Diatom stacks

Chris S. · Post by **Chris S.** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 10:20 pm

Capital images, Beatsy!

. . .now I'd like an N.A. 0.75+ epi objective with at least 8mm working distance. Preferably around 64x or less. Fat chance

Beatsy, Pau,

Not quite what you're asking for, but maybe close enough: The Mitutoyo 100x/0.70, with 6mm working distance, mounted on a 125mm converging lens to achieve 62.5x? Granted that we don't know if this combo would work--lower NA Mitties seem to tolerate converging lenses of shorter focal length than the intended 200mm, but we'd expected this tolerance to decrease with increasing NA.

I have the 100x Mitty, but no prime around 125mm to try it with. The Raynox DCR-250 Macroscan Conversion lens has a 125mm focal length, and would appear ideal. (This, of couse, is the shorter brother to the 208mm focal length Raynox DCR-150 commonly used as a converging lens.)

--Chris

NicoVB · Post by **NicoVB** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 4:30 am

I take off my head with big respect Beatsy.
Those images are absolutely stunning.

I can not understand what it means to create stacks of 800 images, that is just, phew, mindblowing. Time consuming.
How long does it take to process a picture like this, from start to end?

To bad you leave this project behind for now.

Beatsy · Post by **Beatsy** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 6:18 am

NeQo wrote:...How long does it take to process a picture like this, from start to end?

For these images it wasn't too bad. I was using APS-C crop mode on the camera, shooting JPG instead of RAW and I set Zerene to 'pre scale' the images by 50% during stacking. So files sizes were pretty small. Overall, it was about 30 mins to capture the images, 40 mins to import and stack, and a few minutes in Lightroom/Photoshop to crop and tweak levels etc. So just over an hour per image.

However - if I shoot RAW and full frame - capture time remains about the same, but conversion (to 42-megapixel 16-bit TIFFs) and stacking takes several hours. Of course, I can do something else while the s/w parts are running. And I just received my WeMacro rail (like StackShot but cheaper) so I can now do something else while capturing stacks too. Bliss!

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 6:39 am

Beatsy, a word of warning about the WeMacro. Unlike the Stackshot, the camera platform should not be allowed to hit the end of its rail. I was used to working with the Stackshot and ran my WeMacro rail to the end of its run, whereupon it jammed and would not move. I eventually got it loose but I think I stripped something in that sector of the rail.

Beatsy · Post by **Beatsy** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 6:48 am

Thanks Lou - I clocked that warning in the instructions. I tend to run in a very short range, never more than 30mm travel, and predominantly <10mm so fairly low risk. Having said that, I managed to get it confused so it ignored the "end point" and continued moving and taking pics a couple of times. So I don't run it unattended specifically to avoid that issue.

Off topic - but I'm very pleased with it overall. How about you with yours?

Lou Jost · Post by **Lou Jost** » Sat Oct 15, 2016 6:55 am

It runs straighter than my Stackshot, which wobbles as it moves. I like it though I prefer the Stackshot interface. Have not had time to install the new version of the WeMacro software though.

I did not see that instruction about hitting the end! Darn. The Stackshot has a reassuring instruction to do just the opposite.

JohnKoerner · Post by **JohnKoerner** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 12:23 pm

Beatsy wrote:
NeQo wrote:...How long does it take to process a picture like this, from start to end?
For these images it wasn't too bad. I was using APS-C crop mode on the camera, shooting JPG instead of RAW and I set Zerene to 'pre scale' the images by 50% during stacking. So files sizes were pretty small. Overall, it was about 30 mins to capture the images, 40 mins to import and stack, and a few minutes in Lightroom/Photoshop to crop and tweak levels etc. So just over an hour per image.

However - if I shoot RAW and full frame - capture time remains about the same, but conversion (to 42-megapixel 16-bit TIFFs) and stacking takes several hours. Of course, I can do something else while the s/w parts are running. And I just received my WeMacro rail (like StackShot but cheaper) so I can now do something else while capturing stacks too. Bliss!

Hi Beatsy,

Did you take these images with a Wemacro or a Stackshot?

Beatsy · Post by **Beatsy** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 12:39 pm

JohnKoerner wrote:Did you take these images with a Wemacro or a Stackshot?

By hand, probably, (micrometer on specimen holder). Not 100% sure, but I think this was done just a day or two before my WeMacro rail arrived. Never doing that many by hand again though

JohnKoerner · Post by **JohnKoerner** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:04 pm

Beatsy wrote:
JohnKoerner wrote:Did you take these images with a Wemacro or a Stackshot?
By hand, probably, (micrometer on specimen holder). Not 100% sure, but I think this was done just a day or two before my WeMacro rail arrived. Never doing that many by hand again though

Wow, even more incredible by hand

Thanks for the quick response. I am mulling between a Stackshot and a WeMacro. I have seen some really nice images come from the WeMacro easily as clear and nice as what I have seen from Stackshot.

Although there is a more mature UI with Stackshot, it still seems like it's priced quite high for what it offers ... with the added need to buy a CamRanger (or Helicon Remote) for PC interface control, while these things are all included in the WeMacro.

WeMacro's UI may be a little more "Beta," but they seem to be making rapid software progress, whereas the others seem ensconced with the "status quo."

I like the flat baseplate of the WeMacro rail as well (Stackshot makes you pay another $70 for an "Arca adapter plate"). The PhoneApp of WeMacro also seems to be a perfect interface for the field. The fact that it allows only 1?m steps is another bonus.

Beatsy · Post by **Beatsy** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:26 pm

Well I've never used stackshot, but I'm pleased as punch with the WeMacro. Works all the way from 0.5x to 50x (highest mag I can do) with very little image shift as you progress through the stack. I highly recommend it.

JohnKoerner · Post by **JohnKoerner** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:42 pm

Beatsy wrote:Well I've never used stackshot, but I'm pleased as punch with the WeMacro. Works all the way from 0.5x to 50x (highest mag I can do) with very little image shift as you progress through the stack. I highly recommend it.

Thank you sir.

JohnKoerner · Post by **JohnKoerner** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:58 pm

One more thing, can it be linked to Zerene as-is, like Stackshot?

Beatsy · Post by **Beatsy** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:03 pm

I don't think so - but don't know for sure.

JohnKoerner · Post by **JohnKoerner** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:09 pm

abpho · Post by **abpho** » Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:09 pm

Wow. I have never seen diatoms from this angle before. So interesting. I never knew they were this "thick". From all previous images they looked like very flat discs.