Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Have questions about the equipment used for macro- or micro- photography? Post those questions in this forum.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

MNBoldone
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:23 pm
Location: USA

Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by MNBoldone »

I am just wondering how people are storing their Nikon 26mm x 0.75mm objectives such as the BD Plans. I have purchased a few. One arrived with a cap, otherwise they arrive with a bit of lenses paper in a ziplock. I feel I should be putting them into a vial but the only 26 mm vials I can find are M26 X 0.706. Are most people just storing these objectives in a ziplock without problems, are people using M26 x 0.706 vials, or is there another approach I am missing?

Thanks,

Brad
Brad B.

Scarodactyl
Posts: 1617
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 10:26 am

Re: Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by Scarodactyl »

Most of the time those threads are compatible enough, especially in plastic.

MNBoldone
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:23 pm
Location: USA

Re: Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by MNBoldone »

Thanks,
That was what I suspected. After I posted I looked at the RAFCAMERA website just to see how he handled M26 thread sizes and he indicated his aluminum adaptors fit both threads. I think I will order some M26 plastic vials.


Brad
Brad B.

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4042
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by Chris S. »

Brad,

I held off on responding, as I don't have specific experience using aftermarket objective vials designed for Mitutoyo M26 X 0.706 lenses with Nikon M26 X0.75 objectives.

This said, I agree with Scarodactyl--these lens vials will probably will work well with the similar--though not identical--Nikon thread pitch. Even the well-made aluminum adapters I've tried tend to work with both Mitutoyo and Nikon, and plastic is more forgiving than aluminum. And from tests I've done, only about two complete threads on the lens fully engage threads on the vial. Having these few threads engage should create a good deal of thread-specificity forgiveness.

Since you intend to try this, I hope you'll report back on how well it works or doesn't work. Your experience will be a useful data-point for the rest of us! :D

Cheers,

--Chris S.

MNBoldone
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:23 pm
Location: USA

Re: Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by MNBoldone »

I ordered four objective vials for M26x0.706 thread on April 13. They arrived yesterday (April 29). I ordered 105mm height vials from AliExpress. I am largely unfamiliar with their website, but it looks like they host sales sites for other companies. The company offering these vials appears to be Amoyca Microscope Camera and adapter out of fujian, China.

The only other web site I saw selling M26 vials was Thorlabs. While they may have a better product (they had brass threads) their vials would have cost ~$11 each and the lids to go with them would have cost ~$17 each. Thorlabs offers vials in two height options - for objectives up to 50mm and up to 91mm long.

The 105mm high vials I ordered cost $2.99 each (including the lids). Total cost for four shipped to Minnesota, USA was $25.77.

AliExpress offers M26x0.706 vials in three heights (61mm, 105mm, and 115 mm). It is my distinct impression that they are the same, except for the vial height. The listing for the 61mm vials indicates that the inside height is "about 50mm (without include the cap)". I thought that inside height would be very tight for Nikon BD Plans, so I ordered the 105 mm height (inside height described as ~85mm). Looking at those numbers now, something seems "off". The inside height for the 61mm vials is stated to be 11mm less than the total height (61-50=11), while for the 105mm vials it is 20mm less. Assuming the cap is the same and the vial is similar I would expect the difference between inside height and outside height to be constant. Regardless, if my Nikon BD plan objectives would fit into the 61mm vials it would tight. The 105mm vials are indeed 105mm outside height and the inside height appears to be about 85mm. There looks to be about a 46 mm gap between a Nikon BD 40 0.5 ELWD 210/0 mounted in the cap and the bottom of the 105mm vial, the gap for a BD Plan 40 0.65 210/0 looks to be about 37mm, and the gap for a BD Plan 20 0.4 210/0 also seems to be about 37mm. If this vial was 44 mm shorter obviously the only one of these objectives which might fit would be the 40 ELWD, but I would be very cautious about screwing it tight. If purchasing these vials for any of these Nikon BD Plans I would recommend the 105mm height.

The vials were well packaged. They did seem to have a small amount of dust as they were unpackaged (only visible with magnification); I assume that is expected. All the threads seem to work well. The full length of the thread on the BD plan M26x0.75 objectives screws into the cap and they feel secure. The lids feel equally secure on the vials. I will be storing my BD plans in these vials.
Brad B.

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4042
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by Chris S. »

Brad,

Thanks for your thorough report!

I did not know about the Thorlabs objective cases. I'm sure they're very well made, but not sure what the use case is for a high-class objective vial at a higher price, when a cheaper one does the job well. Perhaps the mass of the brass bass lets one screw it onto the objective by letting it coast.

The longer vials are needed with 100x objectives--I know, as I searched long and hard before the product you reviewed, or one like it, came on the market. Until then, my Mitutoyo 100x/070 lived in a Zip-lock bag.

Glad they work for you. :D

--Chris S.

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23562
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Re: Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by rjlittlefield »

Maybe I'm just overlooking it, but I cannot see a specific link to these objective vials at AliExpress. My searches at AliExpress were not fruitful.

Can you provide a link to the ones that you purchased? Thanks!

--Rik

blekenbleu
Posts: 146
Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 5:37 pm
Location: U.S.
Contact:

Re: Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by blekenbleu »

Metaphot, Optiphot 1, 66; AO 10, 120, and EPIStar 2571
https://blekenbleu.github.io/microscope

MNBoldone
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:23 pm
Location: USA

Re: Objective Vial for Nikon BD Plan 26mm x 0.75mm

Post by MNBoldone »

Thank you blekenbleu,

Those are the ones I ordered.
Brad B.

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic