Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

Everything relating to microscopy hardware: Objectives, eyepieces, lamps and more.
Post Reply
Message
Author
Gatorengineer64
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:10 am

Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#1 Post by Gatorengineer64 » Sun Oct 10, 2021 9:46 pm

To contradict some early posts on the topic Modern Infinity Zeiss 160 (I tried a 50x 27mm diam APO), and Nikon 200MM Infinity Optics work just fine on my WFL scope with the Optvar...... Just shows me I have a lot of cleaning still to do, LOL. I thought I had read that Infinities on old 160s was hit and miss, it isn't.

Mark

PeteM
Posts: 2982
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:22 am
Location: N. California

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#2 Post by PeteM » Sun Oct 10, 2021 10:01 pm

Mark, I'm assuming you are putting the Zeiss and Nikon infinity objectives on a Zeiss finite scope with KPL eyepieces?

You might want to check parfocality - and then take some photos of something with fine detail to check spherical and chromatic aberrations.

Gatorengineer64
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:10 am

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#3 Post by Gatorengineer64 » Sun Oct 10, 2021 10:13 pm

No parafocality isnt going to happen obviously, unless I had a similar series all the way around. Just had a couple of high end Objectives and thought I would give them a go...... was surprised at the results. Would someone far more experienced than I possibly find problems, likely, but compared to 50 year old Neofluars, I believe they are a bit better. Wont be a daily driver configuration but was fun to play with and opens up my view of some other High end EPs that don't hold value....

apochronaut
Posts: 6268
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#4 Post by apochronaut » Sun Oct 10, 2021 10:40 pm

Tube length compatability and thus malcorrection problems show off axis unless severe. The idea is to have a completely flat image as fully corrected as possible actoss a 20mm field. I'd like to see some edge to edge pictures?

MichaelG.
Posts: 3976
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:24 am
Location: North Wales

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#5 Post by MichaelG. » Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:19 pm

Gatorengineer64 wrote:
Sun Oct 10, 2021 10:13 pm
[…] but compared to 50 year old Neofluars, I believe they are a bit better.
.

^^^ That’s a reasonable working-definition of “Just fine”

… Thanks for sharing your practical experience.

MichaelG.
.

Ref. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/working_definition
Too many 'projects'

Gatorengineer64
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:10 am

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#6 Post by Gatorengineer64 » Mon Oct 11, 2021 1:48 pm

my Trinoc scope is an Axio 50, I haven't gotten it lined out for photography as of yet, but hopefully in the next week or two.

Hobbyst46
Posts: 4277
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#7 Post by Hobbyst46 » Mon Oct 11, 2021 3:13 pm

Please bear with me, I feel confused by the post.
Which model is a WFL microscope ?
Zeiss Axio is an infinity corrected, not 160mm.
EPs - do you refer to eyepieces or objectives ?
Neofluars are indeed old 160mm objectives, infinity-corrected objectives are Plan-Neofluar.
Do the threads of the (especially Nikon) objectives fit the Zeiss ?
Which objectives were fitted on which microscope ?

Gatorengineer64
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:10 am

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#8 Post by Gatorengineer64 » Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:00 am

A zeiss Axio is a 160MM tube length nominally infinity corrected microscope. I have an Optvar with mine. The tube lens inserts into the Optvar in this configuration. When I remove the Tube lens it becomes a 160mm tube length microscope. No intermediate optics between the objective and Eyepiece. I should have been clearer here.

Also had a typo, its a Zeiss Standard WL........ that I used this on with an Optvar (obviously different than the Axio 50 optvar).

Apologies for the confusion.

Mark

PeteM
Posts: 2982
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:22 am
Location: N. California

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#9 Post by PeteM » Tue Oct 12, 2021 3:58 am

Just to be sure I understand Mark, you put a tube lens in the Optivar of your finite Axio? Thus converting this to an infinity scope, that worked OK with the infinity objectives you tried it with?

And then you had another Zeiss WL with another Optivar -- and apparently using one of its lenses as a sort of tube lens it sort of worked OK with infinity objectives, though not parfocal??

Gatorengineer64
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:10 am

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#10 Post by Gatorengineer64 » Wed Oct 13, 2021 12:59 am

The Axio is an infinity scope by design. When you use an Optvar with it the tube lens moves to the base of the Optvar from the base of the Head. When I take out the optvar, I am left with a scope that is a 160mm "finite" scope. It likes vintage Neofluars, etc. It also likes infinity objectives, from zeiss and Nikon (I just got rid of my eclipse 600, and have a 400 to part with, but will keep the 200 APO for use with the Zeiss axio and my vintage zeisses, it does look silly hanging off a Zeiss Junior, but it works lol, and of course its not parfocal.

Hobbyst46
Posts: 4277
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#11 Post by Hobbyst46 » Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:05 pm

Gatorengineer64 wrote:
Wed Oct 13, 2021 12:59 am
The Axio is an infinity scope by design. When you use an Optvar with it the tube lens moves to the base of the Optvar from the base of the Head. When I take out the optvar, I am left with a scope that is a 160mm "finite" scope. It likes vintage Neofluars, etc. It also likes infinity objectives, from zeiss and Nikon (I just got rid of my eclipse 600, and have a 400 to part with, but will keep the 200 APO for use with the Zeiss axio and my vintage zeisses, it does look silly hanging off a Zeiss Junior, but it works lol, and of course its not parfocal.
Again bear with me for commenting. The infinity corrected objective of an Axio Zeiss is designed to function with a tube lens. The optovar is an optional slider. When using the scope for fluorescence for example, the Optovar is out. And the slider niche accepts filters. Yet the image must be corrected for all modalities. So, a tube lens must be there (perhaps in the head; I only learn about the Axio from drawings) even if the Optovar is out. It is infinity corrected whether with or without the Optovar. I do not think that adding an Optovar "moves" the tube lens in any sense. On the contrary, the advantage of infinity corrected is that an Optovar (as well as other accessories) can be added in between the objective and the tube lens - the so-called infinity space, where the rays are parallel and do not converge to an image.
Please correct if I am wrong.

Gatorengineer64
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:10 am

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#12 Post by Gatorengineer64 » Wed Oct 13, 2021 9:28 pm

This is what an Optvar for an Axioscope looks like.... a little different from a Universal or Phomi

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255064946524?h ... SwXvBg~E-G

I assume that like telescope optics this barlow has zero affect on the focal length, the tube lens screws into the entry of the optvar, and then the head sans tube lens goes on top. All I know is that it works well.

User avatar
75RR
Posts: 8207
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:34 am
Location: Estepona, Spain

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#13 Post by 75RR » Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:41 am

Gatorengineer64 wrote:
Wed Oct 13, 2021 12:59 am
The Axio is an infinity scope by design. When you use an Optvar with it the tube lens moves to the base of the Optvar from the base of the Head. When I take out the optvar, I am left with a scope that is a 160mm "finite" scope. It likes vintage Neofluars, etc. It also likes infinity objectives, from zeiss and Nikon (I just got rid of my eclipse 600, and have a 400 to part with, but will keep the 200 APO for use with the Zeiss axio and my vintage zeisses, it does look silly hanging off a Zeiss Junior, but it works lol, and of course its not parfocal.
I think some photos of your equipment might help to clarify matters at this stage.
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

apochronaut
Posts: 6268
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#14 Post by apochronaut » Thu Oct 14, 2021 3:38 pm

An extrapolation might be to provide comparative photographs too.

Gatorengineer64
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:10 am

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#15 Post by Gatorengineer64 » Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:30 pm

Two pics a wl with a Zeiss 27 Epi apochomat hanging on it, and the axio 50 with the optvar flipped over showing the current location of the tube lens... Normally in the head of a 50 without the optvar
Attachments
IMG_20211014_192017_480x640.jpg
IMG_20211014_192017_480x640.jpg (78.63 KiB) Viewed 3951 times
IMG_20211014_191221_480x640.jpg
IMG_20211014_191221_480x640.jpg (54.27 KiB) Viewed 3951 times

Hobbyst46
Posts: 4277
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Nikon Infinity 200 and Zeiss Infinity 160 Work Just fine on Vintage 160

#16 Post by Hobbyst46 » Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:57 am

IMHO the bottom photo is not a WL, but a GFL. Quite compatible with a WL though.

Post Reply