Let's talk microscope brands

[HeyDalaron]

Which do you prefer: Olympus, Leica, Nikon or Zeiss?

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[pathslides]

Nikon. Apo lambda objectives. Best clarity and ergonomics.

 

[Alteran]

I've used both Olympus and Nikon. The best objectives I've ever seen in clinical practice are the Nikon Apos, if you can afford them. The Olympus Apos aren't bad, but the 40X with the correction collar is a chore to work with. Nikon somehow doesn't have that problem.

 

[mike-sheree]

Olympus SPLAN APO’s we’re wonderful lenses with the super wide field head and eyepieces. May have been replaced by an improved model since my usage though. They were quite expensive.

 

[k_sheep]

LOVE the optics of Nikon but the build quality is rubbish. Olympus stands the test of time.

 

[Alteran]

LOVE the optics of Nikon but the build quality is rubbish. Olympus stands the test of time.

Really? Are you talking about the newer models or the older ones? We've got 30-year-old Nikon E400s still working like new at one site.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Those E400s were workhorses, as are the newer models. You can get decades out of them. I think k_sheep works for olympus or something.

 

[octopusprime]

have only used olympus bx43s in residency and in practice

 

[mike-sheree]

have only used olympus bx43s in residency and in practice

Are the SPLAN APO’s still their top line brightfield objectives?

 

[Alteran]

Are the SPLAN APO’s still their top line brightfield objectives?

They got a refresh and are now XAPO. Not sure if you'll really notice a difference in brightfield applications.

 

[Mikes Placebo]

The new Nikon Ci-L Plus is a nice microscope both mechanically and optically. It's hard to beat Nikon ergonomically.
The 2x Apochromat lens combined with the fluorite class 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x can keep the cost down from going full Apo.

The Olympus BX46 would be my second choice for pathology due to the low stage positioning.

Both Nikon and Olympus do a nice job of offering a variety of accessories and upgrades to improve work flow.

 

[k_sheep]

Those E400s were workhorses, as are the newer models. You can get decades out of them. I think k_sheep works for olympus or something.

Clearly the only possibility

We outfitted a new hospital lab with 10 Nikons. It's now 5 years out - 4 pathos have refused to keep going with the Nikons and have switched to Olympus. We've all had multiple parts of the stage replaced, multiple times. Eyepieces, the glass slips inside the casing. Condensors, filter holders etc we have all had to replace at least once. Everything plastic has just broken. I utterly love the optics so have stuck with it - but my laboratory manager is the one who does all the work replacing the bits that break so he might like it less!

I would absolutely go with one next time, but with the understanding I will be forever repairing bits and pieces. I'm okay with that, but it needs to figure into your sums.

 

[HeyDalaron]

Clearly the only possibility

We outfitted a new hospital lab with 10 Nikons. It's now 5 years out - 4 pathos have refused to keep going with the Nikons and have switched to Olympus. We've all had multiple parts of the stage replaced, multiple times. Eyepieces, the glass slips inside the casing. Condensors, filter holders etc we have all had to replace at least once. Everything plastic has just broken. I utterly love the optics so have stuck with it - but my laboratory manager is the one who does all the work replacing the bits that break so he might like it less!

I would absolutely go with one next time, but with the understanding I will be forever repairing bits and pieces. I'm okay with that, but it needs to figure into your sums.

I've noticed that the Olympus scopes are made in Japan but the nikon ones are made in China. Might explain the build quality issues

 

[Alteran]

Clearly the only possibility

We outfitted a new hospital lab with 10 Nikons. It's now 5 years out - 4 pathos have refused to keep going with the Nikons and have switched to Olympus. We've all had multiple parts of the stage replaced, multiple times. Eyepieces, the glass slips inside the casing. Condensors, filter holders etc we have all had to replace at least once. Everything plastic has just broken. I utterly love the optics so have stuck with it - but my laboratory manager is the one who does all the work replacing the bits that break so he might like it less!

I would absolutely go with one next time, but with the understanding I will be forever repairing bits and pieces. I'm okay with that, but it needs to figure into your sums.

Are your pathologist's beating on the microscopes with sledge hammers? I don't know about the new Ci series, but the only instances that I've seen Nikon microscopes break are in the previous generation Eclipse series with the big cytology stage that can be pushed down and up into separate locking positions to switch out slides/specimens more easily - supposedly. After repeated use, they tend to give out. But otherwise all the Nikon scopes I used worked fine, even the ones in residency which were abused, some deliberately, and they still chugged along.

On another note, several current generation Olympus microscopes at my practice have had issues mostly with the focusing knobs. Something about the BX46s' gear system caused two of the scopes to have slippage causing the turret to not stay fixed and just slowly drop. Had to have the scopes disassembled and serviced. Also, something I notice with the Olympus nosepiece is that it tends to get "sticky". For example, if you switch between 4 - 10 - 20 - 40X only for an hour or so and then try to drop to the 2X, the turret becomes very hard to turn to that 2X. I've never encountered that with any Nikon scope I've ever used and I've seen it now in 2 Olympus microscopes that I use.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Regardless if you get nikon, zeiss or olympus, you will have to replace components occasionally on some scopes. Oh well, just replace the broken parts and move on. I've ridden my nikon scope hard and put it away wet and haven't had any issues.