Microscope hunting

[Traleah]

When I started looking at microscopes, I was looking at the Amscope T720 quad with other accessories (dark field, etc.). That microscope would likely be fine for me; however, I am one of those people that thinks, “what if I want to upgrade later?” I am not sure how the Amscope is constructed on the inside, or if it can be easily upgraded. I eventually found this forum and have been reading it for a few weeks.

I really would like a microscope that can be updated and will last. I would like to stay around the $500, but do have wiggle room.

What I’m interested in looking at ranges from rock bits to blood and tissues (plant, animal, human).
I am interested in using brightfield, dark field, and phase contrast.

My hopes:

Trinocular head
Matched eye pieces with five good plan/plan Apochromat objectives, including a 60x dry (seems hard to find 60x as part of the set)
Kohler lighting set up
LED light
Darkfield add on
Everything working and no missing parts!

Other things I’ve read would be great to have, but I do not know enough about:
flip top condenser
I actually had a list, but unfortunately, I misplaced it.

I narrowed down to Olympus BH2. I think a Nikon Labophot II may work, too. I do worry about part availability in the future.

Additionally, just so everyone knows right off (like it isn’t already obvious), I am a beginner/newbie. My last use of a compound microscope was in the early 80’s in a micro course, and all I remember was being very careful not to crash the longest objective in the the slide...

So, where do I find a great used microscope? Is ebay the only reasonably priced place?

Thank you all for any help!

[Traleah]

I’m watching this listing. The price seems high, but the item looks like it is in good condition.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OLYMPUS-BH2-TR ... 1#viTabs_0

Is this price reasonable?

Are there forum members that sell better BH-2 set ups?

Also, how do I know the production year of a BH2 or Labophot II? Does that matter ?

Thank you.

[Element 56]

Hi,
I posted a reply in your other thread but I only looked at the first link you posted. I can tell you I have bought from this seller and I think he's one of the good ones. Lots of bad ones on eBay so it's good to get confirmation from others. The price isn't bad IMO. You can get a BH2 for less by waiting for an auction but you may have to put some work into it. This one has a trinocular head which is an expensive addition. I have a set of D Plans on my BH2 and I think they're great, however, I defer to the more experienced members here for their opinions on them. I am actually considering getting S Plans but I'm not sure how much better they are.

Most of my experience comes from collecting, repairing and rebuilds so please wait to hear from more the experienced users here. That said IMO the BH2 is a great instrument with a lot of potential to upgrade. Parts are readily available and prices are pretty affordable. I will mention that I watch US listings on eBay all day every day and since COVID the supply of microscope accessories has drastically dropped. In spite of this BH2 parts continue to trickle in so I wouldn't worry about not being able to find what you need.

You might also consider a Bausch and Lomb Balplan. I have no personal experience with them but apochronaut posted a thread with an eBay link for one recently that is worth looking at.

Best of luck with your search!

Kirby

[Element 56]

Here's the thread I mentioned,

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=10293

Also if you go the Olympus route this is a great resource,

http://www.alanwood.net/index.html

Kirby

[Traleah]

Thanks for the responses, Kirby. I had read that thread a few days ago, but had ruled out Balplan (don’t remember why at the moment). I had previously bookmarked the Alan Wood site. It has quite a lot of information!

I ended up looking around eBay at trinocular microscopes in general, not limiting to Olympus. I found an interesting listing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fisher-Compoun ... Sws6RergYu

I wonder how useful this microscope could be and how it could be upgraded. What’s it equivalent to in comparison to other microscope brands and models?

It does seem like prices on eBay increased, maybe due to home schooling or ? In any case, I’m watching a couple of microscopes on eBay, but hope to find something closer to me. It just seems like the shorter the shipping distance, the better. Some items really get chucked around.

[deBult]

I have never been able to score a 100% intact scope on eBay: all needed some work: some substantial (the price was no good indicator on the rework required). The last BH2 bought required a full CLA, new focus knobs, 2 new stage racks (cracked), a new condenser rack (broken).

Individual objectives “optically 100%” were not my lucky score either (scratches, fungus).

So buying from a reputable dealer with 30 day’s return option would be worth 30% extra to me.

US prices on Olympus are seriously below what we have tp pay in Europe, shipping s often prohibitive though.

YMMV.

Best, deBult

[Element 56]

Thanks for the responses, Kirby. I had read that thread a few days ago, but had ruled out Balplan (don’t remember why at the moment). I had previously bookmarked the Alan Wood site. It has quite a lot of information!

I ended up looking around eBay at trinocular microscopes in general, not limiting to Olympus. I found an interesting listing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fisher-Compoun ... Sws6RergYu

I wonder how useful this microscope could be and how it could be upgraded. What’s it equivalent to in comparison to other microscope brands and models?

It does seem like prices on eBay increased, maybe due to home schooling or ? In any case, I’m watching a couple of microscopes on eBay, but hope to find something closer to me. It just seems like the shorter the shipping distance, the better. Some items really get chucked around.

I would wait for apochronaut to respond with his advice. I have never owned any of the Fischer Scientific microscopes so I can't comment on them. Are you in the sates? Facebook marketplace occasionally has some good ones and occasionally I find them at local auctions too. Like I said I watch eBay all day and can let you know if something comes up I think you might like.

I think pricing is a direct reflection of availability. The regulars know there's less out there and they are raising their prices. The university I work for froze their surplus operation at the start of COVID and only opened up again last week. When that happens surplus backs up and a lot gets trashed. Also with research labs staffed at only 50% and the slow down of grants equipment isn't being replaced. I hope it picks up again soon!

Kirby

[PeteM]

. . .

I ended up looking around eBay at trinocular microscopes in general, not limiting to Olympus. I found an interesting listing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fisher-Compoun ... Sws6RergYu

I wonder how useful this microscope could be and how it could be upgraded. . . .

That's a reflected light microscope, with optics meant to be used for solid objects (not slides with a cover slip).

The Fisher Micromaster was originally made for Fisher in Japan. Likely China now. It wasn't a bad scope, but not nearly as well built as the Olympus BH2 it was somewhat patterned after. Early versions didn't have Kohler illumination, the objectives weren't as good, and the focus system not as well designed. I recently came across a set of Fisher Plan Achros (from a Micromaster) and compared them to Olympus DPlan. They were OK, but not equal to the DPlans. Olympus SPlan even better, then on to Plan Apos.

Olympus also makes epi heads and objectives to fit its BH2 series. At that price you might the real thing, if reflected light and no-cover-slip surfaces (or both that and biological specimens) are what you want to view.

Most important thing, if you have a scope shipped, is that it be well packed. Well packed, it should make it across an ocean. Poorly packed it may not make it across town.

[Traleah]

DeBilt, good points to consider.

Kirby, I had not thought about Facebook marketplace but I’d probably have a hard time feeling I could trust the seller, anyway. Hopefully, the good surplus items will build up again quickly. I know the microscope is only the beginning...

PeteM, thank you for the Fisher Micromaster information. I think learning about the associations between the different brands, their past, and which models are similar can be very helpful for first time buyers like me. It’s interesting reading by itself.

I will definitely update once I get a microscope.

[apochronaut]

The 155.00 Balplan was posted to assist those heading towards wasting their money on a 150.00 low grade student scope. That Balplan would exceed such a level by leagues and allow a certain degree of easy upgrading to a trinocular, planachromat level. However, this poster has mentioned the intent to perhaps go a little higher than that, maybe up to plan apochromat. While such optics do exist for the Balplan, they are not common. A better option would be one of the Olympus or Nikon models, or a Microstar 410.
Unfortunately, there is such mania for photographing through the microscope that the gap between a perfectly good binocular scope and the same scope with a trinocular, is widening substantially. There are some really good buys sometimes in a binocular scope, while trinoculars can be overpriced. Even a lone trinocular head can be priced above the price of an entire binocular microscope sometimes.

Some of the better science supply houses and specialty supply houses have invested in the tier 2 Chinese microscopes for some time.These are microscope designs that don't normally see the light of day as bottom feeder scopes badged for the 4 major companies. If they did, they would outcompete some of their better stuff. Mass marketers such as Amscope, also don't indulge in those products either, or if they do , as the very upper end of their offerings: over priced and under supported.
Companies such as LW Scientific, Prior , Accuscope, Labomed , Van Guard and to some degree Fisher have a slightly raised bar for the Chinese products and a good used item from one of those companies can mesh nicely with an ongoing supply of new upgrades available directly from the factories that make them. Those that have been selling better grades of Chinese stencil scopes often did not anticipate a market for upgrades and fixed their marketing efforts on a set lineup of products and accessories. Sometimes you have to step around the middlemen, especially the five and dime middlemen, to find what you need.

[Traleah]

...
Unfortunately, there is such mania for photographing through the microscope that the gap between a perfectly good binocular scope and the same scope with a trinocular, is widening substantially. There are some really good buys sometimes in a binocular scope, while trinoculars can be overpriced. Even a lone trinocular head can be priced above the price of an entire binocular microscope sometimes.
...
Sometimes you have to step around the middlemen, especially the five and dime middlemen, to find what you need.

Apochronaut, your comments made me think over my decision for a trinocular head. I’m no photographer, but I would still like the option of being able to use my phone or camera to take pictures. I don’t want to give up an eyepiece and I’m leery of using a phone adapter on a binocular head. I just don’t see those eye pieces as being manufactured to hold weight. However, maybe I just need to set up my tripod so my phone or camera looks done the oculars. I think another person posted pictures taken that way on this forum. I don’t know, though. There’s time loss between focusing on something, then having to move out of the way for the tripod. If I wanted to catch something alive, it could be long out of the field of view before I could do anything.

I have read quite a bit on and off this forum about brands, discussions about current Chinese vs older big brands, issues with objectives, long term quality, ability to maintain the microscope, and I could go on. What it comes down to for me is having a stable, durable microscope (workhorse) that can be repaired, which has parts available for upgrading later, basic high quality objectives, and lots of support documentation. I need to be able to not only learn on it, but be able to enjoy using it without struggling with misaligned or malfunctioning parts. To see the tiny things I want to view, I cannot afford to buy new. That leaves me with “used department” of the big brands.

I still want that trinocular head, but I will read more about my options. I certainly appreciate the help and knowledge provided by this forum.

Kirby - thanks for offering to watch eBay. I’m looking at it, too, but more as a reference at this time.

[Traleah]

All of the knowledgeable help on this forum made me think through what I wanted to do/see - not just when I first got a microscope, but once I got oriented to its use. It was important to me that I be able to use whatever microscope I ended up with for many years. I narrowed down to the BH2 BHS first, but that really was a budget buster for me. With guidance from this forum, I opted to go with the BH2 BHTU. I had to increase my budget considerably, but a forum member helped me obtain a unit with what would work for my needs. I will post pictures and another update once I receive and reassemble my “new” microscope!

It’s so exciting, like getting a new tool. Oh, wait - a microscope is a tool! I guess that explains it!

[Element 56]

Congratulations! You won't regret spending a little extra for the right equipment.

Kirby

[Traleah]

I wanted to post a few photos of my microscope (BH-2 BHTU). This was by far the most well packaged item I have ever received. I sincerely appreciate all of the help I have received thus far from this forum.

Extremely well packaged microscope:

IMG_5096.JPG (38.4 KiB) Viewed 5476 times

Here, I have set out the items on my desk:

IMG_5097.JPG (55.64 KiB) Viewed 5476 times

Here, I have the microscope assembled:

IMG_5114[1].jpg (46.52 KiB) Viewed 5476 times

Thank you, PeteM, for helping me get a microscope set up as I wanted and for answering all of my extra questions!

So far, I aligned the eyepieces and looked at a couple of things in a hurry. I got distracted watching a few of Carl Hunsinger's BHTU tear down/rebuild videos and saved any documents he had available. I think the documents and videos will be extremely helpful if I every need to work on this microscope myself.

I am ordering my immersion oils, both Cargille type A and B, some ROR solution for cleaning my lenses, and a calibration slide. I have been researching photo accessories and will try to get those parts together, too. The last OM L tube I watched sold for just over $160, and I hope I can find a better deal since I still need the insert and adapter for my old digital rebel and/or 60D - both have the smaller sensor. I will add on here as I get more parts together.

[75RR]

Congratulations, that looks to be in very nice condition