BH2 Series

The success of the BH series led to the development and launch of the BH2 in the 1980s. The company developed the BH2 series ahead of the AH2 series, building a microscope that approached the optical performance of overseas products and providing even greater freedom in modular combinations.
The objective lens is the heart of a microscope. Before the BH2 series, microscopes tended to have short barrels with a focal length of 36.65 mm and a mechanical tube length of 160 mm. Olympus then developed a long barrel (LB) objective lens series (1x–100x oil) with a focal length of 45 mm and a mechanical tube length of 160 mm that could be used for everything from regular brightfield observations to polarization, fluorescence, and phase contrast microscopy. As a result, the BH2 series captured the highest share of the global market. This helped put the company's main microscopy revenue stream on more solid ground.
In 1981, Olympus developed the IC series, featuring a long barrel objective lens for industrial applications and the UMA univsersal vertical illuminator for additional industrial applications. The company then developed improved models for the BX and CX series, utilizing a UIS objective lens.