My first real microscope

[Aenima]

Yay - Johnny 5 is alive



I keep getting reminded of the robot from the movie Short Circuit, when looking at a binocular microscope front on.
So I call them Johnny 5's

My SM Lux arrived this afternoon. Really looking forward to trying it out. I gave it a quick test and was immediately blown away by the image quality compared to anything I've looked through (or at) before.
Everything seems to be working ok. I've also added the extra objectives and received the pack of cleaned blank slides ten minutes after the first delivery so that was great timing.
I'm happy with the fact that I decided to buy a used 'scope and with that 'scope being the Leitz model - it's reassuringly heavy and looks very much the business.

Thank you very much for the guidance in buying a first microscope. I still have a huge amount to learn, but I wouldn't have been able to figure it out without that advice.

Cheers.

[billbillt]

Yes Sir!!... You have a good one!... Can't wait to see some pics of what you find with it...

BillT

[75RR]

Glad it finally arrived and that you are happy with it.
With a 5 objective nosepiece and Köhler illumination you have a fine first microscope.

One can obtain very good images through the binocular eyepiece with either a phone camera or albeit somewhat more awkwardly by sharing it with a DSLR. Looking forward to seeing your first photos.

Here is a link that will help you practice setting up Köhler illumination: http://zeiss-campus.magnet.fsu.edu/tuto ... flash.html
Note: Start tutorial by aligning the filament first!
You should also look through the other tutorials in the site as well, lots of useful information there.

You will find Micscape is also full of interesting and valuable information: http://www.mic-uk.info/cgi-bin/search.cgi
Just search for your query.

[Aenima]

Thanks guys.

75RR really handy link(s), nice one! Will definitely need to learn the illumination. So far i just centralised the light source and condenser 'hole' i think its the iris. But thats about it. I have been watching the basics regarding tutorials, finding oliver kims videos extremely helpful.

I have noticed a small amount of dust - somewhere - in the light path. I'm hoping there are ways to clean these things? Not vital just yet though.


I did find something interesting - the first thing i did was to steal some water from my neighbours old watering can full of rainwater - pretty grimy but no algae. Was a weird plant/starfish looking thing - no idea what it was. You'll have to excuse the terminology or lack thereof, still trying to learn that as i go.




I think what i'll do to begin with as far as cameras go, is use my small colour CMOS - its very lightweight and will attach to an eyepiece a lot easier than a DSLR or cell phone. Worth a shot i reckon.


I'm certainly glad the Leitz arrived safely and turned out to be a pretty good model. I think because it has a removable condenser that i will be able to use a dark field one at some point? Not in any hurry though, its just good to know the option will be there.


Many thanks for your input and will check out the links asap

[mrsonchus]

Congratulations, it looks to be a fine 'scope! The object is a 'stellate trichome' from a plant - a star-shaped hair from a stem of leaf...

[75RR]

The object is a 'stellate trichome' from a plant - a star-shaped hair from a stem of leaf...

Agree. Here is a link on trichomes and their curious vocabulary: http://www.backyardnature.net/hairs.htm

[Aenima]

Cool! thank you for the ID i was extremely curious but didn't know where to start looking to find out. Will look out for another one.

[Aenima]

Well, i have recently managed to produce my first image with the leitz sm lux.

I read about the challenges involved in projection, and having no photo-eyepieces or proper adapters, i went with the afocal method.

I can't say for sure whether i'm doing it right, but my approach was to use an old industar 50mm prime lens on a canon dslr fixed on a tripod a few mm's from the eyepiece.

It seemed to work and no vignetting was visible. However if there is something i've missed or should aim to change please let me know.


Until i can get a trinocular head, or a proper adapter for my c-mount camera the 50mm lens and tripod will have to do.


The subject was a knee of a honey bee from a pre-prepared slide.

Question- I tried to improve depth of field by using a basic form of focus stacking in photoshop , however i'm unsure whether transparent objects are suitable for focus stacking as the insides will be as visible as the outside?

Anyway, thanks for looking at the attached, reduced to 20percent size/resolution in order to fit the forum image guidelines

web-bee-knee.jpg (500.64 KiB) Viewed 5521 times

[vasselle]

Belle acquisition pour cette instrument car ce sont des microscopes solide et de d'une belle réputation.
Car je suis aussi avec un microscope Leitz Laborlux K et je ne le regrette pas du tout.
Par contre il y a certaines pièces qui sont assez dur a trouver et chers.
Mes déjà là vous avais de quoi faire de belles observations .
Et pour le stack je te conseil combine ZP car il est entièrement gratuit et fonctionne super bien toutes les photos que je publie ici sont des stack fait avec Combine ZP.
Belle continuation et bravo pour votre microscope.
Cordialement seb

[Aenima]

Thank you Vasselle

Yes i'm very pleased with the Leitz - its more than enough to keep me busy for a while. The extra bits will take some time to find and afford, but for the moment it seems i am able to do the basics.


Still a lot to learn. I know there is a lot of info online, but some things i will just have to try - definitely looking forward to it.

[75RR]

Good start!

Question- I tried to improve depth of field by using a basic form of focus stacking in photoshop , however i'm unsure whether transparent objects are suitable for focus stacking as the insides will be as visible as the outside?

I use Photoshop and have found it adequate - though I don't doubt that a dedicated program may well be a bit better. I tend to do dry runs before I take a sequence of images to clarify to what depth I want to go. As to how many images to include in a stack - if I am not happy with the initial results I play around a bit with the number and the order of images I use.

[mrsonchus]

Hi, a very nice start to my eyes!

I would agree with your thoughts on transparent object stacks - their overlapping/overlying focus planes can cause quite horrid results when stacking is attempted - an effect I see with almost every thinly-sectioned slide of mine.

There's an almost 'gift that keeps on giving' element to such slides with coincidental/overlying points for focus, as each slide is almost like a set of slides in the differences in detail and even content between focused layers/planes within the subject.

But, and it's a big but, stacking such images can be an absolute nightmare - really quite impractical in many cases.

Basically I take each as I find and often have a set of coincident images from different focal planes rather than stacking to produce a confusing and misleading image.

Good start, keep them coming!

[Aenima]

Thanks guys.

I have been searching for examples or info related to translucent objects and focus stacking - but very little to go on. There's a Facebook group on focus stacking and all the images are of opaque objects.

I don't have the overhead (over the object anyway) lighting sorted out yet so will be sticking to the regular transmitted lighting for now. I've read also that dark field is possible to do with a home made filter? Sounds interesting now I know what dark field is

Just need to work out what bits I need for a proper camera attachment although I'm quite content with trying out the afocal method so far.
Appreciate the info above and will hopefully end up with an image i can post in Pictures & videos section ^_^

Cheers.

[75RR]

I have been searching for examples or info related to translucent objects and focus stacking - but very little to go on.

Most if not all of the images here are stacked: http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/photo

[Aenima]

Still experimenting with lighting and focus stacking using my DSLR + 50mm lens afocally.

Its certainly fun.

The hardest part is taking the images with the right focus and getting a handful of frames that will match up, but yeah, you guys will know already... so anyway I found a LED flexible light that clips onto things. Its 'just' barely enough for opaque objects providing i use long exposures and a high ISO setting


Raided a spider web for a test subject - a long dead moth. Not in a good way at all, this poor thing has been bashed about a bit by the looks of it.


The Eye and edge of a wing seemed a good place to start...

web-moth-wing.jpg (505.97 KiB) Viewed 5462 times

mono-mott-eye.jpg (455.55 KiB) Viewed 5462 times