A dabble with a 60x collar objective stack
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:04 pm
Hi all, I just had a quick try at stacking a 4-image set of images from the wonderful 60x collar-corrected objective, the result is very pleasing indeed. This is from a permanently-mounted & stained slide of sectioned (not whole) Sonchus.sp pollen-grains, which I find are a real struggle to stack well....
Anyway, the method I used, not sure why, just 'seeing what happens' I think, was to ste the collar to 0.17ยต and focus the first layer of the stack. Then, instead of subsequently focusing the further 3 layers with the BX40's fine-focus in the usual way, I used the collar to 'drill-down' for the 3 further layers of focus. I doubt this method makes any difference but thought I practice with the 60x a little. I have no similar stack mad by using the 'scope's fine-focus for each layer - still, maybe I'll do that tomorrow!
A few images, including the 4 layers of the stac and of course the stack itself, made using Helicon Focus and the 'Depth-Map method of stacking with a width setting of 30 - always goos settings I find for my plaant slide stacks.
I also made what I call a 'pseudo SEM' image which I sometimes indulge-in as I really like the 3-D look, see what you think. It's made simply with PSE v9 by first inverting the colours (not the orientation!) of the 'normal' stacked image, then converting that to monochrome and that's all really - I love the effect, especially with pollen exines such as here.
The first 4 images are the constituent layers of the stack, each layer focused with the objective's collar,
Stack layer 1 of 4
Layer 2 of 4
Layer 3 of 4
Layer 4 of 4
This is the stack, edited lightly in PSE v9,
This is my rather indulgent 'simulated SEM' edit.....
A very enjoyable quick outing with the 60x - which I've also given a light clean as it was rather grimy around the collar.
Hope you like them!
Anyway, the method I used, not sure why, just 'seeing what happens' I think, was to ste the collar to 0.17ยต and focus the first layer of the stack. Then, instead of subsequently focusing the further 3 layers with the BX40's fine-focus in the usual way, I used the collar to 'drill-down' for the 3 further layers of focus. I doubt this method makes any difference but thought I practice with the 60x a little. I have no similar stack mad by using the 'scope's fine-focus for each layer - still, maybe I'll do that tomorrow!
A few images, including the 4 layers of the stac and of course the stack itself, made using Helicon Focus and the 'Depth-Map method of stacking with a width setting of 30 - always goos settings I find for my plaant slide stacks.
I also made what I call a 'pseudo SEM' image which I sometimes indulge-in as I really like the 3-D look, see what you think. It's made simply with PSE v9 by first inverting the colours (not the orientation!) of the 'normal' stacked image, then converting that to monochrome and that's all really - I love the effect, especially with pollen exines such as here.
The first 4 images are the constituent layers of the stack, each layer focused with the objective's collar,
Stack layer 1 of 4
Layer 2 of 4
Layer 3 of 4
Layer 4 of 4
This is the stack, edited lightly in PSE v9,
This is my rather indulgent 'simulated SEM' edit.....
A very enjoyable quick outing with the 60x - which I've also given a light clean as it was rather grimy around the collar.
Hope you like them!