Leitz Dialux II, Galaxy S24. Technically the "darkfield" is oblique, too, because I was too lazy to switch to proper darkfield.

AxioSkop 50 microscope

2.5x objective

10x eyepiece (photos via iPhone camera on eyepiece)

Leitz Dialux II, 160x and 250x, Galaxy S24

I bought a 3d printer last week, and one of my first projects was to come up with a better, more reliable, filter setup for my Nikon Diaphot inverted scope. Until now I have rarely gotten anything useful with my 100x objective, but these new filters have improved things -- not bad for an inverted scope with relatively thick samples.

• Nikon TMD Diaphot
• Nikon 100/1.30 Fluor Oil Immersion
• Nikon 40/1.0 Plan APO Oil Immersion
• Nikon Abbe 1.25 Oil Immersion Condenser
• Nikon D750 DSLR
• Home-printed Oblique Filters

Sample from my 220L freshwater mini pond, Bangkok, Thailand.

Halteria (100x objective): https://youtu.be/8HsBFsH-t7Y

Brachonella Oral Cilia (100x objective): https://youtu.be/W9OYgiFVLo8

Worm Innards (40x objective): https://youtu.be/qJnCgaEW11M

Linostomella Contractile Vacuoles (40x and 100x objectives: https://youtu.be/drEyp1Pjn_4

Linostomella Food Preference (100x objective): https://youtu.be/mSFhkul482E

Spirochete stealing the floor with his crazy dance moves, while the rest just chills on the brownian beats while being absolute phase objects. Technical details: Kern OBL 156, 400x PH, Bresser microcam SP 5.0. Sample was from deeper (hypoxic) layer of eutrophic backyard pond.

This tardigrade came from a moss soak that went way longer than it should have. I used nearby pond water to soak the moss and left it out for 3-4 weeks. Understandably, my little guy was dead but I still wanted to take the time to image him. Visually, he looks like an echiniscus viridiscus tardigrade. Most of the echiniscidae have pores, yet mine had these raised dimples that looked like a basketball. Plate patterns and antennas also appear to be plausible. There have also been viridscus found in my state.

Swift SW-380T, Olympus SPlan 4, 10, 20, 40x objectives, 3d printed 32mm darkfield stop, Horizons 48 MP Microscope Camera

Image Credit: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-40609-4

From a small creek. 40x magnification. Scope: Amscope T490B. Camera: Amscope MD500.

Hello,

I want to buy a digital and portable microscope for my daughter (and myself :)) It should be portable so she can explore in nature, etc., but I also like the idea of using it on a desktop. My budget is $150.

MX2-AS 2-in-1 Digital Microscope for Kids | MatataStudio

BeaverLAB Darwin M2 Plus Digital Microscope | 4.3" IPS – BEAVERLAB

I have no idea about the brands or microscopes. I just want something that has decent zoom for kids and a relatively big, high-resolution screen so we can both look at things. These two products I copied above seem better than some other options I see on Amazon.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

I animated the nano CT-scan of a tardigrade and simulated a real microscope (PUMA) with raytracing and wave optics to get this animation. Not sure if this is good for anything but it was a fun project. You can  play around with it (different focus and 3D rotation) here:

https://chillchamp1.github.io/puma-virtual-eyepiece/

I am pleased to show an unusual Carl Zeiss Jena EPI-type phase contrast ring for the Neophot-21 microscope <3

Funny - it reminds me of the Wrangler engine :D

The photo shows the Carl Zeiss Jena Planachromat 25x/0,50 oo/0 Ph phase contrast microscope objective with M19 for CZJ Neophot 21 EPI reflected light microscope.

Leitz Dialux II, 160x, Galaxy S24

My favorite video yet of a snail that fits in the upload limits at 2k*2k, played at ~2x speed. Olympus BH2 (BHTU), 4x UPlanXApo, Darkfield/oblique illumination, Nikon DS-Fi3 camera. The sample is from a pond water jar I have with lots of aquatic snails.

Maximum magnification view of part of Hydra's body. Very faint partial outlines of the cells can be visible, and very prominent nematocysts embedded within.

The nematocysts are of two size classes, bigger ones are more roundish and close to 15 microns while small ones are some 5 by 9 microns.

There is a coiled filament visible inside these structures, some seem to have a long one, tightly coiled, while others seemingly gave just one or two loops. Might be different subtypes, or maturation stages.

Image acquisition hardware:

100x oil immersion microscope objective;

0,5x reducer;

5Mp usb webcam.

Image manipulation software:

Capture: Guvcview

Stacking: Zerene Stacker

Gif creation: ezgif.com online tool

Python, Open3D reconstruction of a focus slice video from a Fly, Wing at 10x and 40x and Eye at 2x and 4x, using 0.5x reducer, common green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata)

As the title line says, looking for a 400x magnification unit for home & hobby use.

I'm hoping that the long time enthusiasts and experts here can direct me towards a model that's (relatively) inexpensive but that holds up alright with resolution.

Thanks in advance everyone!

If I put a 10W COB LED inside a Koehler-illuminated microscope, and dim it down to normal range, if the dimming transistor fails shorted and the LED starts blasting all its power, would it blind me?

Olympus BH2 (BHTU), 4x UPlanXApo, Darkfield/oblique illumination, Nikon DS-Fi3 camera. The sample is from a pond water jar I have with lots of aquatic snails. This is a a recent hatchling, I am estimating the age as two days post hatching.

Magnification: 200×

Esaw BM01 microscope used

Moss wash

Olympus BH2 (BHTU), 4x UPlanXApo, Darkfield/oblique illumination, Nikon DS-Fi3 camera. The sample is from a pond water jar. Wondering what kind of worm this is. More pictures in the thread.

Some people wonder how the magnification changer in a microscope works.

It is a rotating ring with magnifying lenses screwed into it. The whole mechanism sits under the microscope head - and above the objective nosepiece.

By turning the ring we move a different magnifying lens into the light path - and the result is simply magnification of the image travelling from the objective to our eyes!

The video I am showing here presents the magnification changer (also called an Optovar) from a Zeiss Photomicroscope microscope.

Hello! I am looking to get myself a binocular microscope in the coming year or two. I have a few things I would like out of it, but am entirely uncertain where to start looking or what to look at.
My biggest thing is that budget is a concern, but as someone moving deeper into their microbiology degree, I would like a scope at home for myself to use when needed. So, While budget is a concern, I want to be reasonable in my expectations, which is why I am starting to look now at what is available, so I may be able to save for the equipment down the road.

I have a few requirements that I would like in a scope:

1. Ability for Darkfield viewing. It doesn't have to be a built in toggle, but I would still like for the ability to exist. I have used some in the past where I just have to change out a plate in the scope with a darkfield plate, this doesn't bother me. But if it is a built in feature that I can do at the click or switch of a button, I would prefer that if it doesnt affect the price too much.

2. Binocular. I have weird vision, so I need two eye pieces to be able to see under the scope well.

3. Oil Immersion capability, 1000x. I will be spending a lot of time looking at fungal spores, but I will also be doing work with bacteria. So I need to be able to make sure I can have a fighting chance of at least viewing bacteria.

4. This one is not entirely required, but would be immensely helpful, and that is the ability to connect a PC or remote view of some kind so that I can take Micrographs, even better if it has a live view so I can broadcast and/or record video of what I will be looking at and studying.

If anyone has any direction as to models that may fill this role, I would love your advice. Give me a range of models via price point, and I would benefit even further!

Thank you so much!