MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Thank you, gents. Apochronaut: I think I used an AO #147 15x at that time. Not ideal for CA, but more comfortable to use (for my eyes) than LOMO K10x / 18. For field use, I am not being critical. I DIY adapted a NA 1.25 condenser there, which was mounted almost flush with stage surface and can accep...

CA0D15D5-C5CA-4BD6-8EBD-68E7FC4F70F5.jpeg Here is my 3 lb (weight) water immersion field microscope in action. It is actually usable with LOMO 65x NA 1.1 water immersion objective. Apochronaut helped me made this DIY scope (it is not easy available, unless you find another Schutz mini scope). I use...

I feel like that microscope is capable of better, more interesting imaging. Is a phase contrast kit worthwhile, or even possible? Can I slip those cool oblique or colored Schadenfreud filters into the condenser? Just block 2/3 of light under the the condenser, using a coin, a piece of cardboard of ...

Several fixed annuli installed on a turret condenser or on a long gliding filter + adjusting condenser height and condenser / objective iris can provide variations that are close to “good enough”. But of course, that DIY rig’s adjustability is not infinite nor as convenient as Polyphos. If you have ...

Peter, I had Heine before and felt the same. Its thin circle of light produces too much halos for my eyes to like it. So I sold it after getting DIC parts for my scope. I read extensively on Zeiss Pancreatic and Zetopan Polyphos before. My guest is that Polyphos is a better condenser. It has become ...

Hello. I have this condenser. Nikon universal achr-apl con.a 1.4 10, 20, 40x all are perfect. 4x however does not fill the ocular moving condenser all the way down gets it close. The 4x is not PLAN. The others are. Is this the reason for my delema? Thanks That kind of condenser can usually fill 4x ...

Impressive, Neal! What does a typical newt slide look like, under 2x or 4x objective? I don’t have any exotic slides to share, though I would be interested in buying some (such as quality water flea slides) if anyone here wants to unload their duplicates. I do have some beautifully made plant and di...

imkap, You did not say your friend’s budget, favorite subjects to look at or favorite magnification range. That would affect lots of options. If he only needs objectives less powerful than 40x NA 0.65 or so, then most scopes and some DIY darkfield / oblique would work. I would guess typical marine b...

You can ask for whatever you consider reasonable. Most of the times, eBay will side with buyer. The seller’s lost, if you return the objective, would be the cost of round trip shipping , since it is “item not as described “. I recently filed an “item not as described” under “collectible” category an...

Lots of imaging parameters are not optimal in those two images. For example, stained thin sections are not the right material to evaluate objective to start with. In such suboptimal imaging conditions, image quality difference will be obscured. If that is usually how you use microscope and the diffe...

PeteM, I am happy that you beat your doctor’s prediction by a decade! Would be to join you if you take a lead . I myself don’t have the mechanical skills or machine to do it. I don’t remember what thickness I often used: maybe the middle point of your range at 0.06”? My o rings can compress quite we...

If anyone here wants to group buy or make some popular thickness on the thinner side, I am happy to group buy. Thank you.

Depending on how thick or thin the desired shim is, you may use a small rubber band. Rubber band doesn’t work too well, when the desired shim is too thin.

Welcome to this forum, Rogelio! I know you from the other forum

I really admire your great works by the way: https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/people/rogelio-moreno

Such a pleasure to see you here!

Alternatively, here is a $25 LED option from Amazon USA. Just remove that mirror and use wax paper under condenser to diffuse it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092RJ9TPV/?c ... _lig_dp_it

That is actually a rotifer (technically not a ciliate), which used its foot / toe to attach to a substrate as anchor (base) for feeding. More biology here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotifer

Another remote possibility is that your focus gear of the microscope is broken, if you cannot (could not) obtain sharp image at visual eyepieces. That happens when the stage drops under its own weight and will not stay in focus. Some Nikon focus gears have plastic / nylon and are not very durable.

Very helpful, thank you, tlansing.

David, There may be manual for FX for sale on eBay, if you search. I have a Frankenstein’ed Optiphot which may have compatible parts with FX, but some parts are probably not compatible. If you have specific questions or goals, please ask here. Many experienced forum members may be able to help you, ...

Welcome to the forum, David.

I live near Houston and have been enjoying microscopy and photography for years. We can meet up if you pass by.

Hello tlansing, I am interested in your “The illustrated guide to the Protozoa second edition”. Would it be difficult for you to show a photo of a typical content page, for example, the page for Brachonella sp? Or Frontonia sp? Please feel free to recommend other similar “illustrated protozoology” f...

Very impressive work, Franco.

Did you build it with a purpose in mind (if so, what is your purpose?), or did you build it just for the fun of creating it?

I have used confocal (only as tool to get particular results) in my cell biology research, but don’t really know much about it.

A much faster way is to download camera manual as pdf, then use Adobe or similar software to search keywords “shutter release” or “remote” within that pdf. Only read the manual parts that have those keywords.

Other members have made good points. What was that particular sample in the opening post, by the way? If it was the only slide that produces lots of CA (as you said in the first post) and your regular samples are different and don’t produce as much CA, then why worry about that. Naturally high contr...

Stay under ISO 800 for micro four thirds sensors, if possible. You can de-noise using softwares but that will reduce resolution. Try using speedlite as light source for best image quality. You can always adapt an old fully-manual DSLR lens to m5/3 sensor with an lens mount adapter. For m4/3 sensors,...

Have a look at this. I already confirmed with the seller that the thread is 15.88mm, so will fit the Tasco. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Edmund-Scientific-50x-Objective-Microscope-Lens-in-Box/153866134256?mkpid=0&emsid=e11051.m43.l1123&mkcid=26&ch=osgood&euid=a5fd895944c942a39aca280d1c2cbf96&bu=43524717...

Thank you very much, apochronaut, for your detailed summary post. I took photos of it for my furture reference. I opened another thread to ask / discuss how to improve the Tasco 1200x mini scope https://www.microbehunter.com/microscopy-forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15851, which seems to be an easily obt...

apochronaut, please kindly advise me: Is there an even wider filed eyepiece than its 8x WF that I can easily put on the Tasco 1200x? Is there a good third party 20x -40x obejctive that I can easily put on the Tasco 1200x? My copy of the Tasco seems to be highly similar to that of apochronaut, if no...

Experienced forum member apochronaut mentioned improving a Tasco 1200x mini microscope over from another thread. I will quote him in this post and ask / discuss in my next post: Quote One other option would be to refit the fairly common Tasco( other badges too) 1200X body with better objectives. In ...