Hymenopellis furfuracea and DIC notes

lkudzma · Post by **lkudzma** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:52 am

Here’s a different subject. Spores of the mushroom Hymenopellis furfuracea. Numerous spores are rupturing and releasing the contained oil droplets.

This photomicrograph demonstrates how well a Leitz PL APO 63x/1.4 Oel objective works with a first generation Zeiss Inko condenser (Prism III). My Leitz NPL Fluotar 40x/0.70 also gives excellent even field DIC with Prism II. The rest of my photo setup is a Zeiss PK 2.5X photo eyepiece and a Canon EOS 40D using electronic first curtain shutter.

Linas

Harald · Post by **Harald** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:38 am

Hi there lkudzma,
Great image. Love the sharpnes.
I´m working on a way to use flash on my microscope.

lkudzma · Post by **lkudzma** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:58 am

Thanks Harald.

I'm working on adding flash to my system as well. The image I posted was using conventional illumination (100W halogen). Electronic first curtain shutter really helps with sharpness.

phytoplankton · Post by **phytoplankton** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:50 pm

Nice photo of an interesting subject.

It in encouraging to see your DIC result with the PL APO 63/1.4. I am trying to piece together DIC for this lens as well. What objectives were the Zeiss prisms designed for?

lkudzma · Post by **lkudzma** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 1:25 pm

Thanks phytoplankton!

All required components and Zeiss objectives designed for the three different versions of Zeiss DIC for 160 tube length are summarized here if you haven't seen it.

http://www.the-ultraphot-shop.org.uk/faq.htm

I have my Zeiss Universal stand equipped with the first version of Zeiss DIC and I can confirm that a Zeiss Plan 40x and Plan 100X with the correct serial numbers (as in the above link) work, while a similar Plan 40X of the wrong vintage does not. I also have a 40X Zeiss Neofluar that gives great DIC, but my 100X Zeiss Neofluar does not. If you'd like, I can list my serial numbers for you later. The first version DIC condensers are the ones with an arrow on them and have three DIC prisms (I, II, III) in the turret.

Funny thing is that I prefer the DIC image from the Leitz lenses I mention in the first post. They work very well despite not being the strain free "P" versions. They are great optics whether using DIC or not.

Linas

darwin · Post by **darwin** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 1:31 pm

Nice result! Did you test it already with more ornamented/pigmented spores? I'm a little bit curious if it works.

lkudzma · Post by **lkudzma** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 1:58 pm

Thanks Darwin!

I'll post more spore pictures in the next few weeks. My primary interest is mushroom identification/systematics, much of which is impossible without microscopy.

The very shallow depth of field of DIC and the resulting "optical sectioning" works very well and produces some dramatic images with ornamented spores.

Linas

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 2:28 pm

lkudzma wrote:I have my Zeiss Universal stand equipped with the first version of Zeiss DIC and I can confirm that a Zeiss Plan 40x and Plan 100X with the correct serial numbers (as in the above link) work, while a similar Plan 40X of the wrong vintage does not. I also have a 40X Zeiss Neofluar that gives great DIC, but my 100X Zeiss Neofluar does not. If you'd like, I can list my serial numbers for you later. The first version DIC condensers are the ones with an arrow on them and have three DIC prisms (I, II, III) in the turret.

Funny thing is that I prefer the DIC image from the Leitz lenses I mention in the first post. They work very well despite not being the strain free "P" versions. They are great optics whether using DIC or not.

Intersting info, thanks for posting it. I also use a Zeiss first generation INKO condenser but with the Zeiss Slider III (and a Olympus U-DICT) with Letz NPL fluotar objectives. Some objectives work well, some others work with too uneven field and others like the Zeiss Neofluar 100X 1.32 and Leitz PL Fluotar 100/1.32 do not provide DIC at all.

darwin · Post by **darwin** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 2:37 pm

lkudzma wrote:Thanks Darwin!

I'll post more spore pictures in the next few weeks. My primary interest is mushroom identification/systematics, much of which is impossible without microscopy.

The very shallow depth of field of DIC and the resulting "optical sectioning" works very well and produces some dramatic images with ornamented spores.

Linas

Linas,
We share common interests! It's the only thing I observe through my microscope. But my interest goes a little bit further identification/systematics/taxonomy/phylogeny/evolution/...

Do you prefer a certain group of fungi?

I look forward to your future posts.

Dieter

lkudzma · Post by **lkudzma** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 3:22 pm

Dieter,
Very nice to meet you. We indeed share a common interest. While my formal training and work is in organic/medicinal chemistry, I've had a long time scientific fascination with fungi. Lately my primary focus has been on Inocybe and Entoloma, but lots of fungi are so interesting. See some of my posts here:

http://mushroomobserver.org/observer/ob ... _user/4096

I've returned to more serious work in this area after some years of being too busy with work. The field is changing rapidly due to DNA analysis, etc. So much to learn and catch up on, but the microscopy and photomicrography is also very enjoyable in its own right. I'll post more when I find time.

Linas

lkudzma · Post by **lkudzma** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 3:36 pm

Hi Pau,
Yes, I read all your posts about your mixed system as I was doing my research on Zeiss DIC. As you see, I finally assembled all the Zeiss components I need, but interestingly I somewhat prefer the semi-hybrid route with the Leitz objectives.

Linas

arturoag75 · Post by **arturoag75** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:24 am

Very nice shot and very interesting hybrid dic set up...
i got the new version of zeiss dic 160mm and i use also some leitz lenses, these are great!
just a quastion:
do you get a good dic whit lenses of 20x/25x? and which prism you use?
best
Arturo

darwin · Post by **darwin** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:41 am

I see you use the name Hymenopellis. I didn't know this genus so I looked it up. It seems that it's not monophyletic. I don't love it when they create polyphyletic or paraphyletic groups. So don't be surprised if the name changes in the future.
http://www.schweizerbart.de/publication ... Agaricales

Inocybe and Entoloma, wow, they are quite difficult! But I love the challenge.

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 2:48 am

arturoag75 wrote: do you get a good dic whit lenses of 20x/25x? and which prism you use?

Although you are asking Linas, my experience with the NPL fluotar 25X 0.55 is that it only works well in my setup with the zeiss prism slider III, the condenser prism II and the lens cap aplanatic achromatic 0.63 NA, while the 16X 0.40 works better with the condenser prism II, the Olympus U-DICT slider and the condenser lens removed (0.32 NA)
A bit puzzling matter...

arturoag75 · Post by **arturoag75** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 3:17 am

....

many thanks Pau for sharing your experience

Arturo