🔬 Should I buy a 60x dry objective instead of a 100x Oil? | Amateur Microscopy
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2019
- A 60x dry (non-oil) objective can have several advantages over a 100x oil objective for general purpose applications.
Oil objectives require Immersion Oil for microscopy. The oil immersion objective is rotated into the oil (so that there is no air between the slide and the objective). This causes the objective and slide to be covered with oil and they must be cleaned.
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I bought a 63 x objective for my Leitz orthoplan last year and now it's one of my most used objectives. The difference between the 40x and 63 time is big. I am very glad I bought it.
@Maciej WrOtEk I never use dark field with this objective, so I don't know if it is OK.
You are probably right for the large majority of amateur microscopists, but not for for everyone. For example, I myself use my microscope (practically) only for mushroom identification and then a 100x oil objective is a necessity.
Hi Geert I also use my scope for mushroom identification but also for many other things, so out of the mushroom season I swap my 100x oil for a 60x dry.
A 100X oil would also need extremely thin and flat section, in the order of 5 micrometer, assuming you have a cellular structure small enough and with sufficient contrast, like a chromosome. That's something you can get with a professional microtome. I did some histology for research and I used to embed specimen in Paraplast wax. That alone was not obvious and required a dedicated machine for embedding in wax after a lot of tissue processing. Early on, the tissue was too dried and almost cooked in the wax which made cutting sections thinner than 5 or 8 micrometer very difficult. 10 micrometer is too thick in my opinion for 100X. After a lot of practice and in optimal conditions, I obtained 4 to 5 micrometer thick sections that I stained with the classical hematoxylin eosin method, but that step again proved to be critical. In short, to use the 100Xoil the tissue has to be perfectly fixed, perfectly dehydrated (not too much) and infiltrated with a solvant, then perfectly embedded in the best wax, perfectly sectioned at the thinnest possible thickness, perfectly stained to obtain the best contrast, and finally perfectly mounted with a dry mounting media. With a professional equipment well worth $100,000, it took me thousands of hours of practice to cut slides to reach that level of perfection. I actually used the Oil objective a few times, contamination to other dry objectives occurred and that was enough to convince me it wasn't worth it. Perhaps you'd want the 100X oil only if you were able to cut sections trough hard plastic embedding media. These hard embedding media indeed allow to cut 0.5 to 2 micrometer thin sections but again you'd need top notch professional equipment and a lot of experience with embedding machines and microtomes. At this level you get a resolution intermediate between traditional histology and electron microscopy and indeed you may want the 100X oil in that case. Also, in the past with only argentic films and 24x36 cameras, it was difficult to focus and perhaps that was the reason people needed to over-magnify the tissue to 1000X in order to obtain a decent image, an image that would just barely look OK compared to today's CCD or cmos images at 400X.
Show off.
JK it's great when a random expert appears and just dumps a lump of gold.
A lot of people replace the 100X objective with a 60X. I just ordered mine, I'm sure I will get more use out of it.
More than once, I bumped my slide containing live specimens when switching to the 100X objective and messed up what I wanted to look at.
Great advice! I will keep my 100x oil but a 60x is an excellent alternative and much cleaner/easier! Thanks Oliver...you’re a gem!!
Your suggestions are right on - great video! The only comment I will add is that (budget permitting) a better quality 60 dry will be worth the cost. If you have a standard 40x with NA = 0.65 and go to 60x/0.80 objective you have increased magnification 1.5x but NA only increased 1.23x so this is why many people feel the 60x dry is never as sharp as 40x and don’t like it. The higher NA 60x objectives with NA of 0.95 will resolve this and can usually be found for a couple hundred dollars on eBay but at a minimum I prefer at least 60x with 0.85NA which are offered at amscope and others for less than $50 - the 60x dry is one area I usually find worthwhile to spend a little extra on
The answer is YES! OF COURSE YOU SHOULD!
I just asked you this almost exact question. Thanks for pointing me to this video. You make very good points. The 100x sounds like it's really just a hassle to use.
So many great tips for beginner, thanks!
A 60x replacement for the 100x oil objective was the first thing I did when I recently got my first microscope.
I was wondering why there were so many 100x oil objectives cheap on ebay!
10 USD for 100x 😁
And besides, 100x oil takes more work to set up and later clean up.
I love your videos.. please do continue.. I'm just learning about all this microb stuff, and I'm really interested... you the more I watch your videos the more I want to upgrade my microscope... :) question for you... is it possible for me to purchase a different kind of head, for my microscope, or should I return my binocular back, and get the trinocular instead for $100 more.. Canadian that is.. thanks a bunch...
Good discussion.
I guess a 100x objective would be good with disposable specimens in which you're doing tests for many patients in which the slides are to be discarded or cleaned in batches. Very specific and work related, I agree with this video and using a 60x objective just as a hobby is more than sufficient for seeing smaller structures.
Diatoms are the object of interest I bought the oil immersion lens for but then I got more interested in other plankton especially how they move and I got put off by all the faffing about involved with oil immersion. I like to jump from one subject to the next too I think oil immersion requires a lot of discipline and focus on one particular subject.
i just swapped my 100x for a 60 today !!
is there any difference between 40x objective and 10x eyepiece OR 20x objective and 20x eyepiece if they both give 400x? Does a higher objective resolve the image better (I'm assuming the objectives are higher quality than the eyepieces?)?
40x objective and 10x EP will produce higher resolved images than 20x/20x because the 40x objective has a higher resolving power (numerical aperture). If it would not make a difference, then one could simply use only one objective and then construct some kind of zoom eyepiece. But this does not work becasue the image quality is not there. The image would appear larger but much more blurry, so that one would not get any information out of the image.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopywell, some 20x objectives could have the same NA as a 40x objective though, right?
On my microscopes!60×objective is the absolute maximum!In fact 40× objective is all you need for all purposes!!!But certainly very useful to have a 60×if you have one of those 5 piece nosepieces"i'd go 4×,10×,20×,40×,and 60×...More common 4 piece nosepieces i go 4×,10×,20×,40×!!!!!!20× objectives always!!Very useful magnification!Any object'over 200×magnification begins to not make a lot of """sense""All waterbourne microorganisms can be seen in good detail between 200 and 400 times magilnification!!In most cases 200× is all you need!!!I never use 100× oil objectives!!Dump them when i get the microscope"and change the objective for a 20× one!!!!That way"4×,10×,20×,and 40×!!!!!
I use the oil objective quite frequently so i don't find it that difficult to use probably I just got used to work with it. I use it mostly when I look at bacteria or conidia, many times you can see texture on the conidia and might help with with ID, for example _Aspergillus niger_ conidia has a rough surface that many times look like pumpkins or sand tires for an ATV, _Aspergillus fumigatus_ has a very rough conidia and they look like spiky balls. Also sorry for "spamming" you with comments, i just discovered your channels and they are so great! i just like to share my experiences when i get excited about all this stuff.
@foxy 94 Well it really depends if you are going for brand objectives or generic ones, if you are sure the objectives are compatible with your microscope 100x oil immersion brand objectives (Nikon, Olympus, Zeiss, Mitutoyo) cost around 1000-$4000 new but they are all for infinite corrected microscopes, the only way to get old 160mm standard objectives of this brands is on the used market. However if you are after generic ones they are about 10 times cheaper around $70 to $400 and they have 160mm standard and infinite corrected objectives as well, the most expensive ones ive seen being the ones with correction collar (iris), this objectives aren't bad even if they are much cheaper than brand ones but its short of a roulette, you might get a very good one almost on par to a new expensive objective or you might get a bad one however the majority have acceptable performance about 80% of the theoretical limit for the optics. Also by generic I talk about most affordable objective brands (Amscope, miotic, swift, optika etc) because most are made in the same factory or are similar quality they just put their brand on the objectives. Also forgot to add, the cost of used brand objectives is around 25 to 70% of the new price though I don't have experience buying used objectives, but from the experiences Ive read from other people its a risky purchase as they might be damaged and have a much worse optical quality than even a cheap objective so proceed with care.
@foxy 94 If you have the budget to get that body and you really want it I would say go for it, buy a generic objective if you really need 100x magnification meanwhile so you don't get bored and lose interest, later you might get a good deal and get an original objective. As I said they aren't that bad, my microscope has generic objectives and I can see down to 300nm (tested by looking at the pits and lands of a DVD disc) but they have some lack of contrast under bright field or epi illumination because they are phase contrast. But that's a suggestion, you know what is best for your investment. Good luck!
@foxy 94 You can see some original oil immersion objectives in thorlabs, also you can see the prices of the generic objectives if you go to amscope's page they are very cheap so even if you aren't satisfied you aren't out of much money there are other cheap "brands" im just linking amscope because its one brand i know and i have bough from.
www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=10186
www.amscope.com/accessories/objective.html
Gracias por otro buen video
In some ways a better alternative is 100x water immersion. It has nearly the same NA with no mess and it's apparently more robust to having some distance between the cover slip and the specimen (according to microscopyu). Another downside of oil is that you have to use the specific oil your objective is made for, and they are all made for different oils. Generic microscope oil won't really cut it.
@Telleva Yeah, water immersion objectives are, unfortunately, very expensive--I have never seen them in cheap RMS objectives from China. I have a wonderful 100X fluor WI objecgive (Nikon infinity compatible) but the cost was very high and I had to import it from India.
Can somebody please tell me if I can put a Chinese 60x dry objective on my Zeiss microscope and if so what ones? The zeiss objectives are hundreds of dollars new and say "for parts only and broken" if a little less..
I recently replaced my 100x oil objective with a 60x dry objective, and with the 25x eye piece the magnification is 1,500 instead of 2,000. , not really a big difference and at 1,500 Mag, I can view Bacteria with no problem, and besides anything past 1,000 is harder to view anyway, so Im happy with my setup.
Thanks, Oliver. Another question--as near as I can tell, I have cleaned the optical path where I can on my AO 110 Microstar but still have little specks/blobs in my field of view. So, it appears that the microscope needs servicing. Do you have any recommendations/experience about sources and costs involved? This microscope is a good one, and I only paid about $25 for it used years ago, but don't want to spend a fortune having it completely gone through and cleaned up. Thx.
Sorry not many experiences. One of my microscopes needed a complete overhaul (total take-apart and re-oiling + cleaning) and the guy worked a few hours on it. I paid EUR 200 which is about USD 250. Was a good microscope (an Olympus CHA). Isolating the dust can be tricky sometimes. Turn all of the parts and then check if the dust also turns to isolate the location of the dust. Raise/lower the condenser to see if this has an impact. Considering the fact that it only cost $25, I would also consider the possibility of doing the service yourself (also as a learning activity). I found the following site, maybe there are servicing tips on there as well: user.xmission.com/~psneeley/Personal/Microscope.htm
Hi I spent about 1 hour recently trying to isolate a speck of dust in the optical path on my scope it was visible in all the objectives. I had cleaned everything (that I could reach) and it was still there, very frustrating. Ten minutes later I realized the speck of dirt was on my glasses.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy Thx for the excellent advice!
You could just sell it to me. I'd double your money. :)
Hello, I have a series 60 Microscope made by American Optics. I would like to find a plain 100X objective that would replace the 100X oil immersion objective. How do I find an objective that will fit my microscope? How do you size the threaded part where the objective attaches to the microscope?
I don't know if there are dry 100x objectives.. I don't think so. You CAN use them dry buy they won't perform as well as with an immersion fluid (typically oil)
Can objective and eyepiece(s) be of different manufacturers? Or do manufacturers somehow match optics of eyepiece and objectives?
For best results, objectives and eyepieces have to match, as the eyepieces correct some lens errors that have not been fully corrected by the objective itself. These are called compensating eyepieces, and they have to be from the same manufacturer. Most low cost eyepieces are not compensating. They also work, but the image quality might be lower. To get compensating eyepieces, you need to talk to the big microscope manufacturers and get a system from them (Olympus, Nikon, Zeiss, Leica). More info: www.olympus-lifescience.com/en/microscope-resource/primer/anatomy/oculars/
Different companies apparently have different philosophies. Some want the objective to correct all lens errors, and some will allow the eyepiece to do some correction.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy Tnx, i was asking because i ordered some used microscope from ebay and since i have glasses i think i will need different eyepieces. Its a 200eur microscope so surely has cheap non compensating optics. Been binge watching channel, since i am maker i like diy projects (have also 3d printer, you should use it more). Greetings from Croatia.
There are some advantages to be had when using OI objectives that were not discussed. The first is they give stunning images. The reason for this is they do not suffer from spherical aberration irrespective of the thickness of the coverglass. This is not the case with a high magnification, high NA dry objective that does not have a correction collar to mitigate the effects of spherical aberration. It's for this reason that I have traded my 40/0.8 dry plan apo with no correction collar for a 50/0.8 OI plan achro. I now get clear sharp mid-power images irrespective of coverslip thickness. There is a lot to be said for OI mid-power objectives. They can give some lovely images and are a favourite amongst diatomists I'm told. Regarding cleaning oil off objectives and slides. It's not a problem. I used mild detergent in distilled water and cotton pads. I inspect the front element of the objective for cleanliness by removing an eyepiece from the microscope, turning it back to front and use it as a loupe. Never use alcohol to clean oil off a lens as it can damage lens cements. For those with an aversion to using oil, you might like to try water immersion. Of course water can simply be blotted away. Very simple, and you will be rewarded with some stunning images. All the best.
Yeah, I agree. Oil objectives are a pain in the butt. Unfortunately I have an older American Optical microscope and I don't think they ever made 60X dry objectives. :(
You do not need to have original objectives. Other objectives of the same standard might also fit.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy True, but not sure which generic manufacturers use the same standard as AO infinity corrected. Leica, presumably? After a while AO themselves changed to a different barrel length, at least, making parfocality impossible. Right? I sure do wish there as just one infinity standard, and that it didn't require additional chromatic correction in the eyepieces.
@@bendirval3612 Infinity? On an older AO scope? Is there an infinity sign on the objectives? If it has 160 written on it, then the issue is easier, but infinity makes it indeed a bit more complex because each company has its own infinity standard. As I do not know much about AO, I suggest that you maybe try to post a question in the forum, with the hope that someone can help out. www.microscopy-forum.com
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy Yes. AO invented infinity correction long ago and have used it in their scopes since 1960 or so.
We need a comparison between 1000x of CH40 vs a cheap microscope on 100x objective :)
Question, what about the 100x objective I am getting with this microscope which is suppose to work as well with water as oil? See pages 3 and 6 here (pdf file) www.optikamicroscopes.com/optikamicroscopes/download/optika-microscopy-catalog-laboratory-b-290/?wpdmdl=53056 ...I mean, assuming that your 100x objective worked eqaully well with water, would it make a difference ?
Interesting: this is the first time that I see such an objective. This solves several disadvantages, especially the cleaning issue. Normally oil and water have a different refractive index and therefore there could be a small difference in resolution between oil and water. I do still recommend that you put the specimen beneath a cover glass and then add a drop of distilled water on top. Do not dip the objective directly in the (eg) pond water on the slide, as this may cause impurities etc to be deposited on the lens when it dries. There is almost no difference in resolution as shown on page 6. I would use water on this objective.
Quiero ver diatomeas y composición de sedimentos muy finos como limos y arcillas, que objetivo y que ocular me recomienda, por favor. Gracias y excelentes videos
40x will do most of them.
Latter, you might buy a 60x... probably not required.
Is it possible to replace a 4 objective nose piece with a 5 or 6 objective nose piece?...
Yes, but good luck to find the proper part.
If you have a 4 obj. nose piece, chances are you have a cheaper version and big brand don't care about you.
Maybe ask your question on Microbe Hunter forum (search it on Google)
do you know what series comes with the swift 380T... is there a parfocal for them?
On that same journey... the stock objectives are ok but are just achromats. I’ve ‘upgraded’ with a couple of semi-plan objectives 10x & 20x (ebay) and there’s definitely an improvement in FOV edge flatness, chromatic aberration slightly better, but the most noticeable improvement for me was the defraction limitation - I could resolve more fine detail at the seeing limit of my eyepieces. I should add I’ve also upgraded the condenser LED from the supplied 1W to a 3W bulb (DIY soldering job) which helps with contrast by being able to ‘stop down’ the condenser iris yet pump more light through the aperture to maintain a high level of illumination at the higher objective magnifications.
@@Seafox0011 any video of your modification I want to do to my 380t too
@@Seafox0011 do you have a link to these eBay objectives? And what LED is used?
I see your highest magnification is 100x or 60 x but I understand that on other videos 200x and 400x are often used. How is this possible?
He busy I'm new but just want to point out there is no 200x or 400x objective lens the max is 100x lens correct me if I am wrong.
The total magnification of the optical system is a multiplication of the objective lens (typically any of 2x, 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x, 60x, 100x) and the eyepiece (typically 10x, but 15x and 20x ones are also available for many models). This means a microscope with 10x eyepieces and a 60x objective yields a magnification of 600x. A standard compound microscope is usually capable of 40x, 100x, 400x and 1000x (oil).
what about 400 and a thousand , should you use oil or no oil
Only use oil if the objective has the word "oil" written on it. 400x objectives are not oil immersion objectives.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy but when you collect your own samples is there a guide book what should be oil and not
If cleaning the oil is such a pain in the ass, why not use water as immersion fluid? I know for sure that it can be used, at least on some Zeiss objectives.
Do 3 objective vs
4 objective vs
5 objective nosepiece
:D
Have no idea what your talking about I need simple microscope that works to show hair strand up to 1000 and bugs and eggs and larva
You need brackts to your teeth ☺☺☺
😁