Any condensation issues for longterm pco.edge 4.2 or pco.edge 5.5 users?

[John Cooper]

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Hi Everyone,

Like a lot of people here, our Zyla 5.5 has been developing condensation covering the sensor every ~18 months as the seal breaks. We don't want to keep sending it back for repairs so we're considering buying a different sCMOS. Nikon recommended the pco.edge sCMOS cameras to us and it looks like the 5.5 should perform similarly to the Zyla 5.5 (according to Gerhard Holst they have the exact same sensor part https://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=CONFOCALMICROSCOPY;bdc3a383.1803).

My question is, has anyone who has used a pco.edge 4.2 or 5.5 for > 2-3 years had issues with condensation/seal breaking or otherwise?

PS I've also seen this thread,https://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=CONFOCALMICROSCOPY;3abdfb7b.2001, where Roy Bainer describes regenerating the desiccant in the Zyla 5.5 to fix the condensation issue. If anyone else has successfully done this fix, I'd like to hear your input.

Thanks!

John

[DENNIS Andrew]

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Hi John,

Firstly I'd like to apologise for the issues you have had with your Zyla camera. Whilst the o ring based seal in the Zyla is not as robust as the metal-to-metal seal of our vacuum based cameras, we do not expect to see repeated failures as you have outlined in your email, the vast majority of Zyla cameras we make do not suffer from this issue.  The frequency of failures you have observed is wholly unacceptable.

I'll contact you directly to discuss repairing your camera.

Our service department are contacting other confocal list serv users who have previously commented and I would ask that if anyone else is suffering with these issues can they please contact me directly at [hidden email].

Andrew

Andrew Dennis
Director of Product Management
Andor Technology
[hidden email]

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List <[hidden email]> On Behalf Of John Cooper
Sent: 18 February 2020 18:08
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Any condensation issues for longterm pco.edge 4.2 or pco.edge 5.5 users?


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Hi Everyone,

Like a lot of people here, our Zyla 5.5 has been developing condensation covering the sensor every ~18 months as the seal breaks. We don't want to keep sending it back for repairs so we're considering buying a different sCMOS. Nikon recommended the pco.edge sCMOS cameras to us and it looks like the 5.5 should perform similarly to the Zyla 5.5 (according to Gerhard Holst they have the exact same sensor part https://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=CONFOCALMICROSCOPY;bdc3a383.1803).

My question is, has anyone who has used a pco.edge 4.2 or 5.5 for > 2-3 years had issues with condensation/seal breaking or otherwise?

PS I've also seen this thread,https://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=CONFOCALMICROSCOPY;3abdfb7b.2001, where Roy Bainer describes regenerating the desiccant in the Zyla 5.5 to fix the condensation issue. If anyone else has successfully done this fix, I'd like to hear your input.

Thanks!

John
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[Rumelo Amor]

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Hi John,

We have both the pco.edge 4.2 (from 2016; on a custom-built scanned light-sheet setup) and the Andor Zyla 4.2 sCMOS (from 2015; on an Andor Diskovery spinning disk confocal). As discussed in the thread with Roy Bainer's solution with the dessicant bags, our Zyla 4.2 developed condensation issues from late 2018. We have had no condensation issues on the pco.edge 4.2 so far.

Best wishes,

Rumelo