Leitz Aristophot

ray_parkhurst · Post by **ray_parkhurst** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:55 pm

A local surplus store has what looks like a complete Aristophot system (no lenses) and a couple of bases of different vintages. I almost bought the complete system, but remembered I'm in "divesting" mode. I could be persuaded though...the full system is $145, and the two stand/bases are $95 each. I could probably get all 3 for $250. But what to do with them? They are certainly a wonderfully-stable platform for vertical setups. I could probably use the full system and a few parts, but would have a bunch of extra stuff left over. Anyone need Aristophot parts?

enricosavazzi · Post by **enricosavazzi** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 12:29 am

I had at least two Aristophot II bases passing through my hands in the last 20 years or so, and used them for a while, but I ended up getting rid of both. They are well-built, but not the best in terms of stiffness and versatility because of the "bridge" design with twin pipe columns joined at the top. This means that the long rail is attached in its middle, but the bottom, i.e. the part closest to the base and most often used at high magnification, is free to vibrate. This problem could in principle be alleviated by re-machining and attaching the bottom of the rail directly to the base.

I also wondered about filling the twin columns (relatively thin-walled) with concrete or molten lead to stiffen them and increase their mass, but never got around to it because nowadays it is not that difficult to build a base from scratch with T-slot aluminium profiles (I used 90 x 90 mm in one project, and there are even bigger ones).

Most of the Aristophot rails rust easily just by exposure to air, although there seems to be two types of metal, one of them more resistant to rust, the other a "rust magnet". I had about a dozen of these rails (some mounted on bases, some longer and apparently meant to be bolted to a wall), but I kept none because of this. Greasing them was only partly successful in keeping the rust away, and the grease always ended up on my hands and clothes when using the equipment.

vendav · Post by **vendav** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 3:20 am

So, that's a no then?

enricosavazzi · Post by **enricosavazzi** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 6:09 am

vendav wrote:So, that's a no then?

If someone is considering a purchase, it is good to know the limitations of the equipment, the experiences of previous users, and ways to overcome some of the problems. There is no perfect equipment, and for the price mentioned in this thread it may well be worth considering.

ray_parkhurst · Post by **ray_parkhurst** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 6:30 am

Sounds like I will pass on these. Thanks for the info!