If shooting with a horizontal rail setup (as I do) and if you are able to choose one side of your specimen to photograph (the other side being stuck to a substrate) then mounting on a bit of coverslip works well. I cut coverslips into thin rectangles and mount "things" flat on the glass at one end. ...

Was it this one Lou?

viewtopic.php?t=41684#p262323

That one, and other diatom shots like it were done with a ,50x Mitty pushed down to 33x on a 135mm tube lens.

Cheers

I'd like to add that despite their potential fragility, I wouldn't be without my Mitties. I have five now, collected over a few years and all arrived "good" - lucky me! They (nearly) all strike an excellent balance between long working distance and resolution, making it much easier to bring nice lig...

I can't give any quantitative answer, but the container labelling certainly suggests VERY fragile. The famous "do not fall or drop" label includes a graphic that implies just letting the objective tip over (fall?) could mean "the performace may deteriorate". That also suggests that even a moderate k...

Wonderful details on this pretty lichen! Do you mind if I ask what sensor size you are using? I am trying to figure out if the mitty 20x might be a viable option for ~15x on my FF camera. Thanks. I use FF cameras but with Mitties pushed down this hard I use APS-C crop mode (21 mpix on Sony A1, 18 m...

Interesting set. I didn't realise the plant was so small until I saw the finger shot. A fine illustration that there's more to great images than just taking pictures. Knowledge, patience (waiting and travelling in this case) and fieldcraft are key in lifting the result above the ordinary. Great work...

I took these a few days ago and forgot about them. Both stacks taken with a 20x mitty running @13.5x on a Raynox DCR250. I did post a couple of lichen shots before, but that was about 5 years ago - so here's some more anyway. lichen-pmn.jpg lichen fruiting-pmn.jpg Larger 4k stereo here: https://live...

Well, if you can't find a decent view or much variety of wing scales on your butterfly wing, you can always arrange some yourself :D First baby steps, but it proved "doable". Some scales stuck down on glass using my diatom arranging gear. Shot with a Nikon TU PlanAPO 50/0.8. Two stitched stacks. sel...

I think you're right in general. But the curvature could be noticeable on flatter subjects in stereo views (e.g. silicon chips, butterfly wings or minerals with planar surfaces).

... Absolutely! Let's team up. I bring the mosquitos, the SEM and the knife. You bring the hand. I don't have any anaesthetic, but I am sure you we can do without. Let's hope we don't need 12 quarter sized pieces before we get the killer shot. I promise to be gentle with the knife and not cut too d...

I said "related" because, if I understand it well, the Lieberkühn's is just a reflector surrounding the lens* while yours is a double reflector, playing the conical objective tip an important role for illuminating the white diffusing reflector, am I right? * and would be of little utility with very...

Using a Marzhauser MM-33 micromanipulator as the sample stage is one of the most diatomist things I have ever seen. :shock: Hahaha- well spotted and completely correct! The MM-33 is from my beginner days, seeking better ways to manipulate diatoms. Three separate controls for x, y, z movement soon p...

Very nice! You have invented something related with the Lieberkühn reflector https://microscope-antiques.com/lieberkuhn.html https://www.alanwood.net/olympus/lieberkuhn-reflectors.html Thanks Pau. Reinventor is my middle name, though this was more of a lucky discovery than any invention. I was alre...

Nice and smart method. Thanks. The TU APO 50 has a pretty wideish front part which will make lighting even trickier than with a modded BD, such as the Oly MPlanFl 50 BD ((much shorter WD, but much narrower front part (after the mod)). Yes, the wide, reflective conical front end of the TU is a major...

That's a fascinating little project with very interesting results Rik. Neat!