MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

fossil diatoms from St Laurent La Vernede Hi Rod, your nice images remind me that I have some cleaned material from this location that I still haved not looked at! The fall is coming soon and I hop to make some nice slides from it. Bob Thanks Bob. My sample is very centric heavy, all sizes includin...

Rod, Paul James did a 4 part write-up on COL before: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artdec02/pjcol.html Using the right mask size and mask centration is key. To start, close down condenser iris to around 85% of objective NA, then vary mask size...

ImperatorRex wrote:Very well done, I enjoy the fotos very much.

Thank you Rex!

Hobbyst46 wrote:Very nice images. Thanks for posting.

Thanks Hobby.

Have you tried stacking circular oblique light mask? For some diatoms, COL works better than offset oblique. DF is simply an oversized COL. Your DF works very well, so I am guessing COL may work nicely too. I am just curious....... Thanks zz I have an interest in trying COL, but could use a referen...

Maybe you all will like darkfield better than oblique? More fossil diatoms from St Laurent La Vernede. American Optical 10, 100x Plan Achro Iris Oil, toric darkfield condenser, Canon 70D, captured in green light, converted to grayscale in post processing, stacks as noted, Zerene Stacker using the PM...

Great series, I like them all. No such thing as too many

Excellent oblique effect.

Rod

Very good image of a tremendously difficult subject to shoot, especially a 100 shot stack.

Did you pin him with the coverslip?

Well done.

Rod

I've never seen that type of photo port before, interesting.

I would bet that maintaining alignment of a Speed Graphic would have been a challenge, especially with the regular changing of film holders required.

Thanks for posting

Rod

The first pic is of JeffO's equipment, maybe he will respond.

I am all set, thanks for the offer.

Rod

Radazz wrote:Hi, Rod,
I just happen to have an extra head to complete that microscope.

PM me if interested.
Jim

Hey Jim,

Did you mean me or the OP?

Lucky chance, well taken advantage of by our newest UDM.....Upside Down Microscopist.

Really good images for a diatom "on the hoof" that is to say, not mounted.

Hard to beat Pinnularia for great detail in that cool structure.

Nicely done Kurt.

More fossil diatoms, this time from France, specifically St Laurent La Vernede. Special thanks to zzfnn for the sample. AO Series 4 Apostar, 90x Apo, Oblique Mask, Canon 70D, stacked in Zerene Stacker using the PMax routine. Backgrounds cleaned up. St Laurent La Venede 9791-09 ZS PMax FInal.jpg St L...

Ah, I understand now. I can see your argument in favor of the 40x. I readily admit I am a relative newcomer to this avocation, and what I know I have discovered with the help of folks here and what I could uncover on my own through reading and hands on. That said to say I have not tried the 40x in t...

I like very much the 1st and 3rd photos. They provide a quite sharp 3D view. For diatoms of this size, is 100X better than 60X/63X? To my knowledge, there is not a 60x range objective offered for American Optical scopes, so I can't say that I have any experience to offer. 50 and 40x are the first s...

Great series, thanks for the site pictures as well.

Rod

Thank you Bill, 'Rex and Aenima.

Thanks 75.

Whenever I process these darkfield images I try to apply the lessons you taught me with regard to managing dynamic range and using curves to bring up the detail level. Thanks again for that.

Rod

Knowing these heads quite well and having them both, I am pretty sure that your 0/100 head has light loss somewhere. When I have a minute , I will test the versions I have here, which are both very clean. 60 year old heads can have a considerable layer of very fine airborne debris. Remember , they ...

Thank you Kurt.

ZZ, Thank you for your comment and thanks for the sample. I owe you a couple slides.

KurtM wrote:This one also piques curiosity as the ocelli appear to protrude, whereas they're usually crater-like, or "innies".

Could be an optical illusion as seen in the other Puente thread. My impression is that the usually look recessed, but this does look different.

I will take a look, I'm not sure.

Last slide of the Puente Formation Fossil diatoms sample, which was dominated by centrics as is this offering. American Optical 10, 100x Iris Oil Plan Achro, Ortho Illuminator, 1096b Toric Darkfield Condenser, stacked using Zerene Stacker with Pmax routine. Shot under green filtration and converted ...

You made me want to revisit that comparo thread, in case anyone is interested, it is here :

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4345&hilit=Rhopalodia

Thanks 75

Hi Pete, Thanks for your thoughtful response. As you say, discerning a slight difference in brightness visually with out having scopes set up side by side is probably not realistic, and that was not that part that had me perplexed. You correctly homed in on the real head-scratcher part, why the incr...

My AO Series 4 trinoc head is the switching type, throw a lever to direct 100% of the light to either the eyepieces or to the camera. I recently came across another version, one using a beam splitter to "share" the light and allow for visual and photography to occur simultaneously. I thought it migh...

Very cool, as always. I notice you seem to lean towards PMax, and particular reason why? I almost always go for DMap myself. Thanks. I am not sure I have arrived at my definite preference, I have it in my head that PMax was a bit sharper in some Rhopalodia images that I tested both on. But don't as...

I have to resist the urge to reach out and touch my screen to feel the textures.

Really nice stuff there 75.

Nice mix of targets there. I don't think that I have seen the second one, the "bunting" all the way around it is cool. Pretty good sized one? I do recognize the Ausiliscus (sp? - not right but you know what I mean) those are always interestng, love the random patterns on the face. Looks like you are...