Alphabet soup

[wilash]

Does anyone know where I can find what the meanings are for all those letters manufacturers put on their objectives. I've seen the short list in the Olympus resource center, but I am finding that is just the tip of the iceberg. I would like to know about Olympus codes past and present.

Also, there seems a time when Olympus did not put the tube length on the objective barrel. I am assuming it was for infinity objectives, but I am not sure (I think my Vanox uses an infinity tube and none of its objectives has the tube length printed on them).

Doesn't anyone believe in making a standard AND sticking to it in microscope manufacturing?!?

[Mike]

Hello Will,

At the Nikon site there is a fairly comprehensive listing;

http://www.microscopyu.com/articles/opt ... specs.html

that covers all I can think of.

All the best,

Mike

[wilash]

Thanks Mike. That is better than the Olympus list. But it is still confusing. Olympus have D Plan objectives, which the Nikon list says is darkfield, but the Olympus catalog does not specify that and seems to indicate no special attributes. (But now I know what "HI" means. )

[piotr]

Hi Will,

In addition to what Mike has suggested, you may wish to check the files in Olympus directory on Gordon Couger's science-info.org website:

http://www.science-info.org/micro/docs/olympus/

I found there a following excerpt:

"With D Plan objectives, field flatness is guaranteed up to F.N. 20. Ideal for photomicrographic purposes, they are widely used in research, educational and routine work."

For older Olympus optics try the brochures on the following page:

The Unofficial Olympus OM Sales Information File: Photomicrography

Piotr

[Guest]

Piotr, thanks for the links, they look very useful.

I had read the description you quoted about the D Plan objectives. But every listing I have read about objective codes suggests "D" stands for "darkfield," which does not seem to be the case for Olympus. I will figue this out over time.

[wilash]

That "guest" is me.