There is something very beautiful about diatom structures so I try and keep an eye out for diatom slides on ebay. I had a couple turn up this week - a 7 form Test Slide from Klaus Kemp and one antique one by John Barnett with a group of 4 Eupodiscus Radiatus diatoms. These are some quick images of the slides taken using 405nm light, in low magnification (Olympus Splan 20x) and high magnification of a smaller part of each slide (Olympus 60x Splan Apo).
Smaller magnification images.
And higher magnification ones.
I'm not too happy with the lighting or how I processed these, but I just find the structures really beautiful. Next time I think I will try the 2.5x photoeyepiece (this was the 3.3x one and it was what was on the microscope). Also, I cheated a bit with the 60x Splan Apo and used glycerine rather than immersion oil, as it is so much easier to clean off. Lighting was a using a mercury xenon lamp and I used a 405nm bandpass filter. Standard brightfield imaging with a basic Olympus Abbe condenser.
Couple of diatom slides using 405nm light
Re: Couple of diatom slides using 405nm light
Love that golden angle in the circular ones.
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Re: Couple of diatom slides using 405nm light
Quite well done.
Re: Couple of diatom slides using 405nm light
I bought modern diatom slides, which can't withstand any wiping. So I've been worried about using immersion oil
Micrographers from China, thanks to the forum for providing a platform for exchange
Re: Couple of diatom slides using 405nm light
Thanks all. I prefer buying older slides so I keep an eye out for them when I can. So far, they have been nice and robust. I am not a huge fan of immersion oil, and prefer to use glycerine where the objective allows (just because it is so much easier to clean afterwards).