Is this a setup I can grow with?

[ICSK]

Hello all, I've been doing a lot of research into my first microscope and was hoping to get advice from the knowledgeable people here. Here is the one I've chosen:

http://www.amscope.com/microscopes/7x-4 ... stand.html

I plan on using it primarily for working under (soldering, fossil preparation, etc.) hence why I picked a stereo zoom microscope. However, I would also like to take the occasional photo. I understand that by design I won't be getting as much light going to the trinocular port and that only one eyepiece will be usable while I'm photographing.

The thing I was hoping to grow with is the stand. It seems very sturdy from the videos I've seen.

Here are the things I wanted to know:

1. Is the only way to connect to the trinocular port via the adapter Amscope has? There seem to be reports on Amazon of CA and that the glass isn't that sharp. Would prefer a different solution, potentially one without external glass? I'll be using an APS-C sized camera so I doubt that'll be possible without serious vignetting.
2. Is the stand usable with other brands of microscopes? Here is a product link http://www.amscope.com/accessories/stan ... stand.html
3. If anyone has any comments about the quality of the glass I would love to know. I've read reviews comparing it to the likes of Zeiss, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, etc. but I'm somewhat doubtful the Amscope will hold a candle to these. Would love to be wrong though!
4. Anything else I might not have considered.

Thanks for the help!

[Pau]

Hi ICSK, welcome aboard.

I have at work an externally identical stereo* (binocular version) and it's very nice for visual work with the exception of the higher magnification where the image is too dark and not enough sharp (empty magnification very likely). And no, its optics don't play in the same league than new Nikon, Oly, Leica, Zeiss.... I have a 30yrs old Wild (now Leica) and it is clearly better, despite I can do the same work with both.
The offer price seems very good.
Parfocality when zooming is not perfect but workable. But for imaging I couldn't recommend it:
- Stereos in general are not very good because their limited NA, with the exception of few VERY expensive research instruments.
- I've tested it with a microscope camera coupled at the eyepiece tube and the image is clearly worse than with a normal compound microscope of similar price level.

So IMO it will be adequate for routine work and to take some documentation images at low magnification but not for good quality photomicrograpy

About the stand compatibility, there isn't a standard, you will need to check the rod diameter

* these are generic chinese instruments sold under different brands

[ICSK]

Thanks for the reply. I had a feeling that this might be the case with the trinocular port. In that case I might skimp out in favor of better optics. My camera is light so I don't mind hanging the weight of it with adapters off of the eyepiece tube.

How easy are microscopes to clean? Would I be better off optically buying an older microscope assuming similar price points? I don't think I would be able to get a scope from any of the big 4 but I remember reading a similar post to mine and the recommendation there was a Meiji? Possibly an EMT series?

Edit: Also, is this what you mean by rod diameter when talking about compatibility between stands?
http://imgur.com/UXOJc2U

[Pau]

- About trinocular: if you want to use the instrument to take pictures it's much more convenient, another question is what adaptation to use, I'm tired to see people having issues with badly designed photo adapters from Amscope. If the phototube can hold an eyepiece at parfocal position you can easily make an afocal arrangement.
-Objectives and eyepieces are not difficult to clean (at least normal dirt) but for cleaning internal optics you need to dismount the instrument: very delicate work and often it may destroy the optics alignment, this can vary a lot between instruments.
- Meiji has very good reputation (but I have no experience)
- Yes, I'm referring to the diameter of the rod that mounts into the hole marked in your picture: there are several diameters (and also many stereos that use other types of mounts)

[ICSK]

Pau I'd hate to use the trinocular setup from Amscope as well. I'll have to do more research into the options though. Maybe something from http://www.meijitechno.com/camera_adapters.htm

P.S.
Just for someone's reference in the future. The post hole of Amscope's double arm boom stand is 1.25" (31.75mm). A non-standard size but luckily the holder ring is 3" (76mm) which is.

[Pau]

Pau I'd hate to use the trinocular setup from Amscope as well. I'll have to do more research into the options though. Maybe something from http://www.meijitechno.com/camera_adapters.htm

I'm pretty sure that the linked adapters will work fine with Meiji scopes, but not so sure about its compatibility with other systems. You would need to check:
- phototube diameter
- parfocal position of the end of the phototube
- presence or not of aberration corrections (unlikely for stereos but usual for finite corrected compound microscopes)