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GIA Mark X overhead light
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Author:  Stephen Challener [ Sat Dec 01, 2018 4:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: GIA Mark X overhead light

Ah, that's very interesting! I wonder what they'll go with next. Maybe something heftier again?

Author:  G4Lab [ Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: GIA Mark X overhead light

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bausch-Lomb-Vi ... SwlAFcAI46

Here is a black newer fluorescent overhead light that will bold right onto a Gemolite. It is sold by the same ebay seller whom I happen to know. He buys state of Illinois surplus and gets stuff that I have sent to surplus. Sometimes with "I don't work , I am broken" written in my hand with a Sharpie. :mrgreen: But he has also sold Wild M5s that got sent to surplus before I got to the U. A good seller.


There is a jeweler and diamond dealer who lurks here who against my recommendation bought a new Z 16 system. He was not happy with it. He made the local Leica dealer take it back. He ended up buying an Olympus MVX10 which is a current system that is as good as a wild M400. There is a similarly pricey system from Nikon. The original M400 was squarely aimed at the semiconductor industry and since this industry is bigger than ever and flush with cash there are options available for them. There are other exotic systems available from Keyence and other brands regualar microscope heads have never heard of.

I am of the opinion that 16x is too much zoom and that is what I told him. I have a Zeiss SV11 Apo and I don't like it as well as my Wilds. The Z 6 and the Z 16 descend from the M400 series which they stopped building because they could not be built profitably. I think the Olympus system will set you back about 20,000 in simple livery. I have had occasion lately to traffic in some unbranded scopes (Branded LSS by Graingers which DOES imply som QC) they are as good as the newer Leicas. We have a whole building full of new Leica scopes. New as in three or four years old. The reliability of their LED illuminators is a crime. The dealer comes out and puts new variable control knobs on for free. He does not use the piece of crap Leica part but one his service manager specified so that they only have to do it once.

That said our new Leica stereos have a Wild quality to the image that I never saw in an S6 or and SZ7 or even an AO 580. Lots of plastic though.

I know this all happened ages ago. It just rubs my fir the wrong way to see marketing expressholes using a fine old name and being too stupid to even do it correctly. Imagine if Kia or Daihatsu or Hyundai started selling a car with a Ferrari badge and the stallion rampant on it. I don't think it would fool anyone either.

Author:  Stephen Challener [ Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: GIA Mark X overhead light

Buying one new is rarely a good call, but on the other hand if I remember right a large part of his issue had to do with their kludgey stereo head attachment. Hooking it up directly to an M400 or M420 eliminates that particular problem, and they did maintain apparently perfect compatibility.
For me, it comes down to this: the Makrozoom just isn't a great lens. Between its relatively weak magnification and decidedly noticeable chromatic aberrations it is OK but not great to work with. I got my z16 for less than the price of an apozoom (if you can even find one), and the coupler was surprisingly reasonable from Leica. The view through the z16 is way better than the makrozoom (at its current mag anyway--I'll know how that translates to the rest of the zoom range once I get it set up, and will report back) so I think it will be a very worthy upgrade at a reasonable price. The AZ100 and MVX10 are both nice but not available close to my price range.
I wonder how much of the change had to do with the cost of making a custom head, and how much had to do with diminished demand for one. It seems more and more of the macroscope setups are purely digital. I did just get a couple of Hirox lenses in today, part of their digital macroscope system (minus the actual digital bit.) Very pretty systems, but definitely designed for tiny chip cameras. I'm not sure how similar Keyence's systems are.

Author:  G4Lab [ Sun Dec 02, 2018 8:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: GIA Mark X overhead light

When I was telling him based on gut feeling not to buy the Z16 (new for 18K) I finally discovered something in the Leica literature that confirmed a reduction in na for the Z16 compared to the Z6 which is similar to the apozoom.

I have had several MakroZooms and never noticed any objectionable CA. I was not however pixel peeping. And it also didn't stop me from laying hands on a couple of ApoZooms. The individual lenses history matters. If it has been serviced outside the factory it is unlikely to perform to original specs. When these things are assembled they do things to tolerances that are impossible to do without jigging and projective test equipment. The same applies to compound microscope objectives. Opening them is always a bad idea.

At my other favorite website PM.net none of the pixel peepers use any zoom lenses. Fixed focal lengths always have fewer engineering compromises, and thus have higher performance. Actually except for my 3 to one Coolpix 4500 zoom compact camera the MakroZoom was the first zoom camera lens I ever owned.

Author:  Stephen Challener [ Sun Dec 02, 2018 11:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: GIA Mark X overhead light

I've had two examples of the makrozoom, both of which produced pretty unfortunate (and completely identical) CA. It's been noted by others as well (well, by Savazzi anyway) so it's probably not limited to my copies. It's significant enough that I can't photograph some subjects with it, particularly inclusions with bright highlights. I wish it were just visible with the kind of pixel peeping people do in their detailed tests at Photomacrography and such, but it's significant. Let me show you an example:
Image
Through the makrozoom.
Image
Through the z16 (not consistent in location/lighting/etc because I'm handholding a heavy apo objective under the nose--thank goodness for RAFcamera, should have that sorted soon if all goes well). Suffice to say that even when my hand isn't blocking a light and it's full blast those CA are gone.
Maybe it's just a common problem with makrozooms that I and Savazzi both ended up running into independently. Either way a change is needed, and I don't think I've seen a detached apozoom for sale ever. I know they exist but they haven't come my way. Probably just a bit too popular and well-known now.
It's certainly true that there are compromises made for a zoom lens. These I am willing to accept for the sake of convenience and ergonomics. Same reason I have a microscope head in the first place instead of hooking my camera directly to the lens, or that I like stereo scopes as well. I could certainly pick up a few Mitutoyo m planapos and whatever tube lens is hot right now to put directly on a camera, and I likely will one day, but for now I like having a simple all-in-one with a nice form factor.

Author:  G4Lab [ Mon Dec 03, 2018 2:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: GIA Mark X overhead light

I used to have a regular search on the words "Wild microscope" I was checking regularly and one afternoon and ApoZoom appeared with a high but reasonable Buy It Now price. I found it fifteen minutes after the listing went active and punched buy it now without hesitation. I don't remember where I got the second one.

That is a lot of CA. I don't think it is normal and I don't think the example ES had/has was either.

It is important that when you buy this stuff you get a bulletproof right of return AND test it immediately on receipt.
If you are not happy ebay will force a refund these days.

Author:  Stephen Challener [ Wed Dec 05, 2018 5:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: GIA Mark X overhead light

I just got my diffuser in from thr GIA. It does fit on thr standalone B&l, but apparently by chance. The lamp is bigger but it slides inside the rim and seems to hold well. They are available for 30 dollars including US shipping, not bad at all.

Author:  amhosib [ Sun Dec 09, 2018 5:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: GIA Mark X overhead light

G4Lab wrote:
As far as I can tell 1) as this is written, on Nov 30 2018 GIA does not sell gemolites. I searched their site and there was only an overprice version of a $300 value scope. 2) The last Gemolite that they have pictures of is the round base version which looks identical to scopes that were sold on ebay for about $1800 and which I heard some not great things about. But they don't seem to have those. 3) Some of the instruments are OK. The GIA refractometer is now $925. I think that is overpriced. again jmo.

Also the use of the Leica brand name is (as I have railed about previously) a complete fraud. The Ernst Leitz company of Wetzlar Germany (who later bought the Wild microscope company and then were bought up themselves) never ever called a microscope "Leica" Leica was a cherman contractionism for "Leitz Camera" which was the first successful 35mm film camera (in the 1930s or maybe even 20s ) When the Leitz company was dissected the people that bought the microscope division finagled the right to use the Leica name. But it has nothing to do with scope only trademark ownership.

The aforementioned S6 series of scopes have more in common with the Bausch and Lomb AND also the competitive American Optical stereos that used to be Gemolites than they do with the few Leitz stereos that got made or with the Wilds including some Wilds that bear the Leica name. The same company bought up ALL of them. I think the current parent company is Danaher. The Leica branded scopes of the last at least fifteen years can be made in plants in India , the Phillipines and who knows where else. NOT germany (which is why using the Leica name sets me off even though its also a misnomer) nor the USA (Home of Bausch and AO)


Of course why would you give GIA $5,000 for a scope you can buy on ebay for $1800 and if you track down the manufacturer in China they will sell it to you for $1000.


There is a constant belief that Leitz purchased Wild, but the reality was the opposite hence Wild Leitz and not the reverse.
Wild initially purchased 25% of the Leitz shares in the late 70's, and then in the mid 80's the remaining Leitz family sold all theirs to Wild. After 1990, enter Cambridge Instruments and everything fell apart. Being typical bean counters, they knew the price of everything but the value of nothing.
You also have to be careful of the label "made in Germany".This can mean everything or virtually nothing since current German law allows the fixing of the label for just the minimum of finishing work.
I know, I am living in the wrong time and hark back to quality.

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