MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Hi everyone,
I know that there are Chinese eyepieces that function similarly to Nikon eyepieces. Is there something similar for Leitz Periplan eyepieces?
Thank you!
Best,

I doubt it. Nikon did most of their corrections in the objective, starting with the Labophot/Optiphot microscopes. So, "neutral" generic eyepieces work well.

Leitz eyepieces are meant to have corrections - and I doubt some Chinese maker has decided to reverse-engineer them. That said, our eyes often forgive a multitude of minor imaging sins. You might find neutral eyepieces satisfactory for viewing. For imaging, however, you'd want a proper Leitz eyepiece or photo eyepiece in the path to the sensor.

PeteM wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 02, 2023 9:02 pm

I doubt it. Nikon did most of their corrections in the objective, starting with the Labophot/Optiphot microscopes. So, "neutral" generic eyepieces work well.

Leitz eyepieces are meant to have corrections - and I doubt some Chinese maker has decided to reverse-engineer them. That said, our eyes often forgive a multitude of minor imaging sins. You might find neutral eyepieces satisfactory for viewing. For imaging, however, you'd want a proper Leitz eyepiece or photo eyepiece in the path to the sensor.

That makes sense. Thank you!

Why would one want a Chinese copy when you can get the real thing in excellent used condition and at reasonable to cheap prices?

I will never understand that.

In the case of Nikon the chinese 10x/22s offer a wider field of view and actually better chromstic correction vs cfwns (by introducing less of their own aberrations). One could always hope for something similar, a 10x/21 or something like that with good corrections. I don't think it exists but it would sure be cool if it did.

I think the fact that Leitz is designating the eyepiece as a critical control structure in order to effect image planarity and named three different designs as such, encompassing different focal lengths and field curvature calculations, would preclude the possibility of finding a modern Chinese equivalent.

I have no doubt some company in China could make one in theory, but the chances it has actually been done are very low. If anything I'd expect them to match Olympus BH2 corrections given how popular that system was.

Hi everyone,
I also thought the chance that Chinese markers produce replica of Leitz eyepieces is low, but you never know.

In a similar vein, I have another question:
- I often read that some photo eyepieces of low magnifications (2x or less) are extremely rare and sought after (so, very expensive). I guess they already exist for more than 20 years and all relevant patents now are now expired. So why don't Chinese makers make similar eyepieces to flood the market, at least for popular microscope brands like Olympus? It is because the lens making itself is very difficult? I would imagine Chinese makers now are capable of producing anything. Correct me if I am wrong.
Thank you!

The Chinese copy Olympus and Nikon, nothing else. The chance they produce some copy of a Periplan eye-piece is exactly zero.

Alexander wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:47 pm

The Chinese copy Olympus and Nikon, nothing else.

That is certainly not the case universally.

dtrinh wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:41 pm

So why don't Chinese makers make similar eyepieces to flood the market, at least for popular microscope brands like Olympus? It is because the lens making itself is very difficult? I would imagine Chinese makers now are capable of producing anything. Correct me if I am wrong.
Thank you!

I suspect demand is just not high enough to deal with spinning up a whole production line. One could contract a company to make one custom in a small batch but the per unit price would probably be pretty darn high. Much easier to just buy a newer infinity microscope with better field coverage and direct project onto aps-c.
Stuff like that does happen though--relatively recently very close copies of the Thorlabs ITL200 commissioned from a achinese optics company hit the market and their quality was essentially equivalent to the original.

dtrinh wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:41 pm

Hi everyone,
I also thought the chance that Chinese markers produce replica of Leitz eyepieces is low, but you never know.

In a similar vein, I have another question:
- I often read that some photo eyepieces of low magnifications (2x or less) are extremely rare and sought after (so, very expensive). I guess they already exist for more than 20 years and all relevant patents now are now expired. So why don't Chinese makers make similar eyepieces to flood the market, at least for popular microscope brands like Olympus? It is because the lens making itself is very difficult? I would imagine Chinese makers now are capable of producing anything. Correct me if I am wrong.
Thank you!

There is no intrinsic value of a 2X or less photo eyepiece that a 3 or 10X photo eyepiece does not also posess because the magnification of the eyepiece is a design requirement based on the length of the photo tube and camera frame or sensor size. The optic must also preserve corrections in the system or alternately effect either corrections or compensation, whichever might be required.
. There are low magnification Chinese made photo optics, even very popular fractional ones but not necessarily would they provide a planar well corrected image when used outside of their native system, if they even do when used within it.

Very large diameter low magnification lenses such as enlarging lenses can overcome some of the challenges that smaller diameter lenses can pose in terms of peripheral corrections and are therefore somewhat more universal.

Alexander wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:47 pm

The Chinese copy Olympus and Nikon, nothing else. The chance they produce some copy of a Periplan eye-piece is exactly zero.

So how are the Olympus and Nikons different in design?

Thanks