Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

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colinbm
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Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by colinbm »

I am looking for information on the Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition please ?
Is there a product description &/or manual on-line ?
I would like to know if the objectives are finite or infinity ?

enricosavazzi
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by enricosavazzi »

colinbm wrote:
Fri Mar 17, 2023 11:43 pm
I am looking for information on the Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition please ?
Is there a product description &/or manual on-line ?
I would like to know if the objectives are finite or infinity ?
I don't know if it helps, but you can look at this: https://www.savazzi.net/download/Zeiss_ ... g_1978.pdf

Objectives are finite (160 mm tube length). Objective mount is RMS, except for the BD objectives and revolver heads for epi illumination. The Universal I has chrome-plated fine and coarse focus knobs (not plastic). The casing of the focus rack is painted black.

The Zeiss Universal and Zeiss Photomicroscope are quite similar, apart from the camera and optics built into the stand of the Photomicroscope.

Not specific, but see also:
https://www.zeiss.com/content/dam/Micro ... versal.pdf
http://earth2geologists.net/Microscopes ... sories.pdf
https://research.ncsu.edu/cmif/files/20 ... inning.pdf
https://www.mikroskop-online.de/Mikrosk ... L%20II.pdf
https://manualzz.com/doc/12731368/zeiss ... ns-for-use

Some of the Zeiss Axioplan and Axiophot microscopes were also called Universal, but they are different beasts:
https://www.uab.edu/vsrc/images/manuals ... Manual.pdf
--ES

colinbm
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by colinbm »

Thanks very much Enrico
You know me from the UVP forum.
This is exactly what I was wanting to know.
I have purchased the Epi-Illumination turret & nosepiece for the 1st edition & I am hoping to adapt it to my M42 tube connection to my full frame camera.
I am using M42 tube for attaching up to 100x objectives to my full frame camera & I want to attach this epi-illumination to M42 tube.
I have been using finite objectives with 160mm & 210mm registration.
The turret has 4 epi objectives that have 24mm threads. I guess there is a 24mm to RMS adapter too ?
The Epi-Illumination turret & nosepiece with 4 objectives should arrive next week, so you have made me more confident that I can make a reasonable connection with these.

enricosavazzi
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by enricosavazzi »

colinbm wrote:
Sat Mar 18, 2023 4:32 am
Thanks very much Enrico
You know me from the UVP forum.
Hi Colin, yes, I recognized your "callsign".
This is exactly what I was wanting to know.
I have purchased the Epi-Illumination turret & nosepiece for the 1st edition & I am hoping to adapt it to my M42 tube connection to my full frame camera.
I am using M42 tube for attaching up to 100x objectives to my full frame camera & I want to attach this epi-illumination to M42 tube.
I have been using finite objectives with 160mm & 210mm registration.
The turret has 4 epi objectives that have 24mm threads. I guess there is a 24mm to RMS adapter too ?
There are adapters made by Raf Camera on his website and on eBay. Not sure if they are the right type because I no longer have these Zeiss parts. Also not sure whether Australia is still sanctioning Belarus and Russia. Sweden apparently is, so I can no longer get adapters from Raf Camera, or anything from either country. There are occasional Zeiss 24-RMS and RMS-24 adapters for the Axio scopes on eBay, not sure if they also fit the older BD turrets and objectives.
The Epi-Illumination turret & nosepiece with 4 objectives should arrive next week, so you have made me more confident that I can make a reasonable connection with these.
I did notice years ago that the BD turrets are cheaper than those for RMS transmitted illumination objectives. I even owned one or two of these turrets and a few BD objectives for a few years. I gave up on all Zeiss finite scopes and got rid of everything because of continuously worsening delamination, but I still use a Zeiss Stereomicroscope III that so far seems immune to delamination. My current microscope systems are Olympus BX and Mitutoyo. Probably the BD turret contains some optics (some sort of telan or adapter to compensate for the increased tube length), but if delaminated you can probably remove them for your application. The BD turrets, in addition to the bayonet mount for the microscope body, usually also have a round port on one side for inserting the beam splitter (not necessary unless you will use epi illumination via BD objectives) and a third port for incoming light from the epi condenser that is mounted horizontally in the Universal microscope stand.

The finite BD objectives require the proper correcting eyepieces, just like the finite transmitted illumination objectives for the Zeiss Universal and Standard. The eyepieces are not so difficult to find on eBay. Then you can use a lens on the camera in afocal configuration, mounted as close as possible to the eyepiece and pointed into the eyepiece. The usual lens focal lengths are 60 mm for full-frame, 45 mm for APS-C and 30 mm for Micro 4/3. I have some information on this setup at https://www.savazzi.net/photography/zeiss-adapter.html .
--ES

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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by Pau »

Hi Colin, Welcome to the forum!
You're getting good advice from Enrico.
enricosavazzi wrote:
Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:59 am
The finite BD objectives require the proper correcting eyepieces, just like the finite transmitted illumination objectives for the Zeiss Universal and Standard. The eyepieces are not so difficult to find on eBay. Then you can use a lens on the camera in afocal configuration, mounted as close as possible to the eyepiece and pointed into the eyepiece. The usual lens focal lengths are 60 mm for full-frame, 45 mm for APS-C and 30 mm for Micro 4/3. I have some information on this setup at https://www.savazzi.net/photography/zeiss-adapter.html
I was going to point this, but he was faster :D
More info on afocal at viewtopic.php?p=99265#p99265
Pau

Pau
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by Pau »

Admin note:
This post would be better placed at the Equipment Discussions forum.
I'll move it after you had time to see this note.
Pau

colinbm
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by colinbm »

Thank you Enrico & Pau
This is my present set-up for using finite microscope objectives with my full frame camera.
I am attempting to adapt the Zeiss epi turret to this.
The camera can be moved vertical in 0.6um steps.
2023 03 11 100x microscope objective web.jpg

Pau
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by Pau »

The setup looks nice, is there any optics inside the long tube? How long is the tube?
So, you don't have the Universal microscope, do you?

Be aware that, as we formerly wrote, if you use Zeiss finite corrected objectives (160/ ) without the adequate compensating eyepiece (in this case the best ones are Zeiss Kpl) you can get good image center but lateral chromatic aberration increasing towards the periphery. The right distance between the components is also important, increasing that importance with the magnification and NA of the objective.

(Note: thread moved)
Pau

colinbm
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by colinbm »

Thanks Pau
This is with a 100x finite objective at 210mm registration.
Nikon M Plan 100x/0.80 ELWD Microscope Objective.
No other optics in the tube.
No I don't have a Zeiss Universal microscope, but I have purchased a Zeiss Epi Turret and Nosepiece, Fit Universal 1 first edition with 4 objectives.

colinbm
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by colinbm »

The Zeiss Epi Turret and Nosepiece Fit Universal 1st Edition has arrived.
It appears that I can adapt it to fit the M42 tubes to my full frame camera without much trouble & not changing the original equipment.
There are a few levers & slides, I there an instruction manual in English for this epi please ?

colinbm
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by colinbm »

The connection to the M42 went well.
Next is to adapt the light source.
I would like to know what the two levers on the side of the light tube are for ?
The one on the other side is to change the opening for the light.
2023 03 27 Zeiss Epi Turrett & Nosepiece, Universal Microscope 1st Edition web.jpg

enricosavazzi
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by enricosavazzi »

colinbm wrote:
Mon Mar 27, 2023 5:34 am
[...]I would like to know what the two levers on the side of the light tube are for ?[...]
Yours is complete with most of the illuminator. I never had one like this, but my first guess would be that one of the levers controls a diaphragm of the illuminator to adjust the diameter of the light beam. You may need a different diameter with BD objectives that have an illumination path around the optics of the objective, versus true coaxial illumination through the objective optics. Illumination through the BD objective sleeve also requires a mirror with a hole in its middle (and perhaps a black cylindric metal baffle in the hole) in the housing just above the objective. For coaxial illumination one must swap out the mirror with hole, and plug in a beam splitter in the same place. Usually this is done by inserting a metal cylinder with the appropriate optics into a round port in the body of the illuminator, where yours has the Zeiss logo and part number. It looks like your illuminator does not have such a port, so it may be permanently equipped with either type of mirror/beam-splitter. A first thing to do would be finding out exactly which type. Since the turret is equipped with threads for BD objectives, I would expect the mirror with hole rather than the beam-splitter, but you never know for sure.

I am only guessing, but the second lever might be to focus a condenser lens within the illuminator.
--ES

colinbm
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by colinbm »

Thanks Enrico
There is a lever at the back that adjusts an iris.
These two in front I don't know yet ?
I will try & understand & work out what is in the mirror area.
I can make a light source that will connect with the open end.
The 4 objectives are Epi type....
Epiplan 2.5x 0.08
Epiplan HD 6.3x 0.16
Epiplan HD 16x 0.32
Epiplan HD 40x 0.65
These have M24mm threads.

They are projecting a 20mm circle image on the full frame camera & are clear.
The working distance with the 40x is about 0.1mm, not very useful for photo stacking.

Much more to learn, but thanks.

colinbm
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Re: Carl Zeiss Universal Microscope 1st Edition

Post by colinbm »

First light with the Epiplan HD 40x 0.65, it has only 0.1mm WD.
Butterfly wing scale, this is a stack of 17 photos at 1.25um steps.
2023 03 30 Yellow Butterfly Wing Scale with 40x Epi-Illumination.jpg

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