Microscope Nikon SE with the "Somatoscope III-zoom"

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fotoopa
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Microscope Nikon SE with the "Somatoscope III-zoom"

Post by fotoopa »

Saved just before the dump for scrap. I'm still looking for data from the upper part of the microscope (Somatoscope III-zoom). There are 2 microscope lenses:
Carl Zeiss Plano 40/1.0 Oel m.l.
Carl Zeiss Jena HI 100/1.25 160/0.17
The microscope operates still outstanding, little used, and has a very high resolution. The focus knob apparently has a resolution of 1 micron per division. Video output goes to the B / W 15 " MONS2B monitor.

Image
PA187420 microscope by Frans, on Flickr

Image
PA187462 microscope by Frans, on Flickr

Image
PA187427 microscope by Frans, on Flickr

I have done a test, including the video output to the monitor. Everything seems to work very well. I do not have oil for the lens now, but the image output was pretty good. I did the test with a object micrometer 2 mm/ 200 parts.
More info on this microscope would be nice!
Frans.

Choronzon
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Re: Microscope Nikon SE with the "Somatoscope III-zoom&

Post by Choronzon »

fotoopa wrote:The focus knob apparently has a resolution of 1 micron per division.
Frans.
Uh... no
I am not young enough to know everything.

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Frans, check the labeling on that focus knob. I'm guessing that it's labeled in microns, but with only 10 divisions per 20 microns so 2 microns per division.

--Rik

fotoopa
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Post by fotoopa »

rjlittlefield wrote:Frans, check the labeling on that focus knob. I'm guessing that it's labeled in microns, but with only 10 divisions per 20 microns so 2 microns per division.
--Rik
Thanks Rik and Choronzon.
There are 200 divisions on the fine knob. No more marks of units. So I need to check the real value. I'm going to measure it this afternoon.

Update check:

100 div / revolution ( 10 divisions for 20 on the knob)
5 revolutions = 500 div = 1 mm displacement.
So one division on the fine knob = 2 um.

Everything runs on ball bearings, including the X-Y object stage.
However, I do not have information about the Somatoscope unit. There is nothing on the internet how the interior looks. The system should also have UV light. I do not see this so I suspect this part is possibly missing. Perhaps I'm trying to open the upper part. I would like to assemble a recent color camera. Again, there is very little to be found about this Somatoscope, just about the original application. Apparently for live view blood analysis or other small cells on the B/W monitor. I would be satisfied with a conversion option for stacking photography.

Pau
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Post by Pau »

This is a really weird microscope!
It seems a reduced version of the Naessens somatoscope

I've also googled about and found some interesting infos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHwZ-JxnUSs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laSBUn1xTgw
https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Gaston-Naessens/28065942
https://es.slideshare.net/ranvirsm/biophotons-16402997
It seems that in its original form it's just a dark field microscope well showing the Brownian movement but with a lot of mystic paraphernalia with unsupported claims, a revolutionary theory and associated magical therapies :

https://fr.cerbe.com/714X

IMO, it could be lying in the shelves of a pseudoscience museum.

I guess that he upper part just seems a zoom relay lens mounted with the camera to be able to provide lots of empty magnification

If you finally butcher it and you have not use for the 40X oil objective, I have a good home for it :wink:
Pau

Ichthyophthirius
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Post by Ichthyophthirius »

fotoopa wrote:Perhaps I'm trying to open the upper part. I would like to assemble a recent color camera. Again, there is very little to be found about this Somatoscope, just about the original application. Apparently for live view blood analysis or other small cells on the B/W monitor. I would be satisfied with a conversion option for stacking photography.
Hi Frans,

From what I can gather, this "Somatoscope" story is related to live blood analysis. Like live blood darkfield analysis and related pseudomedicine, it relies on very high secondary magnification to introduce enough artifacts into the image for analysis :D

You can see that the tube is very long; lots of light is lost before it gets to the camera.

On the other hand, it is very easy to revert this back to a normal microscope. Just mount a Nikon phototube on top (this microscope probably has the regular Nikon dovetail connection) or convert it for direct projection.

Regards, Ichty
Last edited by Ichthyophthirius on Wed Oct 18, 2017 8:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

fotoopa
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Post by fotoopa »

Thanks Pau and Ichty,

Yes I have read the articles. The microscope stand is a normal version with above the somatoscope module. I have now opened the module. As indicated, just a B / W camera module with adjustable distance. No optic, no extra lenses internally. After examination of the camera module, it must be made around the years 1998. Some ICs are from that date. Also, the use of SMD components corresponds to that period. Here are some images of the internal Somatoscope:

Image
Somatoscope III-zoom PA197495 by Frans, on Flickr

Image
Somatoscope III-zoom PA197502 by Frans, on Flickr

Image
Somatoscope III-zoom PA197504 by Frans, on Flickr

Image
Somatoscope III-zoom PA197510 by Frans, on Flickr

Image
Somatoscope III-zoom PA197487 by Frans, on Flickr


I'm going to take that module away, and do something myself. Both lenses can be placed also on my old stacking unit. I will try to revert the microscope stand to an normal microscope. This somatoscope was a gift.

Frans.

Pau
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Post by Pau »

fotoopa wrote:The microscope stand is a normal version with above the somatoscope module. ...
The light source and condenser doesn't seem normal at all
...just a B / W camera module with adjustable distance. No optic, no extra lenses internally.
...camera distance to bottom plate
max: 415mm
Loose use of the zoom term!
It will not only give empty magnification but also lots of spherical aberration and with the Zeiss objectives CA due to the lack of compensating optics.
Just the design that one would expect to get super-resolution :smt102
Pau

fotoopa
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Post by fotoopa »

Pau wrote:...camera distance to bottom plate
max: 415mm
Loose use of the zoom term!
It will not only give empty magnification but also lots of spherical aberration and with the Zeiss objectives CA due to the lack of compensating optics.
Just the design that one would expect to get super-resolution :smt102

The light source and condenser doesn't seem normal at all
Full agreement Pau. For the light source, I already had a suspicion that something did not match. In the end, there will be only a few lenses and a focus block.

fotoopa
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Post by fotoopa »

There is another ring in the table. Possibly this is for the drackfield application. At the bottom there is a small lens. Seems to bundle the light of the halogen lamp. I have no experience with that. Besides the central part there are some circles.

Image
PA207546 darckfield lens by Frans, on Flickr

The 2 lenses:

Image
PA207536 lens by Frans, on Flickr

Image
PA207521 lens 100x by Frans, on Flickr

Could this work for darkfield recordings or still missing something? I really have no experience with.

Frans.

Pau
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Post by Pau »

No idea about the concentric rings device, is it placed at the condenser?

I normal microscopy you can get DF with the adequate dark field condenser up to NA 0.75 (dry DF) or up to 1.0 (oil immersion DF) approximately.
The 40/1.0 PA is provided with an aperture diaphragm to limit its NA for DF although with a good 1.2/1.4 oil condenser it can do DF without closing the aperture.
The Jena 100/1.25 doesn't seem useful for DF (some old objectives can be fitted with a funnel stop)
BTW both both objectives are to be used with oil immersion as you likely know
Pau

fotoopa
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Post by fotoopa »

Pau wrote:No idea about the concentric rings device, is it placed at the condenser?

BTW both both objectives are to be used with oil immersion as you likely know
Thanks Pau for the help!
I think you meant this:

Image
P1017595 condenser by Frans, on Flickr

Here you can see both sides. I need to clean that lens a bit better. Underneath is the 20W halogen lamp. About the oil immersion, yeah I know but have not yet. These are my first oil lenses I own.

Frans.

JohnyM
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Post by JohnyM »

It's sad to see good microscope and good lenses being disgraced like this.

Pau
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Post by Pau »

The lower lens seems normal for a condenser, the effect of the upper plate would be curious to investigate (with low hope about its magical features)
Pau

JohnyM
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Post by JohnyM »

Looks like multiple COL filters with some kind of ND between them? My guess it's supposed to introduce as much halo as possible so minute objects appear few times as big as they and brownian motion is overexaggerated. Also would kill real resolution as a bonus?

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