My microscope eyepiece collection

We go through life immersed in an ocean of environmental stimuli that we capture through the sensory organs of our senses.

Our eyes act like the lens of a microscope. The images that cross our path are discriminated and decoded in our mind. In this way each one manages to interpret his reality in an individualized way.
In the same way the ocular lens of a microscope acts, magnifying the image that passes through its objective lens.

Five months ago I sent you my collection of these objective lenses, which are those that point directly at the specimen resting on a glass slide.

Today it is my turn to introduce you to my beloved eyepiece lenses also called simply oculars.

They are lenses that have great value for me, especially emotionally. They take me back to my dad's professional career, to my first year in medical school and to memories I had with girlfriends during those years.

It is called ocular, as it is the part of the microscope that contacts our eyes. In turn, oculus in Latin, means "eye".

It has the function of magnifying the magnified image coming from the objective lens.

Filmmakers, photographers and people who like this hobby know that the main and most expensive part of a camera is its lenses.
The quality of its lenses is crucial for the light to enter as naturally as possible, until it is recorded on a roll of film or a digital sensor.

Likewise, the main thing in microscopy equipment is its objectives and eyepieces. Legendary and respected brands, such as the German Leica, Carl Zeiss and the Japanese Olympus, Nikon, will always reward us with their excellence.

Personally I prefer for collection, vintage lenses, for their robust construction and the quality of their materials. Here are some of them:

Every eyepiece incorporates from one to three lenses. They also have the so-called field stop, a mechanism whose function is to eliminate aberrations and reflected light. There are several types of eyepieces depending on their function.

As you can see, these eyepieces have a number with an X next to it. This is the way to express the amount of magnification they can give, according to the number.

How should the eyepieces be stored?

Avoid knocking the lenses or dropping them on hard surfaces. The best way to store them is in wooden stands in an upright position, or in closed plastic, wood or metal protectors.

Open wooden stands:

Closed wooden supports:

Closed metal protector with cover:

How do you clean them?

All glass lenses will be exposed to dust, dirt from our hands, grease from our skin, residues from culture samples, oil stains, fungal growth if stored in humid and unventilated places, etc.

For this reason they must be cleaned, so that we can appreciate a clear image and that they can last in time. The lenses cannot be touched with the fingers

We can do it through tissue papers manufactured for this purpose, liquid cleaners (ether, distilled water, alcohol), air blowers, among others.
They are cleaned, making a soft spiral movement, from the center to the periphery.

In life, compatibility is not only between two people who come together in a couple relationship; the same happens with lenses.
Both the ocular lens and the objective lens must be compatible to get the best result.

If one day you decide to buy something related to microscopy. The first choice of purchase, should be a good objective lens, and then the eyepiece.

I hope you liked the post and learned something you didn't know. Thanks to those who read it.