This is description of this part:
Carl Zeiss Jena microscope objective with a low magnification of 8x.
This is one of many production variants of the 8x objective that were fitted to Carl Zeiss 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.
What is this part needed for?
- if you want to complete your Carl Zeiss Jena microscope with original parts
- if you are looking for an objective for macro photography
- if you are looking for a low magnification objective for observing objects with external light falling from the side
- if you need an 8x objective for LOMO, IOR or other compatible microscopes
- if you have a Carl Zeiss Jena microscope whose other objectives look similar and you want all the objectives in it to be "period correct"
- if you are building your own focus stacking rail (e.g. with a stepper motor)
