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deep well microscope slides

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:50 pm
by SizeDoesn'tMatter
Hello.
I was wondering about your opinions on / experience with deep well microscope slides. I've only bought the usual flat ones so far, but I wonder how much they restrict the movement of some creatures. I suppose that could be a helpful thing, but my first time seeing a rotifer went like this: being fascinated by the very active and flexible 'elephant's trunk' at the front of on an otherwise static animal (except for the insides). Yes, I saw the cilia at the other end... but it wasn't until I researched what this thing was that I realised that what I thought was the front... wasn't. :roll: I think that making a fool of yourself is one of the best ways to learn! Anyway, your thoughts please.

Re: deep well microscope slides

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:21 pm
by Sauerkraut
As you note, deep well slides are beneficial for not restricting and squishing larger organisms, which is why I usually use them. But I believe using deep well slides often lowers overall resolution for photos and video.

I've made a fool of myself quite uniformly throughout life, so I must be pretty learnt.

Re: deep well microscope slides

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:40 pm
by SizeDoesn'tMatter
Thanks Sauerkraut, that's very helpful. I'm not geared up to photography yet, though I'm aiming to be... so maybe I should invest in some DW slides for general viewing, and then try both for photography, which I'm only going to use as a kind of digital notebook just for fun. Thanks again.

Re: deep well microscope slides

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:50 pm
by Hobbyst46
May I note that there are slides with different depth wells. I think I have seen 0.2mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm well slides, etc. Cannot reckon from which supplier.

Re: deep well microscope slides

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 5:12 pm
by MicroBob
Hi Michael,

when looking closely these well slides are often ground quite coarse. The refractive index of glass and water is different so the well forms some kind of lens the is not part of the optical calculation. Fot these reasons it is not a goos idea to use well slides as a first choice for everything, specially for photography.
Alternatives are spacers like shards of cover slip, fishing line, fine copper wire or wax to secure a wider gap between cover slip and slide.

Bob

Re: deep well microscope slides

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 5:23 pm
by apochronaut
What kind of microscope are you using or more importantly what are the objective specifications you are using?

Re: deep well microscope slides

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:53 pm
by SizeDoesn'tMatter
Hello all. Thank you so much for your help, and apologies for the delayed reply.

Hobbyst46: I didn't know that, so thank you for the information. I'm guessing that the shallower one would be sufficient for me.
MicroBob: I hadn't thought of the lens effect of the concave glass. But I like the idea of trying your alternatives first, so I'll definitely be doing that before I spend any more.
apochronaut: My microscope is Omax Model: M83EZ, Eyepieces: wide field WF10X and WF25X; Objectives: achromatic DIN 4X, 10X, 40X(S), 100X(S, Oil).

Again, thank you all so much. I saw my first tardigrade last night... what a thrill.

Michael