Olympus BX-RLA2 Brightfield Darkfield Reflected Light Illuminator

The Olympus BX-RLA2 is a reflected light illuminator for the Olympus BX2 series of upright microscopes, designed for incident light observation of opaque specimens. In reflected light (epi-illumination) mode, the illumination lamp light is vertically guided through the objective and directed onto the specimen surface; the light reflected from the specimen is then collected back through the same objective and routed to the eyepieces or camera for observation. This configuration is fundamentally different from transmitted light microscopy and is the standard approach for examining opaque materials that cannot be illuminated from below. The BX-RLA2 supports both brightfield and darkfield reflected light modes: brightfield collects the directly reflected beam for standard surface observation, while darkfield blocks the direct beam and collects only obliquely scattered light, revealing surface defects, grain boundaries, and fine topographic features with high contrast against a dark background. Built to Olympus factory specifications (catalog number 5-UR720), the BX-RLA2 ensures precise optical alignment and consistent illumination performance across both modes.