r/microscopy

JTTM microscope 100x, iPhone 16. 5x camera

A pair of lacrymaria olor connected at the mouth. Has anyone else seen this behaviour? From water plants collected at Brookside Gardens MD

I just realised that the quality of viewing the uploaded videos depends upon the phone used to view them if you are using a phone for viewing. Here is my recent video on an iPhone on the left and a mid range Samsung on the right. The iPhone was much sharper.

Hi everyone,

I am using a Zeiss microscope with DIC imaging and I am seeing some unusual patterns in my images. I would like to understand whether these are more likely caused by the camera/sensor or by something in the microscope optical path or alignment.

I have attached images taken at two different time points (in 4x objective). I have also checked that the issue is objective-independent. I am not asking about the sample or any microfluidic device shown; I want to focus only on the imaging artifacts.

The patterns include:

• Strong bright/dark boundary-like contrast
• Speckle-like black/white texture in some regions
• Thin scratch-like or branch-like structures
• Slight changes between images taken at different time points

My main question is:

Do these patterns look like a camera/sensor issue, or are they more likely due to microscope optics, illumination, DIC alignment, condenser alignment, focus, dust, or contamination somewhere in the optical path?

A few specific questions:

1. What do camera/sensor artifacts usually look like in DIC or transmitted-light microscopy?
2. Would a camera problem typically appear as fixed pixels, stripes, banding, grid-like noise, or row/column artifacts?
3. Can dust, contamination, scratches, or debris in the optical path create speckle-like or branch-like patterns?

Any advice and suggestions from people experienced with Zeiss DIC/transmitted-light microscopy would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Mahesh

Photos taken with 400x magnification and the samples are a silicon wafer and a pond water sample, the microscope is a Eschenbach kolleg SHB45 with a darkfield filter on the last picture

Freshwater sample, Zeiss 63x objective, 2x cellphone zoom, so 1260x magnification if viewed on a cellphone screen. Oblique illumination

800 × | neemsar water | ESAW MM0 SERIES MICROSCOPE USED.

Hi folks,

I run a school lab that is lucky enough to have inherited an early 2000s era Nikon Eclipse TE2000U from a closing down lab. The machine has an old SPOT camera that does not play nice anymore since IT took away the deprecated old machine that ran the software. So we are looking to replace the camera. We have a budget ~$300 Amscope camera on another scope and have found the software to be easy to use with the new modern computer, but we don't need to use Amscope is other options are superior. What kind of camera should we be looking at here? Budget is ~$1000 - 2000 and we use the scope for fluorescence microscopy, DIC, and brightfield, but most critical application is fluorescence microscopy.

I found this: https://amscope.com/products/mu2003-bi-ck which I think needs an adapter like this? https://www.ebay.com/itm/137311054744?chn=ps&google_free_listing_action=view_item

Obviously I am an amateur. But I'm trying to get things set up for the people who use these scopes so they can focus on the students and the work. I greatly appreciate your input.

Freshwater sample, Meiji-Techno 5310, 1.25x, 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x objectives, 2x cellphone zoom, so 25x, 80x, 200x, 400x and 800x magnifications if viewed on a cellphone screen.

Various views of Cryptomanas sp.

From a freshwater water retention pond, Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Nikon TMD Diaphot, Nikon 40/1.0 Plan Apo with oil immersion, Nikon D750 DSLR. Oblique illumination.

Aumento del microscopio: 250x

Tipo de muestra: Musgo

Use agua embotellada para hidratar la muestra

Hello! Yesterday I bought my new microscope Olympus BH-2 from the marketplace for a great price. Everything seems to work nice and smooth. The thing is, I bought it without oculars, so checking lenses was a little hard, especially for the first time. I used the flash light to check if there was any dust, fungi, or scratches.

On x40 lens I saw this thing in the photo. On these images It really looks like a scratch because of the phone camera, but, when I look at it with my eyes directly, it doesn't shine like that. Some of those lines just look like a fluf or some kind of dust.

I've noticed that it is on the inside glass of the lens, so I'm thinking of using a blower to try to remove it hoping it's just dust.

Since it's my first microscope, I'm being very paranoid about damaging the lenses. Is it okay to use a blower from the pharmacy and blow inside of it? Or I will just bring more particles in?

Olympus BX60F
Olympus UPlanFI 10x/0.30
Fuji X-T3
Freshwater creek sample Western Washington USA

I recently came into possession of a microscope with fluorescence capability. I am not really sure what I am doing but I am slowly figuring it out. Centering the mercury lamp on the Olympus BX60 has been a chore but I think I am getting better results. I don’t have anything to compare my image quality to.
I mixed some Acridine orange at a ratio of 100ul to 1000 DistIlled water. And applied it to the water sample under the coverslip. I washed and wicked it out with paper and water on the side of the cover slip.
Am I seeing any results from the dye? I don’t know because I don’t have any experience yet. Is it just the green fluorescence?
Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with fluorescence and the appropriate stains?

Also some kind of worm I think. Not sure the type.

Swift SW350, Galaxy S24

MSG Crystals under cross-polarized light w/ protective film still on

Amscope T490

10x objective

10x eyepiece

iPhone 15

I got some cheap polarizing film and played around with it. I thought something was wrong with the film since it wouldn’t go extinct no matter how I rotated it. Later discovered I had forgotten to remove the protective plastic off one of the polarizers, but I loved the colors it gave!

Hello! I'm super happy as I recently got an Olympus BH3-MJL for only 100euros on an auction :D (it is the big monster next to my BH2_

It is in great condition except for the stage gears wich are worn, no big deal though since I want to motorize the stage anyway.

That said there is a db15 plug in the back labeled for a remote control control box, I'd love to know if someone knows the pinout of that port in order to make my own remote control box and automate zoom as well

Linked photos setup: Olympus BH3 with Olympus neo splan x10/20/50, taken with with a Canon EOD Mk5

I found 2 worms under the microscope that need ID, I took vids of them so i will give you the link, the darker one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiwNQmRYFGA, and the whitish one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppKbpVkGRq0, details for the worms are in the videos descriptions, thank you for all your help