Accu-Scope 3000-led: a preliminary report.

Everything relating to microscopy hardware: Objectives, eyepieces, lamps and more.
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elwaine
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Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2021 12:15 am

Accu-Scope 3000-led: a preliminary report.

#1 Post by elwaine » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:56 pm

In 1980 I sold my Bausch and Lomb binocular microscope (which I purchased new, in 1966), and remained without a microscope until today. Because I haven’t seen many reports on the Accu-Scope 3000-led, I want to give a first impression report, which I intend to embellish upon after several months of use. As per my reports on high end telescopes, I do not make recommendations or favorable statements simply because I happen to own the instrument in question.

The reason I chose to buy new rather than get a used microscope from one of the big 4 manufacturers for about the same price, is another topic altogether and I won't get into that.

The overall fit and finish of the 3000-led is about what I expected for a new microscope in the $800-$1,000 price range. It’s nice enough, to be sure, but cast marks are obvious. You know immediately that you are not looking at a Zeiss or a Nikon. Then again, looking at a microscope isn’t nearly as important as looking through it.

The 10x20mm oculars are too loose in their housing for my liking. I’ll have to snug them up. They provide a nice wide f.o.v. (which I haven’t measured yet). But the pointer in the right ocular has to go.

The overall ergonomics are fine and suits me well. Focus, both coarse and fine, is very smooth and the tension is easy to adjust to one’s liking. The movement of the mechanical stage is OK, but not as fluid or as smooth as I’d like. I’ll have to see if I can adjust that. The slide holder on the mechanical stage looks “tinny,” if you know what I mean, but it works fine. The stage stop, set at the factory, is perfect.

The sub-stage condenser works well enough but is a tad stiff when raising and lowering it. The iris diaphragm control is too loose for my taste, but it certainly does its job.

The 3 watt LED is amazing! It’s incredibly BRIGHT when turned up to the highest setting. I was happily surprised with the intensity of the 3 watt bulb. I may or may not add an iris diaphragm to top of the light housing.

The nose piece control is smooth and exact. Each objective locks neatly in place, and focus is very nearly par-focal for all objectives. Focus correction when switching to high mag objectives is minimal and quite acceptable… in my opinion.

All objectives are Infinity Plan Achromats, and this is where the Accu-Scope 3000 really shines. I have the following: 4x/0.10, 10x/0.25, 40xR/0.65 and a 60xR/0.85 and I ordered a 20x/0.40. The above objectives are on the high side of inexpensive lenses, but they really perform in Brightfield. (I’ve yet to try DF or Rheinberg.)

I was treated to observe the complete division of a Stylonychia today. It took about 15 minutes for the process to complete itself. The cilia and organelles were sharp and well defined at 10x and 40x. Same type of detailed, contrasty views of with Rotifers that I observed. Too many years have passed since I sold my B&L… and I can’t remember it’s specifications… but I was wowed by the details that I saw in the Accu-scope 3000-led. I never saw such detail in the old B&L. Todays experience introduced me to a whole new experience of viewing pond life, so for now, I'm quite pleased with my purchase.

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: Accu-Scope 3000-led: a preliminary report.

#2 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Fri Mar 26, 2021 12:13 am

The lighting may be as.impprtant as the lenses. I have been to squeeze a lot of performance from some old B&Ls with very bright, adjustable light from some good 10w leds the likes of which would have been difficult to produce by the 80s.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

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