Microscope opinion please

[orbiter]

Been looking at some microscopes recently and am considering the one below for a little SMD work and to properly view solder joints etc. I usually just use a good Belomo 10x eye-piece, or a headband magnifier but neither are really up to the job for anything more than a few minutes work. 

Anyone used the one below, or have any opinions or alternatives for around the same £300 price?

Thanks all

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-ST50B-Stereo-Microscope-20X-Mag-PCB-Inspection-Mobile-Phone-repair-/151509320945?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2346a8c4f1

[zapta]

X20 is probably too much magnification.

[KJDS]

X20 is too much magnification, between 5 and 10 is fine down to 0201.

I'll have a rummage in the back of the storeroom and see what I've got, but £270 for that is too much, and it has too much magnification for soldering. Brunel microscopes do a similar model for a lot less.

[LabSpokane]

I had really good luck with microscope.com.  Others have had good success with AmScope.com.  No clue about your side of the pond...  The owner of Microscope.com is a Brit ex-pat, so he might be able to guide you.

And 20X is far too much mag for general use.  I use about 3-5X to work under.  More for inspection.  What's more important to me than the magnification is the field of view, the clarity, and the nice boom stand. 

[orbiter]

Ah ok .. Thanks for the feedback guys.. I wasn't sure about the magnification so I'm glad you enlightened me there.

KJDS.. As you mentioned... I've just seen what looks like that very same microscope on Brunels website for £175 +VAT. (Different branding?)  If it is the same'ish microscope
I'll get one from there.. and just buy the necessary lens/eyepieces to make X5/X10 magnification.

Is about £250 a reasonable price?.. Which includes VAT & the extra X5 eyepieces I'll need to order (halving the magnification to X10)

http://www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk/longarm.html

[KJDS]

I've had a rummage and the only cheap microscope I have is a Kyowa, good Japanese brand on a stand that looks like it's been built in a school class by someone that want's to fail the style element. It's got some surface rust but does work ok. This is an inspection scope, so has either X1 or X3 from the head, adjustable by rotating the ring at the bottom of the head. It is fitted with Kyowa HFW10X eyepieces.

As it is it has a working distance of 90mm and a field of view of 7.5mm for 3X or 23mm for 1X.

Usually the bottom of these is threaded to accept a barlow lens, but this one is smooth. I taped a 0.5X barlow lens in and found that the working distance increased to 105mm and the field of view increased to 13mm or 39mm depending on the zoom selected.

Pics below, it's available for £140 including VAT with shipping another £20 as it will need to be in two boxes to ensure that it arrives safely. If you're anywhere near Leicester then you're welcome to collect. Price includes the Barlow lens.

I also have an Olympus SZ30 zoom head in a double arm boom stand with a 0.5X barlow, Kyowa HFW15X eyepieces and I'll find a light to go with it. £400 including the VAT.

[McBryce]

The first Microscope you've linked to is sold in a very similar format from the company Bresser in Germany. The main difference being that they've tidied up the overhead lamp to a less "in the way" place. It sells for €289 (about 205GBP) and they'll ship it to the UK for about 15 quid: http://www.ebay.de/itm/BRESSER-Mikroskop-Biorit-ICD-CS-Einsteiger-Allround-/361327489239

McBryce. 

[orbiter]

Thanks for the offer KJDS but I think I'll stick with the type from Brunel for £250..  Mainly because of the 230mm working distance, plus it looks like I would be working
on top of the 'school class' base on the microscope in your pics, which I guess would induce extra movement.

Thanks very much for the kind offer though.     

[orbiter]

The first Microscope you've linked to is sold in a very similar format from the company Bresser in Germany. The main difference being that they've tidied up the overhead lamp to a less "in the way" place. It sells for €289 (about 205GBP) and they'll ship it to the UK for about 15 quid: http://www.ebay.de/itm/BRESSER-Mikroskop-Biorit-ICD-CS-Einsteiger-Allround-/361327489239

McBryce. 

Having a look at that as we speak McBryce.

Thanks very much for the info & link

[LabSpokane]

You might want to consider that Olympus. It's a really nice scope.

[KJDS]

You might want to consider that Olympus. It's a really nice scope.

It really depends on the requirements. If you're only soldering down to 0603, have decent eyesight and won't be doing more than half an hour a couple of times a week then the long arm solutions do ok.

If you're regularly doing hour+ sessions, or 0402 or smaller then a better microscope makes life a whole lot happier.

[Circuitous]

As mentioned earlier, check out AmScope.  For more information just search on amscope in the forums. 
I use the zoom model, with a 0.5x Barlow lens, set to a total magnification of 4x for most work, and zoom to 10-15x for close inspection.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[KJDS]

As mentioned earlier, check out AmScope.  For more information just search on amscope in the forums. 
I use the zoom model, with a 0.5x Barlow lens, set to a total magnification of 4x for most work, and zoom to 10-15x for close inspection.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

Which is fine, but shipping from Amscope is usually a dealbreaker when you're in the UK.

[LabSpokane]

You might want to consider that Olympus. It's a really nice scope.

It really depends on the requirements. If you're only soldering down to 0603, have decent eyesight and won't be doing more than half an hour a couple of times a week then the long arm solutions do ok.

If you're regularly doing hour+ sessions, or 0402 or smaller then a better microscope makes life a whole lot happier.

I have an Olympus clone, and the double arm boom stand plus the nice, wide, field of view really helps speed up SMD work.  It minimizes workpiece repositioning.  It really would be worth the extra premium over that fixed magnification scope.

[orbiter]

Thanks again for all the helpful opinions etc guys, I appreciate it. Not sure what to do now though.

I'm actually thinking now that if I wait a while longer & save up an extra few hundred £'s this would
open up the options a little for me. At present I feel (and know) that I'm looking at the bottom of the range here as far as microscopes go, and I don't
like that feeling. Waiting a whilst and having a slightly wider choice seems the sensible thing to do I guess.

[KJDS]

Thanks again for all the helpful opinions etc guys, I appreciate it. Not sure what to do now though.

I'm actually thinking now that if I wait a while longer & save up an extra few hundred £'s this would
open up the options a little for me. At present I feel (and know) that I'm looking at the bottom of the range here as far as microscopes go, and I don't
like that feeling. Waiting a whilst and having a slightly wider choice seems the sensible thing to do I guess.

If you're near Leicester then you're welcome to have a look through a few microscopes to see what would and wouldn't work for you.

[zapta]

Thanks again for all the helpful opinions etc guys, I appreciate it. Not sure what to do now though.

I'm actually thinking now that if I wait a while longer & save up an extra few hundred £'s this would
open up the options a little for me. At present I feel (and know) that I'm looking at the bottom of the range here as far as microscopes go, and I don't
like that feeling. Waiting a whilst and having a slightly wider choice seems the sensible thing to do I guess.

Until then get a good quality visor

http://www.doneganoptical.com/wp-content/uploads/OptiVISOR.jpg

[orbiter]

Thanks very much for the offer KJDS... Unfortunately I'm a couple of hundred miles away from ya mate. 

Do you stock just used microscopes or new ones also?

@ zapta.. Thanks buddy but I already have one of those.
 

[KJDS]

Do you stock just used microscopes or new ones also?

 

Just used. I did look into getting some new made in China, but to make it worthwhile I'd need to fill a complete container, which would cost about the same as a Lambo, and I'd rather have the Lambo. Unfortunately, I can't afford either, so it's just whatever I can pick up at auction.

[orbiter]

Do you stock just used microscopes or new ones also?

 

Just used. I did look into getting some new made in China, but to make it worthwhile I'd need to fill a complete container, which would cost about the same as a Lambo, and I'd rather have the Lambo. Unfortunately, I can't afford either, so it's just whatever I can pick up at auction.

LOL... Understood mate, Understood

Thanks again

[icon]

I have the Brunel microscope. It's the one with the vertical head, and I'd rather have the angled head, but it came cheap off eBay, so beggars can't be choosers. I've made a base to replace the one that comes with it  - it attaches to a baseboard with wing nuts so I can swap it to my watchmaker's lathe which sits on a baseboard with suitable holes. The vertical bar is much longer than the one that comes with the microscope - I found I was stacking it on top of books to get clearance sometimes.






I have x5 and x10 eyepieces, and x1, x2 and x3.5 objective lenses. I must say I find the optics excellent. I can work on it for hours at a time without strain. I use it for watchmaking, soldering, inspection, darning, picking brass swarf splinters out of my skin, you name it.

I can easily get watchmaker's screwdrivers under it, so a soldering iron (which is usually at an angle) is no problem.

HTH
John

[orbiter]

@icon.. Thanks for the pictures.. they do indeed help, and give a good representation of the working distance that can be expected from the Brunel (and similar named microsopes.) I've not completely shelved the idea of one of those yet. Just not decided fully

Thanks again

[dcarr]

Take a look at the Bausch and Lomb Stereozoom.  I've used several of these and they are generally inexpensive and work very well.  Most will adjust from 3x-30x magnification, too.

David

[Fred27]

Another UK based microscope newbie here, looking for advice. The Brunel long arm like @icon has look good. Is just wondering what the advantage is over this style of microscope (also from Brunel). The bit to hold slides looks ideal fit holding PCBs and the working distance looks OK to me. They're cheaper too.
http://www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk/stereomicroscope.html

[KJDS]

That sort of stand is fine if you never want to work on a board bigger than about four inches.