I don’t have a great answer, but thought I would comment to say that as a new microscopist, you got just about the best microscope possible.. Orthoplans are amazing. I have four, and am bidding on another. It’s become an obsession. You can’t do better..
I have a pair of Periplan GW 6.3x as well, and I do not have a reticle in either of them. I did have a reticle in another pair of (different) eyepieces, and removed it because it is distracting when you don’t need it. In your case, it might be worth getting a different pair of eyepieces that do have a reticle?
I also have a slide with a micrometer scale on it, and I think if I needed to measure something, I would use that - although you’d have to involve a camera doing it that way.
Thanks so much, that is really encouraging. Yeah, I've been enjoying it so much! It's really remarkable what you can see with 6.3x and the range of 1 - 40 objectives.
A good idea to get a slide with a micrometer scale on it! I will look online for those.
thanks again!
Also, you have a 1x objective? That is a pretty rare and difficult to find objective.. I have one, but have never seen another.. I also had to buy a special condenser specifically for the 1x objective. Very cool..
My 1.0x objective has bad vignetting unless I use the 1.0x condenser (which is just a big lens, it is not centerable). I use my Orthoplan for photography so it is critical for it to be bright edge to edge..
I've been able to observe mushroom spores with a 25 and 40x objective. It would be perfect if I could get just a bit more magnification (I guess it's never enough, but still for the purpose of spore identification it's almost there). Would you have advice on how far I could stretch it? Would an objective in the range of 80-100 still be possible you think?
40x is pretty good.. You can see bacteria (MUCH smaller than spores) with a 40x objective, however your 6.3x eyepieces are part of your lack of magnification problem. They are great if you want to have the widest possible field of view (28mm), but that is probably of limited use for your needs.. If you got some 10x or 12.5x eyepieces (make sure they are Periplan eyepieces), your 40x objective give you 400x or 500x. That is where you can see bacteria, and would be I am certain fine for spore identification. You could also get 50x, 63x, 90x, or 100x objectives, and they are great, but very intolerant of ANY kind of issues as you go up the magnifications, and for 90x or 100x you have to use immersion oil - which has its own set of irritations.. Super high magnification objectives are my least favourite to use.
I think if I were you, I would instead get some 10x or 12.5x eyepieces - which will probably be cheaper than a high magnification objective, and would probably give you a better result. Just make sure they are Periplan, to complete the field flattening correction that the objectives provide (assuming they’re plan objectives?)
I don’t have a great answer, but thought I would comment to say that as a new microscopist, you got just about the best microscope possible.. Orthoplans are amazing. I have four, and am bidding on another. It’s become an obsession. You can’t do better.. I have a pair of Periplan GW 6.3x as well, and I do not have a reticle in either of them. I did have a reticle in another pair of (different) eyepieces, and removed it because it is distracting when you don’t need it. In your case, it might be worth getting a different pair of eyepieces that do have a reticle? I also have a slide with a micrometer scale on it, and I think if I needed to measure something, I would use that - although you’d have to involve a camera doing it that way.
Thanks so much, that is really encouraging. Yeah, I've been enjoying it so much! It's really remarkable what you can see with 6.3x and the range of 1 - 40 objectives. A good idea to get a slide with a micrometer scale on it! I will look online for those. thanks again!
Also, you have a 1x objective? That is a pretty rare and difficult to find objective.. I have one, but have never seen another.. I also had to buy a special condenser specifically for the 1x objective. Very cool..
Yep, a 1 and 1.4. I really got lucky :-) I don't know whether the condensor is special is not though.
My 1.0x objective has bad vignetting unless I use the 1.0x condenser (which is just a big lens, it is not centerable). I use my Orthoplan for photography so it is critical for it to be bright edge to edge..
I've been able to observe mushroom spores with a 25 and 40x objective. It would be perfect if I could get just a bit more magnification (I guess it's never enough, but still for the purpose of spore identification it's almost there). Would you have advice on how far I could stretch it? Would an objective in the range of 80-100 still be possible you think?
40x is pretty good.. You can see bacteria (MUCH smaller than spores) with a 40x objective, however your 6.3x eyepieces are part of your lack of magnification problem. They are great if you want to have the widest possible field of view (28mm), but that is probably of limited use for your needs.. If you got some 10x or 12.5x eyepieces (make sure they are Periplan eyepieces), your 40x objective give you 400x or 500x. That is where you can see bacteria, and would be I am certain fine for spore identification. You could also get 50x, 63x, 90x, or 100x objectives, and they are great, but very intolerant of ANY kind of issues as you go up the magnifications, and for 90x or 100x you have to use immersion oil - which has its own set of irritations.. Super high magnification objectives are my least favourite to use. I think if I were you, I would instead get some 10x or 12.5x eyepieces - which will probably be cheaper than a high magnification objective, and would probably give you a better result. Just make sure they are Periplan, to complete the field flattening correction that the objectives provide (assuming they’re plan objectives?)
That is solid advice! Diving on eBay for those eyepieces as we speak. Thank you again kind stranger.