MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Does anyone have experience with Nikon plan 1x objective on a leica m50/m60/m80 body? I believe, the thread size is an m60, although very open to being corrected.

The m50/60/80 do have an m60 thread but the nikons do not, they're m58x0.75. Iirc adapting one of the clone plan 1xes on a wild m8 worked but vignetted a bit. That said my adapter made it sit lower than ideal.

Ahhh..thanks so much. That saved me from actually finding and purchasing one.

I've adapted one to an Olympus SZH, where it performs very well -- likely better than the original Olympus Plan 1x, given its higher numerical aperture. In this case, the adapter had to go from the Nikon 58mm to the Olympus 54mm thread. If the adapter is made thin enough, I don't think you'd get much, if any, vignetting going from 58mm to 60mm.

Here's one other data point - I've also adapted a relatively inexpensive.5x Motic supplemental objective below the Nikon 1x to get a wider view. The Plan 1x Nikon takes a 55mm filter thread. My .5x supplemental has a 50mm thread and only about 40mm of clear glass. Yet, despite choking down the aperture of the Nikon down to 40mm, there's still a full field of view on the Olympus SZH. In this case, the adapter was made to sit very close. The only mismatch is that the resulting magnification is more like .7x than .5x - otherwise good images without doming.

Obviously, the safe bet is an OEM Olympus objective. But if you find a Nikon Plan 1x affordably it would be a reasonable gamble IMO. In my case, the Nikon Plan 1x had damaged threads and was cheap and optically perfect -- making it a no-brainer to try mating it to a new adapter.

Why not try the 1X planapo that they use one the BS- 3090. It's a Nikon clone. The last price I saw on that was in the 300.00's but that was back when I bought mine.

I use Olympus and Meiji objectives on my Leica MZ6.
This adapter works great: https://www.ebay.com/itm/256248894585?h ... R8agpM3pYg
Olympus Plan DF PL 0.5X and 0.75X are noticeably better optically than Leica Achromats.
For higher magnification, I found that Meiji RZ Plan 1.5X is much better (no chromatic aberration) than Olympus counterpart.

apochronaut wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 27, 2023 11:19 am

Why not try the 1X planapo that they use one the BS- 3090. It's a Nikon clone. The last price I saw on that was in the 300.00's but that was back when I bought mine.

That is an option! That is a clone of the SMZ18 as I recall. Do you know what the thread size is?

It isn't threaded--it has a bayonet mount. If it's anywhere close to 300 it would be a total steal, though I suspect it's a bit more.

Yes, it is a 70mm dovetail/bayonet but I am pretty sure RAF would make an adapter for you if you supplied the specs., which I could provide. It's a little different because it is a turn and lock, similar to a camera lens bayonet but tapered like a dovetail too, so it is assymetrical with a locating pin. RAF made some custom adapters for my Diastar some years ago. He had the drawings whipped up overnight and I had the completed adapters in just about 3 weeks. They were oddball ones ; 2" dovetail to 52x.5mm and 2" dovetail to 46x.5mm, so it wasn't something he had in his files and a 2" dovetail was odd for him for sure.

It is beefy though at 3 1/3 lbs. It looks like something that would go on a Hasselblad.
100mm long, 80mm diameter. 1X planapo, 60mm w.d. Not marked on it but I recall it being .15 N.A. It provides a 23mm f.n. but should do more.
I did buy the microscope in the bargain basement price days and have not kept track of what they are up to. It's probably twice that now but given what it is ; I gues that is pretty cheap too.

ZodiacPhoto wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 27, 2023 12:16 pm

I use Olympus and Meiji objectives on my Leica MZ6.
This adapter works great: https://www.ebay.com/itm/256248894585?h ... R8agpM3pYg
Olympus Plan DF PL 0.5X and 0.75X are noticeably better optically than Leica Achromats.
For higher magnification, I found that Meiji RZ Plan 1.5X is much better (no chromatic aberration) than Olympus counterpart.

So the olympus is an M54. I will look into that as well although the MZ6 uses an M50 and the Leica M80 uses an M60 thread.

I have had RAF make quite a few adapters for me in the past. He is making 2 for me as we speak.

einman wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 28, 2023 12:12 am

ZodiacPhoto wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 27, 2023 12:16 pm

I use Olympus and Meiji objectives on my Leica MZ6.
This adapter works great: https://www.ebay.com/itm/256248894585?h ... R8agpM3pYg
Olympus Plan DF PL 0.5X and 0.75X are noticeably better optically than Leica Achromats.
For higher magnification, I found that Meiji RZ Plan 1.5X is much better (no chromatic aberration) than Olympus counterpart.

So the olympus is an M54. I will look into that as well although the MZ6 uses an M50 and the Leica M80 uses an M60 thread.

I have had RAF make quite a few adapters for me in the past. He is making 2 for me as we speak.

RAF designed this adapter or me, and now he is offering them for sale. Note that Leica thread is not a regular M50, but a 3-start M50xPh3P1.
Olympus thread is normal M54x1, and Meiji is the same, because their RZ microscope is based on Olympus SZH series.

Thanks!

I' surprised to see it listed as 3ph1. I was sure it was just m50x1. They did use 3ph1 on the z swries though.

I'm actually having a separate adapter made to mate Olympus objectives to my M80 scope which has a different thread than the MZ6 or the MZ series in general.

Yeah, m60x1, just like ol' grandpappy (the M8). It's very cool that they revived that standard--I wonder if the plan 1x design is a direct descendant too.
Of course you can also directly mount a Zeiss SteReo objective on it too same thread (if they didn't cost a million skillion dollars).

Scarodactyl wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 28, 2023 11:21 pm

Yeah, m60x1, just like ol' grandpappy (the M8). It's very cool that they revived that standard--I wonder if the plan 1x design is a direct descendant too.
Of course you can also directly mount a Zeiss SteReo objective on it too same thread (if they didn't cost a million skillion dollars).

Exactly. I have an M8 plan1x objective I plan on mating to my M80. However, it has 7 mm extension prior to the threads, which prevents it from being a direct match, thus the adapter.

That is annoying I agree. It's an acceptor but not a donor.