Lichen stacks

[Walter Piorkowski]

Lichen stacks

Leitz Ortholux
EPI illumination
Leitz 3.8X Ultropak Epi objective
5X Nikon CFE projection eyepiece + 1/3X SP relay lens
Top image-28 image stack at .002 inch increments
Bottom image-26 image stack at .002 inch increments
Combine ZM, Photoshop

Some lichen close-ups to share as I experiment with the improved sharpness of CombineZM over my original software.

Walt

[rjlittlefield]

Walt,

These are looking better -- sharp and no obvious stacking artifacts. Crispness and CA look great (as I'd expect from what seem to be high quality optics you're listing).

Are you actually using the EPI illumination (which I presume means through-the-lens)? If so, why does the illumination appear so much brighter and warmer (redder) on the right?

--Rik

[Ken Ramos]

You know I had not noticed that right off. There does seem to be a color shift from left to right. Still a nice set of images though.

[Walter Piorkowski]

Both you gentlemen have a critical eye. My EPI illuminator set up is not factory spec. It is something I cobbled together from spare parts. It doesn't put out even illumination as centering the bulb is difficult. There may be some chromatic colors being thrown in also.

I recently purchased an original illuminator attachment for my EPI port and as soon as I have time to machine up an adapter will give it a try.

Thanks for your comments.

Walt

[svalley]

Walt, intersting shots! Your stacking worked well. The fine grained material in the "cups" looks almost like sand. Is it debris that has collected there or part of the lichen?

[rjlittlefield]

Both you gentlemen have a critical eye. My EPI illuminator set up is not factory spec. It is something I cobbled together from spare parts. It doesn't put out even illumination as centering the bulb is difficult. There may be some chromatic colors being thrown in also.

I recently purchased an original illuminator attachment for my EPI port and as soon as I have time to machine up an adapter will give it a try.

Thanks for your comments.

Walt,

Well, um, I prefer to think of my eye as observant, not critical. But I can imagine it doesn't always come across that way...

My setup has no through-the-lens lighting capability at all, and while I've thought from time to time about cobbling one together, I've never had the time nor courage to actually give it a try. How much of yours came from the manufacturer and how close was it to working, to start with?

About these pictures, now I'm thinking that the overall illumination must be some combination of ambient and epi, with a different color balance to each. Knowing how the pictures were taken, does that sound right to you?

--Rik

[Walter Piorkowski]

First Steven the material you descibe as sand is actually a thin layer of calcium oxalate crystals. This is common on the pruinose lichens and lichenologists think it helps the lichen by reflecting light.

On to you Rik, I thought a critical eye would be a compliment.

Anyway regarding my EPI set up none of it was original. The ortholux was designed to provide EPI through a horizontal hole in the frame located just above the objective holder. I cobbled up an arrangement that utillized a stand alone illuminater like you would find lighting the subject of a sterio microscope in the 1960's. I simply placed it in the hole of the frame.

A number of differant objective set ups were available, one for metallergical work used normal objectives. My set up is the Ultropak arrangement that is very suffisticated and blocks the light from entering the objective. After bouncing 90 degrees of a mirror, the light follows the barrel of the objective and passes though a perforated lens that can concentrate the light on the subject were the objective picks it up and sends it to the eyepiece.

Regarding your ambient light idea you could be correct. There is a few inches between the subject and the objective and I had a fluoresent light on close by.

One other note. My microscope is approx 50 years old and the only way to get parts and even literature on the parts available is to search ebay and the net. I am still missing parts for my Ultropak system and I don't even know what they look like.

Walt

[rjlittlefield]

On to you Rik, I thought a critical eye would be a compliment.

Excellent, I shall consider myself complimented! (Just wanted to make sure I wasn't coming across as unduly picky. There have been one or two occasions in my life... )

I'm happy to see such cool stuff coming out of your rig. Those fern sori are beautiful!

--Rik

[beetleman]

Nice going Walter