Reichert Austria SPL63/0.80 160/0.17 objective

[stjepo]

I just bought this lens. I am amazed at how good and clear image you can see. I have not been able to find information about this lens.

Does anyone have more information about it?

Thank you.

[apochronaut]

Reichert was a very high quality manufacturer of 160mm tube length diascopic microscopes, as well as vertically lluminated scopes with a 190mm tube length. Of the 160mm transmitted illumination scopes, there was a whole range of them made during the 1950's and 60's : a bunch ending in "pan" and another bunch ending in "var". Zetopan ( also capable of vertical illumination), Fluorvar, Fluorpan, Diavar, Phasepan etc.
The 160mm optics used were 37mm parfocal, the same as Wild, Koristka and some smaller Wetzlar factories and were first rate. Reichert used a unique very dark purple coating, maybe a multi-coating. On older objectives I have found the coating to be disturbed easily, so be very careful cleaning that objective.
They began offering semi-plan (SPl) and plan objectives in the 60's, after AO bought the factory in 1962. Reichert were very big on the Spl line because they offered almost the performance of a plan objective but at much lower cost. They even published a little brochure promoting the SPl.
Sometime in the early 80's, AO asked them to design a 63X .80 34mm parfocal infinity corrected objective for the AO 100 series microscope, as a tweaked version of your 160mm objective. I have the dated submission piece ( prototype) that Reichert sent to AO for evaluation. Oct. 1983 submission piece it says on an attached wrapper and then passed. The same objective was used on Reichert's Neovar II, sold in Europe, which used AO's infinity corrected 34mm parfocal system. It came from a former dealer near to Buffalo, probably acquired when the factory was cleaned out and transferred over to Reichert Technologies, which do Opthalmic equipment.
Reichert slowly changed over to infinity correction beginning in the early '70's but they kept up production of the Zetopan for some time after. Here is the Reichert page from the science.net site maintained by a man named Gordon Cougar. A little over 1/2 way down there is a brochure covering the value of the SPl 100X objective.

http://www.science-info.net/docs/reichert/A4/

[stjepo]

Apochromat, thanks again for your invaluable help. I assume it is a dry objective not an oil immersion objective. From what I can see it appears that the coating is ina very good condition. To clean it, if necessary , what do you suggest Ishould use?.

Thanks again.

[apochronaut]

Yes, that one is dry. There was also a 63X 1.0 oil immersion but I don't think ever in plan or semi plan. It often comes with a funnel stop for DF. Are you using it on a 37mm parfocal microscope?

I usually use a blend I make up to do simple cleaning but only if there is really something to clean. An unprotected objective sitting around for a while can have a film built up from airborne stuff, so I usually clean front and back but only after a close magnified inspection to determine if necessary. If the glass looks otherwise clean, maybe just a light dusting off with swab blowbulb and a fine brush.

The mixture I use varies depending on the detergent I have but it is 10 drops or less of scentless detergent to 250ml. 50% isopropyl( 7/10 70% + 3/10 distilled water) or 175 and 75. Apply with a swab. Then rinsed with 70% isopropyl a couple of times with a swab. Then I blow off any swab debris while loosening it with a very tiny artists brush, 00 at least. That brush needs to be kept immaculately clean.
The small detergent component breaks down small amounts of fat and oils that arrive either airborne or accidentally on fingers or as immersion oil contamination. If you are sure that there is no oil component, omit the detergent and water and go straight to the 70% ipa. You will find out soon enough because ipa is only a mild fat solvent and tends to smear oils around, leaving a film.
The cleaner is very mild and unlikely to damage anything. Do not get ethanol near that coating. I am pretty sure it will dissolve it.

Some coatings can deteriorate over time and lose adherence to the glass. I have only seen this once though, so it is not a common occurence ; on a lot of 5X objectives made by Seibert.

[stjepo]

Thanks for your "apochronaut objectives cleaning recipe" as I will call it from now on.

Although I have three trinocular microscopes: Optiphot, Labobhot (parfocal 45mm) and American Optical Spencer Series 10 (parfocal 34mm or 35mm??) I will be using a cheap japanese Seiwa binocular microscope that is 37mm parfocal for pictures.

I am surprised by great quality of this objective, was too cheap not to buy it.

Thanks and regards

Steve

[apochronaut]

Thanks for your "apochronaut objectives cleaning recipe" as I will call it from now on.

Although I have three trinocular microscopes: Optiphot, Labobhot (parfocal 45mm) and American Optical Spencer Series 10 (parfocal 34mm or 35mm??) I will be using a cheap japanese Seiwa binocular microscope that is 37mm parfocal for pictures.

I am surprised by great quality of this objective, was too cheap not to buy it.

Thanks and regards

Steve

AO is 34mm. Does the Reichert objective turn out to be parfocal or very close on the Seiwa? It is unusual for a Japanese microscope to be 37mm parfocal. Outside of Nikon shorties which used 33.6 mm and Olympus that started using 37, then switched to 36.65 most Japanese systems are J.I.S. , which uses a 36mm parfocal objective and a 170mm tube.

[stjepo]

I may be wrong but I enclose all the info I Have about the Seiwa. If you need I can measure it.

Regards

Steve

[apochronaut]

That is a newer model than I was thinking. For some reason I imagined J.I.S. That looks to be a 45mm parfocal system based on D.I.N. and clearly states 160mm. Or are they actually 37mm?

Ultimately it doesn't really matter but at some point crashing into slides can happen. I suppose if you have fit the Reichert objective into where the 100X was, then that will be less of an issue, except for going backwards to the 40X.

[stjepo]

The 100X Correct and the 63X Reichert together in the Seiwa.

Regards

Steve

[apochronaut]

So, the Correct is just a little shorter?

[stjepo]

I would say is exactly the same size.

[stjepo]

So, the Correct is just a little shorter?

You are right! Correct is a little shorter.

Regards