Search found 372 matches

by Pat Thielen
Thu May 09, 2019 12:45 am
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: Inverted vs. Upright Microscopes
Replies: 26
Views: 12903

Re: Inverted vs. Upright Microscopes

Thanks for all the really great responses -- You've all been very helpful. The advantage the Swift FM-31 has is that it is incredibly small; it practically fits into a pocket. Actually, it would totally fit in a coat pocket. The obvious disadvantage is that the slides generally need to be upside dow...
by Pat Thielen
Sun May 05, 2019 3:26 am
Forum: Introduce yourself
Topic: New to this forum, from Fort Worth Texas
Replies: 4
Views: 7572

Re: New to this forum, from Fort Worth Texas

Welcome to the forums!
by Pat Thielen
Sun May 05, 2019 3:03 am
Forum: Introduce yourself
Topic: Hi, new to forum
Replies: 2
Views: 3604

Re: Hi, new to forum

Welcome to the forum!
by Pat Thielen
Sun May 05, 2019 3:03 am
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: Inverted vs. Upright Microscopes
Replies: 26
Views: 12903

Inverted vs. Upright Microscopes

Hey all, I'm curious as to what the advantages are to using an inverted microscope, if any, in place of an upright microscope. I actually acquired my very first inverted microscope; a Swift FM-31 field microscope, but I'm afraid it is of rather limited use in the field because you have to view the s...
by Pat Thielen
Mon Apr 29, 2019 7:58 pm
Forum: Collecting microscopes and slides
Topic: Swift FM-31 field microscope
Replies: 45
Views: 40548

Re: Swift FM-31 field microscope

This is really interesting -- I *just* got one of these Swift Field microscopes myself. Today, in fact. I was wondering about the 40x objective after crashing it into the slide (no-one was hurt in the collision). I realized that a regular slide was too thick but didn't realize it needed to be upside...
by Pat Thielen
Tue Mar 05, 2019 3:45 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Aphid in dark-field
Replies: 4
Views: 3234

Re: Aphid in dark-field

billbillt wrote:Great, detailed image... Thanks for sharing...

BillT

Thanks! That's what stacking is for! :D
by Pat Thielen
Tue Mar 05, 2019 3:45 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Borrelia burgdorferi, or Lyme disease
Replies: 3
Views: 3462

Re: Borrelia burgdorferi, or Lyme disease

I have a fair amount of experience with this organism, since I have it....and I've done a fair amount of microscopy related to it as well. The relationship between M.S. and B.B. is one of those ongoing parallels that at this point, not enough is known. For sure, there are cases where M.S. patients ...
by Pat Thielen
Mon Mar 04, 2019 11:51 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Aphid in dark-field
Replies: 4
Views: 3234

Aphid in dark-field

This is an aphid photographed using dark-field lighting at 40x total magnification; I used 19 images in the focus stack. Just another beastie to look forward to this Spring; well, if you're a ladybug or an ant that is. And one thing I learned about aphids -- I had no idea that they have dual exhaust...
by Pat Thielen
Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:54 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: I'm back...! Well, more or less.
Replies: 2
Views: 4557

Re: I'm back...! Well, more or less.

75RR wrote:Welcome back. Nice space and great benches!

Basement?

I can neither confirm nor deny that rumor.
:D

Yeah, basement. But don't tell anyone!
by Pat Thielen
Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:13 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Borrelia burgdorferi, or Lyme disease
Replies: 3
Views: 3462

Borrelia burgdorferi, or Lyme disease

Here is a photo I took of Borrelia burgdorferi, or, the agent that is the cause of Lyme disease. This photo is magnified 40x using dark field lighting. I was very impressed at how large these bacteria are; they are very easily seen at a total magnification of 400x -- These are some of the largest ba...
by Pat Thielen
Mon Mar 04, 2019 4:56 pm
Forum: My microscope
Topic: My new / old microscope
Replies: 5
Views: 5702

My new / old microscope

Hello! I bought this wonderful Bausch and Lomb model VM349 off EBay just a week or so ago. It was made in 1944 and is in excellent condition; it came with it's original box, the manual, a blue filter and even a dark field filter as well as both 5x and 10x eyepieces. It also has a box to hold ten sli...
by Pat Thielen
Mon Mar 04, 2019 4:44 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: I'm back...! Well, more or less.
Replies: 2
Views: 4557

I'm back...! Well, more or less.

Hey everyone! Remember me? It's been awhile! :D I've been away for some time due to family issues, moving to a new house, winter... It's been crazy over the last few months and I've had little time for microscopy or even a place to work on it as I was moving from one house to another. I'm finally st...
by Pat Thielen
Wed Nov 21, 2018 1:50 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A small mite I found many years ago
Replies: 8
Views: 4737

Re: A small mite I found many years ago

This mite is a species found in the order Oribatida, also known as moss or beetle mites. Thanks to Stefan F. Wirth for the identification. And thanks to Michael for suggesting I contact Stefan in the first place. I really appreciate how people are so willing to help and are so generous with their ti...
by Pat Thielen
Sat Nov 17, 2018 4:45 am
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: Microbes Belonging to New Kingdom of Life Discovered
Replies: 9
Views: 6604

Re: Microbes Belonging to New Kingdom of Life Discovered

I saw this article as well -- It is really interesting and I like how they were found in just a random dirt sample. Which reminds me that I need to carry sample bottles with me as well!

I think these guys might be aliens!
:mrgreen:
by Pat Thielen
Sat Nov 17, 2018 4:43 am
Forum: Identification help
Topic: What is it?
Replies: 3
Views: 3485

Re: What is it?

I think its a gastrotrich. Those guys are really cool; I saw my first one last year.
by Pat Thielen
Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:50 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A small mite I found many years ago
Replies: 8
Views: 4737

Re: A small mite I found many years ago

Not a mite expert ... just curious on your behalf ... I found this: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-hypothetical-food-web-of-phytotelmata-found-in-the-waterfilled-leaves-of-the-pitcher_fig1_250008642 Then, via Wikipedia, I found this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1_Sa7x1AxeU ... I su...
by Pat Thielen
Thu Nov 15, 2018 7:12 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A small mite I found many years ago
Replies: 8
Views: 4737

Re: A small mite I found many years ago

I'm a bit curious if there are any mite experts in these forums who might so, kinda-sorta, what type of mite this is. I did some looking but I haven't come up with any that have mandibles like that. I'm rather curious what he could have been eating on my pitcher plant. This mite was about 500 micron...
by Pat Thielen
Tue Nov 13, 2018 9:01 pm
Forum: Identification help
Topic: What is it?
Replies: 2
Views: 3053

Re: What is it?

I think this is a mold spore with the fungus starting to grow from it.
by Pat Thielen
Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:51 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A small mite I found many years ago
Replies: 8
Views: 4737

A small mite I found many years ago

Hey there everyone! I'm still around, more or less! Life has been busier than usual and the usual chaos has grown a bit more chaosier, but then again -- That's life! Anyway, there are a couple photos of a very small mite I found many years ago on one of my pitcher plants. The slide was made on 1-19-...
by Pat Thielen
Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:57 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John
Replies: 21
Views: 8855

Re: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John

When I turn the condenser to phase contrast or darkfield the iris is automatically opened up. I don't usually use brightfield; I prefer the results from the other methods better. And to be honest, when using brightfield I'm more than likely doing it completely wrong. That's why the guide here is of ...
by Pat Thielen
Fri Apr 06, 2018 1:42 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John
Replies: 21
Views: 8855

Re: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John

I know all microscopes and digital microscope softwares are different, but here are several things I fiddle with when assessing my color options for brightfieqld images (I know NOTHING about fluorescence! or DIC!). You probably know all of this, but I always use the same systematic process so I'll ...
by Pat Thielen
Thu Apr 05, 2018 11:25 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John
Replies: 21
Views: 8855

Re: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John

Those Lily Pollen images are out of this world! Also, idk if this is just me or my computer or what, but the colors are so pretty that I want more exposure (for example, on the Lily Anther LS pollen with 2 nuclei; 20x Plan 0.45, 3 image stack, phase contrast lighting). I have neither imaged botanic...
by Pat Thielen
Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:19 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John
Replies: 21
Views: 8855

Re: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John

Thanks John! It was the second image in the new group that I forgot what it was; thanks for letting me know! I was kind of pouring over them rather quickly and as much as I thought I'd remember of course I didn't. :D I'll try to get to some more of them early next week. It is quite fun and interesti...
by Pat Thielen
Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:31 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John
Replies: 21
Views: 8855

Re: A couple botanical slides I bought from John

Right! Here's a few more images from the slides I bought from John. I know I keep saying I need to get better organized and write stuff down and all that... Well, needless to say I had one of those slides thay I would totally remember (I have a mind like a steel trap). And of course I didn't (a rust...
by Pat Thielen
Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:28 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Tissue cytology of masses on my dog
Replies: 9
Views: 4091

Re: Tissue cytology of masses on my dog

Thanks for this post -- It is very interesting and I found your photos to be very good and informative. This is an area I know very little about; I couldn't spot abnormal cells if you pushed my nose into them! So, seeing this post and your images really helps me get an understanding of what is going...
by Pat Thielen
Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:25 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John
Replies: 21
Views: 8855

Re: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John

I hope to be taking some more photos later today of John's slides. Stay tuned!

:D
by Pat Thielen
Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:24 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Paramecium bursaria
Replies: 11
Views: 5347

Re: Paramecium bursaria

Beautiful image! Thanks for posting!
by Pat Thielen
Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:45 pm
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: Making a scale bar
Replies: 1
Views: 2164

Making a scale bar

Hey there! I had posted this question to a group on Facebook and I'm still confused by it all. Some of you have these handy scale bars on your photos, which I think would be useful for my own work. The trouble is, I still am having trouble creating them. I have taken photos of my stage micrometer fo...
by Pat Thielen
Thu Mar 29, 2018 6:19 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A couple botanical slides I got bought from John
Replies: 21
Views: 8855

A couple botanical slides I got bought from John

Hey everyone! Here is my first ever attempt at photographing botanical subjects. Earlier today I received a group of slides that I bought from John -- They took just 8 days to arrive from England and I'm very happy to have them. So, I took a bit of time and looked over them and attempted to take som...
by Pat Thielen
Thu Mar 29, 2018 2:21 am
Forum: Collecting microscopes and slides
Topic: I bought some slides from John!
Replies: 4
Views: 4565

Re: I bought some slides from John!

I too relish the group of botanical permanent slides which I purchased from John B. a while ago. To me my microscopy world views enhance my appreciation of our day to day living...and our plants are the primary producers which our planets life communities rely upon. Time with John B's fixed/section...