I would love to hear about your thoughts on working distance of your scopes. No rush though.

Do you know of any scope that can be used to chase live ants or even live ostracods in microaquarium ? That would require very fast and smooth (vertical and horizontal) movement and long working distance.

What is the longest WD that you are aware of? My longest WD was actually obtained with a 1x compound objective of NA 0.05 (a Melles Griot), which has a WD of 120 mm. But it gives an inverted image as expected from compound objective, which is not easy to use in chasing ants (FOV is also very small on my DIY mono tube, so I had problem locating the insects seen by naked eyes). I actually use a close-focus binocular Pentax Papilio for chasing insects, but its magnification max'es out at 10x (which is not enough for small aquatic insects like ostracods).

I bought a beautiful vintage Spencer 58 scope from Phil. It was actually marked as aquarium scope, as it can be used horizontally and has a good range of movement. It is still on its way to me. However, I am not sure the scope operated by my hands can catch up with fast moving ants or ostracods. Its WD is also limited at less than 80mm with 1.7x objective. It could be the closest thing though (I searched but I have not seen anything similar), except for that Pentax Papilio binocular.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#15 Post by einman » Tue Sep 22, 2015 3:53 pm

zzffnn- How are our ants housed? I have raised several colonies housed in shallow glass and/or plastic containers such as bread pans etc. This pan represents the "foraging" area. Inside the pan I have containers constructed of plastic that represent the various chambers. The ants tend to adapt well to these structures. I had my scope mounted on a boom which I could position over the colony or chamber as needed. I tend to be interested in the smaller species , avoiding Camponotus etc as they move too quickly etc. Though I will probably acquire a colony of Camponotus soon. The smaller species can be housed in small containers and they tend to move less quickly. In addition it takes a while for them to leave the FOV. I can not share too much as I am working with other researchers that are in the process of writing a paper and prefer not to discuss anything outside our group until the paper is published.


A double arm boom can be used as it tends to move more freely than a single arm boom.

For the ostracods I remove them from the housing container and place them in a petri dish which matches the diameter of the stereoscope objective almost exactly. Thus their movement is limited to the FOV at the lower magnifications. If I want to observe them at higher magnifications I place algae etc into the petri dish so they can't move around as easily. I also restrict the water depth limiting movement to horizontal only.

I have several "microaquariums" acquired from Carolina Biological Supply though have not used them yet.

I too have the Papilio but have never used it for lab observation.

I will dig up my WD comparison post I put on a yahoo forum.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#16 Post by zzffnn » Tue Sep 22, 2015 9:03 pm

einman,

Definitely keep me posted with your secret ant chamber please, when you have a chance. I am highly interested to see photos of that. If you are filing a patent on it, I can probably help (just kidding, but I am capable if you really want to).

I don't house any ant. I just observe them. But it will be nice if I can house a colony. I would like to know how you keep free air flow and not let ants run around your house.

I am also very infested to see your microaquariums, once you set them up. I am currently using an off-the-shelf flat-wall glass vase bought from Hobbylobby. If you have access to laboratory cell culture flasks, get those equal or larger than T150 plastic flasks. Those should be best optically (T75 flasks or smaller flasks are more common, buy they are kind of small to be used as aquarium).

I do use petri dish the same way too, but feel that looking through the original aquarium is the most natural way.

That vintage Spencer 58 microscope that I bought from Phil allows me to view vertical aquarium in natural state. This is because the scope can be viewed horizontally. Another good thing about the scope is that it can sort of move in circles (to chase a slow insect), while boom arm scopes do not seem to have such ability.

And thank you in advance for finding WD info for me.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#17 Post by einman » Wed Sep 23, 2015 2:00 am

Thanks for the Patent offer. I have filed and received 17 patents.

Here is a write-up on WD did in 2013:
Ok. I thought I would post my past observations regarding the performance of Chinese scopes vs American Made albeit much older.


The Chinese scope is An Amscope Model ZM-1T (http://www.amscope.com/zm-1t.html)

Compared to the B&L Stereozoom 7.

In short both scopes looked nearly identical in terms of clarity etc. up to 45X. At 45X The Amscope had a WD of about 4". The B&L also about 4". However this is where the comparison ends.

The B&L has a continuous zoom to 70X with the WD changing little to about 3.5" To achieve similar magnification you have 2 choices with the Amscope. You can up the eyepieces to 20X or you can add an auxiliary lens of 2.0X.

I evaluated both methods. When you add the 20X eyepieces you lose some clarity and the resolution appears to suffer a little from distortion introduced by the eyepiece. WD remains the same. The Amscope eyepieces have something to be desired above 10X.

Keeping the 10X eyepiece and adding the 2.0X auxiliary lens maintains clarity, reduces depth of field a bit and cuts WD to about 1.375 inches at 70X.

Here the B&L excels as WD at 70X remains at about 3.5" and it has superior Depth of field. Not to mention it does not require an auxiliary lens.

You have the option with the B&L to add eyepieces to 33X and an auxiliary lens to 2.0X. I added both the 20X eyepieces and a 2.0X auxiliary lens and the result was still impressive given the magnifications was now 280X. Depth of field is terrible though and difficult to control without a fine focus. 140X is very usable though.

In short if looking for a good stereoscope with magnification up to 70X I would recommend the B&L assuming you can get one for a reasonable price as they are listed on e-bay from less than a $100 to more than a $1000.


Of course there are scopes made for Olympus, Zeiss and Nikon that have magnifications without an Auxiliary lens up to 70X but these are research grade scopes and list for thousands of dollars.

Used Nikon SMZ-2T and Olympus SZH's can be had for about $600 - $1200 in very good condition.

I have not had the opportunity to directly compare one of these scopes to the B&L but based on some research the resolution is supposed to be similar whereas clarity and contrast of the Olympus, Zeiss, and Nikon is superior.

This is a "nutshell" comparison so if you have any questions feel free to ask. I did not bother to take photos as that introduces a whole new level of variables though both scopes are trinocular. I am trying to get either an SMZ-2T or SZH for comparison. Stay Tuned.


Since I wrote that in 2013 I purchased the SMZ-2T and found it superior to the other scopes.

If you want very large working distance I found the LOMO MBS-10 to have the largest at 11 inches. I also found it to have incredible optics. Perhaps equal to better than the SMZ-2T but it suffered from limited available accessories and looked really weird.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#18 Post by zzffnn » Wed Sep 23, 2015 3:37 pm

Thank you einman for the WD info.

Wow, you are quite an inventor indeed! I have filed close to 100 patent applications as a patent agent, but own none of them as inventor.

I have seen LOMO MBS-10 used horizontally as aquarium scope. I assume it can move in Y and Z axis, but not in Y axis? Also what is the highest magnification of LOMO MBS-10? Thank you.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#19 Post by einman » Thu Sep 24, 2015 2:15 am

zzffnn wrote:Thank you einman for the WD info.

Wow, you are quite an inventor indeed! I have filed close to 100 patent applications as a patent agent, but own none of them as inventor.

I have seen LOMO MBS-10 used horizontally as aquarium scope. I assume it can move in Y and Z axis, but not in Y axis? Also what is the highest magnification of LOMO MBS-10? Thank you.

A Patent agent? That must have been a tedious job. My first patent issued back in 1985 I believe. Most if not all have expired. I don't really pay attention anymore. They were acquired back when I was a researcher for Procter & Gamble.

As I recall the MBS-10 had an 8X and a 14X eyepiece with magnification to 98X with the 14X eyepiece. It was not a bad scope. It is just that whenever I wanted a new or different scope it meant selling one or more scopes I already had. So I sold it to cover the cost of another purchase.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#20 Post by einman » Thu Sep 24, 2015 2:19 am

zzffnn wrote:Thank you einman for the WD info.

Wow, you are quite an inventor indeed! I have filed close to 100 patent applications as a patent agent, but own none of them as inventor.

I have seen LOMO MBS-10 used horizontally as aquarium scope. I assume it can move in Y and Z axis, but not in Y axis? Also what is the highest magnification of LOMO MBS-10? Thank you.

Ok. So you have a pH D in microbiology but you also worked as a patent agent?

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#21 Post by einman » Fri Oct 02, 2015 12:13 am

Here are some photos of the SMZ-U mounted on a regular Amscope stand next to a B&L SZ7. Though separated by about 3 decades they are both beautiful scopes. The Nikon performs better in terms of brightness of the image and contrast but the SZ7 is still an incredible scope given the time differential.

The SMZ-U has an AFX unit I gutted and added an adapter to accept a modern DSLR. This tube below the adapter allows for a projection photo lens. The SZ7 has the factory trinoc with a custom made phototube given I cold not find an original. It is mounted on an R-stand. I removed the SMZ-U from the illuminator base in order to correct the mounting rod. It was damaged during transport and sits slightly off perpendicular.

I will be selling an R-stand soon for anyone that has a SZ7 and would like to improve the precision of the focus. I have 3. I will be selling either one for reflectance and/or one which has base illumination.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#22 Post by tbarnes » Wed Jan 27, 2016 2:13 pm

Einman finally got on this board. I have acquired a Nikon SMZ-U Like you paid less than half of retail for it. I got it the other night the photo bino switch is locked to photo and the optics seem a little misaligned. I have several scopes the SMZ-2t (which after looking on this board the other day I believe I bought the one you recommended here) Nikon SMZ-2b and a Nikon SMZ-10.

Here is my question is it worth fixing? In light of the other scopes I have. You have also mentioned you fix some of your own scopes did you receive training or just trial and error?

Thanks

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#23 Post by einman » Sat Jan 30, 2016 10:37 pm

tbarnes wrote:Einman finally got on this board. I have acquired a Nikon SMZ-U Like you paid less than half of retail for it. I got it the other night the photo bino switch is locked to photo and the optics seem a little misaligned. I have several scopes the SMZ-2t (which after looking on this board the other day I believe I bought the one you recommended here) Nikon SMZ-2b and a Nikon SMZ-10.

Here is my question is it worth fixing? In light of the other scopes I have. You have also mentioned you fix some of your own scopes did you receive training or just trial and error?

Thanks
I repair my own compound scopes but I received help from a friend with the SMZ-U. The optics are probably not out of alignment as much as just stuck. Each side rides on a rod of sorts. If the grease thickens on one side more so then the other the lenses move up and down out of sync. We took mine apart and re-lubed it and they fell into place.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#24 Post by tbarnes » Sun Jan 31, 2016 3:10 am

Thanks for the reply. Just curious how do you learn to do that? I have sent mine off but would like to leatn myself.

From what I can tell it seems to be quite a jump but the eyepieces seem to make the biggest difference. I put the eyepieces in the smz-10 and it was pretty amazing.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#25 Post by einman » Sun Jan 31, 2016 3:38 am

tbarnes wrote:Thanks for the reply. Just curious how do you learn to do that? I have sent mine off but would like to leatn myself.

From what I can tell it seems to be quite a jump but the eyepieces seem to make the biggest difference. I put the eyepieces in the smz-10 and it was pretty amazing.
yeah. The eyepieces are phenomenal. I have the 10X and the 20X. I purchased the 10X off e-bay.

My friend owns a microscope service shop. He took it apart while I was watching. It took him about 15 minutes to dismantle it. He then lubed it and put it back together. He made it look simple. He is 4th generation so I am sure he has had plenty of experience.

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Re: Finally Acquired a Nikon SMZ-U

#26 Post by zimja222 » Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:30 pm

I realize I am resurrecting this post from quite some time ago, but I have a question regarding the Nikon SMZ-U and there are clearly some experts on this thread.
My scope (#580790) says "JAPAN" on it. Do you know the city in Japan these were manufactured?

Thank you for any information you can provide.

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