Overhead lighting for compound scope (T720Q)

[dswtan]

I have an Amscope T720Q. Sometimes I'd like to examine non-transparent objects, and I don't want to stretch to a dedicated stereo scope yet. Is there a best practice way to do this, such as an appropriate ring light adapter or goosenecks?

Is there a specific solution that others have tried on such Amscopes that works well? Is there even a ringlight that could actually work (single objective lens only I guess), or it must be goosenecks?

[Greg Howald]

I think it depends upon the objectives used. A gooseneck will do the job for 4, 10, and 20x. Above that in my experience you will be lucky to get anything to work due to lack of space between the objective and the specimen. I've heard of perfectly aiming a laser pen light at the edge of the slide for oblique lighting but I've never tried it..
Greg

[MicroBob]

Hi, for the lower powers one or two IKEA Jansjö lamps do a good job. To even out illumination a table tennis ball an be cut in half and a hold for the objective can be added.

Bob

[Greg Howald]

That's an interesting comment. The half ball would act as a parabolic to focus the light. Sounds cool.
Greg

[Chas]

Use scissors as much as you can when cutting the ping pong ball --or they will turn blood red.

[MichaelG.]

That's an interesting comment. The half ball would act as a parabolic to focus the light. Sounds cool.
Greg

.
Well actually, no ... a hemispherical surface makes a rather poor job of focusing

MichaelG.
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_reflector
https://youtu.be/djkBahaEHG4

[75RR]

.
This is an example of a ping-pong ball in use:

https://www.microbehunter.com/microscop ... 145#p29145

[Chas]

Half of half ping-pong balls are sometimes easier to get into position 'after the event'
[That is a bit of a wooden skewer attached with holt-melt on the right hand side one]

half of half ping pong balls.jpg (69.21 KiB) Viewed 4283 times

[Chas]

.... and if you are trying to photograph discreet unmounted things eg small dead insects, you could try putting them into the bottom of a half-ping-pong ball ... this can be rested on a microscope-slide sized piece of plastic or cardboard with a round hole cut into the middle and lit from the side
(with a jansjo light ..sadly, no longer available):

Ping pong ball as a cup.jpg (61.55 KiB) Viewed 4267 times

this gives quite a reasonably softish lighting:

Weevil parasitoid inside ping pong half.jpg (37.52 KiB) Viewed 4267 times

The ping pong balls are really just to soften the lighting and so avoid really bright reflections that come directly from the light source
The back plastic slide used in the photo to hold the ball was actually a microscope watch-glass holder that was being made and sold on eBay by a 3D printing person. I have just looked, but I dont see them for sale any more.

[Greg Howald]

That's a really good result. I'll have to try it. I really like such experimentation.
Greg

[DonSchaeffer]

I use 2 focused flashlights mounted on stands to direct beams virtually parallel to the stage at the subject. This lighting improves shadows and builds the topology of the subject using the 60x objective.

[dswtan]

Thank you everyone for your kind replies - great ideas!

[iconoclastica]

Wouldn't you rather mix in some transmitted light so the background turns white, instead of inside-of-pp-ball-coloured?

[EYE C U]

Screen Shot 2021-06-13 at 12.53.58 PM.png (174.19 KiB) Viewed 4116 times