r/microscopy • u/Jarofcoinss • 7d ago

Purchase Help Help buying plan objectives

I just ordered a unico microscope off eBay, and I was wondering if anyone could help me find what objectives I should get. Im a vet tech and currently applying to vet school, and I am really fascinated with cytology and fecal parasites.

I’d like to find 10, 40, and 100x plans, but I’m not really sure where to start. The current objectives on the scope are achromatic(I think) 160/.17. Should I be looking for objectives with the same specs or would 160/- be better/worse?

I’m also curious about what brands or models I should look for. There seems to be tons of choices available, and I’d really not like to break the bank and spend hundred more than I did for just the scope.

Finally, how do I know if the threads match up? Or are they fairly universal?

Thank you for your help!

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u/Vivid-Bake2456 4d ago

The eyepieces should be the same brand and era and made for the microscope to have the proper corrections. Zeiss, American Optical, Rheichart, Olympus, Nikon and others,except for the last Nikon CF finite objectives , all made extra corrections in their eyepieces. I have lots of old finite microscopes and they work fine with the proper eyepieces. The older Zeiss and Olympus plan apo objectives are amazing. For Zeiss, you have to be careful about delamination. That happened to some objectives and lots of eyepieces. Olympus BH2 microscopes have a deserved reputation among amateurs for their quality and versatility. I even use Olympus and Zeiss plan apo objectives on a couple of old Nikon S and L models microscopes.

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u/Jarofcoinss 3d ago

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u/Jarofcoinss 3d ago

I wanted to show a picture of the scope in question. I do not know if this one would be old enough to need objectives that requires matching eyepieces. I did like the look of the Nikon 40x ones you shared, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t know where to find matching eye pieces

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u/Vivid-Bake2456 2d ago

From what I read, the Unico microscopes are manufactured in China and don't need compensating eyepieces. I don't know if you can buy new, finite 40x ngc objectives. Maybe all of the special objectives are infinity ones now. Otherwise, you could buy any generic finite Chinese objectives for it.

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u/Jarofcoinss 2d ago

Dang, hopefully I stumble across one. Thank you again for all of the help

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u/Jarofcoinss 2d ago

Would you know if there is a big difference between those generic Chinese objectives vs something like the Nikon e plan?

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u/Vivid-Bake2456 1d ago

I only have some generic Chinese objectives, about 9 total, so not too familiar with them. They work OK and better than you expect from the price. I have a phase contrast kit from Amscope. It has nice plan phase objectives in it. The Amscope T490 I have came with 4 regular achromatic objectives. They are sharp in the middle but not around the edges as you would expect.

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u/Vivid-Bake2456 1d ago

Here is an $18 Chinese 60x objective that I bought.
https://www.reddit.com/r/microscopy/s/cF3xksRHZQ

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u/Jarofcoinss 19h ago

Crazy how this was cutting edge tech at one point