First stereo scope!

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Rossf
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Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:39 am
Location: Victoria Australia

First stereo scope!

#1 Post by Rossf » Wed May 26, 2021 12:39 pm

Hi people’s-I’ve got an vintage Olympus SZ-111 coming any day-it’s got the box base with mirror which I’m sure will be handy-two questions-can you do stereo darkfield with this scope and I know they came with optional auxiliary lenses (.5X,.75x,1.5X,2x) extending it’s range-these I suspect will be hard to come by-I notice they have a 48mm thread-can later model SZ scope auxiliary lenses be used on this model or I notice cheap Chinese ones on eBay with 48mm diameter-has anyone used either with good success?
Regards Ross
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MichaelG.
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Re: First stereo scope!

#2 Post by MichaelG. » Wed May 26, 2021 9:29 pm

Have a look at this page, and those hyperlinked from it:
http://www.alanwood.net/olympus/macrophoto-stand.html

You should soon find yourself lusting after those neat little hand rests !!

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

PeteM
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Re: First stereo scope!

#3 Post by PeteM » Wed May 26, 2021 11:51 pm

That's a fine stereo scope - it will likely give you many years of good service.

The cheap supplemental lenses work OK for viewing. Something in the .5x range often comes in handy. The genuine Olympus ones starting with 110AL.. are out there, start as low as .3x, and look to be a bit better made. With 2x you're getting towards empty magnification.

It's also easy to adapt something like a LED headlamp or flashlight to that base, making it portable.

Also don't see any reason why one of the cheap (AmScope etc.) darkfield stage plates or something of your own devising couldn't be adapted.

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Rossf
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Re: First stereo scope!

#4 Post by Rossf » Thu May 27, 2021 6:27 am

Cheers PeteM-so are auxiliary lenses from later SZ scopes compatible or they have to be of the same vintage?
Regards ross
Will have to check out the amscope site-a friend who used to work with forestry told me he’d just thrown out his old micro dissection kit about two days before!-oh well

Hobbyst46
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Re: First stereo scope!

#5 Post by Hobbyst46 » Thu May 27, 2021 11:03 am

On the Olympus VMZ (1X-4X zoom), which I use for manipulations and observation, no photography:
I replaced the original GF22 eyepieces with inexpensive Chinese WF10x/23 eyepieces and they are satisfactory.
WF20x eyepieces however yield a distorted view.
A 1.5X non-Olympus Barlow lens is OK, a 2x Barlow lens is not recommended.

MicroBob
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Re: First stereo scope!

#6 Post by MicroBob » Thu May 27, 2021 11:42 am

Hi Ross,
nice stereo microscope with classic nuclear reactor design! I have more or less the same and like it a lot. With a 0,5x aux lens the free working distance might be to long for the height of your column. There is a manual online somewhere with these distances. I use newer Olympus eyepieces with it with better eye relief. For soldering there was a 48mm protection filter too. The aux lenses in front of the objective increase the n.a. of the system so the resolution goes up with the magnification.
The base can be used with the old Olympus macro system - a stand like the one you have, a bellows on rail and objectives for magnifications. This system was probably the most extensive of all brands of this time and works very well. I use mine with a 50mm apo enlarger objective which gives very crisp images in the 2:1 range.

Bob

PeteM
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Re: First stereo scope!

#7 Post by PeteM » Thu May 27, 2021 6:22 pm

Ross - to add to the discussion:

The short gray OEM .75x Olympus supplemental objective would be a perfect complement to your stand. It gives a more useful low end of about 5x versus 7x. And as suggested above, 1.5x seems fine and 2x is pushing it.

A .5x generic objective is just beyond the limits of stand extension as Bob suggested. To get something like a penny in focus you need to take the stand to its highest spring loaded position, the focus to its highest position, and still twiddle with eyepiece diopter adjustments. Only by taking out the stage plate and setting the specimen on your table can you get a proper focus and parfocal zoom with a generic .5x supplemental.

Since the heads and focus blocks are somewhat available here (but not the stands) I've ended up making a half dozen stands for SZ-III heads for use by our "Micronauts." I make the base out of thick black textured plastic, the poles out of stainless steel tube with an aluminum base (overall height around 9 inches), and machine my own holder blocks out of aluminum bar with a through hole for the pole and a slot and dovetail carrier to hold the Olympus OEM ring and focus block. Some of these then get a .5x supplemental.

Boom mount versions of the ring and focus block are also available should you wish to get an even lower low magnification - as is available in the newer Olympus supplemental objectives.

My recollection for protector lenses is that there are cheap 48 to 49mm camera filter adapter rings and also cheap 49mm UV (clear) filters. Around $12 for the two would likely be easier and cheaper than finding the proper OEM protector. You can also fit a polarizer, and one below the stage, with sort of interesting if not ideal results.

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Rossf
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Re: First stereo scope!

#8 Post by Rossf » Mon May 31, 2021 10:05 am

Thanks for all the info guys-the polarising filter may be a good idea if a sample is a bit too shiny (non metallic)-so PeteM you are confirming that later model SM auxiliary lenses can be used as long as they are 48mm thread and you’ve got enough room for working distance? MicroBob I agree about the look of this vintage Olympus-my main Olympus is an upright FH which is pretty groovy looking as well-quality build is fantastic-
Regards ross

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