Filter holder for oblique illumination

Here you can discuss different microscopic techniques and illumination methods, such as Brightfield, Darkfield, Phase Contrast, DIC, Oblique illumination, etc.
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btschumy
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Filter holder for oblique illumination

#1 Post by btschumy » Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:56 am

My Leitz condenser doesn't have a filter holder. Has anyone come up with a clever "do it yourself" method for holding filters under the condenser? Alternatively, if anyone knows of a Leitz add-on filter holder for the 402a condenser, I'd like to hear about it.
Last edited by btschumy on Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Bill Tschumy
Leitz SM-D LUX
AO Spencer "Cycloptic" Stereo Microscope (Series 56C)

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zzffnn
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Re: Filter holder for oblique illumination

#2 Post by zzffnn » Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:00 am

I stick 2-3 dots of Blutak under the bottom rim of my condenser, put a filter on a glass slide, then stick slide onto Blutak. Move slide when necessary, while looking into empty eye tube.

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rnabholz
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Re: Filter holder for oblique illumination

#3 Post by rnabholz » Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:26 am

Here is an approach I came up with for my AO 20. Maybe it will spawn an idea.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3606

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btschumy
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Re: Filter holder for oblique illumination

#4 Post by btschumy » Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:05 pm

Thanks for the ideas. I'll try to rig something up and see how it goes.

In the meantime I was able to do a poor mans oblique lighting by rotating the turret of my phase condenser so it was between stops. It was not perfect by any means but I was able to get this pretty cool picture of a Stentor.
Sentor in Oblique Lighting.jpg
Sentor in Oblique Lighting.jpg (94.68 KiB) Viewed 4100 times
I could also try making some oblique masks and placing them in 2 unused stops of my phase condenser. Not as convenient for swapping them out, but maybe worth a try.
Bill Tschumy
Leitz SM-D LUX
AO Spencer "Cycloptic" Stereo Microscope (Series 56C)

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Crater Eddie
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Re: Filter holder for oblique illumination

#5 Post by Crater Eddie » Wed Feb 01, 2017 4:09 pm

You have indeed achieved oblique. Good photo.
CE
Olympus BH-2 / BHTU
LOMO BIOLAM L-2-2
LOMO POLAM L-213 / BIOLAM L-211 hybrid
LOMO Multiscope (Biolam)
Cameras: Canon T3i, Olympus E-P1 MFT, Amscope 3mp USB

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KurtM
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Re: Filter holder for oblique illumination

#6 Post by KurtM » Thu Feb 02, 2017 1:00 am

I agree with CE, that's a pretty decent image! Not too many Stentor images show the cilia on the side.

Partially rotating carousel-mounted phase annuli into the light path is a widely used technique for getting oblique, FYI. If you have empty holes in your phase turret, might try differently shaped masks placed in them?
Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
email: ngc704(at)gmail(dot)com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/67904872@ ... 912223623/

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