MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Played around with my darkfield condenser and 50X oil objective and got the following image. The darkfield video doesn't add much, just more of the same. The second video shows similar euglenids, this time in DIC at 40X and 100X. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqqMn-RseC...

Thanks, that makes sense.

I captured this little guy zooming around my slide and finally decided to take an image and measure it. Turns out he comes in as a super lightweight at 5.6 um. None of my searches show any ciliate on the planet being smaller than 10 um. I agree the image is practically useless but is the best I've b...

I watched this specimen as long as my patience allowed and saw no movement other than the hint of moving cilia. I suppose a large squashed rotifer could look like that.
Or perhaps it’s just another unidentified microscopic object. I seem to have no trouble finding those.
Harry

I assume this is a ciliate of some sort but am at odds with getting any closer than that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O20RWamwnes

Oliver posted a live stream this weekend on finding pollen in honey. It seemed interesting and I duplicated what he did. Here are a few photos. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hFJinJhjU5cYpxRjKRBp4TId5OaKfGM5zWMW3GlQkW8k_0WlpDAwMVFIlolKoAkjOfGpr8A48NtTBrnIKSTn-Y608zgvQTK...

Thanks. Thoughtful thread, I learned a lot. Keep those questions coming, you make interesting queries.

Harry

Hey Don, although I live south of you I suspect we share a number of season related problems. :) I’ve had a fairly successful winter of viewing by increasing the number of specimen jars, feeding them different foods and adding different plant species. Although species numbers settled down I was usua...

Very nice video, the detail is outstanding. Far better than anything I’ve been able to do.

Harry

Quick question regarding diatoms to test resolution, are there species where the spacings are consistent enough across individuals that people are using them for resolution test without measuring? Or are people always measuring the spacing on their individual specimen before doing resolution tests?...

Wonderful! Those reticulopodia in the early frames look really long. Do they extend them, latch onto something and then pull themselves along?

Harry

Nice imaging! That little guy/gal is acting like a runway model, showing off his/her best sides. Sorry, no idea how they form.

Harry

Old and tired....me too! I spent a couple of days last week reading up on MTF and decided I'd rather be focusing my microscope on a water droplet. If anyone wants more info than he/she needs on MTF a book that covers the subject in terms of microscopy is "Better Microscopy, Vol III" by D.J. Jackson....

It would be useful to hear whether the following numbers sound reasonable based on practical experience of yourself or anyone else who wants to comment: 1.4 NA objective with 0.9 NA illumination gives 13% worse resolution. 1.4 NA objective with 0.1 NA illumination (about as small as most condenser ...

Thanks zzffnn, I’ll order some and give it a try.
The oil I have is Harleco Immersion Oil and it’s designated as “High Viscosity - 1250 centistokes so that may be the issue.

Harry

Thanks for the comments, bkt. I’ve got a flash adapter on the way to me that should help with many of my challenges.

Harry

I have a couple of Zeiss apl universal condensers, a .63 NA version and a 1.4 NA version. Unfortunately my high NA objectives are phase objectives, further muddying the waters. I tried a quick test yesterday and the results weren't noteworthy. I also have Kemp's 8 form test plate should I be able to...

I’m not sure what your point is since I agree with both. Nor do I want to get into arguments about the theory or mathematics behind microscopy optics, you clearly know more about both than I do. I’m merely exploring whether there is a practical way to determine the effect of using a low NA dry conde...

Despite my failure to do so after a quick look it seems to me a clever group could design an experiment to solve or at least better understand our dilemma. I think the math for condenser NA and separately, objective NA is well estabished and understood. Where all the ambiguity comes in is when the t...

Anyone have any idea what type of rotifer this is? I've gone through a couple of keys but I appear to be hopeless at this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reqZGqVobrg

On the subject of cilia, I was lucky enough to capture these cilia, top left of the ciliate, in their "return" phase. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcSpLdgUofb5woaytyPpRsFE-qNG8nOBYDoGUdJvisz7U0niqR11Dmyx8CkaEY9h_j-f8sEa6TrPknfuEnmlakoLBVmxt2AL9kCYn7SHKaFZRNjnfE_L65-pcX...

You're more than welcome. In my search for good photomicrography techniques I came across another webste: https://www.plingfactory.de/pling.html
I believe he and Kreutz collaborate on some things.

Harry

Thanks to everyone who contributed, it was a fun ride. Scarodactyl, you'll be pleased to know that I'm now following a few items on eBay, including a plan apo 20X.
I think I still want a 60X but it will be a dry, either plan apo or plan fluor, whichever falls off the truck first.

Harry

Sounds like we should be able to test this empirically by checking out the circle of light hitting the objective back with a phase telescope. Anybody have any idea how NA might relate to diameter or area of illumination?
Never mind, tried a couple of things but nothing definitive. Back to having fun.

Very nice, enjoy these little clips. No idea what that is beyond saying it’s some type of peritrich. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can offer more.
Keep them coming.
Harry

One of my jars has nothing but what I believe are ciliates from the Genus Stylonychia. Looking at a water drop from that jar also revealed a large number of what look like cysts, hence likely Stylonychia cysts. I stacked 7 images to get this one. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/...

I have a strong feeling that with a dry condenser one is never going to see the potential available in those 1.4 NA plan apo objectives. I’m going to engage in some day dreaming now. I’ve got a Zeiss apl 1.40 condenser sitting around doing nothing. What’s to stop me from slipping out of the lab and ...

The money might be better spent on something like a mirrorless camera that can capture every bit of resolution you already have, while eliminating vibration and the like. Pete, I've gone back to this comment, realizing I haven't a clue about how mirrorless cameras compare with the old Canon Live Vi...

I'd watch for a favorable auction, not a buy it now. I got mine for 450, this one is starting at 600 but it's also VC (a little better than apo) https://www.ebay.com/itm/315246893929 Thanks, great tip! Unfortunately many sellers, including this one, won’t ship to Canada. I’ll start watching the auc...