TWX-1 Portable Folded Optics Chinese Army Field Hospital Microscope 1979~ RARE!

Made in China by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) this field microscope is said to be one of the best instruments of its type ever manufactured. The serial number of this microscope is #790195. It comes complete with a matching test certificate dating it as a late model from 1979 (final year of production?) and a small instruction manual in Chinese. The PLA Army Green metal case with leather strap is also in fine condition and has two spare lightbulbs stowed inside.

There are very few if any signs of use in the field at all- just a few indications of age and storage. The microscope is tested and fully functional, all mechanical movements are smooth, the objectives are clean, the battery powered incandescent lamp is tested with fresh batteries and works. The microscope is very easy to use and produces very sharp images at all magnifications. In short the condition is excellent- fully function with no damage or missing parts- and very near to mint cosmetically. Please scroll to the bottom of this listing to see larger detailed images of the microscope on auction here. I estimate that this TWX-1 has been in storage pretty much since the day it left the factory line- waiting to be put to good use in a war that (thankfully) never came…

Three mounted objectives
(1) 10X NA 0.25
(2) 45X NA 0.63
(3) 90X NA 1.25

Two Eyepieces, 10x and 15x (stored above the battery compartment)

Illumination via natural light or internal lamp (uses 2 standard AA batteries)

Read what the experts have to say about this rare and somewhat legendary Field Microscope:
"In the authors' opinion this is likely the most functional and capable folded-optics field microscope ever made and, arguably, one of the best field microscopes of all times. The Chinese maker took the concept of the McArthur microscope recognizing the improvements made in the Nikon H models, and advanced the folded -optics concept even further by designing an optical system to view slides from above. Thus, the TWX -1 is considerably more functional and convenient to use than the Nikon H or its McArthur cohorts, offering viewing of slides right-side up, not upside down as in McArthurs and their other inverted microscope descendants. Perhaps the only drawback of this microscope, possibly as a result of its intended use for field hospital work, such as blood and urine examinations, is the presence of only three objectives, and thus the lack of a low magnification option (e.g., 4X or 5X) for wider views. Whereas the TWX-1's cohorts were distributed relatively widely, but never in very large numbers, the TWX1 was made only for the Chinese Army and so was manufactured for a quite restricted audience. The authors can only wonder why this model wasn't copied by others or offered for civilian use. Perhaps manufacturing costs made this impractical. Because it was made in limited quantities it is, compared to its folded-optics relatives, fairly uncommon. A few TWX-1s were placed in storage in the 1970s, for possible future military deployment, and these were "surplused" by the PLA a few years ago"

excerpt from:
Micscape Magazine. November 2011
"The TWX-1 Folded-Optics Microscope Monarch of the Folded-Optics Kingdom"
R. Jordan Kreindler (USA)
Yuval Goren (Israel)
download complete article HERE


I am regrettably selling off part of my personal collection of cameras and related photographic items. I have collected these items myself over the last 20 years or more. The collection is not specific to any one type of camera- there is a bit of everything photographic in it. Over the next few months I will be getting rid of a lot of my favourite items- vintage cameras from all the great manufacturers dating from the 1870's to the 1980's (and a few after that too) . Cameras by Zeiss, Leica, Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, Canon, Olympus, Nikon and many more.

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Please look at the images carefully before you bid. I take many detailed images of each item so you can visually judge the cosmetic condition and see if there is any obvious damage. Cameras and vintage photographic equipment is tested where possible (basically) and briefly described: however unless stated no cameras have been tested with film- or professional diagnostic equipment.

Given the advanced age of this gear it is sold AS IS and AS DESCRIBED. I cannot offer any extended warranty on items from my collection that are 30 to 140 years old. Such vintage items are only described and their most basic and important features noted. Tiny imperfections, flaws, specks of dust etc- may occur and not be described or mentioned. Issues that can only be found when film is run through the camera may not show up. Therefore these sales are final- there is no warranty offered.

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 _gsrx_vers_525 (GS 6.6.5 (525))