Question: Avoiding high cost of quality microscope

rbauman · Apr 20, 2014

Has anyone just used the C910 camera to monitor and not used a stereo microscope?

mrthe · Apr 20, 2014

You can't use a webcam to engrave like a stereo microscope because you will haven't the 3D vision and the sense of the deep.

Dave London · Apr 20, 2014

Learning to engrave and the tools required are not cheap, unless you want to use a optivisor, hammer chisel, push gravers
Also it is a long term commitment to learn and practice. good luck

dlilazteca · Apr 20, 2014

Your going to have to spend some hard earned, mula.

Saludos,

Carlos

jerrywh · Apr 20, 2014

I have three microscopes. One cost about $2500.00 the other two are Amercan scopes made in china. They cost about $350.00 with the boom stand. Honestly, There isn't much difference between them as far as the optics go. I got the two cheap one on ebay new.

Sam · Apr 21, 2014

I'm pasting this from the microscope sticky in the Tips Archive:

"Keep in mind the following: Premium microscopes use optical glass and not window glass. At first you might not notice much of a difference between a premium scope and a cheap Chinese knockoff because your eyes can overcome small defects, but you can get eye strain and headaches as a result. After long hours of use is where you will notice the difference between a quality microscope and a poor one. Optics are no place to cut corners. My advice: save your money and get a quality microscope."

GTJC460 · Apr 21, 2014

I've got a great Meiji scope with GRS boom type stand and ring light that'd I'd part with. It's a great scope and everything you'll need to engrave. $800

Artemiss · Apr 21, 2014

sam said:
"At first you might not notice much of a difference between a premium scope and a cheap Chinese knockoff because your eyes can overcome small defects, but you can get eye strain and headaches as a result. After long hours of use is where you will notice the difference between a quality microscope and a poor one. Optics are no place to cut corners. My advice: save your money and get a quality microscope."

So very true Sam.

Brian Marshall · Apr 21, 2014

7 Meijis (one trinoc going up for sale soon), 4 Zeiss (2 going up for sale soon) and a couple of American Optics used for gemology...

All are worth owning, and all have served me well.

Brian

Artemiss · Apr 21, 2014

Damn Brian, that's one hell of an addiction you have there!

Jo

Brian Marshall · Apr 21, 2014

Joanne, I only use 2 of the Zeiss scopes myself. One for diamond setting and one for engraving.

The others are in the classroom, on apprentices benches or with the gemological lab.

B.

Marrinan · Apr 21, 2014

Brian, Just a guess but how many students do you think have been through your two schools. Are you still operating down in Taxco? Just curious and snoopy.- Fred

mrthe · Apr 21, 2014

What Sam say is true, the best inversion is buy a very good scope, all the way is not a qiestion of price, because here in Spain i see jewellery store sell bad scopes for over 2000$

Brian Marshall · Apr 21, 2014

Fred,

Still have a building in Taxco, with some stored equipment, but it's been idle for over 4 years now.

First came the Chinese knockoffs sold on QVC and others, then our "depression" up here.

Those two things pretty well wiped out Taxco as it once was...

And then the silver mines closed.

It will never recover. Those days are done.

And now we have the narcotraficantes and kidnappers all over Mexico. Pretty sad.

It was a wonderful place to live. I had planned on retiring there. Not gonna happen now... retiring OR doing it down there.

A friend in Taxco had a coupla stray bullets fly through his shop window last month.

Students, I dunno? Over 300 since I've been in this place. Wasn't keeping track in the old place.

And I've no idea how many there were in Mexico during the 7 years I lived there?

Brian

dlilazteca · Apr 21, 2014

Brian

I agree was planning on retiring in ixtapa we own Beach front property, was given to us as a wedding gift, but the drug cartel is just out of control. We do visit, once every 3 or so years

Saludos,

Carlos

rbauman · Apr 21, 2014

Thanks for all the response. I know you have to put value on quality. As I become more active in this, it is good to know that there's support!

Toad · Apr 22, 2014

What do you think of the Leica scopes? Can you hook up
A video camera to
One?
Todd

Sam · Apr 22, 2014

Toad said:
What do you think of the Leica scopes? Can you hook up
A video camera to
One?
Todd

I've never heard any negative comments about Leica scopes, and they probably have a trinocular model.

Marrinan · Apr 22, 2014

Thanks Brian, I was just curious. Federal Resources reopened the old Revenue silver mine up by the Camp Bird Gold mine where I grew up at Ouray Colorado. It had a real rich silver vain, big chucks that would fill a skip but at $2.95 an ounce they shut it down to wait for better days. They have gone back into the Camp Bird to go after lower grade or twice since the gold diggings shut down way back. In 59 they went in to pull the pillars as it was room and pillar construction-cave in killed 29, They tried again in the late sixties to come in through the original tunnel but many cave ins had blocked it so badly they put a steel plate over the portal and welded it shut. My dad was the engineer in the 60's and we were after base metals, got a lot of silver out of the galena (lead) deposits but it was a by product of the base metal. Dad worked Mining machinery sales including Taxco area. Probably have relatives still down that way. Part Yaqui par Comanche part white. Drug running has destroyed Mexico. It must have been quit an adventure operating a school and apprenticeship program down there. Sacramento must be challenge enough. Are you able to ride anymore. it is hell getting old. My meds are over a grand a month. I don't see how I will ever survive on Social Security. MCI wiped me and a lot of other college administrators out here in Georgia. The retirement fund was heavily into it. Mines all gone in one day. Hope to be able to produce engravebles for the trade. Buckles, spurs, bits. knives and the like. Thanks for chatting. Fred

Southern Custom · Apr 22, 2014

I used a $750 Chinese scope all last year. Around Jan-Mar. I worked over 300 hours on a job pretty much non stop staring through that scope. It may be coincidence but I'm wearing reading glasses now and I didn't need them in December. Working those long hours with that scope definitely put a lot of strain on my eyes.
Another thing to consider is depth of field. With the cheap Chinese scope, if I tilt my ball a fraction of an inch, I'm out of focus. This means constantly refocusing. I used a Leica at the FEFA show that I could adjust the work up or down a full inch and still stayed in focus. Also amazingly sharp and bright. That is the difference in a $750 scope and a $2000 scope. With the proceeds from my last job, I'm about to purchase the Leica. No question about that expense.
Even a used Meiji would be a good starting point.
Good luck.
Layne

Question: Avoiding high cost of quality microscope

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