Polyvar questions

Everything relating to microscopy hardware: Objectives, eyepieces, lamps and more.
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WaterGoblin
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:59 pm

Polyvar questions

#1 Post by WaterGoblin » Sat Mar 11, 2023 9:45 pm

I found this: https://www.olx.ua/d/obyavlenie/mkrosko ... derIndex=3

I know it has a DIC prism over the objectives that can be used for reflected light, but I have no idea about the condenser, does it have dic prism?

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

Re: Polyvar questions

#2 Post by apochronaut » Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:08 pm

I decided to bump this up, so it doesn't get lost. A couple of forum members have these and might know plus there is a former dealer who would definitely know.

There was a D.I.C. condenser carousel which looks much like what that is carrying substage. However I don't know whether there was a phase condenser as well that looked the similar. It looks like there is a DIC slider above the nosepiece.

PeteM
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Re: Polyvar questions

#3 Post by PeteM » Tue Mar 14, 2023 6:23 pm

Reflected light DIC uses one prism above the objective. That prism shears the light reflected down to illuminate the specimen and then combines it headed back up into the eyepieces. As you likely know, there's no need for a condenser with prisms. In the case of Nikon and Olympus (and likely Reichert), the objectives (no cover vs. .17 coverslip) and prisms used for reflected DIC are different than the ones used for transmitted DIC.

I've seen two types of Reichert DIC prisms from this era. One that is thicker and has vertical adjustment and another set with prisms fixed in the vertical direction but with the usual horizontal displacements.

I haven't personally seen a transmitted version of Reichert DIC (aka ICT), but your Russian listing is likely one, and this as well:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143063578091?c ... g3EALw_wcB

FWIW, I've used the infinity objectives like those on the eBay listing and they're pretty good. My old examples were just noticeably below something like Olympus U-PlanFl objectives, but very close. Someone looking for a DIC system might find that one a decent option.

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Polyvar questions

#4 Post by apochronaut » Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:39 am

Reichert was able to benefit from AO's patents, so when those objectives were designed back around 1972, they were decades ahead of the competition. A fairer comparison would be modern Leica objectives, which are really the direct descendants of all those AO and Reichert infinity objectives.
I use a full set of 35 year old Reichert Planapos along with a 2X planfluor all the time, plus a couple of planapo phase objectives. I couldn't replace them with objectives made by anyone else, even used for 4 or 5 times what they cost me.
The best thing is, you don't have to have one of the quite large Poly instruments or a Univar to enjoy them. They work in a Microstar IV perfectly, or better yet a Diastar. Still, both are inexpensive stands.

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