After reading this thread here, I realized that I had never posted an image of my Ortholux arrangement. These are quick. hand-held shots that I took in our spare bathroom (it's temporary home), but hopefully there will be something of value to some viewer here.
I have a 3-axis Newport stage that is more versatile, but I like the Ortholux stand because of its mass, simplicity, and ease of use. The fine focus knob moves smoothly in 1μm increments (admittedly through a short range), there is a reliable locking knob on the coarse focus that eliminates any creep, and the stage moves up and down a considerable distance.
I have Leitz extension tubes in a set of lengths, which work great for discrete magnifications, but I also have a variable Leitz extension tube if I wish to fine-tune the magnification. The tubes and the turret are physically isolated; a small cylinder of black card stock, lined with black flocking, rests in the interior and blocks extraneous light. I use a gooseneck LED lamp to see the markings on the fine focus dial when I have turned off the lights. I can use several objectives in the turret if I'm trying to find something of interest at different magnifications, or use a single objective and nosepiece inserts to facilitate easier lighting with fiber optics.
There is a piece of steel, that I've darkened with phosphoric acid, on the stage in these images. A butterfly wing is sandwiched between two pieces of cardstock and held down by two ferrite magnets. This is an easy non-destructive way to temporarily secure relatively flat materials. I have quite a few extra magnets - if anyone wants some, send me a PM.
Leitz Ortholux I Set-up
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