Differential Interference Contrast

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75RR
Posts: 8207
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:34 am
Location: Estepona, Spain

Differential Interference Contrast

#1 Post by 75RR » Fri Oct 15, 2021 1:27 pm

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It has occurred to me that while many members have experience in illumination techniques such as Darkfield and Rheinberg,

and some have experience in Phase (Phase Contrast) and COL (Circular Oblique Lighting), there are less who have experience in DIC (Differential Interference Contrast)

I therefore thought I should show the steps to successful Differential Interference Contrast technique


Step 1) Spend lots of money



























Step 2) Insert slide

Image






















Step 3) Press Big Red Button

Image

























Step 4) Enjoy


Image
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

smollerthings
Posts: 457
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2021 12:10 pm

Re: Differential Interference Contrast

#2 Post by smollerthings » Fri Oct 15, 2021 3:37 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Question 1: How much money are we talking?

PeteM
Posts: 2989
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:22 am
Location: N. California

Re: Differential Interference Contrast

#3 Post by PeteM » Fri Oct 15, 2021 4:03 pm

It IS a wonderful imaging method. And, there's some chance of finding a complete system in someone's attic with a request "just take it away." It would make sense to buy a lottery ticket that same day.

More realistically, you can check eBay listings - both asking and sold - and see a range of transmitted systems from about $3999 to $9999 and up. In a quick look, perhaps the best deal up on Ebay now might be a finite Nikon Optiphot for $7995. You can do better. I've put half a dozen systems to do a compare and contrast and with great patience and luck have "saved" quite a bit. Recently sold a Nikon Eclipse E-600 system to a fellow who's making some terrific micro videos. It included some good objectives (Plan, Plan Apo and Plan Fluor) and a trinocular head, but with only the DIC prisms to cover 10x (sort of), 20x, 40x, and 50x. It went for just under $4K. Closest comparables were around $10K, but with patience the under $4K was what the parts acquired over time cost me - and what I passed it along for.

The extra cost of these systems is typically in the upper and lower prisms, the universal condenser, and whatever DIC turret or intermediate piece holds the upper prism(s). It now seems that more than half the systems on DIC are falsely advertised - some without a single proper prism or the universal condenser. Many of the "phase contrast" systems as well. So it helps to do some research, know what you're looking for, and then aim to buy as complete a system as you can.

viktor j nilsson
Posts: 760
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:12 pm
Location: Lund, Sweden

Re: Differential Interference Contrast

#4 Post by viktor j nilsson » Fri Oct 15, 2021 4:18 pm

http://www.thilo-immel-optics.de/komplettmikroskope.htm

Thilo-Immels has had a DIC-equipped Olympus BH for €1950 for quite a while that I'm surprised still hasn't sold. It's not the greatest or most modern microscope, and only has 10,40 and 100 prisms. But it's a pretty tolerant system and can provide beautiful views with many different objectives. And it's an extremely well built scope, trinocular, and has 100w halogen. Pretty good deal from a reputable dealer, IMHO.

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