Olympus SZ-CHI SZ Coaxial Illuminator with 1/4 wave plate

The Olympus SZ-CHI is a coaxial illuminator with an integrated λ/4 (quarter wave) plate for the Olympus SZ40, SZ60, and SZ1145 stereo zoom microscopes. It attaches to the back of the stereo microscope zoom body, delivering coaxial (vertical) illumination — light travels along the optical axis of the microscope, striking the specimen from directly above and reflecting straight back into the objective. This produces even, shadow-free illumination that is ideal for flat, polished, and reflective specimens where oblique or ring light illumination would create uneven shadows or hot spots. The integrated λ/4 wave plate is a standard feature of coaxial illuminators — it converts the linearly polarized light from the illuminator into circularly polarized light before it reaches the specimen, and converts the reflected light back to linear polarization before it reaches the observer. This eliminates the specular glare and bright reflections that would otherwise obscure surface detail on polished metals, semiconductors, PCBs, and other reflective specimens, revealing surface topography and features with high contrast and clarity. New condition at a significant discount from the list price.