Newbie

What is your microscopy history? What are your interests? What equipment do you use?
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Sanderguy777
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Newbie

#1 Post by Sanderguy777 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:39 pm

Hi,
I'm Sanderguy777! I'm a history major at SSU, but have always been fascinated with biology and science and just recently ordered a used Nikon microscope on ebay. (It hasn't arrived yet, so I don't know if it is any good, but I'm hoping the Nikon sticker means it's good lol. It is a trinocular, with 4 objectives.)

I am interested in photography, which is why I went with a triocular, but I haven't ordered a camera mount yet as I don't really know ANYTHING about microscopes, and the description on ebay was something along the lines of "it's a microscope. It has glass what 'works'". Lol. Any advice on finding a good camera mount for under $100 USD would be great.

I also keep freshwater fish, so their habitat will be the first thing I look at.

dtsh
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Re: Newbie

#2 Post by dtsh » Wed Apr 07, 2021 7:24 pm

Hello and welcome!

From what I have seen the Nikon is likely to be a nice instrument. I'm just begining to explore photography myself, so I look forward to learning along with you.

Sanderguy777
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Re: Newbie

#3 Post by Sanderguy777 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:42 pm

I think they are equivalent optically to say, Canon or Olympus, but I honestly didn't know they did anything with microscopes till this week lol.

How long have you been into photography? I've been at it since 2008, but only got into DSLRs in 2012, and that was just normal photography, not micrographs and stuff

dtsh
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Re: Newbie

#4 Post by dtsh » Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:53 pm

Sanderguy777 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:42 pm
How long have you been into photography? I've been at it since 2008, but only got into DSLRs in 2012, and that was just normal photography, not micrographs and stuff
A few months at best and even that half-heartedly. I have mostly used a cellphone at the eyepiece, which has worked great for me, but I ended up with a photo tube expansion for my stereo and a trinocular on one of the compund scopes, so have been exploring it some. I have been experimenting with the Hugin tools for stacking, but my results thus far are not especially good. The only real issue Ihave found with afocal at the eyepiece is that it gets in the way, otherwise I think it works great.

Sanderguy777
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Re: Newbie

#5 Post by Sanderguy777 » Thu Apr 08, 2021 4:26 am

I want to go deep with a full on photo tube and my Sony camera, but I think the adapter, much less the photographic ocular thing, would cost MORE than my microscope did lol.

I am honestly amazed at the quality of photos that Oliver puts out on his videos with just a phone. I have never used a microscope that I could even SEE that much detail with, much less take a phone picture that looked that good.

Sanderguy777
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Re: Newbie

#6 Post by Sanderguy777 » Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:06 am

I just got it in the mail! WOW, it weighs like 30 pounds! I have only used the terrible old microscopes that had the mirror, one focus knob, and not even the sun could produce enough EM radiation to resolve an image in it lol.

This one is VERY dirty. It has been badly neglected, but I'm looking around for somewhere that can clean it for me (I clean camera stuff, but this is out of my league by several stadiums lol)

The 4x objective does a good job of showing the dust on the condenser, but that is all I messed with since it is so dirty, and I don't even have any slides yet.

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jimur
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Re: Newbie

#7 Post by jimur » Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:05 am

Sanderguy777 wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:06 am

This one is VERY dirty. It has been badly neglected, but
Google microscope clean up, etc., but be cautious of suggested solvents. Olympus has a good article on cleaning at the link below.

https://www.olympus-lifescience.com/en/ ... icroscope/
"You're never too old to have a happy childhood"
Leitz Wetzlar SM-LUX
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dtsh
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Re: Newbie

#8 Post by dtsh » Sat Apr 10, 2021 4:52 pm

Sanderguy777 wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:06 am
I just got it in the mail! WOW, it weighs like 30 pounds! I have only used the terrible old microscopes that had the mirror, one focus knob, and not even the sun could produce enough EM radiation to resolve an image in it lol.

This one is VERY dirty. It has been badly neglected, but I'm looking around for somewhere that can clean it for me (I clean camera stuff, but this is out of my league by several stadiums lol)

The 4x objective does a good job of showing the dust on the condenser, but that is all I messed with since it is so dirty, and I don't even have any slides yet.
If you can clean a camera, a microscope isn't much different. There's more bits, sure, but typically you don't need to dismantle down to individual optical surfaces to get things clean enough to use.
I start with exposed optics, the eyepieces and illuminator lens first as that gets the vast majority of it. In general, if you focus on a slide (even an empty one, just focus on where the coverslip and slide meet) as you focus up and down, if the crud comes more into focus as you lower the focus, the debris is likely below the slide such as on the condenrser or illuminator, the opposite also tends to be true. The usual materials are cotton swabs, distilled water and a drop of dish soap; the methods usualy involve using very little presure and no "scrubbing" on optical surfaces as you want to loosen and remove the grit, not slide it around on the face of the optics with the swab. Light gentle rolling action of the swab should lift the debris off. I go through a lot of swabs as I will use a couple per optical surface. Most of the time a little distilled water on a swab is all that's needed.

For non-optical surfaces that are very dirty I tend to use a water and dish soap with a cotton cloth or a toothbrush most often. For really stubborn stuff I'll get alcohol or acetone, but it's best to keep those away from optics and use them as a last resort.

I'm a serial disassembler and find it hard to resist looking at the inner bits of anything mechanical, but I tend to take pictures with my cellphone as I go so that later if I see there's a keyway or a bolt that I'm not sure which hole it went in, I can back reference my images and reassemble it all later. I also use baggies and small containers for parts and I put a label for which part they go with in the bag/container so that only parts for X are in the bag. It's worked for me for microscopes, telescopes, engines, transmissions, lathes, clocks, etc. If you do decide to take apart optical assemblies (objectives, eyepieces, heads) do pay very close attention to the lens packs and lens ordering and which way the lenses and spacers face. I've been known to use marker on the edges of lens packs to help me get reassembly right. I don't *recommend* this kind of disassembly, but when I have something that's junk it doesn't hurt to try and save it. What's the worst that's going to happen, the junk is going to get ruined?

So which Nikon is it? Care to share some pictures with us?

Voyager-1
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Re: Newbie

#9 Post by Voyager-1 » Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:15 am

Sanderguy777,
Welcome to the forum.
Here is a possible way for under $100 to take pictures through the microscope. Without any alterations to microscope or camera.

I find that the Asahi Pentax microscope adapter is easy to mount and use, with or without eyepiece. Several are listed on Ebay all the time, for less than $50. Try to get one that has the blank eyepiece tube included, used to keep out extraneous light.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... at=0&rt=nc

Cannot tell which Sony DSLR you have, you will need to get: M42 lens to A series (A***/Maxxum) or E series (NEX or A****) camera adapter:

Both types of camera mounts listed here:

For E/NEX under $10 (check the 5th one)
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... r&_sacat=0

For A mount/Maxxum under $20 (what I use with Sony A58). Or see the 6th one above.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/K-F-Concept-Le ... SwfZhXM-3K

You Will still need to set camera to M mode, and meters will still work for correct exposure(s).
Remember to have fun in process, when I get any used microscope, they all needed extensive cleaning/repair.

V

Voyager-1
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Re: Newbie

#10 Post by Voyager-1 » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:42 pm

Sanderguy777,
I may have been presuming too much!
The pentax adapter has a limit on tube OD of 25mm.
I do not know what the Nikon microscope tube diameter is.

V

Sanderguy777
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:30 pm
Location: North Bay, California

Re: Newbie

#11 Post by Sanderguy777 » Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:35 am

dtsh wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 4:52 pm
Sanderguy777 wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:06 am
I just got it in the mail! WOW, it weighs like 30 pounds! I have only used the terrible old microscopes that had the mirror, one focus knob, and not even the sun could produce enough EM radiation to resolve an image in it lol.

This one is VERY dirty. It has been badly neglected, but I'm looking around for somewhere that can clean it for me (I clean camera stuff, but this is out of my league by several stadiums lol)

The 4x objective does a good job of showing the dust on the condenser, but that is all I messed with since it is so dirty, and I don't even have any slides yet.
If you can clean a camera, a microscope isn't much different. There's more bits, sure, but typically you don't need to dismantle down to individual optical surfaces to get things clean enough to use.
I start with exposed optics, the eyepieces and illuminator lens first as that gets the vast majority of it. In general, if you focus on a slide (even an empty one, just focus on where the coverslip and slide meet) as you focus up and down, if the crud comes more into focus as you lower the focus, the debris is likely below the slide such as on the condenrser or illuminator, the opposite also tends to be true. The usual materials are cotton swabs, distilled water and a drop of dish soap; the methods usualy involve using very little presure and no "scrubbing" on optical surfaces as you want to loosen and remove the grit, not slide it around on the face of the optics with the swab. Light gentle rolling action of the swab should lift the debris off. I go through a lot of swabs as I will use a couple per optical surface. Most of the time a little distilled water on a swab is all that's needed.

For non-optical surfaces that are very dirty I tend to use a water and dish soap with a cotton cloth or a toothbrush most often. For really stubborn stuff I'll get alcohol or acetone, but it's best to keep those away from optics and use them as a last resort.

I'm a serial disassembler and find it hard to resist looking at the inner bits of anything mechanical, but I tend to take pictures with my cellphone as I go so that later if I see there's a keyway or a bolt that I'm not sure which hole it went in, I can back reference my images and reassemble it all later. I also use baggies and small containers for parts and I put a label for which part they go with in the bag/container so that only parts for X are in the bag. It's worked for me for microscopes, telescopes, engines, transmissions, lathes, clocks, etc. If you do decide to take apart optical assemblies (objectives, eyepieces, heads) do pay very close attention to the lens packs and lens ordering and which way the lenses and spacers face. I've been known to use marker on the edges of lens packs to help me get reassembly right. I don't *recommend* this kind of disassembly, but when I have something that's junk it doesn't hurt to try and save it. What's the worst that's going to happen, the junk is going to get ruined?

So which Nikon is it? Care to share some pictures with us?
This is very helpful thanks! I'll try and get some photos up tomorrow.


Voyager-1: thanks! I have no idea the diameter of the tubes (I assume I can find it by measuring the actual inner diameter of the tube, right? I can do that tomorrow if I can use calipers).

As for the microscope itself, according to the website below, I have a Nikon model S-Kt with a type U head. I'm not sure that all the parts work, as I am now MORE terrified that I will break something that is much more valuable than I thought (this cost $80 shipped!). I am still thinking about it getting professionally cleaned, but that will have to wait till the end of this VERY busy semester of college (but now that I know some techniques of cleaning, I'll try to clean it a little and at least get the body clean and see if it all works.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/ind ... nikon.html

Sanderguy777
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Re: Newbie

#12 Post by Sanderguy777 » Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:52 am

Some photos of the microscope. Is there a better way to post photos than the attachments thing? I had to go into a photoshop program and shrink these to the SMALLEST jpg size I could find.

Anyway, the more I mess with it, the more I think that I COULD clean and fix it, at least the extremities. I got the condenser off, and found that there is a little swivel deal to hold the blue filter.
I am still worried about messing with the inner optical system, especially since there are at least 2 rusted screws (I dealt with a few messed up screws on my tablesaw rebuild, but those were SAE bolts I could get at any hardware store, not some oddball metric deal that was only ever used on THIS scope lol).

Also, the objectives say "plan" on the two larger ones (40x and 100x I think), so does that mean they are 160 DIN standard? Also, those two especially, have a little bit of corrosion around the stamped numbers (serial numbers?), is that normal, or something to worry about?
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dtsh
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Re: Newbie

#13 Post by dtsh » Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:51 pm

Sanderguy777 wrote:
Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:52 am
Some photos of the microscope. Is there a better way to post photos than the attachments thing? I had to go into a photoshop program and shrink these to the SMALLEST jpg size I could find.
Some use imgur.com, photobucket, or whatever, I just resize them for here as I hate it when remote images vanish from posts.
Sanderguy777 wrote:
Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:52 am
Also, the objectives say "plan" on the two larger ones (40x and 100x I think), so does that mean they are 160 DIN standard? Also, those two especially, have a little bit of corrosion around the stamped numbers (serial numbers?), is that normal, or something to worry about?
The "plan" usually means they're designed to provide a a flatter field of view with better correction out to the edge of the image (a good thing). As for the corrosion, it's not desired, but so long as it isn't compromising the structure and integrity of the object it's not a big deal. I suspect a lot of it will clean off.

Voyager-1
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Re: Newbie

#14 Post by Voyager-1 » Tue Apr 13, 2021 1:50 pm

Sanderguy777,
You want to measure the OUTSIDE diameter of the tube that sticks straight up.
That is where the adapter is placed (also if needed extension tube, etc,).
Also it is where the adapter/camera equipment has the least stress on the microscope.
Have a great semester at college!

V

Sanderguy777
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:30 pm
Location: North Bay, California

Re: Newbie

#15 Post by Sanderguy777 » Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:33 pm

dtsh wrote:
Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:51 pm
Sanderguy777 wrote:
Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:52 am
Some photos of the microscope. Is there a better way to post photos than the attachments thing? I had to go into a photoshop program and shrink these to the SMALLEST jpg size I could find.
Some use imgur.com, photobucket, or whatever, I just resize them for here as I hate it when remote images vanish from posts.
Sanderguy777 wrote:
Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:52 am
Also, the objectives say "plan" on the two larger ones (40x and 100x I think), so does that mean they are 160 DIN standard? Also, those two especially, have a little bit of corrosion around the stamped numbers (serial numbers?), is that normal, or something to worry about?
The "plan" usually means they're designed to provide a a flatter field of view with better correction out to the edge of the image (a good thing). As for the corrosion, it's not desired, but so long as it isn't compromising the structure and integrity of the object it's not a big deal. I suspect a lot of it will clean off.
I always wondered what happened to the images that disappear from posts!
The corrosion does look only surface deep. It is in the pictures, IF you can see it past all the compression and pixilation :roll:

Sanderguy777
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:30 pm
Location: North Bay, California

Re: Newbie

#16 Post by Sanderguy777 » Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:37 pm

Voyager-1 wrote:
Tue Apr 13, 2021 1:50 pm
Sanderguy777,
You want to measure the OUTSIDE diameter of the tube that sticks straight up.
That is where the adapter is placed (also if needed extension tube, etc,).
Also it is where the adapter/camera equipment has the least stress on the microscope.
Have a great semester at college!

V
Thanks! I'll have as good a semester as one can have when 2 of 4 classes assign between 250 and 350 pages of readings per week lol.
Yeah, I don't fancy the bill for replacing the camera or tube if I put a 3lb camera plus extensions and stuff on one of the ocular tubes LOL. I always thought the camera adapters went on the INSIDE like oculars did, but good to know

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