Help, please: working distance of microscopes

[ramilpacheco]

Hi guys I just want to ask what is the usual working distance of stereo microscopes for stone setting? Pls let me know coz I will purchase microscopes. Thank you

 

[Beathard]

Depends on the scope and the magnification, but my Meiji has about a 6 inch clearance.

 

[Marrinan]

I would suggest that you read this thread http://www.engraverscafe.com/showthread.php?3451-Stereo-Microscopes-to-BUY-and-to-AVOID do a search on microscopes and you will find many threads dealing with them and thier setup.

In the business of engraving and stone setting it is the add-on objective lens that determines the working distance. Most people are using a .05 objective lens which gives about 6 inches clearance. It also cuts the magnification in half. You can go to 20x eyepieces and regain the magnification factor. Some people use a .3 and some a .75. With each the working distance changes. Fred

 

[Ya-Nvr-No]

You mean .5 not .05 lens

I tried the .3 and had to go with the .5 because it was too far at that distance (about a 3 inch more)

 

[mitch]

my old Olympus SZIII had a working distance of a little more than 6", but some years ago I replaced it with a Leica S6E, which is about 8" with the typical 0.5X objective lens.

 

[Sam]

My Zeiss Stemi 2000CS has a working distance of about 5" with a 0.63x objective. It'd be nice if Zeiss made a 0.5x to fit my scope but they don't. I've tried a Meiji 0.5x and the focus was out of whack.

 

[rod]

As well as magnfication, a useful aspect of the objective lens on your scope is to set a comfortable working posture. I have a long back, and am about 6 foot one inch. I find a comfortable posture is to have the top of my ball vise at elbow level so the fore arms are approximately horizontal when engraving. A .5 objective finds me crouching to get my eyes down to the eye pieces, because the working distance is 6 inches. Changing to a .3 objective took the working distance to 10 inches, which meant the scope could be raised another four inches up to my eyes without stooping. The reduction in magnification of a .3 objective is no problem, there is still plenty of magnification. Now my posture is just right, work is at elbow level, forearms are horizontal, eye pieces on the scope are just right when I sit at the bench ( I use a stool with no backrest, it keeps my lower back straight).

When Andrew Biggs came to visit for a week, my setup was all wrong for him, but if I popped the .5 objective back onto the scope, it would have been right for his build. Andrew, as we know, is a good height, it is just that I have a long back.

Just thought I would mention this other aspect of changing an objective lens.

Rod

 

[monk]

i have a scienscope with a ,5. that gives me about 7" clearance. don't know the requirements for stone setting.