Objective changer options for Zaber Nucleus microscopes
By Mike Fussell, Life Sciences Product Manager
Published on Dec. 19, 2025
Objectives are retained in the microscope with a precision magnetic alignment system. If you don't need an objective turret for your application, objectives can be switched manually using the included AM17xM quick-change objective adaptors.
Figure 1. Installing an objective onto a magnetic mount
Many Mitutoyo and Edmund Optics industrial objectives are very large and will only fit on the upright microscope configuration. If you are interested in using these objectives with an inverted microscope system, please contact our Applications Engineering team to confirm their compatibility.
| Optical System | Objective Mounting Rings |
|---|---|
| Zeiss | AM171M |
| Nikon | AM172M |
| Olympus | AM173M |
| Mitutoyo | AM174M |
| Edmund Optics / C-Mount |
AM175M |
Table 1. Summary of magnetic mounting rings required for different optical systems
X-MOR4
The X-MOR4 is a four-position objective turret for Zaber Nucleus microscopes. To perform an objective change operation, the X-MOR4 turret works together with the X-LDA focus stage on the MKR microscope core. By storing the unused objectives on the turret, the focus drive only needs to support the selected objective. This maximizes the focus speed and settling time to maximize throughput.
The requirement for coordinated motion between the objective turret and the focus stage means the X-MOR is only compatible with Zaber MKR microscope cores. Stand-alone X-MOR configurations are not possible. Objectives are aligned to the optical path by a set of precisely aligned hard-stops on the focus stage to ensure extremely high repeatability of objective centering. The handoff of objectives between the turret and the focus stage is two steps. This prevents wear on the alignment features, ensuring objective alignment is maintained after hundreds of thousands of cycles.
Figure 2. X-MOR4 objective turret and controller. These parts must be mounted on a Zaber MKR to complete the objective change operation