Phase Contrast Kit with Four PLAN Objectives for Compound Microscopes

Phase Contrast Kit with Four PLAN Objectives

I don't have any Phase Contrast (PC) experience using other microscopes, so I don't have the ability to compare this system with others. I installed this kit on my Amscope T490B-DKO microscope to primarily look at microbes. I thought the alignment of the rings underneath the turret for the 4 lens was going to be a hassle, since you should do this every time you do PC. But the first time I looked at some microbes using this PC, I was amazed. It looked like I was in a different world. Things that were invisible using non PC suddenly appeared very clearly. The thing that amazes me about this system is the ability to see into these microbes and observe the inner workings very easily with PC, although not being able to know what processes are going on. The PC turret comes with 10x, 20x, 40x and 100x plan lenses and it easily installs in a minute or two. I don't use the 100x lens at all. I really like using the 10x and 20x with either 10x or 20x eyepieces, and occasionally the 40x where necessary. So I can view stuff at 800x. After using it for awhile, I found the lens alignment to be a non-issue. You only have to make slight adjustments underneath the turret, and this takes about 2-3 minutes. I leave the turret connected at all times since it has a brightfield position on it. I have the Amscope Touchscreen 9.7 monitor/camera system installed on my scope that I use all the time. This in itself in an amazing camera and software system. It takes extremely clear pictures and videos with a press of a couple of buttons with your fingers or using a mouse, and one can adjust every aspect of the photos and videos in real time with this monitor. I connect my 32" Samsung 4K monitor into the HDMI output on the monitor with a cable and this totally blows me away. You have to see it to believe it! I think this combination of the Touchscreen monitor and PC turret system is absolutely necessary to get the full benefit of PC. I capture all the photography with a USB flash drive plugged into the screen or on a card I have installed on the Touchscreen. I can then edit any video I save in my video software. I recently got lucky and captured a ciliate from the beginning of cell division all the way to the end when the two halves split away from each other. It took about 45 minutes. I video recorded the whole process on the Touchscreen. Then I transferred it into my video software for editing. I highly recommend purchasing both the PC Kit and the Touchscreen monitor. They work perfectly together.