Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

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KurtM
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Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#1 Post by KurtM » Fri Dec 11, 2015 10:22 pm

Thought this might be fun, and besides I need sage advice from some of you who know your microscope stuff because I'm out of my depth. I have come across a deal on a Nikon Optiphot that appears to have DIC, but I don't know enough about DIC to judge how complete it is, or more to the point, ain't. I thought the price might be reasonable if it's mostly complete, but I thought it might be well to hear some appraisals before I divulge it in a day or two. Yeah I know it's unfair to ask when you can't see it firsthand, but let's just have a little fun and kick it around. Photos here: http://tinyurl.com/o7r6p48

A couple condition issues to mention right off: first, it pretty filthy dirty, looks to have spent time in non-climate controlled storage here in the humid Houston Texas area. Secondly, the condenser rack is stuck, so am unable to raise or lower it. Focus, fine focus, stage controls, and other controls seem to move okay without undue stiffness. I am free to play with the stand and test things to my heart's content.

I understand DIC requires POL, and near as I can tell it is present; a slider appears to contain an analyzer in a slot just below the trinoc head, and there appears to be a polarizer attached to the bottom of the condenser.

The main lamp, field iris, etc., seems to be in working condition, but what I guess is an epi-illuminator is missing its source. I do not know what it's for or how important it may be.

I pulled what I suppose are prism sliders on the objectives, and they appear to contain glass. That's all I knew to look for.

I can return Monday and check things more. I really really really want a DIC scope, but am not in such a rush as to do anything $tupid. So what do y'all say?

Image

More pics here: http://tinyurl.com/o7r6p48
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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Crater Eddie
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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#2 Post by Crater Eddie » Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:15 pm

Quite a fixer-upper! I can't comment on the DIC, but I would be tempted if the price was right.
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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#3 Post by lorez » Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:25 pm

Of course you should buy it !!!

Sell a couple of bags of sawdust and go get it.

I have a similar microscope quietly idling on my bench so if you would like to compare parts send me a PM

lorez

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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#4 Post by KurtM » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:14 am

I'd have to sell a few bags of something else in order to generate that kinda money :shock: :lol: . Since this will probably go nowhere fast without a hint, let's say it's the best part of a cool grand.
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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#5 Post by gekko » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:26 am

I defer to the experts for their opinions, but I'll give my 2 cents' worth: It looks complete as far as I can tell, assuming that the condenser is equipped with a DIC prism (I don't have that kind of DIC on mine, so I don't know what to look for in the condenser-- lorez hopefully will comment). Probably a dumb point: make sure that the DIC is for transmitted light. I assume you are going to take with you a few prepared slides to test it and make sure everything, including DIC, works. Fine focus should not exhibit obvious backlash/play (I've had an Optiphot with play in the fine focus, and it was very aggravating, rather it was unusable as it was very difficult and unpleasant to get the focus right). I would check the optics for fungus (if you can, use a stereo scope to examine the objectives, etc., or at least a high quality strong loop). Also examine the condenser, DIC sliders, lamp optics. I once bought a Nikon that "only needed some cleaning" and it turned out that the lenses in the lamp housing as well as the condenser were infected with fungus.
Mine had a similar epi-illuminator that I removed (not identical: it had a magnification factor of 1.25x, so removing it did not alter my 160-mm tube length [I think, anyway]). I am not sure, but I think you will need to keep yours on whether you use the epi-illuminator of not in order to keep the tube length correct (this microscope is equipped with 210-mm tube length objectives).
Epi: I don't know if you can use the same lamp for epi-illumination (if cord is too short, then probably not, and the epi-illuminator is probably meant to be used for fluorescence using UV light, but again, I'm guessing here).
I am sure I've made wrong or stupid statements here, and so I hope those will be corrected/refuted, so they will not mislead you (and also so I will learn a few things :) ).

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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#6 Post by lorez » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:32 am

Once you have assessed the scope and know what is missing then you can start thinking about the feasibility of this acquisition. In my experience the DIC components are most difficult to find and the stands and illuminators are fairly abundant. The price is certainly less than a complete instrument, but the uncertainty of finding the missing pieces would be something that would concern me..., but that's just me.

Nikon does not seem to get the raves that the Olympus BH2 generates, but I think this is because there are more Olympus scopes around. I've used both and currently have the Nikon.

lorez

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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#7 Post by gekko » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:43 am

lorez wrote:the uncertainty of finding the missing pieces would be something that would concern me. lorez
I fully agree. And the DIC components, when available on ebay, are quite expensive.

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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#8 Post by KurtM » Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:59 am

As I said in my original post, I don't know enough about DIC to determine how complete it is, and until I get a better grasp this one's a no go.

Where do Optiphot DIC prisms live, I wonder? In the nosepiece or condenser? This nosepiece appears, to my uneducated eye, to have sliders for each objective which I'm thinking are DIC prisms, what else could they be? The condenser appears to me a very basic flip-top bright field condenser, but with a dark glass over the bottom which I assume is a POL filter, so it seems to be set up for POL with the analyzer in a slider upstairs.

Also, as I said, the condenser rack is on the DL. The knob turns without effect. I cannot set up for Kohler. That, I think, will make optical testing a real problem. Also, the optics need cleaning which further complicates any testing possibility. Checking for fungus I can understand, and will certainly do if I take this any further.

I guess at this point I wonder how much $$$ is a reasonable gamble... :P
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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#9 Post by 75RR » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:20 am

Not a very clear manual but it may give you some clues, assuming it is the right model

NIKON OPTIPHOT-66 manual

http://www.m2associates.com/wp-content/ ... Manual.pdf
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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#10 Post by apochronaut » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:24 am

Those objectives are 210mm , no cover. It's a incident light DIC. That could be really useful too. It all depends on the price, Kurt. Vertical DIC isn't anywhere near as expensive as transmitted DIC..

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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#11 Post by KurtM » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:44 am

Thanks for the manual, 75RR!

Phil, this is the first I ever heard of incident, or vertical, DIC.

Okay ... asking price: $950. Wiggle room, maybe $50 if that. This guy believes it's worth $1800 all cleaned up. He doesn't know caca about microscopes, but has been running an industrial surplus business for a long while, and this isn't his first microscope by any means.
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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#12 Post by zzffnn » Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:58 am

apochronaut wrote:Those objectives are 210mm , no cover. It's a incident light DIC. That could be really useful too. It all depends on the price, Kurt. Vertical DIC isn't anywhere near as expensive as transmitted DIC..
I echo what Phil said. But if you are mainly using it for pond protists, it is not worth $900.

Its objectives are designed for no cover slip use. Below 20x NA 0.4 it won't matter that much, but those 20x DIC and 40x DIC objectives won't be usable for pond water. Not quite usable, for insects, at >= NA 0.4 either. They are really meant to be used for very flat metallugical / industrial samples, which has also been suggested by the vertical illuminator, 210 tube length from Nikon and not-so-clean condition due to industrial use.

I won't mind playing with it, if you do buy it though :mrgreen:

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Re: Nikon Optiphot with DIC -- Should I Buy It???

#13 Post by KurtM » Sat Dec 12, 2015 5:08 am

Well, I hope you weren't getting your hopes up too much Fan! If it was the type of DIC rig that's suitable for pond life, then maybe I could sink some serious coin into it. I really wasn't expecting it to amount to much, though, as this surplus dealer sets high prices (compared to eBay) for equipment that's usually in poor condition and often incomplete. Still, I couldn't help getting an Adrenalin rush when I saw that DIC gear looking back at me!

I'm wondering who he sells that stuff to? Gotta admit, he does seem to move it.
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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