Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

What is your microscopy history? What are your interests? What equipment do you use?
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10.000spore
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Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2022 7:53 am

Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#1 Post by 10.000spore » Thu Oct 27, 2022 8:06 am

Hi everyone,
My name is Salvo..I am a music producer looking into creating beautiful analog visuals from the microscopic world that surround us. I will be mainly recording video in very high definition of liquids.
I would love to have the practicality of adding, shaking, and interacting with the specimen..
Considering all the above, what do you suggest as microscope and camera?

I will be probably buy from them:
https://amscope.co.uk

Any help in this regard will be much appreciated..🙏

Dennis
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Joined: Wed May 13, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: New Jersey, USA

Re: Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#2 Post by Dennis » Thu Oct 27, 2022 12:32 pm

10,000 spore-
I would go as cheap as you can and buy used off Ebay.
I would not show microbes (microscopic animals) as that would be very creepy projected on a wall or in art.
I would do a web search of what else to use as I do not think a microscope would be the best thing.
-Dennis

PeteM
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Location: N. California

Re: Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#3 Post by PeteM » Thu Oct 27, 2022 3:45 pm

In terms of subjects, you might check out crystal growth and polarization. Amazing images and with movement if you do time lapse photography.

You might also get interesting polarized images with bits of plastics (they show up colored between polarizing filters) either in fluid or heated "alloys" that might flow. The latter a bit tricky, but the needed heat with some thermoplastics should be manageable.

Just pond critters (despite the above creep factor) can be interesting as the water dries.

Mixes of fluids under DIC (differential interference contrast) can look amazing, but the scopes are expensive and you won't get a satisfactory one from AmScope in my opinion.

What's your budget? I lean towards an "infinity" scope for easy of attaching various cameras, but a finite scope with photo relay optics (Olympus, Nikon, etc.) could be fine. It's easy and affordable to add polarization to many scopes. You might be able to get a used DIC-capable scope (at one or two magnifications) for as little as $2000-$3000 US.

Javier
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Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Re: Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#4 Post by Javier » Thu Oct 27, 2022 8:43 pm

Dennis wrote:
Thu Oct 27, 2022 12:32 pm
10,000 spore-
I would go as cheap as you can and buy used off Ebay.
I would not show microbes (microscopic animals) as that would be very creepy projected on a wall or in art.
I would do a web search of what else to use as I do not think a microscope would be the best thing.
-Dennis
Pond life could be art material for sure, although you have to carefully choose your specimen:

https://www.canadiannaturephotographer.com/Nassula.html

Dennis
Posts: 674
Joined: Wed May 13, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: New Jersey, USA

Re: Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#5 Post by Dennis » Thu Oct 27, 2022 10:09 pm

I am thinking the rock concerts of the 60s-
Get a little gasoline or oil on the surface of water and film it swirling around. Stuff like that.
I have a friend from way back that does effects shows. I don't know what he uses as software but there is no water submersion.
Here is one of his Youtube channels-

https://www.youtube.com/user/spiritorbrain/videos

He was a good guitar player when younger. Anyhow this all makes me think of the episode of "Columbo" where a guy murdered a top mafia type person and buried the body in a fish tank on the floor of a disco which had a camera which shot the fish water all colored on the wall of the disco. Of course Columbo found it.

https://columbo.fandom.com/wiki/Columbo ... _Nightlife

I make freaky artwork by taking photos and with Windows11 Photos you can edit. One edit is to negative a color photo. Maybe green turns to red. I forget. Well my avatar is a small size one of my photo arts actually.

I am just not seeing microscope images and rock music together.

-Dennis

BramHuntingNematodes
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Location: Georgia, USA

Re: Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#6 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Fri Oct 28, 2022 4:58 am

I think ideally you're going to want a mitutoyo finescope with maybe a 20x at most. Pricey though, but it's set up for photos and enough working distance for lighting and interaction
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

10.000spore
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2022 7:53 am

Re: Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#7 Post by 10.000spore » Wed Nov 09, 2022 3:57 pm

Thank you for your suggestions guys.. I believe I could spend between 1000-2000£ on it and maybe get a separate 4k camera??
Could you point out some options for me? I am a bit confused..

Just so you have an idea.. this artist is doing incredible stuff:

https://instagram.com/cosmodernism?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I would love to be able to achieve something similar with my own twist on it and my own music to accompany the visuals..

You guys are amazing, I am grateful for your help🙏☺️

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
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Location: Georgia, USA

Re: Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#8 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Thu Nov 10, 2022 5:17 am

Yeah maybe look for a macroscope. Those apozooms I hear are good but a little more than what you're looking to spend. Maybe a different one. This polish artist is not doing super close work from what I can tell. You can even see his ring light in the reflections of his sample in some! He says he dusted off an old microscope, but artists can downplay their tools and it may be several nice instruments as he has done some polarizing work as well.

If the macroscope term is too limiting any number of CMO stereoscopes would do just as well.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

10.000spore
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2022 7:53 am

Re: Microscope for video/visual art suggestions needed

#9 Post by 10.000spore » Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:47 pm

BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Thu Nov 10, 2022 5:17 am
Yeah maybe look for a macroscope. Those apozooms I hear are good but a little more than what you're looking to spend. Maybe a different one. This polish artist is not doing super close work from what I can tell. You can even see his ring light in the reflections of his sample in some! He says he dusted off an old microscope, but artists can downplay their tools and it may be several nice instruments as he has done some polarizing work as well.

If the macroscope term is too limiting any number of CMO stereoscopes would do just as well.
Is Macroscope the same as a stereo microscope?
I guess I will end up having all sort of "scopes"... would you suggest a good brand that will allow me to record video?
should i get a separate video camera, like a canon/Nikon? what are my options?
there is soo much to look at, "cooonfiusiooon wil be mt epitaph.." xD

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