Specifications:

Overview and Summary:

• Phase Contrast Epi Fluorescent Inverted Microscope.
• Blue and Green Dichroic Filter Cubes (wave bands).
• Infinity Corrected Plan Fluorite Long Working Distance Objectives.
• Fluorite Objectives to minimize autofluorescence.
• 45° Inclined Trinocular Head with built-in neutral density filter.
• 30W Transmitted Halogen Light.
• 100W EPI Fluorescent Illumination.
• Includes transmitted brightfield, phase contrast, and reflected fluorescence ability.
• Trinocular port for photography.
• Includes 6.3 MP USB camera.
• Inverted style for use with Petri dishes and Cell culture vessels.
• Four separate stage plate adapters for various specimen holders.
• Auto-Volt Worldwide Voltage Requirement. 85-265V, 50/60Hz.
• 5 - Year Warranty.
• Brand-new.
• Free Worldwide Shipping. Consignee is responsible for duties, taxes, and brokerage fees.

Objectives, Magnification, and Eyepieces:

• Infinity Corrected Long Working Distance PLAN Fluorite Achromatic Objectives as follows:
• 4x/0.15, Infinity/-, WD 21.6mm.
• 10x/0.30, Infinity/1.5, WD 3mm. Long Working Distance. Phase Contrast.
• 20x/0.50, Infinity/1.5, WD 4.27mm. Long Working Distance. Phase Contrast. Spring-loaded.
• 40x/0.60, Infinity/1.5, WD 2.23mm. Long Working Distance. Spring-loaded.
• Note: These objectives are all designed for a bottom Petri dish or cell culture vessel with thickness of 1.5 mm. These objectives are not going to work for a thickness of 0.17 mm. Also, unlike our Zeiss and Olympus models, these have no correction collars to adjust for differences in the glass thickness.
• There are five spaces (quintuple) on the objective nosepiece turret.
• 10x Eyepiece Set. WF 10x/22mm. High eye-point for ease of viewing when wearing eyeglasses.
• Eyepiece diopter adjustment to correct for your specific vision needs.

Dichroic Filter Cubes (Wave Bands):

• Includes two different fluorescence filter sets as follows:
• FITC - B - exciter 420-490, dichroic 505, emitter 520. Image in eyepiece: Yellow-Green:
• TRITC - G - exciter 500-550, dichroic 575, emitter 590. Image in eyepiece: Red.
• Has one open space for transmitted brightfield and phase contrast.
• Major Shortcoming: This model only has space for two cubes. Also, it is not easy to change out the cubes. In addition, the dichroic filters are a nonstandard size.

Fluorescence Illumination:

• Ultra-High Pressure Mercury Illuminator for Fluorescence Microscopy.
• Lamp (Bulb): 100 W Mercury Short Arc.
• Power Supply: External power supply box with digital timer (hours meter).
• Power supply is AutoVolt (100-240VAC, 50/60Hz).
• UV Safety Shield to protect eyes.
• Major Shortcoming: This microscope model does not have a field iris diaphragm. The iris is important for being able to darken an excessively bright background so that the weak fluorescence signal appears amplified. It also allows better adjustment between contrast and resolution.
• Major Shortcoming: This frame surprisingly does not have a rear shutter slider. The strong illuminator should have a shutter so its light is blocked from entering the frame when not in use. Specimens can be photo bleached and are subject to phototoxicity in a matter of minutes when exposed even to the filtered excitation light.

Transmitted Illumination:

• Transmitted (Upper) Illumination for Brightfield and Phase Contrast Microscopy.
• Halogen Illumination: 12V-30W, variable intensity.
• Long Working Distance Condenser, N.A. 0.30 with iris diaphragm. Working Distance 75 mm.
• Multiple Filters: Daylight Blue, Green, Yellow, and Frosted Diffuser.
• Shortcomings of this model: This is the much simpler and cheaper version of the upper illumination. It has a significantly smaller size arm. The condenser is a fixed version that does not go up and down on a rack and pinion like better models to. The competition calls it “movable” but that is incorrect. The illumination is only 30W compared to the higher-grade units with the brighter 100W. Brighter illumination is important when using phase contrast microscopy.

Phase Contrast Microscopy:

• This microscope has a complete kit for doing Phase Contrast microscopy.
• Phase contrast slider with corresponding phase annuli.
• A shortcoming of this unit is that the condenser has only a simple phase contrast slider bar and not the full Rotary version such as would be found on a Zeiss Axiovert 100 or Axiovert 200.
• Includes hex centering wrenches to center the phase annuli in the slider with the phase rings in the back aperture of the phase objectives.
• Phase Centering Telescope (CT) used to view the alignment of the phase annulus with the phase ring in the objective.

General Specifications:

• Ability to accept a variety of specimen holders. Includes two round stage plates, one being translucent and the other being metal. These can be used for specimen holders that don’t fit the other stage adapters. Includes a stage adapter that can hold a 65 mm petri dish or a well plate size 55 mm x 87 mm maximum. This stage adapter comes with a smaller insertable stage adapter able to fit a 35 - 38 mm diameter petri dish. One drawback is that none of the stage plates are made for a standard glass slide, 1” x 3”. You can still look at a slide using the large round plates (you do not have the X and Y movement controls) or set it on top of the small insertable adapter.
• Coaxial Fine and Coarse Focusing knobs on both sides of microscope, with course tension adjustment.
• Fine focus precision 0.002mm.
• Large stage with X and Y slider movements. Stain resistant black finishing. Size 6.77”(172mm) Width x 9.5”(242mm) Length.
• Low position coaxial X and Y stage movement control knobs.
• Diopter adjustment to correct for your specific vision needs.
• Interpupillary Distance adjusts to the distance between your eyes.
• Manufactured under ISO: 9001 Standards.
• Shipping weight: 55 pounds.

Included Items:

• Comes with Dust Cover, Power Cords, Spare halogen and spare Mercury bulbs, Instruction Manual PDF file.

Camera and Live Video Equipment Included:

• Includes 6.3 MegaPixel Digital Camera and Video System.
• Connects via USB3.0. Includes USB cable and MS Windows software.
• Includes camera attachment with 0.5x reduction lens.
• Sensor: SONY Exmor Back-illuminated CMOS sensor with USB3.0 interface.
• Ultra-low noise and low power dissipation.
• Sensor Details: 6.3MP, Sony IMX178 (Color).
• Sensor Size: 1/1.8"(7.37x4.92mm).
• Pixel 2.4x2.4 (micrometers).
• G Sensitivity: 425mv with 1/30s.
• Dark Signal: 0.15mv with 1/30s.
• Live Video: View and record full motion live video microscope images. Frame size options for video mode: FPS/Resolution: 30 @3072x2048; 38 @1536x1024.
• Binning: 1x1,2x2.
• Exposure: 0.1ms~15s.
• Note: In light microscopy, anything beyond about a 1.4 MP camera resolution is going to be considered empty resolution and give you no more useful data. Our 6.3MP resolution camera is already well more than what is needed.

Manufacturer’s Warranty:

• Warranty is 5 years on microscope equipment.
• The microscope warranty covers problems arising from normal usage.
• We will repair or replace your defective microscopy equipment as needed during the warranty period.

Comparison to Zeiss:

• Our specialty is refurbished Zeiss and Olympus fluorescence microscopes. However, we want to provide our customers with the option to buy the lower grade Chinese made units. It is surprising to see that some customers will purchase a brand-new Chinese made unit that costs more than our refurbished Zeiss. Their desire for having something new and shiny overrides their need for high quality optics and more stable mechanical and electrical systems. In our professional opinion, you are better to purchase a used Zeiss that has been properly refurbished, than a brand-new lower grade Chinese unit.
• We have priced our Chinese units well below our competition because this is not our main line. Our specialty is providing Zeiss and Olympus microscopes for high-end research labs. If you really want a Chinese, here it is and at a very good price.
• One drawback is the dichroic filters. The size of the filters and dichroic mirror are non-standard (smaller).
• This Chinese model is physically much smaller than something like a Zeiss Axiovert 100, and much smaller again than the Zeiss Axiovert 200. The larger size gives better thermal and mechanical stability.
• Other differences you are going to find are in the image quality (most notably in fluorescence and at the higher power modifications), lack of specialty objectives, lack of correction collars in the objectives, cheaper quality mechanical and electrical aspects, more difficult Mercury bulb centering, and overall lack of interchangeability with other industry standard microscopy add-on equipment. This unit also does not have the ability to do DIC.

How to Compare with the Competition’s Confusing Ads:

• We realize that others sell the same microscope in many different ways. They create a separate ad, with different prices and titles, for every different option combination, sometimes up to 15 different ads for the same identical frame. This can make it extremely confusing when trying to sort out all the details and see who has the best deal, and what you want to buy.
• Their most common ploy is to come up with as many variations as possible using different objectives, eyepieces, and cameras.
• We try to make your shopping experience to be educational, pleasant, and successful. We create ads that are detailed, hype-free, and easy to understand.
• Generally, we have all necessary options already included in the package deal. Any other optional accessories are simply listed separately.
• We specifically make our prices significantly lower than anybody else. If something appears like a better deal, you are probably being fooled. For example, be sure to check how many expensive objective lenses are being included. Others typically don’t include as many lenses. We also recommend you ask us directly for a comparison.

Don’t Be Fooled By Marketing Gimmicks With High Power Eyepieces:

• We do not include 15x, 20x, or 25x eyepieces because they are useless. Don’t be fooled by long lists of different magnifications you can obtain by using a combination of objectives and different eyepieces. In reality, a skilled microscopist is only going to use the 10x eyepiece set as that has the best imaging and the widest field of view.
• In this ad, we are cutting out the industry-standard marketing gimmicks and getting straight to the point of what you will actually need. You are not going to gain an optical advantage by using a 15x, 20x or 25x eyepiece.
• Take a short piece of pipe and look at something in the distance, closing your other eye. Now, take another piece of pipe the same length, but half the diameter. Which one do you want to use? Of course, you want the larger diameter pipe to look through. But the salesperson just told you that the smaller diameter pipe has a higher magnification! So while you think you are getting twice the magnification, you are actually cutting your visible field of view.
• Extreme Widefield: One of the combinations that competition likes to do is to use a 25x eyepiece set and call it “extreme widefield”. They are thinking (or trying to make you think) the 25x is a measurement that designates it as a “Wide Field” but that is incorrect. Widefield refers to the field of view in the eyepiece, not the magnification. And they are inversely proportional. The field of view is 22 mm for a 10x but only 16mm for 15x, 12.5 mm for a 20x, and a minuscule 9 mm for a 25x.
• We sell high quality Zeiss and Olympus fluorescence microscopes and none of them come with 15x eyepieces. That is solely a marketing ploy. It also allows the seller to claim many more magnifications as well as higher magnifications can be achieved from the microscope, and not have to give you as many expensive objective lenses. Competition likes to extend the magnification range of the microscopes in their ads.
• For example, they say their unit can go up to 900x. While that sounds so much better than 600x, the reality is that the image will not be good. They expect you to use the 60x objective and 15x eyepiece set to obtain 900x magnification (60x15=900).
• The factory sells higher power eyepiece sets for about $30. We are not including them because we know it is of no value.
• .For example, they say their unit can go up to 1000x.  While that sounds so much better than 400x, the reality is that the image will not be good.  They expect you to use the 40x objective and 25x eyepiece set to obtain 1000x magnification (40x25=1000).

Optional Extreme Peltier Cooled Color Camera (Not Included):

• If you want to upgrade to this version, let us know and we can change the ad and increase the price $2500.
• 6.0 MegaPixel ultra-sensitive temperature-regulated CCD Camera and video system for low- lite fluorescence. (SKU: MF603C-CCD).
• Sensor: SONY ExView HAD CCD II sensor with USB3.0 interface.
• Two-stage Peltier cooled imaging chip to cool to -50 degrees C below ambient.
• Specified temperature can be achieved within five minutes.
• This extreme cooling increases the signal-to-noise ratio and decreases the image noise.
• Superior design with electric fan allows for greater heat radiation efficiency and less moisture issues.
• Connects via USB3.0 (and backwards compatible to USB 2.0).
• Includes camera attachment with 0.75x reduction lens.
• Optical filter with IR-CUT/AR coatings to protect sensitive internal parts.
• Vibration due to the fan is minimized to reduce the image blur.
• Up to one-hour long exposure time.
• USB 3.0, 5 Gbit/second interface allows for high-speed data transmission.
• Ultra-Fine ™ color engine with perfect color reproduction capability.
• This type of camera is excellent for low-light environments such as fluorescence microscopy and astronomy.
• Sensor Details: 6.0MP, Sony ICX694AQG (Color).
• Sensor Size: 1"(14.6x12.8mm).
• Pixel 4.54x4.54 (micrometers).
• G Sensitivity: 1000mv with 1/30s AND 8mv with 1/30s.
• Live Video: View and record full motion live video (and stills) microscope images. Frame size options for video mode: FPS/Resolution: 7.5 @2748x2200; 14 @2748x1092.
• Binning: 1x1.
• Exposure: 0.06ms~1h.
• Includes CD-ROM with software.
• Software provides advanced video and image processing capabilities. Includes measuring and calibration capability.
• Software provides support for Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 32&64 bit)/Linux/Mac OS X 10.8 and later, multiple platform SDK.
• Capture/Control API: Native C/C++, C#/VB.NET, DirectShow, Twain and Labview.
• Supports both video and trigger modes.
• Spectral range: 380 to 650 nm (with IR cut filter).
• White Balance: ROI white balance. Automatic and manual modes with color temperature and tint adjustment.
• Color Adjustment: Adjusts for hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, and gamma.
• Exposure: Automatic and manual exposure modes with gain adjustment.
• Power Supply: DC 5V over PC USB port. External power adapter for cooling system: DC 12V, 3A.
• PC Requirements: CPU equal to Intel core 2, 2.8GHz or higher. Memory: 2GB or higher. USB 2.0 or 3.0.
• Comes packed inside a hardened plastic equipment carrying case. Size 28 x 23 x 15 cm.
• Power adapter input: 100 - 240 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz. Output: DC 12 V, 3A.
• Includes high-speed USB 3.0 A male to B male gold-plated connectors cable, 2 m length.
• Optional Accessory: External trigger control line.