Is this a Zeiss tube lens?

[Macrero]

Item is listed as "ZEISS 49 29 60 Infinity Tube Lens For AXIO Microscope Series F=160"
.




Is this really a lens tube? I thought it should have a more "complex" design.Will this work well with a Leitz PL Fluotar? A kind of a n00b with Infinity Systems...

I appreciate any help you can provide.

[Pau]

Googling for zeiss "45 29 60" it seems clear that it is

For some discussion take a look at:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 00a73b5972

It will work with Leica ininite corrected objectives, but at lower than nominal magnification and the compensation amount could be different. I've no more info about that infinite systems, with finite ones Zeiss and Leitz, corrections are pretty compatible but not perfectly matched
Note: be aware that Leitz industrial infinite objectives were designied to be used with Periplan compensating eyepieces while Leica more modern systems do the compensation at the tube lens, no info about their posible compatibility..
If your Leitz objectives are finite forget about tube lenses.

[Ichthyophthirius]

Will this work well with a Leitz PL Fluotar?

Hi,

I agree with Pau.

In general, these are the component that match:

[until 1990] Leitz (N)PL Fluotar infinity (RMS thread) + Leitz tube lens + Periplan compensating eyepieces

[1991-1997] Leica PL Fluotar infinity + Leica tube lens + L Plan eyepieces

[post 1998] Leica HC PL Fluotar + Leica HC tube lens + HC Plan eyepieces

With these combinations you get the best performance edge-to-edge. According to Leica it is possible to use Leica PL Fluotar (1991-97) on HC microscopes (1998 ff) with slightly worse performance on the edges; it is also possible to use Leitz (N)PL Fluotar (pre 1990) on Leica microscopes (1991-98); Leica had an RMS to M32 adapter for this!

I own a Leica (1991-98) tube lens; its a very heavy, complex optic. I don't know what the other two tube lenses look like.

The Zeiss Axio tube lens is very different. It's a single lens which compensates the colours just through its special curvature.

So using a leitz objective with an Axio tube lens will definitely give you an image. The performance in the center might be quite good. Good perfomance on the edges is unlikely (but possible); it's a matter of trying it out.

Regards, Ichthy

[Macrero]

Pau, Ichthyophthirius, thank you for the great info! Fortunately or unfortunately... seller ended this ad.

On the other hand, I'm not sure if the objective for which am looking for a tube lens is a Leitz PL Fluotar, nor even if it is a finite or infinity corrected... This one:

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=28338

Seller told me it is finite, but then it turned out to be (although I'm not sure yet) a Leitz PL Fluotar 5X LWD.

Another n00b question: he said he had tried the objective on a bellows with "good result". So, if it were infinty corrected, it would not form an image, right? Or at least the image would be of poor quality?

Anyhow, I guess the best would be to wait to receive the objective and try it. Right now I have only one lens that I can use as a tube lens, a Schneider G-Claron 210/9.

What a mess... I thought I was buying a finite corrected objective, I did not want to bother with tube lenses

[Pau]

...he said he had tried the objective on a bellows with "good result". So, if it were infinty corrected, it would not form an image, right? Or at least the image would be of poor quality?

"good result" will depend of the seller exigence. It it was a fully corrected infinite objective like a Nikon CFI, a 5X could deliver a good image, of course not ideal but pretty close. High magnification objectives are much less tolerant to tube lenght changes because spherical aberration.
But Leitz objectives do need complementary corrections done at the compensating eyepiece, so only the image very center could be good, outside it you'll see lots of chromatic aberration. I've quite a lot of Leitz objectives from plan achromats to plan apos and all of them need the Periplan compensating eyepiece

[Macrero]

"good result" will depend of the seller exigence

Fair enough.

It it was a fully corrected infinite objective like a Nikon CFI, a 5X could deliver a good image, of course not ideal but pretty close. High magnification objectives are much less tolerant to tube lenght changes because spherical aberration.
But Leitz objectives do need complementary corrections done at the compensating eyepiece, so only the image very center could be good, outside it you'll see lots of chromatic aberration. I've quite a lot of Leitz objectives from plan achromats to plan apos and all of them need the Periplan compensating eyepiece

Well, I shall see when I have the objective... Note to self: Do not compulsive buy! I spent about 50 euros on the objective, now I should buy a tube lens, for the money I could have bought some known and proven to work well M Plan. We learn from mistakes...