MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

If you already have the AO, I would probably buy the Amscope on Amazon rather than spending the same amount for just a boom and barlow. Then, you could compare the two as far as optical quality and function are concerned, and return the Amscope if it proved a lemon or did not meet your requirements....

A nice catch! I don't think I've ever come across a tube-dwelling rotifer.

Was it moving?

You are correct--electron microscopes need a carefully prepared specimen and generally cannot be used to examine live cells.

The review didn't cover MFT cameras, but MFT is still a large sensor compared to most of the USB/C-mount cameras, and I would expect it to produce good results, similar to APS-C cameras. I do think sensor size has to matter, everything else being equal (which admittedly often isn't the case). A larg...

You can see many bacteria using a good microscope with a 60X objective. Close the condenser down and manipulate the light intensity until they come into view. Some bacteria really are beyond good resolution with light microscopes. You may see massing bacteria as half-visible wavy shapes in the wate...

... To get the best photos I can using (my 'not as young' ) DSLR, on mounted specimens, I force the camera to use 100 ISO, this sometimes means exposure times of 0.25 to 4 seconds. The strange (counter intuitive?) advantage of long exposure time is that vibration blur caused by the camera at the be...

Rob, many thanks for posting the link to your very useful review of camera options. I'll have to check out the other content on your web site. I've just skimmed through the article, and it looks to be an invaluable resource for anyone getting into microphotography, covering all the main options--cel...

For this bacterium, a stereo microscope would be the preferred instrument. In fact, even a magnifying glass would do

https://www.science.org/content/article ... plex-cells

The iris diaphragm--the part with the metal leaves that opens and closes. And I second the caution; if disassembled, they can be a nightmare to get back together.

... I am just getting interested in microscopy (SEM) in the context of microbiology. I want to study bacteria, really small. Which kit do you recommend for performance and reliability? My price range is $40-55k. ... Per your edit, I see you are actually looking for a SEM. Electron microscopy is an ...

Nice images--good to see a microscope that much older than any of us still performing! Per the comments in the other thread, the reason your Nikon D5500 does not work well may be vibration--shutter shock, etc. Aside from settings (particularly EFCS, if your camera has that), you might try mounting i...

Depends. Vintage microscopes (and available optics) generally assume a full-frame camera but can be used with an APS-C camera if you don't mind some cropping. With these, it can be difficult to interface a small-sensor USB camera, as the needed brand-specific correcting photo lenses simply aren't av...

Yes, many of us already have the DSLR, so it is the least expensive way of getting a large-sensor microscope camera. On many DSLR cameras, in Live View mode with the mirror locked up and EFCS (Electronic First-Curtain Shutter) enabled, vibrations from the camera are minimized. I cannot find a refere...

There have been several forum discussions on viewing bacteria that you may want to check out, that you can probably find with the search function. One such is: https://www.microbehunter.com/microscopy-forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=13055 Basically, any decent microscope will allow you to see bacteria wi...

I just purchased another adapter from Newhoper on Ebay, and noticed that he has a Leica to C-mount adapter, with reducing lens, that may fit your microscope: https://www.ebay.com/itm/264259223949?hash=item3d8713c18d:g:wa4AAOSw~FlbgwYt Newhoper sells a variety of microscope-to-camera adapters. If you...

Unfortunately, it can be frustrating interfacing a camera to a microscope. And even when the camera is interfaced properly, it can be difficult if not impossible to capture an image matching the quality that you see with your eye. Which model microscope are you using? Does it have a trinocular head/...

SP40 seems to come with a condenser that has a filter holder, see below, so first step would be to see if a stop placed there works. There are people on Ebay selling darkfield/oblique stop sets for various diameter holders. Sometimes the filter holder is too far below the diaphragm to work well for...

SP40 seems to have a filter holder, see below, so first step would be to see if a stop placed there works. There are people on Ebay selling darkfield/oblique stop sets for various diameter holders. Sometimes the filter holder is too far below the diaphragm to work well for darkfield, in which case y...

Damage to the top of the condenser coating probably effects contrast, but probably not a lot. The turret condenser on my Optiphot-2 has a spot on top that is practically frosted, apparently from being repeatedly rammed up against the underside of the slide, but I really can't tell that there is an a...

Wish I knew the Axio Lab.A1, but it should be fairly easy to connect the Swiftcam. If it doesn't connect directly, you may need an adapter like this one: https://bolioptics.com/zeiss-microscope-camera-coupler-adapter-diameter-30mm-456006/ Bolioptics is a good place to ask about what you need, as the...

Nice!

... I mean, i use brigth field, dark field, oblique field, polarization (with some non professional waveplates).. and i have recently ordered a 40x phase contrast objetive with a PC condenser. And i know i have to change the iris condenser to annulus ... What kind of phase contrast condenser did yo...

Congrats on getting it worked out. Nice imaging! For now, DSLR's seem generally the preferred option with a trinocular, if the coupling hardware is available, particularly for those who already have a suitable DSLR or mirrorless around the house. This will probably change as USB cameras with 1-inch ...

Unless cooked to "well done," a fair number of bacteria do survive, I believe. It would be enough to make a person go vegetarian--except, of course, that a lot of veggie dishes also come with their share of microbes. As Mr. Monk said, "It's a dangerous world out there..."

Looks like a reasonably good deal. And if you ever need more light, you can add a $30 ring light.

You should be able to use the Swiftcam as an eyepiece camera with both microscopes. As USB cameras go, it's probably a good economy choice. I have a similar 5mb Amscope USB camera that performs reasonably well. It appears the Swiftcam has a C-mount fitting with the included reduction lens screwed in...

Mike, do you have a budget for the microscope? That will pretty much define your options if you are buying new, which I believe you said is your intention.

I think "2000X" is the purported maximum magnification, not the model number. Otherwise, Amscope has several camera adapters--call or email to see which they recommend for your microscope: https://amscope.com/search?q=camera+adapter Also, you can email Ebay seller Newhoper, who specializes in camera...

Thought I'd do an update on my attempt to connect the Nikon Optiphot-2 to a Canon RP mirrorless camera. I initially had the Nikon T trinocular head with a phototube with a lens at the bottom, into which a CCD video camera adapter was inserted in place of a projection lens. I then acquired a Nikon F ...