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.

Achromat
Numerical aperture N.A.: 1,3
Tube length: 160 mm
Focal length: 45 mm
Cover glass: yes, 0,17 mm
Immersion: yes, oil
Thread: RMS
Info: PhZ = variable phase contrast (white ring).

PZO PhZ objectives, designed for variable phase contrast, are intended to be used together with the PZO K3PhZ phase contrast condenser equipped with a rotating polarizer.

This objective can be used with any microscope from any manufacturer together with a compatible phase contrast condenser. Naturally, the microscope must support RMS objectives with a tube length of 160 mm and a parfocal length of 45 mm.

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.

PZO - a company that existed until 2005, although it had ended mass production about a decade earlier.

Basic parameters of this binocular head:
Manufacturer: PZO Poland
Series: MND
Own magnification: 1.25x
Diameter of accepted eyepieces: 23.2 mm
Diopter adjustment: yes, on one of the eyepiece tubes
Interpupillary distance adjustment: yes
Mounting to the microscope tube: circular dovetail, 43 mm diameter
Intended for: all PZO Studar microscope models and the newer MS, MB and ML series models
Housing color: black (this matters, because the newer models are white)

By default this model of the binocular head was fitted to PZO Studar microscopes. It also suits other PZO microscope models:
- all models of the PZO Studar student microscopes
- PZO MB biological microscopes, for example PZO MB-10 and PZO MB-30
- PZO MS school microscopes, for example PZO MS-4
- PZO ML laboratory microscopes, for example PZO ML-5 or PZO ML-6

When you use this binocular head on PZO MS / ML and MB microscopes, keep in mind that these microscopes were sold by default with the PZO MND-4 binocular head of 1.5x own magnification. With a head of 1.25x own magnification the total magnification obtained on the microscope will change.

Although this binocular head mechanically fits PZO Biolar microscopes - I do not recommend it. Other PZO binocular heads are intended for PZO Biolar microscopes.

Please note that PZO Biolar and PZO Studar microscopes look very similar to each other, and most of them carry no model name. A comparison of some PZO Studar models can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/MikroskopyPZO/posts/pfbid0WuTZtq8gD6snUH83vbze3ek1FcV6du22uoBBoHjN57H6Wz1gYUHcXoqGtPCs2mVVl

Users call this part by many different names, but all of them mean the same thing. Here are some of them:
- microscope binocular head
- binocular viewing head
- binocular observation head
- microscope binocular tube
- binocular eyepiece tube
- microscope binocular body
- bino head
- eyepiece head
- microscope head
- stereo head (although this is a wrong use of that name)
- binoculars (although this is a wrong use of that name, binoculars are field glasses)

Description of this part for the microscope.

These eyepieces fit stereo microscopes of any manufacturer, provided they use eyepieces with a 34 mm mounting diameter, for example:
- PZO MST-1 / MST-2
- PZO MST-130 / MST-131 / MST-132
- PZO MST ZOOM
- PZO KLP-21 / KLP-22 colposcopes
- DIY devices (for example instruments for the artificial insemination of queen bees) built around PZO MST stereo microscopes
- Meopta DM23
- Carl Zeiss Jena SM-XX (the so-called SM-20)
- medical microscopes by Carl Zeiss Jena (for example ophthalmic slit lamps) built around SM-XX stereo microscopes

These eyepieces do not fit microscopes whose eyepiece diameter is other than 34 mm:
- they do not fit the PZO MST-110 / MST-127 stereo microscopes, because those use eyepieces with a 23.2 mm diameter
- they do not fit the Lomo MBC-1 / MBC-2 stereo microscopes, because those use eyepieces with a 30 mm diameter
- they do not fit the Lomo MBC-9 / MBC-10 stereo microscopes, because those use eyepieces with a 32 mm diameter
- they do not fit the Carl Zeiss Jena Technival / Citoval stereo microscopes, because those use eyepieces with a 23.2 mm diameter
- they do not fit the Carl Zeiss West Germany stereo microscopes, because those use eyepieces with a 30 mm diameter
- they do not fit the Euromex E series and Z series stereo microscopes, because those use eyepieces with a 30.5 mm diameter
- they do not fit the Hertel & Reuss STE series stereo microscopes, because those use eyepieces with a 31 mm diameter

PZO 10x/25 eyepieces reach very high prices on the second-hand market. If you own a PZO MST-130 stereo microscope or a compatible one without eyepieces and you need any pair of eyepieces at all to get the microscope working - then the following PZO eyepieces with a 34 mm mounting diameter are commonly available on the market:
- PZO 6.3x
- PZO 12x (also in a version with a linear or grid reticle)
- PZO WF 20x
- PZO 25x

Description of this part for the microscope.

addition onto the main objective.

This auxiliary objective fits the following stereo microscopes:
- PZO MST-130
- PZO MST-131
- PZO MST-132

Please note: this lens fits the PZO MST-132 microscopes made by the so-called "old PZO". It does not fit the microscopes sold today under the name "PZO MST-132 Lab 4". You can see what the "Lab 4" model looks like on the distributor's website (I write "distributor" and not "manufacturer", because the company using the "PZO" logo sells microscopes made in China - status and active URL as of October 2026) https://pzo.waw.pl/oferta/mikroskopy-stereoskopowe/ze-statywem-kolumnowym/mikroskop-stereoskopowy-mst-132-lab-4.

In PZO MST stereo microscopes the 0.6x auxiliary objective serves several purposes:
- it reduces the total magnification obtained
- it increases the field of view
- it increases the working distance (and this is its main purpose)

According to the manual this auxiliary optic increases the working distance to 165 mm, but in reality (measured) it is about 150 mm, because the thickness of the additional lens has to be subtracted from the theoretical figures.

Description of this part for the microscope.

these guides:
Number of guides in the set: 2
Material: the guides are made of aluminium
Number of bearing balls: 13 per guide
Length of the guide: 114 mm
Width of the guide: 6 mm
Removed from: the mechanical stage PZO SK14
Which microscope this stage worked with: the PZO Biolar microscope

Important: these are longitudinal guides. They are responsible for moving the stage surface back and forth. They are not transverse guides for moving the specimen holder sideways - because the PZO SK14 stage, unlike many other stages, has NO transverse guides.

Please note: SK14 is a stage model made by the PZO company (SK = Stolik Krzyżowy, that is mechanical stage). The marking of this model (the marking "SK14") is on the stage. This stage was most often mounted on PZO Biolar microscopes, which carry no model name. As a result "SK14" is the only marking found on the microscope, and many people use the name "PZO SK14" - wrongly - for the whole microscope. This is a mistake: PZO SK14 is a stage model, not a microscope model.

The SK14 microscope stage these guides come from was mounted in a PZO Biolar B microscope. However, the same stage model was also used in other models of the Biolar microscope and in other microscopes made by this manufacturer, for example:
- PZO Biolar DIC
- PZO Biolar B2
- PZO Biolar GF
- PZO MB 30
- PZO Studar

This item is not a spare part for repairing a microscope. It is a component of the microscope stage - and the stage can be used with any compatible PZO microscope.

Detailed photos of these guides are available in the gallery. Every photo shows a scale with a millimetre division. The last photo shows the whole PZO SK14 microscope stage, with an arrow pointing at the component in question and at where it sits in the stage, so that this part can be identified without any doubt.

Description of this part for the microscope.

the longer of the two in the stage - that works together with the larger pinion of the stage manipulator and is responsible for moving the specimen sideways.

Basic data of this rack:
Length of the rack: 91 mm
Number of teeth: 62
Material: brass
How it is fixed: with 2 screws, which are included
Removed from: the mechanical stage PZO SK14
Which microscope this stage worked with: the PZO Biolar microscope

Important: there are two racks of different length in the PZO SK14 microscope stage. The one I am offering here is the longer one, responsible for the transverse movement, that is for moving the specimen sideways. This is not the shorter rack responsible for moving the stage surface back and forth.

Please note: SK14 is a stage model made by the PZO company (SK = Stolik Krzyżowy, that is mechanical stage). The marking of this model (the marking "SK14") is on the stage. This stage was most often mounted on PZO Biolar microscopes, which carry no model name. As a result "SK14" is the only marking found on the microscope, and many people use the name "PZO SK14" - wrongly - for the whole microscope. This is a mistake: PZO SK14 is a stage model, not a microscope model.

The SK14 microscope stage this rack comes from was mounted in a PZO Biolar B microscope. However, the same stage model was also used in other models of the Biolar microscope and in other microscopes made by this manufacturer, for example:
- PZO Biolar DIC
- PZO Biolar B2
- PZO Biolar GF
- PZO MB 30
- PZO Studar

A practical note on fitting: this mechanism needs a very tacky grease. If you need some, I will add it to the parcel - just write to me.

This item is not a spare part for repairing a microscope. It is a component of the microscope stage - and the stage can be used with any compatible PZO microscope.

Detailed photos of this rack are available in the gallery. Every photo shows a scale with a millimetre division. The last photo shows the whole PZO SK14 microscope stage, with an arrow pointing at the component in question and at where it sits in the stage, so that this part can be identified without any doubt.