Microscope Stand Design

Around the halfway point of the last century (1940 or so) microscope design began to change drastically. Modern manufacturing and engineering, together with the proliferation of compact, bright, electric lamps contributed to an opticians ability to design microscopes which provided a new option for the photomicrographer. Contemporarily advertised as tri-nocoular (but more properly referred to as photomicrographic) microscopes began to become available with specialized camera ports that did not require interchanging a binocular body for a monocular body, or the occupation of a standard eyepiece tube by a cumbersome attachment camera.

At the time this was a considerable advance and as photographic process became more accessible and streamlined so too did the process of making ones microscope ready to capture an image. In many cases a microscope could be used visually as normal and simultaneously outfitted with appropriate apparatus capture images on a variety of media. Ones microscope could stand ready for either photomicrography or visual use and a great many sights that were only previously fleeting could be captured.

Regrettably, while some mechanical aspects such as the Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) thread, or 23.2mm eyepiece have become standard, the same can not be said of photomicrographic apparatus. For obvious reasons apparatus from one manufacture may not be compatible with another. Infuriatingly, apparatus from a given manufacturer may not be immediately compatible with a different line or generation of microscopes.

The Systems

It can be impossibly difficult to find information on the integrated camera systems of Bausch & Lomb, so forgive any inaccuracies and permit the establishment of two broad categories; the DynOptic/DynaZoom (hereafter DynaZoom camera) and the Integrated Camera System II (hereafter System II). Each was available with a range of formats and in a variety of styles with various interchangeable or permanently fixed accessories.

The DynaZoom camera was created specifically for the so named line of microscopes and was available throughout the life of that line. When the black finish stands were replaced by the slate finish models the cameras followed suit but maintained the established standards and are interchangeable with the earlier versions and vice versa.

The System II was in simultaneous production with the DynaZoom but was created so as to be compatible with a wide range of microscope lines and to offer improved options and forward compatibility. While still compatible with both the black and slate DynaZoom microscopes it could also be fitted to StereoZoom, and BalPlan microscopes as well as Bausch & Lomb Bench Metallographs, and inverted microscopes. System II also saw the introduction of automatic shutter control with electronic light metering.

One may immediately identify the camera system because in the DynaZoom cameras of every sort there is no independent magnification (focus) control. System II cameras of every sort feature a vertically oriented magnification (focus) control which may be marked from 0 too 25 or from 3x too 10x.

Sorry for the long silence, computer failure and a new job have eaten up a great deal of my time lately. I promise the next post wont be so far away. -K