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Another "I want a stylus scope" thread.

Thumper

Thumper

Well-Known Member
For myself and AK'er dualhead to share as we have enough tables and carts between us now to warrant one I think. I've read through Sparky's sticky (awesome) but for now we just need a scope to get started and I haven't seen much on here on what models of scopes are good or bad (but I admit I didn't dig too deep).

We'd like to try to keep this on the cheap. I see the following two options locally on CL:

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/clt/d/clarksville-vintage-microscope/7335068076.html

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/clt/d/college-park-carl-zeiss-microscope/7326052094.html

I know Carl Zeiss was a badass optics guy but I don't see the magnification listed on the ad and couldn't find it listed online for that model - so I just emailed and asked.

If neither of these are any good, can anybody recommend a <$100 scope that would be a good one?
 
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Mechanically speaking the Zeiss is far better, and probably for other reasons too. The stage (platform where the object will sit) position has fine tuning with those knobs which really helps at high magnification.

You will need to find out the power though.
 
Thanks @Montycat , yeah, I hope they write back - the ad has been up for about a month. I googled the model number and got nothing. So I typed "zeiss microscope" on the auction site to see if I could find the same model and got like 6,500 hits. Then I quickly closed that tab.
 
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Thumper said:
For myself and AK'er dualhead to share as we have enough tables and carts between us now to warrant one I think. I've read through Sparky's sticky (awesome) but for now we just need a scope to get started and I haven't seen much on here on what models of scopes are good or bad (but I admit I didn't dig too deep).

We'd like to try to keep this on the cheap. I see the following two options locally on CL:

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/clt/d/clarksville-vintage-microscope/7335068076.html

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/clt/d/college-park-carl-zeiss-microscope/7326052094.html

I know Carl Zeiss was a badass optics guy but I don't see the magnification listed on the ad and couldn't find it listed online for that model - so I just emailed and asked.

If neither of these are any good, can anybody recommend a <$100 scope that would be a good one?
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Neither, I too have a compound microscope which I modded for stylus examination, but it is far far easier to use a stereo microscope and field of view and working distance is huge in comparison. If you get a stereo microscope with a 3x objective and a 20x eyepiece that gives 60x, now add a 2x barlow lens now you have 120x (still not enough), but if you get 30x eyepieces you now have 180x which is just enough and you have a massive working distance. You can get them with 4x objective too which will have heaps of magnification. The great thing about these scopes is the depth of field so easier to see what you need to see.
Keep and eye online a bargain might come up.
Chris
 
Thanks @cafe latte - I just emailed another person who posted a whole slew of scopes, eyepieces, accessories, etc. I think what i'm looking for in a scope is as follows:

-Must be stereo
-Minimum magnification of 180X
-Needs x/y fine adjustability of the stage

Sound about right?
 
Thumper said:
Thanks @cafe latte - I just emailed another person who posted a whole slew of scopes, eyepieces, accessories, etc. I think what i'm looking for in a scope is as follows:

-Must be stereo
-Minimum magnification of 180X
-Needs x/y fine adjustability of the stage

Sound about right?
Click to expand...
If you are using a dissection microscope you wont have an adjustable stage, but there is enough room to move by hand where you need the stylus to go. Compound microscopes have adjustable stage but dont have enough working room or depth of field.
Chris
 
Thanks, guys. I just heard back from the CL guy. He said:

The only complete stereo scope I have is a B&L Stereozoom 7. I think that does 70 power with 10x eyepieces. So not enough. Stereo microscopes don't usually have an xy stage. I do have a B&L microscope with stage that was used for inspecting micro chips. It sends the light through the objective lens and then it is reflected back. It can do 200X and higher. It has a binocular head but is not stereo.
 
Thumper said:
Thanks, guys. I just heard back from the CL guy. He said:

The only complete stereo scope I have is a B&L Stereozoom 7. I think that does 70 power with 10x eyepieces. So not enough. Stereo microscopes don't usually have an xy stage. I do have a B&L microscope with stage that was used for inspecting micro chips. It sends the light through the objective lens and then it is reflected back. It can do 200X and higher. It has a binocular head but is not stereo.
Click to expand...
Yes but if you get 25 or 30x eyepieces off ebay you increase magnification to 150 or 210x you can also get a barlow lens for about 25 bucks (you just need thread size) the 2x barlow doubles the magnification. I would get a 20x eyepiece and a 1.5x barlow and you will have a huge working distance still and plenty of magnification and depth of field.
Chris
 
Blewpernt said:
Doesn’t need to be stereo. Easiest solution is to prowl eBay until a Shure SEK-2 shows up with the lighting. Sometimes the lighting is absent. It’s still buy it if the lighting was absent, but it’s not the easiest solution anymore.

I grabbed one about a year ago for $85. That’s not the usual price, but even if you pay $150 or $200, it’s far more microscope and lighting than you’d get for 5x that amount, especially with the zoom feature.
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No you are right he does not need a stereo scope, but stereo scopes are made with large working distances and great depth of field where compound microscopes are made with the notion of focusing on a flat slide with very little depth of field. If we are making a stylus scope from what is on ebay stereo is a no brainer.
Chris
 
Thanks @cafe latte i'm going to write back and tell him i'm interested in the Stereozoom 7. He may even have extra eyepieces and a barlow or two - he posted a pic of a whole boatload. He's been collecting scope parts for a while for sure.
 
Ken Boyd said:
I think with inprovements with digital technology we might see some digital scopes being able to do the task. I have this on my watch list which might do the task.

7” LCD 1080P Digital Microscope 1-1200X Zoom Video Magnification Camera & Remote | eBay

anyone want to comment on if it will work?
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Well, of course digital zoom is at the expense of resolution, so the image quality after zoom is dependent on how much resolution is available for the entire image capture, and how much zoom is used.
 
Okay guys (and gals!), today I drug home this Bausch and Lomb Stereozoom 7. Will need some work but should fit the bill. It has a 7X primary with 10X eyepieces (23.2mm diameter I believe) so 70X max. It works, but is dirty and will need the optics cleaned as well. If I clean it up and get a set of wide field 25X eyepieces, that puts me at 175X. I have seen those online for like $45 for the pair. 30X pieces would put me at 210X which might be better but I couldn't find any of those (but I only took a quick look).

SZ7.jpg

He had another interesting Bausch and Lomb scope that did like 200X and better with a binocular head and a super cool adjustable X/Y stage but it was not stereo. We focused in on the head of a pin with it, and it was wild as you could see the imperfections in the metal, but as @cafe latte says the working distances you get with a stereo scope are much greater, as I found out today. I think with this second scope there simply would not have been enough room for a sled/cart/stylus down there which is the end goal here. I want this to be quick and easy and not have to rig up a stylus mount or remove carts and muck up my alignments. I just want me and @dualhead to be able to set our various carts, headshells with carts and sleds with carts to take a look.

For an extra $10 I also got this fiber optic light unit from him, not sure if it will be bright enough but it might be. If it's not I can use it for something else.

LightUnit.jpg

Total cost so far - $85. I'll update this thread as I progress with this project. Just getting started but I'm excited!
 
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Made some progress tonight. After a couple hours dealing with the stripped out hex setscrew on the zoom knob - I drilled it out and retapped the knob for 5-40 but all the setscrews I have here are either 4-40, 6-32, or metric leftovers from my R/C car days as a teenager.... I'll pick up a 5-40 screw tomorrow if I can find one while I'm out running around.

Took it apart and cleaned the optics with hot breath and Q-tips. Put it back together. Helped immensely. I noticed the collimation is off - If I switch back and forth between eyes, the image moves right and left by a bit and up and down by a bit less. I've played around with my vintage binoculars and have managed to fix (or at least make better) collimation issues, but I'm leaving this alone for now on this thing. If you don't know what you're doing, moving optics around can ROYALLY hose things up.

Here's a shot of the "E" on a MADE IN USA 1/8" craftsman flathead taken with my dumbphone and some practice at 70X with not very good light, even. At least I'm getting somewhere... I think.

E.jpg
 
Just practicing to see what I can see on an actual stylus... this is (I think) a Shure VN35HE - it was on my V15III before I bought a JICO SAS but the sticker fell off the front ages ago so I have no way to know exactly what it is.

At 70X (the max this scope will do for now, and with crappy lighting). I gotta get some 25 or 30X eyepieces next.

VN35HE_1.jpg

I also cleaned up that fiber optic light unit and oiled the fan bushings. It just might work for this task.

Edit - maybe I'll just get one 25 or 30X (if I can find one) eyepiece and put it on the right side (that has the fine tuning focus), leave the 10X on the left side to get me close.... One eye at a time? Since the collimation is off anyway.

@cafe latte what do you think?
 
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Thumper said:
Just practicing to see what I can see on an actual stylus... this is (I think) a Shure VN35HE - it was on my V15III before I bought a JICO SAS but the sticker fell off the front ages ago so I have no way to know exactly what it is.

At 70X (the max this scope will do for now, and with crappy lighting). I gotta get some 25 or 30X eyepieces next.

View attachment 2301273

I also cleaned up that fiber optic light unit and oiled the fan bushings. It just might work for this task.

Edit - maybe I'll just get one 25 or 30X (if I can find one) eyepiece and put it on the right side (that has the fine tuning focus), leave the 10X on the left side to get me close.... One eye at a time? Since the collimation is off anyway.

@cafe latte what do you think?
Click to expand...
I would get eyepiece for both eyes and get one that is focusable.
Try altering lighting, try light sources from the sides and maybe less light it is flaring out a bit too see.
Chris
 
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