Re: Quality of imported microscopes?

From: EarlCox (earlcox_at_earlcoxreports.com)
Date: 10/04/04 

Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2004 00:44:17 GMT

Michael,

   As far as I can recall from my last use, the optical resolution was quite
good. I didn't detect any blurring around the edges, but at such low power
that would hardly be unusual. Anyway, IMHO, and within reason, concerns
about lens quality (plan, fluorite plan, etc) becomes critical for high
powered microscopes but are generally not a problem for low power stereo
scopes (unless you get a really bad one!) For stereo scopes I look for
lighting capabilities, room on the stage, perhaps the ability to increase or
decrease magnification, and mechanical condition. But then, I am not an
expert on stereo microscopes. I do a considerable amount of photomicroscopy.
I use a wonderful Nikon SK-e trinocular from the middle 1960's that has been
restored to nearly mint condition. I also use a terrific B&L binocular that
I bought twenty years ago from Maryland Optical Company (then located on a
side street behind Penn Station. They also sold me a mint condition Unitron
refractor telescope -- a huge 4" beast with giant wooden tripod and a very
noisy equatorial drive. It's been replaced by my Meade 10" LX200, but I
still love to take it out every once and awhile!). I've been an amateur
protozoologist since I got my first Gilbert microscope fifty years ago when
I was seven years old (and, at 14, won a state science fair on The Effect of
Nicotine of the Mitosis of Protozoa). I've gone through lots of cheap ones
and a few very expensive ones. But I can't say anything more about stereo
'scopes on eBay.

   Good luck,
   Earl 

--
E a r l  C o x
Founder and President
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AUTHOR:
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(due Early Fall 2004)
"Michael A. Covington" <look@ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
news:41607dbf$1@mustang.speedfactory.net...
>
> "EarlCox" <earlcox@earlcoxreports.com> wrote in message
> news:yfZ7d.51865$ci3.2338828@twister.southeast.rr.com...
> >I have a friend who runs an engineering design company and he bought two
of
> > these stereo-microscopes on eBay. For his work they are just fine. I
also
> > use one of them on my field trips to collect and classify myxomycetes
> > (slime
> > molds). I find, for this kind of field work, the optics and the movement
> > are
> > fine. Anyway, for a 160 bucks, they are pretty nice and are almost a
> > disposable scope. If you don't like the optics or the movement, you can
> > probably sell it for part of your original costs and move up to one of
the
> > name brands in the $500 to $800 range  I suspect, however, that my
> > pragmatic
> > approach to what is "fine" (that is, measuring the scope quality on
> > something akin to an economic utility function) will not sit well with a
> > lot
> > of people. And, of course, any time you buy a non-name brand instrument
> > (especially on eBay) you run the risk of getting something that is far,
> > far
> > less than fine.
> >
> > Earl
>
> Thanks.  Can you describe the optical quality in more detail?  When you
look
> at a flat, regular object, such as maybe a piece of lens paper held flat,
do
> you see a lot of blurring or color fringing at the edges?  Is the image
> sharp at center of field?  Is the eye relief adequate for use with glasses
> on?
>
> Most of my experience with a microscope is with a Nikon binocular
microscope
> (originally from a doctor's office, I think) that is about 40 years old
but
> has (for its time) excellent optics.  (Plan-achromat objectives,
compensated
> eyepieces with long eye relief.)  Of course, it's designed to work at much
> higher powers than a low-cost stereo microscope.  Will I notice a big step
> down in optical quality?
>
>

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