Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

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Scoper
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Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#1 Post by Scoper » Sun Jan 29, 2023 2:52 am

Hi,

First time poster..longtime lurker..this website is an excellent resource of microscopy info..thanks to our host and to all who post here.

I am looking for info concerning the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope…history, compatibility with other brands, parts and support.

One specific question is concerning it’s phase objectives. Are the Hund phase objectives replaceable with other brand name phase objectives?

Also does anyone have contacts for who to contact for Hund information and support?

Thank you

Alexander
Posts: 400
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#2 Post by Alexander » Sun Jan 29, 2023 8:48 am

Nice instrument!

Phase contrast objectives are not interchangeable between manufacturers. You need Hund objectives.

Web: www.hund.de
Phone: +49 6441 2004-0

They are quite helpful for amateur users, not as arrogant as the big players.

Hund parts are frequently found on Ebay, often on the German site and sell for less than Zeiss, Leitz, Olympus.
The German microscopy forum holds a lot of knowledge about the Wilovert. They will answer your questions in English. www.mikroskopie-forum.de

Scoper
Posts: 153
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2023 4:06 pm

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#3 Post by Scoper » Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:13 am

Thank you for responding.

Yes, the Hund Wilovert is very well built…very similar to the build quality one sees in the older Zeiss and Leitz scopes.

Do you have an email for a contact at Hund that has been successful in the past? I have contacted the address you offered and also the related support department and the overall response has been disappointing. Only after repeated requests did sales finally send me the user manual and sales brochure for the Wilovert. I have yet to receive any response from the support group other than an automated reply.

In reference to Hund phase objectives, in the used market they seem to be almost nonexistent. Since Hund-Wetzlar-Leitz seem to have a historical corporate relationship, I was wondering (and hoping) perhaps that their collective phase objectives might share similar construction in terms of the phase rings and there by interchangeable.

Since the Wilovert is a 160mm system that uses HKW eyepieces, I am assuming suitable non phase LWD objectives from other manufacturers would work on this frame. Does anyone have suggestions as to which manufacturers? I have seen used HKW eyepieces from Olympus..any other manufacturers?

Finally I am considering adding a trinocular head to this inverted scope. Since Hund specific components seem to be rare, a brand more prevalent seems to be in order. The mounting system is the conventional dovetail..any suggestions? I have yet to measure the dovetail but in the used market there is a Wilovert with a Nikon trinocular mounted on it.

Thanks for any info.

Alexander
Posts: 400
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#4 Post by Alexander » Mon Jan 30, 2023 1:02 am

I had personal contact to Micheal Wagner at Hund. m.wagner@hund.de .

There was no relationship between Hund and Leitz beyond the fact that both are based in Wetzlar. Hund acquired the microscope maker Will in 1988. This is how they entered the microscope market.

You may use other non-PH objectives with 160 mm tube length. For best results use the proper eye-pieces with them.
An other makers Trinocular head may fit. Measure the dove tail carefully.

Scoper
Posts: 153
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2023 4:06 pm

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#5 Post by Scoper » Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:24 am

Thanks for the info.

Knowing the connection between the companies now makes more sense..while viewing scopes on the Internet I have noticed the Will brand on the ‘Wilo’vert..I suspect that the inverted scope was developed under Will and subsequently relabeled when Hund entered the picture.

I suspect that Wild and Hund objectives share a common heritage.

I wonder how Wetzlar fits in this sequence..the names Wetzlar and Leitz are often seen together.

MichaelG.
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Location: North Wales

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#6 Post by MichaelG. » Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:46 am

Scoper wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:24 am
I wonder how Wetzlar fits in this sequence..the names Wetzlar and Leitz are often seen together.
.
At the risk of stating the obvious : Wetzlar is a city
https://www.wetzlar.de/
.
https://www.wetzlar.de/tourismus/entdec ... etzlar.php
.
MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

Alexander
Posts: 400
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#7 Post by Alexander » Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:52 am

Scoper wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:24 am

I suspect that Wild and Hund objectives share a common heritage.

I wonder how Wetzlar fits in this sequence..the names Wetzlar and Leitz are often seen together.
Wild was a Swiss microscope make who merged with Leitz. The company acquired other makers like Reichert, American Optical and Bausch & Lomb, then changed its name to Leica.

There was never a relationship between Hund and Wild. Hund acquired the Wetzlar based company Will.

As stated above: Wetzlar is the name of the city where Leitz, Leica, Will, Hund, Seibold and other optical firms are based. It was quite a center of the German optical industry during the 19th and 20th century and the big competitor of Jena, the city Zeiss was based.

Scoper
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Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#8 Post by Scoper » Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:36 pm

Oops…thanks for catching my mistake…I meant to say Will.

Scoper
Posts: 153
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Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#9 Post by Scoper » Tue Jan 31, 2023 11:49 pm

FYI..I have been informed that the reason for the delay of Hund responding to my requests is that their support staff is currently ill.

Also does anyone know of any former dealers/repair-maintainance facilities that worked on the Hund brand? Considering the rarity of Hund components, I think it is time to start looking at other sources than EBay.

Thanks

Scoper
Posts: 153
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2023 4:06 pm

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#10 Post by Scoper » Wed Feb 01, 2023 2:19 am

If you have or have used a Hund Wilovert, I would like to hear your comments on the subject.

Thank you

PeteM
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Location: N. California

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#11 Post by PeteM » Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:16 am

Scoper, I've had two of the Hund Wilovert inverted scopes and also an H600. They're nicely made. Here's my brief write-up on them from a much longer document on various microscope brands and models:

Hund Wetzlar is a German company founded by Helmut Hund in 1967. In 1988 it
acquired Will Wetzlar, a respected German microscope maker and has operated it since
as Hund Wetzlar. Their made-in-Germany microscopes seem basic (not a lot of options)
but of good quality and easy to use. Hund-Wetzlar Wilovert inverted phase contrast
microscopes are good for pond critters and other live specimens; and are commonly
available in the US. They provide images comparable to something like an Olympus
CK-2 fitted with phase contrast capabilities. If you find one used, be sure it includes the
matching Hund phase contrast objectives and annuli.

Hund Wetzlar compound microscopes (H500, H600, etc.) are less commonly seen in the
US, but competent scopes if you happen to find one used and in good condition. Some
recent Hund-branded microscopes are sourced from China; as is the case with most of the
better know German and Japanese brands. The company’s website is here:
https://www.hund.de/de/instrumente/mikroskope.html


The purpose of the write up is to give a heads up on things to consider in buying various scopes. In this case, being sure the phase bits are complete on a used Wilovert, since it will be difficult or expensive to source them later. As Alexander suggested earlier, German Ebay may be your best source for phase contrast parts.

The dovetail on your scope is 42mm, same as Olympus (and a few others). I'm not sure the tube lengths will match up (Hund stand & Olympus Head = exactly 160mm?), but you might try an Olympus BH or BH2 trinocular head if you get the other bits. Nikon finite heads are around 48.5mm dovetail size - which would have to be turned down or adapted to fit.

Alexander
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: Info on the Hund Wetzlar Wilovert inverted scope

#12 Post by Alexander » Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:40 am

Good fitting heads are those from white Leitz Dialux or Laborlux microscopes. Their dovetail is 42 mm as well. The oldest Leitz microscope with a 42 mm dovetail was the Dialux 20 from 1978. Everything from a grey (43 mm) or black (41 mm) Leitz will not fit. Same with heads for high-end Leitz stands like the Orthoplan, Diaplan or Aristoplan. They featured a much bigger dovetail. Leitz 42 mm heads are frequently found in the US at reasonable prices. They are made for he same 160 mm tube length as the Wilovert.

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