WTB: Nikon epi-illuminator

Interested in used equipment to buy, sell, or trade? Post here to find other members with matching needs. Personal equipment only, no dealers please.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

iconoclastica
Posts: 486
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
Location: Wageningen, Gelderland

WTB: Nikon epi-illuminator

Post by iconoclastica »

I am looking for a nikon epi-illuminator, such as this one on Ebay, of similar. In fact, the ebay-one looks quite good and complete, but for the missing "optional item". Isn't this a most important switch?

Preferably not USA (excessive shipping cost).
--- felix filicis ---

Photomicro
Posts: 112
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2017 11:01 am
Location: UK

Re: WTB: Nikon epi-illuminator

Post by Photomicro »

iconoclastica wrote:I am looking for a nikon epi-illuminator, such as this one on Ebay, of similar. In fact, the ebay-one looks quite good and complete, but for the missing "optional item". Isn't this a most important switch?

Preferably not USA (excessive shipping cost).
Hello there

I have a defunct item, without either of the irises but it does have the DF/BF part that is missing in this one. If you do end up going for the one in the ref. you can have this for the cost of the postage.

I am in the UK.
regards, Mike.

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/66189529@N08/

JohnyM
Posts: 463
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:02 am

Post by JohnyM »

Sorry for hijacking the topic. Do those illuminators cover APS-C sensor, or they cause vignetting?

Lou Jost
Posts: 5947
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Post by Lou Jost »

That missing part is essential.

It can be quite an exercise in frustration to remove the irises; best to move the whole iris-containing assembly of the first illuminator onto the second illuminator with the intact BF/DF switch. Even though it may be tempting to open up the iris housings, it will save you a lot of trouble if you resist that temptation....Do check for proper operation though, as these can fail.

ChrisR
Site Admin
Posts: 8668
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:58 am
Location: Near London, UK

Post by ChrisR »

I'm looking for one as well, also a lamphouse separately.
tag for me - epi illuminator dismantled
Last edited by ChrisR on Sat Dec 01, 2018 2:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Chris R

genera
Posts: 127
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:05 pm
Location: California, USA

Post by genera »

It may be that it's missing only the rod that moves the internal DF tube into or out of the optical path. People remove them all the time to use in other equipment.

Ask the seller to insert an M4 x 0.7 threaded rod and see if it will engage the threads on the BF/DF slider. The rod, either a long screw or all thread, would need to be at least 50mm long.

If the seller is unwilling or unable to try using a threaded rod you might consider making a low offer because it seems unlikely, to me, that someone would go to the trouble of removing the entre BF/DF slider. You're both in the EU and the seller accepts returns so it shouldn't be terribly expensive to try it yourself.

Make the offer even lower if it's also missing the polarizer from the front slider.
-Gene

iconoclastica
Posts: 486
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
Location: Wageningen, Gelderland

Post by iconoclastica »

Thanks everyone for your comments and advice. It's hard to feel sure about these things, not ever having had one in my hands to have a proper look at it.

Indeed, the seller being a EU company, the risk seems limited to the shipping cost. I made a much lower offer and will see what happens next.

@Photomicro: if it turns out that that rod is the only thing missing, it'd be great if I could have yours.
--- felix filicis ---

Smokedaddy
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:16 am
Location: Bigfork, Montana
Contact:

Post by Smokedaddy »

For starters it appears to be a fair deal BUT you never know. Looks like they offer a return and eBay has 'always' been good about returns in my cases. I would simply make a lower offer and mention in your offer. I've been quite surprised how LOW some are willing to go. I just purchased a really nice MM-11 on eBay that they were asking $500 or make offer. I offered them $100 and they accepted.

FYI, my threaded knob appears to be a M4 0.75 thread. I wouldn't think a replacement wouldn't be hard to find on eBay OR to make something that worked.

I also purchased one of these on eBay for my Optiphot Biological a while back. Of course BEFORE I made the offer I asked a lot of questions. The seller said it was in excellent working condition but that wasn't true. It had many missing internal parts, I had to reassemble the iris, it didn't open and close properly either, the threads were damaged for the adapter that goes into the lamphouse, and the hub had a crack in it and many other issues. Sometimes you get great deals and sometimes you don't.

Image

Image

-JW:

Lou Jost
Posts: 5947
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Post by Lou Jost »

Where your label says "Something was missing here...", that's where a second very fragile iris should go. It is the more important of the two irises. The blades are loose, as in the other iris which you do have. Anyone taking that apart would dislodge the iris blades, and as I mentioned in a comment above, it is hell to put that little iris back together, though it can be done with lots of patience.

I know because I took mine apart and of course the blades went everywhere. it took me hours to put back together. But I am glad I looked at those irises, because the bigger one was put together wrong.

Smokedaddy
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:16 am
Location: Bigfork, Montana
Contact:

Post by Smokedaddy »

Lou Jost wrote:Where your label says "Something was missing here..."
I know, it took me several hours as well to figure it all out. A real PITA that's for sure.

iconoclastica
Posts: 486
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
Location: Wageningen, Gelderland

Post by iconoclastica »

Riverside_retro, the Ebay-seller, did not respond to my questions and let my offer time out, so I left it at that. Bought one from Germany instead, even though that one is without lamp and power supply, but got it for half the amount they listed it with.

I already found an interesting DIY LED thread here...
--- felix filicis ---

iconoclastica
Posts: 486
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
Location: Wageningen, Gelderland

Post by iconoclastica »

Got my illuminator today; I am not disappointed. The irides work and so does the BF/DF-switch. It appears that for every hole I alread had got a filtery thing that just fits in, if you will excuse my tech-speech...
  • does a manual exist telling how to properly use the epi-illuminator and what all the filters are for?
There's no lamp house attached. I get an impression of what it's going to be by shining a bright torch into the illuminator end. The additional 50mm tube length makes a world of difference to the 100x M-plan objective. I had been quite surprised that I could use it at all under the original 160mm tune length, but the image quality is much better now. Just out of sheer joy having made my best spore photo ever I will show it here.

Now it's to making a light again, at least, it seems to me that with today's LED technology making one is preferable over searching ebay for a used unit. Only I wonder about the collector (?) lens that should sit between the lamp and the illuminator. Has it been figured out here how to do this?

Image
spores of Asplenium scolopendrium (fern); Nikon M-Plan 100x/0.90, bright field illumination
--- felix filicis ---

ChrisR
Site Admin
Posts: 8668
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:58 am
Location: Near London, UK

Post by ChrisR »

Not bad! What sort of "bright torch" did you use? What was the exposure time?
Chris R

iconoclastica
Posts: 486
Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
Location: Wageningen, Gelderland

Post by iconoclastica »

ChrisR wrote:Not bad! What sort of "bright torch" did you use? What was the exposure time?
I think you misunderstood me, Chris. I tried a small (one penlight battery) narrow beam flashlight, the one that normally powers the pointer of my discussion head but is in fact too bright for this purpose, and pointed it into the open end of the illuminator, until I could see the spores' surfaces. This works with the apertures wide open, but it's hard to keep the light in the optimal position. I can not make photos this way, until I succeed fix the torch there. It's just a q&d way to test the illuminator and see this new perspective for the first time.

The photo was made with the transmitted light from below. Hopefully in a few weeks ,when the electronics will have arrived from China, I can shoe the same subject in epi-illumination.
--- felix filicis ---

ChrisR
Site Admin
Posts: 8668
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:58 am
Location: Near London, UK

Post by ChrisR »

Ah I see. Try a cyclist's head torch - they come with an elastic headband!
Chris R

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic