Great South Bay Water Samples

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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ereshkigal5
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Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 4:19 pm
Location: New York, NY

Great South Bay Water Samples

Post by ereshkigal5 »

Work has me going through my capture folder to make a phytoplankton identification guide before this year's internships start up, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites. All photos were taken using a secondhand motic on a decade-old computer running software that freezes up if you so much as *think* the word "editing".
Gotta love the emphasis colleges put on their science department budgets, am I right? I'm hoping to purchase a setup of my own in the near future, so if anyone has any equipment suggestions, it would be more than welcome!

First up, we have a lovely Pleurosigma, surrounded by asterionella and skeletonema.
Image

Next up is a chain of Biddulphia.
Image

Here is a barnacle larva (other than navicula and coscinodiscus, these guys are the most common find in the samples we collect).
Image

Aaaand last up (for now), I give you a colony of Asterionellopsis.
Image

carlos.uruguay
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Post by carlos.uruguay »

Nice!!
Can you explain a bit what you mean with a 'software that freezes up if you so much as *think* the word "editing"'

Pau
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Post by Pau »

Hi ereshkigal5, welcome aboard!

You have for sure nice samples and a position to get more.

What camera do you use? What software?
There are software programs able to run well enough on old computers, like GIMP under Linux.

About the images I think they would benefit of a better microscope illumination regulation, setting up the condenser at the adequate height and with the adequate aperture, in your pictures it seems to be placed too low or too closed, providing more contrast and DOF but less resolution than desirable.

Recommendations....it's about budget and interests together with personal taste and elections. With more info we could be able to make some suggestions.
Pau

zzffnn
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Post by zzffnn »

Welcome to the forum!

I agree with Pau, your condenser could go higher or have its diaphragm opened up more.

You can use DIY oblique illumination with a filter on condenser tray, if you want more contrast without sacrificing resolution.
Selling my Canon FD 200mm F/2.8 lens

Olympusman
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Critters

Post by Olympusman »

Looks to me you are shooting in phase contrast. Significant haloing.

Mike
Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Jacek
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Post by Jacek »

Hello :D

ereshkigal5
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Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 4:19 pm
Location: New York, NY

Post by ereshkigal5 »

Thanks for the advice on the lighting, guys! Sharper contrast generally makes my job (identification) easier, but there are clearly more things to consider when trying to take a good photo!

We have a Motic camera, and use the corresponding software. Even something as simple as applying measurements becomes something of a nightmare; the program freezes up with each input. It's often all I can do just to save the images.
As the computer is owned by the college, I'm not sure how much luck I'd have trying to convince them to make changes , but I suppose asking never hurt anybody.

As for my budget for a setup of my own, I'm hoping to keep the cost at a maximum of $2000, but am willing to go over. It's more a case of the price determining when I get it, than if I get it.

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