Astronomer Considering Microscopy

What is your microscopy history? What are your interests? What equipment do you use?
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mikemarotta
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Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#1 Post by mikemarotta » Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:23 pm

This forum was recommended on the "Cloudy Days" sub-forum of CloudyNights for astronomers. I work as a technical writer and have been active as an amateur astronomer and backyard observer for about seven years. I am now considering a new hobby, going from the macro-universe to the micro-universe.

Getting up to speed in astronomy as an observer was costly. I have eight telescopes, which are seven too many. I previously gave two to the Goodwill rather than contend with them. A large fraction of all that effort was learning the markets and products. The optics were defined over 100 years ago. Now, it is just a matter of quality. That has been the large set of expensive lessons which I seek to avoid.

The solution set included finding good forums and learning to read critically, to compare and contrast, and follow usernames to see who actually works in the hobby and who just posts a lot of opinions.

As for microscopy, my interests initially are in human anatomy and physiology. That being so, however, in astronomy my current interests only came to light after several years of learning what is available and possible from urban skies with a small instrument. And as much as I enjoy viewing, most of my effort is in history and theory and the history of theory. It is where I write for the hobby and edit for the profession. Therefore, I am open to discovering new vistas in microscopy that I had not perceived.

Lastly, I am not in a hurry. Buying a microscope is contingent on selling the extra telescopes. And I want to avoid paying for an expensive lesson. Therefore, I am also spending far more time now in my local public and university libraries, reading online, and watching YouTube videos.

Thanks and Best Regards,
Mike M.
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#2 Post by zzffnn » Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:36 pm

Welcome to the forum, Mike M.

This other forum offers more micro photos to view:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... m.php?f=14

Once you decide what you like to view, it would be much easier to recommend scopes and gears. For example, viewing live protists has very different requirements than viewing stained plant section or polarized chemicals.

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#3 Post by DrPhoxinus » Sat Jan 29, 2022 9:24 pm

Mike,

Welcome to the forum.

I have a Orion XT 12 and a 100 mm Mak which are pretty useless in southeastern Michigan given the weather and light pollution.

I now have 16 microscopes.

There are a lot of good vintage microscopes out there.
I have Leitz, Zeiss Reichert/ American Optical.
I like the AO scopes which give a lot of bang for the buck.

There is a user Dtsh who does a great job rehabbing AO scopes. He just sold one at a great price. I was tempted but
I have 16.

Best Wishes

Gerard

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#4 Post by MicroBob » Sun Jan 30, 2022 3:36 am

Hi Mike,
welcome to the forum!
The area of you interest, human anatomy and physiology, is fairly exotic for an amateur. It is top level in slide making, interpreting them and sourcing material might offer interesting experiences. "Can you lend me an hand..." :lol:
So apart from microscope choice it is the question whether you have the the will and opportunities to make progress in this area. For the typical amateur even basic permanent slide making (10 minute stuff if you know how) is a big, often too big hurdle. For the typical astronomer starting with microscopy it often is a surprise that the objects need preparation at all.
Medical students have histology classes and do some slide making in them, these slides might be a starting point. I also know amateurs that when ill in hospital ask for a couple of slides for themselves... :lol: Or appear at the doctors office with a stained blood smear in hand to discuss their flu or whatever they have... :lol:

Bob

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#5 Post by Phill Brown » Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:00 am

Having made it this far into microscopy your fate is pretty much sealed.
As an alternative,strew slides of diatoms in dark field are a must see.
The chances of not ending up with a collection of optical microscopes is slim,they will find any clear flat surface set aside,rehoming strays is inevitable.
Phase and dark field will be on the second if not the first.
I still prefer halogen lighting to LED.
Happy to let others invest in DIC and show and tell their great images.
With most microscopes being modular it's good to avoid cobbled together/second grade from unwanted parts.

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#6 Post by apochronaut » Mon Jan 31, 2022 12:13 pm

A good start into microscopy from telescopy is to ignore everything you know about eyepieces. While the magnifying function of the eyepiece is the same in a microscope as in a telescope, the other useful functional parameters related to performance in each are weighted very differently. Some of the most important specs. of a microscope eyepiece are almost unheard of in relation to a telescope eyepiece, so it is best to keep your understanding of each in different drawers.

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#7 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Mon Jan 31, 2022 2:38 pm

Yeah mean the advice I usually have is to get a very cheap used scope and see if you like it and figure out how to use it and determine if you need anything else. Like an AO 20 series with plan achros might find one for $150 or even less sometimes and that might be the last scope you ever need anyway.

I bought this ancient B&L and I bought several after it but I still like this old B&L and use it frequently.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#8 Post by charlie g » Tue Feb 01, 2022 2:34 am

Hello,Mike, I sent you a PM regards an excellent optical quality vintage black-enamel monoc microscope with a range of objectives of great optic function, this setup , along with a variety of eyepieces of different magnification specs ,has been my 'away on holiday travel microscope' for years...within the last month I tried all combinations of the optics ( including this scopes native oil-immersion objective) with fixed mount diatom slides, and with wet-mount prep pondlife slides..all great optical performance. I did this in a forum post started by a west coast gent who requested he wanted a vintage black-enamel monoc microscope to get into microscopy.

I noted in forum this total pkg, with a ready to go out of the box setup...for the lower con-US shipping...I estimate to be approx: $50 ship cost. Please do the math..if you wish to get started in microscopy hobby..starting with three, or four objectives...and one eyepiece only(vrs a range of magnification eyepieces)..entails search and shipping fees to round out a good microscopy hobby start. Please understand this setup my travel microscope..I vetted it's great optical performance...no 'what you see is what you get/ no setup not tested...but from a working environment'...this setup my dear 'away from home bench microscope'.

BTW..if microscopy not an experience you have time for...family or friends..or 'gulp'..you may resale this pkg.

All the best, charlie g...fingerlakes/US

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#9 Post by MicroBob » Tue Feb 01, 2022 6:19 am

We seem to have lost Mike...

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#10 Post by deBult » Tue Feb 01, 2022 8:50 am

A wealth of information on amateur histology

https://www.ronaldschulte.nl/en/index.html

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#11 Post by mikemarotta » Tue Feb 01, 2022 1:39 pm

MicroBob wrote:
Tue Feb 01, 2022 6:19 am
We seem to have lost Mike...

Thanks for the replies. I will take them in sequence. (I find the user interface here a bit under-powered: no Likes, no Multiquote.) As I said at first, I am not in a hurry on this. I have a lot going on. We just bought a home. We have a winter storm coming and last year, it was an "Icepocalypse.' So, I have two houses to take care of over four days. And I edit for the American Astronomical Society (in my spare time) and that includes having assigned myself an article to write for March publication. It will take me a few months to sell off my extra astronomy gear. I am keeping one telescope and one set of better oculars (Tele Vue, etc.) and getting rid of seven scopes and the et ceteras that go with them. In the mean time, I am reading about microscopes.
zzffnn wrote:
Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:36 pm
Once you decide what you like to view, it would be much easier to recommend scopes and gears. For example, viewing live protists has very different requirements than viewing stained plant section or polarized chemicals.


Pictures are Ok because they record what you saw. But unless you can reveal something, it is just a kind of arts-and-crafts. We get a lot of that in astronomy: ever-rosier Rosy nebulas.
DrPhoxinus wrote:
Sat Jan 29, 2022 9:24 pm
There are a lot of good vintage microscopes out there.
I have Leitz, Zeiss Reichert/ American Optical.
I like the AO scopes which give a lot of bang for the buck.
Gerard
AmericanOptical was recommended on CloudyNights and I bookmarked them right way. One problem that I have is that their instruments all seem to be made in China. Chinese production seems to have been knock-offs of Japanese technology and now, post-Covid, I found in astronomy - not too expensive as a lesson, but a hassle - that their quality has slipped even more and the American firms seem to be forced to accept whatever is sent.

So, I am considering a Zeiss PrimoStar 3. I worked for Zeiss in the 1990s.
Zeiss PrimoStar 3 illo.jpg
Zeiss PrimoStar 3 illo.jpg (101.89 KiB) Viewed 8187 times
MicroBob wrote:
Sun Jan 30, 2022 3:36 am
Hi Mike,
The area of you interest, human anatomy and physiology, is fairly exotic for an amateur. It is top level in slide making, .... For the typical amateur even basic permanent slide making ... is a big, often too big hurdle.
I have made slides in the past. (Introductions being what they are, I left out a bit.) And my intention here and now is to start with sets of prepared slides before I clutter up my office with chemicals and materials. Also, I have not much interest in cutting myself for biopsies. Microscopic life forms are fine and all. I see that tardigrades are a popular area for some people. I prefer not to sacrifice other living things to assuage my ignorance.
Phill Brown wrote:
Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:00 am
... strew slides of diatoms in dark field ... a collection of optical microscopes ... Phase and dark field ... halogen ... LED. ... DIC ... avoid cobbled together...
Thanks for the advice Phill. There's a lot to learn, a lot to do. I am just surveying the field right now.
apochronaut wrote:
Mon Jan 31, 2022 12:13 pm
A good start into microscopy from telescopy is to ignore everything you know about eyepieces.
Easy to do, because I don't know that much about oculars at all. I just take things one step at a time.
BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Mon Jan 31, 2022 2:38 pm
... get a very cheap used scope and see if you like it and figure out how to use it ...Like an AO 20 series with plan achros might find one for $150
See above. I went that route with telescopes. If I could do it all over, I would take a different path there. So, here, I am planning more carefully. just for myself, I would not buy used and would never, ever shop eBay and seldom turn to Amazon.
charlie g wrote:
Tue Feb 01, 2022 2:34 am
Hello,Mike, I sent you a PM regards an excellent optical quality vintage black-enamel monoc microscope ... vintage black-enamel monoc microscope ...

I appreciate the offer and we can discuss it via email, though, as above, it is outside my travel lane. I have an old monocular already and a new-ish Microscoft USB that I bought used. I am looking for something else and looking at maybe September or October.
deBult wrote:
Tue Feb 01, 2022 8:50 am
A wealth of information on amateur histology ...
Hartelijk bedankt.
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#12 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Tue Feb 01, 2022 2:36 pm

Well, if you're buying new that does simplify things. A note though, it is the Primostars that are built in China. American Optical microscopes aren't built anymore, but they were based in Buffalo.
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#13 Post by apochronaut » Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:08 pm

All new microscopes priced under about $4,000.00 irregardless of what badge is on them are made in either China, India or Thailand. The Zeiss Primostar is not really a Zeiss microscope. It's just one that they have selected out of a Chinese factory that they feel comfortable putting their name on. It is not optically compatible with other Zeiss microscopes, so you cannot build on it or retrofit it to a higher performance by integrating Zeiss accessories with it : only the few Primostar accessories will work on it and possibly some Chinese Olympus accessories because it is basically a China made Olympus optical system. It is also about twice the price of the same microscope without the Zeiss name on it.

American Optical has not been in production , since about 2001 or so and made microscopes under the Reichert name from 1985 on. Their optical system morphed into what is now the Leica optical system. Leica Microsystems is a merger of 8 companies.
I only know of one student monocular AO microscope made in China. I don't recall the model #. All other American Optical instruments were made either in the U.S. or Austria in the Reichert factory , which AO owned. Some models had contributions from both factories. In general AO or Reichert used microscopes are undervalued, so represent the biggest bang for the buck in a high grade microscope. Any AO/Reichert infinity corrected model of higher end microscope built between 1962 and 2001 in excellent working condition will be the equivalent or better than a new Çhinese or Indian microscope in the $1000.00 range and most of the models can exceed the performance of new microscopes up to about a $2000.00 ticket.

The general rule of thumb when buying a new under $4,000.00 microscope is , do not buy a well known brand name. A brand name will always be way more expensive than the same microscope unbranded . The best way to buy a good Chinese or Indian microscope is directly from the factory or from a distributor in that country. Those are the same people, Zeiss for instance is buying from. I have dealt with Bestscope in China and can recommend them. In India, Radical instruments have an extensive array of student to fully motorized research stands. I have dealt a little with Radical too. Yolanda at Bestscope and Jai Deep at Radical. Both are close to being factory direct. Look up their websites.

The general rule of thumb when buying a second hand instrument is to buy based on features/$. All of the main brands made from about 1980 onwards made models that have the potential to be great not just good microscopes. Zeiss, Leica and Olympus command higher prices. Nikon a little less, Leitz less still , Bausch & Lomb, Reichert and AO less yet. Zeiss, Olympus, Leica and Nikon have more second hand accessories available for future upgrades. Be careful, since many used instruments are incomplete but you can save a bundle and raise the bar considerably by either finding a good one or one inexpensive enough to build up into a gem.

The best thing is to precisely define what you want in a microscope, then target that. Don't be wooed by hollow specifications. All microscopes north of toy/hobby grade should be achromat for instance. Advertising achromat as a feature is like advertising that a car has pneumatic tires. Pretty much the same with an abbe condenser, which is the lowest quality condenser tolerable. Interpupillary adjustment, mechanical xy stage, diopter adjustment, coaxial focus, coaxial stage controls. Those are all just what one should expect, not features.
Last edited by apochronaut on Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#14 Post by DrPhoxinus » Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:53 pm

As American Optical I own a 410, a Series 10 brightfield, a Series 10 phase, and an AO Series 150, the latter a student scope which is good for grab and go.

Here is a listing for a series 10 which doesn't say much about the objectives (achromat or plan?) and the illuminator is not the greatest

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134011132217?h ... SwLp1h2RWH

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#15 Post by dtsh » Tue Feb 01, 2022 6:19 pm

mikemarotta wrote:
Tue Feb 01, 2022 1:39 pm
See above. I went that route with telescopes. If I could do it all over, I would take a different path there. So, here, I am planning more carefully. just for myself, I would not buy used and would never, ever shop eBay and seldom turn to Amazon.
If you're concerned about getting an unusable instrument, but still want to make your money go farther than a new import, you might consider seeing what some here have they would sell. Most of us are hobbyists, but as with astronomy, it's hard to limit the creep of more equipment so good deals get bought up even if not presently needed and there's always the need to make room for the next treasure. I've equiped about a dozen people with inexpensive but high quality older instruments, mostly American Optical, because I enjoy tinkering with them and the ratio of performance to dollars is exceptionally good with them if one is patient. Everything I have at this moment is either actively being tinkered on or in negotiations for a trade, so I don't think I can assist you directly except to offer my opinion. I would very much encourage you to consider what features you want in a microscope (plan objectives, mechanical stage, trinocular head, phase contrast, DIC, etc) and solicit options here; you should be able to acquire a tested, known good instrument well within your budget that exceeds what you could get new for the same money.

I have a bit of a love affair with the AO Seies 10/20 as it's possible to get high quality plan achromats in a well engineered scope for a few hundred dollars, often less if one is patient. A comparatively priced newer instrument starts somewhere around about $1200, but the build quality isn't the same. Another feature I like with the Series 10 is that there are a LOT of them out there, so finding extra features is often not only much less expensive than less prolific brands, but usually more available. For example, one can get a high quality oil darkfield condenser for the Series 10/20 for around $50-60, they don't come up all the time, but they're not uncommon.

Another bit of advice I would offer is to read the manual for any model of microscope you are considering, new or used. It's often a good way to become acquainted with the features offered which distinguish it from others and frequently a great primer for knowing what parts and accessories are needed. For example, a lot of AO10 scopes get separated from their transformers; if one didn't know that most (but not all!) AO illuminators for that series need one, it would help prevent a frustrating scenario.

It sounds like you have plenty of time before your purchase, so plenty of opportunity to see what's available and to get a good understanding of what features you thnk you will want. If you want to do any photography, I would encourage you to consider plan objectives as a requirement. As for cameras, there's a variety of options on how to do imaging, I'm down toward the lower end of the spectrum, but I think I've made reasonable images considering the amount invested (probably around $600 for my favorite platform, the AO10 including a Raspberry Pi computer and HQ camera).

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#16 Post by dtsh » Tue Feb 01, 2022 6:27 pm

DrPhoxinus wrote:
Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:53 pm
As American Optical I own a 410, a Series 10 brightfield, a Series 10 phase, and an AO Series 150, the latter a student scope which is good for grab and go.

Here is a listing for a series 10 which doesn't say much about the objectives (achromat or plan?) and the illuminator is not the greatest

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134011132217?h ... SwLp1h2RWH
That one appears to be equipped with a 45x Cat.1116 which isn't plan, but the rest appear to be. While the Cat.1116 45x isn't plan, it is a good objective and has a nice working distance allowing it to see quite deep into a slide; they are especially good with counting chambers and well slides due to that depth. I have some images taken with a Cat.1116 (and a variety of other objectives in the 34mm parfocal infinity series) in my "Newbie learns to take images" thread. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12585

It has the basic illuminator (no transformer required I believe), which works acceptably, but doesn't allow for koehler as I don't believe it has a field iris. That said, one can still do a lot with it and even without a field iris it will perform well. One could do better with the 1031A illuminator which has a centerable field iris, but those require an external transformer (easily replaced with a modern inexpensive adjustable power supply). For factory illuminators, I think the halogen illuminator was probably the best for the series, but my personal opinion is a 1036A with an LED conversion works the best and is a relatively easy modification.
Last edited by dtsh on Tue Feb 01, 2022 6:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#17 Post by DrPhoxinus » Tue Feb 01, 2022 6:40 pm

If I had any room left I would have bought the last Series 10 that dtsh sold. He certainly knows his way around the instrument.

As to the Series 10 scopes there were several possible illuminators. The simplest and least flexible was a 110V bulb with an on/off switch.
Better ones had a field iris. One model had a transformer built into the base of the scope. The electronics might fail in the 50 years of the scope's age.
Back then 6V 20 Watt halogen bulbs were all the rage.
When these fail I replace them with 12V, which are much more common and cheaper, and you can buy an adjustable supply for under $20.

Like dtsh, I think AO offers an outstanding bang for the buck.

A buddy of mine bought a series 10 for his grand daughter for $150 that cost $1300 in 1971.

Here is a list to give you an overview of vintage American Optical

https://user.xmission.com/~psneeley/Per ... oscope.htm

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#18 Post by Phill Brown » Tue Feb 01, 2022 8:16 pm

The new from the box microscope is a used microscope within minutes?

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#19 Post by mikemarotta » Wed Feb 02, 2022 12:34 am

Thanks for the cautionary messages.
BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Tue Feb 01, 2022 2:36 pm
... A note though, it is the Primostars that are built in China. ....
apochronaut wrote:
Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:08 pm
All new microscopes priced under about $4,000.00 irregardless of what badge is on them are made in either China, India or Thailand. The Zeiss Primostar is not really a Zeiss microscope.
Is there a book for this? In astonomy we have Star Ware by Philip Harrington (four editions). There are other books, of course, but Star Ware is the one everyone agrees on as being good and reliable. On the other hand, I got kicked off a board for giving a negative review to a Springer Verlag book with too many typographical errors and other editorial problems and Springer is well-known as a science publisher. So, just to say, good recommendations can be rare.
apochronaut wrote:
Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:08 pm
... Any AO/Reichert infinity corrected model of higher end microscope built between 1962 and 2001 in excellent working condition will be ...
I would not know one if I saw it on a shelf. How do you know if it is infinity corrected? How far is infinity? I mean for a microscope, it seems like a meaningless word.
I went to the Microbehunter main sales site and I have my eye on some helpful products, but the books all seem to be intended for children. In November, I wrote a textbook on optics and lasers for factory automation maintenance. Do you have a recommended reference that was written college freshmen, for example?
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#20 Post by apochronaut » Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:35 am

I can understand that the concept of infinity correction seems out of place in the microscope realm . It is a focal length adjustment. Telescopes do not use many intermediary accessories that affect their focal length between the objective mirror or lens and the eyepiece, plus telescope focal lengths are not standardized.
With microscopes, there are numerous beneficial accessories that can be installed between the objective and the eyepiece. Generally , microscope objective focal lengths and physical tube lengths are standardized but they are all vulnerable to accessories that interfere with their focal adjustment. To overcome the problems with placing accessory lens systems in the space between the objective lens and the eyepiece, the infinity optical principal was introduced in the early 60's by AO. It had existed for vertically illuminated systems since about 1950 and in prototype systems by other companies.
Essentially, what this system does is move the back converging lens of the objective a distance from the objective proper. This lens is called the telan lens or the telecentric lens. The optical bundle between the physical back lens of the objective and the telan lens has an infinite focal point. This allows accessory optical systems to be placed in that space without them affecting the focal point of the system.
The telan lens then induces the infinite bundle to be convergent towards the eyepiece. Usually, specific corrections are required of the telan lens and eyepiece in order to produce a flat well corrected image.

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#21 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:21 am

The Murphy text comes highly recommended:
https://archive.org/details/Fundamental ... glasMurphy
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#22 Post by mikemarotta » Wed Feb 02, 2022 12:37 pm

BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:21 am
The Murphy text comes highly recommended ...
Thanks! This is what I was looking for. (I am a supporter of the Internet Archive.) I found it in hardcover on ABE Books.

Mike M.
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#23 Post by MicroBob » Wed Feb 02, 2022 12:57 pm

I think over all there are more people interested in astronomy as there are people interested in microscopy. When comparing the numbers of people who actually got beyond the very first steps the difference might be even more extreme. For this reason it is likely that there is fewer literature on microscopy, especially literature that is useful for the beginner with higher expectations. A good document in german langauge on microscopy is the "Mikrofibel" by Klaus Henkel. It is free to download and explains many important optical basics.

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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#24 Post by mikemarotta » Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:06 pm

I watched three of Oliver Kim's videos:
Oliver Kim videos

🔬 10 Things I wish I knew when I started Microscopy as a Hobby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir9TGt6zljI

🔬 076 - What is one of the CHEAPEST USABLE microscopes? A review | amateur science microscope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuAgO1VBFFk

Beginner's Microscope buying Woes - and my Opinion | Amateur Microscopy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2lpy02fCY

They gave me some context for my situation. I will not be engaged in research. I will only be viewing a range of specimens that we do not see naked eye for my own edification and enjoyment. Some of the retailers whom I know from astronomy also sell microscopes. Among the brands are Celestron and Bresser.
Explore Bresser 2 examples.png
Explore Bresser 2 examples.png (239.12 KiB) Viewed 8038 times
Aegena Celestron 2 examples.png
Aegena Celestron 2 examples.png (100.07 KiB) Viewed 8038 times
Something like this an a set of 100 prepared slides would be more than I have now and it is a maxim that the best instrument is the one that gets used.
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#25 Post by mikemarotta » Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:16 pm

MicroBob wrote:
Wed Feb 02, 2022 12:57 pm
I think over all there are more people interested in astronomy as there are people interested in microscopy. When comparing the numbers of people who actually got beyond the very first steps the difference might be even more extreme. For this reason it is likely that there is fewer literature on microscopy, especially literature that is useful for the beginner with higher expectations. A good document in german langauge on microscopy is the "Mikrofibel" by Klaus Henkel. It is free to download and explains many important optical basics.
Danke, sehr! Ich habe das Buch hier gefunden: https://docplayer.org/11705483-Ueber-di ... -2003.html Es sieht mir OK. Nun suche ich eine Texte (gegenwart online). Abernoch, genau, danken.

To put things in deeper contrast perspective, astronomy is not among the top 20 or 30 hobbies. In fact, running, walking, and climbing are each alone more popular than astronomy. So, it is amazing that such instruments are so easily available at all.

Best Regards,
Mike M.
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Michael E. Marotta
Technical Writer

Terry Mc
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#26 Post by Terry Mc » Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:41 pm

My two cents?

The Olympus BH-2 line of models is very much worth considering. I use the BHT model.

These are modular scopes so that they can be customized a bit, and parts are readily available on eBay etc. The optics are great.

I too am an amateur astronomer!

mikemarotta
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#27 Post by mikemarotta » Thu Feb 03, 2022 2:49 am

BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:21 am
The Murphy text comes highly recommended:
https://archive.org/details/Fundamental ... glasMurphy
I found a hardcover in very good condition on ABE Books.
Thanks, again.
Mike M.
-----------------------------
Michael E. Marotta
Technical Writer

mikemarotta
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Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#28 Post by mikemarotta » Thu Feb 03, 2022 2:56 am

Terry Mc wrote:
Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:41 pm
My two cents? The Olympus BH-2 line of models is very much worth considering. I use the BHT model. These are modular scopes so that they can be customized a bit, and parts are readily available on eBay etc. The optics are great. I too am an amateur astronomer!
Well, I am very much impressed! At $3800, it is a bit more than I can make the best use of. If I were younger, I would consider this an entry to a new line of work.
But thanks for the very pleasant shopping experience!

Mike M.
-----------------------------
Michael E. Marotta
Technical Writer

Javier
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Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 11:19 am
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#29 Post by Javier » Thu Feb 03, 2022 12:31 pm

Mike,

Did you consider the Motic ba 310? Seems to be a very popular scope among advanced amateurs and the results people obtain mounting iPhones + ilab cam adapter are impressive.

Last edited by Javier on Thu Feb 03, 2022 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Greg Howald
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Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Astronomer Considering Microscopy

#30 Post by Greg Howald » Thu Feb 03, 2022 1:12 pm

Wow! Tons of advice here from highly educated and experienced people. So I'll chime in too.
I made a major mistake when I got into this. I wish I had simply waited and done my homework off the bat instead of jumping into things. It would have been worthwhile for me to take the time to know what I wanted to do. I wound up with 15 microscopes, while if I had invested in a really good scope to begin with I would have saved a lot of time, money and frustration. If I had to do it over again there are things I would want in a scope right away. So...
If you go with halogen it needs to be 30 watt. LED should be 3 watt. Get a scope that is either immediately capable or can be upgraded to dark field and phase contrast. Get a robust scope that will be less subject to vibration, and get a trinocular.
At some point you will also want a stereo scope. When that happens, a base light becomes important.
For animal stuff, phase contrast, dark field and polarization ( easy with any scope) become important for proper study.
So... Good luck in your quest.
Greg

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