Illumination for AO stereo microscope

Here you can discuss different microscopic techniques and illumination methods, such as Brightfield, Darkfield, Phase Contrast, DIC, Oblique illumination, etc.
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Tombk
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:33 pm

Illumination for AO stereo microscope

#1 Post by Tombk » Mon Jul 05, 2021 12:08 am

I haven’t gotten it in the mail yet, but I recently purchased an American Optical 569 Stereo star zoom microscope on a boom arm. I’ve been very excited about this. I just realized, though, that it doesn’t come with a light source! :(

I will be using it to prep fossils I find. These typically span from a couple of inches to about a foot.

I would really appreciate any suggestions for how to illuminate what I will be working on when I use my cool new scope. Thanks much.

BramHuntingNematodes
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Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: Illumination for AO stereo microscope

#2 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:37 am

More than one and positionable. Gooseneck lights are frequently recommended. LEDs are good. Fiber optics are nice sometimes and can occasionally be gotten cheaply second-hand. Ring lights are OK I guess but you want to be able to do oblique stuff too, particularly for relief.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

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

Re: Illumination for AO stereo microscope

#3 Post by apochronaut » Mon Jul 05, 2021 11:17 am

That all depends on how much you want to spend.

For about 90.00 you can get an led ringlight that has a selective quadrant controller. It allows for any combination of 2 1/2 watt quadrants for a total of 10 watts. Fully variable but the pot controls all of them, however you can get various oblique effects.

There are also these mini klieg lights. They have about 30 leds and are around 1 1/2" across, suspended on a pair of arms with thumbscrew clamps to keep a chosen angle. 3watts 55.00.

Led cold fiber optic gooseneck lamps are available in 15 watts, 25 watts, 35watts and 50 watts. I recently was asked to fix the illumination system a couple of art restorers were using with their boom arm stereo. It needed a pretty big overhaul. They work exclusively with paper. Cold, 6,000 k, bright, I was told. I found a double gooseneck, 35 watt variable led unit with beam focusers on each side, so that makes each side independantly variable : for around 300.00. Those type of power units can be had as double, single or ring light. Koppace was the marque and they love it. They also bought one of the klieg lights .

I can dig up some links if anyone wants them.

Tombk
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:33 pm

Re: Illumination for AO stereo microscope

#4 Post by Tombk » Mon Jul 05, 2021 5:34 pm

Thank you, BramHuntingNematodes and Apochronaut. I should get my scope tomorrow. Very excited!

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