Olympus BH2 Condenser Mount
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Olympus BH2 Condenser Mount
I have just recently acquired an excellent Olympus BH2 Microscope, unfortunately, the Swing Out Condenser that came with the scope does not allow for Rheinberg or good Darkfield. I do not have access to the regular Abbe condenser either. I was wondering if it was possible to find a source for an adapter that makes a circular mount microscope compatible with a dovetail? The adaptation can be found in this post: http://www.microbehunter.com/microscopy ... .php?t=619
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Design might be of some interest although the listing ended some time ago...................
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Olympus-BH2-hol ... 1943500106
BR
John
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Olympus-BH2-hol ... 1943500106
BR
John
I have something similar to the adapter from eBay:
It is designed to accept 39mm diameter condensers, but when I tried it with the condenser from my Watson Kima the top surface of the condenser was 3 cm below the slide, far too low to be any use.
However, there is a design for Nikon microscopes with a similar condenser dovetail that puts the condenser in a better position:
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=38631
Alan Wood
It is designed to accept 39mm diameter condensers, but when I tried it with the condenser from my Watson Kima the top surface of the condenser was 3 cm below the slide, far too low to be any use.
However, there is a design for Nikon microscopes with a similar condenser dovetail that puts the condenser in a better position:
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=38631
Alan Wood
Re:
Hi Alan,
I would be really indebted to you if you could let me have some of the main dimensions on this piece because you could really help me create an adapter which would place alternative condensers at the right height on a BH2 stand.
The dimensions on the dovetail would be very helpful to compare with my own measurements of a BH2 dovetail and also to see how and where the 39mm opening has been accommodated on what seem to be very fine tolerances on the dovetail. ( I have failed to solve this so far and luckily it is only on paper !!).
Thanks Alan if you can.
Best
John
Re: Olympus BH2 Condenser Mount
Hi John
My micrometer calipers are cheap plastic ones, but here goes:
maximum diameter of dovetail: 46.7 mm
minimum diameter of dovetail: cannot measure, the caliper arms are too short and too thick
height of dovetail: 7.75 mm
internal diameter: 38.8 mm (seems too small, but I checked several times at different locations, the only condenser that I have is 38.6 mm diameter)
height of adapter: 16.8 mm
Here are 2 more photos:
I hope this helps.
Alan Wood
My micrometer calipers are cheap plastic ones, but here goes:
maximum diameter of dovetail: 46.7 mm
minimum diameter of dovetail: cannot measure, the caliper arms are too short and too thick
height of dovetail: 7.75 mm
internal diameter: 38.8 mm (seems too small, but I checked several times at different locations, the only condenser that I have is 38.6 mm diameter)
height of adapter: 16.8 mm
Here are 2 more photos:
I hope this helps.
Alan Wood
Re: Olympus BH2 Condenser Mount
Hi Alan
Yes, very helpful.
Is the internal diameter constant all of the way through?
I have a digital caliper which has flat blades which can just get into and around the short dimension of a BH2 dovetail if I am careful. The measurements are described as + or - 0.2mm. Not the very best I am sure but came out value for money in critical reviews.
So on the BH2 1.25 condenser I get 46.5 mm and 39.5mm - height 8mm.
Enrico got the following;
38.8 mm narrower diameter
47.0 mm wider diameter
7.9 mm height between flat mounting flange and bottom(bottom is the wider end of the bayonet)
Here...........https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 2612e132f4
Commenting "There may be minor size differences among the different Olympus condenser models, but all these condensers are supposed to fit the same attachment size."
My own requirement is a mount opening of 38.6 mm for a 38.2mm diameter condenser.
That might be a little generous but a machine shop has warned me not to go below a 1.0 mm wall thickness relative to the short dimension on the dovetail.
It seems that your adapter achieves what I want.
But the risk issue is whether the short end of the BH2 at 39.5 mm is correct amongst variation because it is so hard to measure !!
Thanks again Alan this gives me encouragement.
I wish that I had taken technical drawing and engineering rather than biology sometimes.........like now so if anyone can chip in please do.
BR
John
Yes, very helpful.
Is the internal diameter constant all of the way through?
I have a digital caliper which has flat blades which can just get into and around the short dimension of a BH2 dovetail if I am careful. The measurements are described as + or - 0.2mm. Not the very best I am sure but came out value for money in critical reviews.
So on the BH2 1.25 condenser I get 46.5 mm and 39.5mm - height 8mm.
Enrico got the following;
38.8 mm narrower diameter
47.0 mm wider diameter
7.9 mm height between flat mounting flange and bottom(bottom is the wider end of the bayonet)
Here...........https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 2612e132f4
Commenting "There may be minor size differences among the different Olympus condenser models, but all these condensers are supposed to fit the same attachment size."
My own requirement is a mount opening of 38.6 mm for a 38.2mm diameter condenser.
That might be a little generous but a machine shop has warned me not to go below a 1.0 mm wall thickness relative to the short dimension on the dovetail.
It seems that your adapter achieves what I want.
But the risk issue is whether the short end of the BH2 at 39.5 mm is correct amongst variation because it is so hard to measure !!
Thanks again Alan this gives me encouragement.
I wish that I had taken technical drawing and engineering rather than biology sometimes.........like now so if anyone can chip in please do.
BR
John
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Re: Olympus BH2 Condenser Mount
Maybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't it be easier to just get a regular bh2 Abbe condenser? They pop up on ebay from time to time for $40-$100.
Re: Olympus BH2 Condenser Mount
My OCD with this is my desire to mount a Reichert Polyphos which came to me as a gift a while ago.Macro_Cosmos wrote: ↑Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:39 amMaybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't it be easier to just get a regular bh2 Abbe condenser? They pop up on ebay from time to time for $40-$100.
BR
John
Re: Olympus BH2 Condenser Mount
Hi John
Yes, my adapter is the same internal diameter all the way through.
You will need to make sure that you can get the top of your Polyphos condenser close enough to the slide. When I tried an old Watson Kima condenser in my adapter, its top surface was 3 cm below the slide, far too low to be any use.
Alan Wood
Yes, my adapter is the same internal diameter all the way through.
You will need to make sure that you can get the top of your Polyphos condenser close enough to the slide. When I tried an old Watson Kima condenser in my adapter, its top surface was 3 cm below the slide, far too low to be any use.
Alan Wood