Magnesium Fluoride Crystals

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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Walter Piorkowski
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Magnesium Fluoride Crystals

Post by Walter Piorkowski »

Image

Image

Image

Magnesium Fluoride Crystals

Top image:
Nikon Type S with Transmitted DIC attachment
DIC in darkfield setting - Leitz 25x Apo
Olympus 2.5X projection eyepiece
Canon 10D

Middle image:
Leitz Ortholux
Polarized brightfield - Leitz 25X Apo objective .
10X Periplan GF projection eyepiece plus 1/3X relay lens
Canon 10D

Lower image:
Canon Pro90 IS with 24x E3500 close up lens
Photoshop

After opening up an old vacuum tank coating machine at work a fine dust of these crystals were found on a piece of metal inside. They made for a fine microscopic observing session in polarized and DIC light.

Walt
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MacroLuv
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Post by MacroLuv »

Very cool looking! :shock: It looks like an abstract art.
The meaning of beauty is in sharing with others.

P.S.
Noticing of my "a" and "the" and other grammar
errors are welcome. :D
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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

These are all great photographs there Walter. Especially like the first. What was this stuff used for? :D
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Walter Piorkowski
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Post by Walter Piorkowski »

Thanks guys. Ken, this material is what is vacuum deposited onto glass lenses to remove reflections and improve contrast. Our modern optics would not work without it.

Walt
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Bill D
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Post by Bill D »

Walter- I really like the second image. I can se it printed up to 20 x 30 and hanging on a wall.
Bill
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rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

I'm with Bill about that second picture -- composition, sharpness, color, it's got 'em all. Very nice! :D

The third picture helps a lot to show context and setting -- thanks for posting that. As usual, my eyes & brain keep obsessing over the color fringes caused by the close-up lens, so I'll put in my periodic pitch for PTLens (http://epaperpress.com/ptlens/). It's a free Windows utility that runs either stand-alone or as a Photoshop plugin. Corrects for a multitude of lens distortions including CA (chromatic aberration). Similar software is available for Mac. Let me know if you'd like to see or know more.

--Rik
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Walter Piorkowski
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Post by Walter Piorkowski »

Thanks Bill and Rick for your kind words. I am especially pleased that you found the middle image to be sharp. I tested many of the old objectives in my arsenal and this one turned out to be one of the best. Also to avoid any possible confusion. The crystal in the top two images was extracted from the mass you see and mounted in mounting medium in a standard 1x3 slide under a cover slip.

I will also look into the software you suggested Rik, thanks again.

One other thing, they may be fluorite not fluoride.

Walt
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beetleman
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Post by beetleman »

Super photos Walter and I do believe it is Fluoride :wink:
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda
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crocoite
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Post by crocoite »

Walter Piorkowski wrote: One other thing, they may be fluorite not fluoride.

Walt
Hi Walt. Fluorite is calcium and fluorine (CaF2). Magnesium fluoride is rare in nature and occurs as the mineral sellaite.
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