Reviewed by Alan Plante
The Meiji Techno brand stereo microscopes are becoming increasingly popular among rockhounds who study and/or photograph micro-crystals. Meiji 'scopes are available in either binocular or trinocular models. The binocular models are the ones of choice for people not interested in taking photographs of their micros; while the trinocular - or "third tube" - models are popular among people who want to attach a camera and take pictures through the 'scope.
The most popular models are the EMZ-5, EMZ-5TR and EMZ-8TR, the first of which is a binocular 'scope, the other two being trinocular, for use with cameras. Shown above are two views of the EMZ-8TR. Meiji also makes a model called the RZ-TR, a "fully dedicated" photographic microscope which has a trinocular head and a built in adjustable iris for controlling depth-of-field in photographs.
The basic EMZ5 unit is a binocular stereo zoom 'scope with stand which comes with an 0.7X to 4.5X objective lens (the lower lens) and 10X eyepieces, giving it a magnification range of 9X to 45X. There are also 12.5X, 15X, 20X or 30X eyepieces available for this model. A 15X set gives a magnification range of 10.5X to 67.5X; the 20X eyepieces give a range of 14X to 90X; and the 30X set gives a range of 21X to 135.0X. The optics are "wide field" types, and are of high quality, giving a wide, crisp, and bright image with very good inherent depth-of-field - the portion of the image seen which is in focus from front-to back, or - simply - how much of the image can be brought into focus at one time. A basic 'scope and stand with 10X eyepieces costs around $1,400.00 The 12.5X, 15X and 20X eyepieces are about $140.00 per set (same as the 10X) and the 30X set runs about $160.00. (Prices may vary - those provided are approximate and as of Fall 2001.) These oculars have an inherent "high eyepoint"; and there is also a special 15X model available with a particularly high eyepoint.
