Optika Italy SLX Series User manual

Ver. 2.2 2022
Model
SLX-1
SLX-2
SLX-3
SLX-4
SLX-5
SLX Series
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Page 2
Table of Contents
1. Warning 3
2. Safety Information 3
3. Package content 4
3.1 SLX-1 4
3.2 SLX-2 / SLX-3 4
3.3 SLX-4 / SLX-5 5
4. Unpacking 6
5. Intended use 6
6. Symbols and conventions 6
7. Instrument description 7
7.1 SLX-1 7
7.2 SLX-2 / SLX-3 8
7.3 SLX-4 / SLX-5 9
8. Assembly 10
8.1 Assembling procedure 10
8.1.1 SLX-1 / SLX-2 / SLX-3 10
8.1.2 SLX-4 / SLX-5 11
9. Use of the microscope 14
9.1 Adjust interpupillary distance 14
9.2 Focus 14
9.3 Adjusting the tension of the focus knob 14
9.4 Diopter compensation 15
9.5 Magnication 15
9.6 Use of additional lens 16
9.6.1 Use of 0.5X additional lens (ST-085.1) 16
9.6.2 Use of 1.5X additional lens (ST-086.1) 17
9.7 Use of illumination 17
9.8 Use with rechargeable batteries 17
9.9 Use of eye shields 17
9.10 Use of overhanging stand 18
10. Microphotography 20
10.1 Use of C-mount adapter 20
10.2 UseofReexcameras 20
11. Maintenance 21
12. Troubleshooting 22
Equipment disposal 23

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1. Warning
This microscope is a scientic precision instrument designed to last for many years with a minimum of maintenance. It
is built to high optical and mechanical standards and to withstand daily use. We remind you that this manual contains
important information on safety and maintenance, and that it must therefore be made accessible to the instrument users.
We decline any responsibility deriving from incorrect instrument use uses that does not comply with this manual.
2. Safety Information
Avoiding Electrical Shock
Before plugging in the power supply, make sure that the supplying voltage of your region matches with the operation voltage
of the equipment and that the lamp switch is in o󰀨 position. Users should observe all safety regulations of the region. The
equipment has acquired the CE safety label. However, users have full responsibility to use this equipment safely. Please
follow the guidelines below, and read this manual in its entirety to ensure safe operation of the unit.

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3. Package content
3.1 SLX-1
3.2 SLX-2 / SLX-3
① Microscopebody
② Eyepieces
③ Microscopestand
④ Stageclips(onepair)
⑤ Dustcover
⑥ Powersupply
①
③
④
⑤
⑥ ②
① Microscopebody
• SLX-2:binocular
• SLX-3:trinocular
② Eyepieces
③ Microscopestand
④ Stageclips(onepair)
⑤ DustCover
⑥ Powersupply
⑦ AllenWrench(SLX-3only)
• SLX-2:one(2mm)
• SLX-3:two(2mmand3mm)
①
③
④
⑤
⑥ ⑦
②

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3.3 SLX-4 / SLX-5
① Microscopebody
• SLX-4:binocular
• SLX-4:trinocular
② Eyepieces
③ Overhangingstand
④ Focus
⑤ Dustcover
⑥ Allenwrench
①
③
④
⑤
⑥
②

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4. Unpacking
The microscope is housed in a moulded Styrofoam container. Remove the tape from the edge of the container and lift the
top half of the container. Take some care to avoid that the optical items (objectives and eyepieces) fall out and get dam-
aged. Using both hands (one around the arm and one around the base), lift the microscope from the container and put it
on a stable desk.
Do not touch with bare hands optical surfaces such as lenses, lters or glasses. Traces of grease or other
residuals may deteriorate the nal image quality and corrode the optics surface in a short time.
5. Intended use
Standard models
For research and teaching use only. Not intended for any animal or human therapeutic or diagnostic use.
IVD Models
Also for diagnostic use, aimed at obtaining information on the physiological or pathological situation of the subject.
6. Symbols and conventions
The following chart is an illustrated glossary of the symbols that are used in this manual.
CAUTION
This symbol indicates a potential risk and alerts you to proceed with caution.
ELECTRICAL SHOCK
This symbol indicates a risk of electrical shock.

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MAGNIFICATION
CHANGER
STAGE CLIPS
TRANSPORTATION
HANDLE
FOCUS KNOB
STAND
EYEPIECES
TRANSMITTED LIGHT
ON/OFF AND
INTENSITY CONTROL
INCIDENT LIGHT
ON/OFF AND
INTENSITY CONTROL
MICROSCOPE
BODY
TRANSLUCENT DISC
(TRANSMITTED LIGHT)
INCIDENT LIGHT
ILLUMINATOR
7. Instrument description
7.1 SLX-1

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TRANSPORTATION
HANDLE
MICROSCOPE BODY
-) SLX-2: BINOCULAR
-) SLX-3: TRINOCULAR
INCIDENT LIGHT
ON/OFF AND
INTENSITY CONTROL
TRANSMITTED LIGHT
ON/OFF AND
INTENSITY CONTROL
FOCUS KNOB
INCIDENT LIGHT
ILLUMINATOR
STAGE CLIPS
STAND
TRANSLUCENT DISC
(TRANSMITTED LIGHT)
EYEPIECES
ZOOM KNOB
PHOTO/TV PORT
(ONLY SLX-3)
7.2 SLX-2 / SLX-3
MICROSCOPE BODY
-) SLX-4: BINOCULAR
-) SLX-5: TRINOCULAR

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7.3 SLX-4 / SLX-5
MICROSCOPE BODY
-) SLX-4: BINOCULAR
-) SLX-5: TRINOCULAR
EYEPIECES
ZOOM KNOB
PHOTO/TV PORT
(ONLY SLX-5)
BASE
FOCUS HANDLE
PILLAR
DROP
PREVENTION
RING
VERTICAL ARM
FIXING KNOB
HORIZONTAL ARM
FIXING KNOBS
FIXING KNOB

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8. Assembly
FFig. 1ig. 1
FFig. 2ig. 2
FFig. 3ig. 3
FFig. 4ig. 4
①
8.1 Assembling procedure
8.1.1 SLX-1 / SLX-2 / SLX-3
• The microscope is shipped from the factory with the
batteries already installed. However, in some cases it is
necessary to ship the microscope with the batteries dis-
connected.
1. Open the lid of the battery compartment. (Fig. 1)
2. Insert the provided rechargeable batteries (respecting the
polarity of each battery). (Fig. 2)
3. Close the lid.
4. Insert the microscope body in the holder. (Fig. 3)
5. Lock the xing knob ①. (Fig. 4)

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6. Remove the eyepieces dust caps and insert the eyepieces in
the empty eyepiece sleeve. (Fig. 5)
FFig. 5ig. 5
FFig. 6ig. 6
FFig. 7ig. 7
FFig. 8ig. 8
7. Connect the jack of the power supply to the socket in the rear
part of the microscope base. (Fig. 6)
8.1.2 SLX-4 / SLX-5
1. Screw the pillar on the base. (Fig. 7)
2. Tighten the screw to lock the pillar. (Fig. 8)

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3. Insert the drop preventing ring and x it at the desired height
by screwing the xing knob. (Fig. 9)
FFig. 9ig. 9
FFig. 10ig. 10
FFig. 11ig. 11
①
4. Insert the horizontal arm and secure it with the xing screw
①. (Fig. 10 - 11)

Page 13
FFig. 12ig. 12
②
③
5. Install the head holder. Unscrew the locking knob ③ and in-
sert the arm for the focus support from above ② into the hole
of the horizontal arm. (Fig. 12 - 13)
6. Once fully inserted, tighten the xing screw ④(Fig. 13)
7. Insert from below the focusing system, tighten the xing
screw ⑤ and re-tighten the locking knob ③ from below. (Fig.
14 - 15)
8. Install the microscope body as explained in chapter 8.1.1
FFig. 13ig. 13
FFig. 14ig. 14
FFig. 15ig. 15
④
⑤
③

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9. Use of the microscope
9.1 Adjust interpupillary distance
1. Hold the right and left eyepiece tube with both hands and ad-
just the interpupillary distance by moving the two parts (Fig.
16) until one circle of light can be seen.
• If two circles appear, the interpupillary distance is too big.
• If two overlapped circles appear, the interpupillary distance
is too small.
FFig. 16ig. 16
FFig. 17ig. 17
FFig. 18ig. 18
①
HOLD
9.2 Focus
Put the sample to be observed on the stage plate and focus the
sample using the focusing knobs of the stand ①. (Fig. 17)
9.3 Adjusting the tension of the focus knob
• This adjustment allows to increase or decrease the ten-
sion of the knob by avoiding an involuntary descent of
the microscope body under its own weight. Adjust the
tension just above the point where the focus is stable.
1. Grab the focus knobs with both hands and, holding left knob
rotate the right one in the direction shown in Fig. 18 to in-
crease the tension.
• Tension increases or decreases according the sense of rota-
tion of the right focus knob.

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9.4 Diopter compensation
• This compensation makes possible for people wearing
glasses to adjust the microscope to their eyes and use
the microscope without glasses.
1. Put the zoom ② down to the lowest magnication and focus
the specimen with the focusing knobs ③. (Fig. 19)
2. Put the zoom to the maximum magnication and repeat the
focusing.
3. Return to the lowest magnication: the specimen will be out
of focus.
4. Adjust the diopter compensation ring of the right eyepiece ④
until the image of the right eyepiece is clear and sharp (Fig.
20). Repeat the procedure for the left eyepiece.
5. Then, check the focus of the image for the whole zoom
range. It should now be perfectly parfocal (focus is always
maintained during the change of magnication).
FFig. 21ig. 21
⑤
FFig. 22ig. 22
FFig. 20ig. 20
④
⑥⑦
⑥
FFig. 19ig. 19
②
③
9.5 Magnication
SLX-1
1. Rotate the magnication changer ⑤ to insert the desired
lens in the optical path. (Fig. 21)
• Rotation in clockwise direction will move from 2X to 4X lens.
• Counterclockwise rotation will change from 4X to 2X.
SLX-2 / SLX-3
1. Select the desired magnication by adjusting the zoom knob
⑥.
• Change the eyepieces and/or add an appropriate additional
lens if necessary.
• The microscope body is equipped with a “magnication lock”
function that allows to obtain a precise setting of the desired
magnication. Magnication lock can be activated or deacti-
vated by operating with the provided Allen wrench in the hole
⑦ placed in front of the microscope body. (Fig. 22)

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9.6 Use of additional lens
• Additional lenses can be used on models SLX-2 / SLX-3 /
SLX-4 / SLX-5.
1. Screw the desired additional lens on the microscope body.
(Fig. 14)
• Each additional lens has a specic Working Distance (see
table below).
• (SLX-2 / SLX-3 only): The stroke of the focus adapter could
not compensate the di󰀨erent working distances of the sever-
al additional lenses.
FFig. 23ig. 23
Total magnication used can be calculated as:
Eyepiece magnication * Zoom magnication * Objective lens magnication.
Eyepiece 10X 15X 20X
Field number 21 15 10
Objective Total mag. F.O.V. (mm) Total mag. F.O.V. (mm) Total mag. F.O.V. (mm)
0,5X (W.D.165 mm) 3.5X-22.5X 59.99-9.32 5.25X-33.75X 28.57-4.44 7X-45X 14.28-2.22
0.75X (W.D. 114 mm) 5.25X-33.75X 40-6.21 7.87X-50.62X 19.06-2.96 10.50X-67.5X 9.52-1.48
1X (W.D. 100 mm) 7X-45X 29.99-4.66 10.5X-67.5X 10.95-2.22 14X-90X 7.14-1.11
1.5X (W.D. 47 mm) 10.50X-67.5X 20-3.10 15.75X-101.25X 9.52-1.48 21X-135X 4.76-0.74
FFig. 24ig. 24
FFig. 25ig. 25
9.6.1 Use of 0.5X additional lens (ST-085.1)
0.5X additional lens has a Working Distance of 165 mm and
therefore the total stroke of the focus pillar cannot compensate.
In order to let the 0.5X additional lens working properly (when
used with SLX-2 / SLX-3 models), proceed as follows:
1. Screw the additional lens on the microscope body as already
described in chapter 9.6.
2. Uninstall the microscope body from the head holder.
3. Install the provided spacer ① in the head holder and screw
the xing knob ②.(Fig. 24)
4. Re-install the microscope body onto the spacer and screw
the xing knob ③.(Fig. 25)
5. Begin working normally.
③
②
①

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9.6.2 Use of 1.5X additional lens (ST-086.1)
1.5X additional lens has a Working Distance of 47 mm and, in
case of very thin specimens (when working with SLX-2 / SLX-3
models), the microscope cannot get a proper focus.
In order to overcome this e󰀨ect, the 1.5X lens is provided with
a transparent spacer ④ that must be placed on the base plate
(Fig. 26).
Once placed the transparent spacer, the user can put the speci-
men on the spacer and begin the observation as usual.
FFig. 28ig. 28
⑦
FFig. 26ig. 26
FFig. 27ig. 27
④
⑤
⑥
FFig. 29ig. 29
9.7 Use of illumination
1. Turn the transmitted light knob ⑤ in order to turn ON/OFF or
to change the intensity of the transmitted light LED. (Fig. 27)
2. Turn the incident light knob ⑥ in order to turn ON/OFF or to
change the intensity of the incident light LED.
• It is possible to use both illuminations at the same time.
9.8 Use with rechargeable batteries
When the power supply is connected to the microscope socket,
the “CHG” led ⑦ is lit. (Fig. 28)
RED light: battery with low charge or recharging
GREEN light: battery charged.
• NOTE: when the power supply is disconnected, the CHG led
is always o󰀨.
9.9 Use of eye shields
• Use with eyeglasses
Fold rubber eyeshields with both hands. Folded eyeshields avoid
scratching the lenses of eyeglasses. (Fig. 29)

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• Use without eyeglasses
Raise eye shields and observe at the microscope placing eyes
to the shields, avoiding external light to disturb the observation.
(Fig. 30)
FFig. 30ig. 30
FFig. 31ig. 31
FFig. 32ig. 32
①
FFig. 33ig. 33
②
9.10 Use of overhanging stand
Moving the horizontal arm
1. Unlock the knob on the right side of the horizontal arm ①.
(Fig. 31)
2. The arm can be extended or shortened according to specic
needs. (Fig. 32)
Swivel the head
1. Unlock the xing knob ① and rotate the head to the desired
swivel angle (left or right), then tighten the knob again. (Fig.
33)

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Rotating the horizontal arm
1. Loosen the horizontal arm xing knob ② and rotate the arm,
then tighten again the xing knob. (Fig. 34)
• NOTE: 180° rotation of the microscope with respect to
the base could cause a rollover of the entire system.
FFig. 34ig. 34
③

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10. Microphotography
10.1 Use of C-mount adapter
1. Loosen the clamping screw ① on the trinocular port and re-
move the dust cap ②. (Fig. 35)
FFig. 35ig. 35
FFig. 36ig. 36
FFig. 37ig. 37
①
②
④
③
①②
③
④
2. Screw the C-mount adapter ③to the camera ④ and insert
the round dovetail of the C-mount into the empty hole of the
trinocular port (Fig. 36), then tighten the clamping screw ①.
10.2 UseofReexcameras
1. Insert the Reex adapter ① into the relay tube ②.
2. Screw the “T2” ring ③ (not provided) to the reex adapter.
3. Connect the Reex camera ④ to the “T2” ring just installed.
(Fig. 37)
4. Mount the other end of the relay tube ② into the empty hole
of the trinocular port, then tighten the clamping screw. (Fig.
35)
• “T2” ring is not provided along with the microscope, but is
commercially available.
• While shooting dark specimens, darken eyepieces and view-
nder with a dark cloth to minimize the di󰀨used light.
• To calculate the magnication of the camera: objective mag-
nication * camera magnication * lens magnication.
• When using an SLR camera, mirror movement may
cause the camera to vibrate.
• Wesuggestliftingthemirror,usinglongexposuretimes
and a remote cord.