MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Hi
Menthol + Malic acid under different illumination

Pseudo-DIC
Pseudo + Pol Pol + retarder Steve

Great examples. I'm tempted to say even the third is "not retarded at all . . ."

FWIW, an Ebay seller has recently been offering very affordable quarter wave plates laminated between (usually) acrylic and sometimes glass.

PeteM wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 17, 2020 8:17 pm

FWIW, an Ebay seller has recently been offering very affordable quarter wave plates laminated between (usually) acrylic and sometimes glass.

Do you know of any affordable sources for full-wave plates?

Same source (optitec2020) might have them?

https://www.ebay.com/sch/optitec2020/m. ... 7675.l2562

Would be interesting to compare a ‘proper’ wave plate with homemade retarders, anyone done a comparison?

Steve

PeteM wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 17, 2020 9:46 pm

Same source (optitec2020) might have them?

Not really clear to me what they are selling, I guess "lambda" alone should imply full-wave? But some of the "Wave Plate Retarder Lambda" listings say quarter-wave in the actual listing text, others don't specify.

Gasman wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 17, 2020 9:48 pm

Would be interesting to compare a ‘proper’ wave plate with homemade retarders, anyone done a comparison?

What are people typically using for homemade retarders? I finally found a reasonable deal on an AO/Reichert 1153 polarizer with swing-out full-wave plate but just got it cleaned up a few days ago and have not used it much yet.

Seems there are four main options for less-than-new-OEM prices: 1) make your own with layers of stretched plastic; 2) something a step up like those Ebay listings; 3) used plates off Ebay - often still pricey; 4) occasionally-available items from optical surplus places.

Yeah you can get quarter and half wave film cheap from edmunds. A little norland between two watch glasses works well.

Very interesting images, thanks for sharing!