MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Beautiful video!

I just tried my 40X APO Oil Objective for the first time, and all I can say is "wow!" The difference in resolution and color, as compared to my non-oil 40X objective, is huge. Here are just a few samples of my first light with this objective.

https://youtu.be/ZO6LiFq5L_A

I've read that they can also feed on other organisms.

I don't know hoe to spell it, but can you get Metamucil. It has been used to slow things down in pond water. Also glycerin has been used. They both increase the viscosity of the water. It's hard to swim in something that seem as thick as syrup. I'll look for that. Thanks. I'm sure I can get glyceri...

I don't know hoe to spell it, but can you get Metamucil. It has been used to slow things down in pond water. Also glycerin has been used. They both increase the viscosity of the water. It's hard to swim in something that seem as thick as syrup. I'll look for that. Thanks. I'm sure I can get glyceri...

Hopefully you can find Cytrocell, a dietary product made with methycellulose, and used to thicken liquids, common in the drug section of grocery stores or at the pharmacy. Oh, thanks. I see I can get that online here in Thailand, but it's about 4x as much as in USA. I'll pick some up next trip home.

DonSchaeffer wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 15, 2022 8:20 pm

Interesting. Do you see what they are swarming over?

In the first two clips, they seem to be swarming around and perhaps eating some debris -- maybe remains of a dead organism. The other clips may also be showing feeding, I'm just not sure.

Youtube informations says 30 fps. That video is 1280x720 and has just 18 MBytes. Do your calculation, how big it would be if it had 1600 fps. Looks like you mixed up fps and shutter speed. The video was shot at 1/1600 second, and while my camera is capable of 60fps at 1080P, each of those frames is...

Here is a link to some test video shot at 1600 fps. Each clip shows a few seconds at full speed, followed by the same few seconds at 1/4 speed. Please excuse the quality of the clips, this was merely a test of the frame rate, slow motion, and ensuring no screen flicker after converting to DC. https:...

Today I completed changing my microscope from AC to DC. There's still some beautification to do, that will happen this week, but the goal was to open up shooting my movies at higher frame rates without flicker. I've been limited to shooting at exactly 100 fps to match a full cycle of our 50hz AC pow...

Hi. I'm in Thailand, and all I can find online for purchase is carboxymethylcellulose, not methylcellulose. Does anyone know if carboxymethylcellulose can be used as a slowing agent in my water samples, or will the carboxyl group damage the sample? Thanks.

I was wondering if anyone has experimented with "thickening" water-based samples with a thickener like xanthum gum (which doesn't require heating) to partially immobilize subjects? In the "professional" lab we use methylcellulose for this purpose, but at home I have quite a bit of xanthum gum (used...

I've got tons of various euglenoids in my water samples. I have been seeing them swarm from time to time, and I've joined several short clips in this movie. The first two show swarms around debris. The third around a rotifer. The fourth around a single cell organism, and the fifth around a smaller e...

Bruce Taylor wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 13, 2022 10:25 pm

It's a haptorid, a group that includes a number of long-bodied predators. This one is likely in genus Chaenea.

Thank you for the ID.

I've been seeing these in my recent water samples. This is the first time I've been able to follow them long enough on video -- they're fast! Phase contrast, 40x objective, FOV = 360x200 microns. Thanks.

https://youtu.be/D5n9FxmPrBU

Looks like you got your nematode staining figured out? Nice photo.

I learned more today and now know what this is. The organism is a single cell ciliate called Maryna. The "shell" around it is called a Lorica, it's a gelatinous tubular structure secreted by the Maryna as a form of protection. The top end of the Lorica remains open so that the Maryna can poke its mo...

Someone suggested to me that the ciliate was just hanging out and eating inside the empty husk of another microorganism, and left while I was taking this video. Does that sound right?

Very nice videos!

tlansing wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 10, 2022 12:16 pm

This is a peritrich, a type of ciliate on a stalk. The stalk can be contractile or not. This could be a species of Vorticella.

Thank you.

I captured a ciliate emerging from some type of sac. Can anyone explain what I witnessed? You'll see the organism emerge completely at the end of the video. 40x objective, and FF sensor crop factor set to 1.5x.

https://youtu.be/4HtPIXjU7Yg

DonSchaeffer wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 06, 2022 3:55 pm

Wonderful images.

Thanks.

These are sessile peritrich ciliates (Sessilida) in the process of entering their migratory "swarmer" or "telotroch" phase of life. The wreath of cilia you see is actually at the posterior of the cell. The mouth (peristome) is closing up, but still visible at the opposite end. Wow, thanks so much, ...

Shot in fresh water sample using 40X objective, and full frame camera crop setting set to 1.5x.

https://youtu.be/D0a6MD_CYik

imkap wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 06, 2022 5:34 am

Although you can use crop mode on a FF, but then it is not a FF anymore

I can't believe I didn't know my Nikon FF had crop modes. For video it has a 1.5 crop option (it has 1.2 and 1.5 for photo), and still fills 1920x1080. I'm seeing things I've never been able to see before. So cool.

Beautiful imagery. Thanks for sharing this.

Wow. First, nicely spotted! The video is just beautiful.

The 2 side covers are only held by 4 JIS screws. Nothing optical is affected by removing the plastic covers. Check both slotted set screws are in place,if they are both there one may have sheared off the bottom end. The thread is maybe 2mm so it wouldn't be that hard to break. It's worth checking a...

Too many guess work suggestions about grease and crush washers. That's not how they work. I have a few of the Nikon binocular heads which are easily serviceable. Attempting the suggestion about tension washers will only result in a broken front cover cap. Thanks. I'm leaning toward doing nothing. I...