MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

This might be of interest

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-29182-y

I'll look into it myself when I get a minute!

Louise

Just for fun I ordered a couple of the clip-on macro lenses from Ebay. I'll have a play. Could use them for flowers and insects, if nothing else! For fluorescence, though, I figure I can probably use green and red, maybe cyan, astronomy filters for the emission side. I have blue LEDs for excitation. So it should be quite straightforward. The article is a bit specific for GFP and RFP but there are natural sources of red and green fluorescence one could investigate. I'll have to do some research on that when I can. If the phone version can be made to work then the same principle should be useable on a proper microscope - in theory!

Louise

You can surely do it just for fun and it should work in theory.

Though otherwise I don’t see a point of using DIY “microscope” and a smartphone, when you have a real microscope (and objectives) and a real camera (whose noise tolerance is much higher than a phone camera). Image quality in that manuscript is not very good to my eyes.

I do have a similar clip-on phone macro lens; it is quite good for a phone lens. But I only use it for posting quick online photos for rough identification of small seashells and insects.

Apexel (brand) sells both a micro version and a macro version for phone cameras. I have both and like them for what they are.

zzffnn wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:38 pm

You can surely do it just for fun and it should work in theory.

Though otherwise I don’t see a point of using DIY “microscope” and a smartphone, when you have a real microscope (and objectives) and a real camera (whose noise tolerance is much higher than a phone camera). Image quality in that manuscript is not very good to my eyes.

I do have a similar clip-on phone macro lens; it is quite good for a phone lens. But I only use it for posting quick online photos for rough identification of small seashells and insects.

Apexel (brand) sells both a micro version and a macro version for phone cameras. I have both and like them for what they are.

I thought the clip-on macro lenses would be interesting to try as a thing in themselves, and could be good as a portable setup for flowers, insects etc. in the field. Until I get them I won't know what sort of quality I'll get with the 64MP phone camera. The ones I ordered are the Apexel 12x/24x. The fluorescence part is a bit of an value-added extra. If it works and is useable for autofluorescence then it could be a cheap and simple adaption for my other diy microscope which is based on a vertically mounted and motorised macro rail. I do like to tinker! I've not done any microscopy since last year (for various reasons) so a little project like this might help get me over my current hiatus. The paper is based on using zebra fish bred to express gfp and rfp, and doing some low power live imaging of the whole embryos. The videos show the beating hearts of the embryos which is quite cool. You can't expect fantastic images just with a cheap macro lens.

Louise

LouiseScot wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:16 pm

This might be of interest

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-29182-y

I'll look into it myself when I get a minute!

Louise

Hey, wait a minute!

Don't you have a DIY DIC system to finish building?

A working fluorescence setup for any microscope could be build from low cost components. A blue LED, a battery and some yellow gelatin filter are all you need. I recommend blue over UV light. It gives much stronger fluorescence from chlorophyll for example and it is saver as well. Picture quality using a microscope will be significantly better than what may be achieved through a smart phone macro lens made from Chinese plastics.

Sure Squintsalot wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:39 am

LouiseScot wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:16 pm

This might be of interest

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-29182-y

I'll look into it myself when I get a minute!

Louise

Hey, wait a minute!

Don't you have a DIY DIC system to finish building?

I do! I had a road accident on my bicycle when I was 16. Ever since I've had this problem where I can be doing something and it's like flicking a switch. Suddenly I then just can't continue the thing I was doing even if part of me really wants to. However, it can happen that the switch turns on again after some time and I feel able to do the thing again. It's frustrating but I can't help it.

Louise

Alexander wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:14 am

A working fluorescence setup for any microscope could be build from low cost components. A blue LED, a battery and some yellow gelatin filter are all you need. I recommend blue over UV light. It gives much stronger fluorescence from chlorophyll for example and it is saver as well. Picture quality using a microscope will be significantly better than what may be achieved through a smart phone macro lens made from Chinese plastics.

Yes, yes. See my comments above! As mentioned, I quite like the idea of something portable that could potentially be used in the field. I've been playing with a couple of plano-convex (glass!) lenses and a 3d-printed holder on my old Samsung A40. Seems to work ok for the macro side. I don't want the focal length to be too short. I'll have a look at incorporating filters. I have an idea for a multi-spectral excitation source but not sure how best to put it together yet. I have a small UV torch and UV has the advantage of being able to excite fluorophores more generally. It's just a bit of fun, really.

Louise

I'm expecting the clip-on lenses today. However, I think they may be somewhat redundant now! I've made adapters for a 10x EP, a 25x EP as well as the lower power plano convex lenses which together are f = 29.5mm. I've just been using the UV torch for illumination. I think I'm sceptical of the paper's reference to a 25x lens - must be a Chinese 25X! The working distance is a bit too short to be practical, though could be used with transmitted light and a better focus mechanism. But then, might as well use a proper microscope. Low power, though, is quite useable. It's quite hard to keep focus at 25x and even 10x needs a few goes - but that might just be me. I'll make some more rigid, and more stable supports, for it today. I'll post some pics later

Louise