8 replies to this topic

[Jethro777]

It is in Australia, not that that means much..

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[Jethro777]

Is it a good one to learn?

What would it let me explore, what are it’s limitations? 

Edited by Jethro777, 01 December 2018 - 07:02 AM.

[stevie]

Looks like a olympus to me .

http://www.alanwood....hc-brochure.pdf

[aneeg]

The stand is very much like a Zeiss Jena Laboval 3.

 

Arne

[Microscopy]

It's an Olympus CH clone, probably made in China or India.

[Jethro777]

Yes. 

I think you got it.  

[Microscopy]

Is it a good one to learn?

What would it let me explore, what are it’s limitations? 

Those are difficult questions... It all depends on how much effort the maker has put in manufacturing this microscope...

I have a few original Olympus CH©'s (not to be confused with the later CH2-series!) and they're pretty good microscopes.

If it's a truthfull CH-clone, it should be possible to use (second-hand) Olympus parts and parts for Olympus CH, manufactured by several after-market manufacturers.

 

Judging from your picture, that microscope is probably equipped with 4/10/40 achromats. If it's any good it should have a focusable (and preferably centerable) condenser with an N.A. of at least 0.70, or 0.90 - 1.25 if you would like to use an oil immersion objective 100/1.25 (which is not to be recommended for unexperienced users).

 

It has a build-in illuminator not permitting Köhler illumination, but that shouldn't be much of a problem, at least not for a first microscope (microscopists have their own version of the "aperture fever" of astronomers...).

This is the type of microscope one sees here in pretty much every high school biology lab/classroom, so anything in the high school biology curriculum should be explorable.

[Jethro777]

Awesome.  

May I ask, I want to buy a microscope for my wife, what sort of thing should I look for?  Mono, or Stereo?  Biological or...?  We just want to put things under the microscope and enjoy seeing amazing things in colour.  

What motivated us was this incredible website.  https://www.mikrosko...php?board=20.0 

 

Specifically - https://www.mikrosko...p?topic=32697.0

 

It's German - but the pictures in the competitions are just breathtaking.  

Edited by Jethro777, 11 December 2018 - 02:14 AM.

[Microscopy]

Regarding the specific picture you mentioned (https://www.mikrosko...p?topic=32697.0), that one (very impressive indeed!) has not been made with a (stereo) microscope, but with a macrophotograpy setup using an Apo Rodagon 50mm/2,8 at f/3,5 on bellows. See: https://www.mikrosko...m.de/index.php? PHPSESSID=415a60f98bb6fa11d0299f0541810880&topic=32586.0, the last message on page 1.
Magnification is 5x ("Makro ABM" = "Makro Abbildungsmassstab" = macro magnification), leaving aside for a moment the difference between 5:1 and 5x.

 

The closest thing that comes to that  (for observing, not for photography!) is a binocular loupe, something like this (my vintage 1970's - 1980's ZEISS Stemi DR):

 

 

This is someting completely different, compared to the picture of the microscope in your first message!