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31 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

Is yours simulfocal or trinocular? Given the nature of optics, it stands to reason that since there's only so much light to begin with, it gets diluted as it's distributed. It may be that the amount diverted to the camera port is only a fraction of that delivered to the eye pieces, since that's where most of the work is done. It seems at the scale we're talking though, there should be plenty to go around. It's definitely much dimmer, through the camera screen or the viewport. Dimmer to the point that either something needs to be tweaked on the camera or it needs to be edited in software after the fact.

I push a knob and it switches the left eyepiece to the camera - trinocular ?

My camera auto adjusts so it's hard to tell how bright it is. The problem I have is, I want to be able to get the whole movement in view to document disassembly. Eyepiece cameras magnify more than the eyepieces I use (10x), and even with a 0.5 Barlow lens I can't get all of larger movements in the frame.   

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Yeah. That's trinocular. That would have all the light from one eyepiece getting to the trinocular port as opposed to trying to split it three ways, so it makes sense that would be an advantage of that system.

I may need to dig out/find a manual for that camera. A lot of the auto stuff is on the fancy lens, which goes away when you mount the microscope adapter. Worst case scenario, part of the logic behind the Canon mount was that it would be extensible to whatever camera down the road. It's a standard that's not likely going anywhere any time soon. Hopefully I get some time to get back to it sooner than later.

Additionally, the Canon mount has a 2x magnification compared to the 10x or 20x eyepieces, so I have the opposite problem. I'll be super zoomed in through the eyepieces, and then the camera is way out. First world problems.

Edited by spectre6000
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"Green Monday Sale" 15% off. Had to look that one up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Monday

Any excuse, I guess!

Looks like a winner! What's the logic behind that particular model? I can't quite parse the part number. SM head, double arm stand (4), (T)rinocular, 0.5X and 2.0X Barlow (Z). 144 is the light, but I didn't know about the one with the remote control nor do I know how it's reflected in the part number. "5" must refer to the megapixels in the camera, but I don't know about the "MT". Might be the rest of the camera, or could be something else that's not jumping out at me. 

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spectre6000, you have the Amscope part number decoding correct.

The microscope already arrived! Talk about fast shipping. The packaging was not damaged in any way and the foam inserts are very nicely engineered with tight fit. The base came in one box the head in another. The base plate is incredibly heavy. 

The instructions for assembly seemed to be for the microscope without the arm so I just looked at website pictures for help. It probably took me about 30 minutes to get the thing assembled. Lens were spotless. The construction is very heavy duty and well engineered. Above my expectations given the price.

I started messing around with a 2824 movement I have lying around and instantly noticed the hairspring balance adjustment ring was not completely fitted. After some messing around I was able to work with my best and finest (small) tweezers to manipulate the adjustment ring into position. This was a very satisfying experience using the new microscope.

Immediate takeaways: Stereo microscopes are really cool for watchmaking and none of my tools and watch parts are clean..lol. If you are OCD you may not want to buy one of these. lol.

Matt 

Edited by Nibbler
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi

I read a lot of people asking about microscope to work or inspect parts.

To help people decide and make their own decision I'll provide here some pictures from it.

This is the model I brought.

My personal opinion is that it's really very helpful because you have really a great working distance almost 20 cm with good resolution of course if you bring closer the optics you can have higher Magnification. I've chosen to go for X100 because it's more than enough for watchmaking (I'm not a biologist 🙂    

So if you've any question you're welcomed

 

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Thanks for sharring @richiesgr, good idea for a useful thread too, specifically to help us choose a suitable D microscope,  if members join in to show samples pictures, recommend or not,  it'll as you say give a chance to compare, helps to choose a suitable digital Microscope. 

My D Micrscope is not worth recommending, its been collecting dirt in its box and will be sold. I did ask this question in a thread I posted long ago, did recieve some advice which obviously didn't help cuz advices didn/ accompany picture and details were not discussed. 

Regs 

Joe

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7 hours ago, Nucejoe said:

Thanks for sharring @richiesgr, good idea for a useful thread too, specifically to help us choose a suitable D microscope,  if members join in to show samples pictures, recommend or not,  it'll as you say give a chance to compare, helps to choose a suitable digital Microscope. 

My D Micrscope is not worth recommending, its been collecting dirt in its box and will be sold. I did ask this question in a thread I posted long ago, did recieve some advice which obviously didn't help cuz advices didn/ accompany picture and details were not discussed. 

Regs 

Joe

Hi Joe,

I've searched for a long time a right balance between something useful and in my price range.

I've started to work now with this watching the monitor in front instead of the movement, it's better for me cause my working bench is low (basically it's just my desk) I was all the time my head down that give me back and neck pain forcing me to limit the work at 1-2 hours maximum per day.

I still think that some work need to be done by eye because you lake some wide angle view and it's disturbing but now I mix working with microscope and without.

Hope it'll help other people who have the same issue as not having a high working bench like professional

Happy new year 

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2 hours ago, richiesgr said:

Hi Joe,

I've searched for a long time a right balance between something useful and in my price range.

I've started to work now with this watching the monitor in front instead of the movement, it's better for me cause my working bench is low (basically it's just my desk) I was all the time my head down that give me back and neck pain forcing me to limit the work at 1-2 hours maximum per day.

I still think that some work need to be done by eye because you lake some wide angle view and it's disturbing but now I mix working with microscope and without.

Hope it'll help other people who have the same issue as not having a high working bench like professional

Happy new year 

Hello.    I agree, there are instnaces that we feel to have more control over the task by using a loup. the piece is closer to eye,we can effortlessly adjust eye- piece distsnce etc. There also are instances the opposit is true, with no need for head down and more comfortable posture, so. on .  

I shop for a suitable digital microscope mostly at amazon, the adverts gives some tech information, which I don't have a sense for, a sample picture tell more about the quality/ resoution of the picture , a picture tells more than all tech info the seller gives.

I wish members join in your thread, share sample pictures like you did, plus any advice based on there experience. That enhances all the good we enjoy on this forum.

Regs 

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  • 1 month later...
On 6/3/2015 at 12:51 PM, cdjswiss said:

Influenced by Lawson's post  'Carl Zeiss - Eye Mag Pro' I bought a cheaper 6x 350mm pair of Galilean binoculars from China.

 

post-374-0-50304400-1433352956.jpg

These are intended for dental use but any dentist trying to use a 6x magnification mutst have control of the head position far better than I can manage. The viewed object was wobbling by about 50% of the 45 mm field of view.

 

The optical quality is excellent and so I have turned them into a binocular microscope using a heavy duty flexible support with standard end pieces as sold for microphones.

 

post-374-0-86817500-1433352925_thumb.jpg

 

 

Here in the bench mode with a Benson Aquatite movement - ample working distance.
 

post-374-0-35122300-1433352938_thumb.jpg

The only work that was needed is shown: a support that fits firmly into the mike clip and a pair of eye cups with

adaptor rings to match the eyepieces of the binoculars.


post-374-0-87573400-1433352944_thumb.jpg

 

Here mounted on my lathe base-board for some micro-drilling.
 

OUTSTANDING & AWESOME !  🖕

You sir are brilliant, I applaud you! 👏

Edited by Orhorolgy
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  • 2 weeks later...

Went to the university surplus sale yesterday and a microscope followed me home. 

A Graf-Apsco StereoGraf E-5765. $15 out the door. Couldn't resist the space-age industrial design, and it looks to be complete other than the eyepieces and illumination. 

The vertical adjustment was seized up due to the grease having turned to glue, which was a battle to rectify. Now i am not sure i have sticky enough grease to re-lubricate it. I have resorted to slightly over shimming the rack to put pressure on the ways, and recognize that as a sin to be rectified. 

I can find zero information about this specific model though it seems that historians of scientific instruments found the design as striking as i do. 

There are two pair of objectives, marked "1" and "2" so i hope that means 1x and 2x? I ordered some very cheap 5x eyepieces from Amazon that will be delivered this afternoon just for proof of concept. I will seek out better optics at some point. 

I'm debating embedding a rechargable power supply in the base. The lower illumination sort of looks like i could just about hot glue in the COB led element from one of the free-with-purchase magnetic work lights from Harbor Freight Tools. 

Maybe goosenecks for the upper illumination? Would be good to have pwm dimming for the uppers. 

Edit: Cheap eyepieces got here, everything works fine, albeit the eyepieces are less than ideal. Not sure on the magnification factor of the objectives yet and maybe never will be, but "2" does seem to be twice as much as "1". I can't see needing an eyepiece with more than 5x for watchmaking with this microscope as configured. 

I get about 50mm between the work piece and the objective lens assembly? maybe a little more. 

So, to work on illumination and to find better eyepieces. 

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20220218_130140.jpg

Edited by TimpanogosSlim
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Are there optical differences in the microscopes that take 30mm eyepieces as compared to space-age gear like my Graf that take 23mm eyepieces? 

Because the eyepiece flanges are just held on with 3 screws, and I can make some 30mm ID flanges on the 3d printer in an hour. Though they might have to be installed with adhesives. 

Edited by TimpanogosSlim
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1 hour ago, spectre6000 said:

I don't know the answer to that, but if it doesn't work out, it'll look cool on a shelf in the living room or something!

The scope seems to work just fine with the cheap eyepieces i got from Amazon today. The major struggle at this point is illumination. I am considering designing a 3d printable usb power splitter to mount on the bulb holder to supply power to a pair of gooseneck reading lights. 

I am mostly wondering how much better the experience would be improved with economical but from a reputable supplier eyepieces like these: 

https://amscope.com/products/ep5x23?variant=40285334274223

Or with Really Expensive eyepieces like these: 

https://microscopeinternational.com/euromex-ae-1835-5x-25-super-widefield-eyepieces-pair/

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This looks more like a biological microscope used for transilluminated microscopy. But I'm sure a modern LED ringlight can be fixed to the objective lens.

But whether it would be suitable for watch repairing depends on the focal distance. If you can't get a screwdriver or tweezer between the lens and the watch, then it would be only suitable for QC work.

I think the diameter of the lenses determines the amount of light getting through, like the F number on a camera lens.

But great looking find. And for $15, even if you use it as a paperweight, it's worth it.

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2 minutes ago, TimpanogosSlim said:

I am mostly wondering how much better the experience would be improved with economical but from a reputable supplier eyepieces like these: 

https://amscope.com/products/ep5x23?variant=40285334274223

There's a factory in China making microscope components white label for outfits like AmScope. If you look back a few posts, I posted a link to the least expensive (US market) 10x and 20x eye pieces I was able to find from that manufacturer. I believe it was an Amazon link.

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2 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

This looks more like a biological microscope used for transilluminated microscopy. But I'm sure a modern LED ringlight can be fixed to the objective lens.

But whether it would be suitable for watch repairing depends on the focal distance. If you can't get a screwdriver or tweezer between the lens and the watch, then it would be only suitable for QC work.

I think the diameter of the lenses determines the amount of light getting through, like the F number on a camera lens.

But great looking find. And for $15, even if you use it as a paperweight, it's worth it.

I can absolutely get tweezers in there. Less sure about screwdrivers. I'll give it a try disassembling a parts movement. As for transilluminated microscopy, it has no accommodation for slides or evidence that any such slide holder was ever present. There was a blob of (probably) rosin on the glass suggesting that maybe it was used at some point to build or rework a circuit board. 

Most of the photos i have found of scopes from this series don't have the bolt-on base for bottom-up illumination. Some specify that magnification was fixed at 10x. I haven't found pictures of others with the rotating turret with two sets of objective lenses. Not saying you're wrong. Maybe for watchmaking this is only really useful for maybe hairspring manipulation using swan-neck tweezers. 

The problem with using a ring light is that the objectives are on a rotating turret. I could design something printable to hold a ring light around it, but fixing one to it would be less than ideal. 

Edited by TimpanogosSlim
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1 hour ago, maclerche said:

Apart from the stand, that looks just like the Amscope I use. I hope that stand is solid and well made, as it's on quite a long lever.

I love the Amscope. Use it all the time with the 0.5x Barlow, which give good working depth and plenty of magnification. The zoom feature is great.

Edited by mikepilk
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1 hour ago, dismaldunc said:

Not the exact model but I think something similar is reviewed here:

 

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Massive thanks to everyone previously on this thread that have somehow managed to navigate around and decode AmScopes site, what a mess! It could be a great site and they would probably sell a lot more. Anyway, it's my birthday next month so I bought for my wife to give to me (I'm sure that's not how it's meant to work but hey-ho) a '3.5X-90X Simul-Focal Stereo Zoom Microscope on Dual Arm Boom Stand' (SM-4TPZ-3PL).😀 Worst thing is, I'll have to wait till the 31st to open it 😪 

At the moment it's reduced (It might be all year, I don't know) and there is 10% of in February with the code on the homepage.

Does anyone have any recommendations for cameras for the AM Scopes? Theirs do seem particularly expensive compared to others like Cousins', or are they much better quality?

Best, Charlie

 

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I posted a page or two back about the part number decoding, as well as a minor breakdown of the AmScope sale strategy/amount/timing.

You can buy a Canon mount (and probably also Nikon), and then use anything with the right mounting system. There are a bunch of white label companies selling the same products from the same factory in China, and the cheapest seller I found was on Amazon (I think) for the Canon mount. We had an old DSLR lying around from before smartphones became as good as they are, and it lives on my 'scope now.

Edited by spectre6000
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