Diploneis bombus

[75RR]

.
Planapo 63x/1.4, DIC, 45µm, stacked in Photoshop, Marine sample, Alboran Sea.

[daruosha]

Beautiful shot.

[75RR]

Thanks daruosha, they are pretty little things. Had been looking forward to finding one.

[Wes]

Your diatom adventures never cease to amaze me. Great shot!

In the middle of the cell is that the nucleus visible?

[MicroBob]

Nice image! Due to the angle of view it is almost possible to see the arrangement of the two frustules.

Bob

[75RR]

Thanks Wes

In the middle of the cell is that the nucleus visible?

Afraid I was concentrating more on photographing it than distinguishing its internals.

A common hazard with photography, one is so busy 'capturing' the moment that we do not take the time to really see it.

Might be the nucleus or could just be near surface chloroplasts.

[75RR]

Thanks Microbob

Due to the angle of view it is almost possible to see the arrangement of the two frustules.

Yes, it is almost a 3/4 view.

[Hobbyst46]

Great photo ! (you have set a high level "standard"...)

[ImperatorRex]

Great foto! Thank you for sharing.

[75RR]

Many thanks Hobbyst46 and ImperatorRex

[KD Arvidsson]

Absolute fantastic image Thanks for sharing//KD

[75RR]

Many thanks KD Arvidsson

[Wes]

Planapo 63x/1.4

I may have asked you in the past so don't hate me for asking again but how do you clean the planapo after work?

[75RR]

.
If you have asked before I have forgotten ;)

Firstly I get rid of excess immersion oil with absorbent paper, I pat, never rub.

Then I make up a cotton swab using a bamboo stick.

(I keep the cotton in a plastic bag. You get a nicer swab if the cotton is fluffed first.
I fluff it by grabbing it from both sides through the bag and teasing it apart.
Dipping the stick in the isopropanol beforehand helps the cotton to wrap)

I just use isopropanol as I have been unable to source petroleum ether as recommended by Zeiss.

If I feel it needs it I sometimes breath on it before a final wipe with the cotton swab. (I use one side of the swab and then the other but never the same side twice)

Recipe for Optical Cleaning Solution L from Carl Zeiss

Recipe 85 % petroleum ether, 15 % isopropanol. (The solution is not sold by Carl Zeiss.)
The petroleum ether (also known as benzine or rubbing alcohol) should be analytically pure and have the lowest possible boiling point (≤ 44o C).
Heavier benzene fractions are not suitable as they leave an insoluble residue on the optical surface.
Acetone that is recommended exclusively for the occasional cleaning of oil contaminated cover slips should also be analytically pure.

[Wes]

Thanks for the advice. So isopropanol does not affect the cement of the front lens, thats good to know.

A long time ago I ruined a regular old 100/1,25 achromat using ethanol and I've been ever since paranoid about solvent choice.

EDIT: so newer lenses from Zeiss (whats currently in sold by them) are ok with ethanol, many people seem to be using 70% ethanol for cleaning oil.