Home page of the microscope service parts, repair and spare parts online catalog - Sermik-Oplatek Mikroskopservice Dresden f.n.n.Z

Description of this part for the microscope.

for inverted and upright biological microscopes, made in Japan.

Basic objective parameters:
Manufacturer: Nikon, Japan
Model: Ph3 40 DL 0.55 LWD 160/0-2
Magnification: 40x
Numerical aperture (N.A.): 0.55
Optical correction: achromat
Phase contrast: Ph3 DL - Ph3 indicates the size of the phase ring (requires a matching Ph3 annulus in the condenser), DL (Dark Low) means dark, i.e. positive phase contrast - the object appears darker than the background
Working distance (WD): ~2.1 - 2.5 mm - LWD (Long Working Distance)
Correction collar: compensates for cover glass or vessel bottom thickness in the range 0 - 2.0 mm
Cover glass: the objective can be used without a cover glass, with a standard cover glass approx. 0.17 mm thick, and also with specimens observed through the bottom of a Petri dish up to 2.0 mm thick
Immersion: no (dry objective)
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 45 mm
Thread: RMS
Optics: CF (Nikon CF-160) - requires no compensating eyepiece and allows photography by direct projection

This objective is suitable for:
- inverted microscopes - observation through the bottom of a Petri dish or cell culture flask
- upright biological microscopes - observation of specimens with or without a cover glass

Phase contrast work requires a compatible phase contrast condenser or a slider with a phase contrast annulus.

Commonly used, inexpensive cover glasses are 0.17 mm thick mainly in theory. Even the standard for class #1.5 allows a range of 0.16 - 0.19 mm, and in cheap Chinese cover glasses you will find in practice pieces from approx. 0.13 to 0.25 mm, often not matching the thickness stated on the box. Only #1.5H (high precision) cover glasses have a guaranteed thickness of 0.170 mm with a tolerance of +/- 0.005 mm. Variation in cover glass thickness clearly degrades image contrast and resolution (spherical aberration). The correction collar fitted to the objective offered here lets you adjust the optics to the combined thickness of the cover glass and the medium layer beneath it. This compensates for most of the variation found in practice.

In addition, the correction collar of this objective can be set to "0" for work without a cover glass, or to large values (up to 2.0 mm) to adapt the optics to observation through a microscope slide (0.8 - 1.2 mm), a glass Petri dish (usually 1.5 - 2.0 mm - thicker dishes are outside the collar range) or a plastic Petri dish (usually approx. 1 mm, in the range 0.8 - 1.2 mm).

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, provided it has an RMS thread and uses objectives for 160 mm tube length with a parfocal length of 33, 37 or 45 mm. Some example microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but the list is not complete.

Description of this part for the microscope.

20x
Correction: Fluotar (other names: Fluor and fluorite)
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.60
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 33 mm
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm thick
Immersion: no (dry objective)
Thread: RMS

The objective comes in its original protective case marked "Wild Heerbrugg Switzerland".

Fluotar is the name Wild Heerbrugg used for its fluorite objectives, i.e. semi-apochromats - their lenses contain fluorite or glass with similar optical properties. A standard achromat corrects chromatic errors for only two colors (red and blue), so colored fringes may appear along the edges of objects. An apochromat corrects for three colors (red, green and blue) and represents the highest class of correction. The Fluotar sits between them - colored fringes are clearly smaller than with an achromat, although the correction is not as complete as with an apochromat. Fluorite also transmits ultraviolet light well, which is why objectives of this type were used in fluorescence microscopy.

This is a so-called "short barrel" objective with a parfocal length of 33 mm. It is very common to mount this objective on a 12 mm extension, which allows it to be used in microscopes that require 45 mm parfocal objectives. Professional adapters with protective optics, metal adapters and popular DIY 3D-printed adapters all work well for this.

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, as long as it has an RMS thread and accepts objectives with TL=160 mm and a parfocal length of 33 mm (or 37 / 45 mm with a suitable adapter). Several example microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but the list is not complete.

Description of this part for the microscope.

achromatic
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.30
Tube length: 170 mm
Parfocal length: 37 mm
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm thick
Immersion: no (dry objective)
Thread: RMS

The Steindorff 10x objective is also suitable for macro photography, as it does not require a cover glass and allows direct projection onto the camera sensor without intermediate optics.

This is a so-called "short objective", with a parfocal length of 37 mm. It is particularly common to mount this objective on an 8 mm extension, which makes it possible to use the objective in microscopes requiring objectives with a parfocal length of 45 mm. Both professional adapters with protective optics and metal adapters, as well as popular DIY solutions made with a 3D printer, work well for this purpose.

Like a large proportion of microscope objectives manufactured in Germany in the 1960s and 1970s, this objective has a parfocal length of 37 mm and a tube length of 170 mm. This means that it is often used as a replacement objective for other German microscopes, such as:
- Leitz Wetzlar
- Kremp Wetzlar
- Hertel & Reuss
- Steinmar Berlin
- CBS Beck Kassel
- ROW Rathenow

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, provided that it has an RMS thread and supports objectives designed for TL = 170 mm and with a parfocal length of 33 / 37 mm (or 45 mm when using a suitable adapter). Several examples of such microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but this is not a complete list.

Description of this part for the microscope.

microscope or a camera (via an RMS adapter or a bellows). Although it is an achromat, it renders fine detail very sharply and performs well in focus stacking. It complements a set together with the LOMO 3.7x, Carl Zeiss Jena Semiplan 6.3x and Nikon M Plan 10x.

Basic parameters of this objective:
Manufacturer: Lomo, Russia (ЛОМО)
Magnification: 8x
Correction: achromatic
Marking on the objective: 8 0.20
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.20
Serial number: starts with "91"
Year of manufacture: 1991
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 33 mm - so-called short barrel objective
Cover glass: not critical - objectives with such low magnification work both with and without a cover glass
Immersion: no (dry objective)
Thread: RMS

Important - this objective is suitable for direct projection photography, as it does not require plan-compensating optics.

A microscope objective with such low magnification (with a 160 mm tube length it gives an 8:1 reproduction ratio) is used, among other things, for observing or photographing:
- insects
- minerals
- inclusions in amber
- handwriting
- micro shells (micromollusks)
- and much more

Why do I state the year of manufacture in the description of this objective? Older LOMO microscope parts (objectives, microscopes, heads) have the year of manufacture encoded in the serial number: the first two digits of the serial number are the year. Many users want to complete their microscope with parts made in the same year as the microscope itself.

This is a so-called short barrel objective with a parfocal length of 33 mm. It is very often mounted on a 12 mm extension, which allows it to be used in microscopes that require objectives with a 45 mm parfocal length. Professional adapters with protective optics, metal adapters and popular DIY 3D-printed adapters all work well here.

Fun fact: LOMO made adapters between the RMS and M27 threads. Thanks to them, this objective was fitted to the Lomo Biolam I and Lomo Biolam M microscopes. Owners of Carl Zeiss Axio series microscopes with M27 thread also took advantage of this and used these adapters.

LOMO objectives are very popular with owners of microscopes from other manufacturers. Due to historical ties, owners of Carl Zeiss Jena microscopes regard them as an obvious replacement for the German objectives.

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, as long as it has an RMS thread and accepts objectives with TL = 160 mm and 33 mm parfocal length (or 37 / 45 mm with a suitable adapter). Several example microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but the list is not complete.

Description of this part for the microscope.

the manufacturer's 1967 catalog: 519 237 (alternative notation: 519237)
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.40
Tube length: 170 mm
Parfocal length: 37 mm
Working distance: 3.4 mm
Cover glass: either - the objective works both without and with a cover glass
Immersion: no (dry objective)
Thread: RMS

Because it works without a cover glass and has a high numerical aperture N.A., this objective can be attractive for macro photographers. It allows projection directly onto the camera sensor - without any intermediate optics.

This objective was removed from a Leitz SM microscope, but it fits most Leitz Wetzlar microscopes made before roughly 1980 (SM, SM-D, SM-Lux, Dialux, Ortholux, Orthoplan, etc.).

Some useful information about Leitz Wetzlar objectives with TL=170 mm and 37 mm parfocal length:
- most Leitz microscopes made before roughly 1980 accept objectives for both 160 mm and 170 mm tube length
- many Leitz microscopes accept objectives with both 37 mm and 45 mm parfocal length
- with an 8 mm RMS extension adapter, such an objective gets a parfocal length of 45 mm. Leitz made such adapters under the name "Plezy" - but many users make their own, from metal or on 3D printers

Like a large share of microscope objectives made in Germany in the 1960s and 1970s, this objective has a 37 mm parfocal length and a 170 mm tube length. For this reason it is often used as a replacement objective for other German microscopes, e.g.:
- Steindorff Berlin
- Kremp Wetzlar
- Hertel & Reuss
- Steinmar Berlin
- CBS Beck Kassel
- ROW Rathenow

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, as long as it has an RMS thread and accepts objectives with TL=170 mm and a parfocal length of 33 / 37 mm (or 45 mm with a suitable adapter). Some examples of such microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but this list is not complete.

Description of this part for the microscope.

65
Magnification: 40x
Correction: achromatic
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.65
Tube length: 170 mm
Parfocal length: 37 mm
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm thick
Immersion: no (dry objective)
Thread: RMS
Phase contrast: yes - the objective has a built-in phase ring

Older Steindorff Berlin microscope models had a phase contrast condenser consisting of a standard brightfield condenser with a swing-out set of annular stops mounted below it (see here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/136833493390496/posts/1722963914777438/). It is not certain that this objective will match that condenser, because the annular stop there is marked 45x, while the objective offered here is 40x.

Only the Steindorff Berlin turret condenser (see here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/136833493390496/posts/1746808269059669/) has a 40x annular stop, and this objective is compatible with it.

I am not aware of Steindorff Berlin "Ph" objectives working with phase contrast condensers from other manufacturers. Please note: "not aware" does not mean they do not fit - but it is safer to assume they do not. In other words, you should assume that this objective will form a working set only with a Steindorff Berlin phase contrast condenser.

Description of this part for the microscope.

parameters of the prism:
Manufacturer: Olympus (Japan)
Marking: 10 Olympus
Serial number: 201738
Supported objective: Olympus MSPlan 10 0.30 ∞/- f=180 (manufacturer catalog number: 1-LM530)
Male thread: RMS
Female thread: RMS
Contrast method: Nomarski interference contrast (abbreviation: NIC)
Illumination: a compatible reflected light (EPI) illuminator is required

The prism is housed in a suitably shaped metal casing. On one side there is a male thread, on the other a female thread. Mechanically, the prism is screwed with its male thread into the objective nosepiece - and the Olympus MSPlan 10 0.30 ∞/- f=180 objective is screwed into its female thread.

This prism is essential for reflected light observation using the DIC technique. With this technique, details of the observed surface appear three-dimensional and raised, revealing details that remain invisible in classic reflected light brightfield.

Description of this part for the microscope.

parameters of the prism:
Manufacturer: Olympus (Japan)
Marking: 100 Olympus
Serial number: 201532
Supported objective: Olympus MSPlan 100 0.95 ∞/0 f=180 (manufacturer catalog number: 1-LM544)
Male thread: RMS
Female thread: RMS
Contrast method: Nomarski interference contrast (abbreviation: NIC)
Illumination: a compatible reflected light (EPI) illuminator is required

The prism is housed in a suitably shaped metal casing. On one side there is a male thread, on the other a female thread. Mechanically, the prism is screwed with its male thread into the objective nosepiece - and the Olympus MSPlan 100 0.95 ∞/0 f=180 objective is screwed into its female thread.

This prism is essential for reflected light observation using the DIC technique. With this technique, details of the observed surface appear three-dimensional and raised, revealing details that remain invisible in classic reflected light brightfield.

Description of this part for the microscope.

parameters of the prism:
Manufacturer: Olympus (Japan)
Marking: Neo 5 Olympus
Serial number: 200412
Supported objective: Olympus NeoSPlan 5 0.13 ∞/- f=180 (manufacturer catalog number: 1-LM420) and NeoSPlan 5 NIC 0.13 ∞/- f=180 (manufacturer catalog number: 1-LM424)
Male thread: M26
Female thread: M26
Contrast method: Nomarski interference contrast (abbreviation: NIC)
Illumination: a compatible reflected light (EPI) illuminator is required

The prism is housed in a suitably shaped metal casing. On one side there is a male thread, on the other a female thread. Mechanically, the prism is screwed with its male thread into the objective nosepiece - and the Olympus NeoSPlan 5 0.13 ∞/- f=180 objective is screwed into its female thread.

This prism is essential for reflected light observation using the DIC technique. With this technique, details of the observed surface appear three-dimensional and raised, revealing details that remain invisible in classic reflected light brightfield.

Description of this part for the microscope.

catalogue number: 14050534242 / 14050534241 depending on version
Fits: Leica DSC1 rotary disc microtome (catalogue number of the microtome: 14050533151)
Connection: the panel is fitted with a cable terminated in a 9-pin D-Sub socket (DB9, female)

The control panel offered here is an add-on component for the Leica DSC1 microtome. It gives fuller control over the sectioning parameters than the buttons on the front of the microtome housing.

This panel provides the following functions:
- setting the section thickness (SECT) and the trimming thickness (TRIM) in µm with the "-" and "+" keys
- adjusting the sectioning speed with the SPEED knob
- switching the operating mode with the TRIM/SECT key
- automatic approach of the block to the knife (AUTO APPROACH)
- starting and stopping the cutting motion with RUN/STOP pressed together with ENABLE
- moving the object head to the specimen change position (CHANGE OBJECT)
- coarse feed towards and away from the knife, at two speeds
- storing the working position with the SET key and returning to the base position (HOME)
- two three-digit displays, TRIM and SECT, showing the thickness in µm or the speed
- indicator lamps for drive status (MOT), stop (STOP), base position (HOME) and emergency stop (E-STOP)
- connection to the main unit of the microtome by a cable with a D-Sub 9-pin connector

Because this is an external component (plugged into the DB9 socket of the microtome), it is very often missing from microtomes offered on the second-hand market.

Description of this part for the microscope.

objective: IOS N-PLAN POL 10x/0.25 ∞/0.17
Manufacturer catalogue number: M-145P
Magnification: 10x
Correction: PLAN achromatic
Optical system: IOS (Infinity Optical System - Optika's own tube lens)
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.25
Working distance W.D.: 5.8 mm
Tube length: infinity
Parfocal distance: 45 mm
Field number F.N.: 20
Cover glass: according to the marking on the objective - yes, 0.17 mm thick, although objectives of such low magnification can usually also be used without a cover glass
Immersion: no (this is a dry objective)
Thread: RMS
Polarization: yes, this is a strain-free objective - the glass and the mount are selected so that they introduce no birefringence of their own, since otherwise the background would never be black between crossed polarizers

The OPTIKA B-383POL microscope is the polarizing version of the biological OPTIKA B-380 microscope. This objective can be used both in the B-383POL and in the B-380.

Description of this part for the microscope.

parameters of the prism:
Manufacturer: Olympus (Japan)
Marking: Neo 10 Olympus
Serial number: 200463
Supported objectives: Olympus NeoSPlan 10 0.30 ∞/0 f=180 (manufacturer catalog number: 1-LM430) and Olympus NeoSPlan 10 NIC 0.30 ∞/0 f=180 (manufacturer catalog number: 1-LM434)
Male thread: M26
Female thread: M26
Contrast method: Nomarski interference contrast (abbreviation: NIC)
Illumination: a compatible reflected light (EPI) illuminator is required

The prism is housed in a suitably shaped metal casing. On one side there is a male thread, on the other a female thread. Mechanically, the prism is screwed with its male thread into the objective nosepiece - and the Olympus Neo SPlan 10 0.30 ∞/0 f=180 objective is screwed into its female thread.

This prism is essential for reflected light observation using the DIC technique. With this technique, details of the observed surface appear three-dimensional and raised, revealing details that remain invisible in classic reflected light brightfield.

Description of this part for the microscope.

parameters of the prism:
Manufacturer: Olympus (Japan)
Marking: Neo 20 Olympus
Serial number: 200318
Supported objectives: Olympus NeoSPlan 20 0.46 ∞/0 f=180 (manufacturer catalog number: 1-LM440) and Olympus NeoSPlan 20 NIC 0.46 ∞/0 f=180 (manufacturer catalog number: 1-LM444)
Male thread: M26
Female thread: M26
Contrast method: Nomarski interference contrast (abbreviation: NIC)
Illumination: a compatible reflected light (EPI) illuminator is required

The prism is housed in a suitably shaped metal casing. On one side there is a male thread, on the other a female thread. Mechanically, the prism is screwed with its male thread into the objective nosepiece - and the Olympus Neo SPlan 20 0.46 ∞/0 f=180 objective is screwed into its female thread.

This prism is essential for reflected light observation using the DIC technique. With this technique, details of the observed surface appear three-dimensional and raised, revealing details that remain invisible in classic reflected light brightfield.

Description of this part for the microscope.

of view number: 12
Mounting diameter: 23.2 mm
Designation: PK = plan compensating - recommended for work with planachromatic objectives, but they also work without any trouble with achromats or apochromats

Because of their very high quality they are often used on microscopes from other manufacturers as well, especially when Carl Zeiss Jena Planachromat objectives are mounted in them. The "compatibility" section lists a long series of microscopes these eyepieces fit - but that list is definitely not complete.

Important: these eyepieces work both on microscopes with a finite tube length (160 mm, for example) and on microscopes with infinity optics. That means you can use them on the Carl Zeiss Jena Amplival microscope just as well as on the Carl Zeiss Jena NU-2 microscope.

A note - eyepieces with such a strong magnification are in my opinion better suited to a quick look than to permanent work. I write "in my opinion" on purpose, because this comes from using them and not from the manufacturer's description.
A 16x eyepiece magnification should be treated as a zoom that brings out no additional detail (the resolution is not increased). This matters for example with heads that have their own extra magnification (such as Carl Zeiss Jena heads with a built-in 1.5x or 1.6x factor) - working with a 100x oil immersion objective you then theoretically get 100*1.5*16 = 2400x, while physics does not allow light from the visible range to be usefully magnified for the human eye beyond roughly 1250x - so this is what is called empty magnification.

Description of this part for the microscope.

5x
Field of view number: 16
Mounting diameter: 23.2 mm
Designation: PK = plan compensating - recommended for work with planachromatic objectives, but they also work without any trouble with achromats or apochromats

Because of their very high quality they are often used on microscopes from other manufacturers as well, especially when Carl Zeiss Jena Planachromat objectives are mounted in them. The "compatibility" section lists a long series of microscopes these eyepieces fit - but that list is definitely not complete.

Important: these eyepieces work both on microscopes with a finite tube length (160 mm, for example) and on microscopes with infinity optics. That means you can use them on the Carl Zeiss Jena Amplival microscope just as well as on the Carl Zeiss Jena NU-2 microscope.

Description of this part for the microscope.

Gleitfett grades differ in their parameters.

Gleitfett I E10 and Gleitfett II E75 were supplied with the Carl Zeiss Jena micromanipulator.
The Gleitfett III E410 offered here was supplied with the Carl Zeiss Jena Neophot-21 microscope.

This MAY suggest (although I have no proof in the form of manufacturer documentation) that the lower numbers (I and II) and the lower values of the "E" parameter (E10 and E75) were intended for finer mechanisms - and may therefore have a lower viscosity, for example. The III E410 grease, with its high "E" value, was supplied with a heavy microscope built around massive mechanics - so it may well be thicker.

This grease can of course be used on microscopes from other manufacturers as well - a few are listed in the "compatibility" section, but that is by no means a complete list.

Description of this part for the microscope.

aperture: 0.60
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm
Thread: RMS
Immersion: no (dry objective)

Description of this part for the microscope.

N Plan 40x/0.65 ∞/0.17
Magnification: 40x
Correction: PLAN achromatic
Optical system: CCIS (Color Corrected Infinity System - part of the image correction is performed by the tube lens of the Motic stand, which is why the objective is intended for stands of this brand)
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.65
Working distance W.D.: approx. 0.4-0.5 mm
Tube length: infinity
Parfocal distance: 45 mm
Field number F.N.: 20
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm thick
Immersion: no (this is a dry objective)
Thread: RMS
Spring-loaded mount: yes - the front mount retracts when pressed against the specimen, which at a working distance of about half a millimetre saves both the objective and the cover glass
Lead-free glass: yes - the mount carries the crossed-out Pb symbol
Colour ring: blue, according to the colour code for 40x magnification

Objectives of the EF-N Plan series were the factory equipment of the older generation of the Motic BA210 and BA310 microscopes, while the newer models of these series, designated Elite (BA210E, BA310E), are fitted with the next-generation EC Plan objectives - this objective is therefore the correct spare part for the older stands and not for the Elite versions.

Mechanically this objective can be screwed into the nosepiece of many other microscopes, since the RMS thread and the 45 mm parfocal distance are standard - a correct image, however, cannot be obtained that way.
- in older stands corrected for 160 mm it will not work, because it is an infinity-corrected objective and requires a tube lens
- in stands of other manufacturers, including infinity-corrected ones, a residual aberration remains, because part of the correction is performed by the tube lens of the CCIS system, which is built into the stand of the Motic microscope and matched by the manufacturer to exactly this optics
- in the remaining Motic microscopes with the CCIS system the objective does produce an image, but it is not the factory choice for them - in stands with field number 22 it runs out of field, and in inverted stands it runs out of working distance.

Description of this part for the microscope.

3x
Kind: PR (ПР) - projection eyepiece for photomicrography
Type: K - compensating eyepiece
Mounting diameter: 23.2 mm

Projection eyepieces are special microscope eyepieces used to project the microscopic image onto the sensor of a camera. Many microscope photo tubes and trinocular heads have a seat for a projection eyepiece.

The "compatibility" section lists the microscope models this eyepiece can be used with, but only LOMO microscopes are listed there, as examples, and that list is of course not complete. This projection eyepiece can be used with any microscope of any manufacturer, as long as it has a tube or another seat for an eyepiece of 23.2 mm diameter.

Description of this part for the microscope.

4x
Kind: projection eyepiece for photomicrography
Intended for: microscopes corrected for objectives with TL = 170 mm
Mounting diameter: 23.2 mm

Projection eyepieces are special microscope eyepieces used to project the microscopic image onto the sensor of a camera. Many microscope photo tubes and trinocular heads have a seat for a projection eyepiece.

Leitz projection eyepieces of this magnification carry several different markings. You will find "Proj.-Ok. H4x", "Proj.-Ok. P4X" and - as on the item offered here - simply "Proj. 4x". The letter H stands for the Huygens design. Leitz also made projection eyepieces of other magnifications, 2.5x among them, so the 4x version is not the only one in this family.

The eyepiece is intended for microscopes with a mechanical tube length of 170 mm. The older Leitz stands are corrected this way, Orthoplan, Ortholux, SM and SM-D among others. Later microscopes of this brand already work with a 160 mm tube. In Leitz optics of this generation part of the chromatic aberration correction is deliberately moved from the objective to the eyepiece, so matching an eyepiece to an objective is not merely a mechanical question here.

Despite its name, this eyepiece behaves differently from a typical projection eyepiece. It does not form a real image at a fixed distance, but projects the image to infinity - exactly like an ordinary viewing eyepiece. This makes it excellent for the afocal method, that is, photographing with a camera that keeps its own lens placed above the eyepiece. Leitz itself built its photographic adapters on precisely this method.

Leitz "Proj." eyepieces also found use outside microscopy. Eyepieces of this family were part of the microprojection attachments for the Leitz Prado and Pradovit projectors, which threw the image of a specimen onto a screen for a whole lecture room. If you are completing such an attachment, this is exactly the part.

Use in a microscope with a 160 mm tube length remains a matter of your own DIY modification. Mechanically the eyepiece fits any 23.2 mm seat, but the intermediate image is then formed in a different place, so focus and image scale will come out differently from what the manufacturer intended. There is, however, a route that gives a beautiful combination: into a microscope of another manufacturer you fit a Leitz Wetzlar objective computed for 170 mm, and this eyepiece above it. The optical path is then entirely Leitz - objective and eyepiece work as they were designed to, and only the stand remains foreign, a PZO or a Carl Zeiss Jena one for instance.

The "compatibility" section lists the microscope models this eyepiece can be used with, but that list is of course not complete. This projection eyepiece can be used with any microscope of any manufacturer, as long as it has a tube or another seat for an eyepiece of 23.2 mm diameter - subject to the difference between 160 and 170 mm tube length (I write about this above).

Description of this part for the microscope.

100x
Colour correction: achromatic
Model: E. 100 1.25 oil 160/0.17
Numerical aperture N.A.: 1.25
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm thick
Thread: RMS
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 45 mm (long barrel objective)
Immersion: yes, oil
Operating mode: objectives marked "E." are already CF objectives (CFN to be precise) and need no additional correction

This objective needs no additional correction from a tube lens or from the eyepieces. That makes it possible to fit it to microscopes of other makes, and in photomicrography it works in direct projection mode (it throws the image straight onto the camera sensor, with no relay optics needed).

This is the so-called black series of objectives, named after the black plastic barrel. They were used mainly in the Nikon Alphaphot YS2 microscope. That was the period when manufacturers were experimenting with a new look for microscope parts, and exactly the same black series appeared for instance in the Leitz / Leica HM-LUX 3 microscope or in the Will Wetzlar V300 / V355 / V365 microscopes.

This objective fits practically any microscope of any make, provided it has an RMS thread and supports objectives with TL = 160 mm and parfocal lengths of 33 / 37 and 45 mm. A few such microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but that list is not complete.

Description of this part for the microscope.

correction: achromatic
Model: E 40 0.65 160/0.17
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.65
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm thick
Thread: RMS
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 45 mm (long barrel objective)
Immersion: no
Operating mode: objectives marked "E." are already CF objectives (CFN to be precise) and need no additional correction

This objective needs no additional correction from a tube lens or from the eyepieces. That makes it possible to fit it to microscopes of other makes, and in photomicrography it works in direct projection mode (it throws the image straight onto the camera sensor, with no relay optics needed).

This is the so-called black series of objectives, named after the black plastic barrel. They were used mainly in the Nikon Alphaphot YS2 microscope. That was the period when manufacturers were experimenting with a new look for microscope parts, and exactly the same black series appeared for instance in the Leitz / Leica HM-LUX 3 microscope or in the Will Wetzlar V300 / V355 / V365 microscopes.

This objective fits practically any microscope of any make, provided it has an RMS thread and supports objectives with TL = 160 mm and parfocal lengths of 33 / 37 and 45 mm. A few such microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but that list is not complete.

Description of this part for the microscope.

echoslovakia)
Marking on the objective: Ph10 0.30
Magnification: 10x
Colour correction: achromatic
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.30
Cover glass: does not matter - an objective of this magnification can work both without and with a cover glass
Thread: RMS
Tube length: 170 mm
Parfocal length: 37 mm (so-called short barrel objective)
Immersion: no
Phase contrast: yes - the objective has a phase ring inside

A 10x objective does not need a cover glass to work, but it is worth mentioning that Meopta microscope objectives were designed for cover glasses 0.18 mm thick - while the vast majority of manufacturers corrected their objectives for 0.17 mm. This matters with selected cover glasses that keep to the standard. With cheap Chinese cover glasses, whose thickness can vary considerably within a single pack, it practically stops mattering.

For this objective to work in phase contrast, a Meopta phase contrast condenser with matching annulus sizes is required.

Can this objective, despite the "Ph" marking, work without phase contrast, that is in "normal" brightfield? Yes - and this is the rule for all phase objectives, from any manufacturer: such an objective can be used in brightfield, but with slightly worse contrast. From my experience I would say the difference is not noticeable "to the eye".

Description of this part for the microscope.

the OEM version of this objective; it was made for export and has no engraved manufacturer logo
Magnification: 40x
Correction: achromatic
Marking on the objective: 40 0,65
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0,65
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 33 mm - so-called short barrel objective
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm thick
Immersion: no
Specimen protection: yes, the objective has a spring-loaded front mount that prevents breaking the slide
Thread: RMS

LOMO exported its microscopes to Western Europe, where they were sold under the names Bresser Biolam / Bresser Erudit (mainly in Germany) and Zenith Biolam (in the UK). These microscopes often (but not always) came with special versions of the objectives without the "ЛОМО" engraving.

A note on the Bresser Erudit microscope: Bresser sold two different microscopes under this name. The first was a Lomo microscope labelled "Bresser Erudit", the second is the plastic, Chinese-made "Bresser Erudit DLX" microscope.
The microscope objective offered here fits the first of these two Erudit microscopes. A photo gallery of the first model can be found here: https://www.microscopeparts.eu/gallery/lomo-erudit-microscopes-207.

This is a so-called short barrel objective with a parfocal length of 33 mm. It is very often mounted on a 12 mm extension, which allows it to be used in microscopes that require objectives with a 45 mm parfocal length. Professional adapters with protective optics, metal adapters and popular DIY 3D-printed adapters all work well here.

LOMO objectives are very popular with owners of microscopes from other manufacturers. Due to historical ties, owners of Carl Zeiss Jena microscopes regard them as an obvious replacement for the German objectives.

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, as long as it has an RMS thread and accepts objectives with TL = 160 mm and 33 mm parfocal length (or 37 / 45 mm with a suitable adapter). Several example microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but the list is not complete.

Description of this part for the microscope.

be attached to a trinocular head or directly to the microscope body, even when there is no trinocular head.

Basic technical parameters of this tube:
Manufacturer: Carl Zeiss Jena
Colour: grey
Tilt angle: none, this is a straight tube
Internal optics: none - not even a deflecting prism
Mounting to the trinocular head or microscope body: ring with a dovetail
Dovetail diameter: 41 mm
Type of connection at the output: empty tube / barrel
Tube diameter at the output: 23.2 mm internal diameter
Length of the barrel / tube: 25 mm
Length adjustment: no - this is not a tube with adjustable height

Since the adapter has an empty barrel with an internal diameter of 23.2 mm on the output side, a projection eyepiece of that diameter can be placed in it, or a so-called "USB eyepiece", that is a digital microscope camera. Adapters between the 23.2 mm barrel and the M42 thread are also widely available, and from the M42 thread you can move on to any other mount: Nikon, Canon, Sony and others.

Such a tube can be mounted directly on the microscope body instead of the head. A dovetail seat with a diameter of 41.0 - 41.5 mm is found, among others, on the microscopes:
- Carl Zeiss Jena
- LOMO
- Meopta
- IOR
- Reichert Biopan
- Olympus CH

It is also often used in microscopes with a slightly larger seat, among others Zeiss West Germany, Leitz Wetzlar, PZO, Will Wetzlar, Hund Wetzlar.

The adapter can equally well be fitted onto trinocular heads, as many of them have a seat prepared for it, among others:
- the output in the trinocular tubes of the Carl Zeiss Jena Jenamed, Jenaval, Jenalumar, Jenatech, Jenavert, Jenapol microscopes
- the LOMO TRN-1 heads (ЛОМО ТРН-1), found in the LOMO Polam microscopes
- some versions of the intermediate photo tubes for the Carl Zeiss Jena Mikroval series microscopes (others require a tube screwed onto a thread)

This is not a "tube for one specific microscope model". A trinocular head can be mounted not only on the microscope it was sold with - it is therefore correct to assume that this is a universal tube, with a 41 mm dovetail on one side and a 23.2 mm barrel on the other.

The "compatibility" section gives an example list of microscopes this tube fits, although it is not a complete list.

Description of this part for the microscope.

The tube allows a camera or a camera body to be attached to a trinocular head or directly to the microscope body, even when there is no trinocular head.

Basic technical parameters of this tube:
Manufacturer: LOMO (ЛОМО)
Colour: black, rings and barrel chrome-plated
Tilt angle: none, this is a straight tube
Internal optics: none - not even a deflecting prism
Mounting to the trinocular head or microscope body: ring dovetail (male part)
Dovetail diameter: 41 mm
Type of connection at the output: empty tube / barrel
Tube diameter at the output: 23.2 mm internal diameter
Length of the barrel / tube: variable
Length adjustment: yes - the barrel is extendable, with a scale from 140 to 200 mm and a knurled locking ring

This is the version with adjustable tube length. A scale from 140 to 200 mm is engraved on the extendable barrel, with a reference line and intermediate divisions, and the setting is locked with a knurled ring. This gives two things at once. First, a continuous change of the image scale - the longer the tube, the larger the image falling on the sensor or the film, so the framing can be adjusted without changing the objective. Second, and more importantly, the ability to work with objectives computed for different optical tube lengths: 160, 170, 180, 190 and 200 mm. Carl Zeiss Jena and LOMO objectives are computed for 160 mm, Leitz Wetzlar for 170 mm, some objectives of metallurgical and measuring microscopes for 190 or 200 mm - here you simply set the barrel to the right value and the objective works under its design conditions, instead of delivering an image with residual aberration.

Since the adapter has an empty barrel with an internal diameter of 23.2 mm on the output side, a projection eyepiece of that diameter can be placed in it, or a so-called "USB eyepiece", that is a digital microscope camera. Adapters between the 23.2 mm barrel and the M42 thread are also widely available, and from the M42 thread you can move on to any other mount: Nikon, Canon, Sony and others.

Such a tube can be mounted directly on the microscope body instead of the head. A dovetail seat with a diameter of 41.0 - 41.5 mm is found, among others, on the microscopes:
- LOMO
- Carl Zeiss Jena
- Meopta
- IOR
- Reichert Biopan
- Olympus CH

It is also often used in microscopes with a slightly larger seat, among others Zeiss West Germany, Leitz Wetzlar, PZO, Will Wetzlar, Hund Wetzlar.

The "compatibility" section gives an example list of microscopes this tube fits, although it is not a complete list.

The last photo shows a LOMO Erudit microscope with this photo tube and a projection eyepiece mounted. It is an example of use.

Description of this part for the microscope.

objective:
Manufacturer: Lomo (ЛОМО)
Magnification: 40x
Correction: achromatic
Engraving on the objective: 40 0,65 Ф-2 ЛОМО
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0,65
Working distance: 0,55 mm
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 33 mm - a so-called short barrel objective
Cover glass: yes, 0,17 mm thick
Phase contrast: yes, type F-2 (Ф-2), which means there are two phase rings inside the objective
Immersion: no (dry objective, sometimes called an "air immersion" objective)
Specimen protection: no, the objective has no spring-loaded mechanism
Thread: RMS
Work in brightfield without phase contrast: possible, but even the manufacturer states in the manual that the image quality is worse than with an objective without phase rings inside

A very important note: two phase rings inside an objective bring to mind variable phase contrast (PhZ at PZO or PhV at Carl Zeiss Jena). With LOMO, however, this is rather something like a "second type of positive phase contrast". LOMO states in the manual (https://laboratorium.dp.ua/item/68) that one image is obtained when light passes through both rings (with the condenser iris diaphragm open) - and a different one when the diaphragm is closed far enough that light no longer reaches the outer, wide ring and only the inner ring works. The manufacturer recommends viewing the specimen in both modes, because together they give a more reliable idea of its structure. The contrast stays positive (thicker or denser parts of the specimen appear darker against a bright background), and both modes differ from work with the single-ring "Ф" objectives and the LOMO KF-4 condenser (ЛОМО KФ-4), where both the objective and the condenser diaphragm have only one ring. So the resulting effect does change - but this is not variable phase contrast; the change is stepwise (either-or), not continuous.

The objective presented here fits the LOMO KF-5 condenser (ЛОМО KФ-5). That condenser has a mounting diameter of 37 mm and is very often used on microscopes from other makers, among them Carl Zeiss Jena and Olympus (especially Olympus CH). With a suitable build-up ring fitted (3D printed, for example), this condenser is commonly used in microscopes with a 39,5 mm condenser seat as well. The instructions for setting up LOMO KF-5 phase contrast can be found here: https://scopica.ru/proj/ustroystvo-dlya-nablyudeniya-metodom-fazovogo-kontrasta-kf-5/

This is a so-called short barrel objective, with a parfocal length of 33 mm. It is very commonly mounted on a 12 mm extension, which allows it to be used in microscopes that require objectives of 45 mm length. Professional adapters with protective optics, metal adapters and the popular 3D printed DIY solutions all work here.

LOMO objectives are very popular with owners of microscopes from other makers. Because of the historical links, owners of Carl Zeiss Jena microscopes treat them as an obvious substitute for those German objectives.

This objective fits practically any microscope from any maker, provided it has an RMS thread and accepts objectives with TL=160 mm and a parfocal length of 33 mm (or 37 / 45 mm if a suitable adapter is used). A few such microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but that is not a complete list.

Description of this part for the microscope.

Carl Zeiss Jena
Engraving on the objective: Planachromat 25x/0,50 ∞/0
Magnification: 25x
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0,50
Free working distance: 3,1 mm
Tube length: infinity (more precisely: 250 mm)
Optical correction: planachromatic
Cover glass: no - this objective is intended for work without a cover glass
Immersion: no - this is a so-called dry objective
Phase contrast: no - this objective has no phase ring inside
Polarisation: no - this is not a polarising objective
Thread: M19
Plan compensating eyepieces: yes, required - this objective calls for eyepieces with additional correction (designated "PK" by Carl Zeiss Jena)
Direct projection and macro photography: no - this objective does not work in direct projection mode and is not suitable for macro photography by connecting the objective directly to a camera

This objective can be used as:
- an objective for work in reflected light (EPI), for biological as well as, among others, metallurgical or mineralogical applications
- an objective for work in transmitted light, among others with biological specimens or, for example, with mineralogical thin sections

A few facts about Carl Zeiss Jena objectives with M19 thread (CZJ M19) and their compatibility with various microscopes of this company:
- these objectives serve mostly technical applications and are intended for work without a cover glass (marking ∞/0)
- CZJ M19 objectives intended for biological applications (that is, marked ∞/0,17) are most often used on Carl Zeiss Jena NU / NU2 microscopes
- in Carl Zeiss Jena Nf and Lumipan microscopes, CZJ M19 objectives are used together with the EPI illuminator and can then work both in bright field and in dark field
- in Carl Zeiss Jena Polmi-A microscopes, CZJ M19 objectives can be used, but they give a magnification other than the nominal one
- Carl Zeiss Jena Amplival / Amplival Pol / Amplival Interphako / Peraval microscopes have an interchangeable nosepiece, and there is also a nosepiece intended for these microscopes that accepts objectives with M19 thread
- Carl Zeiss Jena Metaval microscopes use newer versions of CZJ M19 objectives (those with a coarsely knurled rim and a glossy barrel), yet many people experiment with older M19 objectives on these microscopes
- Carl Zeiss Jena Epignost and BK 70x50 microscopes were produced in various configurations - and some work with CZJ M19 objectives
- Carl Zeiss Jena Vertival / Epival / Nf / BK 70x50 microscopes often allow work with CZJ M19 objectives in EPI dark field mode
- on inverted metallographic Carl Zeiss Jena Epityp-2 / Neophot-21 microscopes, many people use biological objectives intended for work with a cover glass alongside metallurgical ones, and place the slide with the specimen on the stage "upside down", that is, with the cover glass facing downwards

Description of this part for the microscope.

objective:
Manufacturer: Zeiss West Germany
Engraving on the objective: Planapo 63/1,4 Oel 160/-
Manufacturer catalogue number: 46 18 40 - 9901 (also written as 461840-9901)
Magnification: 63x
Numerical aperture (N.A.): 1.4
Optical correction: plan-apochromatic
Immersion: yes, oil
Coverslip: according to the engraving on the barrel of this objective, it can be used both without a coverslip and with a standard coverslip of 0.17 mm thickness
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal distance: 45 mm
Thread: RMS
Specimen protection: yes, the objective has a spring-loaded mechanism preventing the slide with the specimen from being broken
Phase contrast: no - the objective has no phase rings inside
DIC: prisms allowing work in DIC mode are available on the market for this objective (sold separately)

This objective fits practically any microscope of any manufacturer, provided it has an RMS thread and accepts objectives for a 160 mm tube length with a parfocal distance of 33, 37 or 45 mm. A few such microscopes are listed as examples in the "compatibility" section, but this is not a complete list.

Description of this part for the microscope.

Germany
Designation: Ph2 F40/0,65 160/0,17
Manufacturer catalogue number: 46 07 06
Magnification: 40x
Correction: Semi-planachromatic
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.65
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 45 mm
Cover glass: yes, 0.17 mm thick
Immersion: no (a so-called dry objective)
Thread: RMS
Phase contrast: yes, the objective has an internal phase ring matching the Ph2 position in the condenser
Specimen protection: yes, the objective has a spring-loaded mechanism that protects the slide from being crushed

The letter "F" at the beginning of the objective model name (F 40 / 0.65) means that this is a semi-planachromatic objective, i.e. flatter than an achromat but less flat than a planachromat. "F" does not mean that the objective is intended for work with fluorescence light.

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, provided it has an RMS thread and accepts 160 mm tube length objectives with a parfocal length of 33, 37 or 45 mm. A few example microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but that list is not complete.

Description of this part for the microscope.

1/12 = 100x Oel-Immersion
Magnification: 100x
Correction: achromatic
Tube length: not stated, most likely 170 mm
Cover glass: yes
Immersion: yes, oil
Thread: RMS

The objective does not state the numerical aperture N.A., but 100x oil immersion objectives usually have an N.A. of 1.20.

The microscope gallery on the steindorff-berlin.de website (https://steindorff-berlin.de/Instruments/Gallery/gallery.html) shows a microscope with serial number 54541, which suggests that objectives of this type were in use in the first half of the 1950s. The author of that same site explains here that from the 1950s onwards the year of manufacture should be read in this way: https://steindorff-berlin.de/Instruments/Microscopes/microscopes.html

This objective is finished in black and white styling. A decade earlier Steindorff still used brass objectives or ones in a gold and silver finish. On the objective shown here the company name appears as "Steindorff & Co̱", with the word "Berlin" on the second line; by the early 1960s, however, the objectives were entirely silver and carried the inscription "Steindorff Berlin" inside a border serving as the logo.

Description of this part for the microscope.

10x
Mounting diameter: 23.2 mm

Because this is important, I will write it again: this is a single eyepiece, not a pair of eyepieces.

This is a solution for people who:
- either have a pair of these eyepieces, but one of them needs to be replaced
- or have a microscope with a monocular head

For Will Wetzlar microscopes, eyepieces from practically any manufacturer can be used, provided that they are designed for a finite tube length system and have a mounting diameter of 23.2 mm. However, many users appreciate having original parts.

This eyepiece also works the other way around - it fits almost any microscope from any manufacturer that allows the use of eyepieces with a mounting diameter of 23.2 mm. Users of microscopes from many manufacturers are happy to choose German eyepieces because of their high quality. I have included some examples in the "compatibility" section, but this is definitely not a complete list.

Microscope users have several names for eyepieces of this type with a large field of view. Among others:
- wide field eyepiece
- widefield ocular
- WF eyepiece
- wide angle eyepiece
- large field of view eyepiece

Description of this part for the microscope.

catalogue number: 46 78 36 (also written as 467836)
Colour: blue matt
Diameter: 32 mm
Material: glass

This is a filter that combines the functions of a blue filter and a ground glass diffuser:
- the blue filter is used to convert the yellow, warm light of the bulb into light closer to white light
- the matt filter (called a diffuser or ground glass) is used to even out the light across the whole area of the specimen and to remove the visible filament of the bulb

This does, however, have one consequence: without a visible filament it is not possible to work with illumination set up according to the Koehler method - and Zeiss mentions this in the leaflet supplied with the filter.

Very often only one or two microscope filters can be fitted in a microscope, for example one on the illuminator and the second in the holder below the condenser. The fact that the glass filter offered here is a 2-in-1 solution makes it possible to save the possible second slot for another filter.

The diameter of 32 mm is a standard with many manufacturers, which means this filter can be used with microscopes of numerous brands. The "compatibility" section lists over a dozen such microscopes, but it is not a complete list.

Description of this part for the microscope.

Jena microscopes over nearly 100 years. They differ in the appearance of the barrel and in the engraving.

Appearance of this variant of the Carl Zeiss Jena 8x objective:
- black section next to the thread
- silver upper section
- the marking "8/0,20 160/-" on one side of the silver part of the barrel
- the Carl Zeiss Jena logo and the serial number on the other side of the silver barrel

Here (https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/99852) you will see the same Carl Zeiss Jena 8x objective, but in a slightly older variant (without the value "160/-" engraved on the barrel).

The Carl Zeiss Jena 8x objective is often used for macro photography - both on a microscope and on a camera (with an RMS adapter or a bellows unit). Although it is an achromatic objective, it renders fine detail very well and works nicely for focus stacking. It is a good complement to a set together with the Carl Zeiss Jena Semiplan 3.2x, LOMO 3.7x, Carl Zeiss Jena Semiplan 6.3x and Nikon M Plan 10x objectives.

Basic parameters of this objective:
Manufacturer: Carl Zeiss Jena
Magnification: 8x
Correction: achromatic
Marking on the objective: 8/0,20 160/-
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.20
Serial number: above 580 000
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 33 mm - a so-called short barrel objective
Cover glass: either way - objectives with such a low magnification can work both with and without a cover glass
Immersion: no (a so-called dry objective)
Thread: RMS

Important - this objective is suitable for taking pictures with the "direct-projection" technique, because it does not require plan-compensating optics.

A microscope objective with such a low magnification (keeping the 160 mm tube we get an 8:1 reproduction ratio) is used for observation or macro photography of, among other things:
- insects
- minerals
- inclusions in amber
- handwriting
- micro shells

Why do I describe the appearance of this variant so precisely in the description of this objective? Some users care about completing their Carl Zeiss Jena microscope with parts from the same series and roughly from the same period. The exact way the parameters are written on the barrel makes it possible to compare this objective not only from the photos in the gallery, but also at the level of the text description - especially for AI systems.

This is a so-called "short barrel objective", with a parfocal length of 33 mm. Very often this objective is mounted on a 12 mm extension, which makes it possible to use it in microscopes that require objectives with a parfocal length of 45 mm. Professional adapters with corrective optics work well here, as do plain metal adapters and the popular DIY parts from a 3D printer.

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, provided it has an RMS thread and supports objectives with TL=160 mm and a parfocal length of 33 mm (or 37 / 45 mm if we use a suitable adapter). A few examples of such microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but that is not a complete list.

Carl Zeiss Jena objectives are very popular among users of microscopes from other manufacturers. Because of the historical connections, owners of LOMO microscopes treat them as an obvious replacement for their own Soviet optics.

After the Second World War the Carl Zeiss Jena production plant ended up in the Soviet occupation zone, and the Russians began copying the German technical documentation - see for yourself that the LOMO 8x objectives are an exact copy of the objective presented here: https://www.microscopeparts.eu/?search_2=8x&search_7=ob&search_8=lomo. The objectives made for school microscopes such as the Opta Junat are also a clone of Carl Zeiss Jena optics: https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/00639.

Description of this part for the microscope.

Jena microscopes over nearly 100 years. They differ in the appearance of the barrel and in the engraving.

Appearance of this variant of the Carl Zeiss Jena 8x objective:
- black section next to the thread
- silver upper section
- the digit "8" on the first line and "0,20" on the second line, on one side of the silver part of the barrel
- the Carl Zeiss Jena logo and the serial number on the other side of the silver barrel

Here (https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/99851) you will see the same Carl Zeiss Jena 8x objective, but in a slightly newer variant (with the value "160/-" engraved on the barrel).

The Carl Zeiss Jena 8x objective is often used for macro photography - both on a microscope and on a camera (with an RMS adapter or a bellows unit). Although it is an achromatic objective, it renders fine detail very well and works nicely for focus stacking. It is a good complement to a set together with the Carl Zeiss Jena Semiplan 3.2x, LOMO 3.7x, Carl Zeiss Jena Semiplan 6.3x and Nikon M Plan 10x objectives.

Basic parameters of this objective:
Manufacturer: Carl Zeiss Jena
Magnification: 8x
Correction: achromatic
Marking on the objective: 8 0,20
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.20
Serial number: 503 729
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 33 mm - a so-called short barrel objective
Cover glass: either way - objectives with such a low magnification can work both with and without a cover glass
Immersion: no (a so-called dry objective)
Thread: RMS

Important - this objective is suitable for taking pictures with the "direct-projection" technique, because it does not require plan-compensating optics.

A microscope objective with such a low magnification (keeping the 160 mm tube we get an 8:1 reproduction ratio) is used for observation or macro photography of, among other things:
- insects
- minerals
- inclusions in amber
- handwriting
- micro shells

Why do I describe the appearance of this variant so precisely in the description of this objective? Some users care about completing their Carl Zeiss Jena microscope with parts from the same series and roughly from the same period. The exact way the parameters are written on the barrel makes it possible to compare this objective not only from the photos in the gallery, but also at the level of the text description - especially for AI systems.

This is a so-called "short barrel objective", with a parfocal length of 33 mm. Very often this objective is mounted on a 12 mm extension, which makes it possible to use it in microscopes that require objectives with a parfocal length of 45 mm. Professional adapters with corrective optics work well here, as do plain metal adapters and the popular DIY parts from a 3D printer.

This objective fits practically any microscope from any manufacturer, provided it has an RMS thread and supports objectives with TL=160 mm and a parfocal length of 33 mm (or 37 / 45 mm if we use a suitable adapter). A few examples of such microscopes are listed in the "compatibility" section, but that is not a complete list.

Carl Zeiss Jena objectives are very popular among users of microscopes from other manufacturers. Because of the historical connections, owners of LOMO microscopes treat them as an obvious replacement for their own Soviet optics.

After the Second World War the Carl Zeiss Jena production plant ended up in the Soviet occupation zone, and the Russians began copying the German technical documentation - see for yourself that the LOMO 8x objectives are an exact copy of the objective presented here: https://www.microscopeparts.eu/?search_2=8x&search_7=ob&search_8=lomo. The objectives made for school microscopes such as the Opta Junat are also a clone of Carl Zeiss Jena optics: https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/00639.

Description of this part for the microscope.

and a single line below it reading: Made in West Germany.

This is not the plate for the base of Zeiss Photomicroscope microscopes. Although it looks similar - it is not the plate for the body of the Zeiss Stereomicroscope either.

This plate has two pins on its inner side. The photo intermediate tube should have two holes into which these pins are pressed. For a firmer hold you can apply some glue to the underside of the plate.

In one of the last photos in the gallery you will see two photo-trino intermediate tubes lying side by side. As you can see, this plate is not fitted at the factory on every variant of the intermediate tube.
- I have not come across it (and I have seen no mounting holes) on the black intermediate tubes of the earliest Carl Zeiss Universal, Ultraphot and Photomicroscope models
- on the latest variants of the Photomicroscope III the logo is printed on the base (instead of a plate) and there is no plate on the intermediate tube

Importantly - intermediate tubes can be swapped between models of this class, so the surest way to tell whether this plate fits a particular tube is to check whether it has mounting holes.

Over the years this plate often fell off or was torn off, so on the second-hand market you can find microscopes with this element missing.

Some users like this style of the older models and, after cutting off the two mounting pins, they glue the plate onto a photo intermediate tube that has no mounting holes.

The last photo in the gallery shows several models of this microscope class standing side by side. Arrows mark the ones that carry a logo plate like the one offered here.

Description of this part for the microscope.

21 microscope.

Basic parameters:
Manufacturer: Carl Zeiss Jena
Engraving on the objective: Planachromat 25x/0,50 ∞/0 Ph
Magnification: 25x
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0,50
Tube length: infinity (more precisely: 250 mm)
Optical correction: planachromatic
Cover glass: no - this objective is intended for work without a cover glass
Immersion: no - this is a so-called dry objective
Phase contrast: yes, a special phase contrast for work in reflected light
Polarisation: no - this is not a polarising objective
Thread: M19
Plan compensating eyepieces: yes, required - this objective needs eyepieces with additional correction (marked "PK" at Carl Zeiss Jena)
Direct projection and macro photography: no - this objective does not work in direct projection mode and is not suitable for macro photography with the objective attached directly to a camera

Phase contrast objectives for the Neophot microscopes have a phase ring built differently from the other Ph objectives made by Carl Zeiss Jena - instead of a continuous ring there is a three-segment pattern, somewhat reminiscent of a Wankel engine rotor. This is worth knowing, because it means that a phase contrast objective from a biological microscope will not replace this one in a Neophot, and the other way round.

The reason is a matter of design. In a metallurgical microscope the objective also acts as the condenser, so the illuminating light passes through the same pupil as the light forming the image. With a continuous ring the whole illumination would pass through the phase coating, which lets only part of the light through and reflects a fair amount of it - and those reflections would swamp the already faint phase contrast image. The solution turned out to be an odd number of segments: the image of the diaphragm formed after reflection off the specimen is rotated by 180 degrees, so with three segments it falls into the gaps between them. The illuminating light therefore enters beside the phase coating and returns through it. The solution is described in patent AT 295883 B.

The objective is offered together with its matching slider (Objektivwechselschlitten) with an M19 thread - and that is no coincidence. The position in which the phase sectors come to rest is decided by how far the objective screws into the thread, and every specimen stops slightly differently, which is why the factory selected objective and slider in pairs and wrote both numbers on the card in the case. Buying such a pair together avoids the whole problem - the objective already sits in relation to its slider exactly as it left the works.

Setting it up in the microscope needs neither a service technician nor a phase telescope - the Neophot has a built-in, swing-out Bertrand lens. The procedure is basically this: switch in the Bertrand lens, focus on the phase sectors and use the adjusting screws to bring the image of the sector diaphragm into coincidence with the image of the sectors in the objective; sometimes a slight rotation of the aperture diaphragm helps as well. Should the position of the glass in the sector diaphragm itself ever need correcting - it is held down by an ordinary threaded ring, so it can be turned. The whole thing resembles centring the phase rings in the condenser of a biological microscope.

Two more things are needed on the microscope side for work in phase contrast: the sector diaphragm (Sektorenblende), pushed in front of the open aperture diaphragm, and the auxiliary lens turret (Hilfslinsenrevolver) on the dovetail of the illuminator. The latter images the diaphragm exactly in the plane of the phase coating, which lies slightly differently in each objective - hence a separate auxiliary lens for every magnification. In bright field the objective of course works perfectly normally.

A note for the DIY-minded: an objective like this can be adapted for transmitted light, except that the diaphragm in the condenser is then set not opposite but in line with the segments of the objective, because there is no second pass through the pupil. Phase contrast should appear, but with stronger halo and a directional relief effect, since the gaps in the ring mean that part of the illumination azimuths is missing. On top of that comes the infinity design with no cover glass correction, so a tube lens will be needed. More of an experiment than a working solution - but doable in one evening.

The last photos in the gallery show:

* a photo of the original table indicating which serial numbers of the objective sliders are factory-paired with which serial numbers of the objectives
* two pages of errata to the instruction manual of the Carl Zeiss Jena Neophot 2 microscope.

The "compatibility" section lists, besides the Carl Zeiss Jena Neophot 21 microscope, those microscopes that this objective fits mechanically and optically. What result you get on them, however, can sometimes be a surprise.

Here (https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/91056) is the same objective in the version without phase rings. Its description tells you more about using Carl Zeiss Jena objectives with an M19 thread.

Description of this part for the microscope.

binocular head P/N 512582 - but tubes with exactly the same dimensions and the same mounting method are also used in other models of binocular and trinocular heads.

Two such tubes are fitted in binocular and trinocular heads - they are universal, there is no difference between the right and the left one.

The last photos in the gallery show how these tubes are screwed to the front plate of the head. The mounting screws are included with the tube offered here.

This component is often dented, and then the eyepiece can no longer be inserted. Slight deformations can easily be bent back, or the tube can be reamed out from the inside - with more serious deformations this is unfortunately not so easy. In that case, instead of replacing the whole head, it is enough to replace the eyepiece tube alone.

Description of this part for the microscope.

condensers:
- PZO K3Ph
- PZO K3Ph1
- PZO K4Ph
- PZO KS (this is the "stereo contrast" condenser sold with PZO MB30S microscopes. There are no(!) markings or numbers whatsoever on this condenser)

The diaphragm blades themselves, which are located inside this module, also fit the diaphragms installed in the following condensers:
- PZO K3PhZ (variable phase contrast)
- PZO KPI2 (condenser for Pluta DIC)

Mechanically, this diaphragm is screwed onto the lower part of the phase contrast condenser. The housing of the diaphragm module has a 32 mm male thread. The complete diaphragm with its housing has a diameter of 52 mm.

The iris diaphragm is damaged very often. Replacing it can solve the following problems:
- when the small lever used to open and close the diaphragm blades breaks off. This is a common failure, because this lever is a thin sheet made of a brittle alloy
- when the diaphragm blades get damaged, bent or broken. This is one of the most common faults in microscopes
- when the diaphragm blades jump out of their mounting grooves and you cannot reassemble them
- when the diaphragm stops opening and closing and is completely seized. This happens when the grease has dried out or rust has glued the blades together

The last photos in the gallery show the PZO KS condenser, with an arrow indicating where this diaphragm is located inside the condenser. This allows the component to be identified unambiguously.

PZO phase contrast condensers are often fitted in microscopes from manufacturers other than PZO, so the component presented here is not a repair part for one specific microscope model. This diaphragm will help to repair a phase contrast condenser - regardless of which microscope model and which manufacturer it works in.

Description of this part for the microscope.

condensers:
- PZO K3Ph
- PZO K3Ph1
- PZO K4Ph
- PZO K3PhZ (variable phase contrast)
- PZO KS (this is the "stereo contrast" condenser sold with PZO MB30S microscopes. There are no(!) markings or numbers whatsoever on this condenser)

These condensers contain phase annuli (also called phase rings) and each of them can be centred. They are centred by turning two screws with rectangular heads (different from the square heads in Carl Zeiss Jena condensers).
The condenser models listed above have a special centring module screwed to the housing of the turret, with two spring-loaded centring keys that fit these screws. Thanks to this, there is no need to keep the centring keys at hand and there is no risk of losing them.

Unfortunately, these centring keys protrude more than 40 mm beyond the outline of the condenser and often get bent. In addition, many users unscrew them from the housing for transport or when they store the condenser in non-original packaging - and this leads to the unscrewed centring keys being lost frequently. The solution to such a problem is then to buy separate centring keys or to replace the entire centring module.

Mechanically, this module is screwed to the housing of the PZO phase contrast condenser with two screws, which are additionally locked by two pins - all these elements are included with the centring module presented here.

The last photos in the gallery show the PZO K3Ph condenser, with an arrow indicating where this component for centring the phase annuli is located inside the condenser. This allows the component to be identified unambiguously. The video in the video gallery shows the movement of the moving parts, the action of the springs and how the centring keys rotate.

PZO phase contrast condensers are often fitted in microscopes from manufacturers other than PZO, so the component presented here is not a repair part for one specific microscope model. This module will help to repair a phase contrast condenser - regardless of which microscope model and which manufacturer it works in.

Description of this part for the microscope.

Basic parameters of this phase annulus:
Position in the condenser: phase annulus to be fitted in the "40x" position of a turret condenser, to be paired with the phase ring in a 40x phase contrast objective
Construction: disc with a phase annulus in a mount
Material: glass, colourless polarising film and printed black circles
Diameter of the glass disc with the printed annulus: 14 mm
Disc mount: metal, with a notch for the spring-loaded ejector pin
Spring cushioning: no - the mount of the 40x phase annulus has no spring cushioning
Other names: phase disc, phase glass, phase ring
Intended for: PZO KS condenser
Compatibility: PZO K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph and K3PhZ phase contrast condensers
Important note on appearance: the black dots and lines visible in the photo are not a surface defect - this is how PZO phase rings normally look
Note on the polarising film: two pieces of polarising film are glued onto the annulus. The vertical line running through the middle of the annulus is where these two films meet - it is neither a defect nor a crack, even though it looks like one

Over the years the polarising film used on these phase annuli very often came unstuck (delamination), which often - though not always - caused it to lose its properties and made stereoscopic contrast completely unusable. In such a case you can either:
- peel off the old film, clean the surface of the glass disc and glue on a new one, keeping the polarisation angle
- or replace the whole disc with one like the one offered here.

The specific feature of the PZO KS is that the ring of every disc is divided into two equal halves by two polarisers set perpendicular to each other. By rotating the analyser you extinguish one half of the ring and brighten the other - smoothly, without moving anything in the optical path. The specimen is then illuminated from one side.

And this is exactly how the disc from the KS condenser differs from the discs of the PZO K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph and K3PhZ condensers. Mechanically it is the same insert, 14 mm in diameter, and it fits those condensers. The difference lies solely in the polarisation of the ring itself, described above. That is why a KS disc used in an ordinary phase condenser still gives correct phase contrast with no loss of quality, but once an analyser is placed in the optical path (for example under the head) it can produce interesting, unexpected effects.

For DIY enthusiasts looking for new, unusual visual effects in microscopy, an interesting option is to fit this polarising phase annulus into a different phase contrast condenser. You can then explore the unusual behaviour of various objectives in partially polarised light.
Here is an example: a Zernike-type phase contrast objective (PZO Ph with a green stripe) combined with the phase annulus from the PZO KS condenser gives an unusual, bluish background colour (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1262188377207557&set=a.462747092529893). And here you can see PZO microscope objectives for six types of phase contrast: https://www.facebook.com/MikroskopyPZO/photos/por%C3%B3wnanie-obiektyw%C3%B3w-pzo-20x-do-kontrastu-fazowego-pier%C5%9Bcienie-zielony-ph-kf-do/1259433520816376/.

The PZO KS condenser was fitted to PZO MB-30S microscopes and was an essential part of a special phase contrast method called "Stereoscopic Contrast" (KS). This condenser is characterised by carrying no markings at all - and that is how you recognise it.

Fastest way to recognise the PZO KS condenser:
PZO KS condenser: no serial number, no manufacturer name or logo, no model designation
Other PZO phase contrast condensers: at least a printed model designation (for example KFF, KFL, K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph, K3PhZ, or KPI 2 in the case of the DIC condenser)

Description of this part for the microscope.

Basic parameters of this phase annulus:
Position in the condenser: phase annulus to be fitted in the "10x" position of a turret condenser, to be paired with the phase ring in a 10x phase contrast objective
Construction: disc with a phase annulus in a mount
Material: glass, colourless polarising film and printed black circles
Diameter of the glass disc with the printed annulus: 14 mm
Disc mount: metal, with a notch for the spring-loaded ejector pin
Spring cushioning: yes - inside the mount, underneath the glass with the phase annulus, there is a spring cushioning
Other names: phase disc, phase glass, phase ring
Intended for: PZO KS condenser
Compatibility: PZO K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph and K3PhZ phase contrast condensers
Important note on appearance: the black dots and lines visible in the photo are not a surface defect - this is how PZO phase rings normally look
Note on the polarising film: two pieces of polarising film are glued onto the annulus. The vertical line running through the middle of the annulus is where these two films meet - it is neither a defect nor a crack, even though it looks like one

Over the years the polarising film used on these phase annuli very often came unstuck (delamination), which often - though not always - caused it to lose its properties and made stereoscopic contrast completely unusable. In such a case you can either:
- peel off the old film, clean the surface of the glass disc and glue on a new one, keeping the polarisation angle
- or replace the whole disc with one like the one offered here.

The specific feature of the PZO KS is that the ring of every disc is divided into two equal halves by two polarisers set perpendicular to each other. By rotating the analyser you extinguish one half of the ring and brighten the other - smoothly, without moving anything in the optical path. The specimen is then illuminated from one side.

And this is exactly how the disc from the KS condenser differs from the discs of the PZO K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph and K3PhZ condensers. Mechanically it is the same insert, 14 mm in diameter, and it fits those condensers. The difference lies solely in the polarisation of the ring itself, described above. That is why a KS disc used in an ordinary phase condenser still gives correct phase contrast with no loss of quality, but once an analyser is placed in the optical path (for example under the head) it can produce interesting, unexpected effects.

For DIY enthusiasts looking for new, unusual visual effects in microscopy, an interesting option is to fit this polarising phase annulus into a different phase contrast condenser. You can then explore the unusual behaviour of various objectives in partially polarised light.
Here is an example: a Zernike-type phase contrast objective (PZO Ph with a green stripe) combined with the phase annulus from the PZO KS condenser gives an unusual, bluish background colour (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1262188377207557&set=a.462747092529893). And here you can see PZO microscope objectives for six types of phase contrast: https://www.facebook.com/MikroskopyPZO/photos/por%C3%B3wnanie-obiektyw%C3%B3w-pzo-20x-do-kontrastu-fazowego-pier%C5%9Bcienie-zielony-ph-kf-do/1259433520816376/.

The PZO KS condenser was fitted to PZO MB-30S microscopes and was an essential part of a special phase contrast method called "Stereoscopic Contrast" (KS). This condenser is characterised by carrying no markings at all - and that is how you recognise it.

Fastest way to recognise the PZO KS condenser:
PZO KS condenser: no serial number, no manufacturer name or logo, no model designation
Other PZO phase contrast condensers: at least a printed model designation (for example KFF, KFL, K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph, K3PhZ, or KPI 2 in the case of the DIC condenser)

Description of this part for the microscope.

Basic parameters of this phase annulus:
Position in the condenser: phase annulus to be fitted in the "20x" position of a turret condenser, to be paired with the phase ring in a 20x phase contrast objective
Construction: disc with a phase annulus in a mount
Material: glass, colourless polarising film and printed black circles
Diameter of the glass disc with the printed annulus: 14 mm
Disc mount: metal, with a notch for the spring-loaded ejector pin
Spring cushioning: yes - inside the mount, underneath the glass with the phase annulus, there is a spring cushioning
Other names: phase disc, phase glass, phase ring
Intended for: PZO KS condenser
Compatibility: PZO K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph and K3PhZ phase contrast condensers
Important note on appearance: the black dots and lines visible in the photo are not a surface defect - this is how PZO phase rings normally look
Note on the polarising film: two pieces of polarising film are glued onto the annulus. The vertical line running through the middle of the annulus is where these two films meet - it is neither a defect nor a crack, even though it looks like one

Over the years the polarising film used on these phase annuli very often came unstuck (delamination), which often - though not always - caused it to lose its properties and made stereoscopic contrast completely unusable. In such a case you can either:
- peel off the old film, clean the surface of the glass disc and glue on a new one, keeping the polarisation angle
- or replace the whole disc with one like the one offered here.

The specific feature of the PZO KS is that the ring of every disc is divided into two equal halves by two polarisers set perpendicular to each other. By rotating the analyser you extinguish one half of the ring and brighten the other - smoothly, without moving anything in the optical path. The specimen is then illuminated from one side.

And this is exactly how the disc from the KS condenser differs from the discs of the PZO K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph and K3PhZ condensers. Mechanically it is the same insert, 14 mm in diameter, and it fits those condensers. The difference lies solely in the polarisation of the ring itself, described above. That is why a KS disc used in an ordinary phase condenser still gives correct phase contrast with no loss of quality, but once an analyser is placed in the optical path (for example under the head) it can produce interesting, unexpected effects.

For DIY enthusiasts looking for new, unusual visual effects in microscopy, an interesting option is to fit this polarising phase annulus into a different phase contrast condenser. You can then explore the unusual behaviour of various objectives in partially polarised light.
Here is an example: a Zernike-type phase contrast objective (PZO Ph with a green stripe) combined with the phase annulus from the PZO KS condenser gives an unusual, bluish background colour (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1262188377207557&set=a.462747092529893). And here you can see PZO microscope objectives for six types of phase contrast: https://www.facebook.com/MikroskopyPZO/photos/por%C3%B3wnanie-obiektyw%C3%B3w-pzo-20x-do-kontrastu-fazowego-pier%C5%9Bcienie-zielony-ph-kf-do/1259433520816376/.

The PZO KS condenser was fitted to PZO MB-30S microscopes and was an essential part of a special phase contrast method called "Stereoscopic Contrast" (KS). This condenser is characterised by carrying no markings at all - and that is how you recognise it.

Fastest way to recognise the PZO KS condenser:
PZO KS condenser: no serial number, no manufacturer name or logo, no model designation
Other PZO phase contrast condensers: at least a printed model designation (for example KFF, KFL, K3Ph, K3Ph1, K4Ph, K3PhZ, or KPI 2 in the case of the DIC condenser)

Description of this part for the microscope.

21 microscope.

Basic parameters:
Manufacturer: Carl Zeiss Jena
Engraving on the objective: Planachromat 12.5x/0.25 ∞/0 Ph
Magnification: 12.5x
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.25
Tube length: infinity (more precisely: 250 mm)
Optical correction: planachromatic
Cover glass: no - this objective is intended for work without a cover glass
Immersion: no - this is a so-called dry objective
Phase contrast: yes, a special phase contrast for work in reflected light
Polarisation: no - this is not a polarising objective
Thread: M19
Plan compensating eyepieces: yes, required - this objective needs eyepieces with additional correction (marked "PK" at Carl Zeiss Jena)
Direct projection and macro photography: no - this objective does not work in direct projection mode and is not suitable for macro photography with the objective attached directly to a camera

Phase contrast objectives for the Neophot microscopes have a phase ring built differently from the other Ph objectives made by Carl Zeiss Jena - instead of a continuous ring there is a three-segment pattern, somewhat reminiscent of a Wankel engine rotor. This is worth knowing, because it means that a phase contrast objective from a biological microscope will not replace this one in a Neophot, and the other way round.

The reason is a matter of design. In a metallurgical microscope the objective also acts as the condenser, so the illuminating light passes through the same pupil as the light forming the image. With a continuous ring the whole illumination would pass through the phase coating, which lets only part of the light through and reflects a fair amount of it - and those reflections would swamp the already faint phase contrast image. The solution turned out to be an odd number of segments: the image of the diaphragm formed after reflection off the specimen is rotated by 180 degrees, so with three segments it falls into the gaps between them. The illuminating light therefore enters beside the phase coating and returns through it. The solution is described in patent AT 295883 B.

The objective is offered together with its matching slider (Objektivwechselschlitten) with an M19 thread - and that is no coincidence. The position in which the phase sectors come to rest is decided by how far the objective screws into the thread, and every specimen stops slightly differently, which is why the factory selected objective and slider in pairs and wrote both numbers on the card in the case. Buying such a pair together avoids the whole problem - the objective already sits in relation to its slider exactly as it left the works.

Setting it up in the microscope needs neither a service technician nor a phase telescope - the Neophot has a built-in, swing-out Bertrand lens. The procedure is basically this: switch in the Bertrand lens, focus on the phase sectors and use the adjusting screws to bring the image of the sector diaphragm into coincidence with the image of the sectors in the objective; sometimes a slight rotation of the aperture diaphragm helps as well. Should the position of the glass in the sector diaphragm itself ever need correcting - it is held down by an ordinary threaded ring, so it can be turned. The whole thing resembles centring the phase rings in the condenser of a biological microscope.

Two more things are needed on the microscope side for work in phase contrast: the sector diaphragm (Sektorenblende), pushed in front of the open aperture diaphragm, and the auxiliary lens turret (Hilfslinsenrevolver) on the dovetail of the illuminator. The latter images the diaphragm exactly in the plane of the phase coating, which lies slightly differently in each objective - hence a separate auxiliary lens for every magnification. In bright field the objective of course works perfectly normally.

A note for the DIY-minded: an objective like this can be adapted for transmitted light, except that the diaphragm in the condenser is then set not opposite but in line with the segments of the objective, because there is no second pass through the pupil. Phase contrast should appear, but with stronger halo and a directional relief effect, since the gaps in the ring mean that part of the illumination azimuths is missing. On top of that comes the infinity design with no cover glass correction, so a tube lens will be needed. More of an experiment than a working solution - but doable in one evening.

The last photos in the gallery show:

* a photo of the original table indicating which serial numbers of the objective sliders are factory-paired with which serial numbers of the objectives
* two pages of errata to the instruction manual of the Carl Zeiss Jena Neophot 2 microscope.

The "compatibility" section lists, besides the Carl Zeiss Jena Neophot 21 microscope, those microscopes that this objective fits mechanically and optically. What result you get on them, however, can sometimes be a surprise.

Here (https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/91056) you can read more about using Carl Zeiss Jena objectives with an M19 thread.

Description of this part for the microscope.

21 microscope.

Basic parameters:
Manufacturer: Carl Zeiss Jena
Engraving on the objective: Planachromat 6.3x/0.12 ∞/0 Ph
Magnification: 6.3x
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.12
Tube length: infinity (more precisely: 250 mm)
Optical correction: planachromatic
Cover glass: no - this objective is intended for work without a cover glass
Immersion: no - this is a so-called dry objective
Phase contrast: yes, a special phase contrast for work in reflected light
Polarisation: no - this is not a polarising objective
Thread: M19
Plan compensating eyepieces: yes, required - this objective needs eyepieces with additional correction (marked "PK" at Carl Zeiss Jena)
Direct projection and macro photography: no - this objective does not work in direct projection mode and is not suitable for macro photography with the objective attached directly to a camera

Phase contrast objectives for the Neophot microscopes have a phase ring built differently from the other Ph objectives made by Carl Zeiss Jena - instead of a continuous ring there is a three-segment pattern, somewhat reminiscent of a Wankel engine rotor. This is worth knowing, because it means that a phase contrast objective from a biological microscope will not replace this one in a Neophot, and the other way round.

The reason is a matter of design. In a metallurgical microscope the objective also acts as the condenser, so the illuminating light passes through the same pupil as the light forming the image. With a continuous ring the whole illumination would pass through the phase coating, which lets only part of the light through and reflects a fair amount of it - and those reflections would swamp the already faint phase contrast image. The solution turned out to be an odd number of segments: the image of the diaphragm formed after reflection off the specimen is rotated by 180 degrees, so with three segments it falls into the gaps between them. The illuminating light therefore enters beside the phase coating and returns through it. The solution is described in patent AT 295883 B.

The objective is offered together with its matching slider (Objektivwechselschlitten) with an M19 thread - and that is no coincidence. The position in which the phase sectors come to rest is decided by how far the objective screws into the thread, and every specimen stops slightly differently, which is why the factory selected objective and slider in pairs and wrote both numbers on the card in the case. Buying such a pair together avoids the whole problem - the objective already sits in relation to its slider exactly as it left the works.

Setting it up in the microscope needs neither a service technician nor a phase telescope - the Neophot has a built-in, swing-out Bertrand lens. The procedure is basically this: switch in the Bertrand lens, focus on the phase sectors and use the adjusting screws to bring the image of the sector diaphragm into coincidence with the image of the sectors in the objective; sometimes a slight rotation of the aperture diaphragm helps as well. Should the position of the glass in the sector diaphragm itself ever need correcting - it is held down by an ordinary threaded ring, so it can be turned. The whole thing resembles centring the phase rings in the condenser of a biological microscope.

Two more things are needed on the microscope side for work in phase contrast: the sector diaphragm (Sektorenblende), pushed in front of the open aperture diaphragm, and the auxiliary lens turret (Hilfslinsenrevolver) on the dovetail of the illuminator. The latter images the diaphragm exactly in the plane of the phase coating, which lies slightly differently in each objective - hence a separate auxiliary lens for every magnification. In bright field the objective of course works perfectly normally.

A note for the DIY-minded: an objective like this can be adapted for transmitted light, except that the diaphragm in the condenser is then set not opposite but in line with the segments of the objective, because there is no second pass through the pupil. Phase contrast should appear, but with stronger halo and a directional relief effect, since the gaps in the ring mean that part of the illumination azimuths is missing. On top of that comes the infinity design with no cover glass correction, so a tube lens will be needed. More of an experiment than a working solution - but doable in one evening.

The last photos in the gallery show:

* a photo of the original table indicating which serial numbers of the objective sliders are factory-paired with which serial numbers of the objectives
* two pages of errata to the instruction manual of the Carl Zeiss Jena Neophot 2 microscope.

The "compatibility" section lists, besides the Carl Zeiss Jena Neophot 21 microscope, those microscopes that this objective fits mechanically and optically. What result you get on them, however, can sometimes be a surprise.

Here (https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/91056) you can read more about using Carl Zeiss Jena objectives with an M19 thread.

Description of this part for the microscope.

mm
Diameter of the knob on the focusing holder side: 28 mm
Mounting on the pinion shaft: the knob has a threaded hole into which the pinion shaft is screwed, as the shaft is threaded at both ends. Once screwed in, the shaft is additionally secured with two screws
Threaded hole diameter: 5 mm

It is very likely that Nissho Optical (NSK for short) uses identical knobs across its whole range of stereo microscopes, or more precisely: in the head holders of those microscopes. I give the dimensions of this knob in the parameter block so that you can check compatibility if you are looking for a knob for a model other than the "209".

The focusing holder of a stereo microscope contains two such knobs. Both are identical, so there is no difference between the right-hand and the left-hand knob. I offer each of these knobs separately, as a single item.

The last photo shows the coarse focusing holder of the Nissho Optical 209 stereo microscope, with an arrow pointing out which knobs are meant and where they are located.

Description of this part for the microscope.

mm
Pinion: 7 mm wide, located in the middle of the shaft
Mounting the shaft in the knobs: both ends of the shaft are threaded
Threaded end diameter: 5 mm

It is very likely that Nissho Optical (NSK for short) uses identical pinion shafts across its whole range of stereo microscopes, or more precisely: in the head holders of those microscopes. I give the dimensions of this shaft in the parameter block so that you can check compatibility if you are looking for a pinion shaft for a model other than the "209".

The last photo shows two knobs with the pinion shaft mounted on them. This makes it clear exactly which part is meant.

Description of this part for the microscope.

- but exactly the same prisms are also used in other models of binocular and trinocular heads.

It is neither the right nor the left eyepiece prism. It is the central prism that splits the beam towards the right and the left eye.

The last photo in the gallery shows a disassembled Leitz Wetzlar 512582 binocular head, with an arrow pointing to the prism in question and to its position inside the head. This makes the part easy to identify.

Replacing this prism in a Leitz Wetzlar microscope head can be the remedy for the following problems:
- if the prism in your head is mechanically damaged: it may be cracked or chipped
- if the prism to be replaced has a damaged anti-reflective coating: this may be caused by fungus, or the coating may be scratched by improper cleaning
- if discolouration or separation (delamination) is visible inside the prism. This is a cemented prism, and over the years the cement can discolour or come apart in places, which is unfortunately visible in the field of view while working with the microscope
- if the reflective layer inside the prism (usually silver) oxidises and loses its properties in places or completely

Before you decide to use this prism in a Leitz Wetzlar head other than model 512582, first compare the exact dimensions (a millimetre scale is visible in the photos) and, if in doubt, ask on internet groups and forums.

Description of this part for the microscope.

This prism was removed from a Leitz Wetzlar binocular head P/N 512582 - but exactly the same one is also used in other models of binocular and trinocular heads.

The last photo in the gallery shows a disassembled Leitz Wetzlar 512582 binocular head, with an arrow pointing to the prism in question and to its position inside the head. This makes the part easy to identify.

Replacing this prism in a Leitz Wetzlar microscope head can be the remedy for the following problems:
- if the prism in your head is mechanically damaged: it may be cracked or chipped
- if the prism to be replaced has a damaged anti-reflective coating: this may be caused by fungus, or the coating may be scratched by improper cleaning
- if discolouration or separation (delamination) is visible inside the prism. Over the years the cement can discolour or come apart in places, which is unfortunately visible in the field of view while working with the microscope
- if the reflective layer oxidises and loses its properties in places or completely

Before you decide to use this prism in a Leitz Wetzlar head other than model 512582, first compare the exact dimensions (a millimetre scale is visible in the photos) and, if in doubt, ask on internet groups and forums.

Description of this part for the microscope.

This prism was removed from a Leitz Wetzlar binocular head P/N 512582 - but exactly the same one is also used in other models of binocular and trinocular heads.

Right means right as seen by the observer looking into the eyepieces. It is neither the central prism that splits the beam towards both eyes, nor the left eyepiece prism.

The last photo in the gallery shows a disassembled Leitz Wetzlar 512582 binocular head, with an arrow pointing to the prism in question and to its position inside the head. This makes the part easy to identify.

Replacing this prism in a Leitz Wetzlar microscope head can be the remedy for the following problems:
- if the prism in your head is mechanically damaged: it may be cracked or chipped
- if the prism to be replaced has a damaged anti-reflective coating: this may be caused by fungus, or the coating may be scratched by improper cleaning
- if discolouration or separation (delamination) is visible inside the prism. Over the years the cement can discolour or come apart in places, which is unfortunately visible in the field of view while working with the microscope
- if the reflective layer oxidises and loses its properties in places or completely

Before you decide to use this prism in a Leitz Wetzlar head other than model 512582, first compare the exact dimensions (a millimetre scale is visible in the photos) and, if in doubt, ask on internet groups and forums.

Description of this part for the microscope.

25 160/0.17
Magnification: 10x
Numerical aperture N.A.: 0.25
Tube length: 160 mm
Parfocal length: 45 mm
Cover glass: according to the engraving on the barrel 0.17 mm, but with 10x objectives a cover glass is in practice not required - the objective works both with and without one
Immersion: no (this is a dry objective)
Thread: RMS

I have personally tested this objective with the following microscopes:
- MOTIC B1
- MOTIC SFC-100
- PZO Studar
- Carl Zeiss Jena Ergaval
- Olympus CH

This MOTIC microscope objective will work well in a microscope from any manufacturer, provided it has an RMS thread, optics corrected for a 160 mm tube length and accepts objectives with a 45 mm parfocal length. As for the parfocal length: in the vast majority of cases (almost always) objectives with a 45 mm parfocal length can also be fitted to microscopes originally sold with so-called short barrel objectives, that is with a 33 mm or 37 mm parfocal length. In such a case it is more convenient not to mix the objectives and to have them all of the same length - but that is only a matter of convenience, not a requirement. In the compatibility section I do not list microscopes from other manufacturers, because that list would need several hundred entries.

This also works the other way round: in the MOTIC B1 and MOTIC SFC-100 microscopes you can use any objective with an RMS thread, corrected for a 160 mm tube length and with a 45 mm parfocal length - from any manufacturer. These can be unbranded objectives, PZO or Carl Zeiss Jena objectives - but the objective offered here will please those who own a MOTIC microscope and want to complete it with original parts.

Description of this part for the microscope.

ring fitted, which compensates for the refractive error of one eye and lets you focus the image correctly. The tube without diopter adjustment is here: https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/91069.

Basic parameters:
- Type: tube with diopter adjustment ring
- Diameter of eyepieces accepted: 23.2 mm
- Color: black

This tube fits the binocular heads:
- Zeiss 473016 (also written: 47 30 16-9901)
- Zeiss 473012 (also written: 47 30 12-9901)
- Zeiss 473011 (also written: 47 30 11-9901)
- Zeiss 473013 (also written: 47 30 13-9901)
and probably others, as Zeiss often used the same components in several head models.

Before fitting this tube into your own head you should above all:
- check the shape of the tube foot. For example, there is also a polarizing variant of the head, Zeiss 47 30 12-9902, in which the eyepiece tube seat has a different shape (you can see it here: https://www.microscopeparts.eu/part/00536)
- check how many screws hold it to the head
- check all the dimensions (the photos show a millimeter scale)

This is a service part for a microscope binocular head - not for one particular microscope model. Such a head can be mounted on many Zeiss microscope models (and even on microscopes from other makers), so no list of microscopes this tube fits can be given - it fits the head, and the user mounts the head wherever they want.

In the last photo, an arrow shows where this element is located inside the head, allowing precise identification.