VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC
SC 13G, 1998-02-13
MEASURING & CONTROLLING DEVICES, NEC
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                                (Amendment No. )


                             Veeco Instruments, Inc.
                                (Name of issuer)

                           Common Stock, $.01 par value per share
                         (Title of class of securities)

                                    922417100
                                 (CUSIP number)


The  remainder  of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any  subsequent  amendment  containing  information  which  would  alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
notes).

<PAGE>



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1      NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
         S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

         EQSF Advisers, Inc.
         (EIN 13-3354359)

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*           (a)  [   ]
                                                                     (b)  [ X ]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3      SEC USE ONLY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  4      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                     New York Corporation

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 5      SOLE VOTING POWER

                                                 464,200

          NUMBER OF
                               -------------------------------------------------
            SHARES               6      SHARED VOTING POWER
         BENEFICIALLY
           OWNED BY                                     None
                               -------------------------------------------------
             EACH                7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
          REPORTING
            PERSON                               464,200

                               -------------------------------------------------
             WITH               8       SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                                         None
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                  464,200

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES
         CERTAIN SHARES*                                             [    ]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
 
                  5.23%

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
 
                  IA

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!

<PAGE>



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1      NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
         S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

                  Martin J. Whitman


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*           (a)  [   ]
                                                                     (b)  [ X ]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3      SEC USE ONLY

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  4      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                  USA

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 5      SOLE VOTING POWER

          NUMBER OF                              None  (See Item 4)
                               -------------------------------------------------
                                 6      SHARED VOTING POWER
            SHARES
                                                 None
         BENEFICIALLY

           OWNED BY
                               -------------------------------------------------
             EACH                7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

          REPORTING                              None  (See Item 4)

                               -------------------------------------------------
         PERSON WITH            8       SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                                 None

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                  -0-    (See Item 4)

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES
         CERTAIN SHARES*                                             [  ]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

                  -0-

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                  IN

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!


<PAGE>



Item 1.
         (a)      Name of Issuer:
                  Veeco Instruments, Inc. (the "Issuer").

         (b)      Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
                  Terminal Drive, Plainview, NY 11803
Item 2.
         (a)      Name of Person Filing:
                  This schedule is being jointly  filed by EQSF  Advisers,  Inc.
("EQSF"),  and  Martin J.  Whitman,  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  of EQSF and
controlling   person  of  EQSF.  (EQSF  and  Martin  J.  Whitman  are  sometimes
collectively referred to hereinafter as "Filer").  Attached hereto as an exhibit
is a copy of the  joint  Schedule  13G  filing  agreement  among  the  reporting
persons.

         (b)      Address of Principal Business Office:
                  The address of the  principal executive office of EQSF and Mr.
Whitman is: 767 Third  Avenue,  New York,  New York
10017-2023.

         (c)      Citizenship:

                  The  citizenship  or  place  of  organization  of  each of the
reporting persons is as follows:

                  EQSF

                  New York State corporation.

                  Martin J. Whitman

                  United States citizen.

         (d)      Title of Class of Securities:

                  Common Stock, $.01 par value per share.

         (e)      CUSIP Number:

                  922417100

<PAGE>


Item 3. If this  statement  is  being  filed  pursuant  to  Rules  13d-1(b),  or
13d-2(b), check whether the person filing is a:

         (e)      Investment  Adviser   registered  under  section  203  of  the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (EQSF).

Item 4.  Ownership.
         (a)&(b)  EQSF beneficially owns  464,200 shares,  or 5.23% of the class
of securities of the issuer.

         (c)(i)   EQSF:  464,200

            (ii)  Not applicable.

            (iii) EQSF:  464,200

            (iv)  Not applicable.

         Mr. Whitman disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares.

Item 5.  Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.
                  Not applicable.


Item 6.  Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.
                  Third  Avenue Value Fund,  an  investment  company  registered
under the  Investment  Company Act of 1940,  has the right to receive  dividends
from, and the proceeds from the sale of, the shares reported by EQSF.

Item 7.  Identification  and  Classification  of the  Subsidiary Which  Acquired
the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company.
                  Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
                  Not applicable.

Item 9.  Notice of Dissolution of Group.
                  Not applicable.
<PAGE>

Item 10. Certification.
                  By signing  below I certify  that, to the best of my knowledge
and  belief,  the  securities  referred to above were  acquired in the  ordinary
course of business  and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the
effect of changing or influencing  the control of the issuer of such  securities
and were not acquired in connection  with or as a participant in any transaction
having such purposes or effect.


<PAGE>


                                    SIGNATURE

                  After  reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief,  I certify  that the  information  set forth in this  statement is true,
complete and correct.


                                                               February 12, 1998
                                                               (Date)




                                                    EQSF ADVISERS, INC.

                                                    By:/s/   MARTIN J. WHITMAN
                                                    Martin J. Whitman
                                                    Chairman, President and 
                                                    Chief Executive Officer






                                                    /s/MARTIN J. WHITMAN
                                                    Martin J. Whitman



                             JOINT FILING AGREEMENT


                  In  accordance  with  Rule  13d-1  (f)  under  the  Securities
Exchange  Act of 1934,  as amended,  the  undersigned  hereby agree to the joint
filing  with all  other  Reporting  Entities  (as such  term is  defined  in the
Schedule  13G)  on  behalf  of  each of them  of a  statement  on  Schedule  13G
(including  amendments thereto) with respect to the Common Stock, $.01 par value
per share, of Veeco Instruments, Inc., and that this Agreement be included as an
Exhibit to such joint  filing.  This  Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts  all of which  taken  together  shall  constitute  one and the same
instrument.


                  IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  undersigned  hereby  execute  this
Agreement this 12th day of February, 1998.



                                                    EQSF ADVISERS, INC.

                                                    By:/s/   MARTIN J. WHITMAN
                                                    Martin J. Whitman
                                                    Chairman, President and 
                                                    Chief Executive Officer




                                                    /s/MARTIN J. WHITMAN
                                                    Martin J. Whitman


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