New request for scope recommendations

I'm in the market for scopes for my new worm lab and the dissecting
stereoscopes I'm used to (Olympus SZ60 and Nikon SMZ-2B) aren't made
any more. The last threads on this were 1997 and 2000 for dissecting
scopes- time for a new one? I've done some research on dissecting
scopes and the other scopes I need for my work, and I'd really
appreciate your field-tested advice.

If you've purchased scopes- of any kind- in the past two or three
years, would you tell me your experience? What you tried and nixed,
what you ended up getting (and price range, if you remember it)? Or
what's on your wish list, if you haven't?


Dissecting scopes


Compound scope

Zeiss, Nikon, Leica, other?

Manual or motorized?

Have you used Zeiss's Apotome? Compared it to confocal images or
regular images taken from Z-sections and processed with
deconvolution software?


Injection scope

I'm used to an inverted Zeiss. Andy Papp at Tritech Research has one
with Hoffman optics at 1/3 the Zeiss's price that's been recommended
to me. Do you have any strong feelings about yours?


Dissecting scope with fluorescence


I'll post your responses the first week of April.

Thank you very much!

Regards,
Tina L. Gumienny

Tina L. Gumienny, Ph.D.
Padgett Laboratory
Waksman Institute
Rutgers University
190 Frelinghuysen Rd.
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8434 USA
732-445-0250
------------------------------------------------------
Starting July, 2007
Assistant Professor
Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Texas A&M College of Medicine
446 Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building
College Station, TX 77843-1114
PH: (979) 862-7610 FX: (979) 847-9481
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[dektarr]

Hello,
I just joined the forum and was wondering if you found a dissecting scope you were happy with. I don't think I will be able to afford one that can be used for GFP, but am not sure. I definitely need to get one for routine maintenance and crosses. I would appreciate any advice you have.
Thanks!

Ellen Tarr
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Midwestern University
Glendale, AZ