Help purchasing a microscope

[bh750]

Oh yea I've read your tread before. Hope to produce images like that someday. Hard to tell in these pics for sure if my pipettes are the same size. They're very small, came with my refractometer.

Amazing, so all those pictures you took came from that tiny piece!?

 

[jason2459]

All the pictures and video posted right after each of those. And those were just highlight pictures copied over from another thread where I had many more.

That second pipette above is where I captured one of my favorite pictures and observations of this a baby amphipod.

Like just after the 2 minute mark I was watching the flow of blood

 

[BCSreef]

No true at all.

All through out this thread I start at 4x and work my way to using 100x. Pictures shows of most all of the samples I've looked at and how it's mounted.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/our-tanks-biology-up-close.239838/

I thought I was agreeing with you. Anyway, I was just pointing out you can't use thick coverslips or too thick of a subject (no sand, etc.)

 

[BCSreef]

All the pictures and video posted right after each of those. And those were just highlight pictures copied over from another thread where I had many more.


Great imaging!

 

[jason2459]

I thought I was agreeing with you. Anyway, I was just pointing out you can't use thick coverslips or too thick of a subject (no sand, etc.)

Oh sorry, I wasn't reading what you wrote properly then. Yes, I use a thin cover slip. Hard to separate them at times and a pain in the rear. And when broken can be very sharp.

 

[BCSreef]

Oh sorry, I wasn't reading what you wrote properly then. Yes, I use a thin cover slip. Hard to separate them at times and a pain in the rear. And when broken can be very sharp.

No problem! I should have worded it better.

 

[bh750]

Well. I think I'm addicted got home today and bc I spent a lot of time reading up his afternoon it was easy to assemble the scope and get immediate results. Wow. I'm only scraping the tip of the iceberg here.

I took some samples from my tank. Had trouble since the main problem part is on the sand and I'm learning sand on your sample makes it tricky. But in the end I accomplished goal #1. I confirmed I do indeed have both Cyano and Spirulina.

Took me awhile to figure out the camera adapter and still finding it hard to get a good picture bc I'm working in manual mode. Took about 60 pics and have maybe 1-2 decent ones.

Didn't have any issues using oil on the 40 and 100x objectives.

Tried the dark field lens but didn't seem to get it to worn well past 4 and 10x.

Also it seemed like the 10x widefield eyepieces had better results than when I popped in the 20x.

Got the coarse and fine focus and moving the table around down pretty good.

Fooled with the abbe condenser a bit.

Wiped the oil off my objectives.

I'm really loving seeing all of the details and life. I will post some pictures very soon.

 

[jason2459]

The 10x is going to give you better clarity. The 20x will start getting dark especially with the 100x lens.

And do not use oil on the 40x spring lens unless it states it's an oil lens which I doubt it is.

I use 100x all the time on wet mounted coverslips and will require oil to focus properly.

ONLY use oil on an objective that states it is an oil objective. If you do apply oil and then use an objective on it like a 40 or 60x that is spring only you can ruin that objective. So, if you've put a drop of oil on the cover slip so you can properly use the 100x objective lens then do not switch back to another spring lens like the 40x. You can move to one that will not touch the cover slip like the 10x then back to the 100x.

And yes you want to clean up the oil off the oil lens after use. You do not want it to dry. A standard camera lens cleaning paper will do which can be found locally.

With LED you'll have a good hour or more before the water between the slide the slip evaporate. And remember. Once you drop the oil do not move back to the 40x spring objective.

 

[bh750]

The 10x is going to give you better clarity. The 20x will start getting dark especially with the 100x lens.

And do not use oil on the 40x spring lens unless it states it's an oil lens which I doubt it is.

Man you're right. I swear I saw it both ways, once 40x listed as spring only and another place as spring+oil (like the 100x). Do you think I've ruined it?

Also on the topic of cleaning the lenses. I was so surprised that the part of the lens that's actually exposed to the oil and the slide is just a tiny hole. How do I know its really clean/dirty?

 

[jason2459]

Doubt it's ruined right away like that as long as you got the oil off. I've accedently swung my objectives around the wrong way as I will switch between 100x and the 10x and back. You'll know it's not cleaned off properly by looking through it.

 

[bh750]

k. thanks. Cant wait to get back tonight and try again. Once I figure out how to get a good pic I'll start posting.

 

[jason2459]

They are definitely a lot of fun. Don't limit it to your tank either. There's so much to explore out there. My kids love hunting for water bears (Tardigrade).

 

[bh750]

They are definitely a lot of fun. Don't limit it to your tank either. There's so much to explore out there. My kids love hunting for water bears (Tardigrade).

I was kinda thinking that last night... "hmmm what else can I put under here??"

Tardigrade- where can I hunt for them??

 

[jason2459]

I was kinda thinking that last night... "hmmm what else can I put under here??"

Tardigrade- where can I hunt for them??

I've found them in mossy patches on the ground and tree bark.

 

[bh750]

OMG. Gotta try this. The 3D pics I've seen online BTW give me the creeps. Yet I can't stop looking! Might not be able to sleep at night tho.

 

[jason2459]

OMG. Gotta try this. The 3D pics I've seen online BTW give me the creeps. Yet I can't stop looking! Might not be able to sleep at night tho.

 

[bh750]

LOL!! Watched a 10 min segment with the family last night. CRAZY!

 

[bh750]

Btw, I went home last night and both the 100x and 40x objectives has dried oil on them. Ugh. So cleaned them well with this:

Assuming this is ok? They seemed very clean by the end.

Oh also, you were right on. My 40x does NOT say oil on it! Ok, making mistakes. But having fun.

As soon as I figure out how to take a half decent picture I'll post one!

 

[BCSreef]

I've never seen a 40X oil objective. Oil is probably not needed due to longer focal length. They do make "water immersion" objectives that allow you to directly immerse objective in the water, but I have never used one.

For fun, take a look at water, algae and bottom debris from lakes ponds, ditches, etc. The greener and dirtier looking, the better the water for all kinds of single and multi-cellular life forms. You may need to buy some Protoslo or equivalent to slow the fast swimmers down. Linky: http://www.carolina.com/protist-vie...ing-solution-laboratory-grade-15-ml/885141.pr

Have Fun, Bob

 

[bh750]

I've never seen a 40X oil objective. Oil is probably not needed due to longer focal length. They do make "water immersion" objectives that allow you to directly immerse objective in the water, but I have never used one.

For fun, take a look at water, algae and bottom debris from lakes ponds, ditches, etc. The greener and dirtier looking, the better the water for all kinds of single and multi-cellular life forms. You may need to buy some Protoslo or equivalent to slow the fast swimmers down. Linky: http://www.carolina.com/protist-vie...ing-solution-laboratory-grade-15-ml/885141.pr

Have Fun, Bob

cool. am planning to use this alot with the kids. and also the cub scout den I run. I brought in my sons $50 scope a few weeks ago and they LOVED it. So this should be even more fun.