I have a Zeiss Standard scope, which I've been happily using for afocal photography of fungal spores.
The scope sits in my company's archaeology workroom, and I've been asked to compile a list of accessories we would need to outfit the Zeiss Standard to do transmitted light cross-polarization work on old
tooth cementum.
Reading some of the Zeiss literature (specifically pages 16 and 17 from an old "Standard GLF and WL Microscopes Operating Instructions" Zeiss manual), it looks like we'd need:
A polarizing filter (47 36 00);
An analyzer (47 36 51);
A quartz plate first order red (47 37 01); and,
A rotary stage.
The literature also suggests that strain-free condensors and objectives are required.
I would greatly appreciate confirmation of the accuracy of the above list of parts we think we need.
In looking at the above list of parts, I'm starting to think that it may be more cost-effective to purchase an inexpensive Amscope setup than try to hunt down the Zeiss parts.
Thanks,
Dan
Zeiss Standard Polarization Part List?
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
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Tardigrade37
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:38 pm
For cross pol work you really don't need original Zeiss parts. Any good quality linear polarizer will do perfectly the job, mainly the ones designed for microscopy or other optical setups. Camera polarizers also work but their extinction often is not very good and provide blue background when crossed
As substage polarizer I use a Nikon coupled with a plastic film canister section or a Zeiss (for Axioskop) and as analyzer a Nikon analyzer or Edmund Techspec polarizer. The results are about the same, maybe the Nikon a bit better than the Zeiss. Even with less expensive equipment you can get nice results.
The same applies to wave plates, the only ones I have are old english no name ones and they work great. If you place it over the polarizer even plastic ones work well.
Do you have an intermediate pol tube to fit the analyzer and plates?. It's convenient but not necessary. You just need to have one of the filters rotatable, usually the polarizer. Until I had it I simply dropped a polarizer inside the microscope head.
What is very desirable is to have a rotatable and centerable stage to control the sample orientation.
In most cases for no quantitative measurements you really don't need pol marked optics, most microscope optics are strain free enough to provide very black background with quality crossed polarizers.
I really prefer my Standard over chinese generics (Amscopes are) that I have at work
As substage polarizer I use a Nikon coupled with a plastic film canister section or a Zeiss (for Axioskop) and as analyzer a Nikon analyzer or Edmund Techspec polarizer. The results are about the same, maybe the Nikon a bit better than the Zeiss. Even with less expensive equipment you can get nice results.
The same applies to wave plates, the only ones I have are old english no name ones and they work great. If you place it over the polarizer even plastic ones work well.
Do you have an intermediate pol tube to fit the analyzer and plates?. It's convenient but not necessary. You just need to have one of the filters rotatable, usually the polarizer. Until I had it I simply dropped a polarizer inside the microscope head.
What is very desirable is to have a rotatable and centerable stage to control the sample orientation.
In most cases for no quantitative measurements you really don't need pol marked optics, most microscope optics are strain free enough to provide very black background with quality crossed polarizers.
I really prefer my Standard over chinese generics (Amscopes are) that I have at work
Pau
Thank you so much for the quick and helpful replies!
Here is a picture of the microscope in question:
A quick eBay search revealed this polarizing assembly, which is purported to fit the Zeiss Standard: http://r.ebay.com/1FrOL8
I've loved the Zeiss Standard for working with fungal spores, and am very glad that I went with a used Zeiss instead of a new Amscope -- especially since I was able to obtain two very nice planar apochromatic objectives at affordable prices!
Here is a picture of the microscope in question:
A quick eBay search revealed this polarizing assembly, which is purported to fit the Zeiss Standard: http://r.ebay.com/1FrOL8
I've loved the Zeiss Standard for working with fungal spores, and am very glad that I went with a used Zeiss instead of a new Amscope -- especially since I was able to obtain two very nice planar apochromatic objectives at affordable prices!
Nice scope, you have the most desirable trinocular head.
The linked filters are inexpensive, perhaps too inexpensive. Undoubtedly they will be practical but I fear about the filters quality. I would ask before if they are plastic or glass made and about the extinction rate when crossed. Plastic filters, despite working, are not to be recommended as analyzer because their surface are less flat than glass one and can degrade the image to some extent (I use them at the lab), no much problem as polarizers under the condenser.
Another thing I don't like is removing the subcondenser auxiliary lens to mount the polarizer: that lens is very useful to have more even illumination with low power objectives, in some cases even to have full illuminated field.
You can take a look to my setup, specially at how I mount the polarizer over the field diaphragm: a Kodak black plastic film canister has the adequate 32mm diameter to fit at the filter slot over the field diaphragm fixing it and allowing rotation
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=15606
The linked filters are inexpensive, perhaps too inexpensive. Undoubtedly they will be practical but I fear about the filters quality. I would ask before if they are plastic or glass made and about the extinction rate when crossed. Plastic filters, despite working, are not to be recommended as analyzer because their surface are less flat than glass one and can degrade the image to some extent (I use them at the lab), no much problem as polarizers under the condenser.
Another thing I don't like is removing the subcondenser auxiliary lens to mount the polarizer: that lens is very useful to have more even illumination with low power objectives, in some cases even to have full illuminated field.
You can take a look to my setup, specially at how I mount the polarizer over the field diaphragm: a Kodak black plastic film canister has the adequate 32mm diameter to fit at the filter slot over the field diaphragm fixing it and allowing rotation
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=15606
Pau
Dan,
That polarizer set will work well for your Zeiss as an inexpensive polarlizing set. I have that set for my AO 110.
But this is what you really want:
Zeiss Standard Pol with intermediate piece with slot for analyzer and a slot for the wave plate. This one has a rotating analyzer...as seen in the second photo and a tilting compensator. There are five centering Pol objectives, Circular stage with mechanical slide. The polarizer under the condenser is also rotating also with a slot for a wave plate as can be seen by the extra condenser holder with rotating polarizer.
That polarizer set will work well for your Zeiss as an inexpensive polarlizing set. I have that set for my AO 110.
But this is what you really want:
Zeiss Standard Pol with intermediate piece with slot for analyzer and a slot for the wave plate. This one has a rotating analyzer...as seen in the second photo and a tilting compensator. There are five centering Pol objectives, Circular stage with mechanical slide. The polarizer under the condenser is also rotating also with a slot for a wave plate as can be seen by the extra condenser holder with rotating polarizer.
If you want to image randomly placed spherical subjects like spores the rotating stage, despite always convenient for pol work may not be really necessary, IMO the first step is to have the filters and try them with your subjects (maybe you could find it not very useful for spores, I don't know, but it will be for teeth)
In the meantime until you buy the stage you can work reasonably well for low magnification just removing the slide holder and positioning the slide by hand
About compensators, I find much more useful the 1/4 waveplate than the full wave plate, one example:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=16211
In the meantime until you buy the stage you can work reasonably well for low magnification just removing the slide holder and positioning the slide by hand
About compensators, I find much more useful the 1/4 waveplate than the full wave plate, one example:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=16211
Pau
If you are planning to use a wave plate, full or 1/4, you will need a means to hold that plate between the polarizer and analyzer. Your best Zeiss option is a intermediate piece between the head and objective turret (the black item in my Zeiss pictures) and as seen here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zeiss-Microscop ... SwAYtWQpSR
Or a rotating polarizer under the condenser as shown in my pictures also has a slot for a wave plate. The rotating polarizer for under the condenser like this one does not have a slot for a wave plate.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zeiss-Microscop ... Sw~gRV6cfA
There are round wave plates which can be just put on top of the polarizer and turned as needed. Another cheap alternative is to use a camera circular polarizer. One side has a polarizer and the other has a 1/4 wave plate. If you use it with the polarizer on top, you only get crossed pols. If you flip it over with the 1/4 wave plate on top, you get cross pols with 1/4 wave plate.
You have a couple of choices for rotating stages for the Zeiss Standard . The one shown on my Zeiss. And there is also a cheaper option like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARL-ZEISS-Vint ... Swu-BWQ4-2.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zeiss-Microscop ... SwAYtWQpSR
Or a rotating polarizer under the condenser as shown in my pictures also has a slot for a wave plate. The rotating polarizer for under the condenser like this one does not have a slot for a wave plate.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zeiss-Microscop ... Sw~gRV6cfA
There are round wave plates which can be just put on top of the polarizer and turned as needed. Another cheap alternative is to use a camera circular polarizer. One side has a polarizer and the other has a 1/4 wave plate. If you use it with the polarizer on top, you only get crossed pols. If you flip it over with the 1/4 wave plate on top, you get cross pols with 1/4 wave plate.
You have a couple of choices for rotating stages for the Zeiss Standard . The one shown on my Zeiss. And there is also a cheaper option like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARL-ZEISS-Vint ... Swu-BWQ4-2.