My Vanox AH journey (was: Olympus BH-NIC DIC with Nikon CF long-barrel optics?)
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My Vanox AH journey (was: Olympus BH-NIC DIC with Nikon CF long-barrel optics?)
I posted this over at microbehunter, but I know there are people here with a lot of knowledge so I'll post it here as well.
I have a couple of questions about the older Olympus DIC system that was made for the short-barrel BH microscope in the 1970s.
1) Is it correct that the short-barrel Olympus BH has enough focus travel to accomodate long-barrel DIN objectives?
2) Has anyone tried to use long-barrel objectives from other makers with the Olympus BH NIC DIC system (AH-NA intermediate tube + BH-NC condenser)?
3) Specifically, has anyone tried to set up DIC with Nikon CF objectives on a BH stand?
4) Has anyone tried to use 20x objectives with the 10x or 40x prisms? Did it work OK?
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I have a couple of questions about the older Olympus DIC system that was made for the short-barrel BH microscope in the 1970s.
1) Is it correct that the short-barrel Olympus BH has enough focus travel to accomodate long-barrel DIN objectives?
2) Has anyone tried to use long-barrel objectives from other makers with the Olympus BH NIC DIC system (AH-NA intermediate tube + BH-NC condenser)?
3) Specifically, has anyone tried to set up DIC with Nikon CF objectives on a BH stand?
4) Has anyone tried to use 20x objectives with the 10x or 40x prisms? Did it work OK?
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Last edited by viktor j nilsson on Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Thanks, Scaro. It is always encouraging to hear examples of working mismatches!
However, I don't think that the NA is as important as the focal length of the objectives and the position of their back focal planes (BFPs).
I know that Zeiss re-designed their objectives when they produced their system with a common objective prism to ensure that they all had BFPs at approximately the same place (which coincides with the location of the objective prism interference fringe).
I've measured the position of the BFP of some of my Nikon objectives, and the 10x and 20x (Fluor, Plan Apo and CFN Plan) have BFP located +-1mm from the beginning of the RMS threads.
My 40x 0.85 Fluor and 60x 0.90 PlanApo, on the other hand, have much deeper BFPs, located 10 and 14mm from the beginning of the RMS thread, respectively.
I am not sure if Olympus specifically designed their short-nosed Plan Achromat objectives to have matching BFP positions. Or, if they simply decided that it was OK to have a ~10mm or so mismatch.
Another unknown to me is if the focal length of say a 10x objective is different in a short-barrel and long-barrel design.
However, I don't think that the NA is as important as the focal length of the objectives and the position of their back focal planes (BFPs).
I know that Zeiss re-designed their objectives when they produced their system with a common objective prism to ensure that they all had BFPs at approximately the same place (which coincides with the location of the objective prism interference fringe).
I've measured the position of the BFP of some of my Nikon objectives, and the 10x and 20x (Fluor, Plan Apo and CFN Plan) have BFP located +-1mm from the beginning of the RMS threads.
My 40x 0.85 Fluor and 60x 0.90 PlanApo, on the other hand, have much deeper BFPs, located 10 and 14mm from the beginning of the RMS thread, respectively.
I am not sure if Olympus specifically designed their short-nosed Plan Achromat objectives to have matching BFP positions. Or, if they simply decided that it was OK to have a ~10mm or so mismatch.
Another unknown to me is if the focal length of say a 10x objective is different in a short-barrel and long-barrel design.
Maybe you did see my really mismatched (and more or less working) setup https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 9260#99260viktor j nilsson wrote:It is always encouraging to hear examples of working mismatches!
Playing with the condenser height can help to get DIC in some cases, even if you need to do it outside the ideal Köhler position.
I can't answer your specific questions as I don't have such equipment.
For the #1 I'm almost sure that it can, the CH allows 45mm parfocal objectives although it has an issue: you can set a travel top stage stop but you easily overpass it with the fine focus.
For the other questions...I think that some of them would work, Nikon CFs usually work well with the (highly regulable) PZO DIC and at least few of them with my hybrid system. Of course I can't recommend you expending you money in a so weak and speculative basis
Pau
If I remember correctly I could obtain the DIC effect with the neo splan oly objectives on the BH DIC system, but the best effect was when the background was a light shade of blue rather than the gray/silver gradient. I was unable to ever obtain the silver background even with the short barrel objectives. I think you drop the stage down to the DIC marking on the focus block? I never used the 20x objective on 10 or 40 (its unfortunate as 20x is really nice to have). I agree about the condenser height adjustment. I never really tried to fine to my BH DIC unit though. I sold it a while back.
I am currently using nikon cf and olympus finite objectives on a reichert zetopan and getting excellent DIC results. I use a 50x leitz objective with the 40x prism, and a apo 60x nikon CF with the 63x prism. Both with great results. I think i get DIC effect with the 50x on both 40x and 63x prism.
I would expect the Nikons to work with the BH DIC, but you may get a blue background at best DIC effect.
I am currently using nikon cf and olympus finite objectives on a reichert zetopan and getting excellent DIC results. I use a 50x leitz objective with the 40x prism, and a apo 60x nikon CF with the 63x prism. Both with great results. I think i get DIC effect with the 50x on both 40x and 63x prism.
I would expect the Nikons to work with the BH DIC, but you may get a blue background at best DIC effect.
Hi,houstontx wrote: I am currently using nikon cf and olympus finite objectives on a reichert zetopan and getting excellent DIC results. I use a 50x leitz objective with the 40x prism, and a apo 60x nikon CF with the 63x prism. Both with great results. I think i get DIC effect with the 50x on both 40x and 63x prism.
I would expect the Nikons to work with the BH DIC, but you may get a blue background at best DIC effect.
Very helpful post. I have just completed a refurb on a Zetopan (which I have had for some time) which did not come with DIC. I would be very interested if you could show me a photo of the DIC parts needed and may be some notes which might help me identify these for a search.
Thank you in advance.
BR
John
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Thanks, Pau! I have indeed studied both of your threads with great interest many times. I have constructed a somewhat operational DIY DIC system using two identical Nikon epi-DIC prisms. Threads like yours have been very valuable for me in getting it to work. But I'm eyeing an Olympus scope with DIC, as it would undoubtedly be more convenient if it worked. But I'm actually thinking that what I have might be able to give better DIC, as it allows me more control of prism placement, condenser focal length, etc.Pau wrote:Maybe you did see my really mismatched (and more or less working) setup https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 9260#99260viktor j nilsson wrote:It is always encouraging to hear examples of working mismatches!
Playing with the condenser height can help to get DIC in some cases, even if you need to do it outside the ideal Köhler position.
I can't answer your specific questions as I don't have such equipment.
For the #1 I'm almost sure that it can, the CH allows 45mm parfocal objectives although it has an issue: you can set a travel top stage stop but you easily overpass it with the fine focus.
For the other questions...I think that some of them would work, Nikon CFs usually work well with the (highly regulable) PZO DIC and at least few of them with my hybrid system. Of course I can't recommend you expending you money in a so weak and speculative basis
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Interesting to hear that you didn't get even grey background even with the short-barrel objectives. This makes me think that these objectives may not have been optimized to have their BFPs in the same place as the interference fringe. Rather, the objective prism interference fringe may be located at the "least bad" location, somewhere between the 10x and 40x BFP.houstontx wrote:If I remember correctly I could obtain the DIC effect with the neo splan oly objectives on the BH DIC system, but the best effect was when the background was a light shade of blue rather than the gray/silver gradient. I was unable to ever obtain the silver background even with the short barrel objectives. I think you drop the stage down to the DIC marking on the focus block? I never used the 20x objective on 10 or 40 (its unfortunate as 20x is really nice to have). I agree about the condenser height adjustment. I never really tried to fine to my BH DIC unit though. I sold it a while back.
I am currently using nikon cf and olympus finite objectives on a reichert zetopan and getting excellent DIC results. I use a 50x leitz objective with the 40x prism, and a apo 60x nikon CF with the 63x prism. Both with great results. I think i get DIC effect with the 50x on both 40x and 63x prism.
I would expect the Nikons to work with the BH DIC, but you may get a blue background at best DIC effect.
I'm actually getting rather pleasing DIC with even grey background at 10x, 20x and 40x with my current DIY system. I'm not, however, able to get it to be dark-gray at maximum extinction yet, but I'll keep tinkering!
I'll digest your and Pau's comments a but more and get back to you.
Hi Viktor,
Would be nice to see you weird DIC arrangement with epi DIC prisms, I also like to see this kind of stuff
Time ago I tested a related idea: to use a Zeiss Epiplan 16X objective with its dedicated reflected DIC prism as condenser. It worked with a Leitz NPL Fluotar 16X objective but not better than with the DIC condenser, so I abandoned the idea.
Would be nice to see you weird DIC arrangement with epi DIC prisms, I also like to see this kind of stuff
Time ago I tested a related idea: to use a Zeiss Epiplan 16X objective with its dedicated reflected DIC prism as condenser. It worked with a Leitz NPL Fluotar 16X objective but not better than with the DIC condenser, so I abandoned the idea.
Pau
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Oh, you're going to like it, I hear! My latest efforts are going in that direction: to improve my DIC at 40x, I've started using various 40x objectives as condensers. Since this means that the setup is perfectly symmetrical (identical prisms, objectives with same focal length) it should, in theory, produce excellent DIC. The problem right now is that the interference fringe is located a bit too high for the 40x objective.Pau wrote:Hi Viktor,
Would be nice to see you weird DIC arrangement with epi DIC prisms, I also like to see this kind of stuff
Time ago I tested a related idea: to use a Zeiss Epiplan 16X objective with its dedicated reflected DIC prism as condenser. It worked with a Leitz NPL Fluotar 16X objective but not better than with the DIC condenser, so I abandoned the idea.
I definitely plan to share it all on here, but it's still very much a work in progress (just like my fluorescence experiments!).
Edit: I haven't tried it yet, but it would be cool if it was possible to get DIC at 4x with an objective as condenser (and it suddenly makes it more reasonable to have multiple good objectives at each magnification. I knew it would pay off!).
Sure!
I'll wait to see it.
At least with high magnification that symmetry will be broken by the difference between slide and cover slip, maybe making the preparation between two covers...
I'll wait to see it.
At least with high magnification that symmetry will be broken by the difference between slide and cover slip, maybe making the preparation between two covers...
Last edited by Pau on Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Pau
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True! I hadn't thought of that. The dual coverglass approach could be a viable approach in that case.Pau wrote:Sure!
I'll wait to see it.
At least with high magnification that symmetry will be broken by the difference between slide and cover slip, maybe making the preparation between two covers...
I haven't really ventured into high NA microscopy myself (my sample prep technique is still rather poor). I actually don't have any high quality 100x objective (only two E plan 100x). My highest NA objective is my Fluor 40x 1.30. It will be tricky to get good DIC at 40x 1.30, unless, of course, if I pick up another one....