Microscope --> binoviewer?

I work in a research lab and our department was getting rid of unused equipment. I got ahold of 1 each Carl Zeiss, Leitz and Nikon research grade microscopes. The Zeiss and Leitz are missing the objective lenses but have the entire eyepiece assemblies. The Nikon is missing the eyepieces.

My question is would I be able to convert any of these into a binoviewer? When I get them home, I'm going to check the eyepiece diameters and things. They appear to be very expensive microsopes, having polarizers, camera ports and all kinds of things. I know they aren't that old because the sample tray is motorized on the one.

Thanks!

Short answer: yes, if the head assemblies utilize beamsplitters (i.e. *not* two-channel designs for stereo microscopes) and if the assemblies can be "reduced" down to their basic components (beamsplitter, left/right prisms &/or mirrors, and housings). Some heads -- particularly older units -- may include auxilliary/supplementary optics such as incline prisms, relay optics, or perhaps polarizers. Most modern/current microscope designs are more modular; polarizers are located elsewhere, and incline prism and relay assemblies are removable.

My own Leica binocular viewer came from a recent Leica DL series research microscope. It was designed for 30mm eyepieces, and its clear aperture is 22mm. Its optically superb. Currently, it's outfitted with standard 1.25-inch eyepiece collars (my own tinkering) and a standard 1.25-inch eyepiece/diagonal barrel (threaded to a self-made baseplate). Nikon, Zeiss, and Olympus make similar binocular assemblies for their research microscopes. Some of the assemblies are designed for widefield &/or ultra-widefield microscope eyepieces. As such, their clear apertures are usually 22-23mm. Heads designed for 23mm microscope eyepieces will likely have ~18mm clear apertures.

Of course, the big step is successfully adapting it for use with a telescope. Many folks do so.

The best binocular heads from any/all of these big four makers are optically superb -- as good or better than the best binocular heads marketed for astronomical telescopes.

Hope that helps a little.
Best wishes and luck.
-Dan

--Not all of them.

More and more are designed for 30mm eyepieces and are *very* similar to, say, the BW/Lumicon binocular viewer (which is, itself, converted from a microscope head).

Cheers & best wishes.
-Dan