Phil, Thanks for the link, that's a very informative and helpful thread!

--Betty

Mitutoyo... Nikon...

Hmm... if Marek wants to use his BH-2 Oly microscope and the matching Oly corrective eyepieces and corrective projectives (photo eyepieces) then with the already fully corrected Mitutoyos or Nikons aberrations will be re-introduced.

--Betty

Thanks guys for your further input! The clear B+W filters that Craig has pointed to are just made for the purpose of protection of the front lens element, as it reads on schneiderkreuznach.com/fotofilter (B+W belongs to Shnyder-Krautsnack). Indeed Ken, the lens hood of this lens combined with its ex...

Ken, a nice find! Looks like the larvae of meloid beetles to me. They have a quite interesting natural history, many of them being parasites or parasitoids in the nests of solitary bees and wasps. I find them regularly in and around my neck of the woods over here in springtime. --Betty P. S.: I'm gl...

Thanks for your input boys, much appreciated!

So I will always be using the hood (that together with an APS-C hood adapter and a tripod collar came with the lens) and shop for a quality uv-filter for when it could get rough and splashy.

--Betty

Finally, I took the plunge and helped myself to a modern close-up or 'macro' lens which I intend to use for field work. I settled for a "Sigma 150mm F2.8 APO MACRO EX DG OS". And now I'm pondering over permanently mounting a 72 mm filter for protection of the front lens element. Do the ones of you w...

dmillard wrote: He would also need to avoid the agave further back, which could easily quarter his quarter horse.

Ideed! "No place but Texas"!

--Betty

I find it always interesting to have a look at such far away places. You have a patch of beautiful vegetation there, David. Looks like some good hunting ground for bugs right on your doorstep! And I can well imagine John Wayne galloping alongside your fence. He should take care not to steer his quar...

I somehow had missed this one before.
Marvellous indeed, my monitor screen seems to have turned into the pane of a salt water aquarium!

--Betty

For standard tests to evaluate objectives often the fine structural details of the valves/shells of certain diatom species are used . For example: Triceratium favus for N.A. 0.15 and higher, Navicula lyra for N.A 0.30 and higher, Stauroneis phoenicenteron for N.A. 0.45 and higher, Pleurosigma angula...

Splendid! It's great to see stuff in reality that one has only read about or seen drawings of!

--Betty

Most interesting photos as always, Kurt!

The lighting of the fibres on that planthopper is just excellent!

--Betty

The intention for designing it is charming. That there is the technology to produce it - above all, at such cost - is beyond my imagination.

--Betty

I have a RMS to Nikon Microscope Objective Adapter to use if/when I can get that black ring off. :-k I don't understand why you'd wanna go via RMS at all. For mounting this objective on a tubelens (surrogate) I think you might want an adapter like this one here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-CFI-M2...

Blimey! That's one mind-boggling mimicry on that moth that is! Amazing! Gotta dig for some more information about it when I have time.
Thanks for posting!
I hope for you these moth photos will help a good deal with further funding of your tropical adventures!

--Betty