Microscope - where to buy

[Dino KL0S]

I'm getting ready to get one as well. If you're planning on being able to use a camera with a trinocular scope make sure you consider getting a "simul focal" model that allows you to continue to use both eyepieces when engaging a camera. Otherwise you lose the left eyepiece capability when you want to use your camera.

[robgerr]

I thank you for your answers. In any case it would be more wise to come to this point with a 90x 3.5x Barlow lens to get a good magnification and good working distance. My intention is to be observed as small SMD resistors to see if they are burned or not, or to work with qfn and hot air at the same time (which is why I need the working distance)

[KL27x]

0.5x barlow will give 3.5x-22.5X on an Amscope. Yeah, that is the one you want. The 3.5x-90x model comes with 2 barlow lenses, which for the price is fine, too.

0.5x barlow installed: 3.5x-22.5x

no lens installed: 7x-45x

2x istalled: 14x-90x


Amscope also makes a 0.3x Barlow. But working distance will be too high for most practical purposes, unless you are much taller than the average bear.

[robgerr]

Sorry if you solve this old topic, as I still have to take the stereomicroscope, I wanted a board advice, should I take single arm boom stand or dual arm boom stand? In practice, what would be the differences in use?

[nanofrog]

A dual arm stand is more stable and the linear ball bearings make it easier to move.

In the case of Amscope, do note that there's been a scoring/galling issue on the shafts due to using too soft a grade of steel (uses linear bearings, which require hardened steel). They've worked with their customers in solving this however; and even though it will require some effort* on your part, it's still worth it IMHO. 

* They'll reimburse you for the hardened 20mm diameter steel shaft. Get one ~55"/1400mm 32"/813mm long, and cut one piece the length of the existing upper arm shaft, and the remaining piece will be the right length for the lower arm.

[jjoonathan]

They pretended not to know about the bearing issue when I asked them on ebay. They said they didn't see any reviews or have any tickets about the issue. I originally heard about it on amazon, but when I went back through my browser history I couldn't find the review in question, and some of the listings had disappeared. I hope it was just a mistake on my end and that they aren't actually playing the "make a ton of listings, delete ones with bad reviews" game, but they sure have a lot of listings, their listings never have reviews about the bearing issue, and discussions on 3rd party forums they don't control (eevblog, youtube, personal blogs) always seem to bring it up with near 100% certainty. One might say the optics are bad, but it's probably not a good metaphor in a discussion about microscopes.

I made my first microscope purchase without understanding the distinction between trinocular and simul-focal, so I'm kinda/sorta in the market. Unfortunately amscope doesn't seem to have a lot of similarly priced competition even though they sure aren't an OEM. I suppose I'll just hold out for now.

[RoGeorge]

Regarding the arm, I have a boom dyi one, good enough, but I ended up not using it.

Most of the PCBs are small enough, and the boom arm was too heavy, and it took to much space on the bench. The normal support works just fine for me, and I can easily move the whole microscope, and put it away when not in use.

If you plan to work on big PCBs, like a PC motherboard or so, then you might want a boom arm. Otherwise, any boom arm is very bulky.

[robgerr]

Thank you for your answers. Just today I sent a message to the amscope seller on ebay to ask for information on the bearing problem and put me in place that no one ever complained, reported or opened tickets for this problem. Boh, ok they have to sell rightly, but if there is a problem and we buyers know, what sense does it hide? As for the stand, the dual draws me but I'm afraid if it becomes too cumbersome, not much space for the stereomicroscope

[nanofrog]

Perhaps they'll only work with customers after they've actually bought one. 

I'll see if I can get ahold of them this week and see what's up (still in the process of dealing with mine; it's still in the box  ). Worst case, I'll have to eat the cost of the rod, which isn't all that expensive (~$16 + shipping from VXB for those in the US).

BTW, the Review: AmScope 3.5x-45x Boom Stereo Microscope article on TechniToys is how I found out about the issue with the dual arm boom stand and how to fix it.

I also re-read the linked article above, and the length of the rod is 32"/813mm, not 55"/1400 (sorry about that  ; will correct in the previous post). Link to the hardened 20mm rod is for the correct length.