Question: Magnigication Question

[Artemiss]

Hi folks,

I may be asking an obvious question, but I just wanted to check.

The microscope I use is a Meiji (EM... something) with 10x eye pieces and a 0.5 objective.
I'm trying to get a bit more magnification, so looking at different options.

I tried removing the 0.5 objective, which resulted in doubling the mag, but brought the working distance down incredibly.

The question I have is this... If I bought 20x eye pieces (leaving the objective intact), would this give me the same result as my previous trial?

Many thanks,

Jo

 

[Marrinan]

Jo, You can replace the 10 power eye pieces with 15, or 20 and keep the .05 objective lens and the working distance the same the 20 doubles the magnification I believe. For my scope they were $100 US about. Works fine. Fred

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Jo

The setup you have will mean that a 5mm circle, when zoomed in all the way, will fill your whole veiwing area.

Why more magnification???

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Artemiss]

Why more magnification???

Hi Andrew,

I'm trying my hand a a spot of Bulino, and could do with a tad more mag at times.

In theory, having the 0.5 objective removed gives me a true x1-x4.5 (x10-x45) mag with x10 eye pieces, then x20 eye pieces with the 0.5 intact should give me exactly the same results?

However, if I'm understanding Fred's reply, then keeping 0.5 and buying 20x (or 15x) will actually keep my working distance the same???

Like I said, I'm just curious to see if my thinking on this is right, that's all. :thinking:

Cheers,

Jo

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hey Jo

Sounds like you are getting into the Fracassi thing and laying down 30 gazillion dots per square millimeter

Beware...............you can overdo it to the point that it can't be seen and just looks like a black smudge. The human eye can only pick up so much and the imagination tends to fill in the rest of it. Remember to pull back and look at the work with the naked eye.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Sam]

I've used 20x eyepieces in a Meiji scope and hated it. Yes, you have more magnification and the same working distance, but for my work it's waaaaaay too much power and much smaller field of view (and possibly less brightness). Keep in mind that the world's greatest Italian bulino is done with a tiny handheld 10x Zeiss loupe, and Winston Churchill uses a low power Optivisor.

I remember Lynton McKenzie wishing he could get 5x eyepieces instead of 10x.

 

[mitch]

the only time either of my scopes get zoomed in at maximum magnification is when i'm checking out some cool bug i found. for engraving, i virtually never go above 15x-16x for anything.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Sam, would increasing the magnification of the eye pieces require more light the way that zooming the scope to higher magnification does?

Jo, when at maximum magnification with the standard setup your bulino cuts will look like ploughed furrows in a field. I don't understand why you'd need more magnification? You'll be filling the whole viewing area with the tip of your graver. It's not the right season now but wait til next June/July when the tiny storm flies land on your work and make you jump because they look like monsters that suddenly appear in your field of view, and that's under normal magnification!!!!

 

[Artemiss]

Many thanks for all of your comments guys.

Of course, you are right. I don't 'need' more magnification, but I am doing lots of dots at the moment (with scrimshaw too), and in the same way that each person develops a favourite graver geometry - I just wanted to play about with magnification a bit. Hence, the yes/no question!

Hey Marcus... you're alive! I thought you'd dropped off the planet as I hadn't had a reply to any of my pm's/Emails.
Good to know you're still out there. :biggrin:

Cheers,

Jo

 

[jerrywh]

I agree with Sam on this. I have 20 power eye pieces and it's really not neccessary. The dots you will make will be too small if done under full power. I only use mine to get more working distance for something like fine carving. I go to the 20 eye pieces and then use a .3 objective. In my opinion they are usless for engraving.

 

[FANCYGUN]

For my animals and figures I just use my #10 optivisor for 90% of the work. I save the microscope for tracing when I transfer and fine spot details at the end. The optivisor gives me a better field of view so I can get a better sense of what I am doing. The microscope is a flatter image and more localized even under the weakest power. You must remember it will be looked at with the naked eye.