Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

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Rodion10
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Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#1 Post by Rodion10 » Mon Aug 08, 2022 5:42 am

So I’ve saved up, sold my nice watch, and was looking to purchase a nice scope from Nikon. I contacted them through their website and received no response for a couple of weeks, then tried again by phone and by email. Finally a Nikon rep called me and said she forwarded my info to the local sales rep. I reached out to him and his second question to me was to ask what my budget was…I did not answer directly and said it depended on the scope. After a few more questions about my needs he said he would get back to me. A week later I called and he said that Nikon only sells direct to large corporations so I asked him to refer me to someone who could help me. I was put in touch with another rep for healthcare sales who again asked me what my budget was. I was looking for the best stereo microscope with photo capabilities that I could afford, but didn’t really want to just give my maximum price. I wanted to know what the prices were so I could narrow the field down, but I broke down and gave him a figure and said that I was looking mostly at pond organisms. He said that instead of the stereo microscope I inquired about, why not get one of the lower mag stereo microscopes and an upright scope with camera which would “really almost be a two-for-one deal”. He later emailed me with a couple suggestions …but I received no prices on the two scopes he suggested.
It’s been over a month since my initial inquiry, and I feel like I’m getting the runaround and kind of also feel like I’m dealing with a car salesman. Even then however, when I bought my truck, all the prices and options were readily available to me online so I could do my due diligence investigation and make my decision. Same thing with my Mac computer. I could build my own based on the prices of the options. What is it with microscope companies? I see “ask for quote” or “inquire” all over the place, but aside from places like eBay or sellers of used equipment I have no idea of the pricing on the scopes I’m interested in. What gives? Any perspective? Why all the secrecy?

Alexander
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#2 Post by Alexander » Mon Aug 08, 2022 6:13 am

The big manufacturers like Nikon or Zeiss are not prepared to deal directly with end-users looking into a 10k microscope. The question about your budget had nothing to do with secrecy but to decide wether the opportunity was worth any effort from their direct sales force. You will find much better service from some of their authorized dealers.

PeteM
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#3 Post by PeteM » Mon Aug 08, 2022 6:17 am

Good news is that Nikon may have inadvertently saved you some money.

The low end (still, up to thousands) of the Nikon line is now made in China. So you could buy pretty much the same thing on Amazon and get a competitive price. Cheaper yet, but riskier, would be to buy directly from a Chinese supplier.

At the high end, chances are you could do better with a quality used microscope off eBay. Folks here could point you to good models (or read past posts) given what you want to see and your budget.

The "big four" microscope makers are selling with a dealer model. This makes sense for universities and labs, which will need and can afford custom solutions, frequent maintenance, parts stocked, and so on. To keep the dealers happy (and their own revenues coming), makers like Nikon, Olympus, Leica, and Zeiss generally don't want to cut their dealers out of the loop except, perhaps, for their student and home-school grade models. Obviously, all this it makes less sense for the few individuals like you willing to spend several thousand dollars on a one-time personal purchase. Dealers have also learned that individual buyers tend to have lots of questions and then gag when they see list prices. As serious a buyer as you might be, many will just ignore you.

There are some on-line dealers who seem to specialize in hobbyist sales. However, their prices tend to be high - no doubt to cover the time involved plus a bit more.

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woyjwjl
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#4 Post by woyjwjl » Mon Aug 08, 2022 7:40 am

You can take a look at this quotation for 1989. All questions will disappear.

http://www.alanwood.net/downloads/olymp ... utfits.pdf

As PeteM said, this quotation includes the cost of first installation and commissioning.
Micrographers from China, thanks to the forum for providing a platform for exchange

jfiresto
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#5 Post by jfiresto » Mon Aug 08, 2022 8:24 am

The new scientific equipment market is a bit special and, from what I have experienced, not structured for buyers whose first criteria is price.

You might investigate Meiji Techno who let their dealers publish prices.
-John

Hobbyst46
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#6 Post by Hobbyst46 » Mon Aug 08, 2022 9:31 am

If you are near a research institute, they are frequently visited by microscope salespersons, who might like making some money from side individual transactions. Meeting them in person on site, might lead to fruitful negotiation and purchase. Yet, it will be ridiculously expensive, since those high end microscopes are targeted at big budget institutes. Note that parts and accessories will be expensive as well. It is liable to become a bottomless barrel of expenses.

For individual users, top brand names are rarely justified. They are acquired by institutes because they offer a vast selection of options, upgrades, maintenance service and contracts, software and innovations.

Would be much better to define the scope of use of the microscope and look for the minimum system that fulfills it.

apochronaut
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#7 Post by apochronaut » Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:36 am

If you are willing to cough up around 4500.00 , you can buy an 18:1 apochromatic zoom stereo capable of 135X and a 23mm f.o.v. from the manufacturer in China that builds some of Nikon's products. There is a fair amount of Nikon in that microscope. Unitron sells the same instrument branded for them , for more than $10,000 and the Nikon version is well in excess of that.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#8 Post by Scarodactyl » Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:14 pm

You can also get a pretty badass used setup for that money, though if you want a high end system you won't get an 18:1 zoom used for the price of that new Chinese smz-18 clone. Maybe a 15:1 (smz1500).
Sometimes crazy stuff comes up used. I was watching a Nikon e800 with a full set of planapo objectives that sold for 2k plus freight--needed some parts but what a deal.

viktor j nilsson
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#9 Post by viktor j nilsson » Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:02 am

Scarodactyl wrote:
Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:14 pm
You can also get a pretty badass used setup for that money, though if you want a high end system you won't get an 18:1 zoom used for the price of that new Chinese smz-18 clone. Maybe a 15:1 (smz1500).
Sometimes crazy stuff comes up used. I was watching a Nikon e800 with a full set of planapo objectives that sold for 2k plus freight--needed some parts but what a deal.
That sounds rad! Fascinating to see the top infinity scopes become attainable.

This DIC- and fluorescence-equipped Microphot with two PlanApo's that recently sold for for 1.75k was a pretty good buy too: https://www.ebay.com/itm/334509860044

There's some real bargains to be had in that segment of relatively complete research-grade microscopes around 1.5k to 4k. Competition from nerds like us tends to be limited, as most of us are already tight for space, 2k+ is still a lot of money, and because it's always a hassle to change systems. But if you're for your first great microscope, that's a very fun segment to shop around in.

apochronaut
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Re: Question about trying to get a price from Nikon …it’s like pulling teeth!

#10 Post by apochronaut » Tue Aug 09, 2022 10:25 am

Scarodactyl wrote:
Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:14 pm
You can also get a pretty badass used setup for that money, though if you want a high end system you won't get an 18:1 zoom used for the price of that new Chinese smz-18 clone. Maybe a 15:1 (smz1500).
Sometimes crazy stuff comes up used. I was watching a Nikon e800 with a full set of planapo objectives that sold for 2k plus freight--needed some parts but what a deal.
That 4500.00 was for a trinocular, shipped ,entry fees, believable warranty.included. I'm not normally a big promoter of less expensive Chinese made microscopes : too many possible issues with q.c. at those prices, plus one can do much better, cheaper in a used name brand microscope but that BS-3090 is at a level where q.c. is very good and it outcompetes other options. It would be a rare used SMZ 1500 deal that could incorporate those features at that price and it is still an SMZ 1500.

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