AmScope stereo microscope - lens question

[SolderSucker]

I currently have a 0.5x Barlow lens on my AmScope but would also like to remove that at times and enjoy the even better magnification without the Barlow (that gives less clearance between the lens and the PCB of course).

Is it just a case of adding a standard 48mm filter or similar? I need to add something of course to protect the built-in stereo lenses, plus I need a filter that has a receiving thread that will also accept the plastic adapter that I need to screw on so that I can attach the LED ring light.

Thanks

[jfiresto]

You may prefer to add, say, a 48-49 or 48-52 step up adapter and then a cheap and plentiful 49 or 52 mm camera objective filter. Fifty-two millimeter filters appear to be more popular and are less likely to cause vignetting: at least that is what I plan to try on a different microscope with a larger diameter, common main objective.

[jfiresto]

Another possible, quick and dirty solution might be to swap in higher power eyepeices, although here you need to consider possible "empty magnification". I can swap in 20X eyepieces on a non-Amscope microscope to give a total of 20 x 3.1 x 0.5 = 31X with a 0.5x barlow lens, but not on another which stops showing any more detail if I try more than 15X eyepieces.

[SolderSucker]

You may prefer to add, say, a 48-49 or 48-52 step up adapter and then a cheap and plentiful 49 or 52 mm camera objective filter. Fifty-two millimeter filters appear to be more popular and are less likely to cause vignetting: at least that is what I plan to try on a different microscope with a larger diameter, common main objective.

Thanks. Do all filters usually have a 'receiving thread' so that I can still screw in the adapter for attaching my LED ring light?

[SolderSucker]

Another possible, quick and dirty solution might be to swap in higher power eyepeices, although here you need to consider possible "empty magnification". I can swap in 20X eyepieces on a non-Amscope microscope to give a total of 20 x 3.1 x 0.5 = 31X with a 0.5x barlow lens, but not on another which stops showing any more detail if I try more than 15X eyepieces.

Hadn't thought of that. The current eyepieces are WF10X/20

[jfiresto]

Thanks. Do all filters usually have a 'receiving thread' so that I can still screw in the adapter for attaching my LED ring light?

Generally a filter will have a male-female pair so that you can extend the optical train.

If your ring light has a 48/0.75 mm, male top thread, does it also have a 48/0.75, female bottom thread so that you can hang something off the ring light?

Hmmm. You might prefer a 48-49 adapter below a ring light to avoid shadowing.

[SolderSucker]

Thanks. Do all filters usually have a 'receiving thread' so that I can still screw in the adapter for attaching my LED ring light?

Generally a filter will have a male-female pair so that you can extend the optical train.

If your ring light has a 48/0.75 mm, male top thread, does it also have a 48/0.75, female bottom thread so that you can hang something off the ring light?

Hmmm. You might prefer a 48-49 adapter below a ring light to avoid shadowing.

Can't hang anything off the ring light itself, no.

[jfiresto]

Can't hang anything off the ring light itself, no.

Someone just had to make your life more interesting.

You could add to end of the microscope, from top to bottom: a 48-XX mm step up adapter, an XX mm filter, an XX-48 mm step down adapter and finally your 48mm ring light. The adapters might consume roughly 10 mm of working distance. I offer this scheme as an idea to consider and toy with. I have no idea if it is worthwhile.

[rsjsouza]

I am interested to know if you are successful with a regular lens adapter. I have a couple around but, while the diameter is fine, the thread spacing on the Amscope is different than the lens adapters I have (which worked in previous cameras of mine).

[SolderSucker]

I'll let you know, still haven't decided on which approach to take yet.

[bicycleguy]

On my AmScope the ring that the LED ring attaches to can be unscrewed from the .5barlow and then reattached in its place.  Thats how the scope came before I added the barlow.  There is also still an LED  attachment ring even without adding the one removed.  The other lenses are a little close then though.

[KL27x]

Tried to use someone else's microscope the other day and the image was blurry and wavy and was way off from parfocal between left and right eyes.

A bit of examination revealed someone screwed the LED ring onto the objective and then stuck the barlow in the end of the LED adapter... which there was no threading there, even. It was just stuck in there with a loose friction fit waiting to fall out so that it would finally stop causing headaches and blindness.   

If you increase magnification by using higher power eyepiece, you may end up needing more light. Leaving the barlow lens on there does two things. It spreads the available light over a larger area (which with your high power eyepieces, you are just "losing" that part of the image, so that light is pissed away), and it also makes your LED ring farther away from the thing you're looking at. When you need more magnification, this loss of light can be significant. The image will also suffer more distortion this way, once you solve the light problem. But the biggest problem IME will be the light. Even with the regular 10x eyepiece, the image at 22x zoom with the 0.5x barlow is way dimmer than 22x without the Barlow. More zoom can be deceptive. It is obviously bigger, but you may be straining your eyes just as much to see the details, due to the dimmer image.

Personally, 0.5x Barlow is perfect for me. I know people who prefer the 0.3x, even. But there's a 0.7 if you want a compromise with more magnification and still have a bit longer than normal focal distance. 

[jfiresto]

If the microscope were a digital camera, going from 10X to 20X eyepieces would be like adding 2X digital zoom and a neutral filter that darkens two f-stops. Not a problem if you have enough light and the camera has the megapixels and optics that make full use of them.

Another thing to add (which you don't experience with a digital camera), is that you may have to position your eyeballs more precisely because of the reduced field of view. As I wrote, swapping eyepieces is quick and dirty, but handy enough that I do that, when I need a quick look, rather than:

• remove the ring light
• remove the auxiliary lens
• lower the microscope
• add the ring light
• refocus the microscope
• ...
• remove the ring light
• add the auxiliary lens
• raise the microscope
• add the ring light and
• refocus the microscope.

Your call!

[Stiletto]

I currently have a 0.5x Barlow lens on my AmScope but would also like to remove that at times and enjoy the even better magnification without the Barlow (that gives less clearance between the lens and the PCB of course).

Is it just a case of adding a standard 48mm filter or similar? I need to add something of course to protect the built-in stereo lenses, plus I need a filter that has a receiving thread that will also accept the plastic adapter that I need to screw on so that I can attach the LED ring light.

Thanks

SolderSucker,
You might want to consider a 1x Barlow or auxiliary lens, which effectively is nothing more than a protective lens in an aluminum frame, machined with a groove to accept a light ring.  I have one, and it works wonderfully for when I choose to remove my 0.5x barlow and operate using the scope's native magnification. Using this option, you dispense with having to use a separate plastic light ring which to me makes things a bit simpler.

You can get one for very reasonable prices on AliExpress https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Lucky-zoom-SZM1X-Auxiliary-Objective-Lens-For-SZM-Stereo-Microscopes-48MM-Free-Shipping/300856_32732105180.html

Or at Amscope directly https://www.amscope.com/accessories/barlow-lens/1x-barlow-lens-for-sm-stereo-microscopes-48mm.html

Hope this is helpful!

[SolderSucker]

Thanks very much.

[jfiresto]

I will try a multi-coated, polarizing filter to protect the lens, and a polarized light source to reduce chromatic aberrations. The first pol filter I won on ebay.de. a nice Hoya Pro1, was almost exactly twice as expensive, delivered. 52mm is a popular size because of Nikon equipment. I don't know if that makes it a more or less expensive size at auction.

I will attach the filter with a 48-52 mm step up adapter.