MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

That doesn't look too bad? I guess you could move the led and try again.. Is this the BD illuminator? If so I have one of those too, also without a lamphouse. Are you sure there's no lens in the lamphouse? I assume there would be a mirror. I'm just thinking where I saw someone had made an LED adapti...

metachromatic - I learned a new word!

Approx what exposure do you need?

You can "correct" the SA to some extent by using the "wrong" tube length. IIRC you go shorter to correct for less or no coverslip. The image diameter suffers then, and I found it wasn't as good. Haven't tried for a long time. Iirc SA goes up as the 4th power of NA, so...

Moss-botherers I know tend to use methylene blue, I think. I wonder if that would be better with thin sections?

I found a thread which shows an objective + "tube" lens, focusing on a sensor via empty tubes, and what happens if there are reflections:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=35350

Why do you say that Michael? Is it about uncorrected chromatic aberrations which require correction in an eyepiece? Otherwise, there's no reason at all why an objective can't be used as, if you like, a "macro lens". It's very popular. With more recent lens designs (starting with Nikon CF objectives)...

Jan your earlier pictures didn't show it, so is this the fist time you've tried "direct projection"? As a technique, it should work very well unless you need CA correction in your eyepiece - Leitz, so you might need a Periplan. If it's this eyepiece tube: http://www.microbehunter.com/microscopy-foru...

THe 160's are "biologicals" so expect to be used a coverslip, too. At NA up to about 0.4 it doesn't matter too much.
"M" plans (Metallurgicals) expected to use epi or reflected light hence were 210mms. And of course they did a range of LWD/ELWD Mplan objectives, as well as BD versions.

Thanks Rick

It's very difficult in the UK. Then, half a liter of 3% Nital is £120.
I was a metallurgist, but have to forget any thoughts of looking at things now.

Fair enough, thanks.
I spotted this on ebay. For a special friend?? 263572761555

Thanks John.
I don't want to derail the thread - if mods would like to split this off?
I can find 40% formaldehyde -ebay etc
Acetic acid I'm finding usually is in water so not "glacial" - I assume that can be used if some of the water is allocated, eg 10% of 50% Acetic Acid?

I can echo that.
I ordered some fairly common chems on ebay.
Quite soon after, an email arrived which appeared to be from a terrorist organisation.
I contacted the seller who turned out to be a One-man business. He forwarded it to the police and sent copies.

What was hre fixative your dandelion sat in for 3 years, John?

Good for teaching kids why the sky is blue, too, with an aquarium and a phone torch :) Is your cloth something like ebay item 173532274682 do you think? "tofu makers cloth". Am always trying diffusers. Good quality tissue paper is surprisingly good. Thin expanded polystyrene too. A separatrion layer...

Diluted milk is commonly used as a light diffuser, in some circles . It's full of tiny fat globules, which are great for de-speckling a laser.
Some of the function comes from the movements of the globules. I wonder how it would work if "fixed" in gelatin.

aquire a microtome That's the easy bit. I have, um, some . I haven't used them any more that the previous fellah. Went to an interesting talk by Jeff Duckett, on cryo electron microscopy of moss peristomes. As you probably know they're covered in a waxy substance so they're hydrophobic, and the who...

Thanks John. "Why not just skip the head and use a dovetail from RafCamera+bellows or some rigid extension tube?" I have a dovetail adapter, but then I'd need a monitor, etc. I'd rather use the eyepieces if I can. I have a Nikon " 1.0x " C-mount projection eyepiece. Would that also be intended for a...

Was there a version of the trinocular head which allowed direct projection on to a camera sensor? Assume I'm using an APS or DX camera: As Nikon made no 1.6x projection photo eyepiece, I'd either have to use a 2.5x and effectively crop the middle, or remove the trinoc and focus via the camera. i ass...

I've been looking for something to get cheap-but-acceptable quality. Higher MP cameras are coming down in price. EG ebay item 323006982235 is £37 = approx $50 for a 5MP.
May be a better start

Thanks -I'd never heard of PV Alcohol

Hi John You probably know the BBS field guide is entirely online http://www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk/ with a Key at the front where you should (eventually) be able to identify your plant. When I retired I thought, "I know, I'll learn about mosses, they're easy to find." I forgot about the br...

I have a few low mag objectives with a diaphragm.
Some are Lomos, down round 10x, and also a Leitz LWD 32x, NA 0.4. When I bought that one I thought it would be for getting extra depth of field!
Are those to match df condensers?

It's too big for the Cambridge rocker, having had a quick look.
Has anyone used replaceable blades with one of those? They need to be no more than an inch or so tall, by the look of it.

My holder is similar to this: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2232008.pdf , for ordinary safety razor blades.

Thanks. I fear the blade holder may be too tall, when it has its edge uppermost. I have a couple of random knives, which are only three quarters of an inch or so - similar dimensions to a cut-throat. And would using old-style razor blades restrict the material? If so I could look out for thicker bla...

I said it would be a while ;) The blade holder made it across the pond. I'm optimistic that I can use it, though I'm not able to try it yet on the Cambridge Rocker or the 1512 Rotary, as they're stored elsewhere. The whole length is about 120mm x 6mm at the root except where the gripper is, there it...

@Mr einman, if I could quiz you on this one...
Do you find this objective covers your sensor OK?
I understood that Leitz needed a compensating eyepiece - presumably that's not a problem with the 2.5x?
And roughly what's the WD?
thanks

Chris

You could consider a "Cambridge Rocker" type. Very popular, smaller and not so heavy.
Shipping from UK is not cheap - of the order of 10-15 pounds/euros/dollars per Kg