Re: Moving from Used to New...

Are you sure you want new? What do you consider "antique"?

Your budget would get you a top of the range research instrument of
late 70's to early 80's vintage (maybe later) and I'd have thought it
would support everything you could ever want.

Over the past 2 years, starting with a working Zeiss ICM405, I've built
up my amateur dream-machine. And it doesn't feel "antique" at all...

My system now supports transitted brightfield, darkfield, phase, DIC,
POL and various epi-illumination modes including BF, DF, POL, DIC and
(by changing lamp and filter block) epi fluorescence too (which I don't
use).

Photomicrography is supported with an EOS10D DSLR on the front
photo-port and a hi-res webcam as focus aid on the trinocular. I've
just bought an old cylinder lamp housing to add Koehler flash
illumination (some homebrew fibre-optic contraption - yet to take
shape).

Ebay was a great source for building a comprehensive collection of
PlanApo, Neofluar and HD epi objectives to round out one heck of a
scope. It's robust, ergonomic and operates at the physical limits of
optical resolution. It has one very, very contented owner too ;-)

Total cost to date is £3500 (similar to your budget). What's the cost
of similar quality and performance in a new "research grade" scope
today? Anyone know? I bet you could pay that much for a single PlanApo
infinity objective...

I guess I'm just trying to convince you not to dismiss second hand too
lightly. I think you get a lot, lot, lot more for your money (with the
usual "buyer beware" caveats of course).

Cheers
Beats

vc94545@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
After scrounging eBay and other sources over the last ten years to keep
my old Zeiss and Leitz microscopes going, I'm started to get tired of
it. I'd rather spend my time collecting and observing rather than
fiddling with antiques.

I've also come into somewhat of a windfall recently, so after much
thought, I've decided to splurge and treat myself to a brand new
microscope (look for my auctions on eBay soon as I sell off my
antiques).

Here's the problem: it's been a long time since I've looked at the new
microscope market and have no idea what's available and what's worth
considering. I'm assuming that all of the big four (Zeiss, Leitz,
Nikon, and Olympus) are still viable and worth looking at, but beyond
that, I'm clueless.

Whatever I buy will probably be the last microscope I buy, so I want
something that's upgradeable. I'm only an amateur, so I don't need some
of the more esoteric features, such as epi flour, etc.

My budget is $7,000.

- Don

.

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