Search found 124 matches

by RobBerdan
Thu Apr 16, 2020 3:07 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Paramecium in a different light
Replies: 16
Views: 6165

Re: Paramecium in a different light

Re intracellular crystas in Paramecium - nice pictures. I have also photographed them and made movies of their birefringence under polarized light. I was trying to find out more about them and found a link to this discussion. I had read some of the references already mentioned and also that the crys...
by RobBerdan
Tue Apr 14, 2020 3:39 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Stigonema Mammilosum
Replies: 8
Views: 3520

Re: Stigonema Mammilosum

Beautiful photomicrographs.
RB
by RobBerdan
Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:58 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Fluorescent Microorganisms
Replies: 3
Views: 1995

Fluorescent Microorganisms

Photos taken with a Nikon Optiphot wide field fluorescent microscope using 10, 20X Fluor objectives, and UV excitation. Samples are from my fresh water aquarium. I used a Nikon DSLR camera. Specimens stained with 1 microgram\ml Acridine orange. most specimens survive in this stain for more then 6 ho...
by RobBerdan
Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:41 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Pine needle-fluorescence,
Replies: 11
Views: 4405

Re: Pine needle-fluorescence,

Very nice images of the plant sections.
Cheers
RB
by RobBerdan
Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:26 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Freshwater copepods and Stentor
Replies: 2
Views: 1312

Freshwater copepods and Stentor

I am attaching a few copepods photomicrographs using a variety of different microscopy techniques.
All taken at 50X magnification. Organisms from my fresh water aquarium I keep for winter observation.


Copepod Bright field microscopy
Copepod Bright field microscopy
DSC_0204.jpg (42.93 KiB) Viewed 1312 times
Copepod Darkfield microscopy
Copepod Darkfield microscopy
DSC_0207.jpg (54.46 KiB) Viewed 1312 times
Copepod Darkfield and Polarizing microscopy
Copepod Darkfield and Polarizing microscopy
DSC_0380.jpg (53.03 KiB) Viewed 1312 times
DIC and polarizing microscopy
DIC and polarizing microscopy
DSC_0404.jpg (55.63 KiB) Viewed 1312 times
by RobBerdan
Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:28 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Cladocerans and a Copepod various techniques
Replies: 0
Views: 1306

Cladocerans and a Copepod various techniques

Including some pictures of a Cladoceran (Chydoridae) and a copepod - I am working on the species identification (Alona sp?) for the Chydoridae member. I used an old Nikon Optiphot for the Fluorescence, Axioscope for Rheinberg and Polarization microscopy. Just waiting for local ponds to open up so I ...
by RobBerdan
Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:06 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Dileptid Hunting and Eating
Replies: 17
Views: 9906

Re: Dileptid Hunting and Eating

Nice movie Bruce - wouldn't it be nice to be able to just zoom in on the organism rather that have to change objectives.
The Darkfield is nice and the ciliates appears to glow.
Cheers
RB
by RobBerdan
Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:46 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Rotifer article with pictures and video
Replies: 3
Views: 4182

Rotifer article with pictures and video

Fellow microscopists - I just posted an article about Rotifers mostly Branchionus and Philodina, but there are pictures of other rotifers. I included a movie of these rotifers using a variety of microscopy techniques including: Phase contrast, DIC, Rheinberg, Darkfield, Bright field and Fluorescence...
by RobBerdan
Mon Mar 02, 2020 12:31 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Rotifers - Brachionus manjavacas and Philodina roseola
Replies: 5
Views: 3407

Rotifers - Brachionus manjavacas and Philodina roseola

Dr. Terry Snell a rotifer biologist in the US sent me some Brachionus manjavacas and Philodina roseola species of rotifers to take photos of for social media. He provides rotifers for aquaculture and for toxicology testing. I used a variety of microscopy techniques, Bright field, DIC, Phase contrast...
by RobBerdan
Mon Mar 02, 2020 12:05 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Spirostomum teres
Replies: 4
Views: 3086

Re: Spirostomum teres

Very nice DIC images of these ciliates.
RB
by RobBerdan
Mon Mar 02, 2020 12:04 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: More living diatoms II
Replies: 7
Views: 4240

Re: More living diatoms II

Nice photos of Live Diatoms.
Cheers
RB
by RobBerdan
Wed Jan 22, 2020 4:39 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: The Microscopic Beauty of Plants & Tree
Replies: 9
Views: 3599

Re: The Microscopic Beauty of Plants & Tree

In answer to some questions. The branch was cut fresh, clamped and sectioned as is no fixing or softening as I did in the past. Softening the tissue by boiling in 10% glycerol and water seems to cause the bark to separate. The microtome cost me $300 US on Ebay, but I have never seen another one like...
by RobBerdan
Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:43 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: The Microscopic Beauty of Plants & Tree
Replies: 9
Views: 3599

Re: The Microscopic Beauty of Plants & Tree

Hi Thanks the web site is amazing and has beautiful photomicrographs. Today I tried an older AO Hand microtome from 1950s I purchased on Ebay and a new disposable microtome blade from India and right away I was able to cut sections between 10-15 microns - I might not need to buy a sliding microtome ...
by RobBerdan
Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:55 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: The Microscopic Beauty of Plants & Tree
Replies: 9
Views: 3599

Re: The Microscopic Beauty of Plants & Tree

Thanks for the suggestions I had a look at the device you made out of plastic I will try something similar. You say you make 7- mcron sections - I would like to make 1015 micron sections so I am looking at purchasing a sliding microtome. You have some very nice sections - I still have a lot to learn...
by RobBerdan
Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:56 am
Forum: Illumination Techniques
Topic: Bertrand Lens
Replies: 1
Views: 5045

Re: Bertrand Lens

I have a Bertrand lens in my Unitron Polarizing microscope. To use it I need to use the 40X objective- doesn't work with the other powers. The easiest sample for testing is to put a thin slice of mica where the slide would go. You may have to remove the eye piece to see the interference pattern and ...
by RobBerdan
Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:39 am
Forum: Illumination Techniques
Topic: dIY DIC
Replies: 68
Views: 38850

Re: dIY DIC

I have DIC, Hoffman and I used oblique illumination which the article refers to. I believe the author has now purchased DIC. DIC is unfortanetly very expensive to make. A number of researchers have been working on developing software that is supposed to simulate DIC or Phase contrast, but none has a...
by RobBerdan
Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:27 am
Forum: Illumination Techniques
Topic: Rheinberg Filters
Replies: 8
Views: 8982

Re: Rheinberg Filters

The Rheinberg filters on Ebay are excellent I have purchased and used them on several of my microscopes. They cost about $30 which is cheap in my opinion. You do need to adjust the height of the filters under the condenser for different objectives. What I did with my research microscope is create a ...
by RobBerdan
Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:18 am
Forum: Illumination Techniques
Topic: why are my photo's and video's always yellowish?
Replies: 11
Views: 6399

Re: why are my photo's and video's always yellowish?

Re yellow photos - you can do one of four things to fix the background colour: 1) use a blue filter - they are sometimes called daylight filters, and use the max brightness of your bulbs 2) You can set you camera white balance to tungsten about 3200 K 3) You can fix the colour quickly if you use Pho...
by RobBerdan
Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:10 am
Forum: Digital processing
Topic: Stacking Software
Replies: 47
Views: 48256

Re: Stacking Software

HI I tested all three programs I use Photoshop regularly, Helicon was better and both support RAW files. Zerene was Ok, but did not support RAW images. https://www.canadiannaturephotographer. ... cking.html
by RobBerdan
Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:06 am
Forum: Digital processing
Topic: Digitizing 35mm micro photography tranparency images
Replies: 11
Views: 12082

Re: Digitizing 35mm micro photography tranparency images

Hi - I have digitized lots of slides for clients using a Nikon coolscan and the Epson V600. The coolsan offers the highest quality, but a full res scan can take 5 minutes. The Epson will scan up to 6 images simulataneously and does a very good job, not as good as the Cools scan but good enough for m...
by RobBerdan
Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:52 am
Forum: Digital processing
Topic: Photoshop CS6 v Helicon v Zerene,and the rest
Replies: 22
Views: 15972

Re: Photoshop CS6 v Helicon v Zerene,and the rest

Hi I focus stack images regularly and compared Photoshop, Helicon and Zerene and posted my result on my web site. I use Photoshop for quick testing and it is often all I need. Helicon is better and offers more features for blending. I work with RAW files which Zerene did not support at time I did my...
by RobBerdan
Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:33 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: The Microscopic Beauty of Plants & Tree
Replies: 9
Views: 3599

The Microscopic Beauty of Plants & Tree

I just posted an article on my web site that I think some members might be interested in called the The Microscopic Beauty of Plants and Trees. I have been hand sectioning plants and trees and tried a wide variety of disposable razor blades, shaving blades and microtome blades. I am using hand micro...
by RobBerdan
Mon Sep 02, 2019 8:36 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Micro-Universe
Replies: 4
Views: 2486

Micro-Universe

Can't believe summer is over and I only had a few opportunities to photograph my favourite subject - Pond Life. I just posted two articles 1) The Micro-Universe and 2) Microscopic Pond Life for those that might be interested: 1. https://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/microuniverse.html 2. https:...
by RobBerdan
Mon May 13, 2019 2:39 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Micro-Universe Presentation
Replies: 4
Views: 3443

Micro-Universe Presentation

I am giving a presentation at a public library to try and get more folks interested in microscopy, I am attaching a couple of the images I am going show in the presentation. I also have a series of movies to show pond organisms, ciliates, rotifers, amoeba etc. I also have a picture that kids took wi...
by RobBerdan
Sun Apr 21, 2019 10:40 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Ascorbic Acid eyes
Replies: 4
Views: 5204

Re: Ascorbic Acid eyes

Definintely Vitamin C - I see lots of similar crystals like this - very beautiful.
RB
by RobBerdan
Mon Apr 15, 2019 3:26 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Tips on Buying a Microscope and suggestions for What to look at
Replies: 16
Views: 9979

Re: Tips on Buying a Microscope and suggestions for What to look at

The LEDs I got were 20W Cree from Stanton on Ebay, not exactly sure what the colour temperature is - looks like about 6500K, but unlike tungsten which are warm 3200-3400 K, these LEDs seem almost blue in colour. I still colour correct the background so its a neutral white using RGB numbers in Photos...
by RobBerdan
Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:29 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Tips on Buying a Microscope and suggestions for What to look at
Replies: 16
Views: 9979

Re: Tips on Buying a Microscope and suggestions for What to look at

I am not sure I have answer for your question about kids. I think they need to see something compelling. I am just starting to do some presentations - I will try to include some movies with music so they can see microorganisms moving like water bears and paramecium. I will also bring a microscope so...
by RobBerdan
Sun Apr 14, 2019 12:05 am
Forum: Microscopy accessories
Topic: Rheinberg Filters
Replies: 10
Views: 14231

Re: Rheinberg Filters

I have purchased a set of the Rheinberg filters on ebay for $30 and I think they work great! I wrote an article on Rheinberg filters: https://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/rberdan_Rheinberg_filters2017.html And I am including one photo of a ribbon worm below I took with a Rheinberg filters. I a...
by RobBerdan
Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:38 pm
Forum: Illumination Techniques
Topic: Bright field, Darkfield, Phase Contrast and Rheinberg compared
Replies: 2
Views: 6535

Bright field, Darkfield, Phase Contrast and Rheinberg compared

Below are pictures from a recent article I posted on my web site showing different lighting techniques. Photos are of Wood by auto - fluorescence, Volvox by bright field, dark field, positive phase contrast, and Ribbon worm Rheinberg. Rheinberg filter set can be purchased on Ebay for about $30. Furt...
by RobBerdan
Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:17 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Tips on Buying a Microscope and suggestions for What to look at
Replies: 16
Views: 9979

Tips on Buying a Microscope and suggestions for What to look at

I just posted an article on my web site including tips for buying a new and used microscope, also why some one might want to own a microscope and some subjects they can look at. https://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/guide_buying_microscope.html Comments welcome Photos include, rotifer, onion ro...