The mirror coatings in the OptoSplit II are optimized to transmit visible light and in 'bypass' mode (following removal of the dichroic cube), transmission efficiency remains as high as 96% - an impressive figure! In addition, we would also recommend high quality ET filter sets to maximize the level of light transmitted.

For the very best results we would recommend using a 1X microscope C Mount (with no optics) and introducing the magnification in the splitter itself.  We do however have many customers who get excellent results from magnifying and demagnifying C Mounts and also using standard C Mount camera lenses.

If the two channels of your OptoSplit are not parallel then it may be the case that you are adjusting the two channels using the wrong controls. When the 2 channels are superimposed you should only need to make adjustments using the split control and aperture controls. If you are using the V1 and V2 controls to split the image along the vertical axis it can result in the channels becoming misaligned. If this occurs you should refer to the manual to realign the OptoSplit.

This is a routine application for the Optosplit as the product has had provision for corrector lenses in one or other pathway since its inception.  This facility was originally provided for correction of any chromatic aberration in the preceding optics but rapidly found a further application for deliberately defocusing one or other imaging pathway in order to allow different depths to be in focus at the same time!  Obviously for z plane splitting a beam splitter is used rather than a dichroic. 

High-magnification systems, such as microscopes, can introduce chromatic aberration, which means that images separated on the basis of wavelength may not simultaneously be in focus.   To correct for these aberrations we have a selection of lenses that can be 'dropped' into either (or both) pathways to ensure that both channels are in focus on the camera chip.  We have also made provision for focus trim adjustments in the individual optical pathways.

Electron Multiplied (EM) cameras are valuable for low light applications, especially where signals are changing rapidly.  For example if a scientific cooled digital camera can deliver acceptable signal-to-noise images at 10 frames per second then an EM camera might be able to push this frame rate up to 100 frames per second.