MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Good afternoon, folks,

I am Stephen, and I'm brand new here.

I had a microscope way way back when I was a kid, and I remember having a great time with it. As I recall it was a tiny thing, made of metal with black crinkled paint on it. Nothing was interchangeable, just one eyepiece and whatever the three objective lenses were. I remember using the little mirror underneath to reflect light from a desk lamp to get light on my slide.

Anyway, as I've been retired since 2016, I have been considering getting back into it, now so many years later. On the Cloudy Nights Microscope Forum, I reported that I was interested in a number of Swift 'scopes, and I was strongly advised to spend less money for a good used name-brand microscope. You can see my thread here, if you wish:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/8652 ... ry12518744

I got excited about a Zeiss Axiostar Plus that was available on eBay, sent an offer, and accepted a reasonable counteroffer:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225449789074

I am now very impatiently waiting for the 'scope to arrive - as a matter of fact, I'm waiting to hear that it has been shipped!

So far, I've obtained these books for beginners (well, obtained the first one, the other two are still on the way to me):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/079451524X?ps ... ct_details
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486269167?ps ... ct_details
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085K ... UTF8&psc=1

I also purchased a slide set on Amazon, so I'll have something to start with as I begin my journey.

Thanks for listening!

smp

That's a cool little scope there and some decent lenses. Should give good images.

That will be an excellent beginner scope. Nothing overcomplicated but all the needed parts and Zeiss is likely to provide support if needed. Have fun with it and your slides. It is important to get some cheap blank ones and coverslips, so you can do temporary mounts of more diverse subjects than your prepared slides will offer. That will expand your horizons .

My 'scope arrived today. Exactly on the last day of the span originally given by eBay. Of course, the FedEx driver left the box directly under the melting snow water drops coming off of the roof in front of the garage doors. Luckily, I saw the box before it had been able to get soaked through.

A thorough inspection found that all the parts that were shown are there. Of course, the Seller strategically photographed the system to not show that there is a 5 objective head with only 4 objectives installed. Since the empty objective port has a cap, I guess that must be the way it came to the Seller.

I'll put a couple of quick pictures I took once I started breathing again at the bottoms.

I have been able to try things out, and it all seems to be operating properly. I am not used to the binocular setup, so that took some time to dial in well enough for me to see something. I'm sure I will make more tweaks as I get some experience. I have pretty much used only the 4x objective, only taking a peek with the 10x and 40x to make sure they are OK. I have to have the diaphragm completely closed down - something I believe I've read elsewhere. My prepared slides are dirty, as expected.

I see the dirt specks on the slides as stationary. However, I also see many black speck and lines on the FOV that move around with my head motion. Does this indicate dirt in the optical train?

I have A LOT more work to do to get used to working the 'scope. I'll continue to report in with my experiences and questions.

Thanks for listening!

smp

smp wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 07, 2023 9:48 pm

I see the dirt specks on the slides as stationary. However, I also see many black speck and lines on the FOV that move around with my head motion. Does this indicate dirt in the optical train?

I believe I've answered my own question. A few gentle fluffs with an eyeglass cleaning cloth on the eyepieces and the illuminator have pretty much removed the extra "dirt" that I was seeing.

I'm looking at various slides from my prepared slide collection, and trying to tweak in the binocular viewer, as well as marvel a the things I'm seeing - at only 40x!

Thanks for listening!

smp

Congratulations on your purchase

I took one similar microscope apart and liked the simplicity of the focusing system very much. Very straightforward to disassemble (and more importantly, assemble)

Still have a spare 0.9 condenser if you ever need one..

Enjoy

If you can find a compatible 20X objective to go in the empty hole in the nosepiece, it will be a great addition to your viewing options.

smp wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 07, 2023 9:48 pm

I have pretty much used only the 4x objective, only taking a peek with the 10x and 40x to make sure they are OK. I have to have the diaphragm completely closed down - something I believe I've read elsewhere.

Thanks for listening!

smp


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The iris diaphragm of the condenser can be closed some to increase contrast with the low magnification objectives yes , particularly the 4X but not so much the 10X and very little for the 40X. Closing the diaphragm too much will cause a loss of resolution. With some practice you can find the optimum balance of contrast ,resolution and illumination intensity.
With the illumination diminished some so there is not so much glare and viewing through the 4X, close the iris diaphragm until you just start seeing a loss of resolution, then open it very slightly. You can then adjust the light level to the perfect brightness. Do that with the other objectives in turn to find the perfect balance of contrast and resolution. You will find that the diaphragm is open more for the 10X and even more for the 40X, and will quickly learn where to set it for each objective.
If you are using the 4X and 10X a lot and keeping the illumination low, it is hard on a halogen bulb to keep it diminished for long periods. It will darken and fail prematurely. It may be advisable to purchase a neutral density fiiter to cover your illuminator window. That will lower your intensity for the low magnification objectives, while allowing the bulb to run at a higher voltage, thus extending bulb life. Usually the filter is removed for 20X and higher.
Some microscopes have built in swing in and swing out filters. I don't see one on that model. Maybe....?

apochronaut wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:56 pm

The iris diaphragm of the condenser can be closed some to increase contrast with the low magnification objectives yes , particularly the 4X but not so much the 10X and very little for the 40X. Closing the diaphragm too much will cause a loss of resolution. With some practice you can find the optimum balance of contrast ,resolution and illumination intensity.
With the illumination diminished some so there is not so much glare and viewing through the 4X, close the iris diaphragm until you just start seeing a loss of resolution, then open it very slightly. You can then adjust the light level to the perfect brightness. Do that with the other objectives in turn to find the perfect balance of contrast and resolution. You will find that the diaphragm is open more for the 10X and even more for the 40X, and will quickly learn where to set it for each objective.
If you are using the 4X and 10X a lot and keeping the illumination low, it is hard on a halogen bulb to keep it diminished for long periods. It will darken and fail prematurely. It may be advisable to purchase a neutral density fiiter to cover your illuminator window. That will lower your intensity for the low magnification objectives, while allowing the bulb to run at a higher voltage, thus extending bulb life. Usually the filter is removed for 20X and higher.
Some microscopes have built in swing in and swing out filters. I don't see one on that model. Maybe....?

Thanks very much for these tips! I checked, and the illumination was not turned up all the way, so now I at least have it turned up for maximum bulb life.

I do not have any obvious way to put a filter on the illuminator, but I have acquired an "aftermarket" filter slider for the condenser. Maybe I can find a neutral density filter to fit that?

Zeiss used to offer a tremendous amount of different accessories for this 'scope. I'd love to add the 20x objective, but the cheapest one I can find is $300, and that is almost what I paid for the entire 'scope!

smp

There are a lot of these achroplan or a-plan objectives listed on ebay for ridiculous prices. Nobody buys this. If on auction they sell for 50 or close... I just sold one achroplan 10x for 40€. So wait a bit and 20x will appear...