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Wild Heerbrugg M7A Microscope - any experience
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MatteoX:
I have an opportunity to buy Wild Heerbrugg M7A microscope at (what I think) is reasonable price. I will be able to see it in 10 days but by looking at the pictures and per discussion with the owner it seems to be in decent condition - only few minor scratches on the body. It has (what I believe are) standard eyepieces 10x/21mm but the stand is not Wild's - it looks like standard StereoZoom 4 stand with boom.

I know this brand is generally highly ranked. I was trying to find more information about this particular model but I only found a users manual and some general information about the company and their products. There is much more information and discussions available for their other models like M5 and M8. I believe that eyepieces do not have high relief but I could not find that information (there is no eyeglasses symbol).

Does anyone have experience with M7A? I would like to find the service manual, if it exists at all. Any other related documents would be helpful too.

Another potential issue is Wild Heerbrugg accessories are quite expensive on ebay (if they even fit on M7A - User's manual does not list part numbers for the accessories but I assume they should be interchangeable among some of their products). If I get the microscope, I would like to get at least a 0.5x lens. It seems that the objective diameter is 52 mm (can sb confirm this), so I might be able to get some alternates.
jfiresto:
I have a Wild M7A that was retired from three decades of inspecting chip on board wire bonds for an automotive electronics supplier. Other than a couple fogged ocular head prisms, probably from someone using the wrong grease, it needed no other service and was still in its original alignment.

Wild/Leica made the M7/M7A models for 20 years, and continued making the M7A even after introducing the later M3x models that should have superceded it. It was and still is a nice design with a well-corrected, four element achromatic objective (the M3 has three elments; the M8 has five).

The earlier Wild 10/21 oculars are a low eyepoint design; the later 10/21B are high eyepoint for eyeglass wearers. High eyepoint oculars from other manufacturers will also work – just make sure they are adjustable because Wild put the intermediate image further in from the flange than almost everyone else. I have an adjustable pair from Olympus and another from Zeiss, both of which are parfocal if you adjust them to their limits.

Wild accessories can be expensive if you are in a hurry. You can use many accessories from Motic for their K700 microscope. It is based on the M7 they tried to make for Wild ca. 25 years ago, but were then not quite able to. I think an 0.5X lens was around $100 the last time I checked, It clamps to the 58mm diameter accessory ring that spins on to the end of the M7A's objective. I would ask if the microscope still has its ring as some do not.

I need to test a microscope camera. I can take and post some images out of my M7A if there is something you are interested in seeing.
MatteoX:

--- Quote from: jfiresto on December 03, 2020, 06:45:40 pm ---I have a Wild M7A that was retired from three decades of inspecting chip on board wire bonds for an automotive electronics supplier. Other than a couple fogged ocular head prisms, probably from someone using the wrong grease, it needed no other service and was still in its original alignment.

Wild/Leica made the M7/M7A models for 20 years, and continued making the M7A even after introducing the later M3x models that should have superceded it. It was and still is a nice design with a well-corrected, four element achromatic objective (the M3 has three elments; the M8 has five).

The earlier Wild 10/21 oculars are a low eyepoint design; the later 10/21B are high eyepoint for eyeglass wearers. High eyepoint oculars from other manufacturers will also work – just make sure they are adjustable because Wild put the intermediate image further in from the flange than almost everyone else. I have an adjustable pair from Olympus and another from Zeiss, both of which are parfocal if you adjust them to their limits.

Wild accessories can be expensive if you are in a hurry. You can use many accessories from Motic for their K700 microscope. It is based on the M7 they tried to make for Wild ca. 25 years ago, but were then not quite able to. I think an 0.5X lens was around $100 the last time I checked, It clamps to the 58mm diameter accessory ring that spins on to the end of the M7A's objective. I would ask if the microscope still has its ring as some do not.

I need to test a microscope camera. I can take and post some images out of my M7A if there is something you are interested in seeing.

--- End quote ---

jfiresto, thanks for the information.

It does have a ring at the bottom of the objective. It is a simple ring with no notch in the middle to clamp stuff.  The ring has only inner thread to screw it on the objective. It does not have any additional thread on inside or outside to screw in other adapters. I guess I can hang ring light on top of it. The owner told me that the outer diameter of the objective tube is 52 mm. When you get a chance could you check diameter of the objective tube.  I saw people selling 52mm 0.5x Barlow lens for cheap (< $20). They are, of course, no name brand but if they fit that could serve, at least in the beginning. And it will protect objective from smoke during soldering.

Objective is marked 10x/21. Is "B" marked on high relief objectives? If I buy the microscope I will keep the existing objectives. Later I might upgrade to something else. Do you know model no. of the objectives you are using?

By any chance, do you have service manual or any other maintenance information? I expect I will need to open it for some cleaning.

And one last question, what is your personal opinion of this microscope?
jfiresto:

--- Quote from: MatteoX on December 03, 2020, 07:47:37 pm ---It does have a ring at the bottom of the objective. It is a simple ring with no notch in the middle to clamp stuff.  The ring has only inner thread to screw it on the objective. It does not have any additional thread on inside or outside to screw in other adapters. I guess I can hang ring light on top of it. The owner told me that the outer diameter of the objective tube is 52 mm. When you get a chance could you check diameter of the objective tube.
--- End quote ---

The objective has a 52/1 mm thread: note the unusual pitch.


--- Quote ---Objective is marked 10x/21. Is "B" marked on high relief objectives?
--- End quote ---

Yes, and they are also marked with little eyeglass symbols. Have you seen this page, in French, with a chart and pictures of various compatible oculars?


--- Quote ---Do you know model no. of the objectives you are using?
--- End quote ---

Did you mean to write oculars?


--- Quote ---By any chance, do you have service manual or any other maintenance information? I expect I will need to open it for some cleaning.
--- End quote ---

The closest I have come is a parts catalog.


--- Quote ---... What is your personal opinion of this microscope?
--- End quote ---

It is a very good model that for my purposes improved on both its predecessors and successors. It has a simpler objective than the (fully) plan, 6-50X Wild M8, and only a 6-31X magnification range, but the M7A makes the most of what it has got – or even possible with its classic, spherical optics.
MatteoX:

--- Quote from: jfiresto on December 04, 2020, 10:44:29 am ---The objective has a 52/1 mm thread: note the unusual pitch.

--- End quote ---

Good to know. So that means I have to look for their specific Barlow. On ebay people just list diameter but they don't know thread pitch.


--- Quote ---Objective is marked 10x/21. Is "B" marked on high relief objectives?
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---...Yes, and they are also marked with little eyeglass symbols. Have you seen this page, in French, with a chart and pictures of various compatible oculars?
--- End quote ---
No eyeglass symbols on mine. That confirms my suspicion that these are not high eye relief.
No, I have not seen that web site yet.  Is seems it has lot of useful information. He is talking about M3. Do you know if M3/M5/M8 use compatible eyepieces and optional lenses


--- Quote ---Do you know model no. of the objectives you are using?
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---Did you mean to write oculars?
--- End quote ---

Yes, oculars of course.


--- Quote ---The closest I have come is a parts catalog.
--- End quote ---
Could you post parts catalog. I have a poor copy of the users manual but, strangely, it does not list any accessories. It just has table that shows magnification/field for the various combinations of oculars and Barlow lenses but it does not show their part numbers

How do you shot photos? It seems it has special phototube adapter.
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