Hello and some question about my "new" BHT

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Salva
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2013 5:43 am
Location: Norway

Hello and some question about my "new" BHT

Post by Salva »

Hello everybody! I am new to the forum and this is my first post.
Please let me introduce myself, I am a photographer and book designer from Barcelona with a great interest in the photographic aspects of microscopy. I have never use a microscope before but I have some macro knowledgement. Until now I got a lot of information just by reading and researching from many of your posts. Amazing pictures by the way! Still I have some doubt and questions I will like to clarify, if you can help me.

I will like to get started in photomicrography, and after some research I was putting together, piece by piece, a Olympus BH-2 BHT.
I will go for BF, DK and Phase Contrast and in a long run I will like a transmitted DIC system if I find it at a "reasonable price".

My BHT It is almost completed, what is missing are the lenses.
For your info my eyepieces are WK 10x/20L and 35 WK 10x/20L

For the condenser I got a BH2-PC 1:25 Phase Contrast turret with all the Phase Annular Rings, 10x, 20x, 40x, 100x

The questions are:
Do I have other lens option apart for the recommended in the Olympus BHS/BHT System Microscope Brochure? S Plan Achromat PL, NH and D Achromats.
In practical terms what is the deferences from S Plan Achromat PL or NH?

Can I use other brands?

Can I use a "normal" S Plan Apo for Phase Contrast? or do I need two sets? One for BF/DF DIC? and another set for Phase Contrast.
What is the function of the IF550 Interference yellow filter ? Part of the PC system in the Olympus Brochure (page 11).

What do I need for DF? Just the Darkfield Ring Attachment BH2-UDA? Please let me know what are the options. A different condenser?

DIC questions:
I got also a idea related to DIC that maybe is a total nonsense, just let me know.
If I open my Phase Contrast turret can I replace the PC Annulus Ring with the corresponding DIC Prism, UNP10, UNP20… instead to buy a expensive BH2-UCD Universal Condenser?

Let me know if I am correct, for Transmitted DIC, apart from the DIC Prism turret (BH2-UCD) I will only need a Nomarski DIC Intermediate Tube (for transmitted light) BH2-NA. is that correct?

I have other questions related to connect DSLR to the microscope but let save it for another post.

Thank you

and please forgive my bad english
Last edited by Salva on Tue Nov 22, 2016 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Pau
Site Admin
Posts: 6051
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:57 am
Location: Valencia, Spain

Post by Pau »

Hola Salva, benvingut al forum!

The forum members that use BH stands may give you better advice on specific model questions, I only can comment some general microscope ones

About darkfield:
- Check if your phase condenser has a position labelled D (some condensers have a darkfield stop in that position)
- If you have an empty position you can make a DF stop to fit, its adequate diameter is a matter of try.
- The phase rings may work as excellent DF stops for objectives of low NA, for example the phase ring 3 usually works fine for darkfield with the 4X or 5X objectives
- For objectives of NA > 0.6 up to 1.1 you may need a special DF oil immersion condenser

About objectives:
- For photo don't buy achromats, the suitable objectives series begins with Plan achromats. Plan fuorites and in special Plan Apos are clearly better but also much more expensive. I think that in Olympus system S series are better than D series .
- Phase objectives can be used in principle with most other illumination techniques, the main (small) issue is that the presence of the phase ring causes some donought shapped highlits in out of focus zones, and may in few cases interfere with a DF stop. DIC is a very delicate matter when you use components not designed to work toghether with this technique.
- You can use any brand DIN objectives but to get the best results be aware that they must be used with the matched eyepieces (from the same maker and era), I do so using Leitz objectives and eyepieces in my Zeiss microscope, but mixing objectives and eyepieces of different brands is not in principle a good idea (but may be in some particular cases)

About DIC:
You need the matched DIC prisms for your objectives at the condenser, a polarizer under the condenser (usually built in dedicated DIC condensers), a tube intermediate piece between the microscope head and body and the DIC slider with built in analyzer to fit in that tube.
Pau

Alan Wood
Posts: 381
Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 3:09 pm
Location: Near London, U.K.
Contact:

Re: Hello and some question about my "new" BHT

Post by Alan Wood »

Salva

The phase rings in the condenser must match the rings in the objectives. Therefore, you need to use Olympus phase objectives, either S Plan (PL or NH) or A (PLL, PL, NM or NH). All Olympus literature seems to refer to the basic achromats as D, but the objectives are marked A.

You cannot use an S Plan Apo for phase contrast.

The IF550 filter is green when you look through it. By restricting light to a colour for which the lenses are best corrected, you may get better definition.

The S Plan objectives are better corrected than the A objectives, with a flatter and wider field.

The Olympus LB Objectives brochure has 4 photos that illustrate the difference between PLL, PL, NM and NH phase.
http://www.alanwood.net/photography/oly ... s.html#bh2

For dark field, try the 100x phase annulus with x10 and x20 objectives, and perhaps with x40.

The BH2-UDA is intended to fit the BH2-UCD. I do not know if it could be fitted to a phase condenser.

Alan Wood

Sam236
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:39 pm
Location: CA USA

I tried

Post by Sam236 »

Hi
To answer your question about the dic part. The dic prisms bh2-unp or bh2-unpd (for apo) does not fit into the bh2 phase condenser (dic prisms have a larger dimension and there is no holes to lock the orientation of the prism) The dic prisms have the same size as the dic for the bx system. Olympus offers a large size(same dimension as the bh2-unp) and a smaller size. I never seen a smaller size in person and they are intended for the new models. If you really want to use the dic system, you can search for bx ucd 5position condenser, fits the bh2 condenser holder and either dic for bh2 and bx(large size ones) fit. They are cheaper and relative easier to find.
You may need a base that offer 100w of light. Dic requires a lot of light.
Best luck. Sam

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