MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

As an addendum to my earlier post. There is a type of microscope called a TIRF microscope or (TIRFM), which stands for Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy. The preferred method of use in this type of microscopy ,is to use a monochromatic laser as an epi illuminator, at an extreme N.A. ...

That's a nice one, Charles. Ebay can be a wealth of resources at times. You obviously have a good parts stock, to come up with the necessary bits to complete it properly.

If I am reading this correctly, it sounds to me like you are describing using a dispersive prism rather than a beam splitter, although it seems that the term beam splitter should be correct, because you are trying to split the beam. A beam splitter would allow a certain amount of light to pass,( thr...

[quote= Prediction: In the future microscope objectives will have rectangular stops to match camera sensor formats. :idea: Electron microscopes have a rectangular image.[/quote] Rectangular frame markers matched to differing film formats have been available as an option for photography for about 100...

SCREEN I use USB camera to computer screen. I see nothing wrong with a square frame vs. a round frame. I like that better also. I keep one binocular with eyepiece so if I need to get a "wider view of where a critter is to recenter the stage. My complaint would be to microscope companies who strayed...

photomicrography being unofficially plastered with a frame What is now standard was once the exception. "Kleenex" was a brand name by Kimberly-Clark and now refers to any facial tissue. "Cellophane" was invented by Innovia Films , but is now just clear flexible crinkly film. As you mentioned previo...

Well, yes. You are using the microscope as a tool in your multi-media pursuits. I once suggested to someone that they utilize microscope images as the basis for textile patterns. That's all good. The fact that you choose not to look through the microscope, is a choice and as someone that also has wo...

It is an interesting and accurate distinction and the intention of the microscope user has to always be a consideration. I am wary of conventions though, because they smack of conformity and restrictiveness, ultimately handcuffing both creativity and documentation. I come from a background of emulsi...

quote I bet early micro photographers would have gone to rectangle images in a heart beat if they could have. The early emulsion systems used om microscopes, were capable of producing rectangular pictures, if the systems that the manufacturers produced were so arranged but they weren't. There were r...

This post was begun to avoid hi-jacking Einman's thread about his Laborlux led conversion, which is a very good post and thread. The QCC made this comment; I used both high power LED (20W) and 100w halogen lighting and do not use filters on either light source. My camera capture programme does all t...

I have seen both 2 and 2.5 micron verniers. Presumably the number of graduations around the circle is different or the screw thread is slightly different; probably the latter. This type of fine focus is threaded into the right side of the arm. As it is turned the shaft and knobs move slightly side t...

Yep; ultimately it doesn't really matter. I find it interesting to see the relative difference between models though, and the relationship between their physical characteristics and use is interesting. Photography in those days , was very difficult and there was potentially a lot of vibration and lo...

Do you have the Spencer 1930 catalog? Thanks again.[/quote] Yes; It is almost identical to the 1929 catalogue. A few models are pictured with enamel parts ,instead of brass and they have made an effort to show parts that are chromed with a different kind of shine than those that are brass. A few mod...

Charles. Microscopes are sold as stands. Everything except the stand are accessories, that are designed to fit the stand and usually many stands. This helps the economy of scale in production. If you go into the 1929 catalogue, which you already have access too, look and see how many binocular heads...

That one was the smallest stand they made prior to w.w. 2, that they considered a research microscope. I had a discussion with the curator of the Harvard Scientific Instruments collection about a year ago, related to this model microscope. They have one they catalogue as a #4, which due to the more ...

I did a quick scan of likely candidates in the U.K. and there is a Baker Interference microscope on ebay.U.K. for L 345.00. Has an original mahogany case, 6 objectives, manuals. If I lived in the U.K. , I would buy it in an instant Those are a version of D.I.C. but perfectly convertible for bright f...

Very true.... Amscope has worked at developing a great reputation.... Amscope stands are used worldwide in all settings.. From hobby to clinical research... I live next door to a large city that has a sales office for all of the big 4... All of this talk about China microscopes has been covered in ...

The big four only have their entry level microscopes made in China and they tend to charge more for them compared to unknown brands because of the name. So, yes I agree that the entry level scopes are probably on a par, with the cheaper big four microscopes but that is as far as it goes. Even though...

One thing I have seen more than I would like to have in old mics., are small areas of cement separation in cemented prisms or beam splitters. Often you cannot see it unless the you hold a light just so. That could be causing the small area of unevenness, even though the prisms look clean. Hopefully ...

One of the problems within the fray of cheap scopes, is that in order to attract buyers, the makers and or distributors often make unreasonable claims about their capability. They know better but the lure of hooking a naive customer is just too great. For centuries, optical science slowly discovered...

Yes; I can see that possibility. This brings up a whole other question , though, that has been stammering from time to time in the back of my mind. I didn't want to hi-jack Einman's thread with it, so can I start another thread with your answer?

very classy , professional looking job. i have a couple of questions . i have been fooling around with leds for a while and my chief gripe with them is the excessive blue colour value, so i have played with yellow filtering. with filament bulbs, the opposite is true, so some degree of blue filtratio...

There you go . Great find! Looks like an SK-E. I guess the differences are that the LK-E has 70mm of focus travel and a 5 hole nosepiece. It does show the light path for the photo tube. Seems the light has to pass through a beamsplitter, for a 30/70 light division and also can be routed through a pr...

KurtM wrote:Greetings! First post on this forum. Charles, your threads have caused me to register and join in; not only is your collection just absolutely wonderful, but I see a "familiar face" here too, I believe. Hi, Phil!

Howdy, Kurt. I recognize your diatom too.

I love those! , especially the ambidextrous condenser focusing. Looks to be lovingly brought back to life too. There is a 110v. understage illuminator on ebay for that , if you are interested. They are 15 watt, if I recall and work very well, with bright even illumination. Are those, Cat. # 146 eyep...

..it would be good to be getting a proper iris diaphragm in that thing. cobbled together microscopes are inevitably annoying. i was beginning to wonder when the duct tape was going to be unveiled. look straight down the photo tube on low illumination( apparently that's all you have right now?) and m...

] So what does the long cylinder that sits above the field lens do? That confused me.[/quote] I am not 100% sure Gekko but: the glass below it , doesn't appear to be a lens, just a dust guard. That upper lens is centerable and appears to be focusable too, so it would seem to be where they have put t...

Kohler illumination was simply the first system that overcame the problem of the unevenness in the illumination field caused by either too small a gas flame or a flickering flame. With daylight it is unnecessary. The idea was timely because the primitive tungsten lamps that superceded gas flames and...

Astyanax, Thank you for the updates. I have to go now, but a quick note: it occurred to me that you can solve the problem by using a mirror over the field lens (I think you can/should remove that cylindrical part iwith optics that sits over the field lens??) and get one of the excellent old microsc...

The field diaphragm ( washer in your case) and specimen image plane should be be the same for kohler illumination, so imaging the imperfections in the top lens means you didn't have kohler illumination at that point. I wouldn't worry too much about it anyway,just get rid of them by defocusing becaus...