Search found 211 matches

by Sauerkraut
Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:00 pm
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Fluor vs Plan Fluor?
Replies: 6
Views: 5036

Re: Fluor vs Plan Fluor?

Wow, this is a lot of great information from everyone. Many thanks. It's going to take me a bit to re-read and digest, but sounds like either one would ultimately be fine. I just hadn't seen an objective with the plan designation along with the fluor. As for the correction collar - I have a few obje...
by Sauerkraut
Wed Mar 18, 2020 5:13 pm
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Fluor vs Plan Fluor?
Replies: 6
Views: 5036

Fluor vs Plan Fluor?

I'm curious what the difference is between these 2 objectives as far as optics quality for my Optiphot: Fluor 40x ph3 DL: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-Fluor-40x-NA-0-85-Ph3DL-Objective-Lens-w-Correction-Collar/153573900238?hash=item23c1b7bfce:g:3BEAAOSwRwddM0ik and Plan Fluor 40 ph3 DLL: https://w...
by Sauerkraut
Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:31 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: Protist behavioral complexity
Replies: 8
Views: 6631

Re: Protist behavioral complexity

This isn't 'decision making' a la a neural network, like that of multicelled creatures, but certainly could seem like one to an observer... I don't believe anyone is suggesting that Stentor and other protists are using a neural network to make cognitive decisions. But to me the findings are interes...
by Sauerkraut
Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:24 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Ascorbic acid
Replies: 2
Views: 2405

Re: Ascorbic acid

I like the contrast of the B&W wrinkles versus the smoother peacock dots of color. Very pretty.
by Sauerkraut
Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:21 pm
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: deep well microscope slides
Replies: 6
Views: 3183

Re: deep well microscope slides

As you note, deep well slides are beneficial for not restricting and squishing larger organisms, which is why I usually use them. But I believe using deep well slides often lowers overall resolution for photos and video. I've made a fool of myself quite uniformly throughout life, so I must be pretty...
by Sauerkraut
Mon Dec 09, 2019 7:06 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: Protist behavioral complexity
Replies: 8
Views: 6631

Re: Protist behavioral complexity

I posted this from my phone yesterday, not noticing the link to the book Behavior of the Lower Organisms. That's a very interesting book - worth a read for understanding protist behaviors. From my observational experience, the protists move with a certain intelligence as opposed to random oblivion. ...
by Sauerkraut
Mon Dec 09, 2019 2:22 am
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: Protist behavioral complexity
Replies: 8
Views: 6631

Protist behavioral complexity

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sin ... mplex-ways

Protists might actually be smarter than some humans in my jaded estimation.
by Sauerkraut
Sun Nov 24, 2019 7:47 pm
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: Nikon Optiphot replacement bulb
Replies: 9
Views: 5002

Re: Nikon Optiphot replacement bulb

abednego1995 wrote:
Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:58 am
You’ll need a vertical facing filament to fill the aperture at high numerical apertures.
That's good to know. Thank you. My current Optiphot has a horizontal filament so it will be interesting to compare the two bulb varieties under various conditions.
by Sauerkraut
Sat Nov 23, 2019 4:44 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: Snowflakes
Replies: 1
Views: 3041

Re: Snowflakes

Thanks for posting this, MichaelG. Scientific and poetic wisdom from a time when 'snowflake' was not a derogatory term.
by Sauerkraut
Sat Nov 23, 2019 4:24 pm
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: Nikon Optiphot replacement bulb
Replies: 9
Views: 5002

Re: Nikon Optiphot replacement bulb

75RR wrote:
Sat Nov 23, 2019 7:01 am
A search in bulbworks using catalog number 76516 gives these results:

Only the first of which has the vertical side facing filament
Thank you, 75RR. That's an interesting observation about the vertical filament. I'll have to investigate the merits of the vertical vs horizontal filaments.
by Sauerkraut
Fri Nov 22, 2019 5:08 pm
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: Nikon Optiphot replacement bulb
Replies: 9
Views: 5002

Nikon Optiphot replacement bulb

I'm looking for a 12v 50w halogen bulb for my second Optiphot lamp house, since I seem to have a problem saying 'no' to more microscopes. The ones on eBay are a bit pricey (~ $26.00) and don't disclose the pin base specs: https://www.ebay.com/itm/REPLACEMENT-BULB-FOR-NIKON-OPTIPHOT-HALOGEN-50W-12V/1...
by Sauerkraut
Tue Nov 19, 2019 7:00 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Navicula lyra
Replies: 15
Views: 7286

Re: Navicula lyra

That is beautiful, 75RR.
by Sauerkraut
Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:21 pm
Forum: Illumination Techniques
Topic: Plan apo and dark field
Replies: 4
Views: 4277

Re: Plan apo and dark field

Thanks, all. I'll try a larger stop, probably in a dedicated DF condenser.

Oil would be a good idea too, but due to the clean up required, I've shied away from using it much.
by Sauerkraut
Tue Nov 19, 2019 1:28 am
Forum: Illumination Techniques
Topic: Plan apo and dark field
Replies: 4
Views: 4277

Plan apo and dark field

My Optiphot has a phase contrast condenser with a dark field stop. The regular plan objectives give decent dark field through 20x with that single DF setting. Today I tried the setup with a 20x plan apo objective and discovered that it would not give DF. Instead it gave oblique illumination that loo...
by Sauerkraut
Mon Nov 18, 2019 9:45 pm
Forum: Specimens, samples and slides
Topic: Disturbing occurrences lately
Replies: 9
Views: 8447

Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

This will be my first winter observing microbes in the pond, so it will be interesting to see how the organisms adapt to the cold. Today was supposed to be my day to play with the microscope, but instead someone decided to dump two kittens in front of my house. They promptly lodged themselves inside...
by Sauerkraut
Thu Nov 07, 2019 8:44 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Micro hedgehog
Replies: 15
Views: 7310

Re: Micro hedgehog

Thanks, Bob. Definitely worth a try.
by Sauerkraut
Thu Nov 07, 2019 5:54 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Micro hedgehog
Replies: 15
Views: 7310

Re: Micro hedgehog

Yesterday we let him run around a bit and he tried to bite my wife, opening his jaws as wide as he could! :lol: Apart from the biting he is quite relaxed and doesn't seem to be too stressed by his imprisonment. This thread gave me a good laugh. Overall, the hedgehog still seems like a better guest ...
by Sauerkraut
Fri Nov 01, 2019 3:58 pm
Forum: Specimens, samples and slides
Topic: Disturbing occurrences lately
Replies: 9
Views: 8447

Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

I'm going to try and let a greater amount of sample water warm up in the hopes that this will be a gradual warm up as opposed to a drop on a slide. I've noticed something similar lately and am interested in your findings on this warming method. It also seems like there's less protist diversity in p...
by Sauerkraut
Tue Oct 08, 2019 5:42 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Three Ciliates
Replies: 12
Views: 5803

Re: Three Ciliates

Excellent.
by Sauerkraut
Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:13 pm
Forum: Specimens, samples and slides
Topic: Tried glycerin to slow down fast movers
Replies: 36
Views: 25895

Re: Tried glycerin to slow down fast movers

Here’s a YouTube link that compares methylcellulose to physillium seed husk. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vowfgDu8Fz4 Think I’ll give the seed husks a try and see how that goes. Heather Heather-- I just came across this thread. Just in case anyone might still be reading it..... Did you ever try ou...
by Sauerkraut
Wed Oct 02, 2019 3:07 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Festuca Grass Hand Sections
Replies: 24
Views: 11419

Re: Festuca Grass Hand Sections

Your work is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing them as well as the stain solutions.

I could easily see such images in textbooks and wall posters.
by Sauerkraut
Mon Sep 30, 2019 6:09 pm
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: cheap microscope for identifying soil life?
Replies: 5
Views: 5021

Re: cheap microscope for identifying soil life?

...However, there are a great number of soil organisms that are much larger; fungi, arachnids, insects, nematodes,arthropods , amongst others and they all play a role, along with the smaller inhabitants. You can get a stereo microscope for under 100.00 with free shipping to Australia. That will get...
by Sauerkraut
Mon Sep 30, 2019 4:01 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Colurella sp
Replies: 14
Views: 5997

Re: Colurella sp

That's a really nice side view of Colurella. Excellent detail.

I bet you could get nice and differing images from that one waterhole location indefinitely.
by Sauerkraut
Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:54 pm
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective
Replies: 11
Views: 6980

Re: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective

I have a 40x plan objective so don't use the e-plan for BF. But I'll do a comparison of the two objectives in BF anyway. The PC itself seems decent. The specimen, underwhelming. It may be my stubbornness in using deep well slides to keep from crushing the 'elders.' I started a batch of yeast so I c...
by Sauerkraut
Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:49 pm
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective
Replies: 11
Views: 6980

Re: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective

Heather, a few thoughts: 1) Can I assume your phase telescope shows that the phase rings are perfectly aligned? Everything clean? Specimens under a cover slip? The E plan Nikon 40x should give a decent image. I've also had a bad example, used, with no obvious external damage. 2) On the condenser ir...
by Sauerkraut
Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:42 pm
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective
Replies: 11
Views: 6980

Re: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective

At first, I thought that I would be quite content with the E plans, and got myself a set of 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x E plan. But I never liked them, and I found the 40x E plan to be especially poor. Especially in terms of lateral chromatic aberration, but I also found the resolution to be underwhelmin...
by Sauerkraut
Thu Sep 26, 2019 8:14 pm
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective
Replies: 11
Views: 6980

Re: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective

I have a 40x plan objective so don't use the e-plan for BF. But I'll do a comparison of the two objectives in BF anyway. The PC itself seems decent. The specimen, underwhelming. It may be my stubbornness in using deep well slides to keep from crushing the 'elders.' I started a batch of yeast so I ca...
by Sauerkraut
Thu Sep 26, 2019 6:54 pm
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective
Replies: 11
Views: 6980

Re: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective

Thank you Apochronaut, especially for clarification of the DL designation. I'll try to take a closer look and post images in the next few days, time permitting. One thing I'm not clear on is whether the condenser diaphragm should be mostly open for extra light or mostly closed for extra contrast. I'...
by Sauerkraut
Thu Sep 26, 2019 4:09 pm
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective
Replies: 11
Views: 6980

Upgrading a Nikon E Plan PH3 Objective

The Optiphot has a Nikon E Plan 40/0.65 160/0.17 PH3 DL objective. It doesn't produce the best image and I'm interested in upgrading. This is the safest choice, as it would directly match the other 20x PH2 and 40x objectives on the scope (not at that asking price though): https://www.ebay.com/itm/14...
by Sauerkraut
Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:10 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Flagellates and Ciliates
Replies: 18
Views: 7205

Re: Flagellates and Ciliates

Nice video and DIC.

Could that long, thin protist be Spirostomum?