Olympus BHS Camera setup question

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bradr
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Olympus BHS Camera setup question

Post by bradr »

I hope to buy an Olympus BHS with the BH2-TR30 photo tube but I
wonder if my current camera setup will work.

I have an afocal setup on a Leitz stand. It is simply an
ordinary Leitz eyepiece that screws into an adapter that, in
turn, screws into the camera's filter mount and then plops into the
phototube. Nothing fancy but I find it adequate and dust free.

Will the Olympus photube allow an ordinary eyepiece to sit at the
proper height? There will be a bit of wiggle-room using a
focusing eyepiece.

Oh, yes...I plan to use my Leitz objectives and eyepieces.
Sacrilegious, I know, but I could never afford the Olympus
equivalents.

Thank you for your attention.

Brad

Charles Krebs
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Brad,

The BH2-TR30 trinocular tube, in "stock" form has a standard tube diameter for insertion but the upper section is too narrow for top of most "normal" eyepieces to seat fully down. The Olympus NFK photo-eyepiecess that would normally be used are quite narrow at the top, and fit well and seat properly.

I've never tried it but I strongly suspect it would be tricky to come up with an afocal set-up that is parfocal with the viewing eyepieces.

If you have some DIY skills it should be possible to remove the plate with the top dovetail and replace it with another plate that positions the eyepiece at the proper height for an afocal set-up that would match the eyepiece focus.

Pau
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Post by Pau »

If you plan to use your Leitz objectives and eyepieces, why to switch to a Olympus microscope?. There are very nice Leitz stands and maybe you could buy some or them at lower prices than the BH (That said I use my Leitz objectives on a Zeiss stand...)

And BTW, welcome to the forum!
Pau

bradr
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Post by bradr »

Charles -- Pau

Thank you both for your quick answers.

I suspected the Leitz eyepiece wouldn't fit.

I'm on a quest for DIC a piece at a time. What I want while
waiting for the pieces to dribble in is a 160 mm stand with a
changeable nosepiece and analyser slot. I guess Ziess, in spite
of its potential problems. is the way to go.

Off to look for some manuals.

Thanks again.

Brad

Pau
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Post by Pau »

OK, Leitz DIC stuff is difficult to source and there are different non compatible systems.
You can take a look at my hybrid DIC system
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?p=99260
This is not a recommendation as the results are not perfect, lacking enough evenness of DIC illumination with some combinations and obtaining DIC outside Köhler position in most cases. From the objectives tested only some 160 corrected ones do work, none of my 170 does.

(I've just actualized the objectives list)

The most compatible with not original objectives DIC system is the old Polish PZO. Some members get excellent results with it.
Pau

Ichthyophthirius
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Post by Ichthyophthirius »

Hi Brad,

As Charles said, the slot for the NFK projective is too narrow for most visual eyepieces. I assume you use the Leitz Periplan 10x/18 "glasses"; it would be too wide.

As he also mentioned, you can replace the top of the phototube with a custom-made part that would allow you to use normal eyepieces for afocal. It would look like this: http://www.mikroskopie-forum.de/index.p ... #msg174327

However, the CH/CH2 trinocular tube also fits the BHS. http://www.alanwood.net/photography/oly ... e-head.jpg This head would allow the use of normal eyepieces for afocal, even though it doesn't look as neat as a BH2-TR30.

Regards,

Ichty

dolmadis
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Post by dolmadis »

Hi Ichty

This question comes around quite often on here and other forums and continues to frustrate many in that they wish to avoid expensive part solutions.
Ichthyophthirius wrote:As Charles said, the slot for the NFK projective is too narrow for most visual eyepieces.
Noting the qualification "most" I am curious to know if you or Charles think that there any alternatives to NFK projectives that could fit?

Or one that could be easily modified?

Apart from those thoughts I found your post from 2014 which put forward and demonstrated another approach but using NFK 2.5X.

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=25345

As anyone progressed this? Do you have any further thoughts?

Alternatives to Tominon welcome.

BR


John

Pau
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Post by Pau »

I don't have a Oly BH but I have a NFK and I think that my Leitz Periplan 6.3X and Zeiss KPL 8X will fit because they have a narrow shoulder of the same diameter of the NFK (BTW I use them afocally)* In both cases just the upper end is wider but i think it will lay outside the BH2-TR30 tube

*most KPLs and Periplans do have wider shoulders
Pau

dolmadis
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Post by dolmadis »

Hi Pau

Many thanks for the input to alternative visual eyepieces which might physically fit the BH2-TR30.

Ignoring the image parfocality issues with the other two eyepieces do you think that one of these could produce an acceptable afocal image to camera from the BH2-TR30?

BR

John

Pau
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Post by Pau »

It depends of the objectives used because compensation amount is not standardized, although Leitz and Olympus are pretty close and Zeiss and Leitz work acceptably well when mixed despite Zeiss needing more compensation. I tend to use each one with their matched objectives. They are the eyepieces I most use with my APSC camera because my dedicated camera lens is a 63mm FL Zeiss photoadapter.

Parfocality is important, i think they would be parfocal but again I'm not 100% sure, it depends o the Olympus phototube length.
Pau

Alan Wood
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Post by Alan Wood »

The diameter of the top part of Olympus FK and NFK photo eyepieces is 24.8 mm.

Most eyepieces are wider than this, and so will not slide into the top part of the BH2-TR30 head.

I measured the inside diameter of an Olympus 38 mm circular dovetail as 29.0 mm. I cannot remember if it was a trinocular head or a PM-ADF eyepiece adapter, but I expect they are the same.

Alan Wood

Ichthyophthirius
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Post by Ichthyophthirius »

dolmadis wrote:This question comes around quite often on here and other forums and continues to frustrate many in that they wish to avoid expensive part solutions.
Ichthyophthirius wrote:As Charles said, the slot for the NFK projective is too narrow for most visual eyepieces.
Noting the qualification "most" I am curious to know if you or Charles think that there any alternatives to NFK projectives that could fit?

Or one that could be easily modified?
Hi John,

To be more precise, none of the Olympus LB visual eyepieces seem to fit. I, at least, haven't come across one.

Eyepieces of other manufacturers might fit but I can't test it as I don't have a BH2-TR30 at hand. A Pau said, some of the low-magnification, non-high-eyepoint eyepieces with narrow tops are good candidates, the Periplan 6.3x/18 or Zeiss Kpl 8x.

Thanks for the measurement, Alan. 24.8 mm; I'll have a look if I can find something suitable.

Personally, I use Leitz eyepieces (afocally) for my Olympus LB objectives. Leitz and Olympus LB have similar CDM and the results are quite good.

Regards, Ichty

Pau
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Post by Pau »

My Zeiss KPL 8X is a High eyepoint type (the non high eyepoint is much more common), the Leitz Periplan 6.3 isn't although it works well afocally with some lenses.
Pau

bradr
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Post by bradr »

OMG What did I start here? Pau's first reply sobered me up and
made me realize that I have some fine optics that I haven't even
begun to use effectively. Thank you, Pau.

Pau, your second reply, illustrating what must have been a
nightmare for you, scared me. I'm convinced that "DIC a piece at
a time" is not for me. Thank you again.

Now I'm off to appreciate what I have (and to count the money I
saved.)

Brad

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