New Old Microscopes - beginner looking for advice

[djohnsonfilm]

Hello All,

What a great online forum this is! I am so excited to join a community of talented macro/micro photographers. I have really enjoyed perusing the images posted here and I hope to eventually contribute some of my own work but first -there is so much I need to learn!

I am new to microscopes and micrography and welcome any advice. My main question is in regards to a couple of microscopes I recently purchased: I believe they are the reichert zetopan, and a reichert Me F2. They seem to be in mostly working condition and at $25 dollars a piece I couldn't pass them up!!!







My main question is about power supply for the trinocular scope. It appears to use a 12v halogen bulb but the wires look like they plug into a regulator or a converter (something I don't have) It seems to me like light is the first step to getting these scopes working again. Does any one have any advice or knowledge regarding wiring this kind of a thing? Also would it be better convert to LED lights? Any other advice would be greatly apprenticed.






Thanks for looking,
David

[Olympusman]

Zounds! That's a lot of microscopes for $50. Good for you.

Mike

[zzffnn]

David,

Congrats for your purchase! Do you mind telling me where did you get them for $25 each? A government sale / univetsity /hospital surplus auction?

I did not see objectives in your microscopes?

Sorry I am not familiar with Reichert or its lamp assembly. You may try using LED flashlight/frosted diffuser and change light direction using right angle prism (cheap acrylic prism costs less than $20). The hypotenuses face of the right angle prism can go under condenser to direct light up. Edit: you can also use a compact LED headlamp directly under condenser. Do use oblique field stop with high lumen LED though, as it can get too bright for eyes.

[Tom Jones]

Hi David,

The trinoc is indeed a Zetopan. I don't recognize the lamphouse or filter holder, and they aren't in Reichert's catalog or instruction manual that I know of. My guess is that it's an aftermarket or lab built lamphouse designed to house whatever filters are present in the filter holder.

Presuming the lamphouse lines the bulb up in the proper place, I see no need to consider switching to LEDs. Reichert made a 12V, 100W lamphouse, and I would guess that is probably the same size. The bulb may be marked.

So, all you'll need to find is a 12V, 100W power supply from any manufacturer (such as Ebay #321779635592, or 301148273423). Change the plugs on the end of your power cord to fit the new power supply and you should be good to go, presuming too there are no electrical issues with the lamphouse wiring. Since it's just a bulb there shouldn't be any +/-polarity issues

Also, here's a link to a Zetopan manual if you don't already have one: https://isurplus.com.au/manuals/Zetopan ... Manual.pdf

Here's another link from an earlier discussion on this site: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 591641b7ab

Tom

[phil m]

Zetopans came out in a Universal version , which had a plethora of attachments for any available microscopic technique current at the time.

Your Zetopan looks to have been set up as an interference microscope at one time. The illuminator housing is unfamiliar to me but has enough familiar looking aspects that I think it is original. Possibly a 200 watt mercury housing for transmitted fluorescence. Check the bulb# if it is visible and that will tell you what it is. I will do more research for you.

The attachment under the head is a vertical illuminator, for vertical fluorescence,pol or interference work. It all detaches from the dovetail above it and can be replaced with a nosepiece.

The original objectives would have been for vertical illumination and for no cover slip, however you can convert this microscope for transmitted use , so it possibly would have had a set for both , changeable easily on the dovetail.

You will need a condenser for biological work, as well as a nosepiece, and some objectives...probably 4. You will mostly see plan achros for them but they were 160mm, so many will work.

The other microscope is an ME F2 and it was a complicated metallurgical inverted microscope. The biggest thing missing is the illuminator, which normally was the standard 100 watt Reichert unit, found on a lot of Reichert microscopes but there was a specialized mount that put it at the correct height in order to fit into the input port.

I do have some parts for these. Send me a p.m. , if you are interested.

[djohnsonfilm]

Thank you all for the quick and helpful responses.

zzffnn, I picked them up on craigslist from someone who used to own some kind of lab. He hadn't used them in years and just wanted to pass them along to someone who would get some use out of them.

They both have objectives which were out of view in the pictures I took. Here is a close up of the two of them:

It does not appear to have a condenser the way it is currently configured.

Tom,

Thanks for the suggestion. That seems like a reasonable plan, unfortunately I am working with a 'microscopic' budget and can't currently afford either of those power supply options.

Phil,

Thanks for the info. I do have the stand for the ME F2 but no light source. The bulb says: OSRAM HLX XENOPHOT 64625 12v 100w German iE5

[zzffnn]

David,

For biological samples, you need a condenser and probably remove some parts of the epi illuminator. Like I said before, you can put a $10 LED headlamp under the condenser and use that as temporary light source. Or remove that rear lamp house and point LED torch down the opening. Or remove bulb in lamp house and replace with right angle prism and shine LED to hypotenuse face of the prism.

I use this LED torch for some scopes:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GFMA35Y/ref=yo_ii_img
And this prism fits under most of my condensers/scopes, but it may be too big to fit in your lamp house (search "right angle prism" at Amazon and you will find many cheap prisms of different sizes):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008AJ ... dp_summary

Neither of those objectives look like biological objectives (they are for epi metallurgical observation). The 63x is for 250 mm tube length epi illumination (from above) and no covet slip. I don't see enough marking from that short objective to tell you anything.

Do you have more objectives? You may need to show us more photos, if you want specific answers regarding light source repair.

If you want to use epi illumination, you can point a LED flashlight to epi illuminator's opening - assuming your epi illuminator is otherwise complete (just lacking a bulb or lamp power). Or simply point LED light from above directly to sample (add diffusion if needed) You can try to view a flat piece of newspaper with that 63x, to see if everything works.

Sorry I have no idea about the inverted scope.

[djohnsonfilm]

zzffnn,

Thanks for all the helpful advice / information.

I am feeling quite miss-matched for these scopes the more I learn about them! My main photographic goal is to take shots of small insects and other objects found in the natural world. I would also love to photograph micro organisms. At this point I am thinking of re-selling/trading this equipment for something more in my league as a beginner. Do you think this is a smart move or would you recommend sticking with these scopes and investing in new parts?

I am interested in taking the best possible images at the lowest cost. Obviously high quality equipment is going to be more expensive - which is why I jumped on these scopes. It seems like older equipment is a good place to find bargains because it was quality built but has lost value just from being old (although every part I have found for these on ebay is pretty much double what I paid for the darn things in the first place). Do you have any recommendations / resources given the information I have presented?

Being a complete beginner to all this I really appreciate the help and apologize for my ignorance.

Thanks!
David

[zzffnn]

David,

Sorry your questions are difficult for me, as many factors are involved. I know nothing about the Reichert brand. You may need to study it for a few months. I did lots of research and asked mnay questions when I started.

For your subject of interest, I suggest to keep the old scope and buy parts for it, if you like the overall feel (mechanics, design, usability).

To start, you just need a simple NA 1.25 Abbe condenser and 4-5 biological objectives (4x, 10x, 20x, 40x and maybe a 2-2.5x for bigger insects). I don't know what finite objectives tube length is need, maybe 170 mm? But you may need to change its current configuration. Please confirm with Phil M (who may also have parts for you).

If American Optical / Spencer parts can fit on your scope, then they may be the best bargain. Those parts may cost around $15-$30 each on eBay.

You may want to ask specific questions, such as:
What (brand and catalog number) objectives will work on my Reichert Zetoplan?
My Zetoplan has a condenser holdet of xx mm in diameter, what kind of condenser will fit?

For light sources, you can use LED torch as overhead light and LED headlamp as under stage light. Cost is about $12 each.

You can resell unneeded parts. Don't be surprised if you earn more than you paid for. Again research and research. Someone may pay $50 for your 63x objective alone - you never know.

The main bodies of your scopes may not be easy to sell, as shipping costs >=$30 each. That is another reason why you may keep them and give them new parts, provided that you like them as building foundations.

It is hard for me to recommend solutions for you, but if I were in your shoes, I would keep the old scopes, research on them and upgrade them slowly as I gain more knowledge.

[phil m]

All Reichert transmitted light microscopes were 160mm tube length until they got into lockstep with American Optical in the mid-70's and converted to infinity. I'm pretty sure that any 160mm optics will work but the original Reichert ones were so good and they are so cheap generally on ebay that you should be able to get some of those on a budget. Since you already have some epi and met objectives with these instruments, you are set for investigating insects and the like.....if you have some low power ones. Anything much above 10X has too tight a working distance to be used on whole specimens but insect parts , yes.
If you need any help sorting these out, just p.m. me

[Olympusman]

I would say for now put the inverted scope aside. For one thing, it doesn't have a condenser or illuminator. Concentrate on the trinocular. True, the magnification is too great for macrophotography of insects, but getting such an elegant instrument for the princely sum of $25 is a golden opportunity, you lucky devil.

Regards
Mike