Thank you for sharing valuable information 🙂🙏. I am still learning stone Setting and engraving, but decided to buy good quality microscope in the beginning because making jewelry is now my full-time job. I bought Meiji EMZ- 5 with Meiji articulating arm stand. Not cheap but it is good quality🙂. For future videos, microscope setting would be very useful 🙏.
Thanks for the video! Have you ever tried the Optika SZO? I’d like to buy my first microscope for setting but I’m not able to decide between Leica a60 and Optika SZO, the Optika seems to have more zoom and is also a lot cheaper than the Leica a60
Thanks for an excellent video, I wanted to ask you about this microscope, it has a fairly wide magnitude and reduces the field of view. How do you increase it, what type of objective lens do you use?
Very nice video,you covered everything!! Wish i had seen this video when i was looking for a scope. I own a meiji emz-5 ,10x eyepieces and 0.5 auxiliary lens. I have it mounted at a chinese acrobat stand wich is screwed at the center of my bench. I am mostly making jewellery and stone setting almost every day. Its convenient because when i don't need it i just flip it on the side,but it s very stable and rigid,even as it is a knockoff. I am in the process of looking how to record my work,i have tried my phone,not happy. I was suggested a hd camcorder with macro lens,quite affordable and seen some footage,very decent i must say. I think you are right about the customers approach, people want to see an overall image of the process. Keep up great work!!
Hey, long time microscope user here.. Get one ASAP it will change everything completely. You'll need to adjust your muscle memory with that scale of magnification. It's a game changer.
Hi. Your work is brilliant. I follow you on Instagram and wished to see you on RU-vid. Great work, very professional. Thanks for sharing knowledge with us. Greetings from Mexico.
thanks so much for the info and time. I am trying to pull the trigger on A60; upgrade from chinese. As someone who is a beginner who has never generated income from my jewelry; it’s scary! This video is great for helping me be informed
I've been a jeweler for 29 years and the microscope is new to me , your doing an absolute great insructual video.👍 Off the subject, would love to see some of your work.
Thanks for the video, very informative. Do you have any knowledge about Leica investa 3? Just bought the head online and still not sure if I need to get a focus rack for it or does it have one in the box. Also can’t make my mind up if I need the versa stand for it or should I do something similar to my another old Nikon that I hung on a Humanscale monitor stand with a little bit of welding involved.
the more i can learn from someone such as yourself, then the more i will learn! I'm glad you didn't leave a single thing out! Love the content man! @@setting-the-standard
Hi I use a Zeiss for setting. Brilliant piece of equipment. The main reason I didn’t go with a Leica was that they were not competitive on their pricing in Australia and things haven’t changed when l was looking for a second machine.
I just picked me up one for $252 with multi-direction arm 0.5 barlow with tax. I can't afford even AMScope let alone Leica. I cant afford 2k, 1k or 500. I got Vector microscope from their actual website because Amazon charge $400 with tax. I have to get a $30 ring light from Amazon. All total microscope with boom and light is $282. I know its not the best but I am broke. Best value ever for beginners.
I have a short question. Just bought my Leica Ivesta 3 and have been looking for 0,63x objective lenses to increase a bit depth of field that would fit. do you know if those from the Leica A60 will suffice? Thanks and best regards! 😊 great video by the way!
Hi I'm Tanmoy Chowdhury professional all types diamond setter and all types jewelry work. I need a job in USA. You can help me. Now I'm working in Egypt. Please help
You have no idea how happy I am to have come across your page. I'm a tattoo artist and airbrush artist of 25 years. After covid happen I just could not get back into working in a shop. I always wanted to get into making jewelry and just started buys the tools and got on it. I want to do stone setting and engraving for the most part. Your video said you teach. What would you say is a good start. I have just been watching videos and going that road. I come use some good help. Do you do private classroom teaching or online? thanks for your time, Jeff
Recently invest in a S9D a few months ago, and just wow ! Going from a SZM-4 to this S9D, the color, the contrast, it so much easier for my eyes to see my piece. I feel like i "use less of my brain" to comprehend what i see. I also got the polarization kit which help a lot to not get blinded by the pre-polished pieces. Thanks for the video, helped a lot to put my mind into buying it, and i don't regret one bit ! Ps : I've got a acrobat versa for the mount, a bit heavy and big, but do the job
I’m actually the one or two people that doesnt have stereoscopic vision, so i cant use the leica. Im glad you explained this! I looked through one at my stone setters and could not figure out why i couldnt see through it! I have a history of major eye problems since birth, so, thank you! I’ll checkout some of the others youve mentioned. I was about to pull the trigger and just figure it out later but now I know it’s physically impossible for my blind self to get along with an a60
@@setting-the-standard sure thing. so in my case, I was born with a fun disease called nystagmus. Its an involuntary movement of the eyes. That exists 24/7. Anyways, on top of that, my eyes werent aligned at birth (strabismus). Unfortunately, there's no real way to tell on a newborn. It can be fixed, but it has to be caught in the first 6 months of life. Past the first few months, your brain just develops without stereoscopic vision. Now I've had surgery multiple times to dampen the nystagmus and re-align the eyes, but, true stereo vision will never be accomplished. I did get an AmScope. I bought the wrong one, I was shooting for a trifocal one, but, saw one of the kits that had a barlow lens, stand, and light, and purchased that instead. Didn't realize it until I got it and set it up. Thought about returning it but did kind of mess up the packaging. However, I didnt get a camera and dont need one quite yet. I do use the thing almost daily now, albeit mostly just with my left eye. So far its been alot of fun and opened up a world for me, as I've had to give up soldering over the years due to all the eye problems mentioned above.So, despite being the wrong one, totally worth it.
Hi there, can you pls tell me why you are using such a canted angle for you microscope? Is it because you can stretch you arms more due too the longer distance when you cant it forwards or does it allow you more clearance to work with your ballvise. My setup is almost vertical and I have a 0.63 lens, I’m sometimes struggling using my handpiece without hitting the ring light, do you hold your handpiece in front, sideways, or behind the scope? Thanks!
I use my handpick laid down a bit to the side of the microscope, and never hit the light, and that's without an objective lens. I show this in a a recent reel on my Instagram @barnard_fine_Setting I like to have the scope leaned forward like that as I feel it gives me a better posture when placed this way. Thanks for following!
Really informative video! I used to have a flex arm stand from Amscope mounted on my jewelers bench while I was living abroad. Quality of the stand was fine, but what I didn't like about it was the height I used it at, it was too easy to accidentally push it forward and the part of the arm the microscope attached to was too low and would knock things off the top of my bench. I was happy to sell that one when I moved. I have used an Acrobat knockoff (from Gesswein, I think) at an old job and it was just awful. Impossible to get the tension right in it so it would move easily and stay where I put it. I'm currently using an A60 with Acrobat Versa and like them both a lot.
Thanks so much for the feedback Jon, Ive seen many people use those knockoff acrobats and assumed they must be alright, this makes a lot of sense! you won't go wrong with proper grs and the a60 that's for sure!
I noticed on your work bench that you dont use the normal Foredom Flex Shafts Rotary. Your using the other type rotary motor type handheld as that kind of tool. What I dont like with the foredom flex shaft is unless you have what your working at a certain way and you aren't having to hold up the weight of the heavy cord. what brand rotor motor do you use
Yeah micromotors are great for exactly this. Problem is you need to spend a fair bit to touch the torque of a flexshaft. I use the marathon handy eco 1000, it’s about the cheapest I’d recommend, everything else decent can be considerably more. It’s about 1000$
Tough one. 305 has more zoom, but the Leica is incredibly bright and larger depth of field. I’d probably go Leica. Better resale value too, everybody knows them
thank you man great video i got my Am scope a couple of years ago and use it all the time and cant faut it for a my first microscope but i have not used any other and would quite like to upgrade in the future thank you for the information
Hello Thanks for the video I would like to ask you about the camera field view Does the camera shows the same size field of view what you can see through the microscope or showing smaller field of view on the monitor Thanks
Hi there, my camera shows the full field of view of my microscope. But this depends on your specific camera, and adapter size. I have a camcorder which has optical zoom so it can adjust to the adapter size. The common issue people have with microscope camera field of view, Is when using a C mount camera without zoom, and their adapter isn't sized correctly to the sensor size of the camera. If you are struggling with this you need to change the magnification of the adapter between scope and camera
what online classes do you have for starting with engraving and setting? I have been doing what i can from videos but need to step it up and I love your videos and the way you come across
Thank you so much! Currently I have two setting courses available. Castle Pro and Fishtail Pro. Castle would be the more beginner option, though both are somewhat advanced techniques requiring a good setup of tools, but if you’ve got a scope and an engraving machine it could be perfect for uou
A60 you need to mount somewhere on side or back, ram mounts has good options. M60 you can get the camera tube adapter and have trinocular but may be easier to just go with the side mount as well, then get a camcorder and close focus lenses
Thanks for the response! I will check Ram mounts out. Do you have any experience with the Leica IC80 or Flexacam cameras? They're pricey but I would like something that displays on a monitor exactly what I am seeing under the microscope.@@setting-the-standard
Based off my limited usage of the 508 I found it to be darker at higher zoom levels. Im told also by someone who has compared side by side that the S9 also has larger depth of field. That said, the Stem 508 is of course still an amazing scope, I just personally prefer the Leica
@@setting-the-standard Thanks for the detailed answer. I like the content you post. I'm looking to buy a new microscope (to help maintain my vision at my age), and I think you convinced me to buy a Leica. I also heard that Leica has better focal depth, like the previous A60 model. This will help me not to strain my eyes so much. And don’t twist it higher or lower every time. I'm sure you know what I mean. When it comes to health, price is no longer so important. I hope it's worth it. Thanks again for your answer. And I wish you good luck!
Hello Ian ! I am watching your educational videos for long time and keep watching it as much I can & following you on Instagram . I respect Artists and Colleagues . I can say one thing that you are doing Awesome Art Work & sharing with all of us ,Thank you for that & Appreciate very Much)). As I watched your videos for some time for Leica series microscopes I really liked it & since I want to buy one I ve decide to ask you as a Pro of Leica user ,can you recommend which Leica to buy for Stone setting and engraving? Ive study stone setting but the Microscope at the school was ok but not perfect & since my eyes are not very well right now as they used to be I need a Nice decent Microscope so I can see the whole picture in details and nothing Blurry around it. I like when I am moving the Vise side to side I dont have to adjust the Lens each time . I ve seen your work on RU-vid how you set stones with Leica and I Love it. Please if you can advice / recommend which Leica is Good & worth to buy for be able to use at least another 5-7 years or maybe more . I am tight with budget but for good machine which is the most important part of my work I can get a credit & afford it. Please which of this Leica is Higher Better Model --S9I , S9D & what Parameters of Lens should I buy ,For Lens and the Eyepiece magnification for good distance . 0,50 & for eye lens 10 by 23 or 20 by 12 ? or .. also a Camera you recommend for goes on top of the Leica. Ive seen on Engravers .com with Tira Mitchell all info . Please Ian Let me know your honest advise and Help will be very Appreciated , Thanks again for your time reading my long message )).Hooraaayy! Appreciate and God Bless!
Thanks so much mate, did you have a chance to watch this video more closely? Im pretty sure all questions are answered here, A60 is a great buy, S series is even better and the D and I have camera options, I is an integrated camera, dont bother, D allows adding a camera, I need to make another video about that, but engraver.com camera is good. If you dont need a camera grab the a60 if you do, go D and probably just go with that engraver camera if you an afford its a bit more expensive than some options but you'll save money in hassle, and probably run into issues trying other routes. Let me know iff you have any other questions mate!