I want a stereoscopic microscope

[kkokkolis]

Hello everybody.
I would like to get a microscope for my hobbies. I am a physician, I looked through professional biological microscopes until I had enough and I know I don't need one of those. I want a stereoscopic microscope.
I have many hobbies such as astronomy. Among them, mineralogy, knives (Swiss Army) and multitools, nature observing (like plants and insects), some collecting like toy soldiers from lead/pewter and stamps would benefit from a 20-40x microscope. I now use my Belomo 10x loupe (excellent) and for stereo the Pentax Papilio 6,5x21 and love the views, but want to look closer.
As telescopes, microscopes cost twice in Greece than US and remember that we have a lower per capita. And we have fewer options, mostly Konus, Bresser and a few unidentified brands selling apparently Chinese pieces like the two aforementioned brands. There are digital options also and include Celestron here.
I can buy a Konus Diamond for 300€, it costs 400 new. I've seen it, it has a strong construction, nice flat eyepieces, good focuser and light both directions. The only problem, while viewing flat things like money was a perfect experience, I couldn't focus on three dimensional objects, there wasn't enough space. I guess I could remove the glass in order to put in the mineral and gain in focusing space but I couldn't test it in the store.
Most mineral specimens I have are some cms across and I wouldn't
like to brake them to pieces in order to study them.
For 250€ there are two Bresser models, Researcher and Analyth. The Researcher have a second pair of 20x eyepieces that add 80x. But I don't understand why they cost the same.
All three are metallic and they look sturdy enough.
I would like to have dark field capabilities if possible. The Tasco has an accessory for that with 100€.
So, I want to buy a budget stereoscopic microscope for leisure, 20-60x is what I need, 250-400€ amd if I like it I might spend up to another 1000 for something better in the future.
Thanks

[lorez]

I agree completely. A stereo microscope, zoom or fixed magnification, is a great asset to the hobbyist. A good stereo microscope will provide a sharp image with good depth of field. I use a B&L StereoZoom4 which has the potential for both incident and transmitted illumination (goose neck LED) and look at any thing that catches my interest at the time. Pond water is amazingly well portrayed as it shows a lot more of the interactions among the critters in the dish. It's too bad you are in a situation where good used equipment is not readily available.

lorez

[kkokkolis]

That's the situation in Europe and in Greece in particular.
I might be able to buy a Celestron or TS from Germany though.
http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/ind ... tereo.html

[vasselle]

Bonjour
Il y a aussi la loupe binoculaire Bresser Researcher ICD 20 X-80 X.
Qui fonctionne très bien car j'en possède une que je me suis acheter au mois de décembre et j'en suis pas déçu du tout.
En plus elle ne coûte pas trop chère 200 euro.

GI1154.jpg (43.31 KiB) Viewed 10902 times

Cordialement seb

[kkokkolis]

Merci. Mon Francais sont ridicule, excuse moi. Nous avon le Bresser a 245 euro. Etes vous content avec le Researcher?

[gekko]

Seb had posted some very nice images taken with his Bresser stereo microscope but the images are, for whatever reason, no longer available, for example: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=176

[kkokkolis]

This was the Biolux model, around 69€ here.

[kkokkolis]

A review for the Researcher, in Russianhttp://opticalmarket.com.ua/obzor_bresser_researcher_icd_ningbo_xtx_7c_w.html

[kkokkolis]

Let's narrow the options.

We have the Bresser Researcher ICD 20-40-80x (with 10x and 20x eyepieces) with LED and Halogen options (I would choose the LED) available locally
We also have the Telescope Service TS MXSP36 Stereo Microscope 20-30-40-60x (with included 10x and optional 15x eyepieces) with halogen lighting

I would like to know more technical details but few are available, even in their manuals.
It would be easier to buy the Bresser which looks equal or better to the Konus I tried and costs 250 euros vs 400.
But the TS (same amount of money with the second set of eyepieces) will have a better magnification range and is pillar mounted. That means that I might rotate it and position it over a bigger rock specimen. Since I don't really know thw working distances (around 50-70mm for the lowest magnification I guess) this might prove critical.
Or, if I find the microscope indispensable, I buy a zoom pillar mounted microscope later, at 500-600 euro and do my job with the Bresser now.
Regardless of the pillar and the lighting options they offer more or less the same.
I've seen some more similar microscopes from US vendors at 150$ but they would come very close after taxes and shipping.

So, which of the two?

[lorez]

"Regardless of the pillar and the lighting options they offer more or less the same."

I think this is the bottom line of your comparison. The scope optics are equal so the real choices you have are in the configuration of the stand, type of lighting, and accessories offered, and of course the price.

lorez

[gekko]

The best thing would be, if it is possible, to go and try the microscopes in person (take with you, e.g., a stamp or black-on-white print and a small 3-dimensional object), and compare clarity, contrast, etc.

[kkokkolis]

I tried but only the Konus Diamond was available for that. It was good.
All local vendors will probably order the microscope from some vendor abroad or a representative's store room, after I place my order. It is much easier to shop for binoculars and then telescopes than microscopes.

The Bresser Researcher LED is available this way from today but I still like the pillar of the TS and the fact that I can have the 15x eyepieces instead of 20x. Here's a pic.

[Crater Eddie]

I have both a pillar mounted stereo inspection microscope and a standard stereo scope at work, and I much prefer using the pillar mounted one, though it does take up more table space.
CE

[kkokkolis]

I had an offer for a Bresser Researcher ICD LED at 150 euros plus shipping inside Greece. I guess this is decisive.

[kkokkolis]

Here it is, with my Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 (handheld dissecting microscope, 8x at 50cm), my Belomo 10x Triplet and my minerals collection.
I'm very happy.

[vasselle]

Bonjour a tous.
Je te poste deux photos faite avec la loupe binoculaire Bresser ICD 20X-80x.

Photo 1.

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Photo 2.

1522_filtered (Copier).jpg (370.6 KiB) Viewed 10805 times

Je trouve son optique très bonne vue le prix de la loupe la mienne je les payer 200 euro a Optique Pro.
Et je ne regrette pas mon achat.
Voici un lien pour la bino.
http://www.astronome.fr/

Cordialement seb

[mrsonchus]

Hi, my small comments are, 1:go for the quality and 2:don't have anything to do with Bresser products unless you really have no alternative.

regards

JB

[kkokkolis]

I doubt that. I know Bresser from astronomy and they have decent products. I have some very nice optics like Televues (Ethos, Delos, Naglers) and Baader Genuine Orthos and also Explore Scientifics and nice telescopes from Celestron, William Optics, Skywatcher, binoculars from Zeiss, Pentax and Canon. It is a mix of stuff made in the US, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and PCR. I can say that modern Chinese products are equal to American, Japanese and European optics that cost double the price.
I used all my eyepieces with the Bresser and it provides nice images up to 200x. The lighting is perfect up to 60x but there is resolution with additional light at higher magnifications. The mechanical parts are simple and rugged. They simply work. They lack the design of Zeiss and Leica but they have a Soviet heritage, a "no nonsense" philosophy, although PCR can also produce beautiful products that stimulate consumeristic behavior, such as the ones sold by William Optics (probably with a French or Italian designer hired for the purpose).
Me, I am a Zeiss fun (I accept Leica also). But with the financial situation in my country you probably all know, with two kids at University age and with a loan for a house for one of them on the horizon and all those hobbies I have that require equipment, a Bresser is accepted with no remorse. At the hobbyist level it is fulfilling its tasks.

[kkokkolis]

By the way, I resurrected my medical school tools for a dissecting kit, I bought some Petri dishes I use for observing liquids and granular stuff (sand, sugar, mosaic stones) and an aluminum case that holds everything and I ordered pairs of 5x eyepieces and high eye point extreme widefield 10x and 15x eyepieces from Amscope in the US. If I'm happy with them I am going to buy some more, they have 20x, 25x and 30x. And a USB camera, perhaps 5MP.

[mrsonchus]

I doubt that. I know Bresser from astronomy and they have decent products. I have some very nice optics like Televues (Ethos, Delos, Naglers) and Baader Genuine Orthos and also Explore Scientifics and nice telescopes from Celestron, William Optics, Skywatcher, binoculars from Zeiss, Pentax and Canon. It is a mix of stuff made in the US, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and PCR. I can say that modern Chinese products are equal to American, Japanese and European optics that cost double the price.
I used all my eyepieces with the Bresser and it provides nice images up to 200x. The lighting is perfect up to 60x but there is resolution with additional light at higher magnifications. The mechanical parts are simple and rugged. They simply work. They lack the design of Zeiss and Leica but they have a Soviet heritage, a "no nonsense" philosophy, although PCR can also produce beautiful products that stimulate consumeristic behavior, such as the ones sold by William Optics (probably with a French or Italian designer hired for the purpose).
Me, I am a Zeiss fun (I accept Leica also). But with the financial situation in my country you probably all know, with two kids at University age and with a loan for a house for one of them on the horizon and all those hobbies I have that require equipment, a Bresser is accepted with no remorse. At the hobbyist level it is fulfilling its tasks.

Yes you have a very good point there - there's a lot to be said for the basics being done well - I would go for a good
rugged reliable design myself rather than a super-high tech but temperamental design & build! You definitely end up getting a lot more done with such a reliable product.

Point taken and agreed with.