Binocular head problems revealed eye defects

[Wes]

I am using a Standard KF Zeiss instrument and recently bought a binocular head from ebay. It was such a relief to finally be able to use both of my eyes after many years with a monocular head. However I noticed some disturbances in the right optical pathway and decided to open the binocular head and find the culprit.

It turned out that the defect is in my right eye. A static spot that blurs the image. Anyone has experience with this?

As for the binocular head I noticed that the optical trains were misaligned and had to spend a considerable amount of time fixing that problem. I like to be as close to perfect as possible when working with fine optics and eventually managed to align the two axes better than originally.

off-topic: do you have a marketplace here?

[SONYNUT]

the first time i used a stereo head all i saw was double vision..I had to force my eyes to align the image..now i have no problem...at first i thought it was the scope...

and yes i see every defect in my eye..worse since my eye stroke last year

[Cactusdave]

Yes there is a 'market place' within the forum http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... m.php?f=30

[rjlittlefield]

It turned out that the defect is in my right eye. A static spot that blurs the image. Anyone has experience with this?

Microscopes bring out the worst in eyes because at high magnification the eyepieces put out narrow pencils of light that can easily be blocked or misdirected by floaters or corneal or lens defects that are only minor problems in normal off-the-scope viewing where the whole pupil is used for the whole field.

You might be happier watching the output of your microscope on an HDTV or other high res monitor, if you can get one set up that works well. In that case your eye defects will behave the same as when watching TV or reading a book, probably a lot less intrusive than they are looking through an eyepiece.

--Rik

[Wes]

Another thing that I noticed was that the light intensity was slightly different in each eyepiece.

[gmazza]

Would revisit this, have seen reports that match the first statement of this topic also in astronomy forums.

Paradoxically what I'm experiencing is a reduction in the floaters, one possible explanation would be the two eyes offset the unilateral floaters. But I'm not secure this explain completely the thing.

[neurodoc]

I just read this old thread, but wanted to comment on it. Not sure what the OP meant by "static spot" on the right eye that blurs the image.

The most common eye problem that causes blurred spots are vitreous "floaters." These, however, are not "static." As their name implies they appear to move somewhat as you move your eyes. Many folks, especially nearsighted, have floaters. They are more visible when looking at a diffusely lit background...like the day sky or a microscope image...

A truly "static" defect in the visual field is called a "scotoma" and is caused by a retinal defect or damage to the more central image processing circuitry in gthe brain. Floaters are more or less translucent vitreous opacities that interfere with the image projected on the retina. It's also possible that defects in the lens and cornea could cause floater-like problems when looking through the microscope.

The OP mentioned that the light intensity was different in each eyepiece. This could be due to two different things: 1) a problem with the microscope binocular head that actually reduced light transmission to one eyepiece; or 2) a problem with the viewer's eyes ([i]i.e.[/i] one eye less sensitive to light). A common cause for #2 would be unilateral optic neuropathy or retinopathy. The viewer could determine if the microscope is at fault by alternately using the same eye to view through the eyepieces. If the image illumination is different, the microscope is at fault.