I friend of mine who has been working in the microscopy industry business offer me some objectives. I want to know which one to go for to get the sharpest picture of e.g a little ants head. These Are the ones he has for sale:
1 Luminar 16mm/2.5 Zeiss/Winkel
1 Luminar 25mm/3.5 C.Zeiss
2 Luminar 63mm/4.5 C.Zeiss
2 Summar 25mm/2.8 Leitz
1 Summar 42mm Leitz
1 Summar 12cm/4.5 Leitz M39
1 Photar 25mm/2.5 Leitz
2 SP-Reflex 1/3x
Thanks!
-ArnsteinS[/code]
Advice on objectives
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- rjlittlefield
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If you are short on funds, see also HERE, where it is shown that a 10X microscope objective gives significantly higher resolution than a Luminar 16mm/2.5.
I seldom use my Luminar 16mm/2.5, generally using either a Nikon CF N Plan Achromat 10X NA 0.30 microscope objective for higher resolution, or an Olympus 38mm/2.8 bellows lens for longer working distance.
--Rik
I seldom use my Luminar 16mm/2.5, generally using either a Nikon CF N Plan Achromat 10X NA 0.30 microscope objective for higher resolution, or an Olympus 38mm/2.8 bellows lens for longer working distance.
--Rik
- enricosavazzi
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Re: Advice on objectives
Basically, the three Luminars and the Photar are later designs of proven good performance. The three Summars are quite older designs with simpler antireflection coatings (or perhaps, none), and the comparable models I tested (mainly Leitz Milar) were not as good as the Luminars (more chromatic aberration, in particular). I don't know the SP-Reflex ones. The Zeiss/Winkel is the oldest among the Luminars, and it might have not-so-efficient coatings. The two other Luminars are newer, but there are at least four successive versions:arnsteins wrote: ...
These Are the ones he has for sale:
1 Luminar 16mm/2.5 Zeiss/Winkel
1 Luminar 25mm/3.5 C.Zeiss
2 Luminar 63mm/4.5 C.Zeiss
2 Summar 25mm/2.8 Leitz
1 Summar 42mm Leitz
1 Summar 12cm/4.5 Leitz M39
1 Photar 25mm/2.5 Leitz
2 SP-Reflex 1/3x
http://goto.glocalnet.net/savazzi.net/p ... rsions.htm
This is not to say that the older Zeiss Luminars are worse: the differences are minute, and probably not visible in practice:
http://goto.glocalnet.net/savazzi.net/p ... enses6.htm
The Photar 25 mm f/2.5 is not the latest either - I have no experience with this model, but I get good results with the newer 25 mm f/2. The extra 1.5 stops with respect to the Luminar 25 mm do make it easier to frame and focus. The Luminar, on the other hand, is a proven good performer.
In conclusions, I would pass up on the Summars (a bit too old) and the Luminar 16 mm (difficult to use), get either 25 mm for the subjects you describe, and perhaps also the Luminar 63 mm for lower magnification (I find it fine up to at least 5x, but a bit too dark to focus with an optical viewfinder above this magnification)
--ES