Microscope suggestions?

[wholehop]

setting up a Q/C at our little brewery and looking atb scopes. Anyone have one they like / dislike. seems like a 10x eyepiece with a 40 x lens should be enough power. anything else i should get? thanks

[beejay]

Been thinking about this too.

One thing I can think of that's important is a mechanical stage. Making such minute movements with your hemacytometer can be tough (impossible?)

I worked at an environmental lab doing asbestos counts for abatement projects and was spoiled using a nice binocular phase contrast scope... Unfortunately those things aren't cheap. I could see a PCM scope being nice for cell counts, but totally unnecessary.

[Scott M]

Less than $1000 on ebay http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

[gitchegumee]

Search threads. Here's one.
http://www.probrewer.com/vbulletin/s...ght=microscope

[Tighthead]

When I was at Siebel, one of the Students or instructors (don't remember) offered us this list of what to supply your smal brewery lab with. Thought it might be helpful per your question.

Cheers,

[Pompeiisneaks]

I'm definitely interested... where's the list?

[Eric Brewer]

When I was at Siebel, one of the Students or instructors (don't remember) offered us this list of what to supply your smal brewery lab with. ,

I, too, would very much like to see that list...

[CaptainEBC]

We're thinking about going with this one:

http://www.amazon.com/40x-1600x-Comp...073786&sr=1-55

[beejay]

We're thinking about going with this one:

http://www.amazon.com/40x-1600x-Comp...073786&sr=1-55

The only problem with it is that it doesn't have a mechanical stage... this is what allows you to turn two nobs to move the slide around. I used to do fiber counting at an asbestos lab using something similar to the hemacytometer used for cell counts and I can tell you it is very hard to make tiny movements by hand to scan the fields.

Anyone else with an opinion on this?

[ryanhorlacher]

The only problem with it is that it doesn't have a mechanical stage... this is what allows you to turn two nobs to move the slide around. I used to do fiber counting at an asbestos lab using something similar to the hemacytometer used for cell counts and I can tell you it is very hard to make tiny movements by hand to scan the fields.

Anyone else with an opinion on this?

2nded. I definitely would not try to do a cell count without the mechanical stage.

I found a trinocular scope with mechanical stage, I think on ebay, for <$300.

I got a usb camera separately for it, but the camera was cheap (as far as usb microscope cams, ~$100) and had so much noise somewhere in the optics (dust on lenses or image sensor) that cell counts weren't even possible with it.

[kyle.carbaugh]

Any thoughts on something like this?

http://www.celestron.com/c3/product....=81&ProdID=516

[ryanhorlacher]

Any thoughts on something like this?

http://www.celestron.com/c3/product....=81&ProdID=516

wow. funky. I switch between 100x and 400x for cell counts so it looks like it'd work fine for that.

[almalkin]

I just picked up an older Olympus microscope off ebay that I am very happy with. It is built like a tank and has excellent features like an adjustable condenser with an iris aperture, mechanical stage, etc.

If you are looking to save a couple of bucks, I would recommend going for a higher quality used microscope than a newer unit that may not perform quite as well.

[gallon]

Hope I'm not beating a dead hose here, but what did you go with Whole hops? Any other suggestions? I would like to pick up a microscope too but don't really know much about it.

Thanks,
Tim

[CaptainEBC]

We bought one of these and it works pretty well. $273 for the scope and a USB camera.

http://store.amscope.com/m220b-p.html