MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

thanks for the additional input yes i was aware that without an eyepiece multiplier lens - the magnification will be only what the objective is generating - plus anything added by the tube lens your point about additional effects of greater focal length increasing magnification slightly was new to m...

Thanks for the links to the documents - i have given those a read so the main thing seems to be to experiment with different pH levels but in a few places i have seen kind of indirect references to the way the staining process actually works - in that some are indicating the the water content of the...

Your pH is most likely too low. Increasing alkalinity will give a more intense colour uptake. Take a look at this brief overview: https://www.merckmillipore.com/NO/en/ivd-oem-materials-and-reagents/learning-center/giemsa-solution/r2ab.qB.aBwAAAFOqm81lSAJ,nav#:~:text=back%20to%20top-,Giemsa%20Staini...

thanks for the input both Pete - i have looked for a banged up binocular head - but they are not so common - nothing in the last 6 months - that's why i was considering other approaches Scarodactyl - i was hoping the geometry of the tube lens might be such that other sources might work the Kenko off...

thanks for the tip!

i am interested in this in particular to understand what type of photography lens i might adapt for use as the tube lens for an Olympus BX infinity system i have BX scope i am using for microbiology - but the head unit is not in great condition due to poor storage by previous owner - and even used t...

just a quick report back to say that by
1, cleaning slide with a cloth and isopropyl alcohol
2, cleaning again with a kitchen cream cleaner and buffing with a cotton cloth

i got almost no fish eyes - even with the previously unusable slides

thanks for the tip!!

Thanks very much for the input Brian here is a white blood cell - https://i.ibb.co/HCHzS9j/IMG-5675.jpg in this photo image you can see the cytoplasm - but by eye that is very hard to see the contrast on the camera is somewhat better than the human eye its nearly invisible through the scope - and th...

I have a question about the Giemsa staining of thin blood smears I've been doing this for a few months now mainly studying red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets etc The main problem I'm having is I'm finding it difficult to get the stain and dark enough especially to darkly stain the red blo...

Thanks very much for the detailed input i need to do a bit more digging to make sure i understand the details of how that could be done i think i will start with an iphone on eyepiece and see how well that works - with a view to going to a phase 2 approach and upgrading to a dedicated camera and ada...

Another alternative to a trinocular head is an Olympus U-TLU. This is just a tube lens to which you could attach a camera and monitor. The advantage is that 100% of the light will go to it. It is also easier to securely mount a camera and better manage vibration. These might cost $150-200 used. If ...

The iPhone, or other cell phone, will be fine: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artapr16/tj-cell-phone-photomicro.pdf The maximum resolution you'll get out of dried, wright's stained, blood films will be less than the microscope is capable of, and probably less than you camera is capable of as w...

Scarodactyl wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 30, 2023 9:14 pm

How budget is budget? And do you have a 3d printer (or a friend with one)?

i am thinking around £100 ideally - £150 max

unfortunately no 3d scanner or access to one - but i guess i could use one of the online services for printing something is it was worthwhile

Hello all I know this may sound a little incongruous as the BX is a high end scope but i am on a budget and on my other thread – link below – I am gradually working my way through cleaning and recommissioning a rather long stored and dirty but otherwise recoverable Olympus BX40 Microscope https://ww...

OK a variant of the above worked for me with the very problematic first / bottom lens - thanks to Hobbyst46 for the ideas in case it helps others working on the eyepieces for the BX series i didn't fancy getting anything sticky on the lens to hold it in place - as i haven't been having great success...

Why not prepare or find a stiff cardboard pipe, that has a perfectly straight end, of a diameter just slightly less than that of the lens; pass the pipe through the lower part of the eyepiece; support the lens on that end and slowly lower the pipe until the lens reaches its proper position. To prev...

OK - i am hoping some more photos might help these are the eyepiece tubes of the BX this is the one i have not fully taken apart and you can see the difficult lens in question installed where it should be https://i.ibb.co/RChvwWV/bx-lens1.jpg it has to go in from the top of the tube - with the flat ...

OK - update is i am slowly working my way through repairing this scope. i will need to clean all the optical components i have done the mirror kohler unit and condenser as they were the easy bits the eyepieces have fungus on some internal lens surfaces and i have had to dismantle to clean them https...

Sorry, I only copied the title. It's what you linked to. Works on thread fungus better than anything else I tried. Now my first choice go to for coated. Only tried on Nikon,Watson,Euromex,GTvision, Canon, Panasonic and Pentax thanks for confirming Phil i don't think i have fungus in this one - - i ...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3344959 Yes, I have the other suggested solvents also. For removing fungus I have found the Ziess cleaner the most effective. Not saying it's not good to use whatever works for whatever residue. Internal fungus can come back if it's not neutralised. Kill it all, it's bett...

Some types of old oil or grease, that survive isopropanol, can be removed with heptane or octane (or a similar hydrocarbon from a Pharmacy). Do not try acetone - it can damage optical cements. Try to blow away all dust and solid particles especially from inside-tube surfaces. One advantage of the B...

Good luck with your latest project. The BX should give better results than the Watson when finished. I'm very biased to Watson. I have other more recent scopes also. The Microsystem 70 is enough to hook anyone into the world of microscopy. Microsystem 70 optics in fully restored condition are still...

I'd try something other than IPA (ROR, etc.) for removing oil from the eyepieces and do a single dry wipe with soft lens tissue after wetting. A lens cleaner with a bit of soap in it may better capture the oil for removal. It could also be you've just been dissolving the oil and moving it around wi...

So far it looks like the scope has potential The resolution and even apparent size and detail of red blood cells under 400x magnification is around that of 1000x under oil of my old scope to date I have • Repaired, filled and painted the stage top surface • Straightened and refitted the slide holder...

Speaking from experience, though not from blood smears. To start with, slides should be clean right out of the box. Not all newly purchased slides are such. Specifically, old slides that were not properly packed might be damaged by corrosion. Slides do have an expiry date. I bought Menzel-Glaser Su...

Cook them in hot Chromerge for an hour. Everything will be gone then. Downside: Your wife will probably throw you out of the house. Washing them in the dish washer is a socially more accepted solution to the problem. i am sure that works rather well - but i read "Chromerge probably causes cancer" s...

Hi Garz, Use a cream cleaner; put a drop on each side of the slide, rub up and down between finger and thumb then leave to dry. When you want to use them wipe the powder off with your lint free cloth. Hope this helps. Peter. i would not have thought about that one - thanks very much - i will give i...

i have tried all sorts and still seem to get issues with "fish eye" spotting in the blood films - bought slides sold as pre-cleaned - usually terrible - not clean at all cleaned with 97% ethyl alcohol and a lint free cloth or paper towel - better but still fish eye effects thought maybe the alcohol ...

i found this thread very useful also when it comes to cleaning implements and solutions

https://www.microbehunter.com/microscop ... ng#p113772

The only problem with spray paint, unless it's something like powder coated, is that it will quickly wear from contact with slides and the slide holder arm. Flat or satin black canned spray paints meant for auto trim or wheels will cure a bit harder in my experience. These days, the better microsco...