Olympus History

AH Series (1972)

The Vanox AH universal microscope was released in 1972 as the successor to the Photomax (LB) Premier Universal Microscope launched in 1966.
The AH was one of the first microscopes to use this platform design and was positioned as the company's flagship microscope. Olympus then developed the BH and CH Series. The AH Series initially used the Plan Series of objective lenses, but the company then launched the PlanApo Series and the LB Series of lenses.

BH Series (1974)

With the BH Modular Series, launched in 1974, the microscopes could be transformed to meet various specifications, including polarization, phase contrast, differential interference, and simple transmission fluorescence microscopy. The previous E and F Series of microscope bodies and the POS and POM models were specialized devices with more restricted uses or specifications. The BH Series, however, could be used for a wide variety of observations simply by switching the microscope head or lens modules. The BH Series was also the first Olympus product to feature a coaxial handle attachable to the left of the plane stage, which allowed the stage to be easily moved on a vertical or horizontal axis.
Olympus launched the BHA and BHB models for research and test purposes, whereas the BHC model was meant for test and practical study. The BH Series was subsequently developed further into the BH2 and the BX.

CH Series (1976)

In 1976, Olympus launched the CH Series, a modular biological microscope for practical laboratory teaching applications, in place of the KHS, KHC, HSB, and HSC.
The CH Series could meet diverse needs because of its excellent performance and modular design. The Series comprised three models: the CHA (6V 10W halogen light source), CHB (20W tungsten light source), and CHC (the mirror CH-MM or the CH-LSK 20W with a simple illumination device). The Series was painted in a warm gray color.
By switching modules, the microscope could be used for simple polarization, drawing, or incident light (metallurgical) microscopy. The CH Series used the same modules as the BH Series.
The CH Series was marketed for 10 years, until the release of the CH2 Series.

BH2 Series (1980)

The BH2, from the high sales volume BH series, debuted in 1980s. The company developed the BH2 Series ahead of the AH2 Series, building a microscope that approached the optical performance of overseas products and provided even greater freedom in modular combinations.
The objective lens can be described as the heart of a microscope. Until the BH2 Series debut, microscopes tended to have short barrels, with a focal length of 36.65mm and a mechanical tube length of 160mm. Olympus then developed a long barrel (LB) objective lens series (1x–100x oil) with a focal length of 45mm and a mechanical tube length of 160mm that could be used for everything from regular bright field observations to polarization, fluorescence, and phase contrast microscopy. As a result, the BH2 Series captured the highest share of the global market. The company's main microscopy revenue stream was therefore on more solid ground.
In 1981, Olympus developed the IC Series featuring an LB objective lens for industrial applications and the universal vertical illuminator UMA for additional industrial applications. The company then developed further improved models for the BX and CX Series, utilizing a UIS objective lens.

AH2 Series (1983)

The New Vanox AH2 the successor to the Vanox AH universal microscope, was finally released in 1983 after much hard work. The AH2 Series was born in pursuit of the pinnacle of microscopy. The AHBS in particular incorporated groundbreaking mechanisms and functionality.
The Series included the world's first microscope autofocus mechanism. This technology was subsequently applied to the autofocus function for single-reflex cameras. The Olympus autofocus technology is rooted in this microscopy development.
The AH2 Series used a motorized device to automatically set (in an interconnected fashion) the field stop, aperture stop, and condenser selection, in line with the objective lens specifications (magnification and brightness). Switching between the observation and photography optical path could also be automated. The extensive use of cutting-edge electronics meant Olympus had developed an easy–to-operate microscope, which allowed users to concentrate solely on the observations.