At Munday Scientific and Microscope Marketplace, we work with a lot of microscopes. One of our absolute favorites—and a staple in many labs—is the Olympus BX series. These scopes are extremely well-made, reliable, and built to last. But even the best instruments can act up occasionally. Luckily, most issues on a BX microscope can be solved quickly and easily.
In our latest YouTube video, Chad Potts walks you through four of the most common problems users run into with their Olympus BX—and more importantly, how to fix them.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we cover:
1. Dirty Objective Lens
If your image looks hazy, blurry, or like there's a fog over the field of view, the objective lens might just need a cleaning. It’s a simple fix but a common oversight. A tiny smudge or piece of dust can dramatically affect image clarity.
🛠 Fix: Use lens paper and a drop of optical cleaner to gently clean the front lens of the objective. Never use tissue, your shirt, or anything abrasive—scratches can ruin your optics!
2. Focus Stage Drifting Down
If your specimen keeps falling out of focus no matter how carefully you adjust, your coarse focus tension might be too loose. This often causes the focus stage to drift down slowly, especially when using heavier components like a camera or large objectives.
🛠 Fix: Adjust the coarse tension control ring, usually located on the focus knob shaft. Turn it clockwise to tighten and prevent drifting.
3. Incorrect Lock/Brake Setting
If you’re spinning the focus knobs but just can’t bring your sample into focus, there’s a good chance the focus lock or brake is set too high or too low. This is a surprisingly common call we get.
🛠 Fix: Locate the focus lock collar (just under the stage on most BX scopes | left side) and move it up or down to the right height for your sample. It's designed to stop you from racking too far and damaging slides—but if it’s in the wrong place, it’ll cause frustration instead of protection.
4. Stage Tension Control
A stage that feels too loose or too stiff can make fine positioning of your slide frustrating or even inaccurate. Luckily, Olympus BX microscopes have a stage tension control adjustment.
🛠 Fix: Separate the controls as shown in the video and it will expose the tension controls
🎥 Watch the Full Walkthrough
Want to see exactly how it’s done? Chad Potts breaks it all down step by step in our video:
👉 Watch here
💬 Still Having Trouble?
These are the most common culprits we see, but if you're still stumped, we’ve got tons of other helpful videos, tips, and tutorials. And if you need personal help, we’re always happy to troubleshoot.
📧 Email us anytime at info@mundaymicroscope.com — we’re here to help!
Munday Scientific and Microscope Marketplace is proud to support pathologists, researchers, educators, and labs across the country with expert service, quality refurbished scopes, and trusted advice. Thanks for letting us be part of your work!