Natural Science Forum / Physics / Optics / July 2008

I've had several M20s in various levels of condition. Like other top
quality scopes, they can usually be restored to very nice operation.
Many parts are still available as well, except original lamp holders
are often missing from the ones I see on eBay (Zeiss Standard holders
can be substituted). Things to watch for: a plastic gear for the
mechanical stage K (the most common type) is often broken and not an
easy fix. Also look for wide view eyepieces, which are much nicer to
use than the more common originals. Many M20s appear to have had long
use in biological labs without much maintenance, so a private sale
bargain might need a lot of cleaning and other servicing. Buy it from
a dealer to avoid those problems. Greg M.