Hello from Wisconsin

What is your microscopy history? What are your interests? What equipment do you use?
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Geolonick
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Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2022 5:16 pm

Hello from Wisconsin

#1 Post by Geolonick » Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:50 pm

Hi All,
I am an electron microscopist and former geologist. I also worked in the aerospace industry. I have worked with some light microscopes but it has been mostly brightfield and polarized light (geological thin sections). I was lucky to find a Nikon Microphot at a decent price. It is set up for BF, DF, DIC and fluorescence. I don't have much in the way of objectives yet, I have a PH3 40x and a few E-plan , still trying to figure out want I need.
I'm mostly planning on looking at micro-life I find in the ground and local ponds with my pre-teen son. As an undergrad I attended a fantastic lecture on microfossils, does anyone know a good source for foraminifera or radiolaria?
Happy to be here!
Nick

viktor j nilsson
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Re: Hello from Wisconsin

#2 Post by viktor j nilsson » Wed Jan 04, 2023 5:41 pm

Good buy, the Microphot is a magnificent scope, and seem to quite often have been sold with DIC.

As you probably know, you will need 160mm Nikon CF objectives. Most of them are covered in this catalogue:

https://krebsmicro.com/Nikon_CF.pdf

Many of the objectives shown in the catalogue are of the updated version known as CFN (Chrome-Free New), characterized by their knurling.

Before that catalogue was published, Nikon made an earlier generation known as CF, with plain barrels. Some of those are shown in the catalogue as well (as they hadn't been updated). But they would also

After that catalogue was published, Nikon made a new series of objectives known as CFN Plan Fluor. They aren't super common as they were only made for a couple of years.

I am not 100% sure what objectives the Microphot DIC system was optimized for. It may have been the CFN plan achromats. But I people use it successfully with CFN PlanApos. I don't think that the CF Fluor objectives would work, as they have back focal planes in extreme positions.

I believe that the later Plan Fluor's were made for a different DIC system with separate prisms for each objective (at least that's how they came on my Diaphot 300). Could still work, though.

PeteM
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Re: Hello from Wisconsin

#3 Post by PeteM » Wed Jan 04, 2023 5:46 pm

Hi Nick - welcome.

Your Microphot with DIC is a wonderful microscope - should be lots of fun. You can also fit epi illumination (regular halogen, not fluorescence) to it.

Nikon "CFN" objectives with the triple knurled looking rings are what Nikon recommends for DIC. These are marked as plan achromats but have the higher resolution associated with fluorite glass - in Nikon's case ED glass I believe. So, you'll eventually want to replace your E Plans with at least those for good DIC results and a bit higher numerical aperture and resolution in brightfield. The sole exception is the 100x 1.25na objective, which likely traded working distance for numerical aperture.

In most cases Nikon finite Plan Apos will also work. Those will offer higher resolution, but due to the additional lens elements a bit less contrast. I have a full set of these but am generally happy with the CFN plan achromats.

So, you might be on the lookout for 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x "CFN" objectives. Instead of the 100x, you might splurge on a 60x Plan Apo which has the same 1.4 numerical aperture as their 100x (and thus the same resolution once magnified digitally) but able to see a bit further under a cover slip.

A recent new poster on this forum (Danny) is offering a wide range of diatom slides and might well have some forams.

On edit: I see Viktor has covered much the same ground. I have the 40x and 100x plan fluors and they work OK with Nikon DIC if you happen to find examples in good shape and cheap. I prefer the 60x plan apo for anything above 40x and instead of the 100x plan apo. Nikon also makes a 50x oil immersion objective. It's just a plan achromat, but it works well (with a darkfield condenser) for darkfield.

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zzffnn
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Re: Hello from Wisconsin

#4 Post by zzffnn » Wed Jan 04, 2023 6:37 pm

Welcome to the forum, Nick.

I am happy to trade some foraminifera with you (maybe you can share some cool minerals with me? I like natural “ghost fantom” quartz, for example).

Most of my foraminifera samples came from GloMar Challenger deep sea drilling. I am located in US and mail them to you.

Please em8il me at zzffnn at h0tm8il d0t c0m, if you cannot send private message yet. I have sent you a private message.

I have a pre teen son too and we have collected all sorts of natural specimens, micro or regular sized, including minerals, fossils, shark teeth, seashells, diatoms, foraminifera (I don’t have radiolaria yet), butterflies, moths and beetles.

Your MicroPhot is a great scope. DIY adapting it for darkfield should not be difficult; I have adapted my Optiphot for darkfield using darkfield condensers from other brands.

Consider simple oblique illumination as well. Simply block about half of your condenser bottom with a piece of cardboard, move it around while looking into the scope and you have oblique illumination (and see its 3D effects). At lower magnification of no more than 40x NA 0.65 or so, oblique illumination can be made to look almost as good as DIC. Higher up, DIC looks much better.

I cannot help you with DIC as it is very brand and equipment specific; I am planning on adapting my Optiphot for PZO DIC (transmitted DIC) but won’t recommend most people to go this route.

Fluorescence via vertical illumination and objectives are somewhat equipment specific as well. Cost and complexity is high. I recommend thinking twice before you start. Unless you already know exactly what you would want to look at or photograph, many hobbyist people don’t have that much use for fluorescence. I did fluorescence for my grad school work, carefully thought about doing it at home (for fun) but eventually gave up on the idea. At least not until I set up my DIY DIC first, which tends to be a lot more useful for pond life.

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