Nikon , Olympus, Meiji, Swift Focus Blocks; & Setups
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Nikon , Olympus, Meiji, Swift Focus Blocks; & Setups
This is the older version of this MFU. It's huge and weighs about 6 lbs. I have removed the base, that attaches it to a boom stand, and replaced it with a wood base to attach to my set-up. Just have to figure out how to mount the specimen on the large moveable top piece that is permanently fixed to the base.
A newer version currently available. Seems that they have improved the focus dials.
HERE
EDIT - 2 Feb 09
Rik wrote this
"Please avoid posting images in someone else's topic, unless that person has clearly indicated that followup images are welcome."
HERE
I welcome other images of focus blocks and/or images showing how they are used.
EDIT: 3 Nov 08 - title changed
Last edited by NikonUser on Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:54 am, edited 5 times in total.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
Click on "HERE" in my original post, and/or check on e-bay.mgoodm3 wrote: Where are focus blocks found?
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
- Charles Krebs
- Posts: 5865
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:02 pm
- Location: Issaquah, WA USA
- Contact:
NU,
This should be a great piece for your purposes.
This should be a great piece for your purposes.
I have the similar Olympus piece and no first hand experience with the Nikon you show here, but I would be extremely surprised if that "top piece" is not removable. (But don't dig too deep if you think you might wind up looking for dozens of small ball-bearings on the floor )how to mount the specimen on the large moveable top piece that is permanently fixed to the base
The black top plate looks as though it will come off, 4 screws. The moving piece is attached to a conveyor belt in a window; you can just see the front end of this window. I don't think I will attempt any disassembly. Tried to fix a very smooth running fan once, and lost the 2 ball bearings that the shaft impinged upon.
On another note. Finally got hold of a 50/2.8 El-Nikkor (the older one, without the N). Has a female thread on the front that appears to be 40mm diam. I believe this lens has to mounted in reverse on my bellows (Nikon PB-6). Do you know if the diameter is 40mm or perhaps 39 or 41 mm?
On another note. Finally got hold of a 50/2.8 El-Nikkor (the older one, without the N). Has a female thread on the front that appears to be 40mm diam. I believe this lens has to mounted in reverse on my bellows (Nikon PB-6). Do you know if the diameter is 40mm or perhaps 39 or 41 mm?
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
Thanks, exactly what I need to know.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
- augusthouse
- Posts: 1195
- Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2006 1:39 am
- Location: New South Wales Australia
In reference to lense aspect:
Another option is to use a Nikon BR2A. It has a Nikon bayonet fitting on one side which attaches to Nikon bellows or extension rings and a 52mm male thread on the other that will atttach to the filter thread of a reversed Micro Nikkor, for eg; or the female 52mm thread on a 40.5mm - 52mm step-up ring.
Google Image Search results for Nikon BR2A.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q ... ages&gbv=2
To enclose and protect the end of a reversed Nikon lense, EL-Nikkor or Micro Nikkor I use a Nikon BR3. It allows you to attach filters... To use the BR3 with a reversed EL-Nikkor you will still need the 39mm to Nikon Mount adapter.
Google image search results for Nikon BR3:
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&h ... rch+Images
Craig
* edited 1 typo
Another option is to use a Nikon BR2A. It has a Nikon bayonet fitting on one side which attaches to Nikon bellows or extension rings and a 52mm male thread on the other that will atttach to the filter thread of a reversed Micro Nikkor, for eg; or the female 52mm thread on a 40.5mm - 52mm step-up ring.
Google Image Search results for Nikon BR2A.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q ... ages&gbv=2
To enclose and protect the end of a reversed Nikon lense, EL-Nikkor or Micro Nikkor I use a Nikon BR3. It allows you to attach filters... To use the BR3 with a reversed EL-Nikkor you will still need the 39mm to Nikon Mount adapter.
Google image search results for Nikon BR3:
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&h ... rch+Images
Craig
* edited 1 typo
Last edited by augusthouse on Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"
- augusthouse
- Posts: 1195
- Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2006 1:39 am
- Location: New South Wales Australia
NU,
Just a thought.
Have you considered the advantages of using this particular focus block in a vertical configeration? It would require using the 24.5mm post mount attachment or the four bolt holes on the back side for mounting to a suitable base. The nosepiece mounting dovetail assembly could be utilised to support an appropriate stage.
I am working on a similar arrangement myself using an Olympus BHMJ focus block in a vertical configeration.
............................................
Getting back to the horizontal approach...How much useable 'thread' is there in the highlighted areas of the image below? It is hard to tell from the angle of the image; but there appears to be a thread in there to which a horizontal plate serving as a stage could be attached??
There also appears to be a good area, indicated in the image below, for attaching a right-angle bracket to the "moveable piece", such as the Thorlabs AP90 or a Newport 360-90, just as an example. A suitable stage or platform could then be attached to the right-angle bracket.
http://www.lightglassoptics.com/Thorlab ... 4-546.html
Craig
Just a thought.
Have you considered the advantages of using this particular focus block in a vertical configeration? It would require using the 24.5mm post mount attachment or the four bolt holes on the back side for mounting to a suitable base. The nosepiece mounting dovetail assembly could be utilised to support an appropriate stage.
I am working on a similar arrangement myself using an Olympus BHMJ focus block in a vertical configeration.
............................................
Getting back to the horizontal approach...How much useable 'thread' is there in the highlighted areas of the image below? It is hard to tell from the angle of the image; but there appears to be a thread in there to which a horizontal plate serving as a stage could be attached??
There also appears to be a good area, indicated in the image below, for attaching a right-angle bracket to the "moveable piece", such as the Thorlabs AP90 or a Newport 360-90, just as an example. A suitable stage or platform could then be attached to the right-angle bracket.
http://www.lightglassoptics.com/Thorlab ... 4-546.html
Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"
Craig, thanks for your interest.
For horizontal use:
I have rigged up a specimen holder for this block; not pretty, but stable as can be appreciated from the lower image of the chelicerae:
HERE
the distance between the two outside tips is exactly 0.40mm.
Problem now is the halos that HF puts around parts of specimens.
Those 2 front holes are 1/8" diameter and 3mm deep with an unknown thread. However the back vertical plate is 7cm high and has potential for adding a specimen holder.
For vertical use:
I certainly prefer working in a horizontal configuration but for temporary wet mounts I really need to work vertically so that the subject stays in the horizontal plane. The Pseudoscorpion was in a vertical plane; had to leave it overnight, before photographing, to allow it to slide down to the bottom of the slide and stabilize. Much better if I could photograph it flat.
Currently I am trying to modify an enlarger stand to use the set-up in a vertical alignment.
From what I have seen, the Olympus BHMJ block appears to be more adaptable than this Nikon block.
For horizontal use:
I have rigged up a specimen holder for this block; not pretty, but stable as can be appreciated from the lower image of the chelicerae:
HERE
the distance between the two outside tips is exactly 0.40mm.
Problem now is the halos that HF puts around parts of specimens.
Those 2 front holes are 1/8" diameter and 3mm deep with an unknown thread. However the back vertical plate is 7cm high and has potential for adding a specimen holder.
For vertical use:
I certainly prefer working in a horizontal configuration but for temporary wet mounts I really need to work vertically so that the subject stays in the horizontal plane. The Pseudoscorpion was in a vertical plane; had to leave it overnight, before photographing, to allow it to slide down to the bottom of the slide and stabilize. Much better if I could photograph it flat.
Currently I am trying to modify an enlarger stand to use the set-up in a vertical alignment.
From what I have seen, the Olympus BHMJ block appears to be more adaptable than this Nikon block.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
- augusthouse
- Posts: 1195
- Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2006 1:39 am
- Location: New South Wales Australia