How do you identify a Nikon CFI60 objective?

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wwp347
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Location: Douglasville, GA

How do you identify a Nikon CFI60 objective?

Post by wwp347 »

I am new to the Nikon microscopy system. My microscope is a CFI 60 Nikon eclipse E 800. I am looking for objectives for the system and I am having some difficulty in identifying which objectives are CFI60 and designed to optimize this microscope.
Thanks for your time and consideration,,
BudP

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Scarodactyl
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Re: How do you identify a Nikon CFI60 objective?

Post by Scarodactyl »

Nikon objectives marked infinity will be compatible unless they are also marked "CF Plan" or "Nikon Engineering" or are one of their rare extra-long water immersion lenses. Third party ones are rarer, since most work on the olympus standard instead, but are typically marked nis60 in marketing and sometimes on the objective itself.
Last edited by Scarodactyl on Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:42 am, edited 2 times in total.

Pau
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Re: How do you identify a Nikon CFI60 objective?

Post by Pau »

Not expert in these series, but I find a good idea to browse Nikon catalogs and brochures. The external aspect varies between types and series and all of them are labelled with the infinite symbol but I never saw one marked CFI60
Pau

PeteM
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Re: How do you identify a Nikon CFI60 objective?

Post by PeteM »

If it meets these three criteria, it's a Nikon CFI60 objective:

- Marked Nikon and with an infinity symbol

- 60mm parfocal distance. The working distance is usually marked, so if you measure from the shoulder to the top and add the working distance, it should be about 60mm

- 25mm thread diameter for most objectives Nikon made some educational infinity objectives with smaller RMS threads and shorter DIN parfocal distances. Those are NOT CFI60. Some specialty (e.g. darkfield) Nikon CFI60 objectives will have the same parfocal distance but a larger thread. They can still be "Chrome Free," "Infinity," and have a 60mm parfocal distance (=CFI60).

As Stephen notes, generic copies may be marked NIS60 - and while absent the Nikon name and usually of lower quality, meet the other criteria.

As suggested above, it's easy to find lens catalogs online to see the entire range.

wwp347
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:33 am
Location: Douglasville, GA

Re: How do you identify a Nikon CFI60 objective?

Post by wwp347 »

Thank you. I was hoping if it was Nikon, had a 25mm thread and said infinity that it was CFI60. Now to find a vintage catalog to use as a reference. Seems like Nikon should have a searchable database in the 21st century.
Thanks for your time and consideration,,
BudP

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