AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

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dtsh
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AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

#1 Post by dtsh » Thu Sep 16, 2021 2:51 pm

I've been using my Cycloptic for a bit over 2 years now and am still quite pleased with it. What I am after is a recommendation for which objective/aux lens I should add to give me a bit more depth of field. I know this will increase the working distance and provided it doesn't got too high that's fine as I could reasonably tolerate as much as 15-20cm (6-8") without much change or a bit more with some alterations to my work area, but preferably as little extra WD as I can get. My problem is that while I'm aware of the catalog numbers, I haven't found a reference to how much working distance each one would provide nor what depth of field I might expect.

These first two are different objectives and not aux lenses. For my purposes, all other things being equal, I think a different objective would be best, but that all depends on the specifics which I don't know.
266 1/2x that the catalog says "Special long working distance".
262 3/4x

267 2/3x aux lens

I believe that as the magnification goes down, the depth of field and working distance should increase. There's a 1/5x they list (K1877) as having a 20" working distance and a 1/3X (K1932) with a 12.5" WD - both would be too much I think.

My motivation for this is I have been scanning 100mm/4" petri dishes of small insects and I think a greater depth of field would help me scan and sort faster with less focusing and manipulation.
As always, thank you all in advance for your advice.

While I know a picture isn't necessary, they do tend to liven up a thread, so here's the Cycloptic. (imaging head, 2x swing out aux, 15x B&L UWF eyepieces).
The 2x swing out aux is nice and I use it periodically, but not much lately.
my_cycloptic.jpg
my_cycloptic.jpg (112.01 KiB) Viewed 1679 times

BramHuntingNematodes
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Re: AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

#2 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Thu Sep 16, 2021 2:59 pm

That seems rather similar to the SZ7 which has a WD of 4 inches, 8 inches with the 1/2 lens. Does the cycloptic have a 3/4 lens? EDIT, OK yeah I see that it does in your post. That's likely the one to try.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

apochronaut
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Re: AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

#3 Post by apochronaut » Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:23 pm

You are correct. The 1/2X W.D. is 8". The 3/4X w.d. seems to not be published in my catalogue but I can measure it for you.

dtsh
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Re: AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

#4 Post by dtsh » Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:51 pm

Thank you for the info; it seems I should start my search for a Cat 262 objective.
Any guess as to how plentiful these might be or where I might procure one?

Failing that, how would the 2/3 aux lens compare? It's not exaclty what I'd like, as I don't think I could use the 2x swing out with it, but sometimes compromises must be made and I could swap them out for the times when I really need the 2x (which isn't often, to be honest)

apochronaut
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Re: AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

#5 Post by apochronaut » Thu Sep 16, 2021 5:41 pm

The 3/4X aux. lens gives an increase in W.D. to between approx. 5 3/8" to 6 1/4" as you go from high to low in magnification. At the lowest magnification with those B & L U.W.F. 15X eyepieces you are using the microscope will just barely focus on a 1/2 or 3/4" thick specimen on my standard model (56?) stand. Oddly, the factory 10X W.F. cat. # 146 eyepieces focus slightly higher, about 1/2" or so and will not quite focus on the same specimen.
With the +- 8" w.d. of the 1/2X you should be o.k. with your model 59 stand. Never tried one though.

The fractional objectives were definitely built mostly for use with a boom mount. Your scope can swing both ways.

dtsh
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Re: AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

#6 Post by dtsh » Thu Sep 16, 2021 6:42 pm

apochronaut wrote:
Thu Sep 16, 2021 5:41 pm
The 3/4X aux. lens gives an increase in W.D. to between approx. 5 3/8" to 6 1/4" as you go from high to low in magnification. At the lowest magnification with those B & L U.W.F. 15X eyepieces you are using the microscope will just barely focus on a 1/2 or 3/4" thick specimen on my standard model (56?) stand. Oddly, the factory 10X W.F. cat. # 146 eyepieces focus slightly higher, about 1/2" or so and will not quite focus on the same specimen.
With the +- 8" w.d. of the 1/2X you should be o.k. with your model 59 stand. Never tried one though.

The fractional objectives were definitely built mostly for use with a boom mount. Your scope can swing both ways.
There's a 3/4 aux? The catalog I've been looking at lists a 3/4 objective (262) and the 2/3 aux (267), do you have a catalog # for it? Perhaps I should be looking at some of the other catalogs than the Reichert 1985 Cylcoptic.

That's sounds like a good fit; I think 1/2" is as high as I would need, likely not even that much as 1/2" (12mm) tall pile of tiny insects is quite a jumble. If I need a bit more height I can probably machine a new upright if I had to, it looks simple enough. While a boom is nice, that's a lot of space to surrender on my already over utilized bench. The range on the 59 appears close to the same as I measure about 6 1/4" (16cm) from the specimen plate to the base of the objective at full height.

apochronaut
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Re: AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

#7 Post by apochronaut » Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:38 pm

dtsh wrote:
Thu Sep 16, 2021 6:42 pm
apochronaut wrote:
Thu Sep 16, 2021 5:41 pm
The 3/4X aux. lens gives an increase in W.D. to between approx. 5 3/8" to 6 1/4" as you go from high to low in magnification. At the lowest magnification with those B & L U.W.F. 15X eyepieces you are using the microscope will just barely focus on a 1/2 or 3/4" thick specimen on my standard model (56?) stand. Oddly, the factory 10X W.F. cat. # 146 eyepieces focus slightly higher, about 1/2" or so and will not quite focus on the same specimen.
With the +- 8" w.d. of the 1/2X you should be o.k. with your model 59 stand. Never tried one though.

The fractional objectives were definitely built mostly for use with a boom mount. Your scope can swing both ways.
There's a 3/4 aux? The catalog I've been looking at lists a 3/4 objective (262) and the 2/3 aux (267), do you have a catalog # for it? Perhaps I should be looking at some of the other catalogs than the Reichert 1985 Cylcoptic.

That's sounds like a good fit; I think 1/2" is as high as I would need, likely not even that much as 1/2" (12mm) tall pile of tiny insects is quite a jumble. If I need a bit more height I can probably machine a new upright if I had to, it looks simple enough. While a boom is nice, that's a lot of space to surrender on my already over utilized bench. The range on the 59 appears close to the same as I measure about 6 1/4" (16cm) from the specimen plate to the base of the objective at full height.

Sorry. I used the term aux. loosely. It is a replacement apochromat objective., as are the 1/5, 1/3, 1/2. The catalogue seems to indicate that the model 59 can be extended enough to use the 1/2X.

dtsh
Posts: 977
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Location: Wisconsin

Re: AO Cycloptic objective/aux lens advice

#8 Post by dtsh » Mon Sep 27, 2021 5:48 pm

apochronaut wrote:
Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:38 pm
Sorry. I used the term aux. loosely. It is a replacement apochromat objective., as are the 1/5, 1/3, 1/2. The catalogue seems to indicate that the model 59 can be extended enough to use the 1/2X.
Shame, I had hope for a minute there that a world of accessories I didn't know of existed in another catalog. :)



I have acquired a Cat 267 2/3x aux and some quick testing indicates the stage raises more than sufficient for focus, the depth of field is what I was after, and as a bonus, I did not expect the 2x swingout barlow to work with it, but it does. There is some field curvature with the 2x in use, but for my purposes it's tolerable.

Thank you all for the assistance. I'm still looking for a Cat 262 but until then this will work.

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