Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

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KurtM
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Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#1 Post by KurtM » Sat Nov 27, 2021 7:22 pm

Ever since I got an Olympus BHS BH-2, some folks have wondered what shall become of my old Zeiss WL? Nothing drastic, I will be hanging on to it. As I've often said: it's one microscope that's as much fun to look at as look through, and will be displayed as art in my home if absolutely nothing else.

At the risk of ruffling some Zeiss feathers out there, I'll say that it really has been more fun to look at than look through at times, as it really isn't the most user-friendly optical machine I've ever operated. In this category the Olympus wins hands down, but the Zeiss will always sweep the beauty contest.

However, I love the images I get using the Zeiss as well, particularly of cleaned diatoms in permanent mounts. So now I'm working to eliminate or rework some of the things I dislike, to make it more pleasant to use. A huge improvement was putting the 100 watt lamp house and massive transformer/power supply into a storage drawer, and installing a Nanodyne LED illuminator in its place. I chose Nanodyne because I wanted plenty of high quality intensity, and boy does it deliver! If anything, it provides even more oomph than the 100 watt lamp, and at a fraction of the bulk, heat, and general hassle of the original equipment.

Next thing is to add permanent feet to the WL's base, to eliminate the need for a separate riser table. I have a wonderfully heavy and solid riser for this stand, but now I want to be able to move this scope from shelf to bench and back at will, and for this I've switched to a lightweight wooden version that'll serve until I arrive at a method of adding feet without making any permanent visible alterations. Anything I do to this stand shall be reversible back to original appearance.

So please be assured the good old WL isn't languishing unloved and neglected, but will continue to be an active and treasured bit of kit in my lab.

All photomicrographs below taken through the 63x/1.4 planapo objective, DIC. WL portrait made through Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens.
Attachments
Zeiss WL with Naondyne LED and custom riser plate
Zeiss WL with Naondyne LED and custom riser plate
11-26-21 8904_lzn 1024px.jpg (113.35 KiB) Viewed 5091 times
Diatom: Navicula sp.???
Diatom: Navicula sp.???
11-25-21 9285_zb_lzn_pn 1024px.jpg (102.68 KiB) Viewed 5091 times
Diatom: Craticula ambigua
Diatom: Craticula ambigua
11-25-21 9313 PMax_zb_lzn_pn 1024px.jpg (93.58 KiB) Viewed 5091 times
Diatom: Pinnularia parvulissima?
Diatom: Pinnularia parvulissima?
11-25-21 9337_lzn_zb_pn 1024px.jpg (88.67 KiB) Viewed 5091 times
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

Hobbyst46
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#2 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sat Nov 27, 2021 8:10 pm

What lovely photos (all of them).

The wooden riser itself is very nice. Probably self-made ?

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Wes
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#3 Post by Wes » Sat Nov 27, 2021 8:22 pm

Nice scope and images. How do you do your direct projection?
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
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zzffnn
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#4 Post by zzffnn » Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:37 pm

Whew, good to see the WL is still getting love from Kurt :mrgreen:

The Navicula image here is remarkably clean and free of CA / SA, Kurt! Quite a bit etter than that produced by Olympus Splanapo 100 / 1.4.

Was it because the diatom mount is better? Or somehow more optical correction / alignment is in place? Or was chromatic aberrations removed in software? I am just curious.

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75RR
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#5 Post by 75RR » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:06 am

.
Very nice detail
All photomicrographs below taken through the 63x/1.4 planapo objective, DIC. WL portrait made through Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens.
How were you supporting the camera?
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

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KurtM
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#6 Post by KurtM » Sun Nov 28, 2021 10:33 pm

Thanks for the kind comments, all!

Doran: Yes, the wooden riser is self made. But I'm an old cabinetmaker among other things, so it was the easiest thing I did all day.

Wes: I'm not sure I understand the question? There's a PK 2.5x photo 'eyepiece' inside the photo tube if that's what you're asking?

Fan, the Zeiss 63x/1.4 planapo is a phenomenal objective; not always easy to use, sometimes impossible, it pays dividends if you give it what it wants (demands). It's impossible to make a meaningful comparison between it and the 100x/1.4 planapo unless I put both lenses on the same turret, then shoot the same subject, and do all the other things necessary to make it as fair as possible. Even then it'd be impossible (for me) to provide matching DIC prisms for both on the same stand. I do some post-processing of every image I make, but can't say I specifically target CA. (Maybe I'm having brain cramps, but what's SA?).

Glen, the scope portrait was handheld. I get loads of practice shooting handheld in the 1/60 to 1/125 range, and of course IS and AF help a lot.
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

tlansing
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#7 Post by tlansing » Mon Nov 29, 2021 1:15 pm

Hi Kurt, great pictures. I was very interested in your use of the Nanodyne LED illuminator. You mention that you get at least and maybe more oomph from the LED illuminator than with the 100W halogen lamp. I also have a Zeiss microscope (PM3) with DIC optics so having sufficient light is a must. Also, I have read about the IR that comes from the halogen bulb can be a hazard for the protists that I commonly want to observe and LEDs don't emit UV or IR. I am interested in getting an LED illuminator for my scope and it sounds like, in your opinion, that the Nanodyne is a great choice. Any additional comments/information would be appreciated. Thanks! Tim

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Wes
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#8 Post by Wes » Mon Nov 29, 2021 2:16 pm

KurtM wrote:
Sun Nov 28, 2021 10:33 pm
Wes: I'm not sure I understand the question? There's a PK 2.5x photo 'eyepiece' inside the photo tube if that's what you're asking?
Yes, that was my question. Thanks.
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel

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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#9 Post by KurtM » Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:38 pm

Tim, if you want my opinion of Nanodyne products, this is my second one - how's that?

The first one came with my BHS BH-2, which I purchased from a member of this forum, and although the 100W lamphouse was also included, I never used it so I never compared them. All I know is that the Nanodyne provides plenty of high quality illumination even when using the 100x/1.4 objective, DIC, oil top & bottom, and the trinoc's two-way beamsplitter. I'm not saying it's loafing along at half throttle, don't get me wrong; I run it full blast in that case, but I never feel like I want just a little bit more, as I so often have in the past, with other scopes. I'm getting the same results with the WL when using the 63x/1.4 objective, DIC, and Optivar cranked all the way up. Fit and finish of the units is impressive, and I'm confident Nanodyne will be responsive should problems develop.

Wes, I love the image at the top of your Youtube channel!
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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Wes
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#10 Post by Wes » Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:22 am

KurtM wrote:
Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:38 pm
Wes, I love the image at the top of your Youtube channel!
Glad you like it, its from this thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9379&p=80397&hilit= ... ria#p80345
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel

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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#11 Post by KurtM » Tue Nov 30, 2021 3:05 pm

KurtM wrote:
Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:38 pm
Tim, if you want my opinion of Nanodyne products, this is my second one - how's that?

The first one came with my BHS BH-2, which I purchased from a member of this forum, and although the 100W lamphouse was also included, I never used it so I never compared them. All I know is that the Nanodyne provides plenty of high quality illumination even when using the 100x/1.4 objective, DIC, oil top & bottom, and the trinoc's two-way beamsplitter. I'm not saying it's loafing along at half throttle, don't get me wrong; I run it full blast in that case, but I never feel like I want just a little bit more, as I so often have in the past, with other scopes. I'm getting the same results with the WL when using the 63x/1.4 objective, DIC, and Optivar cranked all the way up which is also strenuous on the light supply. Fit and finish of the units is impressive, and I'm confident Nanodyne will be responsive should any problems develop.

Wes, I love the image at the top of your Youtube channel!
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#12 Post by KurtM » Tue Nov 30, 2021 3:06 pm

Well see there, I'm glad I said something. That's a very interesting thread that I must have missed the first time around. Spectacularly nice images, too!
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

lorez2
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#13 Post by lorez2 » Wed Dec 01, 2021 2:27 am

Good work, Curt.

I always enjoy seeing what you are doing.

I think you are spot on with the Nanodyne systems. They are very nice and reasonably easy to install.

lorez
Nikon 80i

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KurtM
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#14 Post by KurtM » Wed Dec 01, 2021 3:04 pm

lorez, it's great to see you too, I've been wondering how you're doing lately. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

lorez2
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Re: Continuing Adventures with the Zeiss WL

#15 Post by lorez2 » Thu Dec 02, 2021 3:10 am

Curt, and all,

Keeping busy repairing microscopes, using microscopes, restoring antique microscopes, and occasionally sneaking out to the shed to make short boards from long boards (this is another forum)

Sadly, I haven't taken a photo for a long time.

lorez
Nikon 80i

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