Movies - Correction : Possible Metopus contracting ?

[Thomas Ashcraft]

(Update and Possible correction: What I thought was a contracted Spirostomum might actually be a Metopus. .......maybe a Metopus contortus? Thanks Bernhard. I am now working on a positive ID.)

Movie can be accessed below:

http://www.heliotown.com/Possible_Metop ... rting.html

Tom in New Mexico

And two short specimen movies of a Spirostomum contracting can be found here:
http://www.heliotown.com/Spirostomum_Contractions.html

.

[rjlittlefield]

Good movies. "Now you see it, now you don't!"

The contraction is so fast that it fits between or within frames of the video.

I am especially amused by frame 17 of the first movie: spiroSPASM4sec_2762 . It shows two ghosts -- one of the creature at full length, and a second fully contracted -- at least to judge from what's shown in the surrounding frames.

Let's see, 30 frames per second, 33 milliseconds per frame. I guess that would be 12-13 milliseconds at full length, 6-8 milliseconds in transition, and 12-13 milliseconds in contracted form. Yeah, that seems about right!

--Rik

[Ken Ramos]

Hmm...I can get Charlies videos to play but these won't? Codecs have been downloaded and security set to zilch, computer dignostics ran, checks o.k., WMP checks o.k., Real Player checks o.k., QuickTime checks o.k. but no video.

[Thomas Ashcraft]

Rik wrote:
"Let's see, 30 frames per second, 33 milliseconds per frame. I guess that would be 12-13 milliseconds at full length, 6-8 milliseconds in transition, and 12-13 milliseconds in contracted form. Yeah, that seems about right! "


Wow Rik, that's rapid analysis! Next time I come across a Spirostomum contracting I will shoot at 60 fps.

Tom

[Thomas Ashcraft]

Ken wrote: "Hmm...I can get Charlies videos to play but these won't? Codecs have been downloaded and security set to zilch, computer dignostics ran, checks o.k., WMP checks o.k., Real Player checks o.k., QuickTime checks o.k. but no video."

Hi Ken,

What browser are you using? And are you on a Mac or PC?

All these various codecs are still getting their kinks worked out I am finding.

Sorry for any problems.

Tom

[bernhardinho]

Hi Thomas,

the vids worked fine on my computer. I do have a problem however with your ID of the images as well as the second set of vids (mpeg's). I would rather call this a Metopus spec.


Bernhard

[Ken Ramos]

Hi ya Tom

I'm using a Compaq Presario w/Windows XP, IE 7 browser. Codecs downloaded but WMP/Real Player/QuickTime will not play your link, even with NAVIS turned off. That's okay though, not all computers are the same and you can't cater to all.

[Thomas Ashcraft]

Bernhard wrote: "the vids worked fine on my computer. I do have a problem however with your ID of the images .......I would rather call this a Metopus spec. "

Hi Bernhard,

Many thanks for the correction. I changed the webpages accordingly. Upon googling Metopus I see there is one called a Metopus contortus. I could not find images or movies of contortus but will continue to research.

Correct info on the web is of utmost importance....Thanks again!

Tom

[Charles Krebs]

Tom... very nice videos... no problem seeing them on my PC.

I don't see it on your clips, so I assume you are getting no vignetting with your S3 through the eyepiece. Is that correct?

I tried my A620, and I can get good quality videos but regardless of focal length or eyepiece used, there is always vignetting. Spent last night running a clip through myriad CODECs and settings. Amazing the variation in quality and file sizes.

[Thomas Ashcraft]

Charlie wrote: "I don't see it on your clips, so I assume you are getting no vignetting with your S3 through the eyepiece. Is that correct? "


Charlie,

My Canon S3 IS camera attaches to the microscope using a Martin microscope adapter. This gives some zoom range before vignetting appears.

Tom